“I’m in the crock’ry line, going about with a basket and changing jugs,
and glass, and things, for clothes and that; but for the last eight
years I have, every Fifth of November, gone out with a guy. It’s a
good job for the time, for what little we lay out on the guy we don’t
miss, and the money comes in all of a lump at the last. While it lasts
there’s money to be made by it. I used always to take the guy about for
two days; but this last year I took him about for three.
“I was nineteen year old when I first went out with a guy. It was
seeing others about with ’em, and being out of work at the time, and
having nothing to sell, I and another chap we knocked up one between
us, and we found it go on pretty well, so we kept on at it. The first
one I took out was a very first-rater, for we’d got it up as well as we
could to draw people’s attention. I said, ‘It ain’t no good doing as
the others do, we must have a tip-topper.’ It represented Guy Fawkes in
black velvet. It was about nine feet high, and he was standing upright,
with matches in one hand and lantern in the other. I show’d this one
round Clerkenwell and Islington. It was the first big ’un as was ever
brought out. There had been paper ones as big, but ne’er a one dressed
up in the style mine was. I had a donkey and cart, and we placed it
against some cross-rails and some bits of wood to keep him steady. He
stood firm because he had two poles up his legs, and being lashed round
the body holding him firm to the posts--like a rock. We done better
the first time we went out than we do lately. The guy must have cost a
sovereign. He had a trunk-hose and white legs, which we made out of a
pair of white drawers, for fleshings and yellow boots, which I bought
in Petticoat-lane. We took over 3_l._ with him, which was pretty fair,
and just put us on again, for November is a bad time for most street
trades, and getting a few shillings all at once makes it all right till
Christmas.
“A pal of mine, of the name of Smith, was the first as ever brought out
a big one. His wasn’t a regular dressed-up one, but only with a paper
apron to hang down the front and bows, and such-like. He put it on a
chair, and had four boys to carry it on their shoulders. He was the
first, too, as introduced clowns to dance about. I see him do well, and
that’s why I took mine in hand.
“The year they was chalking ‘No Popery’ all about the walls I had one,
dressed up in a long black garment, with a red cross on his bosom. I’m
sure I don’t know what it meant, but they told me it would be popular.
I had only one figure, with nine bows, and that tidiwated all about
him. As we went along everybody shouted out ‘No Popery!’ Everybody
did. He had a large brimmed hat with a low crown in, and a wax mask. I
always had wax ones. I’ve got one at home now I’ve had for five year.
It cost two-and-sixpence. It’s a very good-looking face but rather sly,
with a great horse-hair beard. Most of the boys make their’n devils,
and as ugly as they can, but that wouldn’t do for Christians like as I
represent mine to be.
“One year I had Nicholas and his adviser. That was the Emperor of
Russia in big top-boots and white breeches, and a green coat on. I gave
him a good bit of mustachios--a little extra. He had a Russian helmet
hat on, with a pair of eagles on the top. It was one I bought. I bought
it cheap, for I only gave a shilling for it. I was offered five or six
for it afterwards, but I found it answer my purpose to keep. I had it
dressed up this year. The other figure was the devil. I made him of
green tinsel paper cut out like scale armour, and pasted on to his legs
to make it stick tight. He had a devil’s mask on, and I made him a pair
of horns out of his head. Over them was a banner. I was told what to do
to make the banner, for I had the letters writ out first, and then I
cut ’em out of tinsel paper and stuck them on to glazed calico. On this
banner was these words:--
‘What shall I do next?’
‘Why, blow your brains out!’
That took immensely, for the people said ‘That is wery well.’ It was
the time the war was on. I dare say I took between 3_l._ and 4_l._ that
time. There was three of us rowed in with it, so we got a few shillings
a-piece.
“The best one I ever had was the trial of Guy Fawkes. There was four
figures, and they was drawn about in a horse and cart. There was Guy
Fawkes, and two soldiers had hold of him, and there was the king
sitting in a chair in front. The king was in a scarlet velvet cloak,
sitting in an old arm-chair, papered over to make it look decent. There
was green and blue paper hanging over the arms to hide the ragged parts
of it. The king’s cloak cost sevenpence a-yard, and there was seven of
these yards. He had a gilt paper crown and a long black wig made out of
some rope. His trunks was black and crimson, and he had blue stockings
and red boots. I made him up out of my own head, and not from pictures.
It was just as I thought would be the best way to get it up, out of my
own head. I’ve seed the picture of Guy Fawkes, because I’ve got a book
of it at home. I never was no scholar, not in the least. The soldiers
had a breastplate of white steel paper, and baggy knee-breeches, and
top boots. They had a big pipe each, with a top cut out of tin. Their
helmets was the same as in the pictures, of steel paper, and a kind of
a dish-cover shape, with a peak in front and behind. Guy was dressed
the same kind as he was this year, with a black velvet dress and red
cloak, and red boots turning over at top, with lace sewed on. I never
made any of my figures frightful. I get ’em as near as I can to the
life like.
