Chapter I: Preface

THAT Sir Walter Scott, when he called his novel “Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since,” thought that the time had come, when the generation, then living, should be presented with a page of history, which would bring to their remembrance the manners and customs of their grandfathers, must be my excuse for this book.

For, never, in the world’s history, has there been such a change in things social, as since the commencement of the Nineteenth Century; it has been a quiet revolution—a good exemplar of which may be found in the Frontispiece, which is a type of things past, never to be recalled. The Watchman has long since given place to the Police; the climbing boy, to chimney-sweeping on a more scientific plan; and no more is “Saloop” vended at street corners; even the drummer-boys are things of the past, only fit for a Museum—and it is of these things that this book treats.

The times, compared with our own, were so very different; Arts, Manufactures, Science, Social Manners, Police, and all that goes to make up the sum of life, were then so widely divergent, as almost to make one disbelieve, whilst reading of them, that such a state of things could exist in this Nineteenth Century of ours. In the first decade, of which I write, Steam was in its very babyhood; locomotives, and steamships, were only just beginning to be heard of; Gas was a novelty, and regarded more as an experiment, than the useful agent we have since found it; whilst Electricity was but a scientific toy, whose principal use was to give galvanic shocks, and cause the limbs of a corpse to move, when applied to its muscles.

Commerce was but just developing, being hampered by a long and cruel war, which, however, was borne with exemplary patience and fortitude by the nation—England, although mistress of the seas, having to hold her own against all Europe in arms. The Manners, Dress, and Food, were all so different to those of our day, that to read of them, especially when the description is taken from undoubtedly contemporary sources, is not only amusing, but instructive.

The Newspapers of the day are veritable mines of information; and, although the work of minutely perusing them is somewhat laborious and irksome, the information exhumed well repays the search. Rich sources, too, to furnish illustrations, are open, and I have availed myself largely of the privilege; and I have endeavoured, as far as in my power lay, to give a faithful record of the Dawn of the Nineteenth Century in England, taken absolutely from original, and authentic, sources.

JOHN ASHTON.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

Retrospect of Eighteenth Century—Napoleon’s letter to George
III.—Lord Grenville’s reply—French prisoners of war in
England—Scarcity of provisions—Gloomy financial outlook—Loan
from the Bank of England—Settlement of the Union with Ireland 1

CHAPTER II.

Accident at a Review—The King shot at, at Drury Lane
Theatre—Behaviour of the Royal Family—Biography of
Hadfield—His trial and acquittal—Grand Review of Volunteers
on the King’s birthday—The bad weather, and behaviour of the
crowd 8

CHAPTER III.

High price of gold—Scarcity of food—Difference in cost of
living 1773-1800—Forestalling and Regrating—Food riots in the
country—Riot in London at the Corn Market—Forestalling in
meat 16

CHAPTER IV.

Continuation of food riots in London—Inefficiency of
Police—Riots still continue—Attempts to negotiate a
Peace—A political meeting on Kennington Common—Scarcity of
Corn—Proclamation to restrict its consumption—Census of the
people 23

CHAPTER V.

The Union with Ireland—Proclamations thereon—Alteration of
Great Seal—Irish Member called to order (footnote)—Discovery
of the Planet Ceres—Proclamation of General Fast—High price
of meat, and prosperity of the farmers—Suffering of the French
prisoners—Political dissatisfaction—John Horne Tooke—Feeding
the French prisoners—Negotiations for Peace—Signing
preliminaries—Illuminations—Methods of making the news
known—Ratification of preliminaries—Treatment of General
Lauriston by the mob—More Illuminations—Manifestation of joy
at Falmouth—Lord Mayor’s banquet 32

CHAPTER VI.

Disarmament and retrenchment—Cheaper provisions—King applied
to Parliament to pay his debts—The Prince of Wales claimed
the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall—Parliament pays the
King’s debts—Abolition of the Income Tax—Signature of the
Treaty of Amiens—Conditions of the Treaty—Rush of the English
to France—Visit of C. J. Fox to Napoleon—Liberation of the
French prisoners of war 45

CHAPTER VII.

Proclamation of Peace—Manner of the procession,
&c.—Illuminations—Day of General Thanksgiving—General
Election—A dishonoured Government bill—Cloth riots in
Wiltshire—Plot to assassinate the King—Arrest of Colonel
Despard—Trial and sentence of the conspirators—Their fate 55

CHAPTER VIII.

Strained relations with France—Prosecution and trial of Jean
Peltier for libel against Napoleon—Rumours of war—King’s
proclamation—Napoleon’s rudeness to Lord Whitworth—Hoax on
the Lord Mayor—Rupture with France—Return of Lord Whitworth,
and departure of the French Ambassador 65

CHAPTER IX.

