Chapter II: Introduction (1)

In selecting and arranging this collection of “Street Papers” for publication, every care has been taken to print them _verbatim et literatim_. They all bear the printer’s name and address were such is used, and, in many cases, the wood-cuts have either been borrowed or purchased for the purpose of presenting them in their original style. The real object being to show, in the most genuine state, the character and quality of the productions written expressly for the amusement of the lower orders by street-authors. The general instruction given to our printer has been to “set up word for word from copy, with the exception of sɹǝʇʇǝʃ pǝuɹnʇ (_sic_) and those of a WRO_n_g _F_oNT (?)”--it being thought quite unnecessary to repeat these _convenient_ and at that time _compulsory_ “Errors of the Press” and which were very common in former days with the printers and publishers of street and public-house literature; arising alike from a want of skill in the art, a deficiency of capital, and the hurried manner in which they were prepared and worked off to meet the momentary demand.

Old “Jemmy” Catnach--whose name is ever associated with the literature of our streets--was a man who hated “innowations,” as he used to call improvements, and had a great horror of buying type, because, as he used to observe, he kept no standing formes, and when certain sorts run short, he was not particular, and would tell the boys to use anything which would make a good shift. For instance, he never considered a compositor could be aground for a lowercase l while he had a figure of 1 or a cap. I to fall back upon; by the same rule, the cap. O and figure 0 were synonymous with “Jemmy;” the lower-case p, b, d, and q, would all do duty for each other in _turn_, and if they could not always find roman letters to finish a word with, why the compositor knew very well that the “reader” would not mark out ita_lic_.

At the time Catnach commenced business. “Johnny” Pitts,[1] of the Toy and Marble Warehouse, No. 6, Great St. Andrew Street, was the acknowledged and established Printer of Street-Literature for the “Dials” district; therefore, as may be easily imagined, a powerful rivalry and vindictive jealousy soon arose between these “two of a trade”--most especially on the part of “Old Mother” Pitts, who is described as being a coarse and vulgar-minded personage, and as having originally followed the trade of a bumboat woman at Portsmouth: she “vowed vengeance against the young fellow in the court for daring to set up in their business, and also spoke of him as young “Catsnatch,” “Catblock,” “Cut-throat,” and many other opprobrious terms being freely given to the new comer. Pitts’ staff of “bards” were duly cautioned of the consequences which would inevitably follow should they dare to write a line for Catnach--the new _cove_ in the court. The injunction was for a time obeyed, but the “Seven Bards of the Dials” soon found it not only convenient, but also more profitable to sell copies of their effusions to both sides at the same time, and by keeping their own council they avoided detection, as each printer accused the other of buying an early sold copy, and then reprinting it off with the utmost speed, and which was in reality often the case, as “Both Houses” had an emissary on the constant look-out for any new production suitable for street-sale. Now, although this style of “Double dealing” and competition tended much to lessen the cost price to the “middle-man,” or vendor, the public in this case did not get any of the reduction, as a penny broadside was still a penny, and a quarter sheet still a halfpenny to them, the “street-patterer” obtaining the whole of the reduction as extra profit.

The feud existing between these rival publishers, who have been somewhat aptly designated as the Colburn and Bentley of the “paper” trade, never abated, but, on the contrary, increased in acrimony of temper until at last not being content to vilify each other by words alone, they resorted to printing off virulent lampoons, in which Catnach never failed to let the world know that “Old Mother Pitts” had been formerly a bumboat woman, while the Pitts announced that--

“All the boys and girls around,
Who go out prigging rags and phials,
Know Jemmy _Catsnatch_!!! well,
Who lives in a back slum in the Dials.

He hangs out in Monmouth Court,
And wears a pair of blue-black breeches,
Where all the “Polly Cox’s crew” do resort
To chop their swag for badly printed Dying Speeches.

At length Catnach, from the possession of greater capital and business acumen, became--to use the words of our informant--“the Cock of the Walk,” and continued so until his retirement in 1839. In his Will--or LAST DYING SPEECH--which was proved April, 1842, “James Catnach, of Dancer’s Hill, South Mimms, in the county of Middlesex, gentleman, formerly of Monmouth Court, Monmouth Street, printer, bequeathed the whole of his estate to his sister Anne, the widow of Joseph Ryle, in trust, nevertheless, for her daughter, Marion Martha Ryle, until she obtain the age of twenty-one years. Witnesses--William Kinsey, 13, Suffolk St., Pall Mall, Solr. Wm. Tookey his clerk.”

The present street literature printers and publishers are Mr. W. S. Fortey (Catnach’s successor), of 2 and 3, Monmouth Court, Seven Dials. Mr. Henry Disley (formerly with Catnach), 57, High Street, St. Giles’s. Mr. Taylor, Brick Lane, Spitalfields. Mr. H. Such, 177, Union Street, Borough; and Mr. J. Harkness, 121, Church Street, Preston. From whose “establishments” upwards of two thousand street “papers” and “ballads” have been obtained, and from which--together with a private collection--we have made our selection to form “THE CURIOSITIES OF STREET LITERATURE.”

With such a vast amount of “material” to hand, it is somewhat difficult to know which to retain and which to reject. It being utterly impossible to reproduce the whole, the only thing to be done is to make the attempt to divide them into something like classes. We have, therefore, arranged our collection into four divisions, which may be briefly alluded to as--I. “COCKS,” OR “CATCHPENNIES.” II. ROYALTY AND POLITICAL. III. BALLADS ON A SUBJECT. IV. DYING SPEECH AND CONFESSIONAL PAPERS.

