ting up the clerestory windows, piercing the walls of the chancel and the body of the church for fresh windows attaching a vestry, &c. The churchyard was partly surrounded by houses, and in 1781 "iron pallisadoes" were affixed to the wall. In this year also 33ft. of the spire was taken down and rebuilt. In 1807 the churchyard was enlarged by the purchase of five tenements fronting Spiceal Street, belonging to the Governors of the Free Grammar School, for £423, and the Commissioners having cleared the Bull Ring of the many erections formerly existing there the old church in its hideous brick dress was fully exposed to view. Noble and handsome places of worship were erected in other parts of the town, but the old mother church was kit in all its shabbiness until it became almost unsafe to hold services therein at all. The bitter feelings engendered by the old church-rate wars had doubtless much to do with this neglect of the "parish" church, but it was not exactly creditable to the Birmingham men of '49, when attention was drawn to the dangerous condition of the spire, and a general restoration was proposed, that what one gentleman has been pleased to call "the lack of public interest" should be made so manifest that not even enough could be got to rebuild the tower. Another attempt was made in 1853, and on April 25th, 1854, the work of restoring the tower and rebuilding the spire, at a cost of £6,000, was commenced. The old brick casing was replaced by stone, and, on completion of the tower, the first stone of the new spire was laid June 20, 1855, the "topping" being successfully accomplished November 22nd following. The height of the present spire from the ground to the top of the stonework is 185ft. l0½in., the tower being 69ft. 6in., and the spire itself ll6ft. 4½in., the vane being an additional 18ft. 6in. The old spire was about 3in. lower than the present new one, though it looked higher on account of its more beautiful form and its thinner top only surmounted by the weather-cock, now to be seen at Aston Hall. The clock and chimes were renewed at a cost of £200 in 1858: the tunes played being "God save the Queen [Her Majesty visited Birmingham that year], "Rule Britannia," "Blue Bells of Scotland," "Life let us cherish, the "Easter Hymn," and two other hymns. Twenty years after (in 1878) after a very long period (nine years) of inaction, the charming apparatus was again put in order, the chimes being the same as before, with the exception of "Auld lang syne," which is substituted for "God save the Queen," in consequence of the latter not giving satisfaction since the bells have been repaired [vide "Mail"]. The clock dial is 9ft. 6in. in diameter. The original bells in the steeple were doubtless melted in the troublesome days of the Commonwealth, or perhaps, removed when Bluff Hal sequestered the Church's property, as a new set of six (total weight 53cwt. 1qr. 151bs.) were hung in 1682. During the last century these were recast, and addition made to the peal, which now consists of twelve.
 | A table should appear at this position in the text. See Help:Table for formatting instructions. |
The ninth bell was recast in 1790; fourth and fifth have also been recast, by Blews and Son, in 1870. In the metal of the tenor several coins are visible, one being a Spanish dollar of 1742. The following lines appear on some of the bells;—
On Seventh:-"You singers all that prize your health and happiness, he sober, merry and wise and you will the same possess."