Declaration of War against France—Napoleon makes all the
English in France prisoners of war—Patriotic Fund—Squibs on
the threatened invasion—“The New Moses”—Handbill signed “A
Shopkeeper”—“Britain’s War-song”—“Who is Bonaparte?”—“Shall
Frenchmen rule over us?”—“An Invasion Sketch” 74

CHAPTER X.

Invasion Squibs continued—“The Freeman’s Oath”—“John
Bull and Bonaparte”—“The Eve of Invasion”—“A Biography
of Napoleon”—“Britons, strike home”—Enrolment of
400,000 Volunteers—Napoleon at Calais—Apprehension of
vagrants, and compulsorily recruiting the Army and Navy
with them—Patriotism of the nation—Preparations in case
of reverse—Beacons—Spies—The French prisoners—Emmett’s
rebellion in Ireland—Its prompt suppression—General
Fast—Relief of the Roman Catholics 89

CHAPTER XI.

Caricatures of the Flotilla—Scarcity of money—Stamping
Spanish dollars—Illness of the King—His recovery—General
Fast—Fall of the Addington Ministry—Debate on the Abolition
of the Slave Trade—Beacons—Transport—Election for
Middlesex—Reconciliation between the King and the Prince of
Wales 104

CHAPTER XII.

Doings of Napoleon—His letter to George III.—Lord Mulgrave’s
reply—War declared against Spain—General Fast—Men voted
for Army and Navy—The Salt Duty—Withdrawal of “The Army of
England”—Battle of Trafalgar and death of Nelson—General
Thanksgiving 112

CHAPTER XIII.

Nelson’s funeral—Epigrams—Death of Pitt—His funeral—General
Fast—Large coinage of copper—Impeachment of Lord
Melville—The Abolition of the Slave Trade passes the House
of Commons—Death and funeral of Fox—His warning Napoleon of
a plot against him—Negotiations for peace—Napoleon declares
England blockaded 120

CHAPTER XIV.

Passing of the Slave Trade Bill—Downfall of the
“Ministry of all the Talents”—General Fast—Election for
Westminster—Death of Cardinal York—Arrival in England of
Louis XVIII.—Copenhagen bombarded, and the Danish Fleet
captured—Napoleon again proclaimed England as blockaded 132

CHAPTER XV.

Gloomy prospects of 1808—King’s Speech—Droits of the
Admiralty—Regulation of Cotton Spinners’ wages—Riots in the
Cotton districts—Battle of Vimiera—Convention of Cintra—Its
unpopularity—Articles of the Convention 136

CHAPTER XVI.

General Fast—The Jubilee—Costume—Former Jubilees—Release
of poor prisoners for debt—Jubilee Song—Jubilee
literature—Poetry—King pardons deserters from Army and Navy 146

CHAPTER XVII.

Common Council decide to relieve Small Debtors—Festivities at
Windsor—Ox roasted whole—How it was done—The Queen and Royal
Family present—Division of the ox, &c.—A bull baited—Fête at
Frogmore—Illuminations—Return of the Scheldt Expedition 153

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Scheldt Expedition—The Earl of Chatham and Sir Richard
Strachan—The citizens of London and the King—General
Fast—Financial disorganization—Issue of stamped dollars—How
they were smuggled out of the country—John Gale Jones and
John Dean before the House of Commons—Sir Francis Burdett
interferes—Publishes libel in _Cobbett’s Weekly Political
Register_—Debate in the House—Sir Francis Burdett committed
to the Tower 159

CHAPTER XIX.

Warrant served on Sir Francis Burdett—He agrees to
go to prison—Subsequently he declares the warrant
illegal—His arrest—His journey to the Tower—The mob—His
incarceration—The mob attack the military—Collision—Killed
and wounded—Sir Francis’s letter to the Speaker—His
release—Conduct of the mob 168

CHAPTER XX.

Good harvest—Thanksgiving for same—List of poor
Livings—Another Jubilee—Illness and death of the Princess
Amelia—Effect on the King—Prayers for his restoration to
health—Funeral of the Princess—Curious position of the Houses
of Parliament—Proposition for a Regency—Close of the first
decade of the XIXth Century 177

CHAPTER XXI.

The roads—Modern traffic compared with old—The stage
coach—Stage waggons—Their speed—Price of posting—The
hackney coach—Sedan chairs—Horse riding—Improvement in
carriages 182

CHAPTER XXII.

Amateur driving—“The Whip Club”—Their dress—“The Four
in Hand Club”—Their dress—Other driving clubs—“Tommy
Onslow”—Rotten Row 189

CHAPTER XXIII.

