Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham. Walter Showell
Waste10½Lynn135Macclesfield66Machynllyth101Maidenhead105½Maidstone175½Malvern (Great)36½Manchester85Margate187Market Bosworth27–1Market Drayton48Market Harboro'46Marlborough133½Marston Green6½Maryport224Matlock Bath59Menai Bridge136Merthyr111½Middlesbro'176Milford Haven228Milverton21Mold87Monmouth96½Montrose401Moreton-in-Marsh46Moseley3–¾Much Wenlock33Nantwich56Neath105½Netherton8Newark71½Newcastle-on-Tyne215Nwcstle-udr-Lyme47½Newmarket126Newport (Salop)39Newport (Mon)101Newton Road5Newton Stewart278Northallerton160Northampton49Northfield8–¾North Shields216½Norwich181Nottingham58Nuneaton20Oakengates28½Oldbury5½Oldham85Olton5Oswestry62½Oxford66Paisley286Pelsall11Pembroke Dock175Penkridge22–¾Penmaenmawr125Penrith178Penzance302
Dogs.—A 5s. duty on dogs came into force April 5, 1867; raised to 7s. 6d. in June, 1878; This was not the first tax of the kind, for a local note of the time says that in 1796 "the fields and waters near the town were covered with the dead carcases of dogs destroyed by their owners to avoid payment of the tax." The amount paid per year at present for "dog licenses" in Birmingham is about £1,800. The using of dogs as beasts of burden (common enough now abroad) was put a stop to in London at the end of Oct. 1840, though it was not until 1854 that the prohibition became general. Prior to the passing of the Act in that year, dogs were utilised as draught animals to a very great extent in this neighbourhood by the rag-and-bone gatherers, pedlars, and little merchants, as many as 180 of the poor brutes once being counted in five hours as passing a certain spot on the Westbromwich Road. There have been one or two "homes" for stray dogs opened, but it is best in case of a loss of this kind to give early information at the nearest police station, as the art of dog stealing has latterly been much cultivated in this town, and it should be considered a duty to one's neighbour to aid in putting a stop thereto.
Dog Shows.—The first local Dog Show was held in 1860, but it was not until the opening in Curzon Hall, December 4, 1865, that the Show took rank as one of the "yearly institutions" of the town.—See "Exhibitions."
Domesday Books.—The so-called Domesday Book, compiled by order of William the Norman Conqueror, has always been considered a wonderful work, and it must have taken some years compiling. Some extracts touching upon the holders of land in this neighbourhood have already been given, and in a sense they are very interesting, showing as they do the then barrenness of the land, and the paucity of inhabitants. Though in Henry VIII.'s reign an inventory of all properties in the hands of Churchmen was taken, it did not include the owners of land in general, and it was not till Mr. John Bright in 1873 moved for the Returns, that a complete register of the kind was made. It would not be easy, even if space could be given to it, to give the list of individuals, companies, and corporation who claim to be possessors of the land we live on in Birmingham and neighbourhood; but a summary including the owners in this and adjoining counties may be worth preserving. As will be seen by the annexed figures, Warwick and Stafford rank high in the list of counties having large numbers of small owners (small as to extent of ground, though often very valuable from the erections thereon). There can be no doubt that the Freehold Land and Building Societies have had much to do with this, and as Birmingham was for years the headquarters of these Societies, the fact of there being nearly 47,000 persons in the county (out of a total population of 634,189) who own small plots under one acre, speaks well for the steady perseverance of the Warwickshire lads. That we are not wrong in coming to this conclusion is shown by the fact that leaving out the Metropolitan Counties, Warwick heads, in this respect, all the shires in the kingdom.
| WARWICKSHIRE. | |||
| Owners of | Numbr. Acres | Extent of lands. | Gross estimated rental. £ |
| Less than 1 acre | 46894 | 5883 | 1808897 |
| acre and under 10 | 1956 | 7727 | 93792 |
| 10 acres " " 50 | 1328 | 31485 | 114243 |
| 50 " " 100 | 447 | 31904 | 76178 |
| 100 " " 500 | 667 | 137372 | 398625 |
| 500 " " 1000 | 82 | 55542 | 134005 |
| 1000 " " 2000 | 47 | 67585 | 208718 |
| 2000 " " 5000 | 34 | 100185 | 275701 |
| 5000 " " 10000 | 8 | 53380 | 90848 |
| 10000 " " 20000 | 4 | 49953 | 74085 |
| No areas given | 49 | -- | 43205 |
| Total | 51516 | 541021 | 3318303 |
| STAFFORDSHIRE. | |||
| Owners of | Numbr. Acres | Extent of lands. | Gross estimated rental. £ |
| Less than 1 acre | 33672 | 4289 | 974133 |
| 1 acre and under 10 | 4062 | 14164 | 252714 |
| 10 acres " " 50 | 1891 | ||