the street, why are they ever _put
asunder_? It is easy for Birmingham to be as rapid in her improvement,
as in her growth.

The town consists of about 125 streets, some of which acquired their
names from a variety of causes, but some from no cause, and others, have
not yet acquired a name.

Those of Bull street, Cannon street, London Prentice street, and Bell
street, from the signs of their respective names.

Some receive theirs from the proprietors of the land, as Smallbrook
street, Freeman street, Colmore street, Slaney street, Weaman street,
Bradford street, and Colmore row.

Digbeth, or Ducks Bath, from the Pools for accommodating that animal,
was originally Well street, from the many springs in its neighbourhood.

Others derive a name from caprice, as Jamaica row, John, Thomas, and
Philip streets.

Some, from a desire of imitating the metropolis, as, Fleet-street,
Snow-hill, Ludgate-hill, Cheapside, and Friday-street.

Some again, from local causes, as High-street, from its elevation, St.
Martin's-lane, Church-street, Cherry-street, originally an orchard,
Chapel-street, Bartholomew-row, Mass-house-lane, Old and New
Meeting-streets, Steelhouse-lane, Temple-row and Temple-street, also
Pinfold-street, from a pinfold at No. 85, removed in 1752.

Moor-street, anciently Mole-street, from the eminence on one side, or
the declivity on the other.

Park-street seems to have acquired its name by being appropriated to the
private use of the lord of the manor, and, except at the narrow end next
Digbeth, contained only the corner house to the south, entering
Shut-lane, No. 82, lately taken down, which was called The Lodge.

Spiceal-street, anciently Mercer-street, from the number of mercers
shops; and as the professors of that trade dealt in grocery, it was
promiscuously called Spicer-street. The present name is only a
corruption of the last.

The spot, now the Old Hinkleys, was a close, till about 1720, in which
horses were shown at the fair, then held in Edgbaston-street. It was
since a brick-yard, and contained only one hut, in which the
brick-maker slept.

The tincture of the smoky shops, with all their _black furniture_, for
weilding gun-barrels, which afterwards appeared on the back of
Small-brooke-street, might occasion the original name _Inkleys_; ink is
well known; leys, is of British derivation, and means grazing ground; so
that the etymology perhaps is _Black pasture_.

The Butts; a mark to shoot at