The King sent 300_l._ to the Committee alluded to by the indefatigable
Wachsel, who exerted themselves with the utmost perseverance, in
providing food and other necessaries, while the Minister read
prayers and preached daily before the Palatines, in addition to his
other unwearied exertions in their favour. After the more immediate
attentions had been paid to their wants, the Committee determined to
petition the King, that he would be pleased to grant the Germans lands
in some of the American provinces; which they had no sooner done, than
they were informed land in South Carolina should be appropriated for
that purpose, and that they would be allowed 150 stand of arms to be
used by them on their settlements for defence from the Indians and for
hunting. Upon this favourable result, the Committee agreed with certain
ship-owners to convey the objects of their care to the place of their
destination, on the following liberal terms:
"Two ships of not less than 200 tons each, and to carry no more
than 200 persons in each ship, to be ready to sail in ten days: the
necessaries to be provided were, one pound of bread of sixteen ounces
for each person, men, women, and children, every day; one man, one
woman, and three children to a mess: Sunday, for each mess, a piece of
beef of four pounds, flour three pounds, fruit or suet half a pound,
and a quart of pease. Monday, stock-fish three pounds, butter one
pound, cheese one pound, potatoes three pounds. Tuesday, two pieces
of pork six pounds, rice two pounds. Wednesday, grits five pounds,
butter two pounds, cheese two pounds. Thursday, the same as Sunday,
only potatoes instead of pease. Friday, grey pease two quarts, butter
two pounds, cheese two pounds. Saturday, flour three pounds, fruit
half a pound, potatoes two pounds, butter two pounds, and cheese two
pounds. Sufficient of vinegar, pepper, and salt every day; a ton of
water for every three persons; six quarts of good ship beer each mess,
for the first three weeks; and for the remainder of the voyage, a pint
of British spirits each day; medicines, and a doctor to each ship,
provided by the Committee.
"Half the freight to be paid before sailing from Gravesend, the other
moiety at their delivery at South Carolina, deducting one half of the
second payment for every person that dies on their passage: all that
exceed fourteen years on the first of September, to be deemed whole
passengers; all under two to be deemed as one passenger. Security is
required for the exact performance of the above contract."
On Saturday, October 6, the Germans left their tents, to embark on
board of lighters which were to convey them to Blackwall, attended by
the Treasurer and several gentlemen of the Committee.
The parting between those poor people and their guardian Wachsel was
exceedingly affecting; nor were their expressions of gratitude to the
inhabitants of London less fervent, who accompanied them in crowds in
boats, admiring the devotion with which they sung various hymns on
their way.
One detestable act disgraced this dignified scene of disinterested
Charity, which seems almost beyond credibility, and yet it is certainly
a fact; the Committee had filled four tents with clothing, which were
guarded by children during the time their parents were attending Divine
Service; at that critical moment, several wretches decoyed the guards
away by a distribution of half-pence to buy cakes, and immediately
stole every article worth conveyance.
The above splendid æra in the annals of Charity was equally
distinguished by the exertions of other individuals, who obtained
large sums by contributions from the publick, with which they relieved
4931 persons who had been compelled to pawn their clothes, and other
necessary articles, to supply the deficiencies in their earnings,
through the decline of the Silk manufactory in Spitalfields. I am,
however, sorry to add that the conduct of those artizans did not in
the least resemble that of the Germans; clamorous assemblies of men,
women, and children, under turbulent leaders, with a black flag carried
before them, approached the Royal residence of St. James's; where,
disappointed of meeting the King, many of the most violent presumed to
follow his Majesty to Richmond with a petition, which certainly ought
to have been presented to the House of Commons through the medium of
a Member; others met in Old Palace-yard, where they obstructed the
passage of the Peers, and were only prevented from committing acts of
violence by a party of guards. Thus disappointed of their aim, they
spread in various directions, and almost filled Bloomsbury-square in
defiance of parties of horse and foot soldiers sent to keep the peace.
After suffering several severe injuries, self-committed by pressure,
they returned towards home; but in their way broke all Messrs. Carr and
Co.'s windows on Ludgate-hill, and would have done other damage, had
not a patrole of grenadier guards interfered and dispersed them; but,
as this article should be wholly devoted to the peaceful operations
of benevolence, I must refer the reader to "Popular Tumults," for the
remainder of the event.
The King gave 1000_l._ to the sufferers by a fire in
Bishopsgate-street, London, in November 1765; and the Society of
Quakers 500_l._
During the severity of the winter of 1767-8, a great deal was done for
the relief of the poor, particularly in the following instances: Earl
Percy gave 400_l._; 200_l._ was collected at Almack's; Daniel Giles,
esq. distributed 20 chaldrons of coals; the Archbishop of Canterbury
gave 5_s._ 3_d._ each, to upwards of 200 watermen of Lambeth; the
Lord Mayor had 50 pounds of beef boiled every day, and distributed it
and the broth from it; an unknown person released 26 prisoners from
the Poultry, and others from Wood-street, confined for debts between
forty shillings and six pounds, and each received thirty shillings,
the surplus of the cash sent; besides these generous acts, large sums
were collected in various parishes, and the Queen gave 500_l._ under a
feigned name, through the hands of Dr. Hill[74:A].
