s-y-Coed (David's favourite place),
there is fixed a famous signboard which Cox painted for the house in
1847, and which gave rise to considerable litigation as to its ownership
being vested in the tenant or the owner, the decision being in the
latter's favour.

_Cox_, William Sands, F.R.S. and F.R.C.S., the son of a local surgeon,
was born in 1801. After "walking the hospitals" in London and Paris, he
settled here in 1825, being appointed surgeon to the Dispensary, and in
1828, with the co-operation of the late Doctors Johnstone and Booth, and
other influential friends, succeeded in organising the Birmingham Royal
School of Medicine and Surgery, which proved eminently successful until,
by the munificent aid of the Rev. Dr. Warneford, it was converted into
Queen's College by a charter of incorporation, which was granted in
1843. The Queen's Hospital was also founded mainly through the exertions
of Mr. Sands Cox, for the education of the medical students of the
College. In 1863 Mr. Cox retired from practice, and went to reside near
Tamworth, afterwards removing to Leamington and Kenilworth, at which
latter place he died, December 23rd, 1875. He was buried in the family
vault at Aston, the coffin being carried to the grave by six old
students at the College, funeral scarfs, hatbands, and "other such
pieces of mummery" being dispensed with, according to the deceased's
wish. He left many charitable legacies, among them being L15,000, to be
dealt with in the following manner:--L3,000 to be applied in building
and endowing a church then in course of erection at Balsall Heath, and
to be known as St. Thomas-in-the-Moors, and the remaining L12,000 to be
devoted to the erection and endowment of three dispensaries--one at
Balsall Heath, one at Aston, and the other at Hockley. Two sums of
L3,000 were left to found dispensaries at Tamworth and Kenilworth, and a
cottage hospital at Moreton-in-the-Marsh; his medical library and a
number of other articles being also left for the last-named institution.

_Davies_, Dr. Birt.--By birth a Hampshire man, by descent a Welshman,
coming to Birmingham in 1823, Dr. Davies soon became a man of local
note. As a politician in the pre-Reform days, as a physician of
eminence, and as Borough Coroner for three dozen years, he occupied a
prominent position, well justified by his capacity and force of
character. He took an active part in the founding of the Birmingham
School of Medicine, the forerunner