Diversions of people of fashion—Daily life of the
King—Children—Education—Girls’ education—Matrimonial
advertisements—Gretna Green marriages—Story of a wedding ring—Wife
selling—“A woman to let.”
THE ESSAYISTS of Anne’s time did good work, and left precious material
for Social History behind them, when they good-humouredly made fun of
the little follies of the day; and two satirical prints of Rowlandson’s
follow so well in their footprints that I must needs transcribe them.
“May 1, 1802. _A Man of Fashion’s Journal._ ‘Queer dreams, owing to Sir
Richard’s claret, always drink too much of it—rose at one—dressed
by half-past three—took an hour’s ride—a good horse, my last
purchase, remember to sell him again—nothing like variety—dined at
six with Sir Richard—said several good things—forgot ‘em all—in
high spirits—quizzed a parson—drank three bottles, and loung’d to
the theatre—not quite clear about the play—comedy or tragedy—forget
which—saw the last act—Kemble toll loll—not quite certain whether
it was Kemble or not—Mrs. Siddons monstrous fine—got into a
hack—set down in St. James’s Street—dipp’d a little with the boys at
hazards—confounded bad luck—lost all my money.’”
“May 1, 1802. _A Woman of Fashion’s Journal._ ‘Dreamt of the
Captain—certainly a fine man—counted my card money—lost
considerably—never play again with the Dowager—breakfasted at _two_,
... dined at seven at Lady Rackett’s—the Captain there—more than
usually agreeable—went to the Opera—the Captain in the party—house
prodigiously crowded—my _ci devant_ husband in the opposite
box—rather _mal à propos_—but no matter—_telles choses sont_—looked
into Lady Squander’s _roût_—positively a mob—sat down to cards—in
great luck—won a cool hundred of my Lord Lackwit, and fifty of the
Baron—returned home at five in the morning—indulged in half an hour’s
reflection—resolved on reformation, and erased my name from the
Picn-ic Society.’”
This style of life was taken more from the Prince of Wales than the
King, whose way of living was very simple; and, although this book is
intended more to show the daily life of the middle classes, than that
of Royalty, still a sketch of the third George’s private daily life
cannot be otherwise than interesting. It was this quiet, unassuming
daily life of the King, together with his affliction, which won him the
hearts of his people.
_Morning Post_, November 7, 1806: “When the King rises, which is
generally about half-past seven o’clock, he proceeds immediately to
the Queen’s saloon, where His Majesty is met by one of the Princesses;
generally either Augusta, Sophia, or Amelia; for each, in turn,
attend their revered Parents. From thence the Sovereign and his
Daughter, attended by the Lady in Waiting, proceed to the Chapel,
in the Castle, wherein Divine Service is performed by the Dean, or
Sub-Dean: the ceremony occupies about an hour. Thus the time passes
until nine o’clock, when the King, instead of proceeding to his own
apartment, and breakfasting alone, now takes that meal with the
Queen, and the five Princesses. The table is always set out in the
Queen’s noble breakfasting-room, which has been recently decorated
with very excellent modern hangings, and, since the late improvements
by Mr. Wyatt, commands a most delightful and extensive prospect of
the Little Park. The breakfast does not occupy more than half an
hour. The King and Queen sit at the head of the table, according to
seniority. Etiquette, in every other respect is strictly adhered to.
On entering the room the usual forms are observed, according to rank.
After breakfast, the King generally rides out on horseback, attended
by his Equerries; three of the Princesses, namely, Augusta, Sophia,
and Amelia, are usually of the party. Instead of only walking his
horse, His Majesty now proceeds at a good round trot. When the weather
is unfavourable, the King retires to his favourite sitting-room, and
sends for Generals Fitzroy, or Manners, to play at chess with him.
His Majesty, who knows the game well, is highly pleased when he beats
the former—that gentleman being an excellent player. The King dines
regularly at two o’clock; the Queen and Princesses at four. His Majesty
visits, and takes a glass of wine with them, at five. After this
period, public business is frequently transacted by the King in his own
study, wherein he is attended by his Private Secretary, Colonel Taylor.
The evening is, as usual, passed at cards, in the Queen’s Drawing-room,
where three tables are set out. To these parties many of the principal
nobility, &c., residing in the neighbourhood, are invited. When the
Castle clock strikes ten, the visitors retire. The supper is then set
out, but that is merely a matter of form, and of which none of the
Family partake. These illustrious personages retire at eleven o’clock
to rest for the night, and sleep in undisturbed repose until they rise
in the morning. The journal of one day is the history of the whole
year.”
