ɔːlðˈoʊ nˈoʊ ɹˈɛkɚd ˈɪndᵻkˌeɪts wɛn ðə fˈɜːst klˈɑːk ɐpˈɪɹd ɪn bˈɜːmɪŋˌæm, ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd fˈaɪvhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi sˈɛvən ðə kˈɪŋz kəmˈɪʃənɚz ɹᵻpˈoːɹɾᵻd ðætðə ɡˈɪld ʌvðə hˈoʊli kɹˈɔs wɜː ɹᵻspˈɑːnsᵻbəl "ˈɛffˈoːɹ kˈiːpɪŋ ðə klˈɑːk ænd ðə tʃˈaɪm" æɾə kˈɔst ʌv fˈoːɹ ʃˈɪlɪŋz ænd fˈoːɹ pˈɛns ɐ jˈɪɹ æt sənt mˈɑːɹtɪnz tʃˈɜːtʃ.
Although no record indicates when the first clock appeared in Birmingham, in 1547 the King's Commissioners reported that the Guild of the Holy Cross were responsible "ffor keeping the Clocke and the Chyme" at a cost of four shillings and four pence a year at St Martin's Church.