During the progress of our “Collection” through the press, we had, by a special appointment, an interview with Mr. John Morgan, a street author, and who may be said to be the oldest of his peculiar class. “I’m the last one left of our old crew, Sir,” he observed during our conversation. He is now upwards of 70 years of age, and formerly wrote for “Old Jemmy” Catnach, with whose personal history he is well acquainted, and still continues to write for the “Seven Dials Press.” A street ballad from his pen will be found at page 103 of our work. In allusion to Mr. John Morgan, the writer of an article on “Street Ballads” in the _National Review_ for October, 1861, makes the following remarks:--

“This ballad--‘Little Lord John out of Service’--is one of the few which bear a signature. It is signed ‘John Morgan’ in the copy which we possess. For a long time we believed this name to be a mere _nom-de-plume_; but the other day, when making a small purchase in Monmouth Court, we were informed, in answer to a casual question, that this is the real name of the author of some of the best comic ballads. Our informant added, that he is an elderly, we may say old, gentleman, living somewhere in Westminster; but the exact whereabouts we could not discover. Mr. Morgan followed no particular visible calling so far as our informant knew, except writing ballads, by which he could not earn much of a livelihood, as the price of an original ballad, in these buying-cheap days, has been screwed down by publishers to somewhere about a shilling sterling. Something more like bread-and-butter might be made perhaps by poets who were in the habit of singing their own ballads, as some of them do, but not Mr. Morgan. Should this ever meet the eye of that gentleman (a not very probable event, we fear), we beg to apologise for the liberty we have taken in using the verses and name, and hope he will excuse us, having regard to the subject in which we are his humble fellow-labourers. We could scarcely avoid naming him, the fact being that he is the only living author of street ballads whose name we know. That self-denying mind, indifferent to worldly fame, which characterised the architects of our cathedrals and abbeys, would seem to have descended on our ballad-writers; and we must be thankful, therefore, to be able to embalm and hand down to posterity a name here and there, such as William of Wykeham, and John Morgan. In answer to our inquiries in this matter, generally we have been told, ‘Oh, anybody writes them’ and with that answer we have had to rest satisfied. But in presence of that answer, we walk about the streets with a new sense of wonder, peering into the faces of those of our fellow-lieges who do not carry about with them the external evidence of overflowing exchequers, and saying to ourselves, ‘That man may be a writer of ballads.’

With regard to illustrations, a ballad-printer is in the habit of buying up old wood-cuts which have been engraved for any other works, and of applying them to his own purposes; disregarding alike their age, rudeness, and condition. Most of those adopted are repeatedly employed over and over again. The printers of “broadsides” seldom care whether an ornament of the kind used is, or not, appropriate to the subject of the ballad, so long as it is likely to attract attention. Many examples will be found in this collection, and we are indebted to Mr. H. Disley and others for the use of the same.

“The authors and poets who give this peculiar literature, alike in prose or rhyme to the streets, are all in some capacity or another connected with street-patter or song; and the way in which a narrative or a ‘copy of werses’ is prepared for the press is usually this:--The leading members of the ‘schools’--some of whom refer regularly to the evening papers--when they hear of any out-of-the-way occurrence, resort to the printer and desire its publication in a style proper for the streets. This is usually done very speedily, the school--or a majority of them--and the printer agreeing with the author. Sometimes an author will voluntarily prepare a piece of street-literature and submit it to a publisher, who, as in case of other publishers, accepts or declines, as he believes the production will or will not prove remunerative. Sometimes the school carry the manuscript with them to the printer, and undertake to buy a certain quantity to insure publication. The payment to the author is the same in all cases--a shilling; but sometimes if the printer and publisher like the verses he “throws a penny or two over.” And sometimes also, in case of a great sale there is the same “over-sum.” The “Dials” and its immediate neighbourhood is the chief residence of these parties, as being nearest to the long-established printer they have made it the ‘head meet’ of the fraternity.

“It must be borne in mind that the street-author is closely restricted in the quality of his effusions. It must be such as the patterers approve, as the chanters can chant, the ballad singers sing, and--above all, such as the street buyers will buy.”[2]

We have recently met, near the Strand, the street ballad singer of our youth, and, from whom we procured, “Wait for the Turn of the Tide,” and “Call her back and Kiss Her,” and the following information--“Oh, yes, I remember you, remember you well; particularly when I see you down at Brighton; when you treated me to that hot rum and water; when I was so wet and cold, at a little snug public-house in one of the streets that leads off the main street. I don’t remember the name on it now, but I remembers the rum and water well enough; it was good. You said it would be, and so it was, and no mistake. How old am I now? Why, 59. How long have I been at it? Why, hard on fifty years. I was about nine or ten year old--no, perhaps I might have been 12 year old, when I come to think on it. Yes, about 12 year old; my mother was a widow with five children, and there was a boy in our street as used to go out singing ballads, and his mother said to my mother, ‘Why don’t you let your boy (that’s me) go out and sing ballads like my boy.’ And I said I didn’t mind, and I did go out, and I’ve been at it ever since, so you see it ’aint far short of 50 year. How many do I sell in a day? Well, not so many as I used to do, by a long way. I’ve sold me four and five quires a-day, but I don’t sell above two and three dozen a-day now. That’s all the difference you see, sir--dozens against quires. How do I live then? Why, you see I am now so well-known in different parts of London, that lots and lots of people comes up to me--like you always do--and says--‘How do you do, old fellow? I remember you when I was a boy, if its a man, and when I was a girl, if its a woman.’ And says, ‘So you are still selling songs, eh?’ Then they give me a few coppers; some more and some less than others, and says they don’t want the songs. Some days--very often--I’ve had more money giving me than I’ve took for the ballads. Yes, I have travelled all over England--all over it I think--but the North’s the best--Manchester, Liverpool, and them towns; but down Bath and Cheltenham way I was nearly starved. I was coming back from that way, I now remember, when I met you, sir, at Brighton that time. I buy my ballads at various places--but now mostly over the water, because I live there now and it’s handiest. Mr. Such, the printer, in Union-street in the Borough. Oh! yes, some at Catnach’s--leastways, it ain’t Catnach’s now, it’s Fortey’s. Yes, I remember ‘old Jemmy Catnach’ very well; he wa’n’t a bad sort, as you say; leastways, I’ve heard so, but I never had anything of him. I always paid for what I had, and did not say much to him, or he to me--writing his life of him, are you indeed? No, I can’t give you no more information about him than that, because, as I said before, I bought my goods as I wanted them, and paid for them, then away on my own account and business. Well, he was a man something like you--a little wider across the shoulders, perhaps, but about such a man as you are. I did know a man as could have told you a lot about ‘old Jemmy,’ but he’s dead now; he was one of his authors, that is, he wrote some of the street-ballads for him, and very good ones they used to be, that is, for selling. Want some old ‘Dying Speeches’ and ‘Cocks,’ do you indeed; well, I a’nt got any--I don’t often ‘work’ them things, although I have done so sometimes, but I mostly keep to the old game--‘Ballads on a Subject.’ You see them other things are no use only just for the day, then they are no use at all, so we don’t keep them--I’ve often given them away. You’d give sixpence a piece for them, would you, indeed, sir; then I wish I had some of them. Now I come to think of it I know a man that did have a lot of them bye him, and I know he’d be glad to sell them. I don’t know where he lives, but I sometimes see him. Oh! yes, a letter would find me. My name is Samuel Milnes, and I live at No. 81, Mint-street, that’s in the Borough; you know, Guager is the name at the house. Thank you, sir, I’m much obliged. Good day, sir.”

