This article is intended to show a timeline of events in the

History of Birmingham Birmingham has seen 1400 years of growth, during which time it has evolved from a small 7th century Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo Saxon hamlet on the edge of the Forest of Arden at the fringe of early Mercia into a major city. A combination of immi ...

, England, with a particular focus on the events, people or places that are covered in Wikipedia articles.

Pre-Norman invasion

1200 BC The 1200s BC is a decade which lasted from 1209 BC to 1200 BC. Events and trends * 1207 BC **Pharaoh Merneptah claims a victory over the Israelites. **October 30 – Earliest known dateable solar eclipse. *1206 BC: Approximate starting date ...

– Radiocarbon date of charcoal taken from the Woodlands Park Prehistoric Burnt Mounds. *

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

– Small farming settlements. * AD 48 – Construction of Metchley Fort begins as Icknield Street is constructed by Romans through Birmingham. * AD 70 – The Romans abandon Metchley Fort only to return a few years later. * AD 120 – The Romans abandon Metchley Fort permanently. * Anglo-Saxon period – ''

Beormingas The ''Beormingas'' (; from Old English) were a tribe or clan in Anglo-Saxon England, whose territory possibly formed a '' regio'' or early administrative subdivision of the Kingdom of Mercia. The name literally means "Beorma's people" in Old Engl ...

'' clan present in the area. * 7th century – Possible creation of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

as a hamlet. * 968 –

Duddeston Duddeston is an inner-city area of the Nechells ward of central Birmingham, England. It was part of the Birmingham Duddeston constituency until that ceased to exist in 1950. Etymology The name ''Duddeston'' comes from ''Dud's Town'', with Dud b ...

is first mentioned in a charter granted to Wulfget the Thane by Eadgar, King of the Angles.

1000 – 1099

* After 1066 – Area passes into the hands of the De Birmingham family. * 1086 – Birmingham recorded as a village in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

. William FitzAnsculf is recorded as having the Birmingham,

Edgbaston Edgbaston () is an affluent suburban area of central Birmingham, England, historically in Warwickshire, and curved around the southwest of the city centre. In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family ...

Aston Aston is an area of inner Birmingham, England. Located immediately to the north-east of Central Birmingham, Aston constitutes a ward within the metropolitan authority. It is approximately 1.5 miles from Birmingham City Centre. History Aston wa ...

, Erdington, Witton, Handsworth, Perry, and Little Barr manors.

1100–1199

* 1154 –

Lord of the manor Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...

Peter de Birmingham has the charter to hold a market in Birmingham on every Thursday, transforming the village into a town. * 1160 – The first stone church building is erected on the site of St. Mary's Church, Handsworth. * 1176 – A road passing through

Sutton Coldfield Sutton Coldfield or the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, known locally as Sutton ( ), is a town and civil parish in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The town lies around 8 miles northeast of Birmingham city centre, 9 miles sou ...

is recorded. This is probably part of a highway leading from Birmingham to

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west o ...

1200–1299

* 1218 – Flaxeye Farm in

Stechford Stechford is an area of East Birmingham, England, situated about five miles east of the city centre, bordering Ward End, Yardley, Hodge Hill and Kitts Green. Historically it lay within Worcestershire. History Stechford's history is unclear. ...

is mentioned. * 1221 – The manorial mill of

King's Norton Kings Norton, alternatively King's Norton, is an area of Birmingham, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in Worcestershire, it was also a Birmingham City Council ward (politics), ward within the Government of Birmingham, Engl ...

is recorded as being in the possession of Richard Clark. * 1231 – A manorial mill at Edgbaston is recorded. * 1249 – A ford over the River Cole is recorded. * 1250 ** William de Birmingham is granted permission to hold a four-day fair in Birmingham during

Ascensiontide The Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, also called Ascension Day, Ascension Thursday, or sometimes Holy Thursday, commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into heaven. It is one of the ecumenical (i.e., shared b ...

annually. ** A road from Birmingham to

Saltley Saltley is an inner-city area of Birmingham, east of the city centre. The area is part of the Washwood Heath ward, and was previously part of the Nechells ward. It is part of the Ladywood constituency in the city. History Saltley was originally ...

and Castle Bromwich is recorded in a deed. * 1260 – Summer Lane, a road leading to Perry and

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east of Wolverhampton and from Lichfield. Walsall is th ...

, is recorded. * 1263 – A church is documented at the site of the modern-day St Martin in the Bull Ring. * 1273 – Several mills are recorded to be in existence in

Northfield Northfield may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Northfield, Aberdeen, Scotland * Northfield, Edinburgh, Scotland * Northfield, Birmingham, England * Northfield (Kettering BC Ward), Northamptonshire, England United States * Northfield, Connect ...

. * 1276 – Crossing of the

River Rea The River Rea (pronounced "ray") is a small river which passes through Birmingham, England. It is the river on which Birmingham was founded by the Beorma tribe in the 7th century. Since 2012, TA Media had obtained the rights and access to t ...

Deritend Deritend is a historic area of Birmingham, England, built around a crossing point of the River Rea. It is first mentioned in 1276. Today Deritend is usually considered to be part of Digbeth. History Deritend was a crossing point of the River Rea ...

is reported. * 1282 – Two roads are mentioned as passing through Yardley and converging at Deritend Bridge. * 1290 – A lane crossing the River Tame at Salford Bridge leading in the direction of Erdington and Sutton Coldfield is mentioned.

1300–1399

* 1309 -

William de Bermingham William de Bermingham (died January 1312) was Archbishop of Tuam. De Bermingham was a member of the family of Baron Athenry. His father was Meyler de Bermingham (dead by 1275). He had a number of children. Among them were Will Finn de Bermingham a ...

then lord of the manor, showed in a law-suit that his ancestors had a market in the place and levied tolls before the Conquest. * 1317 – A mill in Witton and Erdington is mentioned; this is probably located on the Hawthorn Brook. * 1318 – A bridge named Bromford Bridge is recorded. * 1322 – It is recorded that merchants were selling wool in Birmingham market. * By 1327 – Selly Manor constructed. * 1333 – A mill in Erdington named Bromford Mill is recorded in a court roll. * 1340 – The road from Birmingham to Castle Bromwich is again mentioned in a deed. * 1368 – The Old Crown public house in Deritend is believed to have been constructed as a guildhall. If so, it is Birmingham's first school. * 1379 – A traveller records a bridge crossing the River Tame at Handsworth. * 1381 – Residents of Deritend and Bordesley given permission to build a chapel next to the River Rea. * 1381 – Sir John de Birmyneham provides the first reference to Deritend by name, written as Duryzatehende. * 1390 – Thomas de Birmingham is recorded as a cloth merchant. * 1392 – The Guild of the Holy Cross is established in Birmingham.

1400–1499

* 1406 – A goldsmith is referred to. * 1435 – The last known overlordship of Erdington manor is recorded. * 1449 – Three roads are recorded going from Birmingham to Edgbaston. * 1460 – Handsworth Old Town Hall in Handsworth is constructed. * 1480 – The tower of Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Aston is completed * 1492 – The Saracen's Head in King's Norton is constructed.

1500–1599

* 1511 – The Clerk of the Ordnance orders horseshoes, bits and weapons for the royal army. All the suppliers are from Birmingham. * 1517 – St Margaret's Church in Ward End is built by Thomas Bond. * 1524 – Lord Middleton refers to a goldsmith from Birmingham who repairs two cups and making nine spoons. * 1527 – Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is founded by John Vesey, Bishop of Exeter, as one of his benefactions to his birthplace,

. * 1528 – 16 December:

Royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, b ...

of incorporation granted to Sutton Coldfield, creating it a Royal Town. * 1536 ** The Priory of St Thomas of Canterbury, north of the manor of Birmingham, is dissolved as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. ** A footbridge is mentioned crossing a ford in the

. * 1542 –

Sarehole Mill Sarehole Mill is a Grade II listed water mill, in an area once called Sarehole, on the River Cole in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. It is now run as a museum by the Birmingham Museums Trust. It is known for its association with J. R. R. To ...

is constructed as Biddle's Mill on the site of a former pool. * 1547 ** The Guild of the Holy Cross is mentioned as maintaining great stone bridges over the River Rea. ** Priory of St Thomas of Canterbury buildings are demolished. * 1552 – King Edward's School is founded. * 1553 – A survey shows that the major industry has become metal-using instead of cloth. * 1560 – A road in the direction of

Dudley Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...

is recorded. * 1590 – Blakesley Hall is constructed by Richard Smalbroke.

1600–1699

* 1612 ** A road is mentioned from Perry Bridge to Birmingham. It is named the "great way". ** The Handsworth Bridge Trust is set up by Nicholas Hodgetts. * 1616 – King James grants Kings Norton the right to hold a market. * 1635 – Construction of

Aston Hall Aston Hall is a Grade I listed Jacobean house in Aston, Birmingham, England, designed by John Thorpe and built between 1618 and 1635. It is a leading example of the Jacobean prodigy house. In 1864, the house was bought by Birmingham Corpor ...

is completed. * 1635–1642 – The first Birmingham Library is founded by the

puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

minister Francis Roberts * 1642 – 17 October:

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...

: ** King Charles passes through Birmingham whilst travelling to the

Battle of Edgehill The Battle of Edgehill (or Edge Hill) was a pitched battle of the First English Civil War. It was fought near Edge Hill and Kineton in southern Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 October 1642. All attempts at constitutional compromise between ...

; the townsfolk seize the Kings carriages containing the royal plate and furniture which they convey for security to Warwick Castle, a parliamentary stronghold. ** Battle of Kings Norton: nine troops of horse and 200 foot under the command of

Prince Rupert Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 (O.S.) / 27 December (N.S.) – 29 November 1682 (O.S.)) was an English army officer, admiral, scientist and colonial governor. He first came to prominence as a Royalist caval ...

fight a skirmish with force of 800 Parliamentarians under the command of Lord Willoughby of Parham. The Parliamentarians lose about 20 men whilst the Royalists lose between 50 and 80 killed with a further 20 taken prisoner. * 1643 ** 3 April (Easter Monday): Battle of Camp Hill, a Royalist victory after which 80 houses in the town are torched. **

is severely damaged by Parliamentary troops. * 1648 – A paper mill is recorded as being in use in

Perry Barr Perry Barr is a suburban area in north Birmingham, England. It is also the name of a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. Birmingham Perry Barr is also a parliamentary constituency; its Member of Parliament is Khalid Ma ...

. * 1656 – New building for the Birmingham Library completed; this will be closed after 1660. * 1665 – Birmingham suffers heavy losses by the plague. * c. 1687 – Father

Andrew Bromwich Andrew Bromwich ( c.1640–1702 ) was an English Roman Catholic priest. He was a survivor of the Popish Plot, and the founder of the Oscott Mission in Staffordshire, which later became St. Mary's College, Oscott. Early career He was born at Ol ...

founds a Roman Catholic mission at Old Oscott, origin of St Mary's College, Oscott. * 1695 – First fire engine in Birmingham. * 1697 – John Pemberton purchases the land once the site of the Priory of St Thomas of Canterbury.

