[Sidenote: 1813-14]
On the evening of the 27th of December, 1813, a great fog commenced in
London, and the greatest frost of the century set in. We have taken from
a work compiled during the frost, the following reliable account of it:--
“On the night of 27th the darkness was so dense that the Prince Regent,
who desired to pay a visit to the Marquis of Salisbury at Hatfield House,
was obliged to return back to Carlton House, not, however, until one of
his outriders had fallen into a ditch on the side of Kentish Town. The
short excursion occupied several hours. Mr. Croker, of the Admiralty,
intending to go northward, wandered in the dark for some hours without
making more than three or four miles progress.”
On the night of the 28th of December, the Maidenhead coach, on its return
from town, missed the road near Harford Bridge, and was overturned.
Amongst the injured passengers was Lord Hawarden.
It took, on the 29th of December, the Birmingham mail nearly seven hours
in going a couple of miles past Uxbridge, or a distance of about twenty
miles.
On this and other evenings in London, a couple of persons with links ran
by each horse’s head; yet with this and other precautions some serious
and many whimsical accidents occurred. Pedestrians even carried links or
lanterns, and a number who were not provided with lights lost themselves
in the most frequented and at other times well-known streets. Hackney
coachmen mistook the pathway for the road, and _vice versa_--the greatest
possible confusion took place.
The state of the Metropolis on the night of the 31st of December was in
consequence truly alarming. It required both great care and knowledge of
the public streets to enable anyone to proceed any distance, and those
obliged to venture out carried torches. The usual lamps appeared through
the haze not larger than small candles. Many of the hackney coachmen led
their horses, and others drove only at walking pace. Until the 3rd of
January, 1814, lasted this tremendous fog, or “darkness that might be
felt.”
Immediately on the cessation of the fogs, a heavy fall of snow commenced.
A writer of the time said, “There is nothing in the memory of man to
equal these falls.” With the exception of a few short intervals, the snow
continued incessantly for forty-eight hours, and this, too, after the
ground was covered with a condensation, the result of nearly four weeks’
continued frost. Nearly the whole of the time the wind blew from the
north and north-east, and was intensely cold.
The state of the streets was rendered dangerous by a thaw which lasted
about a day. The mass of snow and water became so thick, that it was
with difficulty that the carriages could progress even with the aid of
an additional horse each. Nearly all trades and callings carried on out
of doors were stopped, which considerably increased the distress of
the lower orders. The frost continued and skating occupied the chief
attention of the people. It will be interesting to furnish an account of
the state of the river Thames at this period.
Sunday, January 30th: Immense masses of ice that had floated from the
upper parts of the river, in consequence of the thaw on the two preceding
days, now blocked up the Thames between Blackfriars and London Bridges,
and afforded every probability of its being frozen over in a day or two.
Some venturous persons even now walked on different parts of the ice.
Monday, January 31st: This expectation was realised. During the whole
of the afternoon, hundreds of people were assembled on Blackfriars and
London Bridges, to see several adventurous men cross and recross the
Thames on the ice; at one time seventy persons were counted walking from
Queenhithe to the opposite shore. The frost on Sunday night so united
the vast mass as to render it immovable by the tide.
Tuesday, February 1st: The floating masses of ice with which the Thames
was covered, having been stopped by London Bridge, now assumed the
shape of a solid surface over that part of the river which entered from
Blackfriars Bridge to some distance below Three Crane Stairs, at the
bottom of Queen-street, Cheapside. The watermen, taking advantage of the
circumstance, placed notices at the end of all the streets leading to the
city side of the river, announcing safe footway over the river, which, as
might be expected, attracted immense crowds to witness so novel a scene.
Many were induced to venture on the ice, and the example thus afforded
soon led thousands to perambulate the rugged plain, where a variety of
amusements were prepared for their entertainment.
Among the more curious of these was the ceremony of roasting a small
sheep, which was toasted, or rather burnt over a coal fire, placed in a
large iron pan. For a view of this extraordinary spectacle, sixpence was
demanded, and willingly paid. The delicate meat when done was sold at a
shilling a slice, and termed Lapland mutton.
Of booths there was a great number, which were ornamented with streamers,
flags, and signs, and in which there was a plentiful store of those
favourite luxuries, gin, beer and gingerbread.
Opposite Three Crane Stairs there was a complete and well-frequented
thoroughfare to Bankside, which was strewed with ashes, and apparently
afforded a very safe, although a very rough path.
Near Blackfriars Bridge, however, the path did not appear to be equally
safe, for one young man, a plumber, named Davis, having imprudently
ventured to cross with some lead in his hands, he sank between two masses
of ice, to rise no more. Two young women nearly shared a similar fate,
but were happily rescued from their perilous situation by the prompt
efforts of a waterman. Many a fair nymph, indeed, was embraced in the
very arms of old Father Thames; three prim young quakeresses had a sort
of semi-bathing near London Bridge, and when landed on _terra firma_,
made the best of their way through the Borough, amid the shouts of an
admiring populace, to their residence at Newington. In consequence of the
impediments to the current of the river at London Bridge, the tide did
not ebb for some days more than one half the usual mark.
Wednesday, February 2nd: The Thames presented a complete Frost Fair.
The grand mall or walk was from Blackfriars Bridge; this was named the
City-road, and lined on each side with tradesmen of all descriptions.
Eight or ten printing presses were erected, and numerous pieces
commemorative of the great frost were actually printed on the ice.
Some of these frosty typographers displayed considerable taste in the
specimens.
At one press an orange-coloured standard was hoisted, with the watch word
“Orange Boven” in large characters, and the following papers were issued
from it:--