Guild of the Holy Cross.—­Founded in the year 1392 by the “Bailiffs and Commonalty” of the town of Birmingham (answering to our aldermen and councillors), and licensed by the Crown, for which the town paid L50, the purpose being to “make and found a gild and perpetual fraternity of brethren and sustern (sisters), in honour of the Holy Cross,” and “to undertake all works of charity, &c., according to the appointment and pleasure of the said bailiffs and commonalty.”  In course of time the Guild became possessed of all the powers then exercised by the local corporate authorities, taking upon themselves the building of almshouses, the relief and maintenance of the poor, the making and keeping in repair of the highways used by “the King’s Majestie’s subjects passing to and from the marches of Wales,” looking to the preservation of sundry bridges and lords, as well as repair of “two greate stone brydges,” &c., &c.  The Guild owned considerable portion of the land on which the present town is built, when Henry VIII., after confiscating the revenues and possessions of the monastic institutions, laid hands on the property of such semi-religious establishments as the Guild of the Holy Cross.  It has never appeared that our local Guild had done anything to offend the King, and possibly it was but the name that he disliked.  Be that as it may, his son, Edward VI., in 1552, at the petition of the inhabitants, returned somewhat more than half of the property, then valued at L21 per annum, for the support and maintenance of a Free Grammar School, and it is this property from which the income of the present King Edward VI.’s Grammar Schools is now derived, amounting to nearly twice as many thousands as pounds were first granted.  The Guild Hall or Town’s Hall in New Street (then only a bye street), was not quite so large as either our present Town Hall or the Council House, but was doubtless considered at the time a very fine building, with its antique carvings and stained glass windows emblazoned with figures and armorial bearings of the Lords right Ferrers and others.  As the Guild had an organist in its pay, it may be presumed that such an instrument was also there, and that alone goes far to prove the fraternity were tolerably well off, as organs in those times were costly and scarce.  The old building, for more than a century after King Edward’s grant, was used as the school, but even when rebuilt it retained its name as the Guild Hall.

Guns.—­Handguns, as they were once termed, were first introduced into this country by the Flemings whom Edward IV. brought over in 1471, but (though doubtless occasional specimens were made by our townsmen before then) the manufacture of small arms at Birmingham does not date further back than 1689, when inquiries were made through Sir Richard Newdigate as to the possibility of getting them made here as good as those coming from abroad.  A trial order given by Government in March, 1692, led to the first contract (Jan. 5, 1693) made between the “Officers of Ordnance” and five local manufacturers, for the supply of 200 “snaphance musquets” every month for one year at 17/-each, an additional 3/-per cwt. being allowed for carriage to London.  The history of the trade since then would form a volume of itself, but a few facts of special note and interest will be given in its place among “Trades.”