In the matter of architectural taste the ideas of the church wardens seem curiously mixed, for while disfiguring the old church they evidently did their best to secure the erection of the splendid new church of St. Philip’s, as among other entries there were several like these:—­

  “28pds. 2s. wch Mr. Jno.  Holte has collected in Oxford towards
  building ye New Church.”

  “Revd.  L30 from Sir Charles Holte, Baronet, for the use of the Com.e
  of the New Church.”

From time to time other alterations were made, such as new roofing, shutting up the clerestory windows, piercing the walls of the chancel and the body of the church for fresh windows attaching a vestry, &c.  The churchyard was partly surrounded by houses, and in 1781 “iron pallisadoes” were affixed to the wall.  In this year also 33ft. of the spire was taken down and rebuilt.  In 1807 the churchyard was enlarged by the purchase of five tenements fronting Spiceal Street, belonging to the Governors of the Free Grammar School, for L423, and the Commissioners having cleared the Bull Ring of the many erections formerly existing there the old church in its hideous brick dress was fully exposed to view.  Noble and handsome places of worship were erected in other parts of the town, but the old mother church was left in all its shabbiness until it became almost unsafe to hold services therein at all.  The bitter feelings engendered by the old church-rate wars had doubtless much to do with this neglect of the “parish” church, but it was not exactly creditable to the Birmingham men of ’49, when attention was drawn to the dangerous condition of the spire, and a general restoration was proposed, that what one gentleman has been pleased to call “the lack of public interest” should be made so manifest that not even enough could be got to rebuild the tower.  Another attempt was made in 1853, and on April 25th, 1854, the work of restoring the tower and rebuilding the spire, at a cost of L6,000, was commenced.  The old brick casing was replaced by stone, and, on completion of the tower, the first stone of the new spire was laid June 20, 1855, the “topping” being successfully accomplished November 22nd following.  The height of the present spire from the ground to the top of the stone-work is 185ft. 10 1/2in., the tower being 69ft. 6in., and the spire itself 116ft. 4 1/2in., the vane being an additional 18ft. 6in.  The old spire was about 3in. lower than the present new one, though it looked higher on account of its more beautiful form and its thinner top only surmounted by the weathercock, now to be seen at Aston Hall, The clock and chimes were renewed at a cost of L200 in 1858; the tunes played being “God save the Queen” [Her Majesty visited Birmingham that year], “Rule Britannia,” “Blue Bells of Scotland,” “Life let us cherish,” the “Easter Hymn,” and two other hymns.  Twenty years after (in 1878) after a very long period (nine years) of inaction, the charming apparatus was again put in