the College of Science and Art, founded by Sir Josiah
Mason and opened in 1880 ; the Free Grammar School,
founded by Edward VI; the R.C. College at Oscott;
the R.C. Cathedral of St Chad, &c. It is the prin-
cipal centre of metal mfrs., consisting of articles in
iron, gold, silver, brass, steel, &c., valued at over
£5,000,000 per annum. Of these the most important
are the mfr. of fire-arms and swords, in some recent
years as many as 500,000 gun-barrels being tested
annually; the mfrs. of boilers and engines, the largest
works, founded in 1757, being at Soho ; the steel pen
mfr., 900,000,000 pens being annually produced; the
making of railway carriages and waggons; jewellery
and electro-plate mfrs., which are continually on the
increase; iron casting of all kinds ; galvanised iron-
ware ; fancy-goods in leather, wood, papier-mache, &c.
Erasmus Darwin, poet and naturalist (1731-1802), resided
here. Prior to the great civil war, B. had no prominent
place in history, and only since 1832 has it taken a con-
spicuous part in politics. B. returns 7 members—7
divisions, viz., Edgbaston, AVest, Central, North, East,
Bordesley, and South, 1 member for each ; its repre-
sentation was increased from 3 to 7 in 1885, when the
pari, limits were extended so as to include the local
government districts of Balsall Heath (AVorcestershire),
Harborne (Staffordshire), and Saltley (AVarwickshire),
and the hamlet of Little Bromwich (AVarwickshire).

Birnam, vil., Little Dunkeld par., E. Perthshire, |
mile SE. of Dunkeld, pop. 471; P.O., T.O.; to S. of vil.
is Birnam Hill, with remains of a vitrified fort
(Duncan’s Camp), alt. 1324 ft.; between Duncan’s
Camp and the Tay is Birnam Pass ; in the vicinity is
Birnam Honse.

Birness, hamlet, in par. and 4 miles NE. of Ellon
vil., E. Aberdeenshire; P.O.

Biruic, par., NE. Elginshire, 6777 ac., pop. 367; has
a Romanesque church with a curious baptismal font, a
sculptured stone, and a bell said to have been brought
from Rome by the first Bishop of Moray (1115); contains
the hamlet of Thomshill; the post-town is Elgin.

Birns Water, affluentof river Tyne, Haddingtonshire.

Birr, or Parsonstown, par. and market town, SE.
King’s co., on river Little Brosna, 12 miles N. of Roscrea,
and 89 SAV. of Dublin by rail—par., 7127 ac., pop. 7042 ;
town, pop. 4955; 2 Banks. Market-day, Saturday. Birr
is both the ancient and the popular name of the town ;
Parsonstown has been given to it in honour of the pro-
prietors, the Parsons, Earls of Rosse. It is a fine-
looking, well-built town, and contains a lofty columnar
monument, erected in 1747, to AVilliam, Duke of Cum-
berland, in honour of his victory at Culloden. There
are vast barracks here. At Birr Castle, the seat of
the Earl of Rosse, is the famous Rosse telescope.

Birr Division, pari. div. of King’s co., pop. 37,504.

Birrens, place with Roman camp, Middlebie par.,
Dumfrieshire, 14 mile NE. of Ecclefechan.

Birsay anil liar ray, a united par., in NAV. of
Mainland, Orkney, 26,743 ac., pop. 2326. Birsay post-
office is 20 miles NAV. of Kirkwall.

Birse, par. and vil., mid. S. Aberdeenshire, on river
Dee, 2 miles SE. of Aboyne, 31,218 ac., pop. 1093 ; P.O.

Birslcy, place with extensive colliery, in par. and
adjacent to Tranent, Haddingtonshire.

Birstall.—par. and town with ry. sta., S. div. AVest-
Riding Yorkshire, 7 miles SAY. of Leeds, 13,976 ac.,
pop. 62,781; town, pop. 6766; worsted and cotton
mfrs.; coal and ironstone mines; birthplace of Dr
Priestley (1733-1804).—2. Birstall, township, Belgrave
par., in N. of co. and 3£ m. NE. of Leicester, pop. 487.

Birstall Drub, hamlet, Gomersal township, Birstall
par., S. div. AVest-Riding Yorkshire.

Birstwitli, township and chapelry with ry. sta.,
Hampstliwaite par., E. div. AYest-Riding Yorkshire, 3
miles SAY. of Ripley, 1802 ac., pop. 490 ; P.O.

Birtliorpe, hamlet, Semperingham par., S. Lincoln-
shire, 24 miles SE. of Folkingham, 390 ac., pop. 57.

Birlhwaite, former name of AYindermere vil., AVest-
morland.

Birth wood, seat, Culter par., Lanarkshire, 6 m. S.
of Biggar.

Birtirbuy Bay, in Connemara, AY. co. Galway.

Bir tie, hamlet, Lunedale township, Romald Kirkpar.,
North-Riding Yorkshire, 54 m. NAY. of Barnard Castle.

Gazetteer of the British Isles, Statistical and Topographical, by John Bartholomew, F.R.G.S.

Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1887. Public domain image from Gedcomindex.com