Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham/O

by Thomas Thalric Harman

Oak Leaf Day.—in the adjoining counties, and to a certain extent in Birmingham itself, it has been the custom for carters and coachmen to decorate their horses' heads and their own hats with sprays of oak leaves on the 29th of May, and 99 out of the 100 would tell you they did so to commemorate Charles II. hiding in the oak tree near to Boscobel House. It is curious to note how long an erroneous idea will last. The hunted King would not have found much shelter in his historical oak in the month of May, as the trees would hardly have been sufficiently in leaf to have screened him, and, as it happened, it was the 4th of September and not the 29th of May when the event occurred. The popular mistake is supposed to have arisen from the fact that Charles made his public entry into London on May 29, which was also his birthday, when the Royalists decked themselves with oak in remembrance of that tree having been instrumental in the King's restoration.

 

Obsolete Street Names.—Town improvements of one sort and another have necessitated the entire clearance of many streets whose names may be found inscribed on the old maps, and their very sites will in time be forgotten. Changes in name have also occurred more frequently perhaps than may be imagined, and it will be well to note a few. As will be seen, several streets have been christened and re- christened more than once.

• Baskerville-street is now Easy-row.
• Bath-road is Bristol-street.
• Beast Market was that part of High-street contiguous to New-street; also called English Market.
• Bewdley-street, afterwards Ann-street, now Colmore-row.
• Birch Hole-street has been improved to Birchall street.
• Black Boy Yard is now Jamaica-row.
• Brick Kiln lane is the Horse Fair.
• Broad-street—Dale End was so called in the 15th century.
• Buckle-row. Between Silver-steeet and Thomas-street.
• Button Alley—Bishop-street, Masshouse-lane.
• Butts lane—Tanter-street; The Butts being Stafford-street.
• Catherine-street—Whittal-street.
• Cawsey (The Causeway)—Lower part of Digbeth.
• Chapel-street—Bull-street was so called in the 14th century.
• Chappel-row—Jennens'-row and Back-street.
• Charles or Little Charles-street—Now part of New Edmund-street.
• Cock-street—Upper part of Digbeth; also called Well-street.
• Colmore-street—From Worcester-street to Peck-lane.
• Cony Greve street is now Congreve-street.
• Cooper's Mill-lane is Heathmill-lane.
• Corbett's Alley—Union-street.
• Cornh Cheaping or Corn Market was part of the Bull Ring.
• Court-lane—Moat-lane.
• Cottage-lane—Seepcote-laue.
• Crescent-street—Part of King Edward's Road.
• Cross-street—Vauxhall-street.
• Crown-street, afterwards Nelson-street is now Sheepcote-street.
• Deadman's Lane—Warstone-lane.
• Ditch—The Gullet was The Ditch.
• Dock Alley—New Inkleys.
• Dudwall-lane—Dudley-street
• Farmer-street—Sand-street.
• Ferney Fields—Great Hampton-street
• Feck-lane or Peck-lane—Covered by New-street Station,
• God's Cart-lane—Carrs-lane.
• Grindstone-lane—Westfield-road.
• Hangman's-lane, or Hay Barns-lane—Great Hampton-row.
• Harlow-street—Edmund-street.

• Haymarket—one of the names given to Ann-street.
• High Town—Upper part of Bull Ring.
• Hill-street—Little Charles-street.
• Jennings-street—Fox-street.
• King-street and Queen-street, as well as Great Queen-street, have made way for New-street Station.
• Lake Meadow-hill—Bordesley-street and Fazeley-street.
• Lamb-yard—Crooked-lane.
• Long-lane—Harborne-road.
• Ludgate-hill was part of Church-street.
• Martin-street—Victoria-street.
• Mercer-street, or Spicer-street—Spiceal-street.
• Mount Pleasant—Ann-street.
• New road—Summer-row.
• Old Meeting-street has at various periods been known as Grub-street, Littleworth street, New-row, and Phillips-street.
• Pemberton's-yard, Lower Minories, or Coach-yard—Dalton-street.
• Pitt-street and Porter-street were portions of Old Cross-street.
• Priors Conigree-lane, or Whitealls-lane is now Steelhouse-lane.
• Priory-lane—Monmouth-street .
• Rother Market—New-street next to High-street and High-street next to New-street was once so called.
• Sandy-lane—Snow Hill in the 16th century. Lee Bank-road has also been called Sandy-lane.
• Shambles—Part of Bull Ring.
• Swan Alley—Worcester-street.
• Swinford-street—Upper end of New-street.
• Temple Alley, also called Tory-row—Termple-row.
• Walmer-lane (in the 15th century Wold Moors)—Lancaster-street.
• Water-street—Floodgate-street.
• Welch End or Welch Market—Junction of Bull-street, High-street, and Dale End.
• Westley's-row, Westley-street, or London, 'Prentice-street forms part of Dalton-street.
• Withering-street—Union-street.
• Wyllattes Green—Prospect Row.

