Cholera.—­This dreadful epidemic has never yet been felt in severity in this town, though several fatal cases were reported in August, 1832.  In July, 1865, great alarm was caused by the fact of 243 inmates of the Workhouse being attacked with choleraic symptoms, but they all recovered.

Church Pastoral Aid Society.—­There is a local branch of this Society here, and about L1,300 per annum is gathered in and forwarded to the parent society, who in return grant sums in aid of the stipends of thirty Curates and as many Scripture readers, amounting to nearly L4,700 per year.

Churchrates.—­Prior to 1831, Churchrates had been regularly levied, and, to a great extent, cheerfully paid, but with the other reforms of that Reforming age came the desire to re-form this impost, by doing away with it altogether, and at a meeting held on August 7, 1832, the ratepayers assembled not only denounced it, but petitioned Parliament for its entire abolition.  Between that year and 1837, Churchrates of 6d. to 9d. in the L were not at all infrequent, but in the latter year there was a sweet little row, which led to an alteration.  At a vestry meeting held March 28, the redoubtable George Frederick Muntz, with George Edmonds, and other “advanced” men of the times, demanded a personal examination of the books, &c., &c., with the result doubtless anticipated and wished for—­a general shindy, free fight, and tumult.  For his share in the riot, G.F.M. was put on his trial in the following year (March 30 to April 1) and had to pay over L2,000 in the shape of costs, but he may be said to have won something after all, for a better feeling gradually took the place of rancour, and a system of “voluntary” rates—­notably one for the rebuilding of St. Martin’s—­was happily brought to work.  The Bill for the abolition of Churchrates was passed July 13, 1868.

Church Street.—­In 1764 at Warwick a legal battle was fought as to a right of way through the New Hall Park, the path in dispute being the site of the present Church Street.

Circuses.—­The first notice we have of any circus visiting Birmingham is that of Astley’s which came here October 7, 1787.  In 1815 Messrs. Adams gave performances in a “new equestrian circus on the Moat,” and it has interest in the fact that this was the first appearance locally of Mr. Ryan, a young Irishman, then described as “indisputably the first tight-rope dancer in the world of his age.”  Mr. Ryan, a few years later, started a circus on his own account, and after a few years of tent performances, which put money in his pocket, ventured on the speculation of building a permanent structure in Bradford-street, opening his “New Grand Arena” there in 1827.  Unfortunately, this proved a failure, and poor Ryan went to the wall.  The circus (known now as the Circus Chapel), long lay empty, but was again re-opened May 19, 1838, as an amphitheatre, but not successfully.  In 1839 the celebrated Van