1700–1799

1700–1709

* 1700 ** John Pemberton begins construction of his prestigious Priory Estate on the former site of the Priory of St Thomas. ** Population: 15,000 (approximate number). * 1702 – The Old Cross, Birmingham's first public meeting place, is completed near the Bull Ring. * 1704 – 25 May:

Church of the Ascension, Hall Green The Church of the Ascension (previously known as the Job Marston Chapel and Hall Green Chapel) is a Church of England parish church in the Hall Green area of Birmingham, England. History Completed in 1704, it is believed to have been designed ...

, consecrated as "Job Marston Chapel". * 1707 – The timber structure of the Guild Hall on New Street is demolished. * 1708 ** The vacant New Street site becomes King Edward's School and a two-storey brick building is constructed on it. ** Parliament receives a petition for a new Anglican church as St Martin's is overcrowded.

1710–1719

* 1713 –

Old Square Old Square is a public square and road junction in the Core area of Birmingham City Centre, England. Prior to construction The site of the square was formerly occupied the Priory of St Thomas of Canterbury, with The Minories, Upper Priory ...

is constructed by John Pemberton on the former site of the Priory of St. Thomas. * 1714 – Mobs attack religious

Dissenters A dissenter (from the Latin ''dissentire'', "to disagree") is one who dissents (disagrees) in matters of opinion, belief, etc. Usage in Christianity Dissent from the Anglican church In the social and religious history of England and Wales, an ...

. * 1715 ** St Philip's Church is consecrated (although the tower is not yet complete). ** The

Jacobite rising Jacobitism (; gd, Seumasachas, ; ga, Seacaibíteachas, ) was a political movement that supported the restoration of the senior line of the House of Stuart to the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British throne. The name derives from the first name ...

sees a mob attack the Lower Meeting House in Digbeth.

1720–1729

* 1724 – The Blue Coat School on Colmore Row is completed. * 1726 – The Bristol Road, which has suffered from intense traffic, is one of the first roads serving Birmingham to be turnpiked. * 1728 ** 3 September:

Matthew Boulton Matthew Boulton (; 3 September 172817 August 1809) was an English manufacturer and business partner of Scottish engineer James Watt. In the final quarter of the 18th century, the partnership installed hundreds of Boulton & Watt steam engin ...

is born to a toymaker in Snow Hill. ** A building known as 'Leather Hall' on New Street is demolished "while men slept" and three houses are constructed on it which are later replaced by a prison. 'Leather Hall' contained the town's last dungeon.

1730–1739

* 1730 – William Westley produces the first documentation of a newly constructed square named Old Square. It becomes one of the most prestigious addresses in Birmingham. * 1731 – The first map of Birmingham is produced by William Westley. * 1732 – c. 14 November: The '' Birmingham Journal'', Birmingham's first local newspaper, is printed by Thomas Warren. * 1733 – The town's first workhouse is constructed on Lichfield Street near the modern-day Victoria Law Courts. * 1737 –

John Baskerville John Baskerville (baptised 28 January 1707 – 8 January 1775) was an English businessman, in areas including japanning and papier-mâché, but he is best remembered as a printer and type designer. He was also responsible for inventing "w ...

sets up in the Bull Ring as a writing-master. * 1738 – March:

John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies he founded became the dominant form of the independent Meth ...

first visits Birmingham, shortly before his evangelical experience.

1740–1749

* 1740 – Birmingham's first theatre – the

Moor Street Theatre The Moor Street Theatre was the first regular theatre – as distinct from earlier booths and converted barns for strolling players – to be established in Birmingham, England. Located in a back yard between Moor Street and Park Street north of t ...

– opens, and the town's earliest known orchestral concerts are organised here by organist Barnabas Gunn, though it will soon be closed down and converted into a Methodist chapel. * 1741 ** Summer:

Upper Priory Cotton Mill The Upper Priory Cotton Mill, opened in Birmingham, England in the summer of 1741, was the world's first mechanised cotton-spinning factory or cotton mill. Established by Lewis Paul and John Wyatt in a former warehouse in the Upper Priory, near ...

is opened as the world's first mechanised

cotton mill A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Although some were driven b ...

Lewis Paul Lewis Paul (died 1759) was the original inventor of roller spinning, the basis of the water frame for spinning cotton in a cotton mill. Life and work Lewis Paul was of Huguenot descent. His father was physician to Lord Shaftesbury. He may hav ...

and John Wyatt near Old Square. ** 16 November: Thomas Aris launches the ''

Birmingham Gazette The ''Birmingham Gazette'', known for much of its existence as ''Aris's Birmingham Gazette'', was a newspaper that was published and circulated in Birmingham, England, from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. Founded as a weekly publicati ...

''. The '' Birmingham Journal'' has ceased by this date. * 1742 – Sampson Lloyd II purchases Owen's Farm in Sparkbrook for £1,290. * 1745 –

leases an estate which he names 'Easy Hill' on which he builds a house and workshops on land later occupied by Baskerville House. * 1746 ** Ann Colmore obtains a private act of Parliament to sell land on her estate to Birmingham. This allows a massive expansion of the town to the west and the creation of the

Jewellery Quarter The Jewellery Quarter is an area of central Birmingham, UK, in the north-western area of Birmingham City Centre, with a population of around 19,000 people in a area. The Jewellery Quarter is Europe's largest concentration of businesses invol ...

. **

John Roebuck John Roebuck of Kinneil FRS FRSE (1718 – 17 July 1794) was an English inventor and industrialist who played an important role in the Industrial Revolution and who is known for developing the industrial-scale manufacture of sulphuric aci ...

begins production of sulphuric acid using his

lead chamber process The lead chamber process was an industrial method used to produce sulfuric acid in large quantities. It has been largely supplanted by the contact process. In 1746 in Birmingham, England, John Roebuck began producing sulfuric acid in lead-lined ...

in Steelhouse Lane. ** Nechells Slitting Mill is completed at a cost of £1,212.

1750–1759

* 1751 – Methodist meeting house attacked by Jacobites. * 1752 – Two theatres on Smallbrook Street and King Street open to the public. * 1757 –

Baskerville Baskerville is a serif typeface designed in the 1750s by John Baskerville (1706–1775) in Birmingham, England, and cut into metal by punchcutter John Handy. Baskerville is classified as a transitional typeface, intended as a refinement of what ...

typeface A typeface (or font family) is the design of lettering that can include variations in size, weight (e.g. bold), slope (e.g. italic), width (e.g. condensed), and so on. Each of these variations of the typeface is a font. There are thousands o ...

is first used in a book, a luxury edition of

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...

. * 1758 ** Summer:

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

first visits Birmingham. ** The land known as Duddeston Hall is renamed to Vauxhall Gardens after the London pleasure park and is opened to the public as an entertainment venue. * 1759 ** The Quaker meeting house is seriously damaged for not sufficiently celebrating the English victories in Canada. ** 20,000 people are being employed in Birmingham's "toymaking" industry.

1760–1769

* 1760 ** The Protestant Dissenting Charity School is established. ** John Betts & Sons, refiners of precious metals, is established in Birmingham when Alexander Betts moves from Sheffield; the company will still be in family hands in the 21st century. * 1761 –

acquires a five-year lease on Soho Mill. * 1762 – A glassworks is recorded as being in use at Snow Hill by Meyer Oppenheim. * 1764 –

Charles Wesley Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include "And Can It Be", "Christ the Lord Is Risen T ...

's sermon at the opening of a chapel on Moor Street is disrupted by rioting. * 1765 ** Taylor's and Lloyds Bank, an ancestor to

Lloyds Bank Lloyds Bank plc is a British retail and commercial bank with branches across England and Wales. It has traditionally been considered one of the " Big Four" clearing banks. Lloyds Bank is the largest retail bank in Britain, and has an exte ...

, is opened on Dale End by John Taylor and

Sampson Lloyd Sampson Lloyd II (15 May 1699 – 1779) was an English iron manufacturer and banker, who co-founded Lloyds Bank. He was a member of the notable Lloyd family of Birmingham. Career Sampson Lloyd was the third son of Sampson Lloyd (1664� ...

. **

Soho Manufactory The Soho Manufactory () was an early factory which pioneered mass production on the assembly line principle, in Soho, Birmingham, England, at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. It operated from 1766–1848 and was demolished in 1853. B ...

on Handsworth heath is completed for the mass production of buckles, buttons and other "toys" and becomes a significant tourist attraction. **

Lunar Society of Birmingham The Lunar Society of Birmingham was a British dinner club and informal learned society of prominent figures in the Midlands Enlightenment, including industrialists, natural philosophers and intellectuals, who met regularly between 1765 and 1813 ...

begins to meet. * 1766 ** Matthew Boulton moves into

Soho House Soho House is a museum run by Birmingham Museums Trust, celebrating Matthew Boulton's life, his partnership with James Watt, his membership of the Lunar Society of Birmingham and his contribution to the Midlands Enlightenment and the Ind ...

following completion of Soho Manufactory. ** An infirmary wing is added to the Lichfield Street workhouse. * 1768 ** 24 February: An act is obtained for Birmingham's first canal, the

Birmingham Canal The BCN Main Line, or Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line is the evolving route of the Birmingham Canal between Birmingham and Wolverhampton in England. The name ''Main Line'' was used to distinguish the main Birmingham to Wolverhampton rout ...

. ** September: First

Birmingham Music Festival The Birmingham Triennial Musical Festival, in Birmingham, England, founded in 1784, was the longest-running classical music festival of its kind. It last took place in 1912. History The first music festival, over three days in September 176 ...

held over 3 days to raise funds for a General Hospital. * 1769 ** 24 March: The ''Birmingham Chronicle'' is printed for the first time. ** 6 November: The

Wednesbury Wednesbury () is a market town in Sandwell in the county of West Midlands, England. It is located near the source of the River Tame. Historically part of Staffordshire in the Hundred of Offlow, at the 2011 Census the town had a population of 3 ...

branch is opened. ** Birmingham Improvement Act creates

Birmingham Street Commissioners The Birmingham Street Commissioners were a local government body, created in Birmingham, England in 1769, with powers to manage matters such as streets, markets, and policing. Subsequent Improvement Acts of 1773, 1801, and 1812 gave increased power ...

with powers to ensure clean streets, to provide street lighting (by oil lamps) and to widen roads.

1770–1779

* 1770 – The first statues in the town are erected at the front of the Blue Coat School: they depict a young boy and a young girl and have been created by Edward Grubb. * 1772 ** 21 September: The

main line is opened, providing for through navigation to the

river Severn , name_etymology = , image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG , image_size = 288 , image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle , map = RiverSevernMap.jpg , map_size = 288 , map_c ...

. ** 15 November (4 am): An earthquake strikes Birmingham and is felt in Hall Green, Erdington and Yardley. No damage is sustained but a flock of sheep escapes in Yardley. ** Royal Hotel opens, the town's first establishment to be so called. * 1773 – 31 August: The

Birmingham Assay Office The Birmingham Assay Office, one of the four assay offices in the United Kingdom, is located in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. The development of a silver industry in 18th century Birmingham was hampered by the legal requirement that item ...

