the Ardens and the Bracebridges trace their descent from the old Saxon kings, Alwyne’s mother being sister to Leofric, III., Earl of Mercia.  Whether Alwyne thrived on his unearned increment or not, the politicians of the time have not told us, but the possessions that came to him by the Dano-Saxon marriage of his parents seems to have been rather extensive, as it is written that he owned not only the manor of Birmingham, but also Halesowen, Escelie, Hagley, and Swinford in Wirecescire (Worcestershire), Great Barr, Handsworth, Penn, Rushall and Walsall, in Staffordshire, as well as Aston, Witton, Erdington, and Edgbaston.  The modern name of Allen is deducible from Alwyne, and the bearers thereof, if so inclined, may thus be enabled to also claim a kingly descent, and much good may it do them.

Underwood, Thomas.—­The first printer to introduce the art of lithography into Birmingham, and he is also credited with being the discoverer of chromo-litho, and the first to publish coloured almanacks and calendars.  He did much to foster the taste for art, but will probably be most generally recollected by the number of views of old Birmingham and reproductions of pictures and maps of local interest that he published.  Mr. Underwood died March 14, 1882, in his 73rd year.

Van Wart.—­Henry Van Wart, was born near New York, Sept. 25, 1783, and took up his abode with us in 1808.  By birth an American, by descent a Dutchman, he became a Brum through being naturalised by special Act of Parliament, and for nearly seventy years was one of our principal merchants.  He was also one of the first Aldermen chosen for the borough.  Died Feb. 15, 1873, in his 90th year.

Ward.—­Humble Ward, son of Charles I.’s jeweller, who married the daughter of the Earl of Dudley, was created Baron Ward of Birmingham.  Their son Edward thus came to the title of Lord Dudley and Ward in 1697.

Warren.—­Thomas Warren was a well-known local bookseller of the last century.  He joined Wyatt and Paul in their endeavours to establish the Cotton Spinning Mill, putting L1,000 into the speculation, which unfortunately landed him in bankruptcy.  He afterwards became an auctioneer, and in 1788 had the pleasure of selling the machinery of the mill in which forty years previous his money had been lost.

Watt, James, was born at Greenock, Jan. 19, 1736, and (if we are to credit the somewhat apocryphal anecdote of his testing the power of steam as it issued from his aunt’s teakettle when a little lad barely breeched) at an early age he gave evidence of what sort of a man he would be.  In such a condensed work as the present book, it is impossible to give much of the life of this celebrated genius; but fortunately there are many biographies of him to which the student can refer, as well as scientific and other tomes, in which his manifold inventions have been recorded, and in no corner of the earth where the steam-engine