It will be seen that our street-ballads and “papers” come down to the latest period, several being issued during the printing of this collection; in fact, any public affair seems of sufficient importance to write a ballad about. We have, therefore, placed some blank leaves between each division, for the purpose of mounting other examples that may be from time to time published by the printers of Street Literature.

[1] Pitts, a modern publisher of love garlands, merriments, penny ballads,--

“Who, ere he went to heaven,
Domiciled in Dials Seven!”--G. DANIEL’S “Democritus In London.”

[2] “Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor.”

CONTENTS.

DIVISION I.

“COCKS” or “CATCHPENNIES,” STREET DROLLERIES, &c.

PAGE

Horrid Murder committed by a Young Man on a Young Woman a

Cruel and Inhuman Murder committed upon the body of Captain Lawson b

Life, Trial and Execution of James Ward c

Shocking Rape and Murder of two Lovers d

Full Particulars of this Dreadful Murder 1

Committal of W. Thompson for the Murder of his Wife 2

A Remarkable Punishment of Murder 3

The Life of the Man that was Hanged, but is now Alive 4

The Liverpool Tragedy 5

Massacre of Passengers and Crew, &c. 6

Full Particulars of the Horrible Great Fire in London 7

An Account of the Fatal Thunderstorm 8

The Scarborough Tragedy 9

An Extraordinary Wager of £5,000 12

Funny Doings in this Neighbourhood 13

The Love Letter, or a Married Man Caught in a Trap 14

All Found out at Last 15

The Yorkshire Knight 16

Account of the Faithful Lovers 17

Full Account of the Dreadful Quarrel, &c. 18

An Account of the Dreadful Apparition to Henry ---- 19

Dreadful Catastrophe in this Neighbourhood 20

The Secrets Revealed of Lord and Lady ---- 21

Elopements Extraordinary 22

Funny Love Affair and Elopement 23

Wonderful Judgment on a Blasphemer 24

Strange Warning to a Publican 25

Apparition to Discover a Hidden Murder 26

Particulars of a well-known Fortune Teller 27

Fortune Telling and its Results 28

A Minister in a Trance for four days and nights 29

The Female Sleep-Walker 30

Dialogue between Death and a Sinner 31

The Railway to Heaven 32

Railroad to Hell 33

Pretty Maidens Beware 34

The Pretty Maid and Amorous Squire 35

The “Taking off” of Prince Albert’s Inexpressibles 36

Battle of Pea Soup 37

The greatest old ---- in this neighbourhood 38

Old Mother Clifton 39

Sale of a Wife 40

The Perpetual Almanack 41

The Far Famed Fairy Tale 42

Teasing made Easy for the Ladies 43

The Tradesman’s Hymn 44

The Register of the Manor of Dunmow 45

The Rent Day, or Black Monday 46

How to Cook a Wife 47

Alarming Sacrifice! Sale by Auction 48

The Genuine Thing, or Last of the Cocks 49

Blank Leaves for Mounting other Examples of STREET LITERATURE

DIVISION II.

BROADSIDES ON THE ROYAL FAMILY, POLITICAL LITANIES, &c.

Our King is a true British Sailor 53

King William IV. and his Ministers 54

Queen Victoria 55

Coronation of Queen Victoria 56

Sailor Jack and the Queen 57

The Queen’s Marriage 58

Attempt to Assassinate the Queen and Albert 59

Accouchement of Her Majesty--Birth of a Princess 60

Queen’s Wants at Childbirth, &c. 61

A Stranger in Her Majesty’s Bedroom--Boy Jones again! 62

Mr. Ferguson and Queen Victoria 63

Accouchement of the Majesty--Birth of Prince of Wales 64

A New Song on the Birth of the Prince of Wales 65

The Owdham Chap’s Visit to the Queen 66

Opening of the Royal Exchange 67

Prince of Wales’s Marriage 68

A Scene in the Election--a Farce! 69

Universal Spelling Book 70

Dialogue and Song on the Times 71

John Bull _v._ the Pope’s Bull 72

A Political Catechism 73

The Famine Fast Day 74

New Form of Prayer and Belief 75

A Political Litany on the Times 76

Political Litany on Present Parliament 77

Derbyites, Dizzyites, and Adullumites 78

A New Litany on Reform 79

The Coming Election--a Conversation between Bill Gladstone and
Ben Dizzy 80

A Political Thanksgiving, for the Victory gained by the Liberals,
and the Defeat of the Tories!! 81