(authorised by Act of 27 May) opens for the first time at the King's Head Inn at New Street. * 1774 ** Birmingham's fourth theatre opens on New Street as the Theatre Royal. ** James Watt moves to Birmingham. * 1775 ** Watt forms a partnership with

who secures extension of the 1769

Watt steam engine The Watt steam engine design became synonymous with steam engines, and it was many years before significantly new designs began to replace the basic Watt design. The first steam engines, introduced by Thomas Newcomen in 1712, were of the "a ...

patent (in which he holds a share) until June 1800 by Act of Parliament and the first engines are built under it. ** Ketley's Building Society is founded in Birmingham as the world's first

building society A building society is a financial institution owned by its members as a mutual organization. Building societies offer banking and related financial services, especially savings and mortgage lending. Building societies exist in the United Kingd ...

. * 1777 ** Construction of St Paul's Square commences. ** A bill is presented to Parliament for a licensed theatre; however it is rejected. ** Tailors' cooperative organized. * 1779 ** c. 2 June: St Paul's Church is consecrated as construction of St Paul's Square is completed. ** 20 September:

Birmingham General Hospital Birmingham General Hospital was a teaching hospital in Birmingham, England, founded in 1779 and closed in the mid-1990s. History Summer Lane In 1765, a committee for a proposed hospital, formed by John Ash and supported by Sir Lister ...

opens to the public.

William Withering William Withering FRS (17 March 1741 – 6 October 1799) was an English botanist, geologist, chemist, physician and first systematic investigator of the bioactivity of digitalis. Withering was born in Wellington, Shropshire, the son of a surg ...

is physician. ** November: The Birmingham Library is established by 19 subscribers. ** Buttonmaker John Pickard fits a crank and flywheel to his Newcomen engine to power a mill. It is adapted into a flour mill and his business increases. ** A. E. Williams begins as a manufacturer of

pewter Pewter () is a malleable metal alloy consisting of tin (85–99%), antimony (approximately 5–10%), copper (2%), bismuth, and sometimes silver. Copper and antimony (and in antiquity lead) act as hardeners, but lead may be used in lower grades ...

ware; the business will still be in the hands of his family in the 21st century.

1780–1789

* 1780 ** William Hutton calls for the demolition of the prison at Peck Lane. **

Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist. He published over 150 works, and conducted exp ...

arrives in Birmingham. * 1781 ** The Birmingham Library moves to premises in Swan Yard. ** Birmingham New Brass and Spelter Company established. * 1782 – The Birmingham Old Brewery, Birmingham's first large scale brewery, opens on Moseley Street. * 1783 ** June: An act for the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal is obtained which will connect the Birmingham Canal with the Coventry Canal. ** The Birmingham Commercial Committee is formed. ** A proposal for a major new workhouse is presented to Parliament; however it faces objections from William Hutton. * 1784 ** September:

Birmingham Triennial Music Festival The Birmingham Triennial Musical Festival, in Birmingham, England, founded in 1784, was the longest-running classical music festival of its kind. It last took place in 1912. History The first music festival, over three days in September 1768 ...

becomes a regularly recurring event. ** The Old Cross is demolished. * 1786 – The theatre on King Street is closed and converted into a Methodist chapel. * 1787 ** New Hall is put up for sale as demand for the area increases. ** 'Apollo Hotel' opens in

, at this time a small hamlet. * 1788 – A turnpike is established on the main road into Deritend. * 1789 – 11 August: Birmingham & Fazeley Canal opened, providing for a water route to London (via Oxford).

1790–1799

* 1790 –

Webley & Scott Webley & Scott is an arms manufacturer founded in Birmingham, England. Webley produced handguns and long guns from 1834 to 1979, when the company ceased to manufacture firearms and instead turned its attention to producing air pistols and ai ...

established as firearms manufacturers by William Davies; adopting its later name in 1897 the company will still be in business in the 21st century. * 1791 ** 10 June: An act for the Worcester and Birmingham Canal is obtained. ** 14–17 July: Priestley Riots against Dissenters and radical sympathisers: The Royal Hotel (scene of a banquet to celebrate the

Storming of the Bastille The Storming of the Bastille (french: Prise de la Bastille ) occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, when revolutionary insurgents stormed and seized control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille. At ...

) is attacked, chapels, business premises and

's house on Easy Hill are looted and the late John Baskerville's house destroyed. ** The Protestant Dissenting Charity School moves to a new building on Park Street. ** Birmingham's first synagogue begins construction in the Froggary. * 1792 – 17 August: The Theatre Royal in New Street is seriously damaged by fire. * 1793 ** February: An effigy of

Tom Paine Thomas Paine (born Thomas Pain; – In the contemporary record as noted by Conway, Paine's birth date is given as January 29, 1736–37. Common practice was to use a dash or a slash to separate the old-style year from the new-style year. In th ...

is hung and burned by a crowd singing 'God Save The King.' ** 6 March: An act for the

Warwick and Birmingham Canal The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another ends in Birmingham, with the latter st ...

is obtained. ** Summer: A permanent military barracks is completed at Ashted. * 1794 ** 17 April: The Company of the

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

and Birmingham & Fazeley Canal Navigations is renamed the

Birmingham Canal Navigations Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) is a network of canals connecting Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the eastern part of the Black Country. The BCN is connected to the rest of the English canal system at several junctions. It was owned and opera ...

. ** St Mary's College, Oscott established at Old Oscott (

Great Barr Great Barr is now a large and loosely defined area to the north-west of Birmingham, England. The area was historically in Staffordshire, and the parts now in Birmingham were once known as Perry Barr, which is still the name of an adjacent Bir ...

) as a Roman Catholic seminary. * 1795 ** June: Pickard's steam-powered flour mill is attacked by a mob of women after rumours he has wrongly increased the price of flour. The military arrive and break up the mob with at least one death. ** 30 October: First section of Worcester and Birmingham Canal opened from

Gas Street Basin Gas Street Basin () is a canal basin in the centre of Birmingham, England, where the Worcester and Birmingham Canal meets the BCN Main Line. It is located on Gas Street, off Broad Street, and between the Mailbox and Brindleyplace canal-side d ...

Selly Oak Selly Oak is an industrial and residential area in south-west Birmingham, England. The area gives its name to Selly Oak ward and includes the neighbourhoods of: Bournbrook, Selly Park, and Ten Acres. The adjoining wards of Edgbaston and Harborn ...

. * 1797 ** 300 children are removed from the Lichfield Street workhouse to an Asylum for the Infant Poor on Summer Lane. ** The Birmingham Library moves to a purpose-built building on Union Street on land formerly Corbett's Bowling Green. ** The Anchor Inn in Digbeth opens.

1800–1899

1800–1809

* 1800 ** 19 March: The

is completed. ** September: Another mob attacks Pickard's mill. Instead of waiting for the military, John Pickard and his workers retaliate with rifles, killing at least one rioter. * 1801 – 10 March:

Demography of Birmingham Birmingham, England is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. The city is the core of the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom after London and is the largest city proper. Population Birmingham city's total populatio ...

: The first national census shows the town's population as 73,670, an estimated increase of 41% over that in 1785. * 1802 ** 31 August:

Admiral Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...

visits Birmingham and is greeted by large crowds. ** The lighting system of

is displayed to the public. It is the first factory to be lit by gas. **

Westley Richards Westley Richards is a British manufacturer of guns and rifles and also a well established gunsmith. The company was founded in 1812 by William Westley Richards, who was responsible for the early innovation of many rifles used in wars featuring ...

established as firearms manufacturers by William Westley Richards; the company will still be in business in the 21st century. ** Horseshoe Stables built for canal horses at Farmer's Bridge Junction. * 1804 – January:

Joshua Toulmin Joshua Toulmin ( – 23 July 1815) of Taunton, England was a noted theologian and a serial Dissenting minister of Presbyterian (1761–1764), Baptist (1765–1803), and then Unitarian (1804–1815) congregations. Toulmin's sympathy for b ...

appointed as a Unitarian minister. * 1805 ** 18 September: The foundation stone of a building complex consisting of public offices, a courtroom and prison in Moor Street is laid. ** 23 November: A meeting is held to decide upon the creation of monument dedicated to Admiral Nelson. * 1806 ** 13 June: A decision is made that a statue should be created in memory of Admiral Nelson. ** The prison on Moor Street opens. ** Another bill is presented to Parliament for a licensed theatre and this time is granted. * 1807 ** October: The Public Office on Moor Street is completed and opened one year after the completion of the prison. ** Space becomes available on Park Street for the expansion of the graveyard at St. Martin's, Birmingham's only Anglican graveyard. * 1809 ** 25 October (Jubilee Day of George III): Statue of Horatio Nelson by

Richard Westmacott Sir Richard Westmacott (15 July 17751 September 1856) was a British sculptor. Life and career Westmacott studied with his father, also named Richard Westmacott, at his studio in Mount Street, off Grosvenor Square in London before going t ...

, erected by public subscription, is unveiled in the Bull Ring, the first statue of Admiral Lord Nelson in the country. ** Birmingham's second synagogue, the Severn Street Synagogue, is completed on Severn Street.

1810–1819

* 1813 ** The Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House is established by an

act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

. ** The Methodist Church in Belmont Row, Quaker Meeting House near Ladywell, Severn Street Synagogue and Bond Street Baptist Chapel are all severely damaged by an anti-Dissenter riot. ** Christ Church, in the later Victoria Square, is completed. * 1815 ** August: Worcester Bar lock constructed at

giving through water communication between the

and the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. ** 4 December: Worcester and Birmingham Canal opened throughout for traffic. ** Birmingham Assay Office moves from the public house on New Street to offices in Little Cannon Street. * 1816 – The

Birmingham Manor House The Birmingham Manor House or Birmingham Moat was a moated building that formed the seat of the Lord of the Manor of Birmingham, England during the Middle Ages, remaining the property of the de Birmingham family until 1536. The buildings were dem ...

is demolished by the

and the moat filled in. * 1817 ** 29 May: The Smithfield Market is opened by the Street Commissioners on the site of the Birmingham manor house. **

William Murdoch William Murdoch (sometimes spelled Murdock) (21 August 1754 – 15 November 1839) was a Scottish engineer and inventor. Murdoch was employed by the firm of Boulton & Watt and worked for them in Cornwall, as a steam engine erector for ten yea ...

moves to Sycamore Hill in Handsworth where he installs central heating and gas lighting. * 1819 ** 14 April: The streets of Birmingham lit by gas for the first time by the Birmingham Gas Light and Coke Company. ** A large rally to promote electoral reform elects Charles Wolseley as Birmingham's "legislatorial representative" (the town has no MP at this time). ** William Westmacott is hired by Alfred Bunn to redesign the Theatre Royal's interior.

