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CHAPTER I. CHAPTER II. CHAPTER III. CHAPTER IV. CHAPTER V. CHAPTER VI. CHAPTER VII. CHAPTER VIII. CHAPTER IX. CHAPTER X. CHAPTER XI. CHAPTER XII. CHAPTER XIII. CHAPTER XIV. CHAPTER XV. CHAPTER XVI. CHAPTER XVII. CHAPTER I. CHAPTER II. CHAPTER III. CHAPTER IV. CHAPTER V. CHAPTER VI. CHAPTER VII. CHAPTER VIII. CHAPTER IX. CHAPTER X. CHAPTER XI. CHAPTER XII. CHAPTER XIII. CHAPTER XIV. 1 CHAPTER XV. CHAPTER XVI. CHAPTER XVII. Fragments of Two Centuries, by Alfred Kingston The Project Gutenberg EBook of Fragments of Two Centuries, by Alfred Kingston This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: Fragments of Two Centuries Glimpses of Country Life when George III. was King Author: Alfred Kingston Release Date: May 8, 2007 [EBook #21352] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRAGMENTS OF TWO CENTURIES *** Produced by Al Haines [Frontispiece: King George III.] FRAGMENTS OF TWO CENTURIES. GLIMPSES OF COUNTRY LIFE WHEN GEORGE III. WAS KING. ILLUSTRATED. WITH AN APPENDIX SHOWING THE RISE AND FALL OF THE RURAL POPULATION IN 45 PARISHES IN THE ROYSTON DISTRICT, IN HERTS., CAMBS., AND ESSEX, FROM 1801 TO 1891. BY ALFRED KINGSTON. ROYSTON: WARREN BROTHERS. 1893. PREFACE. Fragments of Two Centuries, by Alfred Kingston 2 Though the town of Royston is frequently mentioned in the following pages, it was no part of my task to deal with the general historical associations of the place, with its interesting background of Court life under James I. These belong strictly to local history, and the references to the town and neighbourhood of Royston simply arise from the accidental association with the district of the materials which have come most readily to my hand in glancing back at the life of rural England in the time of the Georges. Indeed, it may be claimed, I think, that although, by reason of being drawn chiefly from local sources, these "Fragments" have received a local habitation and a name, yet they refer to a state of things which was common to all the neighbouring counties, and for the most part, may be taken to stand for the whole of rural England at the time. For the rest, these glimpses of our old country life are now submitted to the indulgent consideration of the reader, who will, I hope, take a lenient view of any shortcomings in the manner of presenting them. There remains for me only the pleasing duty of acknowledging many instances of courteous assistance received, without which it would have been impossible to have carried out my task. To the proprietors of the Cambridge Chronicle and the Hertsfordshire Mercury for access to the files of those old established papers; to the authorities of the Cambridge University Library; to the Rev. J. G. Hale, rector of Therfield, and the Rev. F. L. Fisher, vicar of Barkway, for access to their interesting old parish papers; to Mr. H. J. Thurnall for access to interesting MS. reminiscences by the late Mr. Henry Thurnall; to the Rev. J. Harrison, vicar of Royston; to Mr. Thos. Shell and Mr. James Smith, for access to Royston parish papers to all of these and to others my warmest thanks are due. All the many persons who have kindly furnished me with personal recollections it would be impossible here to name, but mention must be made of Mr. Henry Fordham, Mr. Hale Wortham, Mr. Frederick N. Fordham, and especially of the late Mr. James Richardson and Mr. James Jacklin, whose interesting chats over bygone times are now very pleasant recollections. A.K. CONTENTS. Fragments of Two Centuries, by Alfred Kingston 3 CHAPTER I. PAGE Introduction "The Good Old Times" . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 CHAPTER I. 4 CHAPTER II. Getting on Wheels Old Coaches, Roads and Highwaymen The Romance of the Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 CHAPTER II. 5 CHAPTER III. Social and Public Life Wrestling and Cock-Fighting An Eighteenth Century Debating Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 CHAPTER III. 6 CHAPTER IV. The Parochial Parliament and the Old Poor-Law . . . . . . . 32 CHAPTER IV. 7 CHAPTER V. Dogberry "On Duty" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 CHAPTER V. 8 CHAPTER VI. The Dark Night of the Eighteenth Century The Shadow of Napoleon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 CHAPTER VI. 9 CHAPTER VII. Domestic Life and the Tax-Gatherer The Doctor and the Body-Snatcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 CHAPTER VII. 10 [...]