Transcriber’s Notes:
Underscores “_” before and after a word or phrase indicate _italics_
in the original text.
Equal signs “=” before and after a word or phrase indicate =bold=
in the original text.
Carat symbol “^” designates a superscript.
Small capitals have been converted to SOLID capitals.
Illustrations have been moved so they do not break up paragraphs.
Deprecated spellings have been preserved.
Typographical and punctuation errors have been silently corrected.
In addition to the numerous illustrations scattered throughout the
text, there are twenty-eight separately inserted old Lottery Bills in
facsimile on papers of various tints. It will be noted that the dirty
red ink in some of them is exactly imitated.
The “skeleton” bills were issued in 1816, and those of the “14 of June”
in 1821; most of the others are dated.
They are placed as follows:--
Facing _title page_; facing _pages_ 1, 16,
32, 48, 70, 96, 112, 128, 138, 144 (_two_),
146 (_two_), 160, 170, 176, 192 (_two_),
196, 208, 220, 224 (_two_), 240, 280
(_two_), 324.
[Illustration]
A HISTORY OF
ENGLISH LOTTERIES
_NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME WRITTEN_.
BY
JOHN ASHTON.
[Illustration]
1893.
PUBLISHED BY
The Leadenhall Prefs, Ltd:
50, Leadenhall Street, London, E.C.
Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., Ltd:
New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 743 & 745, Broadway.
[Illustration]
THE LEADENHALL PRESS, LTD: LONDON, E. C.
(T. 4630)
[Illustration]
PREFACE.
In the following pages I have endeavoured to trace the history of the
lottery in England, from the year 1569 to the present time; and it is
somewhat surprising that such has not been previously attempted. It
is possible that a paucity of material may have had something to do
with it; but, in my case, I cannot complain of insufficient matter,
but almost of an _embarras des richesses_; for not only could I draw
on the stores of information contained in the library of the British
Museum, but I also had the privilege of having the very fine collection
of Mr. Andrew Tuer placed unreservedly at my disposal. Thus, I have
been enabled to pick and choose my examples of lottery handbills and
engravings, without having to utilize all the material that came
to hand. I am especially indebted to the Leadenhall Press for the
very great care they have taken in rendering the engravings as near
facsimiles of the originals as possible.
I have tried, as far as in my power lay, to make this book one which
will be, I hope, not only agreeable and interesting to the general
reader, but one which, I also hope, will find its place in very many
libraries, as a book of reference, and an authority on the subject on
which I have written, as I have been very scrupulous as to verifying
dates, giving correct Acts of Parliament, etc.
JOHN ASHTON.
[Illustration]
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE
Antiquity of _the Lot_--Old lotteries--Derivation of
word--First lottery in England: its scheme 1
CHAPTER II.
Posies and mottoes--Forcing the subscriptions--Towns and
their mottoes--Lottery for armour in 1585--A Royal lottery
at Harefield in 1602 17
CHAPTER III.
The Virginia lottery of 1612--Private lottery--Licence for
lottery to supply London with water--Two other schemes
--Lottery in behalf of fishing vessels--Irish Land
Lottery--One for redeeming English slaves--One for poor
maimed soldiers--Gambling lottery, concession for--“Royal
Oak” Lottery--Evils of lotteries--“Royal Fishing Company”
Lottery--Patentees 28
CHAPTER IV.
A book lottery--One for poor military officers--Lottery for
Prince Rupert’s jewels--A penny lottery--First State
lottery--Another in 1697--Private lotteries suppressed
--Statelottery in 1710--Curious history of a private
lottery--State lotteries in the reigns of Anne and
George I.--Private lotteries again suppressed--Raine’s
Charity--Marriage by lottery 44
CHAPTER V.
Penalties on private lotteries--State lottery not subscribed
for--Lapse in State lotteries--Private lotteries
--Westminster Bridge lottery--State lotteries--Discredit
thrown on them--British Museum lottery--Leheup’s fraud 59
CHAPTER VI.
