Description:Rambles of the Moseley Quartetette by Howard Shakespeare Pearson, January 1868- December 1889.
The members of the Moseley Quartette were George Zair, a whip manufacture, Samuel Allen Daniel, a manufacturer, Thomas Hadley, who lived by private means and Howard Shakespeare Pearson, an English lecturer, who around the time the volumes started ( according to the 1871 census) , all lived on Trafalgar road in Moseley. They met on the last Wednesday of the month between 1868 and 1889 to go for a walk in the country. These walks mostly took place in Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire, but occasionally the Quartette ventured further afield to Scotland or the Alps. The walk ended with each taking it in turn to entertain the others on their return, with food, drink and games of whist. The volumes in this collection light-heartedly describe these walks and are decorated with sketches and small paint or ink illustrations. The 'rules' of the group are described in the front of the first volume.
MS 3402/2
December 1876 To Stratford, Clopton and Warwick.
'In consideration of the festive season we made this a whole day, perhaps had we been able to arrange matters to suit, a visit of less time and more sunshine might have answered out purpose as well or better.
Walking straight through Stratford, which we have passed through a dozen times but never really seen- we crossed the long bridge over the Avon and traversed Clopton Park, which was in a state of indescribable sloppiness.
The deer were probably all safe in bed with severe colds in their noses and at all events were quite secure from the huntsman; since my exertion beyond a most gingerly and careful walk would have resulted in a fine full length impression of the adventurer in Warwickshire long before he had gone three yards.
In the while we were not sorry to reach terra firma in the shape of a macadamised road, although the said road was in the process of being liberally watered without the slightest expense to any Highway Board Whatever.
We inspected Clopton and Hampton Lucy churches which were both in a state of solemn gloom and fog and after a walk to Warwick and the ride home were glad to settle down in slippered ease to a long evening of Bezique at Beechcroft.,
Howard Shakespeare Pearson was a lecturer in English Languageband Literature at the BMI for 40 years until his retirement in 1914. He was born in Birmingham and educated aaaat King Edward's where he was a contemporary of Sir Edward Burne Jones. He supported many literary institutions including the Central Literary Association and gave many valuable gifts to Birmingham reference Library. A popular lecture of his was 'The Merchant of Venice told in pictures and words.'
He received an Honary degree from the University of Birmingham in 1919 and died in 1923.