reds, according to the population. A document in the lost Staunton
Collection, gave the names and parishes of the men forming "Lord
Compton's Company of Foot for the Hundred of Hemlingford" in 1615, being
part of the "Warwickshire Trayue Bands." Birmingham supplied six men
armed with pikes and six with muskets; Birmingham and Aston jointly the
same number; Edgbaston one pike; Coleshill three of each; Sutton
Coldfield. four pikes and six muskets; Solihull three pikes and four
muskets; Knowle the same; Berkswell two pikes and five muskets; and
Meriden one pike and two muskets. These Trained Bands numbered 6OO men
from Coventry and the county in 1642, besides the Militia and Volunteers
of Warwickshire, which were called up in that year. These latter
mustered very strongly on the days for review and training, there being
at Stratford-upon-Avon (June 30) 400 Volunteers well armed and 200
unarmed; at Warwick (July 1 & 2) 650 well armed; at Coleshill (July 4)
8OO almost all well armed; and at Coventry near 800 most well armed--the
total number being 2,850, making a respectable force of 3,450 in all,
ready, according to the expression of their officers, "to adhere to His
Majestie and both Houses of Parliament, to the losse of the last drop of
their dearest blood." These fine words, however, did not prevent the
"Voluntiers" of this neighbourhood opposing His Majestie to the utmost
of their power soon afterwards.

~Tramways.~--These take their name from Mr. Outram, who, in 1802,
introduced the system of lightening carriage by running the vehicles on
rail in the North of England. The first suggestion of a local tramway
came through Mr. G.F. Train, who not finding scope sufficient for his
abilities in America, paid Birmingham a visit, and after yarning us well
asked and obtained permission (Aug. 7, 1860) to lay down tram rails in
some of the principal thoroughfares, but as his glib tongue failed in
procuring the needful capital his scheme was a thorough failure. Some
ten years after the notion was taken up by a few local gentlemen, and at
a public meeting, on December 27, 1871, the Town Council were authorised
to make such tramways as they thought to be necessary, a Company being
formed to work them. This Company was rather before its time, though now
it would be considered, if anything, rather backward. The first line of
rails brought into use was laid from the buttom of Hockley Hill to
Dudley Port, and it was opened May 20, 1872;