gham, and the east window of the south aisle in Aston Church, are
by Eginton. One of the commissions he obtained was from the celebrated
William Beckford, Lord Mayor of London, for windows at Fonthill, to the
value of L12,000. He was not, however, the first local artist of the
kind, for a Birmingham man is said to have painted a window in Haglev
Church, in 1756-57, for Lord Lyttelton, though his name is not now
known. William Raphael Eginton (son of Francis) appeared in the
Directory of 1818, as a glass-painter to the Princess Charlotte, but we
can find no trace of his work. Robert Henderson started in the same line
about 1820, and specimens of his work may be seen in Trinity Chapel; he
died in 1848. John Hardman began in Paradise Street about 1837,
afterwards removing to Great Charles Street, and thence to Newhall Hill,
from which place much valuable work has been issued, as the world-known
name well testifies. Engraving on glass is almost as old as the
introduction of glass itself. There is a beautiful specimen in the Art
Gallery. Glass flowers, fruit, &c., as ornamental adjuncts to
brassfoundry, must be accredited to W. C. Aitken, who first used them in
1846. American writers claim that the first pressed glass tumbler was
made about 40 years back in that country, by a carpenter. We have good
authority for stating that the first pressed tumbler was made in this
country by Rice Harris, Birmingham, as far back as 1834. But some years
earlier than this dishes had been pressed by Thomas Hawkes and Co., of
Dudley, and by Bacchus and Green, of Birmingham. No doubt the earliest
pressing was the old square feet to goblets, ales, jellies, &c.
Primitive it was, but like Watt's first engine, it was the starting
point, and Birmingham is entitled to the credit of it. It is very
remarkable that none of the samples of Venetian glass show any pressing,
although moulding was brought by them to great perfection. It would not
be fair to omit the name of the first mould-maker who made the
tumbler-mould in question. It was Mr. James Stevens, then of Camden
Street, Birmingham, and it is to him, and his sons, James and William,
that the world is greatly indebted for the pressing of glass. The older
Stevens has been dead some years, and the sons have left the trade.
Previous to this mould being made for tumblers, Mr. James Stevens made
some pressed salt-moulds to order for an American gentleman visiting
Birmingham. Some of the most beautiful w