1820–1829

* 1820 ** 6 January: The Theatre Royal on New Street is destroyed in a fire. Only two medallions of Shakespeare and Garrick are retrieved from the ruins. ** A canal is extended through an area behind modern-day Centenary Square to create a wharf. The extension cuts across Baskerville's tomb where the builders find his body to be well preserved. * 1821 – Birmingham Society of Artists founded. * 1823 – The spire is added to St Paul's Church. * 1824 – John Cadbury opens his shop on Bull Street * 1825 ** The Birmingham Female Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves is established by Mary Sturge, Maria Cadbury and Mary Samuel Lloyd. ** The title '' Birmingham Journal'' is revived for a weekly

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

newspaper by printer William Hodgetts. * 1826 ** 26 May: The

Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal The Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal was a canal in England which ran from Nantwich, where it joined the Chester Canal, to Autherley, where it joined the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. Forming part of a major link between Liverp ...

is authorised; when opened in 1835 it will connect with the

Aldersley Aldersley is a small suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is north-west of Wolverhampton city centre, within the Tettenhall Regis ward. Aldersley is a relatively modern part of Wolverhampton, with most of the housing stock – b ...

, north of Wolverhampton. ** Company of Proprietors of the Birmingham Waterworks authorised "for the purpose of providing a sufficient and constant supply of good and wholesome water for domestic, manufacturing and other purposes". * 1827 – After being broken into and seriously damaged years earlier, the Severn Street synagogue receives enough funds to reopen. * 1828 ** 17 November: The first Birmingham Co-operative Society is formed. ** The main road into Deritend is disturnpiked. * 1829 ** 14 December: Thomas Attwood founds the Birmingham Political Union at the Royal Hotel to campaign for electoral reform. ** Rotton Park Reservoir is completed for the

1830–1839

* 1832 ** 27 April: Construction of Birmingham Town Hall commences. ** 4 June:

Reform Act In the United Kingdom, Reform Act is most commonly used for legislation passed in the 19th century and early 20th century to enfranchise new groups of voters and to redistribute seats in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

creates a Birmingham Parliamentary constituency for the first time. At the U.K. general election held from 8 December 1832 to 8 January 1833, the Radicals Thomas Attwood and

Joshua Scholefield Joshua Scholefield (23 May 1775 – 4 July 1844) was a British businessman and Radical politician. He was elected as one of Birmingham's two first members of parliament when the town was enfranchised as a result of the Reform Act 1832. Born in Sh ...

become its first Members of Parliament. ** 11 June: Birmingham Botanical Gardens (designed by J. C. Loudon) are opened to the public. **

George Muntz George Frederick Muntz (26 November 1794 – 30 July 1857) was an industrialist from Birmingham, England and a Liberal Party Member of Parliament (MP) for the Birmingham constituency from 1840 until his death. His father Philip Frederic Mun ...

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...

s the alloy

Muntz metal Muntz metal (also known as yellow metal) is an alpha-beta brass alloy composed of approximately 60% copper, 40% zinc and a trace of iron. It is named after George Fredrick Muntz, a metal-roller of Birmingham, England, who commercialised the a ...

and begins its manufacture in Birmingham. * 1834 – 7 October: Birmingham Town Hall (designed by

Joseph Hansom Joseph Aloysius Hansom (26 October 1803 – 29 June 1882) was a British architect working principally in the Gothic Revival style. He invented the Hansom cab and founded the eminent architectural journal, '' The Builder'', in 1843. Career ...

and Edward Welch) is opened for the

. * 1835 – 16 February: New Market Hall opens in the Bull Ring. * 1836 ** 23 May: Birmingham Central Cemetery in

Hockley Hockley is a large village and civil parish in Essex in the East of England located between Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea, or, more specifically, between Rayleigh and Rochford. It came to prominence during the coming of the railway in the 189 ...

opened. ** August:

Midland Bank Midland Bank Plc was one of the Big Four banking groups in the United Kingdom for most of the 20th century. It is now part of HSBC. The bank was founded as the Birmingham and Midland Bank in Union Street, Birmingham, England in August 1836. It ...

established by Charles Geach as the Birmingham and Midland Bank. **

Birmingham Battery and Metal Company The Birmingham Battery and Metal Company was founded in 1836 with a factory in Digbeth, Birmingham. The company did not make batteries, but the use of the word battery in the name refers to a method of metal production and forming (which had lar ...

established. * 1837 ** 4 July: The

Grand Junction Railway The Grand Junction Railway (GJR) was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was amalgamated with other railways to form the London and North Western Railway. The line built by the company w ...

is opened providing through trains from Birmingham to

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

and

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

from a temporary terminus at

Duddeston railway station Duddeston railway station is situated in the Duddeston area of Birmingham, England on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line and the Walsall line. Services on the Cross-City Line (and occasionally on the Walsall line) are ...

(opened as Vauxhall). ** 21 September: Felix Mendelssohn is the soloist in the première of his Piano Concerto No. 2 at the Town Hall as part of this year's

. ** St Mary's College, Oscott moves to a building in

New Oscott New Oscott is an area of Birmingham, England. It was named after the Oscott area of Birmingham, when St. Mary's College, the Roman Catholic seminary, moved from that site to the new one. The original then became known as Old Oscott. The only p ...

Augustus Pugin Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...

. **

Bird's Custard Bird's Custard is the brand name for the original powdered, egg-free imitation custard powder, now owned by Premier Foods. Custard powder and instant custard powder are the generic product names for similar and competing products. The product ...

is first formulated by Alfred Bird in Birmingham. * 1838 ** 17 September: The

London and Birmingham Railway The London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom, in operation from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway (L&NWR). The railway line which the company opened in 1838, betw ...

is opened throughout from Curzon Street railway station;

Perry Barr railway station Perry Barr Railway Station is a railway station in Perry Barr, Birmingham, England, and is one of the oldest continuously operated railway station sites in the world, having first opened in 1837. The station has been rebuilt several times, inc ...

is also opened. ** 31 October: Birmingham gains the status of a

municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...

and

William Scholefield William Scholefield (August 1809 – 9 July 1867) was a British businessman and Liberal politician. He was a leading figure in the politics of the rapidly growing industrial town of Birmingham in the mid-nineteenth century, serving as the firs ...

becomes first Mayor of Birmingham. **

Spring Hill College Spring Hill College is a private, Jesuit college in Mobile, Alabama. It was founded in 1830 by Michael Portier, Bishop of Mobile. Along with being the oldest college or university in the state of Alabama, it was the first Catholic college in the ...

founded as a seminary for the Congregational ministry. ** King Edward's VI school moves into a building in New Street designed by

Charles Barry Sir Charles Barry (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also respons ...

. * 1839 ** July: Chartist agitation and riots. ** October: Reconstruction of St Chad's Cathedral (Roman Catholic; at this time a church) by

begins. ** 20 November: Birmingham Police force comes into being by Act of 26 August.

1840–1849

* 1840 ** The Protestant Dissenting Charity School moves into new premises in Graham Street. ** The Hebrew National School is established. * 1841 ** 21 June: St Chad's is consecrated as a church. ** Five Ways is disturnpiked. * 1842 – The Moor Street prison is publicly condemned as being too ornate as the number of prisoners held in confinement there drops to zero. * 1843 **

Birmingham Government School of Design The Birmingham School of Art was a municipal art school based in the centre of Birmingham, England. Although the organisation was absorbed by Birmingham Polytechnic in 1971 and is now part of Birmingham City University's Faculty of Arts, Design a ...

founded. ** Alfred Bird produces

baking powder Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent, a mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a weak acid. The base and acid are prevented from reacting prematurely by the inclusion of a buffer such as cornstarch. Baking powder is used to increas ...

for the first time. ** The Hebrew National School is replaced by a new building on Hurst Street. * 1844 ** 14 February: The

Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal The Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal is a short canal connecting the Digbeth Branch of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal in the centre of Birmingham () to the Warwick and Birmingham Canal near Gravelly Hill Interchange (). It was authorized ...

is opened from the centre of Birmingham to Gravelly Hill. ** c. October: Stechford railway station is opened. * 1845 – Joseph Wright establishes a railway carriage and wagon works at

, the earliest constituent of

Metro-Cammell Metro-Cammell, formally the Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company (MCCW), was an English manufacturer of railway carriages, locomotives and railway wagons, based in Saltley, and subsequently Washwood Heath, in Birmingham. Purchased ...

. * 1846 ** 26 August: Felix Mendelssohn's oratorio ''

Elijah Elijah ( ; he, אֵלִיָּהוּ, ʾĒlīyyāhū, meaning "My El (deity), God is Yahweh/YHWH"; Greek form: Elias, ''Elías''; syr, ܐܸܠܝܼܵܐ, ''Elyāe''; Arabic language, Arabic: إلياس or إليا, ''Ilyās'' or ''Ilyā''. ) w ...

'' is premièred at the Town Hall as part of this year's

. ** 7 October: The

Birmingham Baths Committee The Birmingham Baths Committee was an organisation responsible for the provision and maintenance of public swimming and bathing facilities. Birmingham City Council funded, constructed and ran bathing facilities throughout the city. The movement ...

is officially established. ** St. Philip's School is completed and opened. * 1849 ** 1 May: Kings Norton railway station is opened. ** 29 October: Construction of Kent Street Baths commences. **

Winson Green Prison HM Prison Birmingham is a Prison security categories in the United Kingdom, Category B men's prison, located in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, England. The prison was operated by G4S from 2011, before it was returned to HM Prison and Probat ...

is opened. ** The first St Anne's Church is founded by Catholic convert

John Henry Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English theologian, academic, intellectual, philosopher, polymath, historian, writer, scholar and poet, first as an Anglican ministry, Anglican priest and later as a Catholi ...

in an old gin distillery in

1850–1859

* 1850 ** 10 December:

Bingley Hall Bingley Hall in Birmingham was the first purpose-built exhibition hall in Great Britain. It was built in 1850 and burned down in 1984. The International Convention Centre now stands on the site. Precursor The precursor of Bingley Hall was an " ...

opens as the world's first purpose-built permanent exhibition hall. ** Birmingham Pauper Lunatic Asylum opens at Winson Green. ** Bishop Vesey's Grammar School ceases to be a boarding school. ** The grounds known as Vauxhall Gardens are sold to the Victoria Land Society and the trees are cut down. **

Birmingham Mint The Birmingham Mint was a coining mint and metal-working company based in Birmingham, England. Formerly the world's largest privately-owned mint, the company produced coins for many foreign nations including France, Italy, China, and much of the ...

begins production as a private enterprise by Ralph Heaton. * 1851 – 12 May: Kent Street Baths are opened but are not yet completed. * 1852 ** February: Purpose-built Birmingham Oratory premises on the Hagley Road in Edgbaston for the Roman Catholic Congregation of the

Oratory of Saint Philip Neri The Confederation of Oratories of Saint Philip Neri ( la, Confoederatio Oratorii Sancti Philippi Nerii) abbreviated CO and commonly known as the Oratorians is a Catholic society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men (priests and lay- ...

are opened.