Belief and Commandments on the Rights of Women 82

Political and Reform Alphabet 83

A Litany on the Irish Church Question 84

A Litany on the Irish Land Question 85

The New Intended Reform Bill 86

The New Act of Parliament 87

The New Streets Act 88

The Poor Law Catechism 89

The Soldier’s Catechism 90

The Drunkard’s Catechism 91

New Beer House Act 92

Conversation of Nelson--Battle of Waterloo 93

New Song on the Times--The Agony Bill 94

Repeal of the Corn Laws--Opening of the Ports 95

Liberation of O’Connell--A Song on the Times 96

A New Song on Byng and Burdett 97

Fleetwood Strickland and Reform Triumphant--Peterloo 98

The State of Great Britain--Song of the Election 99

Death of Wellington 100

The Fall of Sebastopol--Battle of Alma 101

The Nightingale of the East--Battle of Inkerman 102

Sebastopol Arose--Little Lord John 103

To the Memory of Cobden--Kearsage and the Alabama 104

Dizzy’s Lament: Oh, dear! Oh, dear! what shall I do? 105

Battle of Freedom and Reform 106

The Great Reform Meeting 107

When we get Johnny’s Reform 108

Freedom and Reform 109

The Liberal Majority of 110 110

The Reform Demonstration 111

Reform Meeting at Blackheath 112

The Fenians are Coming 113

Awful Explosion in Clerkenwell 114

Sunday Trading Bill 115

Southwark Election--Odger and Victory 116

Blank Leaves for other Examples

DIVISION III.

A COLLECTION OF “BALLADS ON A SUBJECT.”

The Female Husband 119

Shakespeare’s House 120

The Bloomer Costume 121

Manchester’s an altered Town--Preston Guild 122

Prophecy for 1850--Grace Darling 123

Sayer’s and Heenan’s Fight for Championship 124

Accident on the Ice in Regent’s Park 125

Foreigners in England 126

What shall we do for meat? 127

Fifteen Shillings a week 128

The Great Agricultural Show 129

The Windham Lunacy Case 130

The Old Marquis and his Wife 131

Marriage of the Lady and her Groom 132

Yelverton Marriage case 133

The Naughty Lord and Gay Lady 134

Strike of the Journeymen Tailors 135

Wonderful Mr. Spurgeon 136

A Night in a London Workhouse 137

The Ghost of Woburn Square 138

The Wicked Woman of Chigwell 139

Mary Newell, the Artful Girl of Pimlico 140

The She-He Barman of Southwark 141

Beautiful for Ever,--So much for Madame Rachel 142

Funny Doings in the Convent 143

The Dunmow Fitch of Bacon 144

Last Dying Speech of the Lord Mayor’s Show 145

International Boat Race 146

Ladies New Fashioned Petticoats 147

Suppression of the Crinoline 148

Downfall of the Chignons 149

Dandy Horse, or The Wonderful Velocipede 150

The Lord Mayor’s Show 152

Opening of the Viaduct 152

Cabmen and their New Flags 153

The Funny Divorce Case 154

Brighton Volunteer Review 155

Frolicsome Parson Outwitted 156

The Funny He-she Ladies! 157

Blank Leaves for other Examples

DIVISION IV.

THE “GALLOWS” LITERATURE OF THE STREETS.

Life and Execution of Sir John Oldcastle (1417) 161

Dying Speeches and Execution of Ballard and others 162

” Salisbury and others 163

Execution of Ballard, &c. 164

” of Luke Hutton 165

” of the Conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot 166

” of Sir Walter Raleigh 167

” of Sir Thomas Armstrong 168

Trial and Execution of Nevison, the Highwayman 169

” of James Lowry 170

” of John Swan and Elizabeth Jeffryes 171

” of Six Malefactors at Tyburn 172

” of John Austen for a Cruel Murder 173

Trial and Sentences of all the Prisoners, and an Account of the
Pillory of John Lingard for Perjury 174

Trial and Execution of John Hogan for Murder 175

” of Joseph Richards for Murder 176

Execution of Six Unfortunate Malefactors, and the Barbarous
Execution and Burning of Phœbe Harris for Coining Silver 177

Trials and Sentences of all the prisoners, together with the
Execution of 15 Unfortunate Convicts 178

Execution of Eight Convicts at the Old Bailey 179

-------- of Five Unfortunate Sailors 180

Trial and Execution of Clinch and Mackley for the Wicked Murder
of Mr. Fryer, Islington Fields 181

Court-Martial, Sentence, and Execution of Richard Parker, for the
Mutiny at the Nore 182

Trial and Execution of Mary Nott, for the Murder of a French
Emigrant, and Richard Ludman, for the Murder of George Hebner
in a brothel 183

Execution of James Nesbett, for the Murder of Mr. Parker and
his Housekeeper 184

Sentences all the Prisoners at the Old Bailey, 11th September,
1822 185

Copy of Verses on the Death of Ann Williams, who was barbarously
murdered by her sweetheart, W. Jones, in Derbyshire, July 1823 186

Confession and Execution of John Thurtell, for the Murder of
Weare, at Hertford Gaol 187

Trial, Confession, and Execution C. T. White, the bookseller, for
Arson, and Amelia Roberts, for Robbery 188

Confession and Execution of Wm. Corder, for the Murder of Maria
Marten in the Red Barn 189

Trial, Sentence, Confession, and Execution of Bishop and Williams,
THE BURKERS 190-1

---- of James Greenacre, for the Edgeware-road Murder 192

---- of Courvoisier, for the Murder of Lord Wm. Russell 193

---- of Robert Blakesley, for the Murder of Jas. Burden 194

---- of Daniel Good, for the Murder of Jane Jones 195

---- of T. B. Rush, for the Murder of Mr. Jermy 196

---- of J. G. Wilson, for the Murder of a Wife, two children, and
the Maid at Liverpool 197

