The Dawn of the XIXth Century in England

33

The number of dollars issued by the Bank of England to February 8, 1810, inclusive, was:

34

The account of Sir F. Burdett’s arrest, &c., is mainly taken from the Annual Register, vol. lii.

35

A number of persons on horseback, who met at Moorfields.

36

“A View of London; or, The Stranger’s Guide, 1803-4.”

37

“The Picture of London for 1802.”

38

The generic name for coachman.

39

Morning Post, June 9, 1808.

40

Annual Register, vol. lix. p. 883.

41

Sculls, as being lighter, were always cheaper than the heavy oars.

42

Par parenthèse. This Mr. Waddington, whilst in the King’s Bench Prison, gave away a ton of potatoes a day, about Christmas time. They were first of all sold at one halfpenny a pound, and the produce in money was put in the poor’s box, for the benefit of the poor prisoners.

43

Owing to the war, it was found safer for many merchant vessels to sail in company, and these fleets usually had two or three men-of-war in attendance to act as guards, and to protect them; they were called “the Convoy.”

44

This probably was the shop of Owen and Bradley whose names first appear in the London Directory of 1812, as fruiterers, 77, New Bond Street. – J.A.

45

“The grand Dramatic Romance of Blue Beard; or, Female Curiosity.” The Words by George Colman the younger – the Music composed and selected by M. K. (Michael Kelly). London, 1798.

46

This word has two meanings, which are here played upon. One is spirit or pluck; the other is the name indifferently for match splints, or dry, rotten wood.

47

“Slight Reminiscences of a Septuagenarian,” by Emma Sophia, Countess of Brownlow, p. 2. London, 1867.

48

Sic in orig.

49

“Old Times.” London: Nimmo, 1885.

50

From the Globe, January 26, 1885:

“WEST END GAMBLING HOUSES.

“TO THE EDITOR OF THE GLOBE.

Sir, – Can it be true – as rumour has it – that in an old-established gambling club, not 100 miles from St. James’s Street, enormous sums are nightly staked, and that fortunes rapidly change hands? I hear that three men sat down a few nights ago to play écarté in this said club, and that one of their number was at a certain period of the evening a loser of the enormous sum of £100,000. That when this very impossible figure was reduced to limits within which the winners considered the loser could pay, play ceased and the party broke up. The next day – so runs the story – one of the winners called with bills to the amount of £26,000, drawn on stamped paper, for the loser to accept. This gentleman, however, though he freely admits having played, states that, having dined not wisely but too well, he has no sort of recollection of losing any specific sum, but merely a hazy idea that fabulously large amounts were recklessly staked all round, and no accounts kept. In other words, he repudiates, and finally, after a lengthened discussion, has consented to place himself in the hands of a friend to decide what he is to pay. If this is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, I can only stigmatize the whole affair as a public scandal, and the police should promptly interfere and shut up a club where such disgraceful things occur. When Jenks’s baccarat ‘hell’ was closed, and Mr. J. Campbell Wilkinson and his six associates were each fined £500 (hence the very excellent bon mot which appeared in the Sporting Times that ‘Jenks’ babies’ had become ‘Jenks’ monkeys’), the public were justified in believing that, at last, there was not to be one law for the rich and another for the poor, and that in future men who broke the law by gambling for thousands, would have the same justice meted out to them as those who did so by tossing for coppers. However, it appears such hopes were premature, and before this happy state of things is arrived at, further attention must be drawn to the matter, hence this letter, for which I sincerely trust you will be able to find space. – I am, Sir, yours, &c.,

“A Hater of Professional Gamblers.

“January 24th.”

51

In May, 1775, a Bluecoat boy confessed that he had been tampered with, and had concealed a ticket, which was afterwards drawn. A man was arrested as the accomplice, but was discharged; but the Lottery Committee, in order to prevent a similar fraud, moved the following resolution (December 12, 1775), which was afterwards always adhered to: “That it be requested of the Treasurer of Christ’s Hospital, not to make known who are the twelve boys nominated for drawing the lottery till the morning the drawing begins; which said boys are all to attend every day, and the two who are to go on duty at the wheels, are to be taken promiscuously from amongst the whole number, by either of the Secretaries, without observing any regular course, or order; so that no boy shall know when it will be his turn to go to either wheel.”