... feature of rural life in the last century The illustration on the preceding page gives a good idea of this characteristic old sign, and of those of the period under review, and also of the point of view from which Mr Thurnall's picture is taken, viz., from the position of a person looking down the hill towards Royston Upon this question of old signs it may not be out of place to add that when George III was. .. glimpse of a rare old fossil when visiting an old quarry Of the truth of it further inquiry seemed to leave little doubt, and the meaning of it was simply this: The Marquis of Rockingham, Prime Minister in the early years of George III., would, like the rest of the beau monde, be carried about town in his Sedan chair, by smart velvet-coated livery men ["I have a piece of his livery of green silk velvet by... to assume, as we often do, that that cry of "liberty, equality, and fraternity," was merely the cry of the French, driven to desperation by the gulf between the nobility and the people In truth, almost the whole Western world was eagerly looking on at the unfolding of a great drama, and the infection of it penetrated almost into every corner of England No glimpses even of our local life at this period... Wimpole Mansion 189 {1} 20 CHAPTER XVII FRAGMENTS OF TWO CENTURIES 21 CHAPTER I 22 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION. "THE GOOD OLD TIMES." The Jubilee Monarch, King George III., and his last name-sake, had succeeded so much that was unsettled in the previous hundred years, that the last half of the 18th Century was a period almost of comparative quiet in home affairs Abroad were stirring events... century gives, at a rough calculation, 56 years of war to 44 years of peace, while the reign of George III had 37 years of war and 23 years of peace the longest period of peace being 10 years, and of war 24 years (1793-1816) But in all these stirring events, there was, in the greater part of the reign, at least, and notwithstanding some murmurings, the appearance of a solidity in the Constitution which has... fascination of the life of the highwaymen, who no doubt visited his mother's inn under the guise of well-spoken gentlemen Probably it was in dealing with them for horses that young Gatward caught the infection of their roving life, but what were the precise circumstances of his fall we can hardly know; suffice it to say that his crime was one of robbing His Majesty's CHAPTER II 29 mails, that he was evidently... elements of the national life, men soon {3} began to fight for the new life with the old weapons, until France found, and others looking on saw, the beautiful dream of liberty tightening down into that hideous nightmare, and saddest of all tyrannies, the tyranny of the multitude! Into the great bank of cloud which had gathered across the horizon of Europe, towards the close of the 18th century, some of the... steerage Away back in the 18th century when men were only dreaming of the wonders of the good time coming, when carriages were actually to "travel without horses," the goods train was simply a long line or cavalcade of Pack-horses This was before the age of "fly waggons," distinguished for carrying goods, and sometimes passengers as well, at the giddy rate of two miles an hour under favourable circumstances!... which was used by my mother, as I have been told, in her early married days." [Mr Henry Fordham's mother was a daughter of Mr William Nash, a country lawyer of some note.] Some months ago the writer was startled by hearing, casually dropped by an old man visiting a shop in Royston, the strange remark "My grandfather was chairman to the Marquis of Rockingham." The remark seemed like the first glimpse of. .. in our history when that faculty was more keenly alive than towards the close of the last century From the beginning of the French Revolution to the advent of the Victorian Era constitutes what may be called the great transition period in our domestic, social, and economic life and customs Indeed, so far as the great mass of the people were concerned, it was really the dawn of social life in England; . online at www.gutenberg.net Title: Fragments of Two Centuries Glimpses of Country Life when George III. was King Author: Alfred Kingston Release Date: May 8,. START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRAGMENTS OF TWO CENTURIES *** Produced by Al Haines [Frontispiece: King George III. ] FRAGMENTS OF TWO CENTURIES. GLIMPSES