iamentary election in that year, the carriageway round the Square
had been newly macadamised, and on the polling day, when Dempster Heming
opposed William Stratford Dugdale, the stones were found very handy, and
were made liberal use of, as per the usual order of the day at that time
on such occasions. The trees and railings were removed in 1836 or 1837
in consequence of many accidents occurring there, the roadways being
narrow and very dangerous from the numerous angles, the Street
Commissioners undertaking to give the inhabitants a wide and handsome
flagging as a footpath on all sides of the square, conditionally with
the freeholders of the property giving up their rights to and share in
the enclosure.

~Omnibuses.~--The first omnibus was started in 1828, by Mr. Doughty, a
fishmonger, and its route lay between the White Swan, Snow Hill, to the
Sun, in Bristol Road. In 1836 an "Omnibus Conveyance Co," was proposed,
with a magnificent capital of L5,000. The projectors would have been a
little startled if they could have seen the prospectuses of some of our
modern conveyance companies.--See "_Tramways_."

~Open Spaces.~--March 8, 1883, saw the formation of the Birmingham
Association for the Prevention of Open Spaces and Public Footpaths, the
object of which is to be the securing of the rights of the public to the
open spots, footpaths, and green places, which, for generations, have
belonged to them. There are few such left in the borough now, but the
Association may find plenty to do in the near neighbourhood, and if its
members can but save us one or two of the old country walks they will do
good service to the community.

~Orange Tree.~--This public-house was built in 1780, the neighbourhood
being then known as "Boswell Heath." A walk to the Orange Tree over the
"hilly fields," where Conybere and other streets now are, was a pleasant
Sunday morning ramble even forty years back.

~Oratory.~--See "_Places of Worship_."

~Organs.~--According to the oft-quoted extract from the Halesowen
Churchwardens' books--"1497. Paid for repeyling the organs to the organ
maker at Bromycham 10s,"--organ-building must have been one of the few
recognised trades of this town at a very early date. It is a pity the
same accounts do not give the maker's name of the instruments for which
in 1539 they "paid my lord Abbot 4 marks," or name the parties who were
then employed and paid for "mending and setting the organs up, 40s."
Whether any o