k were mounted in the tower of Deritend Chapel, in
1776, the first peal being rung July 29.

The eight bells in Bishop Ryder's Church, which weigh 55 cwt., and cost
L600, were cast in 1868, by Blews and Sons, and may be reckoned as the
first full peal founded in Birmingham.

There are eight bells in Harborne Parish Church, four of them bearing
date 1697, two with only the makers' name on, and two put in February,
1877, on the 24th of which month the whole peal were inaugurated by the
ringing of a true peal of Stedman triples, composed by the late Thomas
Thurstans, and consisting of 5,040 changes, in 2 hours and 52 minutes.
The St. Martin's ringers officiated.

The six bells of Northfield Church were cast by Joseph Smith, of
Edgbaston, in 1730.

St. Chad's Cathedral has eight bells, five of which were presented in
1848 as a memorial to Dr. Moore; the other three, from the foundry of W.
Blews and Sons, were hung in March, 1877 the peculiar ceremony of
"blessing the bells" being performed by Bishop Ullathorne on the 22nd of
that month. The three cost L110. The bells at Erdington Catholic Church
were first used on February 2, 1878.

~Bellows to Mend.~--Our townspeople bellowed a little over their losses
after Prince Rupert's rueful visit, but there was one among them who
knew how to "raise the wind," for we find Onions, the bellows-maker,
hard at work in 1650; and his descendants keep at the same old game.

~Bennett's Hill.~--There was a walled-in garden (with an old brick
summer-house) running up from Waterloo-street to Colmore-row as late as
1838-9.

~Benefit and Benevolent Societies.~--See "_Friendly Societies_."

~Bellbarn Road~, or the road to Mr. Bell's barn.

~Bermingham.~--The Irish family of this name descended from Robert, son
of Peter de Bermingham, who left here and settled in Connaught about the
year 1169.

~Bibles and Testaments.~--In 1272 the price of a Bible, well written
out, was L30 sterling, and there were few readers of it in Birmingham.
The good book can now be bought for 6d., and it is to be hoped there is
one in every house. The Rev. Angell James once appealed to his
congregation for subscriptions towards sending a million New Testaments
to China, and the Carrslaneites responded promptly with L410 8s., enough
to pay for 24,624 copies--the publisher's price being 4d. each. They can
be bought for a penny now.--A local Auxiliary Bible Society was
commenced here May 9, 1806.

~Bingley Hall~-