“Hikenilde Straete,” leading through the centre of England, from St. David’s to Tynemouth.  Part of the latter road, known as Icknield Street, is now our Monument Lane, and in 1865 a portion of ancient road was uncovered near Chad Valley House, which is believed to have been also part thereof.  Proceeding in almost a direct line to the bottom of Hockley Hill, the Icknield Street ran across Handsworth Parish, by way of the present Hunter’s Lane, but little further trace can be found now until it touches Sutton Coldfield Park, through which it passes for nearly a mile-and-a-half at an almost uniform width of about 60 feet.  It is left for our future local antiquarians to institute a search along the track in the Park, but as in scores of other spots Roman and British remains have been found, it seems probable than an effort of the kind suggested would meet its reward, and perhaps lead to the discovery of some valuable relics of our long-gone predecessors.

Illuminations.—­When the news of Admiral Rodney’s victory was received here, May 20, 1792, it was welcomed by a general illumination, as were almost all the great victories during the long war.  The Peace of Amiens in 1802 was also celebrated in this way, and the event has become historical from the fact that for the first time in the world’s history the inflammable gas obtained from coal (now one of the commonest necessities of our advanced civilisation) was used for the purpose of a public illumination at Soho Works. (See “Gas.”) In 1813 the town went into shining ecstacies four or five times, and ditto in the following year, the chief events giving rise thereto being the entry of the Allies into Paris, and the declaration of peace, the latter being celebrated (in addition to two nights’ lighting up of the principal buildings, &c.), by an extra grand show of thousands of lamps at Soho, with the accompaniment of fireworks and fire-balloons, the roasting of sheep and oxen, &c.  Waterloo was the next occasion, but local chroniclers of the news of the day gave but scant note thereof.  From time to time there have been illuminations for several more peaceable matters of rejoicing, but the grandest display that Birmingham has ever witnessed was that to celebrate the marriage of the Prince of Wales, March 10th, 1863, when St. Philip’s Church was illuminated on a scale so colossal as to exceed anything of the kind that had previously been attempted in the illumination by gas of public buildings upon their architectural lines.  Situated in the centre, and upon the most elevated ground in Birmingham, St. Philip’s measures upwards of 170-ft. from the base to the summit of the cross.  The design for the illumination—­furnished by Mr. Peter Hollins—­consisted of gas-tubing, running parallel to the principal lines of architecture from the base to the summit, pierced at distances of 3 in. or 5 in., and fitted with batswing burners.  About 10,000 of these burners were used in the illumination.