[Illustration: GROUP OF CHILDREN, 1808.]
Children were, in those days, “seen and not heard;” and were very
different to the precocious little prigs of the present time. The
nursery was their place, and not the unlimited society of, and
association with, their elders, as now. When the time for school came,
the boys were taught a principally classical education, which was
considered, as now, an absolute necessity for a gentleman. Modern
languages, with the exception of French and Italian, were not taught.
German and the Northern languages were unknown, and Spanish only
came to be known during, and after, the Peninsular War. There was no
necessity for learning them. As a rule, people did not travel, and, if
they did, their _courier_ did all the conversation for them; and there
was no foreign literature to speak of which would induce a man to take
the trouble to learn languages. The physical sciences were in their
infancy, and chemistry, with its wonderful outcome of electricity, was
in its veriest babyhood: so that boys were not cumbered with too much
learning.
As to young ladies’ education, they had, as they must devoutly have
blessed, had they the gift of prescience, no Girton, nor Newnham, nor
St. Margaret’s, nor Somerville Halls. Their brains were not addled
by exams, or Oxford degrees. Here is their curriculum of study, with
its value, in the year 1800. “Terms:—The Young Ladies are boarded,
and taught the English and French languages, with grammatical purity
and correctness, history and needle-works, for twenty-five guineas
per annum, washing included; parlour boarders, forty guineas a year;
day boarders, three guineas per quarter; day scholars, a guinea and a
half. No entrance money expected, either from boarders or day scholars.
Writing, arithmetic, music, dancing, Italian, geography, the use
of the globes, and astronomy, taught by professors of eminence and
established merit.—Wanted a young lady of a docile disposition, and
genteel address, as an apprentice, or half-boarder; she will enjoy many
advantages which are not to be met with in the generality of schools.
Terms thirty guineas for two years.”
[Illustration: FILIAL AFFECTION; OR, A TRIP TO GRETNA GREEN.]
A few years of school, and then, how to get a husband—the same then,
as it is now, and ever will be. Matrimonial advertisements were very
common, and bear the stamp of authenticity; but the following beats
all I have yet seen: “MATRIMONY—To Noblemen, Ladies, or Gentlemen.
Any Nobleman, Lady, or Gentleman, having a female friend who has been
unfortunate, whom they would like to see comfortably settled, and
treated with delicacy and kindness, and that might, notwithstanding
errors, have an opportunity of moving in superior life, by an Union
with a Gentleman holding rank in His Majesty’s service, who has been
long in possession of a regular and handsome establishment, and whose
age, manners, and person, are such (as well as Connections) as, it
is to be presumed, will not be objected to, may, by addressing a
few lines, post paid, to B. Price, Esqre., to be left at the Bar of
the Cambridge Coffee House, Newman Street, form a most desirable
Matrimonial union for their friend. The Advertiser is serious, and
therefore hopes no one will answer this from idle motives, as much
care has been taken to prevent persons from gaining any information,
to gratify idle curiosity. The most inviolable honour and secrecy may
be relied on, and is expected to be observed throughout the treaty.
If the Lady is not naturally vicious, and candour is resorted to, the
Gentleman will study, by every means in his power, to promote domestic
felicity.”
Marriage at _Gretna Green_ was then in full force, and many were the
Couples who went post on that Northern road, and were married by the
blacksmith—as we see in Rowlandson’s picture. These Marriages, which
were, according to the law of Scotland, perfectly legal and binding,
provided the contracting parties avowed themselves to be man and wife
before witnesses, were only made illegal by Act of Parliament in 1856,
and now it is necessary for one of the parties married, to have resided
in Scotland for twenty-one days.
[Illustration: A TRIP TO GRETNA GREEN (ROWLANDSON).]
A curious story about a wedding ring is told in the _Morning Post_ of
the 3rd of December, 1800, under the heading “Clerkenwell Sessions”:
“The Prosecutor, a young man, lately out of his apprenticeship, and in
very confined circumstances, applied, about a month ago, to the Parish
of Shoreditch, and stated, that, it having been his wish to marry a
young woman in the same street where he worked, but not having money
sufficient to buy the wedding ring, and, his intended spouse being as
poor as himself, he hoped their Worships would advance him a small
sum to accomplish the purchase; and then added, that they had already
been three times asked in Church, and the morrow (Sunday) was the day
appointed for the ceremony.
