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_SOCIAL ENGLAND._




NEW ILLUSTRATED BOOKS.


A COLONIAL TRAMP: Travels and Adventures in Australia and New Guinea.
By HUME NISBET. Profusely Illustrated by the Author. 2 vols., demy
8vo.

BRAYHARD: The Strange Adventures of One Ass and Seven Champions. By
F. M. ALLEN. Illustrated by HARRY FURNISS. Crown 8vo, 6s.

_THE ÉDITION DE LUXE OF_ AS IN A LOOKING GLASS. By F. C. PHILIPS.
Illustrated by G. DU MAURIER. Extra crown quarto, 31s. 6d.

_MRS. PANTON'S HOUSEHOLD MANUALS._ FROM KITCHEN TO GARRET. Crown 8vo,
6s.

NOOKS AND CORNERS. Crown 8vo, 6s.

THE FLOATING PRINCE, and other Fairy Tales. By the Author of "Rudder
Grange." With Forty Illustrations. Crown 8vo, 6s.

PERFERVID: The Career of Ninian Jameison. By JOHN DAVIDSON.
Illustrated by HARRY FURNISS. Crown 8vo, 6s.

PICTURESQUE LONDON. By PERCY FITZGERALD. With about 100
Illustrations. Extra crown 4to.

SOCIAL ENGLAND UNDER THE REGENCY. By JOHN ASHTON. Profusely
Illustrated. 2 vols., demy 8vo, 30s.

UP AND DOWN: Sketches of Travel. By G. MACQUOID. Illustrated by THOS.
R. MACQUOID. Demy 8vo, 10s. 6d.

MEMORIES OF THE MONTH. By HUME NISBET. With Photogravure
Frontispiece, twelve whole-page, and numerous smaller Illustrations.
Foolscap 4to, 21s.

TING-A-LING TALES. By FRANK R. STOCKTON. Crown 8vo, 3s. 6d.

AN ARTIST'S TOUR IN NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA AND IN THE SANDWICH
ISLANDS. By B. KROUPA. Profusely Illustrated by the Author. Royal
8vo, 21s.

FOLK AND FAIRY TALES. By Mrs. BURTON HARRISON. With 24 whole-page
Illustrations by WALTER CRANE. Crown 8vo, 6s.


WARD AND DOWNEY, PUBLISHERS, LONDON.




  SOCIAL ENGLAND
  UNDER
  _THE REGENCY_.

  BY
  JOHN ASHTON,

  AUTHOR OF "SOCIAL LIFE IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE," "OLD TIMES,"
  "DAWN OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY," ETC.

  _WITH 90 ILLUSTRATIONS._

  IN TWO VOLUMES.

  VOL. I.

  London:
  WARD AND DOWNEY,
  12, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN.

  MDCCCXC.




PREFACE.


Certainly, it is not the least part of an Author's reward, for all
his pains and trouble, to find that the Public appreciates his
efforts, and purchases, and reads his books.

This, I am happy to say, was specially the case with one of mine,
"The Dawn of the Nineteenth Century." In it I wrote of Social England
in the first decade of the century, leaving off at a time when George
III. was hopelessly incompetent to govern, and a Regency was in
progress of establishment.

The favour which the Public bestowed upon this book emboldens me
to continue it, and sketch the men and manners of the Regency.
Most books of this class deal mainly with the great ones of the
land, but I have only done so where necessary to illustrate the
history of the times, my aim being more to delineate the social
condition of England, and her people; and this work will be found
perfectly reliable as history, nothing being taken at second hand,
but all compiled, even down to the illustrations, from original and
contemporaneous authorities.

                                                     JOHN ASHTON.




CONTENTS.


CHAPTER I.
                                                                  PAGE

  The King's Malady -- Former preparations for a Regency --
  King's recovery -- The King at home -- His love of music --
  Severe frost -- Lucien Buonaparte a prisoner of war -- French
  obstructions to commerce -- A gallant merchantman                  1


CHAPTER II.

  A Regency inevitable -- Prince of Wales waited on -- He
  undertakes the Regency -- French and English prisoners of war
  -- Roman Catholic soldiers -- Roughness of manners -- Passing
  of Regency Bill -- The Prince's companions -- Inauguration of
  the Prince as Regent -- Improvement in the health of the King     17


CHAPTER III.

