to this town as organist of Christ Church, and was also chosen as
teacher of the Oratorio Choral Society, and to this day it may be said
that the reputation of our Festival Choir is mostly based on the
instruction given by him during his long residence among us. From 1823
till 1849 Mr. Munden acted as Assistant-conductor at the Festivals,
retiring from public life in 1853.

_Muntz_.--The Revolution in 1792 drove the Muntz family to emigrate from
their aristocratic abode in France, and a younger son came to this town,
where he married a Miss Purden, and established himself in business.
From this alliance sprung _our_ race of the Muntzes. George Frederic,
the eldest, was born in November, 1794, and losing his father in early
life, was head of the family in his 18th year. He devoted himself for
many years, and with great success, to mercantile affairs, but his most
fortunate undertaking, and which has made his name known all over the
world, was the manufacture of sheathing metal for ships bottoms. It has
been doubted whether he did any more than revive another man's lapsed
patent, but it has never been questioned that he made a vast sum of
money out of the "yellow metal." In politics, G.F.M. took a very active
part, even before the formation of the Political Union in 1830, and for
many years he was the idol of his fellow-townsmen. He was elected M.P.
for Birmingham, in January, 1840, and held the seat till the day of his
death, which took place July 30, 1857. His name will be found on many a
page of our local history, even though a statue of him is not yet posed
on a pedestal.

_Murdoch_, William.--Born at Bellow Mill, near Old Cumnock, Ayrshire, in
1750, and brought up as a millwright, came here in search of work in
1777. He was employed by Boulton at 15s. per week for the first two
years, but he soon became the most trusted of all the many engaged at
Soho, and never left there though offered L1,000 a year to do so. The
first steam engine applied to drawing carriages was constructed by him
in the shape of a model which ran round a room in his house at Redruth
in 1784, and which is still in existence. As an inventor, he was second
only to Watt, his introduction of gas lighting being almost equal to
that of the steam engine. He lived to be 85, dying November 15, 1839, at
his residence, Sycamore Hill, Handsworth. His remains lie near those of
his loved employers, Boulton and Watt, in the parish church.

_Pettitt_.--Mr. Jos