Chapter I: Preface

I have written this Gossip not only for the edification of those to whom a portion, more or less, may be news, but for those who, like myself, have lived through the whole of Queen Victoria's reign, to whom the remembrance of things, almost forgotten, may bring pleasure and excite interest. The items, herein displayed, have been gathered from many sources, and their authenticity is guaranteed by giving the name of the authority whence they were taken, in very many instances _ipsissima verba_, as paraphrasing would rob them of their freshness and individuality. All the illustrations are contemporaneous, and, good or bad, belong to the text and should not be altered.

JOHN ASHTON.

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CONTENTS.

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CHAPTER I.
1837 The Queen's Accession--Proclamation--Funeral of 1
the King--The Queen and Social Functions--Mr.
Montefiore--Amusing Letter--Electric
Telegraph--Knocker-wrenching: Amusements of the
Young Aristocracy
CHAPTER II.
Thames Tunnel Flooded--First Mention of the Nelson 12
Column--Sale of the King's Stud--Marriage by
Registrar--Commencement of New Houses of
Parliament--Lunatics and the Queen--The Queen's
Visit to the Guildhall--Lord Beaconsfield's Maiden
Speech
CHAPTER III.
1838 Destruction of the Royal Exchange--Sale of the 23
Salvage--Spring-heeled Jack and his Pranks--Lord
John Russell's Hat
CHAPTER IV.
Lords and Pugilists--"Penny Gaffs"--Steam between 34
England and America--A Man-Woman--Designs for
Nelson's Monument--A Termagant--Scold's Bridles,
&c.
CHAPTER V.
Thom, the Religious Fanatic--His Riots and 45
Death--Delusions of his Followers
CHAPTER VI.
The Queen's Coronation--The Carriages--The Fair 53
and Festivities in Hyde Park--The Marquis of
Waterford's Drive: His Freaks at Melton
Mowbray--Steam Carriages--Dog Carriages--Grand
Dinner at Guildhall
CHAPTER VII.
Genesis of the "Charter"--London and North-Western 65
Railway opened to Birmingham--Overland Route to
India--A Bold Smuggler--Visitors to the
Queen--"The Boy Jones"
CHAPTER VIII.
1839 Death of Lord Norbury--Birth of 77
Photography--Experimental Street
Pavements--Forecast of the Queen's Marriage--Sad
Story of Lady Flora Hastings--Story of a Climbing
Boy--Van Amburgh--Embanking the Thames--Victoria
Park--Robbery of Gold Dust
CHAPTER IX.
Queen Elizabeth's Statue--The Ladies of the 89
Bed-chamber--The Queen hissed at Ascot Races--Land
at Melbourne--Sunday Trading--New Way of Paying
Church Rates
CHAPTER X.
The Eglinton Tournament--Sale of Armour, &c.--The 100
Queen of Beauty and the Cook--Newspapers and their
Sales
CHAPTER XI.
The Chartists: Their going to Church--Dissolution 111
of the Convention--Approaching Marriage of the
Queen--The Queen and Lunatics--Raid on a Gaming
House--Act of Penance
CHAPTER XII.
1840 Commencement of Penny Post--Postage Stamps--Prince 118
Albert's Allowance--_The Times_' Comments on the
Marriage--Royal Wedding Cake--Louis Napoleon's
Duel--Nelson Column--Noblemen's Servants--Uproar
at the Royal Italian Opera House
CHAPTER XIII.
The Mulready Envelope--Plans of Royal Exchange 130
decided on--Fire at York Minster--Queen shot at by
Oxford--Oxford in Bedlam--Scientific
Agriculture--Electro Metallurgy--Embossed
Envelopes--Sale of Louis Napoleon's Effects
CHAPTER XIV.
Lord Cardigan and the "Black Bottle" Case--Lord 142
Cardigan's Duel with Lieut. Tuckett--Steam to
India--Nelson Column--Mormonism--"The Boy
Jones"--Napoleon's Body transferred to France
CHAPTER XV.
1841 Death of Scott, "the American Diver"--Prince 152
