interest by the whole body of the people, are still eventful among certain
classes, and for such the street author and ballad singer cater. The
measure of Reform by Earl Grey's administration, was proposed in the House
of Commons by Lord John Russell, 1st March, 1831. On the first division,
_second_ reading 22nd March, there stood for it, 302; against it, 301.
Ultimately, the Bill for that session was abandoned, and Parliament
dissolved. The Reform Bill of 1832 was read for the _third_ time on the
23rd of March, when the numbers stood thus:--for the Bill, 355; against
it, 239--majority for it, 116. In the Lords, the Bill was carried through
the Committee on the 30th of May, and read a _third_ time on the 4th of
June. For the Bill, 106; against, 22--majority, 84.
During the whole of the time the Reform Bills of 1831-2 were before the
Houses of Parliament, the "Catnach Press," in common with other printing
offices that produced street-literature, was very busy in publishing,
almost daily, songs and papers in ridicule of borough-mongering and of the
various rotten boroughs then in existence, but which were entirely swept
away by the passing of this Bill; fifty-six boroughs in England being
disfranchised, while thirty were reduced to one member only; twenty-two
new boroughs were created to send two members, and twenty to send one
member; other important changes were also made. Songs upon the subject
were sung at every corner of the streets, to the great delight of the
multitude.
THE REFORM BILL.
As William and _Bill_ are the same,
Our King, if he "weathers the storm,"
Shall be called in the annals of fame,
The _Glorious_ BILL _of Reform_!
[Illustration]
ATTACK ON KING WILLIAM IV. AT ASCOT HEATH,
ON TUESDAY, THE 19TH OF JUNE, 1832.
The Ascot Races for 1832 will be rendered memorable in the history of this
country by reason of a stone thrown at his Majesty while on the grand
stand at Ascot Races, which hit him on the forehead. The man by whom it
was thrown was immediately secured, and proved to be Dennis Collins, a
seaman with only one leg, formerly a pensioner of Greenwich Hospital, from
whence he had been dismissed for ill-conduct. On his examination he
confessed he committed the outrage in revenge because no notice had been
taken of petitions which he had sent to the Lords of the Admiralty and the
King. He was committed to Reading gaol to take his trial, which took place
at Abingdon, on August 22nd. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on the
fifth count, that of intending some bodily harm to his Majesty, but not
guilty of the intent to kill.
Mr. Baron Gurney passed sentence on the prisoner, that he _be drawn on a
hurdle to the place of execution_, and being hung by his _neck_ until
dead, his _head_ be afterwards _severed from his body_, and his body
_divided into four pieces_, and disposed of as his Majesty should think
fit. His sentence was afterwards respited.
Nothing better than the above circumstance could have suited the producers
and workers of street-literature. King William and Queen Adelaide were
very popular at the time. "Yes, sir, we all did well out of that job of
the wooden-legged sailor and old King Billy. It lasted out for months. We
had something fresh nearly every day. We killed old Billy five or six
times; then we made out that the sailor-chap was a love-child of the
Sailor King and Madame Vestris; then that he was an old sweetheart of
Queen Adelaide's, and that he was jealous and annoyed at her a jilting of
him and a-marrying of old King Billy, and so on. But it was an awful sell,
and a robbery to us all, because they didn't hang and cut the chap up into
four quarters--that would have been a regular Godsend to us chaps, sir.
But I think old Jemmy Catnach, as it was, must have cleared pretty nigh or
quite fifty pounds for himself out of the job. A-talking about Madame
Vestris, sir, reminds me that once we had a song about her, and the chorus
was:--
"'A hundred pounds reward
For the man that cut the legs above the knees
Belonging to Madame Vestris.'"
[Illustration]
The year 1837 produced two sensational murders and executions. The first
case--that of Pegsworth--made a great stir, particularly in the east part
of London. It was on the evening of the 9th of January, 1837, that a most
atrocious and cold-blooded murder was committed in Ratcliff Highway. The
individual who suffered was Mr. John Holliday Ready, who for some time
carried on the trade of a tailor, draper, and milliner. John Pegsworth,
was a messenger in the tea department of St. Katherine's Docks, he had
formerly kept a small tobacconist's shop in the same street, and had
contracted a debt of £1 with Mr. Ready, who being unable to obtain
payment, took out a summons against him in the Court of Requests,
Osborne-street, Whitechapel. The court gave judgement against Pegsworth
for the full amount and costs, which he was ordered to pay by instalments.