---- Manning and his Wife, for the Murder of Patrick O’Connor 198

The Esher Tragedy, Six Children Murdered by their Mother, Mrs.
Brough, Nurse to the Prince of Wales 199

Execution of William Cogan, for the Murder of his Wife 200

---- of G. Gardner for Shooting his Sweetheart 201

Life, Trial and Execution of W. G. Youngman, the Walworth Murderer 202

The Wigan Murder.--Examination and Confession of John Healey 203

Execution of Priscilla Biggadike for the Wilful Murder of her
Husband 204

---- of Frederick Baker, the Alton Murderer 205

---- of M’Conville and Dolan 206

---- of Samuel Wright, for Murder of Maria Green 207

---- of James Clitheroe, for Murder 208

Horrid Murder of a Gentleman in a Railway Carriage 209

Murder in a Railway Train 210

Chase, Capture, and Arrival of Muller, for the Murder of Mr.
Briggs in a Railway Train 211

Execution and Confession of Muller 212

---- of James Longhurst 213

---- of Miles Weatherhill, the Young Weaver, and his Sweetheart,
Sarah Bell 214

Trial and Sentence of Miss Constance Kent 215

---- of Forward, for the Murder of Three Children and his Wife 216

Execution of the Five Pirates of the Flowery Land 217

Condemnation and Execution of Leigh for the Murder at Brighton 218

Barbarous Murder of a Child by a Schoolmistress 219

Farewell to the World of E. Bishop, under Sentence of Death, for
the Murder of Alfred Cartwright 220

Lamentations of J. Mapp under Sentence of Death in Shrewsbury Gaol 221

Lamentations of H. Lingley, Sentenced to Death for Murder

“For that cruel murder he’s doomed to die
On Norwich fatal sad gallows high.” 222

Trial, Confession and Execution of Alice Holt, for the Wicked
Murder of her own Mother 223

Cruel and Inhuman Murder of a little Boy by his Father 224

Lamentation and Confession of J. E. Jeffery, of Bristol

“I am doomed to die, my glass is run,
For the murder of my darling son.” 225

Murder of a Wife near Hastings 226

Lamentation of John Fletcher and Ann Lawrence, who now lie under
Sentence of Death at Maidstone Gaol 227

Execution of Michael Barrett for the Wilful Murder of Sarah Jane
Hodgkinson, one of the Sufferers of the Clerkenwell Explosion 228

---- of Allen, Gould, and Larkins, for the Murder of Sergeant
Brett 229

The Last Moments and Confession of Wm. Sheward 230

Execution of John Devine, for the Murder of Joseph Duck at
Marylebone 231

---- of Martin Brown, for the Diabolical Murder on Newmarket Hill,
near Lewes 232

---- of A. Mackay, for the Murder of Mrs. Grossmith 233

Shocking Murder of a Wife and Six Children 234

Execution of John Gregson, for the Murder of his Wife at Liverpool 235

---- of F. Hinson, for the Murder of Maria Death 236

---- of J. Rutterford, at Bury St. Edmunds, for the Murder of
J. Hight 237

Blank Leaves for mounting other Examples of “GALLOWS LITERATURE”

A COLLECTION

OF

“COCKS,” OR “CATCHPENNIES.”

“The common people are to be caught by the ears as one catches a pot by the handle.”

DIVISION I.

A COLLECTION OF “COCKS,” OR “CATCHPENNIES,” STREET DROLLERIES, SQUIBS, HISTORIES, COMIC TALES IN PROSE AND VERSE.

“COCKS--fictitious narratives, in verse or prose, of murders, fires, and terrible accidents, sold in the streets as true accounts. The man who hawks them, a patterer, often changes the scene of the awful event to suit the taste of the neighbourhood he is trying to delude. Possibly a corruption of COOK, a cooked statement, or, as a correspondent suggests, the COCK LANE ghost may have given rise to the term. This had a great run, and was a rich harvest to the running stationers.”--HOTTEN’S SLANG DICTIONARY.

“Few of the residents in London--but chiefly those in the quieter streets,” says Mr. Henry Mayhew, in his exceedingly amusing work of “London Labour and the London Poor,”--“have not been aroused, and most frequently in the evening, by a hurly-burly on each side of the street. An attentive listening will not lead any one to an accurate knowledge of what the clamour is about. It is from a ‘mob’ or ‘school’ of running patterers, and consists of two, three, or four men. All these men state that the greater the noise they make, the better is the chance of sale, and better still when the noise is on each side of the street, for it appears as if the vendors were proclaiming such interesting or important intelligence, that they were vieing with one another who should supply the demand which must ensue. It is not possible to ascertain with any creditude _what_ the patterers are so anxious to sell, for only a few leading words are audible, as ‘Horrible,’ ‘Dreadful,’ ‘Murder,’ ‘One penny,’ ‘Love,’ ‘One penny,’ ‘Mysterious,’ ‘Seduction,’ ‘Former crimes,’ ‘Nine children,’ ‘Coal-cellar,’ ‘Pool of blood,’ ‘One penny,’ and the like, can only be caught by the ear, and there is no announcement of anything like ‘particulars.’ The running patterers describe, or profess to describe, the contents of their papers as they go along, and they seldom or never stand still. They usually deal in murders, seductions, crim.-cons., explosions, alarming accidents, ‘assassinations,’ deaths of public characters, duels, and love-letters. But popular, or notorious murders are the ‘great goes.’ The running patterer cares less than any other street-sellers for bad weather, for if he ‘work’ on a wet and gloomy evening, and if the work be ‘A COCK,’--which is, a fictitious statement,--there is less chance of anyone detecting the _ruse_. Among the old stereotyped ‘COCKS’ are love-letter. One is well known as a “Married Man caught in a Trap.” And being in a dialogue and an epistolary form, subserves any purpose: as the ‘Love-Letters,’ that have passed between Mr. Smith, the butcher, baker, grocer, draper, &c.--‘the decoyer of female innocence’--and Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Jones, or Mrs. Robinson, or Miss A--, B--, or C--, not 100 yards off--‘And the very image of his father,’ &c., &c.--and can be fitted to any real or pretended local scandal.

