tiring perseverance that secured him success. His sweetheart was sister to William and John Mitchell, and it is questionable whether Gillott's first efforts at making steel pens did not spring from the knowledge he gained from her as to what the Mitchells were doing in that line. The Sheffield blade, however, was the first to bring the "press" into the process of making the pens, and that secret he must have kept pretty closely from all but his lass, as Mr. J. Gillott often told, in after life, how, on the morning of his marriage, he began and finished a gross of pens, and sold them for £7 4s. before they went to church. The accumulation of his fortune began from that day, the name of Gillott in a very few years being known the wide world over. The penmaker was a great patron of the artists, gathering a famous collection which at his death realised £170,000. His first interview with Turner was described in an American journal a few years back. Gillott having rudely pushed his way into the studio and turning the pictures about without the artist deigning to notice the intruder, tried to attract attention by asking the prices of three paintings. Turner carelessly answered "4,000 guineas," "£3,000," and "1,500 guineas." "I'll take the three," said Gilloit. Then Turner rose, with "Who the devil are you to intrude here against my orders? You must be a queer sort of a beggar, I fancy." "You're another queer beggar" was the reply. "I am Gillott, the penmaker. My banker tells me you are clever, and 1 have come to buy some pictures." "By George!" quoth Turner, "you are a droll fellow, I must say." " You're another," said Gillott. "But do you really want to purchase those pictures," asked Turner. "Yes, in course I do, or I would not have climhed those blessed stairs this morning," was the answer. Turner marvelled at the man, and explained that he had fixed the prices named under the idea that he had only got an impertinent intruder to deal with, that two of the pictures were already sold, but that his visitor could have the first for £1,000. "I'll take it," said the prince of penmakers, "and you must make me three or four more at your own price." If other artists did as well with Mr. Gillott they could have had but little cause of complaint. Another hobby of Mr. Gillott's was collecting fiddles, his specimens, of which he once said he had a "boat load," realising £4,000; while his cabinet of precious stones was of immense value. The millionaire died Jan. 5, 1872, leaving £3,000 to local charities.
Guest, James.—Originally a brassfounder, but imbued with the principles of Robert Owen, he became an active member of the Political Union and other "freedom-seeking "societies, and opened in Steelhouse Lane a shop for the sale of that kind of literature suited to ardent workers in the Radical cause, Mr. Guest believed that "all bad laws must be broken before they could be mended," and for years he followed out that idea so far as the taxes on knowledge were concerned. He was the first to sell unstamped papers here and in the Black Country, and, notwithstanding heavy fines, and even imprisonment, he kept to his principles as long as the law stood as it was. In 1830 he published Hutton "History of Birmingham " in cheap numbers, unfortunately mixing with it many chapters about the Political Union, the right of a Free Press, &c.,in a confusing manner. The book, however, was very popular, and has been reprinted from the original stereoplates several times. Mr. Guest died Jan. 17, 1881, in his 78th year.
Hill, Rowland.—The originator of the present postal system, born at Kidderminster, December 3, 1795, coming to Birmingham with his parents when about seven years old. His father opened a school at the corner of Gough Street and Blucher Street, which was afterwards (in 1819) removed to the Hagley Road, where, as "Hazlewood School" it became more than locally
