Died, April 25th, 1823, the highly esteemed Viscount Dudley and Ward,
of Himley Hall, acknowledged to be "The rich man's model and the poor
man's friend." This benevolent nobleman spent his truly valuable life
at his estate and amongst his numerous friends and tenantry, dispensing
with rare judgment and true benevolence his continual benefactions. The
noble lord was not only mindful of the well-being and interests of the
rich, "but he ne'er forgot the poor;" and the thousands of colliers
working in his extensive coal mines, and adding so much to his wealth
and greatness, were at all times special objects of his fostering care.
In the obituary of a provincial newspaper was inserted at the time this
just memorial:--"At his seat, Himley Hall, died on Friday evening,
the Right Hon. William, Lord Viscount Dudley and Ward, Baron Ward of
Birmingham, and Recorder of Kidderminster. Though we hope we shall
be the last to burn incense at the shrine of mere worldly greatness,
yet we feel that it would be unjust to withhold from this departed
nobleman the tribute of our sincere respect and gratitude. He did
not suffer himself to forget that it belongs to those who are placed
on an eminence, and entrusted with a superior portion of the goods
of fortune, to be the almoners of Heaven; for it was his delight
to encourage honest industry, to provide for the destitute, and to
befriend every charitable institution in his neighbourhood. While he
lived, his name, wherever it was mentioned, was accompanied with the
poor man's benediction; and now his honourable career is finished, his
memory will be embalmed in the tears of the widow and the orphan; and
he will sleep in that noblest of mausoleums--the bosom of the virtuous
and the good."
This good nobleman's character was illustrated in a remarkable manner,
which truly developed the gentleman and the kind hearted father of
his people, in an event which well-nigh caused "a strike" amongst his
numerous colliers. "Strikes," such as we are periodically subject
to in our day and generation, (too often projected and fostered by
idle designing knaves,) had no existence in those times of a proper
respect and feeling existing between master and man. This incident is
worth recording if it be for no other purpose than showing that the
noble master and his colliers were brought face to face without any
underlings to distort the facts or prejudge the grievance. The person
who then superintended his extensive collieries, judging it expedient
to adopt a different mode of working them, introduced, from Lancashire,
a certain number of miners to carry his plan into execution, which so
exasperated the native workmen, that, shortly afterwards, not fewer
than 3000 of them suddenly assembled and proceeded to the gates of his
lordship's park at Himley; thence deputing some of their body to state
their supposed grievance to him in person, and obtain an order for
the aliens' dismissal. At the same time several of the neighbouring
gentry resorted with all speed to the Hall, accompanied by magistrates
to render their assistance. After the deputation was admitted and
had stated their case, which his lordship desired they would do
fearlessly and explicitly, he requested the attendant gentlemen would
individually give their candid opinion "whether his agent had acted
prudently or not in bringing the foreigners, as they were termed, into
the neighbourhood." The opinion being unanimous "that the mines in
the strangers' country being very different to the mines in this, the
mode of working them is consequently different, and, however competent
the men might be to work _there_, it was conceived that so utterly
incompetent would they be to work here, that accidents to themselves
might be apprehended, and great loss to their employer." "Well then,
gentlemen," said his lordship, "from your judgment I must infer that
the strangers in question have no business here." Then turning to the
deputies, in a firm and dignified tone he thus addressed them:--"go and
tell those who sent you that the foreigners, as you please to style
them, shall depart to-morrow, and if any injury be done to them the
injurers will suffer for it. Tell them, also, that I concede the point
in deference to the opinions of these gentlemen. Had their opinion
coincided with that of the person who brought the men hither I would
have ordered them to remain, even if the mob now at my gates should
proceed to pull down my hall over my head, and to bury me in its
ruins." Accordingly, the next day, the strangers departed in peace and
safety, carrying with them an ample remuneration for their journey and
loss of time. His lordship's love of true liberty was most emphatic,
for on one memorable occasion when importuned to allow his mighty
influence to be used in controlling the civil freedom of some of the
inhabitants of Dudley, he strenuously resisted the suggestion, and on
being reminded that he had only to make his wishes known to ensure a
compliance by his numerous friends, he nobly replied, "I believe I have
many friends at Dudley, but I have no vassals there;" a sentiment that
will honour his name when his monument shall be crumbled into dust. The
venerable nobleman attained the good old age of 73 years.
"Thus, bow'd with age, must thou, O man! become
A time-worn ruin, on life's beaten shore,
At last to moulder in the darksome tomb;
But, summon'd thence, thou shalt decay no more."
This benevolent nobleman left one son (John William), who became a
famous statesman, and was raised in the Peerage, as the first Earl of
Dudley.
On November 11th, 1826, Messrs. Bourne and Sons, Solicitors to the
Commissioners under the Town Act of 31st of George III, issued a notice
to apply to Parliament for an amended Town Act, giving more definite
power to the Town Commissioners to remove nuisances, obstructions,
&c., and to supply the town with a good supply of pure water, and to
further light and pave the same. _A Ratepayer_ issued a placard on
November 26th, 1826, condemning in strong terms the intended expense
to the ratepayer, and "the unnecessary application for power to supply
pure water to the then 15,000 inhabitants." He says, "Water will never
be brought to this town but at a great expense; if report be true, the
estimate already given in is £17,000; he objected to have a rate levied
for the purpose of supplying the town with water, of better lighting
it, and of establishing a watch." Poor benighted ratepayer, one would
be tempted to think that he belonged to the nocturnal marauders
complained of by Mr. Cooke above, for it is clear that he objected to a
night watch; water at all events was supplied to the people of Dudley
then at a reasonable price, and better quality and quantity than since
the ratepayer ventilated his worldly wisdom.
