the Waterloo Rooms (Feb. 25th, 1842), and a memorial
to the Queen drawn up, which in less than a month
received 16,000 signatures. On the 5th of April,
87 delegates from various parts of England, Ireland,
and Scotland, assembled here, and after four days’
sitting formed themselves into “The National
Complete Suffrage Union,” whose “points”
were similar to those of the Charter,
viz., manhood
suffrage, abolition of the property qualification,
vote by ballot, equal electoral districts, payment
of election expenses and of members, and annual Parliaments.
On the 27th of December, another Conference was held
(at the Mechanics’ Institute), at which nearly
400 delegates were present, but the apple of discord
had been introduced, and the “Complete Suffrage
Union” was pooh-poohed by the advocates of “the
Charter, the whole Charter, and nothing but the Charter,”
and our peace-loving townsman, whom
The Times
had dubbed “the Birmingham Quaker Chartist,”
retired from the scene. From that time until
the final collapse of the Chartist movement, notwithstanding
many meetings were held, and strong language often
used, Birmingham cannot be said to have taken much
part in it, though, in 1848 (August 15th), George
J. Mantle, George White, and Edward King, three local
worthies in the cause, found themselves in custody
for using seditious language.
Chauntries.—In 1330 Walter of Clodeshale,
and in 1347 Richard of Clodeshale, the “Lords
of Saltley,” founded and endowed each a Chauntry
in old St. Martin’s Church, wherein daily services
should be performed for themselves, their wives, and
ancestors, in their passage through purgatory.
In like manner, in 1357, Philip de Lutteley gave to
the Lutteley chantry in Enville Church, a parcel of
land called Morfe Woode, “for the health of
his soul, and the souls of all the maintained of the
said chantry;” and in 1370 he gave other lands
to the chantry, “for the priest to pray at the
altar of St. Mary for the health of his soul, and
Maud his wife, and of Sir Fulke de Birmingham,”
and of other benefactors recited in the deed.
It is to be devoutly hoped that the souls of the devisees
and their friends had arrived safely at their journeys’
end before Harry the Eighth’s time, for he stopped
the prayers by stopping the supplies.
Cherry Street took its name from the large
and fruitful cherry orchard which we read of as being
a favourite spot about the year 1794.
Chess.—See “Sports and
Sporting.”
Chicago Fire.—The sum of L4,300
was subscribed and sent from here towards relieving
the sufferers by this calamity.