Good harvest—Thanksgiving for same—List of poor Livings—Another
Jubilee—Illness and death of the Princess Amelia—Effect on
the King—Prayers for his restoration to health—Funeral of the
Princess—Curious position of the Houses of Parliament—Proposition
for a Regency—Close of the first decade of the XIXth Century.
IT GIVES great pleasure to record that the Harvest this year was
plentiful, so bountiful, indeed, as to stir up feelings of gratitude in
the national breast, and induce the manufacture of a “Form of prayer
and thanksgiving to Almighty God, for His mercy in having vouchsafed to
bestow on this Nation an abundant crop, and favourable harvest.” The
farmers and laics benefited thereby, but the position of the Clergy at
that time was far from being very high, at least with regard to worldly
remuneration—_vide_ the following:
_Account of Livings in England and Wales under £150 a year._
Not exceeding £10 a year 12
From £10 to £20 inclusive 72
From £20 to £30 ” 191
From £30 to £40 ” 353
From £40 to £50 ” 433
From £50 to £60 ” 407
From £60 to £70 ” 376
From £70 to £80 ” 319
From £80 to £90 ” 309
From £90 to £100 ” 315
From £100 to £110 ” 283
From £110 to £120 ” 307
From £120 to £130 ” 246
From £130 to £140 ” 205
From £140 to £150 ” 170
————
Total 3998
————
“Of these very small livings three are in the diocese of Lichfield and
Coventry, three in that of Norwich, two in that of St. David’s, one in
that of Llandaff, one in that of London, one in that of Peterborough,
and one in that of Winchester.”
This does not show a very flourishing state of things, although money
could be spent freely in support of foreign clergy as we see by the
accounts for this year: “Emigrant clergy and laity of France, £161,542
2s.”
One would think that two Jubilees in one twelvemonth was almost too
much of a good thing, but our great-grandfathers thought differently.
There had already been one, to celebrate the fact of the King entering
on the fiftieth year of his reign, they must now have one to chronicle
its close. But, although there was somewhat of the “poor debtor”
element introduced, it was by no means as enthusiastically received as
it had been twelve months previously.
This time we hear more of festive meetings: a Jubilee Ball at the
Argyle Rooms—then very decorous and proper—another at the New Rooms,
Kennington, and a grand dinner at Montpelier House, whilst Camberwell,
Vauxhall, Kennington, and Lambeth all furnished materials for
festivity. Needless to say, there were new Jubilee medals.
But the poor old King was getting ill, and troubled about his daughter,
the Princess Amelia, who lay a-dying. Poor girl! she knew she had not
long to live, and she wished to give the King some personal souvenir.
She had a very valuable and choice stone, which she wished to have
made into a ring for him. As her great thought and most earnest wish
was to give this to her father before her death, a jeweller was sent
for express from London, and it was soon made, and she had her desire
gratified. On His Majesty going to the bedside of the Princess, as was
his daily wont, she put the ring upon his finger without saying a word.
The ring told its own tale: it bore as an inscription her name, and
“_Remember me when I am gone_.” A lock of her hair was also worked into
the ring.
The mental anguish caused by this event, and by the knowledge that
death was soon to claim the Princess, was too much for the King to
bear. Almost blind, and with enfeebled intellect, he had not strength
to bear up against the terrible blow.
At first the papers said he had a slight cold, but the next day it was
found to be of no use concealing his illness. The _Morning Post_ of the
31st of October says: “It is with hearfelt sorrow we announce that His
Majesty’s indisposition still continues. It commenced with the effect
produced upon his tender parental feelings on receiving the ring from
the hand of his afflicted, beloved daughter, the affecting inscription
upon which caused him, blessed and most amiable of men, to burst
into tears, with the most heart-touching lamentations on the present
state, and approaching dissolution, of the afflicted, and interesting
Princess. His Majesty is attended by Drs. Halford, Heberden, and
Baillie, who issue daily bulletins of the state of the virtuous and
revered monarch, for whose speedy recovery the prayers of all good men
will not fail to be offered up.” And there was public prayer made “for
the restoration of His Majesty’s health.”
The Princess Amelia died on the 2nd of November, and was buried with
due state. In her coffin were “8,000 nails—6000 small and 2,000 large;
eight large plates and handles resembling the Tuscan Order; a crown at
the top, of the same description as issued from the Heralds’ Office;
two palm branches in a cross saltier, under the crown, with P. A. (the
initials of her Royal Highness). They are very massy, and have the
grandest effect, being executed in the most highly-finished style,
and neat manner possible. Forty-eight plates, with a crown, two palm
branches in cross saltier, with the Princess Royal’s coronet at top;
eight bevil double corner plates, with the same ornaments inscribed,
and one at each corner of the cover.”
The King’s illness placed Parliament in a very awkward position. It
stood prorogued till the 1st of November, on which day both Houses met,
but sorely puzzled how to proceed, because there was no commission, nor
was the King in a fit state to sign one. The Speaker took his seat,
and said, “The House is now met, this being the last day to which
Parliament was prorogued; but I am informed, that notwithstanding His
Majesty’s proclamation upon the subject of a farther prorogation, no
message is to be expected from His Majesty’s commissioners upon that
subject, no commission for prorogation being made out. Under such
circumstances I feel it my duty to take the chair, in order that the
House may be able to adjourn itself.” And both Houses were left to
their own devices. The head was there, but utterly incompetent to
direct.
So they kept on, doing no public work, but examining the
King’s physicians as to his state. They held out hopes of his
recovery—perhaps in five or six months, perhaps in twelve or
eighteen; but, in the meantime, really energetic steps must be taken
to meet the emergency. On the 20th of November the Chancellor of the
Exchequer moved three resolutions embodying the facts that His Majesty
was incapacitated by illness from attending to business, and that
the personal exercise of the royal authority is thereby suspended,
therefore Parliament must supply the defect. It was then that the
Regency of the Prince of Wales was proposed, and in January, 1811, an
Act was passed, entitled, “An Act to provide for the Administration of
the Royal Authority, and for the Care of the Royal Person during the
Continuance of His Majesty’s illness, and for the Resumption of the
Exercise of the Royal Authority.” The Prince of Wales was to exercise
kingly powers, which, however, were much shorn in the matters of
granting peerages, and granting offices and pensions; whilst the Queen,
assisted by a Council, was to have the care of His Majesty’s person,
and the direction of his household.
As a proof of the sympathy evinced by the people with the King in his
illness, all pageantry was omitted on the 9th of November, when the
Lord Mayor went to Westminster to be sworn in.
At the close of 1810 the National Debt amounted to the grand total of
£811,898,083 12s. 3¾d. Three per Cent. Consols began at 70¾, touched
in July 71½, and left off in December 66¼. Wheat averaged 95s. per
quarter, and the quartern loaf was, in January, 1s. 4¼d.; June, 1s.
5d.; December, 1s. 3d.
Here ends the chronicle of the First Decade of the Nineteenth Century.
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