"Grand Fracas between 'Rough Joe and Nimble Dick.' This was a _turn
up_ arising out of a misunderstanding o'er a bottle; Rough Joe was in
his cups, or rather had given his _twine_ an extra twist, and Nimble
Dick had just received _a load_ (not of barley) but of _John Blewnose's
best_. Rough Joe having something to do with _rope_, fancied he was
calculated to _rig_; now rigging is too knotty a point for Joe, and
altho' he squared his yards as if used to pitch into 'em, yet it was
evident to all present that Joe's rigging was _too coarse_ to stand
long. Nimble Dick, who by the bye, has lately signalised himself in
several skirmishes, one in particular, wherein he unfortunately fell
foul of _a lee shore_; on this occasion he was all afloat, and advised
Rough Joe to get off his _jawing tack_, but instead of altering his
course, he struck not his flag, but his fist straight ahead into the
chops of his would-be pilot, which of course _no chap_ could stand,
so clearing the deck and doffing their dabbs, they duly prepared for
a broadside, with plenty of seasover room. Joe rushing to work like a
tiger, pawed, pinned, and played away, but 'twas all over, his puff
was gone, and his friend the _Nailer_ cried out _bellowes_ to mend.
'Its a spike to a sparrowbill.' Dick, seeing his advantage, _fought
home_, sent in a finisher that proved a closer to the Rough one,
for his eye struck fire so vividly that a wag begged permission to
light his cigar from the effect. All was now up. Joe weighed anchor,
wished all rigging, and the lawyer to-boot, in a hotter place, and in
answer to numerous inquiries, he replied 'I'll ha' no more.' We wish
for the honour of the town they were better men; they ought to be so
considering their condition."
"N.B.--The profits arising from the sale of these are intended for the
purchase of a pair of _Asses' Ears_, to be carried in the procession of
all our future Mayors."--_Vide Gornal Journal._
Future Mayors looked in vain for the asses' ears, but alas for broken
promises the ears never turned up; and as the author of the above
recital doubtless was the owner of a pair of ears, it was at last
charitably supposed that the ears were not forthcoming _without the
ass_; and an exhibition of _the ass_ would expose the author of this
"squib" to what a donkey often gets--"a good thrashing." Rough Joe and
nimble Dick having no remedy, shook hands, and became better friends
than ever.
June 24, 1826. "_Five Guineas Reward._--Whereas late on the evening of
the 19th some person or persons did wantonly break and pull down the
lamp irons in front of the Independent Chapel, King Street. A certain
young man of the name of F----s, and two of his foolish associates,
were seen committing various depredations on that evening, compared
with such persons colliers and miners are complete gentlemen."
The constant practices of horse-play then so much in vogue with the
_young gentlemen of the period_ arose in a great measure from the very
lax administration of public duty by the "Night Watches," for the
"Jarvy" of that period preferred _a quiet snooze_ in his watch box to
the solemn, lonely realities of a midnight perambulation of our then
unlighted streets, lanes, and alleys; better days have dawned upon us,
making our worthy citizens proof against such senseless follies.
Died, August 9th, 1826 (aged 60 years), Mr. Edward Guest, of New
Street, Nail Master. This gentleman was a very zealous Churchman in his
time, and it was mainly through the Rev. Dr. Brookes, Vicar of Dudley,
and himself, that the old Parish Church (of St. Thomas) was pulled
down and the present edifice erected on its site. Mr. Edward Guest
was Churchwarden from 1815 to 1821, during the erection, and he had
many discordant feelings to assuage, and regrets to palliate, arising
from desecrations of the dead and disturbances in the old Church and
Church yard. A mysterious disappearance of stone slabs and gravestones
occurred at this time, and it has often been rumoured since "those good
old times," that a certain court yard at Dixon's Green, is laid with
grave slabs, "_spirited away_" from the Parish Church yard, and "Here
lieth the remains" &c., on slabs is to be seen misrepresenting the
supposed dust of departed souls, and doing duty in a private court yard
as a footpath. Where, "Sacred to the Memory of Mary Jane----," is a
myth and a snare, for the slabs cover nothing but earthworms and mother
earth. _Who was the sacrilegeous sinner?_ August 14th, 1828. We find
that a Ratepayer issued a placard, giving a copy of the Acts of 37,
Geo. III. and 5, Geo. IV., in reference to unjust "Scales and Weights,"
and says, "A demand has been made upon the Overseers of this Parish
for £193 5s. for Scales and Weights, Interests, &c. In order that you
may form a legal opinion upon this subject, and be the better prepared
to discuss its merits at the examination of the Overseers' Accounts,
the annexed extracts, from the two Acts of Parliament, are submitted
for your consideration by a Ratepayer." The gist of the Ratepayer's
anxiety appeared to be, that it was wrong to charge the Ratepayers
(through the medium of the Overseers) with the expenses of searching
out _evil doers_ (employers of short weights and measures), for the
Acts enforce not only fines to the offenders, but that their weights
and measures "shall be seized and broken up, and rendered useless," and
the materials thereof sold; and the money arising from such sale, with
the fines, shall be paid to the County Treasurer. The fact, that £193
5s. having been expended in Dudley for that year would lead us to the
conclusion that rather an extensive raid had been then made upon this
class of public cheats, and the money was well expended if the evil was
stopped, and the poorer classes afterwards got their legal weight and
measure.