effect; these, with the railing at the altar, were an entire new manufacture, invented by Mr. B. Cooke, whose manufactory is carried on at Baskerville House.  The altar piece, designed by Mr. Stock, of Bristol, is of mahogany, above which is a painting by Mr. Barber, representing a cross, apparently in the clouds.  These being completed in June, 1815, an elegant well-finished organ, built by Elliott, of London, was erected about the same time; and is considered to be one of the most powerful and well-arranged instruments in this part of the kingdom.  The present organist is Mr. Munden.  The portico and spire were both of them erected by Mr. Richardson, of Handsworth; the former at the expense of L1200 and the latter L1500, which was completed in 1816.  In the year 1817, a clock was affixed in the tower, by Mr. Allport, which has four dials, and each of them both hour and minute hands.  This place of worship is computed to accommodate 1500 hearers.

Isaac Hawkins Brown, Esq. the late worthy representative for Bridgnorth, who had on several occasions rendered his powerful services to this town, being co-trustee with the Rev. Thomas Gisborne, under the will of Isaac Hawkins, Esq. they had considerable sums of money at their disposal, for benevolent purposes, and out of those funds he proposed to appropriate the sum of one thousand pounds towards the erection of a free church in Birmingham.

In consequence of this liberal suggestion, a town’s meeting was convened, whereat it was unanimously resolved to petition parliament on the subject, under sanction of the bishop of the diocese, who in the most handsome manner proposed to annex the prebendary of Tachbrooke, in aid of the said benefice.  A liberal subscription immediately commenced among the inhabitants, who were most powerfully assisted with large sums contributed by the nobility and gentry, resident in the vicinity.  Considerably more expenses being incurred during the erection of the building than what had been calculated upon, it was considered necessary to make a second application to parliament, to empower the trustees to convert the arches under the church into catacombs, under the idea that they would be readily disposed of at the rate of four pounds each; the trustees purchasing one third of them.  In this calculation they have been very much disappointed, there having as yet only two corpse been interred there; but it is presumed, that when the inhabitants are familiarised to that mode of sepulture, they will prefer them to the present custom of erecting vaults, which are attended with considerably more expense.

The erection of this free church confers great credit on the town, as the want of such accommodation was very apparent, from the increased population; and this is manifest by its being so well attended; the congregation being considerably more numerous than can be accommodated, and they express their satisfaction by decent and orderly behaviour.