 

Old Cock Pump.—This was the old pump formerly under St. Martin's Churchyard wall, from which the water-carriers and others obtained their supply of drinking water. The rule of the pump was "last come last served" and frequently a long string of men, women, and children might be seen waiting their turn. Many of us can recollect the old Digbeth men, with their shoulder-yoke and two buckets, plodding along to find customers for their "Warta;" and certain elderly ladies are still in existence who would fear the shortening of their lives were their tea-kettles filled with aught but the pure Digbeth water, though it does not come from the pump at St. Martin's, for that was removed in 1873. It has been written that on one occasion (in the days before waterworks were practicable, and the old pump was a real blessing), when the poor folks came to fill their cans early in the morning, they found the handle gone, and great was the outcry thereat. It soon afterwards transpired that a blacksmith, short of iron, had taken the handle to make into horseshoes.

 

Old Meeting-House Yard.—The name gives its own origin. One of the earliest built of our Dissenting places of worship was here situated.

 

Old Square.—There are grounds for believing that this was the site of the Hospital or Priory of St. Thomas the Apostle; the reason of no foundations or relics of that building having been come across arising from its having been erected on a knoll or mount there, and which would be the highest bit of land in Birmingham. This opinion is borne out by the fact that the Square was originally called The Priory, and doubtless the Upper and Lower Priories and the Minories of later years were at first but the entrance roads to the old Hospital, as it was most frequently styled in deeds and documents. Mr. John Pemberton, who purchased this portion of the Priory lands in 1697, and laid it out for building, would naturally have it levelled, and, not unlikely from a reverent feeling, so planned that the old site of the religious houses should remain clear and undesecrated. From old conveyances we find that 20s. per yard frontage was paid for the site of some of the houses in the square, and up to 40s. in Bull Street; the back plots, including the Friends' burial ground (once gardens to the front houses) being valued at 1s. to 2s. per yard. Some of the covenants between the vendor and the purchasers are very curious, such as that the latter "shall and will for ever hereafter putt and keep good bars of iron or wood, or otherwise secure all the lights and windows that are or shall be, that soe any children or others may not or cannot creep through, gett, or come through such lights or windows into or upon the same piece of land." Here appears the motive for the erection of the iron railings so closely placed in front of the old houses. Another covenant was against "putting there any muckhill or dunghill places, pigstyes or workhouses, shopps or places that shall be noysome or stink, or be nautiouse or troublesome," and also to have there "no butcher's or smith's slaughter house or smithey harth." One of the corner houses, originally called "the Angle House," was sold in 1791 for £420; in 1805 it realised £970; in 1843, £1,330? and in 1853, £2,515. The centre of the Square was enclosed and neatly kept as a garden with walks across, for the use of the inhabitants there, but (possibly it was "nobody's business") in course of time it became neglected, and we have at least one instance, in 1832, of its being the scene of a public demonstration. About the time of the Parliamentary election in that year, the carriageway round the Square had been newly macadamised, and on the polling day, when Dempster Heming opposed William Stratford Dugdale, the stones were found very handy, and were made liberal use of, as per the usual order of the day at that time on such occasions. The trees and railings were removed in 1836 or 1837 in consequence of many accidents occurring there, the roadways being narrow and very dangerous from the numerous angles, the Street Commissioners undertaking to give the inhabitants a wide and handsome flagging as a footpath on all sides of the square, conditionally with the freeholders of the property giving up their rights to and share in the enclosure.

