back since the
present writer saw the last direct descendant of the Holtes working as a
compositor in one of the newspaper offices of this town, and almost any
day there was to be seen in the streets a truck with the name painted on
of "Charles Holte Bracebridge, Licensed Hawker!"

~Famines.~--In the year 310, it is said that 40,000 persons died in this
country from famine. It is not known whether any "Brums" existed then.
In 1195 wheat was so scarce that it sold for 20s. the quarter; ten years
after it was only 12d. In 1438, the times were so hard that people ate
bread made from fern roots. In 1565, a famine prevailed throughout the
kingdom.

~Fashionable Quarter.~--Edgbaston is our "West End," of which Thomas
Ragg (before he was ordained) thus wrote:--

--Glorious suburbs! long
May ye remain to bless the ancient town
Whose crown ye are; rewarder of the cares
Of those who toil amid the din and smoke
Of iron ribbed and hardy Birmingham.
And may ye long be suburbs, keeping still
Business at distance from your green retreats.

~Feasts, Feeds, and Tea-fights.~--Like other Englishmen, when we have a
good opinion of people we ask them to dinner, and the number of public
breakfasts, dinners, teas, and suppers on our record is wonderful. We
give a few of the most interesting:--3,800 persons dined with our first
M.P.'s., Attwood and Scholefield, at Beardsworth's Repository, Sept. 15,
1834.--A Reform banquet was the attraction in the Town Hall, Jan. 28,
1836.--Members and friends of the 'Chartist Church' kept their Christmas
festival, by 'taking tea' in Town Hall, Dec.28, 1841.--1,700
Anti-Cornlawites (John Bright among them) did ditto Jan. 22, 1843.--The
defeat of an obnoxious Police Bill led 900 persons to banquet together
April 9, 1845.--A banquet in honour of Charles Dickens opened the year
1853--The first anniversary of the Loyal and Constitutional Association
was celebrated by the dining of 848 loyal subjects, Dec. 17, 1855.--
dinner was given to 1,200 poor folks in Bingley Hall, Jan. 25, 1858, to
make them remember the marriage of the Princess Royal. Those who were
not poor kept the game alive at Dee's Hotel.--John Bright was dined in
Town Hall, Oct. 29, 1858.--A party of New Zealand chiefs were stuffed at
same place, March 16, 1864--To celebrate the opening of a Dining Hall in
Cambridge Street, a public dinner was given on All Fools' Day, 1864.--On
the 23rd April following, about 150 gentlemen bre