  Story of a crime -- The Shanavests and the Caravats --
  Gluttony -- Smuggling bullion -- A Tar at the theatre --
  Deposition of French Colours in Whitehall Chapel -- The Duke
  of York reinstated as Commander-in-Chief -- The Regency Fête
  -- Account of the entertainment                                   39


CHAPTER IV.

  Ladies' dresses at the Fête -- The banquet -- Carlton House
  thrown open to the public -- The crush -- Sir F. Burdett's
  action against the Speaker -- Relief of British Prisoners in
  France -- Scarcity of guineas -- Lord King and his tenants --
  Stories respecting the Currency                                   57


CHAPTER V.

  A smuggler's victim -- Illness of Gilray -- A gallant
  highwayman -- A Witch -- Bartholomew Fair -- The Comet --
  A practical joke on the Queen -- Woman's Cricket Match --
  Ballooning -- French prisoners of war -- Luddite riots -- The
  King and his physicians -- His health                             75


CHAPTER VI.

1812.

  The Regent's doings -- The Royal Sprain -- Colonel McMahon --
  Luddite and Factory Riots -- Scarcity of Bullion -- Murder of
  Mr. Perceval                                                      97


CHAPTER VII.

  French Prisoners of War -- Repeal of the "Orders in Council"
  -- Rejoicings for the Victory of Salamanca -- Saturnalia
  thereat                                                          119


CHAPTER VIII.

  Chimney-sweeps -- Climbing boys -- Riot at Bartholomew Fair
  -- Duelling -- War with France -- Declaration of war between
  England and America -- Excommunication for bearing false
  witness -- Early Steam Locomotives -- Margate in 1812 --
  Resurrection men -- Smithfield Cattle Club                       133


CHAPTER IX.

1813.

  High price of provisions -- Luddites -- Smuggling -- Day of
  Humiliation -- The Cossack -- Mdlle. Platoff -- Discovery of
  body of Charles I. at Windsor -- The Queen and the mad woman
  -- The fasting woman of Tutbury -- Fight between the _Shannon_
  and the _Chesapeake_ -- Rejoicings for the Victory at Vittoria
  -- Fête at Vauxhall--William Huntingdon, S.S.                    149


CHAPTER X.

  Emperor of Russia invested with the Garter -- The Poet
  Laureate -- French Prisoners of War -- Joy over Napoleon's
  defeat at Leipsic -- "Orange boven" -- The Allies and the War
  with France -- The War with America -- The Princess Charlotte
  and her establishment -- The Prince of Orange her suitor --
  The King's Health                                                179


CHAPTER XI.

  A Cat in a Conflagration -- Scramble for Exchequer Bills --
  A Matrimonial Dispute -- An old Debtor -- A Volunteer Dinner
  -- A Man and Hedgehog -- Torpedoes -- Slavery -- Gambling on
  Napoleon's Life -- Gas Lighting                                  199


CHAPTER XII.

1814.

  The Fog -- Condition of Ireland -- State of the Navy -- The
  Regent at Belvoir -- Coming of age of Princess Charlotte --
  Day of Thanksgiving -- Great Snowstorm -- Thames frozen over
  -- Sports thereon -- Frost fair -- The Country and the Snow      209


CHAPTER XIII.

  Burning of the Custom House -- De Berenger's fraud on the
  Stock Exchange -- Lord Cochrane inculpated -- Price of
  provisions -- Arrival of the Duchess of Oldenburgh -- The
  Capitulation of Paris, and fall of Napoleon -- Papa Violette
  -- Elba                                                          233


CHAPTER XIV.

  Illuminations for Peace -- Ovation to Louis XVIII. --
  His departure for France -- Peace with France -- Cheaper
  provisions -- Distinguished foreign guests in London --
  Arrival of Emperor of Russia and King of Prussia -- Movements
  of the great folk -- Popularity of General Blücher               251


CHAPTER XV.

  Royal festivities -- The Emperor of Russia, the King of
  Prussia, and General Blücher at Oxford -- Banquet at Guildhall
  -- Departure of the Allied Sovereigns -- Signature of Treaty
  of Peace -- Proclamation of Peace -- State Thanksgiving at St.
  Paul's Cathedral                                                 277


CHAPTER XVI.