“I reckon that show was the best as I ever had about. I done very
well with it. They said it was a very good sight, and well got up. I
dare say it cost me, with one thing and another, pretty nigh 4_l._
to get up. There was two of us to shove, me and my brother. I know I
had a sovereign to myself when it was over, besides a little bit of
merry-making.
“This year I had the apprehension of Guy Fawkes by Lord Suffolk and
Monteagle. I’ve followed up the hist’ry as close as I can. Next year I
shall have him being burnt, with a lot of faggits and things about him.
This year the figures cost about 3_l._ getting up. Fawkes was dressed
in his old costume of black velvet and red boots. I bought some black
velvet breeches in Petticoat-lane, and I gave 1_s._ 9_d._ for the two
pair. They was old theatrical breeches. Their lordships was dressed
in gold scale-armour like, of cut-out paper pasted on, and their
legs imitated steel. They had three-corner cock’d hats, with white
feathers in. I always buy fierce-looking masks with frowns, but one
of them this year was a smiling--Lord Monteagle, I think. I took the
figures as near as I can form from a picture I saw of Guy Fawkes being
apprehended. I placed them figures in a horse and cart, and piled them
up on apple-chests to the level of the cart, so they showed all, their
feet and all. I bind the chests with a piece of table-cover cloth. The
first day we went out we took 2_l._ 7_s._, and the second we took 1_l._
17_s._, and the last day we took 2_l._ 1_s._ We did so well the third
day because we went into the country, about Tottenham and Edmonton.
They never witnessed such a thing down them parts. The drummer what I
had with me was a blind man, and well known down there. They call him
Friday, because he goes there every Friday, so what they usually gave
him we had. Our horse was blind, so we was obliged to have one to lead
him in front and another to lead the blind drummer behind. We paid the
drummer 16_s._ for the three days. We paid for two days 10_s._, and the
third one most of it came in, and we all went shares. It was a pony
more than a horse. I think we got about a 1_l._ a-piece clear, when we
was done on the Friday night. It took me six weeks getting up in my
leisure time. There was the Russian bear in front. He wore a monkey
dress, the same as in the pantomimes, and that did just as well for a
bear. I painted his face as near as I could get it, to make it look
frightful.
“When I’m building up a guy we first gits some bags and things, and
cut ’em out to the shape of the legs and things, and then sew it up.
We sew the body and arms and all round together in one. We puts two
poles down for the legs and then a cross-piece at the belly and another
cross-piece at the shoulder, and that holds ’em firm. We fill the legs
with sawdust, and stuff it down with our hands to make it tight. It
takes two sacks of sawdust for three figures, but I generally have it
give to me, for I know a young feller as works at the wood-chopping. We
stand ’em up in the room against the wall, whilst we are dressing them.
We have lots of chaps come to see us working at the guys. Some will sit
there for many hours looking at us. We stuff the body with shavings and
paper and any sort of rubbish. I sew whatever is wanted myself, and in
fact my fingers is sore now with the thimble, for I don’t know how to
use a thimble, and I feel awkward with it. I design everything and cut
out all the clothes and the painting and all. They allow me 5_s._ for
the building. This last group took me six weeks,--not constant, you
know, but only lazy time of a night. I lost one or two days over it,
that’s all.
“I think there was more Guy Fawkeses out this year than ever was out
before. There was one had Guy Fawkes and Punch and a Clown in a cart,
and another was Miss Nightingale and two soldiers. It was meant to be
complimentary to that lady, but for myself I think it insulting to
bring out a lady like that as a guy, when she’s done good to all.
“They always reckon me to be about the first hand in London at building
a guy. I never see none like them, nor no one else I don’t think. It
took us two quire of gold paper and one quire of silver paper to do
the armour and the banner and other things. The gold paper is 6_d._
a-sheet, and the silver is 1_d._ a sheet. It wouldn’t look so noble if
we didn’t use the gold paper.
“This year we had three clowns with us, and we paid them 3_s._ a-day
each. I was dressed up as a clown, too. We had to dance about, and
joke, and say what we thought would be funny to the people. I had a
child in my arms made of a doll stuffed with shavings, and made to
represent a little boy. It was just to make a laugh. Every one I went
up to I told the doll to ask their uncle or their aunt for a copper. I
had another move, too, of calling for ‘Bill Bowers’ in the crowd, and
if I got into any row, or anything, I used to call to him to protect
me. We had no time to say much, for we kept on moving, and it loses
time to talk.
“We took the guy round Goswell-road and Pentonville the first day, and
on the second we was round Bethnal-green way, among the weavers. We
went that way for safety the second day, for the police won’t interrupt
you there. The private houses give the most. They very seldom give more
than a penny. I don’t suppose we got more than 3_s._ or 4_s._ in silver
all the three days.
