Plan of Birmingham.[1]
September 24, 1792.—This Day is published, Price 1s., a New Plan of the Town; wherein is described all the new Streets, the Course of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, the Termination of the Worcester Canal, the Situation of the Barracks now building, with every necessary Information to direct Strangers to any Part of the Town, the public Buildings being described in their proper situations, without any References; and for the Convenience of Proprietors of Buildings the Streets are described without Shading, in such a Manner that any Person may have their Buildings exhibited on the Plan in their exact situations.
The next advertisement takes us again to
Ashted.
December 16, 1793.—Doubts having been entertained whether the Assignees of Mr. Brooke's Estate were empowered to grant Building Leases, which has prevented many persons, who wanted to take Land in this desirable and much improved Hamlet, being accommodated, notice is hereby given, that a Plan is now settled by counsel, whereby Leases may be securely granted to any person desirous of taking any Lots of the said Land for Building-and that the same will be immediately Let for that Purpose. For further particulars apply to the Assignees, every Thursday, at Mr. Suthall's, at the Swan, in Bull Street. Mr. Bryan, at the Sign of the Duke of York, in Brooke Street, Ashted, will show the Land.
The next advertisement is quoted for the sake of the name of the farm which it announces as to be sold. It will be seen that it is called the "Lowcells," and hence is derived the name of that pleasant part of Aston now called the Lozells.
June 24, 1793.—A desirable Farm near Birmingham. To be Sold by Auction, on the Premises, by Thomas Warren, this Day, the 24th of June inst., precisely at ten o'clock, a Lease of all that valuable and improved Farm, known by the name of the Lowcells, in the Parish of Aston, within one mile and a half of the Town of Birmingham, late in the Tenure or Occupation of Mr. Joseph Cooper, deceased, consisting of a commodious Farm House, with a large Barn, Stables, Cow-houses, Stalls for feeding Cattle, Graineries, Blacksmith's Shop, and other out-buildings, all in complete Repair; also two large well-planted Gardens, and fourteen Closes or Pieces, containing 138 acres, or thereabouts, of rich Arable, Meadow, or Pasture Land.
The following record of a fatal accident calls us back to a time when open wells gave an additional country aspect to the town. In short, up to a comparatively recent period, all the characteristics of Birmingham, except the extreme activity of the people, were those of a rural district. Thus we read on July 23, 1792, that "on Friday evening, as Mary Duck, a child, was playing round a well, (very carelessly left uncovered) in Summer Lane, she unfortunately fell into it, and was drowned."