 

Omnibuses.—The first omnibus was started in 1828, by Mr. Doughty, a fishmonger, and its route lay between the While Swan, Snow Hill, to the Sun, in Bristol Road. In 1836 an "Omnibus Conveyance Co," was proposed, with a magnificent capital of £5,000. The projectors would have been a little startled if they could have seen the prospectuses of some of our modern conveyance companies. — See Tramways."

 

Open Spaces.—March 8, 1883, saw the formation of the Birmingham Association for the Prevention of Open Spaces and Public Footpaths, the object of which is to be the securing of the rights of the public to the open spots, footpaths, and green places, which, for generations, have belonged to them. There are few such left in the borough now, but the Association may find plenty to do in the near neighbourhood, and if its members can but save us one or two of the old country walk, they will do good service to the community.

 

Orange Tree.—This public-house was built in 1780, the neighbourhood being then known as "Boswell Heath." A walk to the Orange Tree over the "hilly fields," where Conybere and other streets now are, was a pleasant Sunday morning ramble even forty years back.

 

Oratory.—See "Places of Worship."

 

Organs.—According to the oft-quoted extract from the Halesowen Churchwardens' books—"1497. Paid for repeyling the organs to the organ maker at Bromycham 10s,"—organ-building must have been one of the few recognised trades of this town at a very early date. It is a pity the same accounts do not give the makers name of the instruments for which in 1539 they "paid my lord Abbot 4 marks," or name the parties who were then employed and paid for "mending and setting the organs up, 40s. Whether any of the most celebrated organs in the country have, or have not, been made here, is quite uncertain, though the Directories and papers of all dates tell us that makers thereof have never been wanting. In 1730 one Thomas Swarbrick made the organ for St. Mary's Church, Warwick, and the Directory for 1836 gives the name of Isaac Craddock (the original maker of the taper penholder), who repaired and in several cases enlarged the instruments at many of our places of worship, as well as supplying the beautiful organ for St. Marys at Coventry.—The tale has often been told of the consternation caused by the introduction of a barrel organ into a church, when from some catch or other it would not stop at the finish of the first tune, and had to be carried outside, while the remainder of its repertoire pealed forth, but such instruments were not unknown in sacred edifices in this neighbourhood but a short time back [see "Northfield"]—A splendid organ was erected in Broad Street Music Hall when it was opened, and it was said to be the second largest in England, costing £2,000; it was afterwards purchased for St. Pancras' Church, London.—The organ in the Town Hall, constructed by Mr. Hill, of London, cost nearly £4.000 and, when put up, was considered to be one of the finest and most powerful in the world, and it cannot nave lost much of its prestige, as many improvements have since been made in it The outer case is 45ft. high, 40ft. wide, and 17ft. deep, and the timber used in the construction of the organ weighed nearly 30 tons. There are 4 keyboards, 71 draw stops, and over 4,000 pipes of various forms and sizes, some long, some short, some trumpet-like in shape, and others cylindrical, while in size they range from two or three inches in length to the great pedal pipe, 32ft. high and a yard in width, with an interior capacity of cubic feet. In the "great organ there are 18 stops, viz.: Clarion (2ft.), ditto (4ft.), posanne, trumpet, principal (1 and 2). gamba, stopped diapason, four open d apasons, doublette, harmonic flute, mixture sesquialtra, fifteenth, and twelfth, containing altogether 1,338 pipes. In the "choir organ" there are nine stops viz.: Wald flute, fifteenth stopped flute, oboe flute, principal, stopped diapason, hohl flute, cornopean, and open diapason, making together 486 pipes. The "swell organ" contains 10 stops, viz.: Hautbois, trumpet, horn, fifteenth, sesquialtra, principal, stopped diapason, open diapason, clarion, and boureon and dulciana. the whole requiring 702 pipes. In the "solo organ" the principal stops are the harmonica, krum, horn, and flageolet, but many of the stops in the swell and choir organs work in connection with the solo. In the "pedal organ" are 12 stops, viz.: Open diapason 16ft. (bottom octave) wood, ditto, 16ft., metal, ditto, 16ft. (bottom octave) metal, bourdon principal, twelfth, fifteenth, sesqnialtra, mixture, posanne, 8ft. trumpet, and 4ft. trumpet. There are besides, three 32ft. stops, one wood, one metal, and one trombone. There are four bellows attached to the organ, and they are of great size, one being for the 32ft. pipes alone. The Town Hall organ had its first public trial August 29, 1834, when the Birmingham Choral Society went through a selection of choruses, as a kind of advance note of the then coming Festival.