Albert's Ducking--Monster Cheese--"The Boy
Jones"--"Tracts for the Times"--Tract XC.--Earl of
Cardigan flogs a Soldier on Sunday--Dispute as to
the Discovery of the Electric Telegraph--Sale of
Shakspere Autograph--The Census--Astley's
Amphitheatre Burnt--Behaviour of "Gentlemen"
CHAPTER XVI.
Story of an Irish Informer--Steam Cars--Sale of 165
Vauxhall Gardens--First Jewish Baronet--New
Railway opened--High Tide--Fire at the
Tower--Birth of Prince of Wales: His Patent as
such--The Thames at length Tunnelled--Antiquities
found in the Royal Exchange
CHAPTER XVII.
1842 Foundation of Royal Exchange laid--Medal connected 177
therewith--Father Mathew's Miracle--Christening of
the Prince of Wales--King Edward VII.--Hard Work
of the King of Prussia--The Earthquake in
London--The Queen drinking
"Grog"--Photography--Talbotype--Sale at Strawberry
Hill--Presents to the King of Prussia
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Royal "Bal Costume"--The Queen shot at by 187
Francis and by Bean--Duke of Cambridge's
Star--Chartism--Income Tax--Female Chartist
Association--A Gipsy Trial--Closing of the Fleet
Prison--Married in a Sheet--Enormous Damages in a
Gambling Case
CHAPTER XIX.
1843 Murder of Mr. Drummond--Rebecca and her 199
Daughters--Spread of the Movement through
Wales--Its End--Rebecca Dramatised--Rebecca in
London
CHAPTER XX.
Gretna Green Parsons--Number of Marriages--Chinese 209
Indemnity--Thames Tunnel--The Aerial
Machine--Treasure Trove--Accident to Mr.
Brunel--Arkwright's Will--Secession in the Scotch
Church--The "Gent"--Shakspere's Autograph
CHAPTER XXI.
Exhibition of Cartoons--A Duel--Gambling--The 220
"Albert Hat"--Nelson's Statue: Fun
thereon--Soldier's Savings Banks--A Post Boy and
Lord Mayor's Show--M. Jullien and his
Orchestra--Prince Albert as a Farmer--George IV.'s
Statue--Ojibbeway Indians
CHAPTER XXII.
1844 A Child for Sale--Trial, &c. of Daniel 232
O'Connell--General Tom Thumb: His Visit to the
Queen--The Polka--How to dance it--"Jullien's
Grand Polka"
CHAPTER XXIII.
An English Dinner--Consols at Par--The "Running 245
Rein" Case--Other Frauds--Royal Visitors--Opening
Letters by Government--Duke of Wellington's
Statue--Barry on the Thames--Visit of Louis
Philippe--Guano--Queen opens Royal Exchange--Lord
Mayor Hissed
CHAPTER XXIV.
1845 Murder by Tawell--Curious Story--Statue of King 256
William IV.--Visits by the Queen--Testimonial to
Rowland Hill--Breaking the Portland Vase--Sad End
of William Austin--Sale of Van Amburgh's
Stud--Hungerford Suspension Bridge--Accident at
Yarmouth--An Excise Case--Beginning of the Railway
Mania--Sailing of Sir John Franklin
CHAPTER XXV.
The Queen's Costume Ball--Copper Coinage of 267
William IV.--New Oxford Street opened--Sale of
Napoleon Relics--Story of Nelson's Coat--Visit of
the King of the Netherlands--Railway
Speculation--Hire of Newspapers--Reverse of
Fortune--Prince Albert and his Taxes--Waghorn's
Overland Route
CHAPTER XXVI.
The Railway Mania--Deposit of Plans 277
CHAPTER XXVII.
1846 Collapse of the Railway Mania--Sheriffs' 284
Officers--Hudson, the Railway King--First
"Ethiopian Serenaders"--The Nigger Minstrel
Craze--Commencement of Irish Famine--"The Battle
of the Gauges"--Railway Surveyors--Suicide of
Haydon, the Painter
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The Last Post Office Bell-man--The "Corn Law" 296
Act--Sir Walter Scott's Monument--The Irish
Famine--The Duke of Wellington's Statue--Gun
Cotton--Introduction of Ether--Model Dwelling
Houses--Baths and Washhouses--Smithfield Cattle
Market--"The Bull Fight of Smithfield"--The first
Submarine Telegraph