“The Silent Highway”—Watermen—Their fares—Margate hoys—A
religious hoy—The bridges over the Thames—The Pool—Water
pageants—Necessity for Docks, and their building—Tunnel at
Gravesend—Steamboat on the Thames—Canals 195

CHAPTER XXIV.

Condition of the streets of London—Old oil lamps—Improvement
in lamps—Gas—Its introduction by Murdoch—Its adoption in
London by Winsor—Opposition to it—Lyceum and other places lit
with it—Its gradual adoption—The old tinder box—Improvements
thereon 201

CHAPTER XXV.

Great fires in London—Number of Insurance Companies—Rates of
insurance—Fire-engines and firemen—Scarcity of water—Supply
of water to London—The streets—Their traffic—Shops—Watering
the roads 210

CHAPTER XXVI.

Daily life of the streets—The Chimney Sweep—Mrs.
Montagu—Instances of the hard life of a “climbing
boy”—The Milkmaid—Supply of milk to the Metropolis—“Hot
loaves”—“Water cresses”—whence they came—Other cries 216

CHAPTER XXVII.

The Postman—His dress—The Post Office—Changes of site—Sir
Robert Vyner—Rates of postage and deliveries—Mail
coaches—Places of starting and routes—Number of houses in
London—Description of them—Their furniture 228

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Food—Statistics as to quantity of meat consumed—Scarcity
of fish and game—Supply of latter to London—Venison—A
brewer’s dinner—Beer—Quantity brewed—Wine—Its price—Supply
of vegetables—Sardines and Harvey’s Sauce—Scarcity of
wheat—Forestalling—Rice from India—Bounties given for its
shipment 235

CHAPTER XXIX.

Parliamentary Committee on the high price of provisions—Bounty
on imported corn, and on rice from India and America—The
“Brown Bread Bill”—Prosecution of bakers for light
weight—Punishment of a butcher for having bad meat—Price of
beef, mutton, and poultry—Cattle shows—Supply of food from
France—Great fall in prices here—Hotels, &c.—A clerical
dessert 243

CHAPTER XXX.

Men’s dress—The “Jean de Bry” coat—Short coats fashionable at
watering-places—“All Bond Street trembled as he strode”—Rules
for the behaviour of a “Bond Street Lounger” 250

CHAPTER XXXI.

“The three Mr. Wiggins’s”—The “Crops”—Hair-powdering—The
powdering closet—Cost of clothes—Economy in hats—Taxing
hats—Eye-glasses—“The Green Man” at Brighton—Eccentricities
in dress 256

CHAPTER XXXII.

Ladies’ dress—French costume—Madame Recamier—The classical
style—“Progress of the toilet”—False hair—Hair-dresser’s
advertisement—The Royal Family and dress—Curiosities of
costume 263

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Diversions of people of fashion—Daily life of the
King—Children—Education—Girls’ education—Matrimonial
advertisements—Gretna Green marriages—Story of a wedding
ring—Wife selling—“A woman to let” 275

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Gambling—Downfall of Lady Archer, &c.—Card playing in
the Royal Circle—Card money—High play—Play at the
Clubs—Lotteries—The method of drawing them—Horse
racing—Turf and horses better than now—Curious names of
race horses—Ladies Lade and Thornton—Lady Thornton’s
races—Tattersall and Aldridge 285

CHAPTER XXXV.

Cock-fighting—Its illegality—Public recognition
of it—Description of company at a cock-fight—High
stakes—Bull-baiting—Debate thereon in the House of
Commons—Prize-fighting—Famous pugilists—George IV. as a
patron of the Ring—Attempts to put down prize-fighting—Female
physical education—Cudgel-playing, and other sports 295

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Hunting then, and now—Hunting near the Metropolis—The Epping
Hunt—Fishing—Shooting then, and now—Guns—Methods of proving
gun barrels—Big charges—Introduction of the Percussion
Cap—Size of bags—Colonel Thornton’s bet 305

CHAPTER XXXVII.

A Cockney’s account of the First of September—Pigeon
shooting—Out-door games—Cricket—High stakes—Lord’s cricket
ground—Trap and ball—Billiards—Life of Andrews the billiard
player 313

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

The Theatre—Number of theatres in London—Famous actors and
actresses—Disturbances at a theatre—Master Betty, “The Infant
Roscius”—His country experience—Puffs preliminary—His first
appearance in London—Crowds to see him—Presented to the King
and the Prince of Wales—Acts at Drury Lane—His subsequent
career 322

CHAPTER XXXIX.

Betty’s imitators—Miss Mudie, “The Young Roscia”—Her
first appearance in London—Reception by the audience—Her
fate—Ireland’s forgery of “Vortigern and Rowena”—Fires among
the theatres—Destruction of Covent Garden and Drury Lane 333

CHAPTER XL.

