Icke and Co.’s, Lawley Street, May 17, 1877; L2,500 damage.—­At Adam’s colour warehouse, Suffolk Street, October 13, 1877; L10,000 damage.—­In Bloomsbury Street, September 29, 1877; an old man burned.—­In Lichfield Road, November 26, 1877; two horses, a cow, and 25 pigs roasted.—­January 25, 1878, was a hot day, there being four fires in 15 hours.—­At Hayne’s flour mill, Icknield Port Road, Feb. 2, 1878, with L10,000 damage; first time steam fire engine was used.—­At Baker Bros’., match manufactory, Freeth Street, February 11.—­At Grew’s and at Cund’s printers, March 16, 1878; both places being set on fire by a vengeful thief; L2,000 joint damage.  —­At corner of Bow Street, July 29, 1878.—­At Dennison’s shop, opposite Museum Concert Hall, August 26, 1878, when Mrs. Dennison, her baby, her sister, and a servant girl lost their lives.  The inquest terminated on September 30 (or rather at one o’clock next morning), when a verdict of “accidental death” was given in the case of the infant, who had been dropped during an attempted rescue, and with respect to the others that they had died from suffocation caused by a five designedly lighted, but by whom the jury had not sufficient evidence to say.  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; L600 damage.—­And same day at a gun maker’s, Whittall Street; L300 damage.—­At Hawkes’s looking-glass manufactory, Bromsgrove Street, January 8, 1879; L20,000 damage.—­The Reference Library, January 11, 1879 (a most rueful day); damage incalculable and irreparable.—­At Hinks and Sons’ lamp works, January 30, 1879; L15,000 damage.—­At the Small Arms Factory, Adderley Road, November 11, 1879; a fireman injured.—­At Grimsell and Sons’, Tower Street, May 5, 1880; over L5,000 damage.—­Ward’s cabinet manufactory, Bissell Street, April 11, 1885.

Firearms.—­See “Trades.”

Fire Brigades.—­A volunteer brigade, to help at fires, was organised here in February 1836, but as the several companies, after introducing their engines, found it best to pay a regular staff to work them, the volunteers, for the time, went to the “right about.”  In 1863 a more pretentious attempt to constitute a public or volunteer brigade of firemen, was made, the members assembling for duty on the 21st of February, the Norwich Union engine house being the headquarters; but the novelty wore off as the uniforms got shabby, and the work was left to the old hands, until the Corporation took the matter in hand.  A Volunteer Fire Brigade for Aston was formed at the close of 1878, and its rules approved by the Local Board on Jan. 7, 1879.  They attended and did good service at the burning of the Reference Library on the following Saturday.  August 23, 1879 the Aston boys, with three and twenty other brigades