, its founder and Provost, will spend much of the rest of his life here, dying here in 1890. ** 21 April: St Chad's is named a cathedral by Pope Pius IX. ** 1 October: Snow Hill railway station is opened by the Great Western Railway. ** Birmingham Philosophical Institute ceases its activities. **

Birmingham Union workhouse The Birmingham Union Workhouse was a workhouse on Western Road in Birmingham, England. Earlier workhouse The ''Birmingham Workhouse Infirmary'' was a workhouse constructed in 1734 on the site of the present day Coleridge Passage, now opposite B ...

, a major new

workhouse In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse' ...

with a capacity of 1,160 people, is opened at

Winson Green Winson Green is a loosely defined inner-city area in the west of the city of Birmingham, England. It is part of the ward of Soho. It is the location of HM Prison Birmingham (known locally as Winson Green Prison or "the Green") and of City Hospi ...

, 69 years after being first proposed. ** Kent Street Baths are completed, becoming Birmingham's first public baths. * 1853 ** June:

Acocks Green railway station Acocks Green railway station (previously known as Acocks Green & South Yardley) serves the Acocks Green area of Birmingham, in the West Midlands region of England. Pre-nationalisation a GWR station on their main line from London (Paddington) to ...

is opened. ** 27 December:

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

gives the first of his public readings of his own works, in Birmingham Town Hall to the Industrial and Literary Institute, repeated three days later to an audience of working people. **

is first contracted to produce

coins of the pound sterling The standard circulating coinage of the United Kingdom, British Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories is denominated in pennies and pounds sterling ( symbol "£", commercial GBP), and ranges in value from one penny sterling t ...

. ** Birmingham Council buy lands for the

Council House A council house is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Construction took place mainly from 1919 ...

. * 1854 ** 1 June: New Street railway station is fully opened. ** November:

Aston railway station Aston railway station serves the districts of Aston and Nechells in Birmingham, England. The passenger entrance is on Lichfield Road. The station is on the Cross-City Line and the Chase Line. It is one of two local stations for Aston Villa Foo ...

is completed and opened. **

Birmingham and Midland Institute The Birmingham and Midland Institute (popularly known as the Midland Institute) (), is an institution concerned with the promotion of education and learning in Birmingham, England. It is now based on Margaret Street in Birmingham city centre. It ...

established. * 1855 – Adderley Park becomes an open space available to the public, initially managed by the donor,

Charles Adderley, 1st Baron Norton Charles Bowyer Adderley, 1st Baron Norton (2 August 181428 March 1905) was a British Conservative politician. Background and education Charles Bowyer Adderley was the eldest son of Charles Clement Adderley (d. 1818), offspring of an old Sta ...

. * 1856 **

Singers Hill Synagogue The Birmingham Hebrew Congregation, commonly known as the Singers Hill Synagogue, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Birmingham, England. The synagogue is a Grade II* listed building, comprising 26, 26A and 26B Blucher Street in the city centre ...

, designed by

Yeoville Thomason Henry Richard Yeoville Yardley Thomason (17 July 1826 – 19 July 1901) was a British architect active in Birmingham. He was born in Edinburgh to a Birmingham family, and set up his own practice in Birmingham 1853–54. Life Yeoville ...

, is opened. ** William Stockley's Orchestra, the town's first permanently established orchestra of locally based professional musicians, is formed. * 1857 ** 1 June:

Calthorpe Park Calthorpe Park is a public park in Birmingham, England, created in 1857 and managed by Birmingham City Council. Geography The park lies in the Sparkbrook Ward of Edgbaston, Birmingham, England. It lies adjacent to and east of the A441 Pershor ...

opened as a public park. ** 4 December: '' Birmingham Post'' newspaper launched as ''The Birmingham Daily Post''. * 1858 –

Ansells Brewery Ansells Brewery was a regional brewery founded in Aston, Birmingham, England in 1858. It merged with Taylor Walker and Ind Coope in 1961 to form Allied Breweries. The brewery remained in operation until 1981, after which production transferred ...

established by hop merchant and maltster Joseph Ansell in

. * 1859 ** 25 July: Construction of Woodcock Street Baths in

commences. ** The modern game of

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

begins to be developed by solicitor Maj.

Harry Gem Major Thomas Henry Gem (21 May 1819 – 4 November 1881), known as Harry Gem, was an English lawyer, soldier, writer and sportsman. Alongside his friend Augurio Perera, he is credited as a lawn tennis pioneer.Rowley, Andrew,Gem, Thomas Henry (1 ...

and his friend, Augurio Perera, to be played on the latter's

croquet Croquet ( or ; french: croquet) is a sport that involves hitting wooden or plastic balls with a mallet through hoops (often called "wickets" in the United States) embedded in a grass playing court. Its international governing body is the W ...

lawn in

. ** The

Birmingham School of Music The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is a music school, drama school and concert venue in Birmingham, England. It provides professional education in music, acting, and related disciplines up to postgraduate level. It is a centre for scholarly re ...

is formed.

1860–1869

* 1860 ** January: The partly completed

Paradise Street Paradise Street is a short street in the core area of Birmingham City Centre, in England. Paradise Street runs roughly from Victoria Square to Suffolk Street and Broad Street. The street existed in 1796 when a congregation gathered at a meeti ...

is opened as a public museum. ** 1 August:

Adderley Park railway station Adderley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Shropshire, several kilometres north of Market Drayton. It is known as Eldredelei in the Domesday Book. The Irish statesman Robert le Poer was parish priest of Adderley in 1319. ...

is opened. ** 27 August: Woodcock Street Baths are completed and opened. ** Joseph Lucas establishes the business that becomes

Lucas Industries Lucas Industries plc was a Birmingham-based British manufacturer of motor industry and aerospace industry components. Once prominent, it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was formerly a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. In August 1996 ...

, manufacturer of vehicle lighting. * 1861 ** June: Birmingham Small Arms Company founded. ** September: George Kynoch sets up his small arms ammunition manufacturing business, building the Lion Works at Witton. ** A bylaw requires all new houses in Birmingham to be connected to a sewer. * 1862 ** 2 June: Line opened to Sutton Coldfield railway station with intermediate stations at

Gravelly Hill Gravelly Hill is an area of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Location Gravelly Hill is approximately 4 miles north-east of Birmingham city centre. To the north-west is Perry Barr and to the north-east are Stockland Green, Erdington and Sutton Coldf ...

Erdington Erdington is a suburb and ward of Birmingham in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Warwickshire and located northeast of central Birmingham, bordering Sutton Coldfield. It was also a council constituency, managed by its o ...

and

Wylde Green Wylde: * Wylde Green * Wylde Green railway station See also * Wilde * Wyld (disambiguation) * Wild (disambiguation) Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to: Common meanings * Wild animal * Wilderness, a wild natural environment * Wildne ...

. ** 1 October:

Hamstead railway station Hamstead railway station serves the Hamstead, Great Barr and Handsworth Wood areas of Birmingham, England. It is located at the junction of Rocky Lane and Old Walsall Road, Hamstead, at Birmingham's border with the borough of Sandwell. It is s ...

is opened as Great Barr. **

Handsworth Grammar School King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys, formerly and commonly Handsworth Grammar School, is a grammar school that admits boys from the age of eleven (as well as girls in the sixth form, since September 1997). The school was founded i ...

is founded. ** Unitarian Church of the Messiah in Broad Street (built over the canal) is completed. * 1863 ** 23 May: Consecration of Birmingham City Cemetery opened in Witton by Birmingham Corporation. ** The Great Western Hotel is constructed next to Snow Hill Station. **

is demolished and the site used for housing. * 1865 – The first

Birmingham Central Library Birmingham Central Library was the main public library in Birmingham, England, from 1974 until 2013, replacing a library opened in 1865 and rebuilt in 1882. For a time the largest non-national library in Europe, it closed on 29 June 2013 and was ...

is opened. * 1867 – Parliamentary franchise increased to three. * 1868 ** 12 September:

St Augustine's Church, Edgbaston The Church of St Augustine of Hippo in Lyttelton Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, is a parish church in the Church of England. Background St Augustine's Church stands at the centre of a conservation area which bears its name. It is one ...

is consecrated. ** Opening of the first fire station in Birmingham at 19, Little Cannon Street.

1870–1879

* 1870 ** 1 September:

Northfield railway station Northfield railway station serves the Northfield area of Birmingham, England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line, and is managed by West Midlands Trains, who also operate all of the rail services that serve it. History The station was open ...

is opened. ** ''

Birmingham Mail The ''Birmingham Mail'' (branded the ''Black Country Mail'' in the Black Country) is a tabloid newspaper based in Birmingham, England but distributed around Birmingham, the Black Country, and Solihull and parts of Warwickshire, Worcestershire a ...

'' newspaper launched as the ''Birmingham Evening Mail''. ** Birmingham Council agree to build offices on lands bought in 1853. * 1871 ** 1 June:

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

established in the United States. **

School Board A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional are ...

established in Birmingham as required by the

Elementary Education Act 1870 The Elementary Education Act 1870, commonly known as Forster's Education Act, set the framework for schooling of all children between the ages of 5 and 12 in England and Wales. It established local education authorities with defined powers, autho ...

and with the support of Joseph Chamberlain. From 1873 to 1898 41 Board Schools are built around Birmingham to the designs of architects

Martin & Chamberlain John Henry Chamberlain, William Martin, and Frederick Martin were architects in Victorian Birmingham, England. Their names are attributed singly or pairs to many red brick and terracotta buildings, particularly 41 of the forty-odd Birmingham ...

, characterised by red brick and

architectural terracotta Architectural terracotta refers to a fired mixture of clay and water that can be used in a non-structural, semi-structural, or structural capacity on the exterior or interior of a building. Terracotta pottery, as earthenware is called when not use ...

with ventilation spires. ** Snow Hill railway station is rebuilt to increase capacity. * 1871–1872 & 1874 –

Smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

epidemics. * 1872 ** 20 May: Birmingham and District Tramways Company Ltd operates the first

horse tram A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is an animal-powered (usually horse) tram or streetcar. Summary The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, wh ...

s in Birmingham. ** The Bristol Road is disturnpiked. * 1873 ** April:

Cannon Hill Park Cannon Hill Park is a park located in south Birmingham, England. It is the most popular park in the city, covering consisting of formal, conservation, woodland and sports areas. Recreational activities at the park include boating, fishing, bowls ...

given to Birmingham by

Louisa Ryland Louisa Anne Ryland (17 January 1814 – 28 January 1889) was a major benefactor to the (then) town of Birmingham, England. She became a millionaire on the death of her father, Samuel Ryland of The Laurels, Hagley Road, Edgbaston, whose famil ...