On the evening of the same day Pegsworth proceeded to a cutler's shop in
Shadwell, where he bought a large pig-knife, armed with which he
immediately repaired to the house of Mr. Ready for the purpose of
executing his diabolical intention. He entered the shop, and having spoken
to Mrs. Ready, passed on to the parlour and got into conversation with Mr.
Ready. Pegsworth, although pressingly asked to do so, declined taking a
seat, and after he had been talking about ten minutes in a calm and
collected manner on the subject of the debt and the misfortunes he had met
with in business, he pointedly asked Mr. Ready if he intended to enforce
the payment of the debt? Ready said he should be compelled to issue an
execution against his goods if the money was not paid. The words had
scarcely left the lips of the unfortunate man than Pegsworth uttered some
exclamation which is supposed to have been "Take that!" and plunged the
knife with great force into his breast up to the hilt. Ready called out to
his wife, "O, I am stabbed!" fell back in his chair, and almost
immediately expired. Mrs. Ready, who saw Pegsworth move his arm, but was
not aware her husband was stabbed until she saw him fall back, screamed
aloud for assistance, and several of her neighbours rushed into the shop
for the purpose of securing the murderer, who did not make the least
attempt to escape, but having completed his purpose, withdrew the knife
from the body of his victim, laid it on the table, and calmly awaited the
arrival of the police.
Pegsworth was tried at the Central Criminal Court of London on the 12th of
February, and found guilty of wilful murder, and was executed in front of
the debtor's door in the Old Bailey on the 9th of March following.
* * * * *
During the whole of the time that was occupied in the trial and execution
of Pegsworth, a circumstance took place which excited an extraordinary
sensation throughout the metropolis and its neighbourhood--namely, the
discovery near the Pine Apple Gate, Edgware Road, of the trunk of a human
being, tied up in a sack, dismembered of the arms, legs, and head.
The utmost vigilance was exercised to trace out the murderer, but for
several days no light was thrown upon the transaction. At length, on the
6th of January, as a barge was passing down the Regent's Canal, near
Stepney, one of the eastern environs of London, the bargeman, to his
unspeakable horror, fished up what proved to be a human head. Proper
notice of this circumstance was forwarded to the police. It was now very
generally supposed the head would prove to belong to the body found in the
Edgware road, although at a distance of nearly five miles, and this
conjecture proved to be correct.
On the second of February the remaining portions of the human being was
discovered in a sack in an osier bed, near Cold Harbour Lane, Camberwell.
These mutilated remains were carefully matched together, and at length
recognised as those of a Mrs. Brown, and suspicion fell, and justly so,
upon James Greenacre and his paramour Sarah Gale.
In respect to the last two murders we have cited, Mr. Henry Mayhew
received from an old "running patterer" the following
statement--"Pegsworth was an out-and-out lot. I did tremendous with him,
because it happened in London, down Ratcliff Highway--that's a splendid
quarter for working--there's plenty of feeling--but, bless you, some
places you go to you can't move nohow, they've hearts like paving stones.
They wouldn't have 'the papers' if you'd give them to 'em--especially when
they knows you. Greenacre didn't sell so well as might have been expected,
for such a diabolical out-and-out crime as he committed; but you see he
came close after Pegsworth, and that took the beauty off him. Two
murderers together is no good to nobody."
In the Greenacre tragedy Catnach did a great amount of business, and as it
was about the last "popular murder" in which he had any trade concern, we
give a statement in respect to the sale of "Execution Papers," of the
chief modern '_popular_' murders, thus:--
Of Rush murder 2,500,000 copies.
Of the Mannings 2,500,000 "
Of Courvoisier 1,666,000 "
Of Greenacre 1,650,000 "
Of Corder (Maria Marten) 1,166,000 "
Of the Five Pirates (Flowery Land) 290,000 "
Of Müller 280,000 "
So that the printers and publishers of "Gallows" Literature in general,
and "The Catnach Press" in particular must have reaped a golden harvest
for many a long day, even when sold to the street patterers at the low
rate of 3d. per _long_ dozen.
[Illustration]
LIFE, TRIAL, CONFESSION, & EXECUTION OF JAMES GREENACRE, FOR THE
EDGEWARE ROAD MURDER.
