Joshua Toulmin Smith Letters

A small collection of letters from Joshua Toulmin Smith (1816-1869) of London, writer, publicist and lawyer to his friend, William Hodgetts, a Birmingham printer and publisher.

The content of this correspondence, maintained over a period of about three and a half years, largely relates to their shared interest in the history of Birmingham, particularly the Deritend district. Although these letters are all written from Highgate in London - where Toulmin Smith had settled in the 1840s - he had been born in Birmingham and retained a close association. Toulmin Smith wrote a number of publications about the history of Birmingham, including one about the Old Crown House in Deritend, and these and his researches for the books are referred to in the correspondence. Toulmin Smith clearly valued Hodgetts's personal knowledge and memories and asks for his help with specific queries about Birmingham's history. There are also a number of references to the loan of manuscripts and printed materials made by Hodgetts to Toulmin Smith in order to assist the latter with his research.

Many of the letters relate to the arrangements made by Toulmin Smith to call on Hodgetts on his infrequent - but regular visits - to Birmingham. These visits usually coincided with a separate, more official reason - to deliver a lecture, to attend a dinner, meetings - but he clearly welcomed the opportunity to call on his friend. Visits in June 1864 and March 1867 were prefaced by as many as four letters each because of unwanted delays and Toulmin Smith refers on a number of occasions to the pressures of his legal work. There is also evidence in this correspondence of his research on local administration and government, notably in the references to his involvement in the church-rate question.

Although the letters are quite formal addressed 'My dear Sir' and signed Toulmin Smith, the tone of the correspondence indicates a degree of friendship and the style at times is quite literary. There is also evidence that the fathers of the two men, both public figures in Birmingham, were known to one another: William Hawkes Smith (1786-1840) was an economic and educational reformer and Jeremiah Hodgetts (d 1807) was an ironfounder.

According to the Birmingham Post of 8 September 1928, Toulmin Smith was descended from an old established Birmingham family which had owned the Old Crown House in Deritend. In September 1863, following the report of the apparent immediate destruction of the building, a letter from Toulmin Smith was published in the newspaper in which he vowed to do everything in his power to prevent this and it is possible that the correspondence between him and Hodgetts - and their subsequent meetings - were begun as a direct result of this potential threat to the Old Crown House.

A single letter in this collection is not from Toulmin Smith and it is also not certain that the recipient is William Hodgetts. The subject of the particular letter is the owner of some ground rents to property, a Rev Green of Bagby (Northants). The likely connection with this letter and the and the Toulmin Smith letters - and its retention with them - is that Toulmin Smith asked Hodgetts for an address to write to a Mr Green, a clergyman.

William Hodgetts was born in Birchall Street, Deritend on 4 March 1791, the son of Jeremiah Hodgetts (d 1807), ironfounder of Deritend and his wife, Ann. William was apprenticed to Miles Swinney of High Street, Birmingham, typefounder and printer and then, in about 1817, he set up business on his own account in Edgbaston Street. Three years later, he moved to premises in Spiceal Street and added bookselling and printing to his printing business. In 1825, he began publication of a newspaper, 'The Birmingham Journal' - reviving the name of the local newspaper published in the eighteenth century - which he successfully produced until its sale in 1837. Its publication was significant and, for example, in the early 1830s it carried reports of the meetings and activities of the Birmingham Political Union in the campaign for Parliamentary reform. He subsequently started the 'Birmingham Advertiser' and although it was only short-lived, he employed three editors who were subsequently of some literary fame: Professor Bakewell, Robert Shelton Mackenzie [pseudonym Sholto] (1809–1880), writer and journal editor, and Jonathan Crowther. As a result of his involvement in the publication of these newspapers, he has sometimes been described as 'the father of the Birmingham press'. In the early 1840s, he purchased new premises in Cannon Street, from where he continued his business, principally ecclesiastical publishing and printing, almost up until his death.

He had a real interest in the history of Birmingham and in Deritend in particular and was a trustees of St John's Chapel there. According to an obituary published in the 'Birmingham Daily Post' he had a large circle of acquaintances and admirers who enjoyed his tremendous powers of observation and memory, and his extraordinary recall of people, places and incidents. His friendships with famous men was also reported and close friends included William Hamper, the Birmingham antiquarian. He was also known as a collector of books, prints and papers. His correspondence with Joshua Toulmin Smith provides evidence of the enjoyment and appreciation by others of both his company and his memories and in Toulmin Smith he found a fellow Birmingham man who was also interested in the history of Deritend.

Hodgetts died at his home in Frederick Road, Edgbaston on 2 January 1874 and was buried in a family vault in Aston Parish Church.

Sources: Birmingham biographical newscuttings in the Local Studies and History Service in Birmingham Central Library, principally an obituary published in the 'Birmingham Daily Post', 3 January 1874

Open. Access to all registered researchers.

Deposited in May 2007

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A CD of scanned images provided by the depositor is available for consultation.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk) and the depositors should also be acknowledged in any published use of the letters in academic research Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Purchased by the depositors from an unknown source

Birmingham City Archives holds the Toulmin Smith collection comprising deeds, letters plans and other papers formerly in the possession of Joshua Toulmin Smith mainly relating to the Old Crown House in Deritend, Birmingham (MS 3881)