; opens to the public in September. **

Joseph Chamberlain Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually served as a leading imperialist in coalition with the C ...

becomes Mayor of Birmingham, serving three terms. **

Birmingham Orthodox Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God and St. Andrew (Greek: Καθεδρικός Ναός της Κοιμήσεως της Θεοτόκου και Αποστόλου Ανδρέα) is a Greek Orthodox cathedral on Summer Hill ...

is designed by J. A. Chatwin. **

Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club is an English rugby union club, based in Birmingham, that compete in the third tier of English rugby. They were historically the premier rugby club in Birmingham, reaching the final of the John Player Cup three ti ...

is founded by members of Havelock Cricket Club, playing their first

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

match in 1874. * 1874 ** March:

Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Pa ...

is founded by members of Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel cricket team in Handsworth. ** 13 October: Formation of the Fire Brigade under the control of the Police Watch Committee; Superintendent: George Tiviodale. ** Construction of the Birmingham Council House commences. * 1875 ** March: Riots on Navigation Street lead to 12 arrests and the murder of a police constable. ** 25 June: First Ten Acres and Stirchley Street Co-operative Society shop opens. ** September:

Association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

team Birmingham City F.C. is founded as

Small Heath Small Heath is an area in south-east Birmingham, West Midlands, England situated on and around the Coventry Road about from the city centre. History Small Heath, which has been settled and used since Roman times, sits on top of a small hill. ...

Alliance by a group of cricketers from

Holy Trinity Church, Bordesley Holy Trinity Church, Bordesley is a Grade II listed former Church of England parish church at Camp Hill, Bordesley, Birmingham, England. History An example of a Commissioners' church the church was built between 1820 and 1822 by the architec ...

, playing its first match in November. ** St Martin in the Bull Ring rebuilding completed. ** The Midlands Vinegar Company is established in

. * 1876 ** 3 April: The Birmingham West Suburban Railway is opened by the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It ama ...

to a central terminus at

Granville Street Granville Street is a major street in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and part of Highway 99. Granville Street is most often associated with the Granville Entertainment District and the Granville Mall. This street also cuts through resid ...

including intermediate stations at Stirchley Street (later Bournville) and

. ** 1 May: Witton railway station is opened by the London and North Western Railway. ** Construction of the

Great Western Arcade The Great Western Arcade () is a covered Grade II listed Victorian shopping arcade lying between Colmore Row and Temple Row in Birmingham City Centre, England. It was built (1875-6) over the Great Western Railway line cutting at the London e ...

is completed. ** A spire is added to

. ** Birmingham Corporation Water Department takes over the Birmingham Waterworks Company. * 1877 ** The Birmingham Assay Office moves to offices on

Newhall Street Newhall Street is a street located in Birmingham, England. Newhall Street stretches from Colmore Row in the city centre by St Phillip's Cathedral in a north-westerly direction towards the Jewellery Quarter. Originally the road was the driv ...

. **

Birchfield Harriers Birchfield Harriers is an athletics club, founded in 1877. Its home is at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium, England. As well as welcoming recreational runners they cater for all levels of experience up to and including Olympic athletes whether a ...

athletics club formed. * 1878 ** 26 September: First

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

Extension Lecture delivered, in Birmingham. ** Demolition of inner-city slums begins to make way for the construction of Corporation Street. ** Joseph Chamberlain commissions

Highbury Hall Highbury Hall, now a Grade II* listed building, was commissioned as his Birmingham residence by Joseph Chamberlain in 1878, two years after he became member of parliament for Birmingham. It took its name from the Highbury area of London, where C ...

to be constructed as his residence. ** Arthur Conan Doyle begins 3-year period as a doctor's assistant in Aston. During this time, his first published story appears, "

The Mystery of Sasassa Valley "The Mystery of Sasassa Valley" is the first story by Arthur Conan Doyle to be published, in 1879. "The Mystery of Sasassa Valley" appeared anonymously in ''Chambers's Edinburgh Journal'' on 6 September 1879. The story is set in a valley in South ...

". * 1879 ** 11 January: During the construction of an extension to Birmingham Central Library, a fire destroys 50,000 books. ** April: Superintendent Alfred Robert Tozer is appointed head of the Fire Brigade. ** The Birmingham Council House is completed and opened. ** Cadbury's move their chocolate manufacturing business to the outer suburb which they name Bournville. ** Timeline of telephone companies in Birmingham: First telephone exchange in Birmingham opened.

1880–1889

* 1880 ** 20 October: The

Chamberlain Memorial The Chamberlain Memorial, also known as the Chamberlain Memorial Fountain, is a monument in Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, England, erected in 1880 to commemorate the public service of Joseph Chamberlain (1836–1914), Birmingham businessman, ...

is inaugurated in the presence of

. ** 27 November: Rev.

Richard Enraght Richard William Enraght (23 February 1837 – 21 September 1898) was an Irish-born Church of England priest of the late nineteenth century. He was influenced by the Oxford Movement and was included amongst the priests commonly called "Second ...

is imprisoned for 49 days in Warwick Prison and deprived of his parish at

, as a result of proceedings under the

Public Worship Regulation Act 1874 The Public Worship Regulation Act 1874 (37 & 38 Vict c 85) was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom, introduced as a Private Member's Bill by Archbishop of Canterbury Archibald Campbell Tait, to limit what he perceived as the growing rit ...

. * 1881 ** 5 August: Birmingham Co-operative Society opens its first store. ** Construction of an extension to the Birmingham Council House commences. ** Rubery Hill asylum opens. ** Edgbaston Quaker Meeting House is opened. ** Thorp Street drill hall is completed. * 1882 ** 28 August: The fire station at Upper Priory opens and is to be known as the Chief Fire Station. ** 26 December: Birmingham and Aston Tramways Company begins operation with

steam tram Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. ...

s. ** First public electricity supply. ** A redesigned Birmingham Central Library is rebuilt on the same site as the previous library, including a Shakespeare Memorial Room. * 1883 ** Five new establishments of the

Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI The King Edward VI Foundation, Birmingham is a charitable institution that operates two independent schools, six selective academy state schools and four non-selective academy schools in Birmingham, England. It was registered under the name Th ...

are created: ***

King Edward VI Aston King Edward VI Aston School is a selective, all-boys grammar school and specialist sports college. The school, designed by Birmingham architect J.A. Chatwin, opened in 1883 and is still, with additional buildings, located on its original site, ...

. *** King Edward VI Camp Hill. ***

King Edward VI Five Ways King Edward VI Five Ways (KEFW) is a highly selective co-educational state grammar school for ages 11–18 in Bartley Green, Birmingham, England. One of the seven establishments of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI, it is a volu ...

. *** King Edward VI Handsworth as King Edward VI Aston. ***

King Edward VI High School for Girls King Edward VI High School for Girls ''(KEHS)'' () is an independent secondary school in Edgbaston Edgbaston () is an affluent suburban area of central Birmingham, England, historically in Warwickshire, and curved around the southwest o ...

. **

Wholesale Markets The consumption and production of marketed food are spatially separated. Production is primarily in rural areas while consumption is mainly in urban areas. Agricultural marketing is the process that overcomes this separation, allowing produce to b ...

building for fruit and vegetables opened on Moat Row in Smithfield. ** Joseph Hudson of

J Hudson & Co J Hudson & Co was founded in the 1870s in Birmingham by Joseph Hudson (1848–1930) and his brother James Hudson (1850–1889). The company became a manufacturer of whistles and continues as Acme Whistles. Acme is the world's largest and most ...

. invents and begins to produce the pea

whistle A whistle is an instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a small slide whistle or nose flute type to a lar ...

for use by police and others. * 1884 – 15 December: London and North Western Railway line extended from a rebuilt Sutton Coldfield station to Lichfield with intermediate stations at Blake Street and Four Oaks. * 1885 ** February: Extension of Birmingham New Street station is opened; the Birmingham West Suburban Railway extends into the enlarged station. ** September:

Birmingham Municipal School of Art The Birmingham School of Art was a municipal art school based in the centre of Birmingham, England. Although the organisation was absorbed by Birmingham Polytechnic in 1971 and is now part of Birmingham City University's Faculty of Arts, Design a ...

opens in its new premises in Margaret Street. ** Construction of an extension to the Birmingham Council House is completed. ** Insertion of stained-glass windows designed by

Edward Burne-Jones Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August, 183317 June, 1898) was a British painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood which included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Millais, Ford Madox Brown and Holman ...

(born in the parish) into St Philip's Church begins. **

New Hall Manor New Hall Manor is a medieval manor house, now used as a hotel, in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England. It is claimed to be one of the oldest inhabited moated houses in Britain,''Walmley and its surroundings'' (Chapter II: ''New Hall, New H ...

is converted into a school. **

Lewis's Lewis's was a chain of British department stores that operated from 1856 to 2010. The owners of Lewis's have gone into administration many times over the years, including 1991. The first store, which opened in Liverpool city centre, became ...

department store is constructed to replace Berlin House and to build over the Minories on Corporation Street. ** Ladypool Junior & Infant School is constructed. ** Approximate date: Coachbuilders Mulliners move to Birmingham. ** Parliamentary franchise increased to seven. * 1886 ** 7 June: First match at Edgbaston Cricket Ground. ** October: Spring Hill College moves from Birmingham to Oxford and adopts the name Mansfield College. * 1887 – 23 March: The foundation stone for the

Victoria Law Courts The Victoria Law Courts on Corporation Street, Birmingham, England is a Grade I listed red brick and terracotta building that now houses Birmingham Magistrates' Court. History Designed by Aston Webb & Ingress Bell of London after an open com ...

is laid by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

. * 1888 ** 24 March: Birmingham Central Tramways Company Ltd introduces cable trams. ** King Edward VI High School for Girls moves to the Liberal Club on Congreve Street. * 1889 ** January: Birmingham Infirmary, predecessor of the City Hospital in Dudley Road, opens as an extension to

Birmingham Union Workhouse The Birmingham Union Workhouse was a workhouse on Western Road in Birmingham, England. Earlier workhouse The ''Birmingham Workhouse Infirmary'' was a workhouse constructed in 1734 on the site of the present day Coleridge Passage, now opposite B ...

with Ann C. Gibson as first matron. ** 14 January: Birmingham is granted city status by Queen Victoria despite not (at this time) having an Anglican cathedral, which has previously been a requirement for the honour in England; it also becomes a

county borough County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent te ...

. ** 1 November: Vauxhall railway station is renamed Vauxhall and

. ** The

is completed.

1890–1899

* 1890 – March:

Peaky Blinders The Peaky Blinders were a street gang based in Birmingham, England, which operated from the 1880s until the 1910s. The group consisted largely of young criminals from lower- to middle-class backgrounds. They engaged in robbery, violence, rack ...

street gang first recorded. * 1891 ** 5 April: Population: 478,113. ** 21 July: The Victoria Law Courts are completed and opened by the

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

and Princess of Wales. ** 3 August: New Head Post Office building in

( Victoria Square) opens. ** 1 October: The

Balsall Heath Balsall Heath is an inner-city area of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It has a diverse cultural mix of people and is the location of the Balti Triangle. History Balsall Heath was agricultural land between Moseley village and the city of ...

district, which has constituted the most northerly part of the Parish of

in Worcestershire, is added to the

County Borough of Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

, and therefore Warwickshire. This year also

Harborne Harborne is an area of south-west Birmingham, England. It is one of the most affluent areas of the Midlands, southwest from Birmingham city centre. It is a Birmingham City Council ward in the formal district and in the parliamentary constitu ...

becomes part of the County Borough of Birmingham and thus transferred from Staffordshire to

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Av ...

