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Richard Banner ordered one hundred pounds to be laid out in lands within ten miles of Birmingham; which sum, lying at interest, and other small donations being added, amounted to 170l. with which an estate at Erdington, value 81. 10s. per annum, was purchased for the poor of Birmingham. Richard Kilcup gave a house and garden at Spark-brook, for the church and poor.
Behold here Sir Bertrand, that was thy father's seneschal of Pentavalon City. Here, Sir John of Griswold whose sire bare thy father's banner, wherefore Griswold is ashes long since. Here Hubert of Erdington, that was thy father's marshal-of-the-field. Here, Hacon of Trant, that was wont to lead thy father's vanward, and here, Sir Brian of Hartismere, brother to Eric, called the Wry-neck.
Dugdale mentions a circumstance of Sir Thomas de Erdington, little noticed by our historians.
"Here, methinks," said Sir Benedict, "is work for pike and bow-string. First break we their charge, then down on them in flank with shock and might of all our lances." "Ha! 'tis well be-thought, Benedict!" growled old Hubert of Erdington, "so let me march with the pikes." "Art silent, lord Beltane," quoth Sir Hacon, "dost agree?"
"And here," sighed Beltane, "brave Hubert of Erdington behold!" "A gallant knight, Beltane! May I so valiantly die when that my time be come. Truly 'twas a sharp debate what time it lasted, there be many that will ride with us no more." "And thou, my lord?" cried Beltane suddenly, "thy cheek so pale thou'rt hurt, Benedict!"
It afterwards descended to the Paganalls, the Sumeris, then to the Bottetourts, and was, in 1323, enjoyed by Joan Bottetourt, lady of Weoley castle, a daughter of the house of Sumeri. Sir Thomas de Erdington held it of this lady, by a chief-rent, which was a pair of gilt spurs, or six-pence, at the option of the tenant.
Erdington, then universally called "Yarnton," was little known, and Sutton Coldfield was a far-off pleasant spot for pic-nics; but, to the bulk of Birmingham people, as much unknown as if it had been in the New Forest of Hampshire. Broad Street was skirted on both sides by private houses, each with its garden in front.
Erdington sold it, in 1327, to Thomas de Maidenhache, by whose daughter, Sibell, it came in marriage to Adam de Grymforwe; whose posterity, in 1363, conveyed it for 26l. 13s. 4d. now worth 20,000l. to John atte Holt; and his successors made it their residence, till the erection of Aston-hall, in the reign of James I.
In 1712, George Fentham, of Birmingham, devised his estate by will, consisting of about one hundred acres, in Erdington and Handsworth, of the value then, of 20l. per annum, vesting the same in a trust, of which no person could be chosen who resided more than one hundred yards from the Old Cross.
Erdington's going to read to us about the Huns and stand a fire of questions afterwards, aren't you, Erdington?" The youth in spectacles gulped. "That's right. That's right. Comfortable now, Dune? Got all you want? That's right. Now we can begin, I think. Minutes of the last meeting, Stevens." Olva placed himself in a corner and looked round the room.
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