A Description of Modern Birmingham Part 3

Was erected in Severn-street in the year 1809, where boys of all denominations are instructed in reading, writing, and accounts. The room is calculated to accommodate four hundred pupils, and since its erection 1800 have derived the benefit of education. In this seminary visitors are uniformly received with kindness, and respectfully informed of any particulars they may think proper to enquire after, by the master, Mr. Thomas Baker. An examination taking place every Sat.u.r.day, no visitors are admitted on that day between the hours of ten and twelve; but at any other time, the school is open for inspection during school hours. During the year 1818, 215 boys left the school, having been instructed in reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Upon a similar plan there is a school established for the instruction of females, which is situated in Park-street.

_Sunday Schools._

These inst.i.tutions are exceedingly numerous, in every part of the town, and not only so, but they are remarkably well attended to, by those of the established religion; and each denomination of dissenters endeavours to out-vie the other in these establishments. The children are all of them neatly cloathed of a Sunday, numbers of them by contributing one penny per week to that purpose, which with donations that are made, effectually answers the end proposed.

_The General Hospital._

The exterior of this substantial building was erected in the year 1766 under the superintendance of an eminent physician, John Ash, M.D. but for want of funds, it lay dormant for the s.p.a.ce of twelve years; when, in 1778, some well-disposed people stepped forward, and solicited subscriptions in so earnest a manner, that during the next year the hospital was prepared to receive patients, and during the first nine months there was admitted,

IN-PATIENTS.

Discharged cured .. .. .. 135

Relieved .. .. .. 38

Absented themselves .. .. .. 3

For irregularity .. .. .. 2

Incurable .. .. .. 1

Died .. .. .. .. 5

Remained on the books .. .. .. 41

OUT-PATIENTS.

Discharged cured .. .. .. 108

Relieved .. .. .. 55 For non-attendance .. .. .. 5

Made in-patients .. .. .. 5

Remained on the books .. .. .. 71

By this statement it is evident that the faculty exerted their skill, and exercised their humanity, by giving their attendance gratis. In a few years, the patients became so numerous, that in 1790 it was considered necessary to add two wings to the building. It is supported by voluntary subscription, and once in three years a music meeting is held, from which it derives unprecedented advantage. At the meeting which took place in 1817, the gross receipts, during the three days'

performance, amounted to the sum of 8476. 6s. 9d., of which the treasurers of the hospital received the sum of 4290. 10s. 10d.; there not being an instance upon record of any inst.i.tution receiving so much benefit, or such extensive patronage, from a similar source. A list of the donations and benefactions are recorded in the hall, which enable the committee to extend relief to numerous individuals, who otherwise might perish for want of medical a.s.sistance.

In the year ending Midsummer 1818, there were relieved 1167 in-patients and 2541 out-patients, including 766 for the cow-pock, who all of them did well. The under-mentioned physicians and surgeons attend gratuitously, and give their advice and a.s.sistance in the most humane manner; it being impossible to enumerate any place where greater attention and humanity are practised.

PHYSICIANS.

DR. J. JOHNSTONE, DR. MALE, DR. BOOTH, DR. DE LYS.

SURGEONS.

MR. FREER, MR. d.i.c.kENSON, MR. WOOD, MR. VAUX.

House Apothecary, Mr. ALFRED JUKES.

Matron, .. Mrs. RANDALL.

_The Dispensary._

This laudable inst.i.tution originated among a select society, and was carried on in a private manner for some time; until they were joined by the late Matthew Boulton, Esq. who took it under his patronage in the year 1793, when a house was taken in Temple-row, and an establishment formed; he taking upon himself the office of treasurer, saying, "if the funds of the inst.i.tution are not sufficient for its support, I will make up the deficiency." It continued in Temple-row, supported by voluntary subscriptions and donations, until the year 1808, when a commodious building having been erected for the purpose, in Union-street, at the expense of more than two thousand pounds, the establishment, consisting of a house apothecary, another for the compounding and dispensing of the medicines, and a midwife, removed there. Those who have previously received a recommendation, are here accommodated with medical advice and a.s.sistance, gratis, and the females in the time of need are attended at their own dwellings by the midwife, as are also sick patients, who are too ill to attend personally. Since this dispensary was first established, there have been 37139 sick patients, 6223 midwifery, and 13964 persons inoculated in the vaccine manner, at the expense of the inst.i.tution; of whom 2523 sick, 387 midwifery, and 434 vaccine inoculation, were attended to during the last year, ending Michaelmas, 1818; the subscriptions amounting to 599.11s.

PHYSICIANS.

DR. DE LYS, DR. ECCLES, DR. LEE,

SURGEONS.

MR. BARR, MR. RUSSELL, MR. VICKERS, MR. INGLEBY, MR. J.S. BLOUNT, MR. HODGSON.

Resident Surgeon and Apothecary, Mr. J. M. BAYNHAM.

Dispensing Apothecary, Mr. JOHN TOMPSON.