 

Orphanages.—The first local establishment of the nature of an orphanage was the so called Orphan Asylum in Summer Line, built in 1797 for the rearing of poor children from the Workhouse. It was a very useful institution up to the time of its close in 1852, but like the Homes at Marston Green, where the young unfortunates from the present Workhouse are reared and trained to industrial habits, it was almost a misnomer to dub it an "orphan asylum."—An Orphanage at Erdington was begun by the late Sir Josiah Mason, in 1858, in connection with his Almshouses there, it being his then intention to find shelter for some three score of the aged and infantile "waifs and strays" of humanity. In 1860 he extended his design so far as to commence the present Orphanage, the foundation stone of which was laid by himself Sept. 19 in that year, the building being finished and first occupied in 1863. In addition to the expenditure of £60,000 on the buildings, the founder endowed the institution with land and property to the value of £250,000. No publicity was given to this munificent benevolence until the twelve months prescribed by the statute had elapsed after the date of the deed, when, on the 29th of July, 1869, the Orphanage and estates were handed over to seven trustees, who, together with Sir Josiah himself, formed the first Board of Management. At his death, as provided by the trust deed, seven other trustees chosen by the Birmingham Town Council were added to the Board. The inmates of the Orphanage are lodged, clothed, fed, maintained, educated, and brought up at the exclusive cost of the institution, there being no restriction whatever as to locality, nationality, or religious persuasion of parents or friends. In 1874 the building was enlarged, so as to accommodate 300 girls, 150 boys, and 60 infants, the original part being reserved for the girls and infants and a new wing built for the boys. The two are connected by the loft dining hall, 200ft. long, with tables and seats for 500 children. Every part of the establishment is on a liberal scale and fitted with the best appliances; each child has its separate bed, and the playgrounds are most extensive.—The Princess Alice Orphanage, of which the foundation-stone was laid Sept. 19, 1882, has rather more than a Birmingham interest, as it is intended in the first instance for the reception of children from all parts of the country whose parents have been Wesleyans. In connection with the Wesleyan Thanksgiving Fund, Mr. Solomon Jevons, of this town, made an offer to the committee that if from the fund they would nuke a grant of £10,000 towards establishing an orphanage in the neighbourhood of Birmingham, he would supplement it by a donation of £10,000. After due consideration the offer was accepted. Plans were prepared by Mr. J. L, Ball for as much of the building as it was proposed immediately to erect, and the contract was let to Messrs. J. Wilson and Sons, of Handsworth. The sanction of her Majesty the Queen was obtained to call the building the "Princess Alice" Orphanage, in memory of her lamented daughter, the late Princess of Hesse. The site chosen is about halfway between Erdington and Sutton Coldfield on the Chester Road, and very near to the "'Beggar's Bush." Facing the road, though forty yards from it, is the central block of buildings, 250 feet in length, including the master's house, board room and offices, store rooms, &c., with a large hall, 90 feet by 33 feet, for use as a dining hall, general gatherings, morning prayers, &c. , the children's homes being in cottages at varying distances, so that when the whole twenty-four homes (twelve each for boys and girls) are erected it will be like a miniature village, sundry farm buildings and workshops being interspersed here and there. Each cottage is intended to be the home of about twenty children, but at first, and until the funds for the maintenance of the orphanage have been increased, the inmates will be limited to the accommodation that can be provided at the central block and the nearest two or three homes, the rest being built as occasion offers.

 

Oscott College.—See "Schools" &c.

 

Oxford, (Edward).—The boy Oxford who shot at the Queen, on June 10, 1840, was born here and had worked at several shops in the town.

 

Oxygen.—It was on the first of August, 1774, that Dr. Priestley discovered the nature of oxygen or "dephlogisticated air." If he could visit Oxygen Street in this town in August of any year, he would probably say that the air there to be breathed required dephlogisticating over and over again.