When the patterer visits the country, he is accompanied by a mate, and the “copy of werses” is then announced as being written by an “underpaid curate” within a day’s walk. “It tells mostly, sir,” said one man; “for its a blessing to us that there always is a journeyman parson what the people knows, and what the patter fits.” Sometimes the poetry is attributed to a sister of mercy, or to a popular poetess; very frequently, by the patterers who best understand the labouring classes, to Miss Eliza Cook. Sometimes the verses are written by a “sympathising gent” in that parish, “but his name wasn’t to be mentioned, or any nobleman or gentleman,” whose name is before the public in connection with any recent event, or an assumed account of “A Battle between Two Ladies of Fortune.” The patterers have only to stick a picture in their hat to attract attention, and to make all the noise they can.

Occasionally, the running patterer transmigrates into a standing one, betaking himself to “board work,” as it is termed in street technology, and stopping at the corners of thoroughfares with a large pictorial placard raised upon a pole, and glowing with highly-coloured exaggerations of the interesting terrors of the pamphlet he has for sale.

When there are no “popular murders” the standing patterer orders of the artist a new and startling “cock-board” and sells his books or pamphlets, the titles of some of which are fully set forth and well displayed; for example: “Horrible murder and mutilation of Lucy Game, aged 15, by her cruel brother, William Game, aged 10, of Westmill, Hertfordshire. His committal and confession, with a copy of a letter sent to his affectionate parents.” “Full particulars of the poisonings in Essex,--the whole family poisoned by the female servant. Confession of her guilt.--Was seduced by her master.--Revenged herself on the family.” Another is--“Founded on facts--The Whitby Tragedy, or the Gambler’s Fate, containing the lives of Joseph Carr, aged 21, and his sweetheart, Maria Leslie, aged 18, who were found dead, lying by each other on the morning of the 23rd of May. Maria was on her road to town to buy some ribbon and other things for her wedding day, when her lover, in a state of intoxication, fired at her, then run to rob his prey, but finding it was his sweetheart, reloaded his Gun, placed the Muzzle to his Mouth, and blew out his Brains, all through the cursed Cards and Drink. With an affectionate copy of verses.”

A popular street-book for “board work” is entitled “Horrible Rape and Murder!!! The affecting case of Mary Ashford, a beautiful young virgin, who was diabolically Ravished, Murdered, and thrown into a Pit, as she was returning from a Dance, including the Trial of Abraham Thornton for the Wilful Murder of the said Mary Ashford; with the whole of the Evidence, Charges to the Jury, &c., with a Correct Plan of the Spot where the Rape and Murder were Committed.”

This “street-book” is founded on a fact, and, in reality, gives the salient points of a memorable circumstance which took place in 1817, when Abraham Thornton was charged at the Warwick Assizes, before Mr. Justice Holroyd, for the murder and violation of Mary Ashford, at Erdington, near Birmingham. The prisoner was found--after a consultation of the jury of five minutes--Not Guilty, to the utmost surprise and disappointment of all persons assembled. The second charge of committing a rape on the body of the said Mary Ashford was abandoned by the prosecution. The case created the greatest possible sensation at the time, and the trial and subsequent appeal were printed and published in a separate form, and occupies 120 pages in double columns, “with a correct plan of the spot where the rape and murder were committed, and a portrait of Thornton drawn and engraved by G. Cruikshank.”

The acquittal of Thornton in the atrocious rape and murder of Mary Ashford excited the most undisguised feelings of disappointment in all classes of persons throughout the kingdom, and various provincial newspapers began to canvass the subject with vigour, freedom, and research. This aroused most of the London papers, and the _Independent Whig_ on Sunday, August 17th after fully commenting on the case, cited several instances where individuals, who, after having been arraigned under the charge of murder and acquitted, were tried a second time for the same offence, in consequence of an appeal by the next of kin of the deceased against the verdict of the jury, and wound up their remarks by that,--“If ever there was a case of brutality, violation and murder, that had greater claims upon the sympathy of the world than another, and demands a second trial, we think it is exhibited in that of the unfortunate Mary Ashford.” This gave the “key-note,” a very large section of the press adopted the same view of the case, and a subscription was immediately set on foot--Mary’s friends being in indigent circumstances--to defray the necessary expenses. And Abraham Thornton was apprehended a second time, on a Writ of Appeal, for the murder of Mary Ashford, which excited an interest in the public mind altogether unprecedented--an interest that was heightened by the unusual recurrence of the obsolete proceedings necessary in the case by the Saxon Writ of Appeal, together with the staggering fact of Thornton having challenged his appellant--William, the eldest brother of the deceased Mary Ashford--to a solemn trial by battle, and avowing himself ready to defend his innocence with his body.

The challenge was formally given by throwing down a glove upon the floor of the Court of King’s Bench, whence the case had been removed by “Writ of Habeas Corpus,” to be heard before Lord Ellenborough. But the combat did not take place, and the prisoner escaped. An Act of Parliament was then passed abolishing the trial by battle in any suit, as a mode unfit to be used.

Mary Ashford was buried in the Churchyard of Sutton Colefield, and over her remains is placed a stone with the following inscription, written by the Rev. Luke Booker:--

“As a warning to female virtue, and a humble
Monument to female chastity,
This stone marks the grave of
MARY ASHFORD,
Who, in the 20th year of her age,
Having incautiously repaired to a
Scene of amusement, without proper protection,
Was brutally violated and murdered
On the 27th of October, 1817.”

The artist who paints the patterers’ boards, must address his art plainly to the eye of the spectator. He must use the most striking colours, be profuse in the application of scarlet, light blue, orange--not yellow--that not being a good candle-light colour--and must leave nothing to the imagination. Perspective and back-grounds are things but of minor consideration, everything must be sacrificed for effect. These paintings are in water colours, and are rubbed over with a solution of gum-resin to protect them from the influence of rainy weather.

