Thomas Thalric Harman

“ Members who did not pay up promptly were struck off the list, and the secretaries and treasures, when funds were short, went to their own pockets.—The first Act for regulating Friendly Societies was passed in 1795. Few towns in England have more sick and benefit claims than Birmingham, there not being many public-houses without one attached to them, and scarcely a manufactory minus its special fund for like purposes. ”

“ Funeral Reform.—An association for doing away with the expensive customs so long connected with the burying of the dead, was organised in 1875, and slowly, but surely, are accomplishing the task then entered upon. At present there are about 700 enrolled members, but very many more families now limit the trappings of woe to a more reasonable as well as economical exhibit of tailors' and milliners' black. ”

“ The annual report to end of 1883 showed invested funds amounting to £10,937, there being 265 benefit members and 15 honorary.
Musical.—The Birmingham Musical Society consists almost solely of members of the Choral Society, whose fines, with small subscriptions from honorary members, furnishes a fund to cover rehearsal, and sundry choir expenses as well as 10s in cases of sickness.
New Meeting Provident Institution was founded in 1836, but is now connected with the Church of the Messiah. A little over a thousand members, one-third of whom are females. ”

“ The secessionists, who gave the name of "Honour" to their No. 1 Court (at Ashton-under-Lyne) , declined the honour of calling themselves "Royal," but still adhered to the antique part of their cognomen. The new "Ancient Order of foresters "throve well, and, leaving their "Royal" friends far away in the background, now number 560,000 members, who meet in nearly 7,000 Courts. In the Birmingham Midland District there are 62 courts, with about 6,200 members, the Court funds amounting to £29,900, and the District funds to £2,200. ”

“ Church School Teachers.—The Birmingham and District Branch of the Church Schoolmaster's and Schoolmistresses' Benevolent Institution was formed in 1866, and the members contribute about £250 per year to the funds.
Druids.— The order of Druids has five Lodges here, with nearly 400 members. The United Ancient Order of Druids has twenty-one Lodges, and about 1,400 members.
Ebenezer Chapel Sick Society was established in 1828. Has 135 members, whose yearly payments average 32s. 6d., out of which 17s, dividend at Christmas comes back, the benefits being 10s, a week in sickness and £10 at death. ”

“ August 23, 1879 the Aston boys, with three and twenty other brigades from various parts of the country, held a kind of efficiency competition at the Lower Ground.^, and being something new in it attracted many. The Birmingham brigade were kept at home, possibly on account of the anniversary of the Digbeth fire. Balsall Heath and Harborne are also supplied with their own brigades, and an Association of Midland Brigades has lately been formed which held their first drill in the Priory. ”

“ The larger societies, of course, have many branches (lodges, courts, &c ) , and it would be a difficult matter to particularise them all, or even arrive at the aggregate number of their members, which, however, cannot be much less than 50,000: and, if to these we add the large number of what may be styled "annual gift clubs" (the money in hand being divided every year) , we may safely put the total at something like 70,000 persons who take this method of providing for a rainy day. ”

“ Later on, when the coaches began to throng the road, gentlemen were in the habit of carrying with them their own knife and fork for use, so seldom were the latter articles to be found at the country inns, and the use of forks cannot be said to have become general more than a hundred years ago. ”

“ It is so constructed as to be available for quenching the thirst not only of human travellers, but also of horses, dogs, &c., and on this account it has been appropriately handed over to the care of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. ”

“ Oddfellows.—The National Independent Order of Oddfellows. Birmingham Branch, was started about 1850. At the end of 1879 there were 1,019 members, with about £4,500 accumulated funds.
The Birmingham District of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows in January, 1882, consisted of 43 lodges, comprising 4,297 members, the combined capital of sick and funeral funds being £42,210. The oldest Lodge in the District is the " Briton's Pride," which was opened in 1827. ”

“ Fountains.—Messrs. Messenger and Sons designed, executed, and erected, to order of the Street Commissioners, in 1851, a very neat, and for the situation, appropriate, fountain in the centre of the Market Hall, but which has since been removed to Highgate Park, where it appears sadly out of place.
The poor little boys, without any clothes. ”

