, ▁or ▁B rem ich am , ▁is ▁a ▁large ▁town , ▁well ▁built ▁and ▁popul ous . ▁The ▁inhabitants , ▁being ▁mostly ▁sm ith s , ▁are ▁very ▁ingen ious ▁in ▁their ▁way , ▁and ▁vend ▁vast ▁quantities ▁of ▁all ▁sorts ▁of ▁iron ▁war es ." ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁ 1 7 5 0 , ▁England ' s ▁Gazette er ▁described ▁B irmingham ▁or ▁B rom ich an ▁as ▁" a ▁large , ▁well - built , ▁and ▁popul ous ▁town , ▁noted ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁ingen ious ▁artific ers ▁in ▁boxes , ▁bu ck les , ▁buttons , ▁and ▁other ▁iron ▁and ▁steel ▁war es ; ▁where in ▁such ▁mult itudes ▁of ▁people ▁are ▁employed ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁sent ▁all ▁over ▁Europe ; ▁and ▁here ▁is ▁a ▁contin ual ▁noise ▁of ▁h amm ers , ▁anv ils , ▁and ▁files ". ▁ ▁The ▁town ▁was ▁ren owned ▁for ▁its ▁mis cell any ▁of ▁metal ▁and ▁silver ▁indust ries , ▁some ▁of ▁whose ▁manufact ur ers ▁used ▁cheap ▁materials , ▁exhib iting ▁poor ▁quality ▁and ▁design . ▁ ▁The ▁poor er - quality ▁" B rum mag em ▁w are " ▁was ▁beginning ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁better ▁more ▁sk illed ▁metal ▁workers ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁a ▁bad ▁name ; ▁Matthew ▁B oul ton ▁of ▁the ▁L un ar ▁Society ▁and ▁several ▁to y ▁mak ers ▁and ▁sil vers m ith s ▁realized ▁this ▁and ▁campaign ed ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁town ' s ▁first ▁ass ay ▁office ▁constructed . ▁Great ▁opposition ▁came ▁from