The charge of the popular street-artist for the painting of a board is 2s. or 3s. 6d., according to the simplicity or elaborateness of the details; the board itself is provided by the artist’s employer. The demand for this peculiar branch of street art is very irregular, depending entirely upon whether there has or has not been perpetrated any act of atrocity, which has rivetted, as it is called, the public attention. And so great is the uncertainty felt by the street-folk whether “the most beautiful murder will take or not,” that it is rarely the patterer will order, or the artist will speculate, in anticipation of a demand, upon preparing the painting of any event, until satisfied that it has become “popular.” A deed of more than usual daring, deceit, or mystery, may be at once hailed by those connected with murder-patter as “one that will do,” and some speculation maybe ventured upon, as it was in such cases as Greenacre, Rush, Tawell, and the Mannings, but these are merely exceptional, so uncertain, it appears, is all that depends, without intrinsic merit, on mere popular applause.

It is stated that Catnach cleared over £500 by Weare’s murder and Thurtell’s trial and execution, and was so loth to leave it, that when a wag put him up to a joke, and showed him how he might set the thing a-going again, he could not withstand it, so about a fortnight after Thurtell had been hanged “Jemmy” brought out a startling broad-sheet, headed “WE ARE ALIVE AGAIN!” He put so little space between the two words “we” and “are,” that it looked at first sight like “WEARE.” Many thousands were bought by the ignorant and gullible public, but those who did not like the trick called it a “CATCHPENNY,” and this gave rise to this peculiar term, which ever afterwards stuck to the issues of the “Seven Dials Press.”

For the use of the first two wood cuts in our collection of “Cocks” and “Catchpennies” we are indebted to the kindness of Messrs. Charles Griffin and Co., of Stationers’ Hall Court, the present proprietors of Mayhew’s _London Labour and the London Poor_--a work which, of all others, gives by far the best description of LONDON STREET-FOLK; and is of itself a complete cyclopædia of the condition and earnings of--those that _will_ work, those that _cannot_ work, and those that _will not_ work. We had intended to have used the originals of “Jemmy” Catnach, but Mr. W. S. Fortey, his successor, writes to inform us that, after a lengthened and active service, the cuts in question were worked and worked until they fell to pieces.

With these remarks we now introduce our readers to a genuine Catnachian “Cock,” and one that is said to have “fought well in its day,” entitled, “Horrid Murder Committed by a Young Man on a Young Woman.”

HORRID MURDER, Committed by a young Man on a young Woman.

George Caddell became acquainted with Miss Price and a degree of intimacy subsisted between them, and Miss Price, degraded as she was by the unfortunate step she had taken, still thought herself an equal match for one of Mr. Caddell’s rank of life. As pregnancy was shortly the result of their intimacy, she repeatedly urged him to marry her, but he resisted her importunities for a considerable time. At length she heard of his paying his addresses to Miss Dean, and threatened, in case of his non-compliance, to put an end to all his prospects with that young lady, by discovering everything that had passed between them. Hereupon he formed a horrid resolution of murdering her, for he could neither bear the thought of forfeiting the esteem of a woman who he loved, nor of marrying one who had been as condescending to another as to himself. So he called on Miss Price on a Saturday and requesting her to walk with him in the fields on the following day, in order to arrange a plan for their intended marriage. Miss Price met him at the time appointed, on the road leading to Burton, at a house known by the name of “The Nag’s Head.” Having accompanied her supposed lover into the fields, and walked about till towards evening, they sat down under a hedge, where, after a little conversation, Caddell suddenly pulled out a knife and cut her throat, and made his escape, but not before he had waited till she was dead. In the distraction of his mind he left behind him the knife with which he had perpetrated the deed, and his case of instruments. On the following morning, Miss Price being found murdered in the field, great numbers went to take a view of the body, among whom was the woman of the house where she lodged, who recollected that she said she was going to walk with Mr. Caddell, on which the instruments were examined and sworn to have belonged to him. He was accordingly taken into custody.

J. Catnach, Printer, Monmouth Court.

CRUEL AND INHUMAN MURDER Committed upon the body of Captain Lawson.