[Illustration]
On the 22nd of April, James Greenacre was found guilty of the wilful
murder of Hannah Brown, and Sarah Gale with being accessary after the
fact. A long and connected chain of evidence was produced, which
showed, that the sack in which the body was found was the property of
Mr. Ward; that it was usually deposited in a part of the premises
which led to the workshop, and could without observation have been
carried away by him; that the said sack contained several fragments
of shavings of mahogeny, such as were made in the course of business
by Ward; and that it contained some pieces of linen cloth, which had
been patched with nankeen; that this linen cloth matched exactly with
a frock which was found on Greenacre's premises, and which belonged to
the female prisoner. Feltham, a police-officer, deposed, that on the
25th of March he apprehended the prisoners at the lodgings of
Greenacre; that on searching the trowsers pockets of that person, he
took therefrom a pawnbroker's duplicate for two silk gowns, and from
the fingers of the female prisoner two rings, and also a similar
duplicate for two veils, and an old-fashioned silver watch, which she
was endeavouring to conceal; and it was further proved that these
articles were pledged by the prisoners, and that they had been the
property of the deceased woman.--Two surgeons were examined, whose
evidence was most important, and whose depositions were of the
greatest consequence in throwing a clear light on the manner in which
the female, Hannah Brown, met with her death. Mr. Birtwhistle deposed,
that he had carefully examined the head; that the right eye had been
knocked out by a blow inflicted while the person was living; there was
also a cut on the cheek, and the jaw was fractured, these two last
wounds were, in his opinion, produced after death; there was also a
bruise on the head, which had occurred after death; the head had been
separated by cutting, and the _bone sawed nearly through_, and then
broken off; then were the marks of a saw, which fitted with a saw
which was found in Greenacre's box. Mr. Girdwood, a surgeon, very
minutely and skilfully described the appearances presented on the
head, and showed incontestibly, that the head had been severed from
the body _while the person was yet alive_; that this was proved by the
retraction, or drawing back, of the muscles at the parts where they
were separated by the knife, and further, by the blood-vessels being
empty, the body was drained of blood. This part of the evidence
produced a thrill of horror throughout the court, but Greenacre
remained quite unmoved.
After a most impressive and impartial summing up by the learned Judge,
the jury retired, and, after the absence of a quarter of an hour,
returned into court, and pronounced a verdict of "Guilty" against both
the prisoners.
The prisoners heard the verdict without evincing the least emotion, or
the slightest change of countenance. After an awful silence of a few
minutes, the Lord Chief Justice said they might retire, as they would
be remanded until the end of the session.
They were then conducted from the bar, and on going down the steps,
the unfortunate female prisoner kissed Greenacre with every mark of
tenderness and affection.
The crowd outside the court on this day was even greater than on
either of the preceding; and when the result of the trial was made
known in the street, a sudden and general shout succeeded, ans
continued huzzas were heard for several minutes.
THE EXECUTION.
At half past seven the sheriff arrived in his carriage, and in a short
time the press-yard was thronged with gentlemen who had been admitted
by tickets. The unhappy convict was now led from his cell. When he
arrived in the press-yard, his whole appearance pourtrayed the utmost
misery and spirit-broken dejection; his countenance haggard, and his
whole frame agitated; all that self-possesion and fortitude which he
displayed in the early part of his imprisonment, had utterly forsaken
him, and had left him a victim of hopelessness and despair. He
requested the executioner to give him as little pain as possible in
the process of pinioning his arms and wrists; he uttered not a word in
allusion to his crime; neither did he make any dying request, except
that his spectacles might be given to Sarah Gale; he exhibited no sign
of hope; he showed no symptom of reconciliation with his offended God!
When the venerable ordinary preceded him in the solemn procession
through the vaulted passage to the fatal drop, he was so overcome and
unmanned, that he could not support himself without the aid of the
assistant executioner. At the moment he ascended the faithless floor,
from which he was to be launched into eternity, the most terrific
yells, groans, and cheers were vociferated by the immense multitude
surrounding the place of execution. Greenacre bowed to the sheriff,
and begged he might not be allowed to remain long in the concourse;
and almost immediately the fatal bolt was withdrawn, and, without a
struggle he became a lifeless corse.--Thus ended the days of
Greenacre, a man endowed with more than ordinary talents, respectably
connected, and desirably placed in society; but a want of probity, an
absolute dearth of principle, led him on from one crime to another,
until at length he perpetrated the sanguinary deed which brought his
career to an awful and disgraceful period, and which has enrolled his
name among the most notorious of those who have expiated their crime
on the gallows.
On hearing the death-bell toll, Gale became dreadfully agitated; and
when she heard the brutal shouts of the crowd of spectators, she
fainted, and remained in a state of alternate mental agony and
insensibility throughout the whole day.
