A brief history of Birmingham

 

BIRMINGHAM MEN IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

The Lunar Society

A distinguished gathering of local men became known as the Lunar Society. Its meetings were first held at the home of Matthew

Boulton on Handsworth Heath, but later they took place in the homes of some of the other members. The name is unusual and was derived from the fact that the meetings were "appointed to be held monthly at the full of the moon to enable distant members to drive home by moonlight". Among the famous men who formed the Lunar Society were Josiah Wedgwood, the noted potter, Dr. Erasmus Darwin, the great scientist and philosopher and grandfather of Charles Darwin, Sir William Herschel, and Sir Joseph Banks, while the most regular members were Matthew Boulton and his friend and partner, James Watt, with Samuel Galton, James Keir, Dr. Withering, John Baskerville, and later, Dr. Priestley.

Dr. Small tells us that the "object of the Society was both friendly and scientific. The members were to exchange views with each other on topics relating to literature, art and science, each contributing his quota of entertainment and instruction". A letter from Dr. Darwin, excusing his absence on one of several occasions, throws much light on the activities of the Society:— Dear Boulton,

I am sorry the infernal divinities who visit mankind with diseases, and are therefore at perpetual war with the Doctors, should have prevented my seeing all your great men at Soho to-day. Lord! what

inventions, what wit, what rhetoric metaphysical, mechanical and pyrotechnical, will be on the wing bandied like a shuttlecock from one to another of you troop of philosophers, while poor I, I by myself, I, imprison’d in a postchaise, am joggled and jostled and bump’d and bruised along the King’s highroad, to make war upon a stomach-ache or a fever.

Poor Darwin, whose duties as a doctor were always put before his pleasures, and whose kind ministrations to the poor and ailing won for him such regard from his patients! Incidentally, note what he says about the roads of the time.

Birmingham produced a formidable list of world-famous men in the eighteenth century, but we can only mention a few here:—

 

Signs of Progress

The increasing number of patents granted to Birmingham tradesmen and inventors in the early eighteenth century shows the strong spirit of inquiry and initiative which was spreading throughout the town, and the great improvement of tools and processes. For instance, a certain John Taylor took out a patent for cast-iron hollow-ware in 1779. Henry Clay, one of John Baskerville’s apprentices, patented papier-mach6 in 1772, while two brothers named Wyatt patented a machine for cutting screws—work which had hitherto been done by hand. Another townsman, named Harrison, made a steel pen for Dr. Priestley. Josiah Mason later started one of the largest factories in the world for the manufacture of pens. There were many more inventions about this time, so you will understand why Birmingham became so busy and progressive.