52

“Parliamentary History,” vol. xxxvi.

53

There is a story told of a Lord Mayor in times long past, who went a-hunting in Epping Forest. Some one riding past him saluted him with, “My Lord! the Hare comes this way.” His lordship bravely drew his trusty sword, and, flourishing it, exclaimed, “Let him come! let him come! I thank my God, I fear him not.”

54

Joseph Manton was at that time the great gun maker.

55

“The Confessions of William Henry Ireland, containing the Particulars of his Fabrication of the Shakespeare Manuscripts.” London, 1805.

56

“Talk of the Town,” by James Payn.

57

A famous Bow Street Runner, and one in great favour with, and attendance on, Royalty.

58

Supposed to be Madame Catalani’s husband. She died at Paris, of cholera, 12th of June, 1849.

59

He was afterwards reinstated.

60

Used also for the concerts of Ancient Music.

61

This marks, as much as anything, the manners of the times. Fancy the upper ten, nowadays, ordering their supper from a tavern!

62

The famous ballet-dancer of that time.

63

Otherwise Willis’s Rooms.

64

This Collection was sold in March, 1810 —vide Morning Post, March 22, 1810: “The sale at Pidcock’s, Exeter ’Change, has been well attended. The skeleton of the famous elephant was put up at 20 guineas, and knocked down at 55. The skeleton of the spermaceti whale, sixty-six feet long, which formerly appeared in Rackstraw’s Museum, sold for nine guineas. Many scarce and beautiful birds sold at low prices, and the whole collection, consisting of 205 lots, produced about £140.”

65

Afterwards known as “The Rotunda.”

66

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society – the “guinea stamp” of a scientific man, at the age of 21.

67

See “A Course of Lectures on Natural Philosophy and the Mechanic Arts” by Dr. Thomas Young. 2 vols. 1807.

68

Thirty-six bushels, similar to the sealed measure kept at the Guildhall, heaped up; average weight, 28½ cwt. The Newcastle chaldron weighed 53 cwt.

69

That part of the Thames from the east side of London Bridge is called “The Pool.”

70

Edited by his daughter, Lady Bourchier. London, 1872.

71

Lord St. Vincent had a lawsuit which was decided in March, 1801, for an eighth share of two Spanish ships captured in 1799. Its value was £9,674, and he won his case.

72

So called from the brown barrel. At one time all gun barrels were not only bright, but burnished – the date of the abolition of which, is fixed by the following —Morning Post, October 3, 1808: “The system of cropping the hair of the soldiers is on the point of being followed up by the adoption of a plan which will, no doubt, give equal satisfaction to the whole army: we mean the abolition of that absurd practice of polishing the arms, which, in some regiments, has been carried to such an excess as materially to injure the piece, and render it totally unfit for use in half the time estimated for fair wear in usual service. Fire-locks upon a new principle, with brown locks and barrels, have been already issued to the light companies of several regiments, and the Board of Ordnance have received orders to complete the issue to the remainder of the army, with all the expedition possible; in consequence of which, a requisition has been made of the gunsmiths in the several regiments to repair, without loss of time, to the Royal Manufactory of Arms at Lewisham.”

73

Dalswinton is in county Dumfries, and the estate was about 5,000 acres, formerly belonging to the Comyns, but it came into the possession of Patrick Miller, Esq., who built a fine mansion on the site of the old castle. He was a man well up to his time, for here, in 1788, he launched, on a lake, the first steamboat ever attempted.

74

Commonly known as Colonel Wardell, or Wardle. His real military rank was Major, in which capacity he served in Sir W. W. Wynne’s regiment during the rebellion in Ireland.

75

The italics are mine. – J. A.

76

The Times, February 22, 1805.

77

These days amounted to 80 or 90 in the year.