The O. P. Riots—Causes of—Madame Catalani—Kemble’s
refutation of charges—Opening of the theatre, and
commencement of the riots—O. P. medals, &c.—“The house that
Jack built”—A committee of examination—Their report—A
reconciliation dinner—Acceptation of a compromise—“We are
satisfied”—Theatre re-opens—Re-commencement of riots—The
proprietors yield, and the riots end 339

CHAPTER XLI.

“The Pic-nic Club”—Its supporters—Its entertainment—Its
short life—Automata and wool pictures—Almack’s—Pidcock’s
Menagerie—“The Invisible Girl”—Vauxhall—Sir Roger de
Coverley—Price of admission, &c.—Ranelagh Gardens 354

CHAPTER XLII.

Music—Composers of the time—Mrs. Billington—Her
salaries—Mdlle. Mara—Mrs. Crouch—Incledon—Braham—Chamber
music—Musical societies—Commemoration of Dr.
Arne—Competition of pipers—Dancing—The Valse 361

CHAPTER XLIII.

Painting—“The Royal Academy of Art”—The principal
private Picture Galleries—Benjamin West—James
Barry—Fuseli—Opie—Minor artists—Turner—Sir
Thomas Laurence—Morland—Sale of his
pictures—Sculptors—Engravers—Boydell—“The Exhibition of
Paintings in Water Colours”—Its members—“The Associated
Artists in Water Colours”—Literature—List of literary persons
of the decade—Five-volume novels—Decyphering papyri—Major
Ouseley’s Oriental Library—The Pope and the Lord’s Prayer—The
Alfred Club 369

CHAPTER XLIV.

The Press—_Morning Post_ and _Times_—Duty on newspapers—Rise
in price—The publication of circulation to procure
advertisements—Paper warfare between the _Times_ and the
_Morning Post_—The British Museum—Its collection, and bad
arrangement—Obstacles to visitors—Rules relaxed—The Lever
Museum—Its sale by lottery—Anatomical Museums of the two
Hunters 379

CHAPTER XLV.

Medical—The Doctor of the old School—The rising lights—Dr.
Jenner—His discovery of vaccination for smallpox—Opposition
thereto—Perkins’s Metallic Tractors—The “Perkinean
Institution”—His cures—Electricity and Galvanism—Galvanizing
a dead criminal—Lunatic Asylums—Treatment of the insane—The
Hospitals 385

CHAPTER XLVI.

The Royal Society and the Royal Institution—Scientific
men of the time—Society of Arts—Other learned
Societies—Ballooning—Steam—Steamboats—Locomotives—Fourdrinier
and the paper-making machine—Coals—Their price—Committee of
the House of Commons on coal—Price of coals 394

CHAPTER XLVII.

The Navy—Sailor’s carelessness—“The Sailor’s Journal”—The
sailor and “a dilly”—Dress of the sailors—Rough life both for
officers and men—Number of ships in Commission—Pressing—A
man killed by a press-gang—Mutinies—That of the
_Danäe_—Mutiny on board the _Hermione_, and cold-blooded
slaughter of the officers—Mutiny in Bantry Bay—Pay of the
officers—French prisoners of war 402

CHAPTER XLVIII.

The Army—Number of
men—Dress—Hair-powder—Militia—Commissions easily
obtained—Price of substitutes—The Volunteers—Dress of
the Honourable and Ancient Artillery Company—Bloomsbury
Volunteers, and Rifle Volunteers—Review at Hatfield—Grand
rising of Volunteers in 1803 412

CHAPTER XLIX.

Volunteer Regulations—The Brunswick Rifle—“Brown
Bess”—Volunteer shooting—Amount subscribed to Patriotic
Fund—Mr. Miller’s patriotic offer 419

CHAPTER L.

The Clarke Scandal—Biography of Mrs. Clarke—Her levées—Her
scale of prices for preferments—Commission of the House of
Commons—Exculpation of the Duke of York—His resignation—Open
sale of places—Caution thereon—Duels—That between Colonel
Montgomery and Captain Macnamara 427

CHAPTER LI.

Police—Dr. Colquhoun’s book—The old Watchmen—Their
inadequacy admitted—Description of them—Constables—“First
new mode of robbing in 1800”—Robbery in the House
of Lords—Whipping—Severe sentence—The Stocks—The
Pillory—Severe punishment—Another instance 435

CHAPTER LII.

Smuggling—An exciting smuggling adventure—The Brighton
fishermen and the Excise—“Body-snatching”—“Benefit
of Clergy”—Tyburn tickets—Death the penalty for many
crimes—“Last dying Speech”—The “condemned pew” at
Newgate—Horrible execution at Jersey—The new drop—An
impenitent criminal 444