Nonconformists.—­The so-called Act of Uniformity of 1602 deprived nearly 2,000 of the clergy of their livings, and a few of them came to Birmingham as a place of refuge, ministering among the Dissenters, who then had no buildings for regular worship.  There were many documents in the lost Staunton Collection relating to some of these clergymen, who, however, did not find altogether comfortable quarters even here, one George Long, M.D., who had fled from his persecutors in Staffordshire, finding no peace in Birmingham, removed to Ireland; others, though they came here by stealth to minister, had to reside in country parts.  A Central Nonconformist Committee was formed here March 3, 1870.

Nonjurors.—­Among the name of the Roman Catholics, or “Non-jurors,” who refused to take the oath of allegiance to George I., appeared that of John Stych, of Birmingham, whose forfeited estate was, in 1715, valued at L12.

Northfield.—­Four and a-half miles from Birmingham.  There was a Church here at the time of the Norman survey, and some traces of its Saxon origin, students of architecture said, could once be found in the ancient doorway on the north side of the building.  Some forty years ago the psalmody of the congregation and choir received assistance from the mellifluous strains ground out of a barrel organ, which instrument is still preserved as a curiosity by a gentleman of the neighbourhood.  They had an indelible way at one time of recording local proceedings in matters connected with the Church here.  The inscriptions on the six bells cast in 1730 being:—­

Treble.—­We are now six, though once but five, 2nd.—­Though against our casting some did strive, 3rd.—­But when a day for meeting they did fix, 4th.—­There appeared but nine against twenty-six. 5th.—­Samuel Palmer and Thomas Silk Churchwardens.  Tenor.—­Thomas Kettle and William Jervoise did contrive To make us six that were but five.

Notable Offences.—­In olden days very heavy punishments were dealt out for what we now think but secondary offences, three men being sentenced to death at the Assizes, held March 31, 1742, one Anstey for burglary, Townsend for sheep-stealing, and Wilmot for highway robbery.  The laws also took cognisance of what to us are strange crimes, a woman in 1790 being imprisoned here for selling almanacks without the Government stamp on them; sundry tradesmen also being heavily fined for dealing in covered buttons.  The following are a few other notable olfences that have been chronicled for reference:—­

Bigamy.—­The Rev. Thomas Morris Hughes was, Nov. 15, 1883, sentenced to seven years’ penal servitude for this offence.  He had been previously punished for making a false registration of the birth of a child, the mother of which was his own stepdaughter.

Burglary.—­On Christmas eve, 1800, five men broke into the counting-house at Soho, stealing therefrom 150 guineas and a lot of silver, but Matthew Boulton captured four of them, who were transported.—­The National School at Handsworth, was broken into and robbed for the fifth time Sept. 5, 1827.—­A warehouse in Bradford Street was robbed Jan. 9, 1856, of an iron safe, weighing nearly 4cwt., and containing L140 in cash.—­A burglary was committed in the Ball Ring, July 5, 1862, for which seven persons were convicted.