he marriages of his two grand-daughters the estate was
divided, but the portion including the manor of Edgbaston was afterwards
purchased by Sir Richard Gough, Knight, who gave L25,000 for it. In the
meantime the old house had been destroyed by those peace-loving Brums,
who, in December, 1688, razed to the ground the newly-built Catholic
Church and Convent in Masshouse Lane, their excuse being that they
feared the hated Papists would find refuge at Edgbaston. Sir Richard
(who died February 9, 1727) rebuilt the Manor House and the Church in
1717-18, and enclosed the Park. His son Henry was created a Baronet, and
had for his second wife the only daughter of Reginald Calthorpe, Esq.,
of Elvetham, in Hampshire. Sir Henry Gough died June 8, 1774, and his
widow on the 13th of April, 1782, and on the latter event taking place,
their son, who succeeded to the estates of both his parents, took his
mother's family name of Calthorpe, and in 1796 was created a peer under
the title of Baron Calthorpe, of Calthorpe, county Norfolk. Edgbaston
Hall has not been occupied by any of the owners since the decease of
Lady Gough, 1782.

~Edgbaston Pool~ covers an area of twenty-two acres, three roods, and
thirty-six poles.

~Edgbaston Street.~--One of the most ancient streets in the Borough,
having been the original road from the parish church and the Manor-house
of the Lords de Bermingham to their neighbours at Edgbaston. It was the
first paved street of the town, and the chosen residence of the
principal and most wealthy burgesses, a fact proved by its being known
in King John's reign as "Egebaston Strete," the worde "strete" in those
days meaning a paved way in cities or towns. This is further shown by
the small plots into which the land was divided and the number of owners
named from time to time in ancient deeds, the yearly rentals, even in
Henry VIII's time being from 3s. to 5s. per year. At the back of the
lower side of Edgbaston Street, were several tanneries, there being a
stream of water running from the moat round the Parsonage-house to the
Manor-house moat, the watercourse being now known as Dean Street and
Smithfield Passage.

~Electric Light.~--The light of the future. The first public exhibition
of lighting by electricity, was introduced by Maccabe, a ventriloquial
entertainer of the public, at the entrance of Curzon Hall, September 30,
1878. On the 28th of the following month, the novelty appeared at the
Lower Grounds, on t