“Sometimes we have rough work with the Irish going about with guys. The
‘No Popery’ year there was several rows. I was up at Islington-gate,
there, in the Lower-road, and there’s loads of Irish live up there, and
a rough lot they are. They came out with sticks and bricks, and cut
after us. We bolted with the guy. If our guy hadn’t been very firm,
it would have been jolted to bits. We always nailed straps round the
feet, and support it on rails at the waist, and lashed to the sides. We
bolted from this Irish mob over Islington-green, and down John-street
into Clerkenwell. My mate got a nick with a stone just on the head. It
just give him a slight hurt, and drawed the blood from him. We jumped
up in the donkey-cart and drove off.
“There was one guy was pulled out of the cart this year, down by Old
Gravel lane, in the Ratcliff-highway. They pulled Miss Nightingale
out of the cart and ran away with her, and regular destroyed the two
soldiers that was on each side of her. Sometimes the cabmen lash at
the guys with their whips. We never say anything to them, for fear we
might get stopped by the police for making a row. You stand a chance of
having a feather knocked off, or such-like, as is attached to them.
“There’s a lot of boys goes about on the 5th with sticks, and make
a regular business of knocking guys to pieces. They’re called
guy-smashers. They don’t come to us, we’re too strong for that, but
they only manage the little ones, as they can take advantage of. They
do this some of them to take the money the boys have collected. I have
had regular prigs following my show, to pick the pockets of those
looking on, but as sure as I see them I start them off by putting a
policeman on to them.
“When we’re showing, I don’t take no trouble to invent new rhymes, but
stick to the old poetry. There’s some do new songs. I usually sing
out,--
‘Gentlefolks, pray
Remember this day;
’Tis with kind notice we bring
The figure of sly
And villanous Guy,
Who wanted to murder the king.
By powder and store,
He bitterly swore,
As he skulk’d in the walls to repair,
The parliament, too,
By him and his crew,
Should all be blowed up in the air.
But James, very wise,
Did the Papists surprise,
As they plotted the cruelty great;
He know’d their intent,
So Suffolk he sent
To save both kingdom and state.
Guy Fawkes he was found
With a lantern underground,
And soon was the traitor bound fast:
And they swore he should die,
So they hung him up high,
And burnt him to ashes at last.
So we, once a-year,
Come round without fear,
To keep up remembrance of this day;
While assistance from you
May bring a review
Of Guy Fawkes a-blazing away.
So hollo, boys! hollo, boys!
Shout and huzza;
So hollo, boys! hollo, boys!
Keep up this day!
So hollo, boys! hollo, boys!
And make the bells ring!
Down with the Pope, and God save the Queen!’
“It used to be King, but we say Queen now, and though it don’t rhyme,
it’s more correct.
“It’s very seldom that the police say anything to us, so long as we
don’t stop too long in the gangway not to create any mob. They join in
the fun and laugh like the rest. Wherever we go there is a great crowd
from morning to night.
“We have dinner on Guy Fawkes’ days between one and two. We go to
any place where it’s convenient for us to stop at, generally at some
public-house. We go inside, and leave some of the lads to look after
the guy outside. We always keep near the window, where we can look out
into the street, and we keep ourselves ready to pop out in a minute if
anybody should attack the guy. We generally go into some by-way, where
there ain’t much traffic. We never was interrupted much whilst we was
at dinner, only by boys chucking stones and flinging things at it; and
they run off as soon as we come out.
“There’s one party that goes out with a guy that sells it afterwards.
They stop in London for the first two days, and then they work their
way into the country as far as Sheerness, and then they sells the guy
to form part of the procession on Lord-mayor’s day. It’s the watermen
and ferrymen mostly buy it, and they carry it about in a kind of
merriment among themselves, and at night they burn it and let off
fireworks. They don’t make no charge for coming to see it burnt, but
it’s open to the air and free to the public.
“None of the good guys taken about on the 5th are burnt at night,
unless some gentlemen buy them. I used to sell mine at one time to the
Albert Saloon. Sometimes they’d give me 15_s._ for it, and sometimes
less, according to what kind of a one I had. Three years, I think, I
sold it to them. They used to burn it at first in the gardens at the
back, but after they found the gardens fill very well without it, so
they wouldn’t have any more.
“I always take the sawdust and shavings out of my guys, and save the
clothes for another year. The clothes are left in my possession to be
taken care of. I make a kind of private bonfire in our yard with the
sawdust and shavings, and the neighbours come there and have a kind of
a spree, and shove one another into the fire, and kick it about the
yard, and one thing and another.
“When I am building the guy, I begin about six weeks before 5th of
November comes, and then we subscribe a shilling or two each and buy
such things as we wants. Then, when we wants more, I goes to my pals,
who live close by, and we subscribe another shilling or sixpence each,
according to how we gets on in the day. Nearly all those that take out
guys are mostly street traders.
“The heaviest expense for any guy I’ve built was 4_l._ for one of four
figures.”