Crowd at a lottery--Another State lottery, eighty-seven
blanks to a prize--A ticket sold twice over--Extravagant
prices paid for tickets--Praying for success--A lucky
innkeeper--Lottery for Cox’s Museum--Adam’s Adelphi Lottery
--Blue-coat boys and the lottery--Future arrangements for
drawing 71
CHAPTER VII.
Counterfeiting lottery tickets--Curious lotteries--Suicide
--Method of starting a State lottery--Lottery
office-keepers to be licensed--Charles (or “Patch”) Price 86
CHAPTER VIII.
Lottery for the Leverian Museum--Prosecution of unlicensed
lottery office-keepers--Suicide--Robbery of employers--Sharp
practice over a prize--Cheating by lottery office-keepers
--Complaint of a prisoner 103
CHAPTER IX.
Winners of prizes--Attempt to put down the practice of
insuring--Steps taken to prevent it--Specimen handbill
--Bish, the lottery office-keeper--Lottery for the “Pigot”
diamond--Lottery-office agencies--Shortening the time of
drawing the lottery--Story of Baron d’Aguilar 118
CHAPTER X.
The Boydell Lottery--Bowyer’s “Historic” Lottery 133
CHAPTER XI.
Launching a lottery--“The City” Lottery for houses--Poetic
handbills thereon--Parliamentary Committee on the lottery
--Report and evidence 147
CHAPTER XII.
“The Lottery Alphabet”--“The Philosopher’s Stone”--
“Fortune’s Ladder”--Enigmatical handbill--Lottery drawn
on St. Valentine’s Day--“Public Prizes”--and other
poetical handbills 162
CHAPTER XIII.
“Twenty Thousand; or, Tom Truelove’s Journal”--“London
and the Lottery”--“The Persian Ambassador”--“An Enigma”
--“Gently over the Stones” 180
CHAPTER XIV.
“Master and Man”--“Altogether”--Dr. Thornton’s “Royal
Botanical Lottery”--“Two Gold Finches”--“Dennis
Brulgruddery”--“Shakespeare’s Seven Ages” 189
CHAPTER XV.
A lucky Spaniard--Miss Mitford’s prize--The _Spectator_
on lucky numbers--Other anecdotes on luck--“Gretna Green”
--“A Prize for Poor Jack” 204
CHAPTER XVI.
Beginning of the end of lotteries--Curious handbills 217
CHAPTER XVII.
Protests against lotteries--Epitaph on Vansittart--“Three
Royal Weddings”--More opposition to the lottery--
“Twelfth Night Character” handbills--Ditto of tradesmen 221
CHAPTER XVIII.
“A Dialogue”--“The Race of Fortune”--“The Wish”--Enigmatical
handbill 245
CHAPTER XIX.
Tomkins’s picture lottery--The lottery abolished--Handbills 252
CHAPTER XX.
The last lottery--Attempts to get up excitement--The
procession--Alteration of date--Advertising car--“A
Ballad, 1826”--Drawing of the last lottery 265
CHAPTER XXI.
Handbills--Metrical list of lottery-office keepers--Bish’s
manifesto--“Epitaph in Memory of the State Lottery”--
“Little Goes”--The _Times_ thereon--Their effect
on the public 279
CHAPTER XXII.
Description of lottery office-keepers--Insuring numbers
in the lottery--Servants bitten by the mania--_Morocco
men_--Many prosecutions--Cost to the country--Several
law cases--Story of Mr. Bartholomew 293
CHAPTER XXIII.
Suicides caused by the lottery--Story of a footman--Anecdote
told by Theodore Hook--Description of a lottery from its
commencement to its end 310
CHAPTER XXIV.
The lottery wheels--Anecdotes connected with the lottery--
The Glasgow lotteries--Advertising foreign lotteries--
“Art Union” Act--Dethier’s “Twelfth Cake Lottery”--
Tontines--Raffling--Pious lotteries--Sweet-stuff lotteries
for children--Hamburg lotteries 325
CHAPTER XXV.
