had to appeal to a blacksmith at Erdington to re-shoe his
horse. The knight of the hammer was a republican, and his majesty chimed
in with the man's views so readily, that the latter complimented his
customer on "speaking like an honest man." Miss Lane afterwards married
Sir Clement Fisher, of Packington, and her portrait may be still seen at
the Hall.
During the battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington saw a little
fellow in plain clothes riding about on a cob, and, beckoning him up,
told him he was in danger. The litlle man, however, said he had come to
see a fight, and meant to stop it out. Shortly after, the Duke wanting a
messenger, employed the rider of the cob to take a message across the
field, directing a certain regiment to charge the enemy. This was done,
and the Duke took his messenger's card and saw no more of him at that
time; but afterwards, finding that the little man was the traveller to a
Birmingham button maker, he appointed him to a situation in the Mint, at
L800 a year.
In 1766, it was necessary to have 25 constables ready to protect the
farmers coming to market with their corn, the times were so hard with
the poor.
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