St. Martins.—­There is no authentic date by which we can arrive at the probable period of the first building of a Church for the parish of Birmingham.  Hutton “supposed” there was a church here about A.D. 750, but no other writer has ventured to go past 1280, and as there is no mention in the Domesday Book of any such building, the last supposition is probably nearest the mark.  The founder of the church was most likely Sir William de Bermingham, of whom there is still a monumental effigy existing, and the first endowment would naturally come from the same family, who, before the erection of such church, would have their own chapel at the Manor House.  Other endowments there were from the Clodshales, notably that of Walter de Clodshale, in 1330, who left twenty acres of land, four messuages, and 18d. annual rent, for one priest to say mass daily for the souls of the said Walter, his wife, Agnes, and their ancestors; in 1347, Richard de Clodshale gave ten acres of land, five messuages, and 10s. yearly for another priest to say mass for him and his wife, and his father and mother, “and all the faithful departed”; in 1428, Richard, grandson of the last-named, left 20s. by his will, and bequeathed his body “to be buried in his own chapel,” “within the Parish Church of Bermyngeham.”  Besides the Clodshale Chantry, there was that of the Guild of the Holy Cross, but when Henry VIII. laid violent hands on all ecclesiastical property (1535) that belonged to the Church of St. Martin was valued at no move than L10 1s.  From the few fragments that were found when the present building was erected, and from Dugdale’s descriptions that has come down to us, there can be little doubt that the church was richly ornamented with monuments and paintings, coloured windows and encaustic tiles, though its income from property would appear to have been meagre enough.  Students of history will readily understand how the fine old place came gradually to be but little better than a huge barn, the inside walls whitewashed as was the wont, the monuments mutilated and pushed into corners, the font shoved out of sight, and the stained glass windows demolished.  Outside, the walls and even the tower were “cased in brick” by the churchwardens (1690), who nevertheless thought they were doing the right thing, as among the records of the lost Staunton Collection there was one, dated 1711, of “Monys expended in public charitys by ye inhabitants of Birmingham, wth in 19 years last past,” viz.:—­

  In casing, repairing, &c., ye Old Church L1919 01 9-1/2

  Adding to ye Communion Plate of ye said Church
  275 ounces of new silver 80 16 06

  Repairing ye high ways leading to ye town
  wth in these 9 years 898 00 01

  Subscribed by ye inhabitants towards erecting
  a New Church, now consecrated, and Parsonage house 2234 13 11
          
                                             ------------
                        In all L5132 12 3-12