nd, strangest thing of all, the Volunteers were
armed with muskets brought from Prussia. The corps had the honour of
escorting Lord Nelson when, with Lady Hamilton, he visited the town in
1802. At a review on August 2, 1804, the regiment were presented with
its colours, and for years the "Loyals" were the most popular men of the
period. Our neighbours do not seem to have been more backward than the
locals, though why it was necessary that the services of the Handsworth
Volunteer Cavalry should be required to charge and put to flight the
rioters in Snow Hill (May 29, 1810) is not very clear.--See also "_Train
Bands_."

~Volunteers of the Present Day.~--The first official enrolment of
Volunteers of the present corps, was dated Nov. 25, 1859, though a list
of names was on paper some three months earlier. Unlike sundry other
movements which are now of a national character, that for the formation
of a volunteer army was so far from having a local origin, that for a
long time it was viewed with anything but favour in Birmingham; and,
though it is not pleasant to record the fact, it was not until the
little parish of Handsworth had raised its corps of the First
Staffordshire, that the Brums really stepped into the ranks. Properly
the natal day should be reckoned as the 14th of December, 1859, when a
town's meeting was held "for the purpose of adopting such measures as
might seem desirable for placing Birmingham in its proper position with
regard to the great national rifle movement." The Hon. Charles Granvllle
Scott had been previously selected by Lord Leigh (the Lord-Lieutenant of
the County) as Colonel, Major Sanders had accepted the Captaincy, Mr.
J.O. Mason been appointed Lieutenant, and 111 names entered on the roll
of members of the 1st Company, but it was not till the above-named day
that the movement really made progress, the Mayor (Mr. Thos. Lloyd), Sir
John Ratcliff, Mr. A. Dixon, and Mr. J. Lloyd each then promising to
equip his twenty men apiece, and sundry other gentlemen aiding to dress
up others of the rank and file. The money thus being found the men were
soon forthcoming too, the end of the year showing 320 names on the roll
call, a number increased to 1,080 by the close of 1860. The latter year
saw the first parade in Calthorpe Park, the opening of the range at
Bournebrook, and the formation of the twelve companies forming the first
battalion, but, notwithstanding many liberal donations (the gunmakers
giving