“The Missing Word Competition:” its rise and fall 339
INDEX 353
[Illustration]
A HISTORY OF ENGLISH LOTTERIES.
CHAPTER I.
Antiquity of _the Lot_--Old lotteries--Derivation of word--First
lottery in England: its scheme.
[Illustration:
“A lottery _is a Taxation_
_Upon all the Fools in Creation;_
_And Heaven be prais’d_
_It is easily raised,_
_Credulity’s always in Fashion:_
_For Folly’s a_ FUND,
_Will never lose ground,_
_While Fools are so rife in the Nation._”]
So sang Henry Fielding in his play of “The Lottery,” which was first
acted at Drury Lane Theatre, January 1, 1732; and I think those who
have patience to read these pages will endorse his words.
Gambling, in some shape, is inherent in man, and dice for the casting
of LOTS have been found belonging to the Egyptians and Assyrians, in
the tombs of prehistoric man, were used alike by the refined Greeks and
Romans, and by the barbarous Northmen. The Bible teems with notices
of the LOT. It was recommended by Solomon as a means of deciding
disputes. “The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between
the mighty” (Prov. xviii. 18). It was used as a means of dividing land.
“Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the
names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. According to
the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few”
(Numb. xxvi. 55, 56). Nay, one of the Apostles, Matthias, was chosen by
LOT (Acts i. 26). But if any one is curious to know how often the LOT
is mentioned in Holy Scripture, let him look at Cruden’s _Concordance_.
In this short sketch we see the antiquity of the Lot; but the LOTTERY,
the form of gambling of which this book treats, is of comparatively
modern invention. The Romans had something of the kind, but it partook
more of our presents from Christmas-trees than the modern lottery.
First of all were the _Apophoreta_, gifts which were presented to the
guests at table, and which they carried home with them--a custom which
obtained during the Saturnalia (something like a Silver King presenting
his guests with a silver _menu_ card, or the presents given to guests
at City Companies’ dinners); and this was sometimes done in a whimsical
manner, as is on record that Heliogobalus, at a banquet, presented one
guest with a ticket for a gold vase, and another for six flies. Other
prizes, which were drawn haphazard, were ten bears, ten pounds of gold,
or ten ostriches; and, whilst one might draw a thousand pounds, another
would gain a prize of a dead dog.
It is said that lotteries began in Italy in the sixteenth century, and
that its name is derived from the _Lotto_ of Florence; but I beg leave
to traverse both propositions. There is no doubt but that the Venetian
and Genoese merchants made use of the lottery as a vehicle whereby to
dispose of their stale goods, or to get rid of a valuable thing for
which they could not obtain a purchaser; but the earliest I can find
recorded was that of the widow of Jan van Eyck, which took place at
Bruges, on February 24, 1446, where the town archives record a payment
to her of two livres for her lottery.[1]
[1] Crowe and Cavalcaselle, _Early Flemish Painters_ (London, 1857), p.
68; _Messager des Sciences et des Arts_ (London, 1884), p. 51; and M.
Gilliodt’s dissertation in _La Flandre_ (Bruges, 1867).
As for the name. I think that there can hardly be two opinions about
it. Long before the Italian _Lotto_, was the Anglo-Saxon _Hleot-an_,
sortiri, to cast lots. In the Dutch the same meaning is expressed by
_Lot-en_, _Loot-en_; in Swedish, _Lotta_; whilst the Lot itself is in
Gothic, _Hlauts_; Anglo-Saxon, _Hlot_; German, _Los_; Dutch, _Lot_;
Swedish, _Lott_; French, _Lot_; and Italian, _Lotto_. So that there can
be very little doubt of its northern derivation, the Latin synonym,
_Sors_, being so totally different.