_The Workhouse._

This extensive establishment for the accommodation of the poor, is situated in Lichfield-street, and is under the management of twelve overseers; six of whom are made choice of at Lady-day and the other six at Michaelmas; so that there are always some in office, who having been initiated, understand the rules and customs of the house. In addition to the overseers, there are one hundred and eight guardians, elected by the inhabitants who pay levies, and they continue in office for three years, during which time they possess all the power and authority of overseers, except making and collecting of rates, from both of which they are exempt, nor can they be compelled to a.s.sist therein as guardians; but the serving of this office does not excuse them from being chosen into any other.

The church-wardens and overseers for the time being are guardians by virtue of their office; and at the expiration of the year, they may continue to act as such, or not, at their option. The appointment of treasurers, clerks, governors, and other officers, with their servants, is vested in the guardians; who are required to keep regular accounts of their proceedings, which must be signed by the chairman at every meeting they hold. All fines, forfeitures, and other public monies are required to be paid into the hands of the guardians, whose duty it is to meet every week, and also after every quarter-day.

In the year 1816, trade being at a very low ebb, the applications for relief were so very numerous, that in order to support this establishment, between Michaelmas in that year and the same time in 1817, it was necessary to collect thirty-six levies, which produced the astonis.h.i.+ng sum of sixty thousand two hundred and fourteen pounds, seventeen s.h.i.+llings, and six-pence. From Michaelmas, 1817, to the same time in 1818, there was twenty-eight levies, which produced the sum of fifty-one thousand nine hundred and forty-three pounds, nine s.h.i.+llings, and nine pence halfpenny.

_Asylum for the Infant Poor belonging to the Parish of_ _Birmingham_.

In the year 1797 the overseers and guardians being convinced of the evils that arose from the system then pursued, of placing the children out at nurse, in the vicinity of the town, formed the resolution of taking certain premises situated in Summer-lane, where all the children might be properly attended to and taken care of.

This being done, a committee of overseers and guardians were appointed to superintend the inst.i.tution: they being made choice of annually, meet every Monday for the purpose of examining the demands on the asylum drawing cheques for the amount of the bills on the cas.h.i.+er of the workhouse, and inspecting the state of the inst.i.tution.

The average number of children who have been maintained, cloathed, and educated, for the last twelve months, has been three hundred and eighty; of whom three hundred are employed in manufacturing of pins, straw plat, and lace. The produce of the children's labour since the inst.i.tution was established, has been progressively acc.u.mulating, and that to such a degree, that the committee have been enabled to purchase the premises they inhabit, with about two acres of land, which with the additional buildings and improvements, are now worth nearly six thousand pounds, and are the property of the parish.

The whole of this information is very interesting, but what follows is highly deserving of attention. This account was written at the asylum, in the middle of November, 1818, when there was not in this numerous family one sick person.

_Philosophical Society._

This inst.i.tution is indebted for its origin to a few scientific inhabitants, who held a meeting in the year 1800, and having disclosed their ideas to others, they afterwards formed themselves into a society, who having engaged premises and procured proper apparatus, devoted a considerable portion of their time to experimental philosophy; occasionally delivering lectures among their own members.

This being carried on as a private society for several years, continually increasing in numbers, they in the year 1813 purchased commodious premises in Cannon-street, which they fitted up in a similar manner to the Royal Inst.i.tution in London, and it is now become a most valuable establishment. The various lectures that have been delivered by the different fellows of this society, on mechanism, chemistry, mineralogy, and metallurgy, have produced very beneficial effects, and contributed in a considerable degree to the improvement of gilding, plating, bronzing, vitrification, and metallurgic combinations. At one of these lectures, in the year 1812, Dr. De Lys descanted upon the advantages an unfortunate cla.s.s of society (the deaf and dumb) might derive, if they were put under proper management; and to elucidate the subject, he introduced a girl, about eight years of age, who, labouring under those defects, he and his friend Mr.

A. Blair, had been very attentive to,--she, being in other respects endowed with an excellent capacity, paid great attention to what was going forward, and with promptness executed, or rather antic.i.p.ated, the wishes of her instructors, which proved a very animating and affecting spectacle. This circ.u.mstance gave rise to _A General Inst.i.tution for the Instruction of Deaf and_ _Dumb Children._

A few days after this girl had been brought forward, a private meeting took place, when it was determined to establish an inst.i.tution, under the above t.i.tle.

On the 4th of December, 1812, a general meeting was held, and a committee appointed, who, after making numerous enquiries to find a person properly qualified to superintend the concern, did at length fix upon Mr. Thomas Braidwood, who at that time conducted a private school of the same description, at Hackney; he being initiated in the mystery by his father and grandfather.

When the plan of this inst.i.tution was made known to the grand jury at the summer a.s.sizes for the county of Warwick, in the year 1813, it was universally patronized by them; and when the magistrates, and other leading characters in the county of Stafford, were apprised of it, they, with the greatest liberality, gave it their support, as did the Earl of Plymouth, and other persons of high consideration in the counties of Worcester, Salop, and Derby.