. ** 9 October: Antonín Dvořák conducts the première of his Requiem at the Town Hall as part of this year's

. * 1892 ** Small Heath School is completed and opened. ** Superintendent Tozer patents a street fire alarm for the public to be able to call in the event of fire. * 1893 – George Cadbury begins to lay out the model village of Bournville. * 1895 ** April: 3-year-old

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...

is brought to Birmingham where he will live until 1911. ** 11 September: The

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...

is stolen from a shop window in Birmingham and never recovered. ** The free library of the Public Library and Baths, Balsall Heath is completed and opened. * 1896 ** 3 June: The office of Mayor is raised to the dignity of

Lord Mayor of Birmingham This is a list of the mayors and lord mayors of Birmingham in the West Midlands of England. Birmingham has had a mayor (and elected council) since 1838. The office was raised to the dignity of lord mayor when Queen Victoria issued letters pa ...

. ** 1–7 Constitution Hill is designed and constructed. **

National Telephone Company The National Telephone Company (NTC) was a British telephone company from 1881 until 1911 which brought together smaller local companies in the early years of the telephone. Under the Telephone Transfer Act 1911 it was taken over by the General P ...

exchange at 19 Newhall Street opens. ** The last houses of Old Square are demolished as part of the Corporation Street development by Joseph Chamberlain. * 1897 ** 6 February: ''

Sports Argus The ''Sports Argus'' was a Saturday sports paper printed on distinctive pink paper and published in Birmingham, England between 1897 and 2006. Its great appeal was that it was available very shortly after all the Saturday 3pm games had been compl ...

'' newspaper first published. ** 10 April:

win the

. Having already sealed the Football League title, they have completed the double. On 17 April they move into their new stadium,

Villa Park Villa Park is a football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, England, with a seating capacity of 42,682. It has been the home of Premier League side Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witton and Aston railway station ...

. * 1898 ** Christ Church in the city centre is demolished to make room for offices. ** The Pitman Vegetarian Hotel on Corporation Street is opened. * 1899 ** 13 April: Brandwood End Cemetery opened by King's Norton and Northfield Urban District Council. ** October: Construction of

St Agatha's Church, Sparkbrook The Church of St Agatha () is a parish church in the Church of England in Sparkbrook in Birmingham, England. Background It was designed by W. H. Bidlake and is now a Grade I listed building. Made of brick and decorated with stone, building s ...

commences. ** December: Frederick W. Lanchester forms a business for construction of motor cars in

Sparkbrook Sparkbrook is an inner-city area in south-east Birmingham, England. It is one of the four wards forming the Hall Green formal district within Birmingham City Council. Etymology The area receives its name from Spark Brook, a small stream that f ...

. ** The private Birmingham Library's collection of 70,000 books is moved to a new building in Margaret Street much later occupied by the

1900–1999

1900–1909

* 1900 ** 24 March: The

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...

, Birmingham's first university, is chartered as the successor to

Mason Science College Mason Science College was a university college in Birmingham, England, and a predecessor college of Birmingham University. Founded in 1875 by industrialist and philanthropist Sir Josiah Mason, the college was incorporated into the University o ...

with a campus at Edgbaston. ** 3 October: Edward Elgar's choral work ''

The Dream of Gerontius ''The Dream of Gerontius'', Op. 38, is a work for voices and orchestra in two parts composed by Edward Elgar in 1900, to text from the poem by John Henry Newman. It relates the journey of a pious man's soul from his deathbed to his judgment b ...

'' is premièred at the Town Hall under the baton of Hans Richter as part of this year's

. ** Branch

College of Art, Balsall Heath The Moseley School of Art () on Moseley Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, England was built as the first municipal branch School of Art in Birmingham. The Moseley School of Art was closed by the City of Birmingham Education Committee in 1976. The ...

, completed in 1899, is opened. ** The "Tower of Varieties" on Hurst Street is renamed the Tivoli. * 1901 ** 10 January: Council House Square is renamed Victoria Square in honour of the Queen, who dies 12 days later. ** March: The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company Limited is incorporated to take over the former Starley bicycle works at Adderley Park for the manufacture of cars and machine tools with

Herbert Austin Herbert Austin, 1st Baron Austin (8 November 186623 May 1941) was an English automobile designer and builder who founded the Austin Motor Company. For the majority of his career he was known as Sir Herbert Austin, and the Northfield bypass ...

as managing director. ** 31 March: Population: 522,204. ** 27 May: The Alexandra Theatre is opened as the Lyceum Theatre. ** 26 October: Police Constable Charles Gunter is fatally injured by a thrown brick while attempting to disperse a disorderly crowd. ** December: The Royal Hotel in Sutton Coldfield is purchased by the Sutton Coldfield Corporation. ** 18 December:

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during ...

has to evade a patriotic mob by escaping from Birmingham Town Hall disguised as a policeman having given an anti-

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

speech. ** The

Bartons Arms The Bartons Arms () is a public house in the High Street (part of the A34) in the Newtown area of Aston, Birmingham, England. Built in 1900-1901 by noted pub architects partnership James and Lister Lea for Mitchells & Butlers, it is a grade ...

is completed and opened. * 1902 ** The British General Electric Company opens its first purpose-built factory, the Witton Engineering Works. ** Edgbaston Cricket Ground is granted the right to hold

test cricket Test cricket is a form of first-class cricket played at international level between teams representing full member countries of the International Cricket Council (ICC). A match consists of four innings (two per team) and is scheduled to last f ...

matches. ** The Bodega wine bar is renamed the Trocadero and receives a new glazed frontage. ** 13 December: Fire station at Lingard Street, Nechells, opens. ** 22 December: The Lyceum Theatre is renamed the Alexandra Theatre. * 1903 ** February: The former council offices in Mill Street, Sutton Coldfield are sold. ** October *** First motor buses operated in Birmingham, on the Hagley Road route, by the Birmingham Motor Express Company Limited which becomes the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company Limited in 1905. (Motor bus operation is suspended 1907–12.) ***

Birmingham Crematorium Birmingham Crematorium is a Protestant crematorium in the Perry Barr district of Birmingham, England, designed by Frank Osborne and opened in 1903. A columbarium was added in 1928. The crematorium is now owned and operated by Dignity plc. O ...

opened at Perry Bar. *** The Tivoli on Hurst Street is renamed "The

Birmingham Hippodrome The Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England. Although best known as the home stage of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, it also hosts a wide variety of other performances including vi ...

". **

Methodist Central Hall The Methodist Central Hall (also known as Central Hall Westminster) is a multi-purpose venue in the City of Westminster, London, serving primarily as a Methodist church and a conference centre. The building, which is a tourist attraction, also ho ...

on Corporation Street is completed and opened. ** The

Typhoo Typhoo (sometimes stylized as Ty•Phoo) is a brand of tea in the United Kingdom. It was launched in 1903 by John Sumner Jr. of Birmingham, England. History In 1863, William Sumner published ''A Popular Treatise on Tea'' as a by-product ...

brand is launched by

John Sumner (tea merchant) Sir John Sumner (25 February 1856 – 11 May 1934) was a British tea merchant who founded the "Typhoo, Typhoo Tipps" tea brand. Born the elder son of John Sumner, a Birmingham grocer, druggist and chemist, Sumner shared with his brother the busi ...

in the city. ** Edwin Samson Moore's Midlands Vinegar Company begins manufacture of

HP Sauce HP Sauce is a British brown sauce, the main ingredients of which are tomatoes and tamarind extract. It was named after London's Houses of Parliament. After making its first appearance on British dinner tables in the late 19th century, HP Sauce ...

. ** Christian Kunzle opens his first bakery in Birmingham. ** The New Hudson bicycle company begins volume production of New Hudson Motorcycles. * 1904 ** 4 January: First

Birmingham Corporation Tramways Birmingham Corporation Tramways operated a network of tramways in Birmingham from 1904 until 1953. It was the largest narrow-gauge tramway network in the UK, and was built to a gauge of . It was the fourth largest tramway network in the UK beh ...

route commences in Aston Road North. ** January:

Chamberlain Clock The Chamberlain Clock is an Edwardian, cast-iron, clock tower in the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham, England. It was erected in 1903 to mark Joseph Chamberlain's tour of South Africa between 26 December 1902 and 25 February 1903, after the en ...

inaugurated in the

to mark

's diplomatic tour of South Africa (1902–03). ** 21 July: Royal opening of Birmingham Corporation Water Department's scheme bringing water to the city from the

Elan Valley Reservoirs The Elan Valley Reservoirs are a chain of man-made lakes created from damming the Elan and Claerwen rivers within the Elan Valley in Mid Wales. The reservoirs, which were built by the Birmingham Corporation Water Department, provide clean drin ...

in mid-Wales via the Elan aqueduct. ** 4 August: Fire station opens at Rose Road, Harborne. ** The

Bishop Latimer Memorial Church, Winson Green Bishop Latimer Memorial Church, Winson Green is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in Winson Green, Birmingham. History The funding for the church was anonymous. It was designed by the architect William Bidlake in the Go ...

, is completed. ** The new façade for the Queen's College in the city centre is completed. * 1905 ** St Philip's Church is raised to the dignity of a cathedral;

Charles Gore Charles Gore (22 January 1853 – 17 January 1932) was a Church of England bishop, first of Worcester, then Birmingham, and finally of Oxford. He was one of the most influential Anglican theologians of the 19th century, helping reconcile the c ...

is translated from Worcester to become first

Bishop of Birmingham A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

in the

Anglican Diocese of Birmingham The Diocese of Birmingham is a diocese founded in 1905 in the Church of England's Province of Canterbury, covering the north-west of the traditional county of Warwickshire, the south-east of the traditional county of Staffordshire and the nort ...

. ** Ruskin Hall, the

Junior School A Junior school is a type of school which provides primary education to children, often in the age range from 8 and 13, following attendance at Infant school which covers the age range 5–7. (As both Infant and Junior schools are giving Primary ...

and the Friends' Meeting House at Bournville and Kingsmead College in

, all designed by

William Alexander Harvey William Alexander Harvey (11 April 1874 – 6 February 1951) was an English architect. He is most notable for his design of Bournville, the model 'garden suburb' built by Cadburys to house their chocolate-making workforce to the south of ...

, are completed. ** Moor Hall is completely demolished and reconstructed by Colonel Edward Ansell. ** Austin Motor Company incorporated and acquires the site for its Longbridge plant (beyond the city boundary at this time). **

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC comedy series ''Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he rec ...

sets up Veloce Ltd which will produce the

Velocette Velocette is a line of motorcycles made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling almost as many hand-built motorcycles during i ...

motorcycle. * 1906 ** June: Appointment of Alfred Robert Tozer jr as chief fire officer following the death of his father and namesake. ** 19 September: Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is opened by the Mayor, Councillor R. H. Sadler following construction of an extension. ** 26 December: St Andrews Football Stadium is completed and opened. ** 31 December:

Steam tram Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. ...

s in Birmingham last operate. ** Bournville Carillon installed. * 1907 ** 13 February: Fire station at Bordesley Green opened. ** 1 October:

1907 Birmingham Tramway accident The 1907 Birmingham Tramway accident was a fatal tram accident which occurred on 1 October 1907 in the city of Birmingham, England. Events A tram operated by City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd was going downhill on Warstone Lane in the ...