There is no doubt but that the lottery was imported into England from
abroad; and the first of which we have any record was one in the reign
of Queen Elizabeth, projected in 1566, but not drawn till 1569. As
far as is known, there is but one authentic record of this lottery in
existence, which has been happily preserved in the muniment-room at
Loseley House, in Surrey. It is in black letter, interspersed with
ordinary text and italics, and the bill is five feet long by nineteen
inches wide; and the text is surrounded by a border of ornamental
type. At top, it has an illustration of the prizes in plate, tapestry,
and money--and it is twenty inches in depth. As it is such an unique
curiosity, I give the bill at length.
“A verie rich Lotterie Generall, without any blancks,
contayning a number of good prices, as wel of redy
money as of plate, and certaine sorts of marchaundizes,
having ben valued and priced by the comaundement of
the Queene’s most excellent majestie, by men expert
and skilfull; and the same Lotterie is erected by her
majesties order, to the intent that such commoditie as
may chaunce to arise thereof, after the charges borne,
may be converted towardes the reparation of the havens
and strength of the Realme, and towardes such other
publique good workes. The number of lots shall be foure
hundreth thousand, and no more; and every lot shall be
the summe of tenne shillings sterling onely, and no
more.
“THREE WELCOMES.
“The first person to whome any lot shal happen, shall
have for his welcome, (bysides the advantage of his
adventure,) the value of fiftie poundes sterling, in a
piece of sylver plate gilte.
“The second to whome any lot shall happen, shall have
in like case for his welcome, (bysydes his adventure)
the summe of thirtie poundes, in a piece of plate gilte.
“The third to whome any price shall happen, shall have
for his welcome, besides his adventure, the value of
twentie pounds, in a piece of plate gilte.
“THE PRICES.
“Whoever shall winne the greatest and most excellent
price, shall receive the value of five thousande
poundes sterling, that is to say, three thousande
pounds in ready money, seven hundred poundes in plate
gilte and white, and the rest in good tapisserie meete
for hangings, and other covertures, and certain sortes
of good linen cloth.[2]
[2] All the following lots are abbreviated.
“2nd, 'great price’ £3500, _i.e._ £2000 in money,
£600 in plate, the rest in good tapisserie, &c.,
as above.
“3rd, £3000, _i.e._ £1500 in money, £500 in plate, the rest, &c.
“4th, £2000, _i.e._ £1000 in money, £400 in plate, the rest, &c.
“5th, £1500, _i.e._ £750 in money, £300 in plate, the rest, &c.
“6th, £1000, _i.e._ £500 in money, £200 in plate, the rest, &c.
“7th, £700, _i.e._ £400 in money, £100 in plate, the rest, &c.
“8th, £500, _i.e._ £250 in money, £100 in plate, the rest, &c.
“9th, £400, _i.e._ £250 in money, £100 in plate, the rest, &c.
“10th, £300, _i.e._ £200 in money, £50 in plate, the rest, &c.
“11th, £250, _i.e._ £150 in money, £50 in plate, the rest, &c.
“12th, £200, _i.e._ £150 in money, the rest in good tapisserie
and linen cloth.
“13th, £140, _i.e._ £100 in money, £40 in plate, tapisserie,
or linen cloth.
“12 prices, every price of the value of £100, that
is to say, 3 score and 10 pounds ready money,
and £30 in plate, tapisserie, or linen cloth.
“20 and 4 prices, every price of £50, £30 in
ready money, £20 in plate, tapisserie, &c.
“3 score prices of 4 and 20 pounds and ten shillings
(£24 10/-), £17 in ready money, and £7 10/-
in plate, &c.
“4 score and 10 prices, every price of £22 10/-
_i.e._ £15 in money, £17 10/- in plate, &c.
“One hundreth and 14 of £18, _i.e._ £12 in
money, £6 5/- in plate gilte and white.
“120 prices of £12 10/-, _i.e._ £7 10/- in money,
£5 in like plate.
“150 prices of £8, _i.e._ £5 in money, £3 in linen
cloth.