“ March 10, 1864—To celebrate the opening of a Dining Hall in Cambridge Street, a public dinner was given on All Fools' Day, 1864.—On the 23rd April following, about 150 gentlemen breakfasted with the Mayor, in honour of the Shakespeare Library being presented to the town.—The purchase of Aston Park was celebrated by a banquet. ”

“ At the expiration of 1877 there were 8,994 members, with a balance in hand of £72,956 15s. 5d. The total received from members to that date amounted to £184,900, out of which £131,400 had been returned in sick pay and funeral benefits, the payments out varying from 4s. to 20s. a week in sickness, with a funeral benefit of £20, £8 being allowed on the death of a wife.
Carr's Lane Provident Institution was commenced in 1845, and has 299 male and 323 female members, with a capital of £5,488, the amount paid in 1883 on account of sickness being £242, with £54 funeral money. ”

“ United Brothers.—There are nearly 100 lodges and 10,000 members of societies under this name in Birmingham and neighbourhood, some of the lodges being well provided for capital. No. 4 having £8,286 to 186 members. United Family Life Assurance and Sick Benefit Society claims to have some 8,500 members, 750 of whom reside in Birmingham. ”

“ Artisans at Large.—In March, 1868, the Birmingham artisans who reported on the Paris Exhibition of 1867, formed themselves into a society "to consider and discuss, from an artisan point of view, all such subjects as specially affect the artisan class ”

“ United Legal Burial Society, registered in 1846, like the above, is a branch only.
Union Provident Sick Society.—Founded 1802, enrolled in 1826 and certified in 1871, had then 3,519 members and a reserve fund of £8,269. At end of 1883 the reserve fund stood at £15,310 16s. 9d., there having been paid during the year £4,768 17s. 2d, for sick pay and funerals, besides 15s, dividend to each member. There are 15,379 Friendly Societies or branches in the kingdom, numbering 4,593,175 members, and their funds amounted to (by last return) £12,148,602. ”

“ Floods.—The milldams at Sutton burst their banks, July 24, 1668, and many houses were swept away.—On the 24th November, 1703, a three days' storm arose which extended over the whole kingdom; many parts of the Midlands being flooded and immense damage caused, farmers' live stock especially suffering. 15,000 sheep were drowned in one part of Gloucestershire; several men and hundreds of sheep near to Worcester ”

“ In 1871 the ladies outnumbered us by 8,515, and it would be an interesting question how this extra ratio arises, though as cue half of the superabundant petticoats are to be found in Edgbaston it may possibly only be taken as a mark of local prosperity, and that more female servants are employed than formerly.—See "Population Tables". ”

“ Great fault was found with the management of the fire brigade, a conflict of authority between them and the police giving rise to very unpleasant feelings. At Cadbury's cocoa manufactory, November 23, 1878. In Legge Street, at a gun implement maker's, December 14, 1878; £600 damage.—And same day at a gun maker's, Whittall Street; £300 damage.—At Hawkes's looking-glass manufactory, Bromsgrove Street, January 8, 1879 ”

“ The "Hall" will accommodate 1,000 persons. The Oddfellows' Biennial Moveable Committee met in this town on May 29th, 1871.
The M.U. Lodges meet at the following houses:—Fox, Fox Street; White Horse, Congreve Street; Swan-with-two-Necks, Great Brook Street; Albion, Cato Street North; Hope and Anchor, Coleshill Street; 13, Temple Street; Wagon and Horses, Edgbaston Street; Crystal Palace, Six Ways, Smethwick; The Vine, Harborne; Prince Arthur, Arthur Street, Small Heath; George Hotel, High Street, Solihull; Bell, Phillip Street; Bull's Head, Digbeth ”

“ Crowne's hop and cheese warehouse, top of Carr's Lane, was lessened £400 in value.—The Theatre Royal was burned August 24, 1791, and again January 6, 1820.—Jerusalem Temple, Newhall Hill, was burned March 10, 1793.—St. ”