Page:Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham.djvu/340

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328
SHOWELL'S DICTIONARY OF BIRMINGHAM.

ters worked by side cams on the same shaft cut off the wire and make the point. A steel finger then advances and knocks the finished spike out of the way to make room for the next. Wire staples, three inches long, are turned out at the rate of a hundred a minute; the wire is pushed forward into the machine and cut off on the bevel to form the points; a hook rises, catches the wire, and draws it down into the proper form, when a staple falls out compete.

Wire Gauge—The following table shows the sizes, weights, lengths, and breaking strains of iron wire under the Imperial Standard Wire Gauge, which came into operation March 1, 1884:—

Yates.—At one period this was the favourite slang term of the smashing fraternity for the metal used in their nefarious business, the spoons manufactured by Messrs. Yates and Son being the best material for transmutation into base coin.

Trafalgar.-See "Nelson" and "Statues."

Train Bands.—The Trainbands of former da3's may be likened to the militia of the present time, but were drawn from every parish in the hundreds, according to the population. A document in the lost Staunton Collection gave the names and parishes of the men forming "Lord Compton's Company of Foot for the Hundred of Hemlingford" in 1615, being part of the "Warwickshire Trayne Bands." Birmingham supplied six men armed with pikes and six with muskets; Birmingham and Aston jointly the same number; Edgbaston one pike; Coleshill three of each; Sutton Coldfield four pikes and six muskets; Solihull three pikes and four muskets; Knowle the same; Berkswell two pikes and live muskets; and Meriden one pike and two muskets. These Trained Bands numbered 600 men from Coventry and the county in 1642, besides the Militia and Volunteers of Warwickshire, which were called up in that year. These latter mustered very strongly on the days for review and training, there being at Stratford-upon- Avon (June 30) 400 Volunteers well armed and 200 unarmed; at Warwick (July 1 & 2) 650 well armed; at Coleshill (July 4) 800 almost all well armed ; and at Coventry near 800 most well armed — the total number being 2,850, making a respectable force of 3,450 in all, ready, according to the expression of their officers, "to adhere to His Majestic and both Houses of Parliament, to the losse of the last drop of their dearest blood." These fine words, however, did not prevent the "Volunteers" of this neighbourhood opposing His Majestie to the utmost of their power soon afterwards.

Tramways.—These take their