“200 prices of £6 10/-, _i.e._ £4 in money, 50/-
in linen cloth.
“300 prices of £4 10/-, _i.e._ 50/- in money, 40/-
in linen cloth.
“500 prices of £3 10/-, _i.e._ 40/- in money, 30/-
in linen cloth.
“500 prices of 50/- in money.
“2000 prices of 40/- in plate.
“6000 prices of 25/- in money.
“10,000 prices of 15/- in money.
“9418 prices of 14/- in money.
“And all the rest, to the accomplishing of the aforesayd
number of lottes, shall be allowed for every adventure
at the least 2 shillˢ and 6 pens in ready money.
“Conditions ordained for the advantage of the Adventurers
in this Lotterie, bysides the Prices before mentioned
in the Charte.
“The Queenes Majestie, of hir power royall, giveth libertie to all
maner of persons that will adventure any money in this Lotterie, to
resort to the places underwritten, and to abyde and depart from the
same in manner and forme foliowing; that is to say, to the Citie of
London, at any time within the space of one moneth next following the
feast of S. Bartholomew this present yeare 1567, and there to remain
seven days. And to these cities and towns following: York, Norwich,
Exceter, Lincolne, Coventrie, Southampton, Hull, Bristol, Newcastell,
Chester, Ipswich, Sarisbury, Oxforde, Cambridge, and Shrewesbury, in
the Realme of Englande, and Dublyn and Waterforde in the Realme of
Irelande, at any time within the space of three weekes next after the
publication of the Lotterie in every of the sayd severall places,
and there to remaine also seven whole days, without any molestation
or arrest of them for any maner of offence, saving treason, murder,
pyracie, or any other felonie, or for breach of hir Majesties peace,
during the time of their comming, abiding, or retourne.[3]
[3] This, however, was not acted on, for in the Domestic State Papers
in the Rolls Office is one dated April 30, 1569, endorsed, “I. Aldaye
to Cecill. Is a prisoner in the Counter for debt. Thought he should
have been protected under the Proclamation for the Lottery, but it was
made a jest of.”
“And that every person adventuring their money in this Lotterie may
have the like liberty in comming and departing to and from the Citie of
London, during all the time of the reading of the same Lotterie, untill
their last adventure be to them answered.
“Also, that whosoever under one devise, prose or poesie, shall
adventure to the number of thirtie lottes and upward, within three
monethes next following after the sayd feast of Saint Bartholomew, and
by the hazarde of the prices contained in this Lotterie gaineth not the
thirde pennie, or so much as wanteth of the same, shall be allowed
unto them in a yearely pencion, to begin from the day when the reading
of the sayd Lotterie shall ende, and to continue yearely during their
life.
“Whoever shall game the best, second, and third great prices, having
not put in the posies whereunto the sayd prices shall be answerable
into the Lotterie within three moneths next after the said feast of
Saint Bartholomew, shall have abated and taken out of the summe of
money contained in the said best price, one hundreth and fiftie pounds,
and of the sayd second price, one hundreth pounds, and out of the said
third price four score pounds, to be given to any towne corporate or
haven, or to any other place, for any good and desirable use, as the
partie shall name or appoint in writing.
“And whosoever shall gaine a hundreth poundes or upwarde in any price,
saving the three severall best prices next aforementioned, having not
put in his lots, whereby he shall gaine any such price, within three
moneths next following the sayd feast of Saint Bartholomew, shall have
abated and deducted (as above is sayd) out of every hundred pounds,
five pounds, to be employed as is next before sayd.
“Whosoever, having put in thirtie lottes under one devise or posie,
within the sayd three moneths, shalle winne the last lot of all, if,
before that lot wonne he have not gained so much as hath ben by him put
in, shall for his tarying and yll fortune be comforted with the reward
of two hundreth poundes, and for every lot that he shall have put in
besydes the said thirty lots, he shall have twentie shillings sterlyng.