Sir John Fielding, long celebrated for his activity as the supreme
director of the Police Westward of Temple-bar, thus addressed the
publick in March 1770:
"The worthy and ingenious Mr. Nelson, in a book, intituled, 'An Address
to Persons of Quality and Estate,' relative to the different methods
of doing good, seems from the benevolence of his mind, and from that
rich fountain of humanity in his heart, to have furnished hints for
almost all the charities which have been established since his time;
and, indeed, from the present number of them, one should imagine, that
scarce a distress could arise to the poor, but there is an hospital,
infirmary, or asylum to relieve; yet, alas, how short-sighted is the
eye of man! for, behold a new Charity makes its appearance, of a
most striking nature indeed; namely, a Dispensary for the benefit of
the infants of the industrious poor; and how objects so essential to
the community should have been so long overlooked by the ingenious
and benevolent, is very surprising. The fate of those children that
have fallen to the lot of workhouses in their tender state, has been
proved, beyond contradiction, to have been dreadful to the last degree;
few, indeed, of such lives having been preserved. For this evil some
remedies have been provided by law, which, I hope to God, may prove
effectual. The next class of distressed objects of this kind are, the
infants of the industrious poor, who, being careful and temperate,
have frequently large families, which they may indeed subsist, but
numbers of these sort of children are precipitately snatched from the
fond mother's embrace by sudden diseases, which the poverty and the
ignorance of the parent render them incapable of contending with. The
lives of children hang on a slender thread, and their diseases, though
few, require immediate and able assistance: behold then Armstrong's
Dispensary opening its bosom for the relief of these tender patients!
It seems a work of supererogation to recommend such a charity as this;
it speaks for itself, and needs but to be considered to be encouraged;
and to the mother's breast it speaks a feeling language indeed; for the
experience that may be acquired in the knowledge and cure of diseases
incident to children, by this institution, may be the happy means of
preserving heirs to many valuable families, and of preventing much of
that sorrow which swells the mother's heart when the little object of
her affection is snatched from her tender arms.
"J. FIELDING.
"The remarkable success hitherto experienced in treating the little
patients, as appears from the account published after the meetings
of the Committee, must doubtless be no small recommendation of this
charity."
This Dispensary, calculated for infants only, was accompanied by a plan
(separately recommended by Mr. Daniel Sutton) for the _eradication_
of the Small-pox by inoculation, at receiving-houses in various parts
of the Metropolis. The latter, however, appears to have been the most
successful application to the feelings of the publick, as I believe
amongst the numerous Dispensaries, which at present do honour to
London, there is not one appropriated exclusively to children; nor is
it necessary when relief is afforded at all to every description of
disease in either infants or adults.
The excellent Institution for the relief of persons confined for
Small Debts, which originated from the active mind of the late
unfortunate Dr. Dodd, and which has been continued to the present
moment, principally through the exertions of Mr. Neild, gave the
following flattering account of their success, even in the infancy of
the undertaking, Jan. 1773: "535 persons discharged, together with 245
wives and 1496 children, amounting in all to 2276 souls relieved by
means of the public humanity."
An Act was passed in 1773, for the better regulation of Lying-in
hospitals and other places of reception for pregnant women, and to
provide for the safety of illegitimate children born within them; a
clause of which enacts, "That from and after the first day of November,
1773, no hospital or place shall be established, used, or appropriated,
or continue to be used or appropriated, for the public reception of
pregnant women, under public or private support, regulation, and
management, in any parish in England, unless a licence shall be first
had and obtained, in manner therein-mentioned, from the Justices of the
Peace at some one of their General Quarter Sessions to be held for the
County, Riding, Division, City, or Corporation, wherein such hospital
or place shall be situated."
One of the most singular methods of obtaining charity perhaps ever
adopted, occurred in January 1774. The severity of the weather had
rendered navigable canals useless; and with others, those of Oxford and
Coventry; consequently the persons employed on them were distressed
for want of employment. Eighteen of the sufferers obtained a waggon,
which a gentleman of Willoughby generously filled with the best coals;
and thus furnished, they harnessed themselves to the vehicle, and set
off from Bedworth in Warwickshire to draw it to St. James's, there to
present the coals to the King. The oddity of their contrivance proved
highly beneficial to them on their road; and when they arrived at the
Palace, the Board of Green-cloth ordered them twenty guineas, but
refused the coals, which were disposed of, and the produce greatly
augmented by gifts from numbers of persons who witnessed the exertions
of these human _drafts-men_[78:A].
Several instances have been already given of individuals endeavouring
to alleviate the calamities arising from the resentment of inexorable
creditors, by the discharge of the debts which excited it. Every
possible praise is certainly due to those philanthropists; nor is the
Society just mentioned less deserving of the thanks of the community;
but their's is an Herculean labour, and a sum equal to the revenues of
a state would be little more than sufficient to accomplish the release
of all entitled to commiseration. Impressed with similar sentiments,
John Howard, esq. determined to explore the various prisons in England,
and indeed throughout Europe, not so much with a view to discharge
captives, as to render them the most essential service while such,
by exposing their unwarranted sufferings, inflicted in defiance of
the dictates of humanity, and even contrary to law. His labours in
this pursuit, his disregard of opposition, his manly reprobation of
oppression to the oppressor, disdain of personal danger from vindictive
revenge and disease, his death, and the honours decreed him by public
bodies and public gratitude, are all fresh in the memories of my
readers: I shall therefore merely quote his own words in explanation of
his intentions, when they were perhaps not fully developed to himself.
"To the Publisher of the London Chronicle.
_Cardington, March 6, 1774._
"Mr. WILKIE,
"The account I gave before the House of the state of Gaols
being somewhat misrepresented in the papers, I must beg the
favour in your next to set it right.
"I am, Sir, &c.