It is with surprise we have learned that this neighbourhood for a length of time, was amazingly alarmed this day, by a crowd of people carrying the body of Mr James Lawson to a doctor, while streams of blood besmeared the way in such a manner, that cries of murder re-echoed the sound of numerous voices. It appears that the cause of alarm, originated through a courtship attended with a solemn promise of marriage, between him and Miss Lucy Gurd, a handsome young lady of refined feelings, with the intercourse of a superior enlightened mind, who lived with her aunt, who spared neither pain, nor cost, to improve the talents of Miss G. these seven years past, since the death of her mother in Ludgate Hill, London, and bore a most excellent character, until she got entangled by the deluding allurements of Mr L., who after they mutually agreed and appointed the nuptial day, not only violated his promise, (on account of her fortune being small,) but boasted thro’ the neighbourhood of the unbecoming manner he had triumphed over her virtue (which left her in a languishing situation those six months past) while he chanted his eloquence to another young lady, of a stamp more adequate to a covetous mind, (namely of a great fortune) who took such a deep impression in his heart, that he advanced the most energetic gallantry, and obtained her consent, got the banns published in London, and on the point of getting married to her, with a rapturous prospect of holding a rural wedding, yet we find that the intended bride had learned that Miss Gurd held certain promissory letters of his, and that she determined to enter an action against him for a breach of promise, which moved, clouded and eclipsed over the variable Mr Lawson, who knew that Miss Gurd had letters of his, sufficient to substantiate her claim in a Court of Law. However, he was determined to remove that obstacle, at all events, which was not likely to diminish the only idol which the twofold miscreant so faithfully worshipped--namely, gold and that nothing should prevent his intended wedding, but it appears, when he comes to traverse his imagination, that two unexpected obstacles greatly embarrassed his proceedings. He demanded from her his letters at the peril of her life, which Miss G. like a distinguished young lady, refused, and prepared herself with unequal fortitude, and after stating to him the consequences of his unmanly conduct she cautiously ordered him to quit the premises, where to confirm his ambition (which crowned his reward) he readily attempted to get near her trunk, through which a sturdy scuffle ensued, and while she screamed for assistance, he attempted to commit an outrageous violation on her person, when to protect her virtue, she drew a large carving knife, and stabbed him under the left breast (which quickly brought him to subjection), his vehement cries alarmed the neighbours, who came to her assistance, and found them both in a contest at the door, while she thrusted him out in a gore of blood, which exhibited a scene of such momentary confusion, that the most anxious conjecture was unable to draw the slightest idea on the wanton provocation, yet it appears that though the skillful physicians succeeded in stopping the blood, that they can form but little hopes of his recovery, as they are doubtful as to the knife having separated an artery, and should thus prove to be the case, they are decidedly of opinion, that it will put a certain period to his existence, which leaves the intended bride to bewail her disappointment, while the valiant victress was forced to submit to judicial decorum in the 19th year of her age, where sufficient sponsors voluntary offered to join her recognisance, to await the issue. The whole of her evidence being bound to appear on her final trial (which will gratify the curious where we expect the judge of equity will give an electrical oration, on amorous gallantry, passionate affection, breach of promises, &c., when Cupid’s private Ambassadors, or the precious Love Letters will appear unmasked at Chelmsford ensuing Assizes.--_Epping Telegraph._

J. Catnach, Printer, Monmouth Court, Seven Dials.

The Life, Trial, Execution, Lamentation, and Letter written by the unfortunate man James Ward,

Aged 25, who was hung in front of the Gaol,

_For the Wilful Murder he committed on the body of his Wife, near Edminton_.

TRIAL.

At an early hour on the morning of the trial, the court was crowded to excess, the Judge taking his seat at nine o’clock. The Prisoner, on being placed at the bar, pleaded ‘Not Guilty’ in a firm tone of voice. The trial lasted many hours, when, having been found ‘GUILTY,’ the learned Judge addressed the prisoner as follows:--

“Prisoner, you have been found guilty of a most cold-blooded murder, a more deliberate murder I never heard of. You and your wife had been to a neighbouring town, and were returning home, when you did it. She was found in a ditch. I cannot hold out the slightest hope of mercy towards you in this case.” During this address the whole court was melted into tears. His Lordship then put on the black cap and passed the sentence as usual, holding out no hope of mercy to the prisoner.

Letter written after his Condemnation.

Condemned Cell.

Dear Sister,

When you receive this you will see that I am condemned to die;
my Father and Mother are coming to take their last farewell,
and I should very much liked to have seen you, but knowing that
you are on the eve of bringing into the world another to your
family, I beg that you will refrain from coming; if that you do
serious may be the consequences, therefore, dear Sister, do not
attempt to come. I hope that no one will upbraid you for what
I have done; so may God bless you and yours; farewell! dear
sister for ever.

J WARDE

EXECUTION.

The Execution of the above prisoner took place early this morning at eight o’clock, the people flocking to the scene at an early hour. As the period of the wretched man’s departure drew near, the chaplain became anxious to obtain from him a confession of the justice of the sentence. He acknowledged the justice of his sentence, and said he was not fit to live, and that he was afraid to die, but he prayed to the Lord for forgiveness, and hoped through the merits of his Saviour that his prayer would be heard. Having received the sacrament, the executioner was not long in performing his office. The solemn procession moved towards the place of execution, the chaplain repeating the confession words, “In the midst of life we are in death.” Upon ascending the platform he appeared to tremble very much. The cap being drawn over his eyes and the signal given, the wretched man was launched into eternity. He died almost without a struggle. After the body had hanged the usual time it was cut down and buried according to the sentence, in the gaol.

LAMENTATION.

Come all you feeling hearted christians, wherever you may be,
Attention give to these few lines, and listen unto me;
Its of this cruel murder, to you I will unfold,
The bare recital of the same will make your blood run cold.

Confined within a lonely cell, with sorrow I am opprest,
The very thoughts of what I’ve done deprives me of rest;
“Within this dark and gloomy cell in the county Gaol I lie,
For murder of my dear wife I am condemned to die.

For four long years I’d married been, I always lov’d her well,
Till at length I was overlooked, oh shame for me to tell;
By Satan sure I was beguiled, he led me quite astray,
Unto another I gave way on that sad unlucky day.

I well deserve my wretched fate, no one can pity me,
To think that I in cold blood could take the life away;
I took a stake out of the hedge and hit on the head,
My cruel blows I did repeat until she were dead.

I dragged the body from the stile to a ditch running by,
I quite forgot there’s One above with an all-seeing eye,
Who always brings such deeds to light, as you so plainly see,
I questioned was about it and took immediately.

The body’s found, the inquest held, to prison I was sent,
With shame I do confess my sin, with grief I do repent;
And when my trial did come on, I was condemned to die,
An awful death in public scorn, upon the gallows high.

While in my lonely cell I lie, the time draws on apace,
The dreadful deeds that I have done appear before my face;
While lying on my dreadful couch those horrid visions rise,
The ghastly form of my dear wife appears before my eyes.

Oh may my end a warning be now unto all mankind,
And think of my unhappy fate and bear me in your mind;
Whether you are rich or poor, your wives and children love,
So God will fill your fleeting days with blessings from above.

Rocliff, Printer, Old Gravel Lane, London.

SHOCKING RAPE AND MURDER OF TWO LOVERS.

Showing how John Hedges, a farmer’s son, committed a rape upon Jane Williams, and afterwards Murdered her and her lover, William Edwards, in a field near Paxton.