Chapter I: Preface

Several "Life and Times of William IV." have been written, but they all contain a great deal of "Life," and very little "Times." The present book reverses this, and deals, primarily, with the chief topics of conversation during the seven years of King William's reign, and, afterwards, with the social aspect of the times.

Although I treat of a period but sixty years since, it is a time of which much is to be said which is unknown to the present generation, and one which has had a deep and lasting influence on our own times. Then began the mighty reign of steam; then was inaugurated the first passenger railway, to which small beginning England owes so much. Then, too, steam navigation began to be general, developing that commerce which has been the making of the country. Science woke up, as did Art, whilst the introduction of the Railway caused our manufactures to progress by leaps and bounds.

Politics have been avoided as much as possible; and, although the book is necessarily somewhat discursive, I would fain hope it will be found interesting; and, in the words of the writer of Maccabees (Book II. xv. 38), I say, "Which if I have done well, and as it becometh the history, it is what I desired, but, if not so perfectly, it must be pardoned me."

JOHN ASHTON.

CONTENTS.

Page.

CHAPTER I.

1830.

Illness of George IV.--His death -- Sale of his clothes, etc.
-- The new King -- His character 1

CHAPTER II.

1830.

Proclamation of William IV. -- The Beer Act -- The Queen and
gas -- Burial of George IV. -- The King and the Duke of
Cumberland -- The King as a soldier -- He meddles with the
uniforms of the army 8

CHAPTER III.

1830.

The King as "_bon bourgeois_" -- Mobbed -- Street song about
him -- A sailor in Guildhall -- Behaviour of the public at
Windsor -- Charles X. in England -- The "New Police" -- A
modest advertisement 17

CHAPTER IV.

1830.

Opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway -- Death of Mr.
Huskisson -- Agricultural lawlessness -- Captain Swing --
Executions for riot -- Riots throughout the country -- Special
Commissions -- Prayer to be used in churches and chapels 28

CHAPTER V.

1830.

Duke of Wellington mobbed and stoned -- Owing to riots, the
King postponed his visit to the city -- No Lord Mayor's show,
nor dinner -- Riots in the city -- Apsley House besieged --
Ireland proclaimed -- Ferment in the country -- Change of
Ministry -- Royal succession -- Scotch regalia -- Curious story
of a bank-note 37

CHAPTER VI.

1831.

Incendiary fires -- Captain Swing -- The result of Cobbett's
lectures -- Special Commission -- Prosecution of Carlile --
Election expenses -- List of Close boroughs -- Collapse of
Reform Bill -- The King stoned -- _Debût_ of Princess Victoria
-- The _Times_ and the House of Lords -- Bribery at elections
-- Action for libel -- "The King _v._ Cobbett" -- Prince
Leopold made King of the Belgians 49

CHAPTER VII.

1831.

Opening of New London Bridge -- After the luncheon -- State of
the waiters -- Provision for the Princess Victoria -- Sale of
Sir Walter Scott's MSS. -- The coronation -- Its expenses -- A
"half crownation" -- The Lord Mayor and his gold cup 62

CHAPTER VIII.

1831.

Scramble for coronation medals -- Bad weather -- Fireworks in
Hyde Park -- Absence from the ceremony of the Duchess of Kent
and Princess Victoria -- The _Times_ thereon -- Story of a
Great Seal -- Reform Bill rejected by the Lords -- Reform riots
in the country and London -- Windows of Apsley House broken by
the mob 74

CHAPTER IX.

1831.

Reform procession -- The Corporation of London and the King --
Dreadful riots at Bristol -- Riots in other parts of the
kingdom -- Edward Irving and the "Gift of Tongues" -- The
cholera -- Its spread -- State of Ireland -- Tithe agitation --
Scarcity of food -- Repeal of the Union -- Cases of violence 85

CHAPTER X.

1832.

Commissions at Bristol and Nottingham -- Executions --
Employment of children in factories -- Cholera in London -- Day
of fast and humiliation -- Riot in Finsbury -- Cholera riot at
Paisley -- A small one in London -- Decrease of cholera --
Number of deaths -- Cholera in Ireland -- A charm against it --
Its effect on rooks -- The police, City and Metropolitan 101

CHAPTER XI.

1832.

Reform Bill passes the Commons -- Scotch boys and the Reform
Bill -- Proposed increase of the peerage -- Passed in the Lords
-- "The Marylebone or Tory Hunt" -- The Duke of Wellington
mobbed -- The King stoned -- The Queen hissed -- Archbishop of
Canterbury stoned 114

CHAPTER XII.

1832.

The first reformed Parliament -- Steam communication with India
-- State of Ireland -- Lawless behaviour -- Malversation of
justice -- O'Connell and the Trades' Political Union -- Crime
in Ireland 124

CHAPTER XIII.

