Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham/W
Wages and Work.—In 1272 the wages of a labouring man was just l½d. per day. In Henry VIII.'s reign labourers' wages averaged 4d. per day; skilled workmen 5½d. per day. The penny at that time was equal to a shiling of the present day, and would, relatively, purchase as much. In 1682, the Justices of the Peace assembled in Quarter Sessions at Warwick fixed the rates of wages to be paid to the several classes of artificers, labourers, and others, as enjoined by a statue of Elizabeth. From their order then made, we find that a master carpenter, his servants, and journeymen, were to receive 1s. each per day; a master bricklayer, a mason, a cartwright, a thatcher, a tyler, a mower, and a reaper also 1s. per day, other workmen and labourers averaging from 4d. to 8d. per day, but none of them to receive more than half these rates if their meat and drink was found them. The hours of work to be from five in the morning till half-past seven at night. Any person refusing to work upon these terms was to be imprisoned, and anyone paying more to forfeit £5 in addition to ten days' imprisonment, the unfortunate individual receiving such extra wages to suffer in like manner for twenty-one days. In 1777, there was a row among the tailors, which led to what may be called the first local strike. The unfortunate "knights of the thimble" only got 12s. to 14s. per week.
Warstone Lane takes its name from the Hoarstone, supposed to have been an ancient boundary mark, which formerly stood at the corner of the lane and Icknield Street, and which is now preserved within the gateway en trance to the Church of England cemetery. Hutton says that in 1400 there was a castle, with a moat round it, in Warstone Lane. The lane has also been called Deadman's Lane, and considering the proximity of the cemetery that name might even now be applicable.
Warwick House, as it now stands was began in 1839 or 1840 ; formerly it was composed of two cottages, one with a bit of garden ground in front, which underwent the usual transformation scene of being first covered in then built upon.
Warwickshire, the county in which Birmingham is situated, has a total area of 566,458 acres, of which 283,946 acres are permanent pasture lands, and 210,944 acres under crops or arable land. In 1882 the live stock in the country, as returned by the occupiers of land, included 29,508 horses, 5,503 being kept solely for breeding; 93,334 cattle; 218,355 sheep; and 41,832 pigs.
Warwick Castle is open to visitors every day, except Sunday; when the family are absent from home, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but if they are at home, from 9 to 10 a.m. only.
Warwick Vase.—The bronze copy in Aston Hail was cast by Sir Richard Thomason.
Warwickshire Regiment.—The 6th Foot recruited in this county in 1778 so successfully that it was called "The Warwickshire," Birmingham supplying the largest proportion cf the men, and raising by public subscription £2,000 towards" their equipment. Under Lord Cardwell's army localisation plan of 1873, the regiment is now called the 1st Royal Warwickshire, and, with the Warwickshire Militia and Volunteers, forms the 28th Brigade.
Watch House.—On the right land side ot Crooked Lane from High Street, may still be seen the old Watch House, v;here, fifty years ago, the "Charleys," or night watchmen, took any drunken or disorderly characters, or night prowlers, they happened to meet with^ or whom they dare tackle.
Waterloo Veterans.—John McKay was born in November, 1792, and entered the army as a drummerboy in 1803 ; he died here in July, 1879. He served 41 years, and was for the last 25 years of his life office keep;r of the Royal Engineers' Office in this town. Another "Waterloo man," George Taylor, died here, November 6, 1880, aged 98.
Water Pipes.—In 1810 Mr. Murdoch started a Company for manufacturing stone pipes for water-works, «nd they made a large quantity, which were laid down in London and Manchester, but they had to come up again, as the pipes split—and the Company burst.Waterspouts and Whirlwinds are not of common occurrence hereabouts. One of the former burst over the Lickey Hills, April 13, 1792, the resulting flood reaching to Bromsgrove. A whirlwind at Coleshill, April 4,, 1877, played havoc with some hay-ricks, hedges, trees, &c.
Water Street, formerly Water Lane, had a brook running down one side of it when houses were first built there.
Weather Cocks.—Mention is made of Weather Cocks as early as the ninth century, and it has been supposed that the Cock was intended as an emblem of the vigilance of the clergy, who irreverently styled themselves the Cocks of the Almighty, their duty being, like the cock which roused Peter, to call the people to repentance, or at any rate to church. There are the longest-lived birds we know of. The one which had been perched on the old spire of St. Martin's for a hundred years or more was brought down July 22, 1S53, and may still be seen at Aston Hall, along with the old bird that tumbled of Aston church October 6, 1877. The last was made of copper in July, 1830, and contained, among other articles, a copy of Swinney's Birmingham Chronicle of June 29, 1815, with a full account of the Battle of Waterloo.
Weighing Machines were introduced by John Wyatt, in 1761, and the first was purchased by the Overseers in 1767, so that the profits might reduce the poor rates-. It was situated at the top corner of Snow Hill, and so much did the Overseers value it, that they gave notice, (Feb. 18th, 1783) of their intention of applying to Parliament for the monopoly of securing "the benefit of weighing out coals to the town."
Welsh Cross.—One of the Old-time Market-houses at the corner of Bull Street, the bottom portion of the edifice being used by country people as abutter market. The upper room was for meetings and occasionally used for the detention of prisoners who came (it has been said) through the window on to a small platform for the pillory or cat-o'-nine-tails, according to their sentence.
West Bromwich, if we are to credit "Brictunia Depicto," published in 1753, was originally West Bromicham, or West Birmingham.
Wheeley's Lane, though one of the quietest thoroughfares in Edgbaston, was formerly used as part of the coach-road to Bristol, those vehicles passing the Old Church and down Priory Road.Windmill.—The old windmill that used to be on Holloway Head is marked on the 1752 map, and it has been generally understood that a similar structure stood there for many generations, but this one was built about 1745. The sails might have been seen in motion forty or forty-five years ago, and probably corn was then ground there. After the departure of the miller and his men it was used for a time as a sort of huge summer house, a camera obscura being placed at the top, from which panoramic views of the neighbourhood could be taken. It was demolished but a few years back.Woman's Rights.—A local branch of the Women's Suffrage Association was formed here in 1868: a Women's Liberal Association was instituted in October, 1873; a branch of the National Union of Working Women was organised January 29th, 1875; and a Woman Ratepayers' Protection Society was established in August, 1881. With ladies on the School Board, lady Guardians, lady doctors, a special Women's Property Protection Act, &c., &c., it can hardly be said that our lady friends are much curtailed of their liberty. We know there are Ladies' Refreshment Rooms, Ladies' Restaurants, and Ladies' Associations for Useful Work and a good many other things, but we doubt if the dear creatures of to-day would ever dream of having such an institution as Ladies' Card Club, like that of their Edgbaston predecessors of a century back.
Women Guardians.—The introduction of the female element in the choice of Guardians of the Poor has long been thought desirable, and an Association for promoting the election of ladies was formed in 1882. There are now two women Guardians on the Birmingham Board, and one on the King's Norton Board. Taking lesson of their political brothers, the members of the Association, experiencing some difficulty in finding ladies with proper legal qualification to serve on the Board, "purchased a qualification," and then run their candidate in. The next step will doubtless be to pay their members, and, as the last year's income of the Association amounted to £12 4s. 11d., there can be no difficulty there.