“The Vestry taking into consideration the good character of the
applicant, ordered five shillings to be paid him, and the defendant,
who is overseer of that parish, was requested to furnish him with a
ring, which he did, the same night about ten o’clock, and charged for
it 7s. 6d. Before leaving the shop the purchaser said he hoped it was
worth the money, when the overseer replied it was good gold, and added,
you may pledge it at any pawnbroker’s in the town for 7s. The witness
was then satisfied and departed.
“On the Monday following, the affairs of the newly married couple
not having assumed the most flourishing aspect, the bridegroom was
necessitated to resort to a neighbouring pawnbroker’s shop, when, to
the surprise of the party, the ring was declared to be worth nothing,
it being a metal composition gilt. Upon this discovery he made
application to a Magistrate; the affair went before the Grand Jury, who
found a true bill against the jeweller, and the matter was yesterday
brought into Court, but in consequence of the absence of material
witnesses, the further investigation of this business stands over to a
future day.” I regret to say there is no further record of this case.
On this class, the marriage tie lay lightly, and a rough, and summary,
method was sometimes used to dissolve it. In a book of mine[50] I have
already mentioned the practice of wife-selling, as being in vogue at
this time. What I then said, can be further confirmed by examples which
come within the range of this book.
_Morning Herald_, March 11, 1802: “On the 11th of last month, a person
sold, at the market cross, in Chapel en le Frith, a wife, a child, and
as much furniture as would set up a beggar, for eleven shillings!”
_Morning Herald_, April 16, 1802: “A Butcher sold his wife by auction
the last market day at Hereford. The lot brought £1 4s. and a bowl of
punch.”
_Annual Register_, February 14, 1806: “A man named John Gorsthorpe
exposed his wife for sale in the market, at Hull, about one o’clock;
but, owing to the crowd which such an extraordinary occurrence had
gathered together, he was obliged to defer the sale, and take her away.
About four o’clock, however, he again brought her out, and she was sold
for 20 guineas, and delivered, in a halter, to a person named Houseman,
who had lodged with them four or five years.”
_Morning Post_, October 10, 1807: “One of those disgraceful scenes,
which have, of late, become too common, took place on Friday se’nnight
at Knaresborough. Owing to some jealousy, or other family difference,
a man brought his wife, equipped in _the usual style_, and sold her at
the market cross for 6d. and a quid of tobacco!”
In the _Doncaster Gazette_ of March 25, 1803, a sale is thus described:
“A fellow sold his wife, as a cow, in Sheffield market-place a few days
ago. The lady was put into the hands of a butcher, who held her by a
halter fastened round her waist. ‘What do you ask for your cow?’ said
a bystander. ‘A guinea,’ replied the husband. ‘Done!’ cried the other,
and immediately led away his bargain. We understand that the purchaser
and his ‘cow’ live very happily together.”
Enough examples have been given to show that the French idea of wives
being sold in Smithfield, and elsewhere, is founded on fact; indeed,
there is no reason to disbelieve the writer of “Six mois à Londres in
1816,” when he describes a wife sale he saw at Smithfield—at which
the lady was offered at the price of 15s., and, at that price, was
eventually purchased, after due examination, “Comme il avait examiné
quelques instans auparavant, une jument que je l’avais vu marchander.”
We must not throw stones at our grandfathers because this custom was in
their midst. I could quote numerous instances of it, from time to time,
down to our own days. _Vide_ the _South Wales Daily News_, May 2, 1882,
where, at Alfreton, a woman was sold by her husband, in a public-house
for a glass of ale; and, again, in the _Pall Mall Gazette_, October 20,
1882, where it is recorded, that, at Belfast, a certain George Drennan
sold his wife to one O’Neill, for one penny and a dinner.
But, before dismissing the social status of women of this class, at
that time, I cannot help chronicling a singular custom, which, however,
appears to be peculiarly local.
_Annual Register_, March 22, 1806: “A WOMAN TO LET! There is a custom,
which, most likely, is peculiar to a small district in the western part
of Cumberland. A few days ago, a gentleman from the neighbourhood of
Whitehaven, calling upon a person, at his house in Ulpha, was informed
that he was not at home; he was gone to church; there was ‘_a woman to
let_!’ On enquiry as to the meaning of this singular expression, it was
thus explained:—When any single woman, belonging to the parish, had
the misfortune to prove with child, a meeting of the parishioners is
called, for the purpose of providing her a maintenance in some family,
at so much a week, from that time to a limited time after delivery;
and, this meeting (to give it the greater sanction), is uniformly
holden in the church, where the _lowest_ bidder has the _bargain_! And
on such occasions, previous notice is given, that on such a day, there
will be a ‘woman to let.’”
[Illustration]
[Illustration]