Richard Herbert, of Birmingham, where was an hundred fifty and five dwelling house burnt by Pr. Rupert."
Birmingham Borough, which is in the hundred of Hemlingford, and wholly in the county of Warwick, includes the parish of Birmingham, part of the parish of Edgbaston, and the hamlets of Deritend-and-Bordesley, and Duddeston-cum-Nechells, in the parish of Aston. The extreme length is six miles one furlong, the average breadth three miles, the circumference twenty-one miles, and the total area 8,420 acres, viz.. Birmingham, 2,955; in Edgbaston, 2,512; and in Aston, 2,853. Divided into sixteen wards by an Order in Council, approved by Her Majesty. October 15, 1872. The mean level of Birmingham is reckoned as 443 feet above sea level.
Birmingham Heath.—Once an unenclosed common, and part of it may now be said to be common property, nearly 100 acres of it being covered with public buildings for the use of such as need a common home. There is not, however, anything commonplace in the style of these erections for sheltering our common infirmities, as the Workhouse, Gaol, and Asylum combined have cost "the Commons" something like £350,000. The Volunteers in 1798 made use of part of the Heath as a practice and parade ground.
Birmingham Bishops.—The Rev. John Milner, a Catholic divine and eminent ecclesiastical antiquary, who was educated at Edgbaston, was appointed Bishop Apostolic in the Midland district, with the title of "Bishop of Castaballa." He died in 1826, in his 74th year.—Dr. Ullathorne was enthroned at St. Chad's. August 30th, 1848, as Bishop of the present Catholic diocese.—The Rev. P. Lee, Head Master of Free Grammar School in 1839, was chosen as the first Bishop of Manchester. —The Rev S. Thornton, St. George's, was consecrated Bishop of Ballarat, May 1, 1875. —The Rev. Edward White Benson, D.D., a native of this town, was nominated first Bishop of Truro, in December, 1876, and is now Archbishop of Canterbury.—The Rev. Thomas Huband Gregg resigned the vicarage of East Harborne in March, 1877, and on June 20 was consecrated at New York a Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church.
Birmingham (Little)—in a record of the early date of 1313 there is mention of a place called Little Birminghatn (parvam Birmingham), as being in the hundreds ot North and South Erpyngham, Norfolk.
Birmingham in the Future.—It has been proposed that the Borough should be extended so as to include the Local Board districts of Harborne and Handsworth, Balsall Heath, Moseley, King's Heath, part of King's Norton parish, the whole of Yardley and Acock's Green, part of Northfield parish, all Aston Manor, Saltley, Witton, Little Bromwich, and Erdington, covering an area of about 32,000 acres, with a present population of over half a million.
Blind Asylum.—See "Philanthropic Institutions."
Blondin made his first appearance at Aston Park. June 8, 1861; at the Birmingham Concert Hall. December, 1869, and March, 1870; at the Reservoir September, 1873, and September, 1878. Mrs. Powell, who was known as the "Female Blondin," was killed at a fete in Aston Park. July 20, 1863, by falling from the high rope.
Bloomsbury Institute.—Opened in 1860. The memorial stones of the lecture-hall in Bloomsbury Street were laid August 6, 1877, the £750 cost being given by Mr. David Smith. Seats 500.
Blue Coat School.—See "Schools."
Blues.—The United Society of True blues was founded in 1805 by a number of old Blue Coat boys (formerly known as "The Grateful Society")