: A

City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd The City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd operated trams in Birmingham, England, from 1896 until 1911. The company was formed on 29 September 1896 by James Ross (President and Vice-President of the Toronto and Montreal Street Railway Co. ...

double-decker runs away and overturns at the junction of Warstone Lane and Icknield Street with 2 fatalities. ** 4 October: The Stechford Club is registered in Stechford and holds its first meeting on 9 October. ** 30 October: Balsall Heath Public Baths are opened. * 1908 ** 16 January: The

Digbeth Institute The O2 Institute (originally known as the Digbeth Institute) is a music venue located in Birmingham, England. The venue opened in 1908 as a mission of Carrs Lane Congregational Church. It has also served as an event centre, civic building and ...

is opened by the wife of the Pastor of

Carrs Lane Church Carrs Lane Church, also known as The Church at Carrs Lane is a church in Birmingham and is noted as having the largest free-standing cross in the country. History The church was founded as an independent chapel in 1748 and then enlarged in 1812 ...

as an institutional church attached to Carr's Lane Congregational Church. ** 7 December: The

Aston Hippodrome The Aston Hippodrome (), also known as The Hipp, was a popular theatre in the Aston area of Birmingham, England."A ...

is opened to the public. ** The

Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower The Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, or colloquially Old Joe, is a clock tower and campanile located in Chancellor's court at the University of Birmingham, in the suburb of Edgbaston. It is the tallest free-standing clock tower in the wo ...

on the University of Birmingham's new Edgbaston campus is completed. ** Reconstruction of parish

church of SS Peter & Paul, Aston The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul () in Witton Lane, Aston, Birmingham, England, is a parish church in the Church of England. Background The origin of Aston and its parish church is uncertain. A 2013 archaeological excavation on the ...

, is completed. ** Plans to build public baths in

Nechells Nechells is a district ward in central Birmingham, England, whose population in 2011 was 33,957. It is also a ward within the formal district of Ladywood. Nechells local government ward includes areas, for example parts of Birmingham city centr ...

are approved. * 1909 ** May: The original Selly Oak tree is felled. ** 1 July:

Birmingham Moor Street railway station Birmingham Moor Street is one of three main railway stations in the city centre of Birmingham, England, along with Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill. Today's Moor Street station is a combination of the original station, opened ...

is opened by the Great Western Railway as a terminus for suburban trains. ** 7 July: Royal opening of the

campus. ** 17 September: After disrupting a meeting addressed by the Prime Minister, militant suffragette

Mabel Capper Mabel Henrietta Capper (23 June 1888 – 1 September 1966) was a British suffragette. She gave all her time between 1907 and 1913 to the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) as a 'soldier' in the struggle for women's suffrage. She was imp ...

is among the first to suffer

force-feeding Force-feeding is the practice of feeding a human or animal against their will. The term ''gavage'' (, , ) refers to supplying a substance by means of a small plastic feeding tube passed through the nose ( nasogastric) or mouth (orogastric) into ...

while on

hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...

, at

. ** 9 November: Quinton is formally removed from Worcestershire and incorporated into the county borough of Birmingham. ** 27 December: The Electric Theatre in Station Street shows its first film; by a century later it will be the oldest working cinema in the country. ** A school of architecture is formed at Birmingham School of Art.

1910–1919

* 1910 ** 22 June: The

Baths are completed and opened. ** New Birmingham Oratory church completed. ** Birmingham Small Arms Company begins manufacturing motorcycles. * 1911 ** 18 January: Albion Street fire station opens. ** 9 November: The

Urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...

s of Handsworth and

Aston Manor Aston Manor was a local government district of Warwickshire in what is now northern Birmingham, from the 19th century to 1911, when it was added to Birmingham. The Aston Manor Local Board of Health was formed in 1869, from part of the ancient par ...

, in Staffordshire, and the Rural district of Yardley along with the greater part of the Urban District of King's Norton and Northfield (which includes most of Bartley Reservoir), both in Worcestershire, become part of Birmingham, and thus Warwickshire, altogether nearly tripling the city's size. ** Construction of an extension to the Council House, designed by Ashley & Newman, begins. ** Cable trams in Birmingham last operate. * 1912 ** 30 May: Moseley Road fire station opens; it is the first station in the brigade with a motor tender and vehicle. ** 1 October:

Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

conducts the British première of his Symphony No. 4 at the Town Hall. ** End: Major reconstruction of Snow Hill station by the Great Western Railway is completed. ** The Sutton House Hotel is constructed by a local doctor. * 1913 ** 15 February: The

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

is founded by Barry Jackson when a theatre company opens a permanent home on Station Street, later the

Old Rep The Old Rep (originally Birmingham Repertory Theatre) is the United Kingdom's first ever purpose-built repertory theatre, constructed in 1913, located on Station Street in Birmingham, England. The theatre was a permanent home for Barry Jacks ...

. ** 23 April: The

King Edward VII Memorial The King Edward VII Memorial is a sculpture in memory of King Edward VII, relocated from Highgate Park to Centenary Square, Birmingham, England. In 1910, the Birmingham Mail launched an appeal to erect a statue to Edward VII in order to com ...

is unveiled by the late King's sister,

Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, (Louisa Caroline Alberta; 18 March 1848 – 3 December 1939) was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In her public life, she was a strong proponent of the arts and highe ...

, in Victoria Square. ** 19 July: First

Birmingham City Transport Birmingham City Transport was the local authority-owned undertaking that provided road-based public transport in Birmingham, England, between 1899 and 1969. It was locally known as the Corporation Buses. Initially, it was called Birmingham Cor ...

motor bus services operate. * 1914 ** 30 March: An addition to Kent Street Baths consisting of a women's swimming baths and baths for women are opened in an adjoining building. ** May: Bournville

Rest House A guest house (also guesthouse) is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world (such as the Caribbean), guest houses are a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging. In others, it is a private home that has been converted for the exclusive use o ...

on The Green is presented by employees of Cadbury's to mark Mr and Mrs George Cadbury's silver wedding in 1913. ** The Stechford Club moves to newly completed premises. * 1916 ** 29 September: The

Birmingham Municipal Bank The Birmingham Municipal Bank was a savings bank in the city of Birmingham, England. It was created as the Birmingham Corporation Savings Bank by a 1916 Act of Parliament on a temporary basis and replaced by the Birmingham Municipal Bank in 1919 ...

opens to the public. ** 5 December: Station Officer William Thomas from Albion Street fire station is killed whilst attending a fire at The Parade, Spring Hill. * 1917 **

Birmingham Children's Hospital Birmingham Children's Hospital is a specialist children's hospital located in Birmingham, England. The hospital provides a range of specialist services and operates the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for the city. The servi ...

moves to a new site on Ladywood Road. **

Fort Dunlop Fort Dunlop (), is the common name of the original tyre factory and main office of Dunlop Rubber in the Erdington district of Birmingham, England. It was established in 1917, and by 1954 the entire factory area employed 10,000 workers. At one ti ...

is opened by

Dunlop Rubber Dunlop Ltd. (formerly Dunlop Rubber) was a British multinational company involved in the manufacture of various natural rubber goods. Its business was founded in 1889 by Harvey du Cros and he involved John Boyd Dunlop who had re-invented and ...

for the manufacture of tyres at Erdington. * 1918–1919 – The Kings Norton Metal Company mints British

pennies A penny is a coin ( pennies) or a unit of currency (pl. pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. Presently, it is t ...

. * 1918 – 10 June: The

Birmingham Civic Society Birmingham Civic Society is a voluntary body in Birmingham, England, and is registered with the Civic Trust. History The society was founded at an inaugural meeting on 10 June 1918 in the Birmingham Council House. The first president of the ...

is founded at an inaugural meeting at Birmingham Council House. * 1919 ** 26 February: "Nechells Gas Disaster": Station Officer Henry Moon from Lingard Street fire station and Fireman Herbert Dyche from Moseley Road fire station are killed whilst attending a severe gas leak at Nechells Gas Works; two male workers are also killed. ** City of Birmingham Orchestra, predecessor of the

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. It is the resident orchestra at Symphony Hall: a B:Music Venue in Birmingham, which has been its principal performance venue since 1991. Its a ...

, established, with a grant from the corporation, the first time that public funds have been used to support a symphony orchestra in Britain. ** Construction of the extension to the Council House is completed. ** The Birmingham Municipal Bank moves to offices in the Council House.

1920–1929

* 1920 ** 4 September:

City of Birmingham Orchestra The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. It is the resident orchestra at Symphony Hall: a B:Music Venue in Birmingham, which has been its principal performance venue since 1991. Its a ...

first rehearses (in a police bandroom). Later this month, its first concert, conducted by Appleby Matthews, opens with

Granville Bantock Sir Granville Ransome Bantock (7 August 186816 October 1946) was a British composer of classical music. Biography Granville Ransome Bantock was born in London. His father was an eminent Scottish surgeon.Hadden, J. Cuthbert, 1913, ''Modern Music ...

's overture ''Saul''; in November it gives its "First Symphony Concert" when Edward Elgar conducts a programme of his own music in the Town Hall. ** October: 25½ acres of land at Kings Norton (just below St Nicolas' Church) are purchased by the

. **

Fisher and Ludlow Fisher and Ludlow was a British car body manufacturing company based in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham. Operation A high volume operation, Fisher and Ludlow built finished and trimmed car bodies which were then trucked to the "manufacturer"'s works ...

, car body manufacturers, begin operation. * 1922 ** 12 June: Construction of the Hall of Memory commences. ** July: Austin Motor Company announces production of the

Austin 7 The Austin 7 is an economy car that was produced from 1923 until 1939 in the United Kingdom by Austin. It was nicknamed the "Baby Austin" and was at that time one of the most popular cars produced for the British market and sold well abroad. ...

at its Longbridge plant. ** 15 November: First

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Pre-Norman invasion

1000 – 1099

1100–1199

1200–1299

1300–1399

1400–1499

1500–1599

1600–1699

1700–1799

1700–1709

1710–1719

1720–1729

1730–1739

1740–1749

1750–1759

1760–1769

1770–1779

1780–1789

1790–1799

1800–1899

1800–1809

1810–1819

1820–1829

1830–1839

1840–1849

1850–1859

1860–1869

1870–1879

1880–1889

1890–1899

1900–1999

1900–1909

1910–1919

1920–1929

1930–1939

1940–1949

1950–1959

1960–1969

1970–1979

1980–1989

1990–1999

2000s

2000–2009

2010–2019

2020–2022

See also

References

Further reading

Published in the 19th century

Published in the 20th century

External links