“And, whosoever having put in XXX lots under one devise or posie,
within the sayd three moneths, shal win the last lot save one, and have
not gayned so much as he hath put in, shal likewise be comforted for
his long tarrying with the reward of C. pounds, and for every lot that
he shal have put in above XXX shall receive ten shillings sterling.
“Item, whosoever shall adventure from fortie lottes upwarde, under one
devise or posie, shall have libertie to lay downe the one halfe in
readie money, and give in bond for the other halfe to the Commissioner
that in that behalfe shal be appointed to have the charge for that
citie or towne where the partie shal thinke good to pay his money, with
condition to pay in the same money, for the which they shal be bound,
six weekes at the least before the day appointed for the reading of
the lotterie, upon payn to forfaite the money payde, and the benefit of
any price. Which day of reading shall begyn within the Citie of London
the XXV day of June next coming.
“And in case it shall fortune the same day of the reading to be
prolonged upon any urgent nedeful cause to a further day, the parties
having adventured and put their money into the lotterie, shall be
allowed for the same after the rate of ten in the hundred from the day
of the prorogation of the sayd readyng untill the very day of the first
reading of the lotterie.
“Item, every person to whome, in the time of reading, any price shall
happen and be due, the same price shal be delivered unto him the next
day following to dispose of the same at his pleasure, without that he
shall be compelled to tary for the same until the ende of the reading.
And, being a straunger borne, he shal have libertie to convert the
same, being money, into wares, to be by him transported into foraine
parts, paying only halfe custome for the same and other duties that
otherwise he should answer therefore.
“Whosoever at the time of the reading shall have three of his owne
posies or devises, comming together successively and immediately one
after another, the same having put in the sayd three posies within
thre moneths (as before), shall have for the same posies or devises so
comming together one after an other, three pounds sterling over and
besides the price answerable therfore.
“And whosoever at the time of the reading shall have four posies
or devises comming together successively and immediately one after
another, having put in his sayde posies within three monethes (as
before mentioned) shall have for the sayd foure posies and devises six
poundes sterling, besides the prices.
“And whosoever at the time of the reading shall have five posies
or devises comming together successively and immediately one after
another, having put in his lottes within thre moneths (as before),
shall have for the sayd five posies or devises ten pounds sterling,
besides the prices.
“And whosoever shall have the like adventure six times together, having
put in his lots, as afore, shal have for those VI posies or devises XXV
pounds sterling and the prices.
“And whosoever shall have the like adventure seven times together,
having put in his lots as afore, shall have for those seven posies or
devises a hundreth pounds sterling, and the prices.
“And whosoever shall have the like adventure eight times together,
having put in his lots as afore, shall have for those eight two
hundreth pounds sterling, and the prices.
“And so the posies or devises resorting together by increase of number,
he to whom they shal happen in that sorte, having put in his money,
as afore is said, shal have for every tyme of increase one hundreth
poundes sterling, and the prices.
“The receipt and collection of this present Lotterie shall endure for
the rest of the Realme besides London, until the XVᵗʰ day of April next
coming, which shal be in the yere 1568.
“And the receipt and collection of the City of London shal continue
unto the first day of May next following; at which dayes, or before,
all the collectors shal bring in their bokes of the collection of
lottes to such as shal be appointed to receive their accomptes, upon
paine, if they do faile to do so, to lose the profite and wages
appointed to them for their travell in that behalfe. Finally, it is to
be understanded that hir Majestie and the Citie of London will answere
to all and singular persons havyng adventured their money in this
Lotterie, to observe all articles and conditions contained in the same
from point to point inviolably.
“The shewe of the prices and rewardes above mencioned shall be set
up to be seene in Cheapsyde in London, at the signe of the Queene’s
Majesties’ arms, in the house of M. Dericke, goldsmith, servant to the
Queene’s most excellent Majestie.
“God save the Queen.
“Imprinted at London, in Paternoster Rowe,
by Henrie Bynneman, anno 1567.”
[Illustration]