y ). ▁Their ▁T ory ▁oppon ents ▁were ▁known ▁as ▁anti - B irm ing h ams ▁or ▁anti - B rum mag ems . ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁ 1 6 9 0 ▁Alexander ▁Miss en , ▁visit ing ▁B rom ich an ▁in ▁his ▁travel s , ▁said ▁that ▁" s words , ▁heads ▁of ▁can es , ▁sn uff - box es , ▁and ▁other ▁fine ▁works ▁of ▁steel ," ▁could ▁be ▁had , ▁" che aper ▁and ▁better ▁here ▁than ▁even ▁in ▁f amed ▁Milan ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 9 1 , ▁The ▁New ▁State ▁of ▁England ▁by ▁Guy ▁Mie ge ▁said ▁that ▁" B rom ich an ▁drives ▁a ▁good ▁trade ▁in ▁iron ▁and ▁steel ▁war es , ▁s add les ▁and ▁brid les , ▁which ▁find ▁good ▁vent ▁at ▁London , ▁Ireland , ▁and ▁other ▁parts ." ▁By ▁another ▁writer , ▁" B rom ich am " ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁" a ▁large ▁and ▁well - built ▁town , ▁very ▁popul ous , ▁much ▁res orted ▁to , ▁and ▁particularly ▁noted ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁ago ▁for ▁the ▁counter fe it ▁gro ats ▁made ▁here , ▁and ▁dispers ed ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁kingdom ". ▁▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁B irmingham ▁was ▁known ▁by ▁several ▁variations ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁" B rum mag em ". ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 3 1 , ▁an ▁old ▁" road - book " ▁said ▁that ▁" B irmingham , ▁B rom ich am