Roach Pool.—­In the years 1825-26 the proprietors of the old Birmingham Canal purchased about 130 acres of land, partly in Edgbaston and partly in Birmingham parishes, for the purpose of forming reservoirs or feeders for their canal.  Part of the area included Roach Pool, through which the boundary line ran, and the pleasant path then by its side is now 15ft., or 16ft. under water.  In Ragg’s “Edgbaston” is an allusion to this:—­

     “In Rotton Park
  No more doth Roach Pool smile.  Its humble mirror,
  Wherein the stars were once content to gaze
  On their reflected forms, is buried now
  Some fathoms deep.  Yea, with the humble path
  That led beside its banks.”

Roads.—­Same of the roads leading into and out of Birmingham in the olden days were little better than deep ruts, which were more or less levelled about the middle of last century.  The making of the great Holyhead coachroad also graded some of the steeper spots as well as the lowest, but the modern town improvements must be credited as the greatest factor in the levelling of the roads, none of which, however, were “macadamised,” until 1818.  The total length of highways “taken to” and repairable by the Corporation at the commencement of 1884, amounted to 185-1/2 miles, there being other 12-1/2 miles undeclared.  Ten years ago the figures stood at 143 and 40 respectively; but as during the last six years, owners of property have been paying at the rate of L17,820 per annum, for completion of the streets and highways so as to bring them in charge of the Corporation, the undeclared roads will soon be few and far between.  To keep the roads fit for travelling on, requires about 60,000 tons of stone per year.

Rogues, Thieves, and Vagabonds.—­According to some calculations made by the late Rev. Micaiah Hill, Sec. to the Town Mission, there were, on a given day, in 1880, 1,272 known thieves and bad characters at large in the town, of whom 177 were under sixteen years of age.  There were 71 houses kept by receivers of stolen goods, 118 others known to be frequented by the criminal classes, and 188 houses of ill-fame, in which 262 women were found on the same day.

Rolling Mills.—­There was one at Nechells as early as 1690, though the exact date of the erection of nearly all these places is a matter of the greatest uncertainty.  The first steam rolling mill, with the exception of the one at Soho, was put up at Bradley ironworks.

Rotton Park.—­In the list of the tenants of Edward Birmingham, whose estate was confiscated (circ. 1536), there appears the name of John Praty, as “farmer” of the office of “keeper of the Park called Rotton (or Roten) Park,” with all the profits thereof, and the “wyndefal wood and lopwood,” building timber excepted.