After having been suspended the usual time, his body was cut down, and
buried in a hole dug in one of the passages of the prison, near the
spot where Thistlewood and his associate were deposited.
Catnach received a very indifferent education, and that little at the
establishment of Mr. Goldie, in Alnwick, where his attendance was very
irregular, and this drawback assisted very much in blunting his relish for
the higher walks of literature. The father had not carried out the
heavenly injunction so much practised in Scotland, by giving to his son
the best of blessings--"a good education."
Jemmy had a tenacious love of money, and this propensity he retained
throughout life. As a man of business he was rough and brusque in his
manners, but this mattered little, as his trade lay amongst a class who
were low and insensitive in their habits and modes of living.
The productions issued at the "Catnach Press" were not destined to rank
high in the annals of literature; and they bear a sorry appearance when
placed alongside of several works of a similar kind, which were printed at
the same period in many parts of the kingdom. In this respect Jemmy
Catnach was very unlike his father, for, whilst the former had a niggardly
turn in all his dealings, the latter was naturally inclined to the
reverse.
One class of literature which Jemmy Catnach made--by reason of greater
mechanical skill and a larger capital than his rivals--almost his own, was
children's farthing, halfpenny, and penny books. Among the great many that
he published we select from our own private collection, those that follow
as a fair sample.
Many other nursery books of a similar kind might be mentioned as some of
the chief attractions that emanated from the "Catnach Press," and which,
to the juvenile population, were more eagerly welcomed than the great
sensational three-volume novels are by many in our day.
"THE CATNACH PRESS."
[Illustration]
A COLLECTION
OF JUVENILE BOOKS.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY
JAMES CATNACH,
LATE OF
MONMOUTH COURT,
SEVEN DIALS,
LONDON.
[Illustration: JAMES CATNACH TO HIS JUVENILE READERS.
Little Boys and Girls will find
At CATNACH'S something to their mind,
From great variety may choose,
What will instruct them and amuse;
The prettiest plates that you can find,
To please at once the eye and mind,
In all his little books appear,
In natural beauty, shining clear,
Instruction unto youth when given,
Points the path from earth to heaven.
He sells by Wholesale and Retail.
To suit all moral tastes can't fail.]
Nurse Love-Child's LEGACY
[Illustration]
LONDON:
Printed by J. Catnach, 2, Monmouth
Court, 7 Dials.
2
[Illustration]
The Lion and the unicorn,
Were fighting for the crown,
The lion beat the unicorn,
All round about the town,
Some gave them white bread
And some gave them brown,
Some gave them plum cake
And sent them out of town.
3
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
[Illustration]
What is the news of the day,
Good neighbour I pray,
They say the balloon,
Is gone up to the moon.
4
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
[Illustration]
The little mouse
Doth skip and play,
He runs by night,
And sleeps by day.
5
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
[Illustration]
This is the Cat
That killed the Cock,
For waking her
At five o'clock.
6
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
[Illustration]
And this is the Dog
That bit the thief,
For stealing all
His master's beef.
7
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
[Illustration]
Who comes here
A Grenadier,
What do you want
A pot of beer,
Where's your money
I've forgot.
Get you gone
You drunken sot.
8
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
[Illustration]
Be not a glutton when you eat,
But spare some for the needy,
Or people will, when filled with meat,
Say, like a wolf, you are greedy.
9
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
[Illustration]
There was a little man,
And he had a little gun,
And his bullets were made of lead,
He shot John Sprig
Thro' the middle of his wig,
And knock'd it off his head.
10
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
[Illustration]
Now what do you think
Of little Jack Jingle,
Before he was married,
He used to live single.
But after he married,
To alter his life,
He left off living single
And lived with his wife.
11
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
Tom Trueby was a good and sensible boy, who neither played the truant
nor kept company with naughty children. He did not like tossing up nor
chuck up farthing, because he thought it might lead him to love
gaming, when he was grown up; but he liked very well to play at ball
or top, and most particularly at marbles, at which he was very clever,
never cheated, and played so well that he used to teach the
neighbouring children.
12
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
[Illustration]
And here you see him instructing Master Manly, a Baronet's son in the
place, as he did in matters of more consequence, and behaved so well
towards him, that he was his friend all his lifetime.
13
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
Fire-Works and Crackers.
[Illustration]
Fire-Works are things that look very pretty when they are properly
managed by those who understand them, but children ought to take care
how they meddle with gunpowder lest they should hurt themselves or
other people.