1833.

Employment of children in factories -- Evidence -- Passing of
Factory Act -- Gambling -- Crockford's club -- Gambling "hells"
-- Police case 132

CHAPTER XIV.

1833.

The overland route to India -- The Government and Lieutenant
Waghorn -- Police magistrate and the press -- Cobbett and the
British Museum -- Prevalence of influenza -- "National
Convention" riot -- Policeman killed -- The coroner and the
jury -- Adulteration of tea 143

CHAPTER XV.

1833.

The Queen's visit to the City -- Her unpopularity -- King's
dislike of the Duchess of Kent -- Hungerford Market opened --
Death and funeral of Wilberforce -- Abolition of slavery --
Synopsis of Act -- A Women's rowing match -- List of
periodicals and their circulation -- Return of Captain Ross --
State of Ireland -- Passing of "Coercion Bill," etc. 154

CHAPTER XVI.

1834.

Corporation commission -- Curious advertisement -- Discovery of
treasure -- Bribery at Liverpool -- Duke of York's statue --
Trades' unions -- Skit thereon -- Riot at Oldham -- Unionist
oath -- Union meeting and monster petition -- Its fate -- Duke
of Wellington made Chancellor of Oxford -- The Princess
Victoria's lover 165

CHAPTER XVII.

1834.

Crockford's and game -- The _chef_ in trouble -- Burning of the
Houses of Parliament -- The tapestry in the House of Lords --
Story of one piece -- Temporary House of Lords -- Tithe riots
in Ireland -- Change of Ministry 178

CHAPTER XVIII.

1835.

First cargo of ice to India -- Election riots at Halifax and in
Scotland -- A female sailor -- The new temporary Houses of
Parliament -- The King and others hissed -- Question of
admitting ladies -- A political skit -- Deaths of Hunt and
Cobbett 189

CHAPTER XIX.

1835.

Gambling house police case -- Curious superstition -- A cook's
letter to her mistress -- Jews and public employment -- Fire at
Hatfield House -- Curious discovery of jewels -- Scarcity in
Ireland 201

CHAPTER XX.

1836.

Curious case of a girl stolen by gipsies -- Superstition _re_
light at Christmas in the North of England -- Designs for New
Houses of Parliament -- King William III. statue blown up --
Admission of ladies to the House of Commons -- Stuart impostors
-- An inter-university boat race -- How Cambridge came to have
light blue as a colour 214

CHAPTER XXI.

1836.

Report on the British Museum -- The King and the Duchess of
Kent; a scene -- Inauguration of George III.'s Statue at
Charing Cross -- Poetry at the police court -- The trip of the
Nassau balloon 226

CHAPTER XXII.

1837.

Epidemic of influenza -- A scene in some Metropolitan
graveyards -- Lord de Ros and his cheating at cards --
Invention of sewing machine -- Coming of age of Princess
Victoria -- Illuminations, etc. -- The Spitalfield's silk
weavers' ball -- Illness of the King -- His death and burial 235

CHAPTER XXIII.

Men's dress -- Education -- School advertisements -- The
original of Squeers -- Girls' schools -- Tea as a meal -- Food
-- A foreigner's sketch of an English dinner-party -- A
high-class dinner -- An ideal dinner 248

CHAPTER XXIV.

Clubs -- Theatres -- Other amusements -- A foreigner's idea of
London -- London streets and noises -- "Buy a broom?" girls 262

CHAPTER XXV.

Holborn Viaduct -- Omnibuses -- Cabs -- Hansom's patent --
Posting -- Mail coaches -- Stage coaches -- Hotels 277

CHAPTER XXVI.

Steam carriages on roads -- Commission thereon -- Steam omnibus
-- Railways -- A nuisance -- Railways started during the reign
-- Opening of the Greenwich Railway 286

CHAPTER XXVII.

Cases of wife selling -- Duelling -- Cases of -- O'Connell and
D'Israeli -- Other duels 295

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Smuggling -- Its prevalence -- Cases -- Great smuggling of
silks, etc. -- More cases 311

CHAPTER XXIX.

Legitimate trade -- The "truck" system -- Its downfall -- State
of trade -- Newspaper stamps -- Steel pens -- Literature --
List of authors -- Painters -- Sculptors 321

CHAPTER XXX.

Musicians -- Paganini -- His avarice -- Ole Bull -- Curious
musical instruments -- Jim Crow -- The opera and its singers --
The ballet -- Actors, etc. -- Madame Vestris's leg 334

CHAPTER XXXI.

Architects and civil engineers -- Men of science --
Scientific societies -- Medical men -- Lawyers -- "Tracts for
the Times" -- Curates' pay -- Flogging in the army and navy --
Crime -- Transportation _versus_ hulks -- Stories of convicts 344

WHEN WILLIAM IV. WAS KING.