14
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
Tom Hazard for example was always fond of playing with serpents
crackers &c. At one time he was near doing damage by his fireworks
falling into a cellar, and at another time as you see in the cut he so
much frightened one of his schoolfellows that he fell down, and put
his ancle out, for which Tom was severely corrected and you must own
he richly deserved it.
[Illustration]
15
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
[Illustration]
See the Mother,
Good and mild,
How she plays
With her dear Child.
NURSE LOVECHILD'S LEGACY.
[Illustration]
See the Maid
By kindness led,
To feed the Fowls
With crumbs of bread.
FINIS.
J. Catnach, Printer.
THE GOLDEN PIPPIN.
[Illustration]
LONDON:
Printed by J. Catnach.
2, Monmouth
Court, 7 Dials.
2
THE Lord's Prayer.
[Illustration]
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdom come,
thy Will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven, Give us this Day our
daily Bread, and forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that
trespass against us, and lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us
from Evil. For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the Glory, for ever
and ever. Amen.
[Illustration]
3
[Illustration]
A
Was an Arch Boy.
[Illustration]
B
A Beauty was.
4
[Illustration]
C
A comely Wench but Coy.
[Illustration]
D
A Dainty Lass.
5
[Illustration]
E
Loved Eggs, and eat his fill.
[Illustration]
F
Was full and fat.
6
[Illustration]
G
Had Grace and wit at will.
[Illustration]
H
Wore a Gold Lace Hat.
7
[Illustration]
I
Stands for little Jackys name.
[Illustration]
K
For Kitty Fair.
8
[Illustration]
L
Loved Learning & got fame.
[Illustration]
M
Was his Mother dear.
9
[Illustration]
N
Was naughty & oft crying.
[Illustration]
O
An Only Child.
10
[Illustration]
P
Was pretty Peggy sighing.
[Illustration]
Q
Was a Quaker mild.
11
[Illustration]
R
Was Rude, & in disgrace.
[Illustration]
S
Stands for Sammy Still.
12
[Illustration]
T
For ever talked a-pace.
[Illustration]
V
Was fond of Veal.
13
[Illustration]
W
He watched the house & hall.
[Illustration]
X
Does like a Cross appear.
14
[Illustration]
Y
A Youth well shaped & tall.
[Illustration]
Z
Whips up the Rear.
15
Let all good children come to me,
And I'll learn them their
A B C
[Illustration]
And when your Great Letters you know,
Then I'll teach you the Small also.
[Illustration]
J. Catnach, Printer.
JERRY DIDDLE, AND HIS FIDDLE.
[Illustration]
_If you are bad
I pray reform,
And praise will all
Your acts adorn._
London:
Printed by J. Catnach, 2, Monmouth
Court, 7 Dials.
2
JERRY DIDDLE.
Bought a fiddle,
To play to little boys,
He wax'd his string,
And began to sing,
Youth is the time for joys.
[Illustration]
He went to a pig, and play'd a jig.
3
The pigs did grunt for joy,
Till the farmer came out,
And made a great rout,
Saying "Off, or I'll cane you, my boy."
[Illustration]
He met an old woman to market a prancing,
He took out his fiddle, and set her a dancing.
4
She broke all her eggs,
And dirtied her butter;
At which her old husband
Began for to splutter.
[Illustration]
Oh! then, said Jerry,
I'll soon make you merry.
5
And the way with his fiddle he led,
The old man heard the tune,
As he sat in his room,
And danc'd on top of his head.
[Illustration]
6
[Illustration]
He next met a barber,
With powder and wig,
He play'd him a tune,
And he shaved an old pig.
7
[Illustration]
Then up in his arms
He carried the boar,
And went to the ale-house,
To dance on the floor.
8
[Illustration]
He met an old man,
With beer in a can,
And a bundle of clothes on his shoulder,
He bade Jerry play,
And threw all away,
To astonish each gaping beholder.
9
[Illustration]
He went to a tailor,
Who was ill in bed;
When he got up to dance,
With a goose on his head.
10
[Illustration]
He went to a fishwomen,
Tippling of gin,
When she like a top,
Began for to spin.
11
[Illustration]
The publican star'd,
As he fill'd out the glasses,
But when Jerry play'd,
He danc'd with the lasses.
12
[Illustration]
He next met an old man,
With beard white and long,
Who laugh'd at poor Jerry,
And scoff'd at his song.
13
[Illustration]
His name was Instruction,
The friend of the wise,
Who teaches good youth,
To win honor's prize.
14
[Illustration]
He broke Jerry's fiddle,
And taught him to read,
And told him that honor
Would daily succeed.
15
[Illustration]