Fragments of Two Centuries: Glimpses of Country Life when George III. was KingKingston, Alfred
History
Fragments of Two Centuries: Glimpses of Country Life when George III. was King
Kingston, Alfred
Country life -- England
The scene at the great booth which accommodated the assemblage was an
imposing one too with its outward banners flying:--"Reform Festival,
1832," and "Triumph of Liberty "; while at the head of the tables were
mottoes galore:--"The people's Triumph," "Grey, Brougham," "Althorpe,
Russell," "The King and people united must prevail," "No slavery," "The
House of Dacre," "Townley and Reform," "Speed the plough," "England's
wealth, the working classes," "Our aim is peace, our end is victory,"
"Sebright, Calvert," "Duncombe, Currie," "We unite to conquer," "God
save the King," &c., &c. With three carvers, three waiters and a
tapster to each of the twenty tables, the eager 1,400 could hardly wait
for grace from the Rev. Samuel Cautherley (vicar of the parish), before
the set-to upon the beef and plum pudding "with good brown stout." The
cloths being removed, "the pipe fillers amply produced their fruits,
and the tapster regulated his tap which continued to run freely," while
the carvers and waiters were having a set-to in the Market House. Tea
followed, and what with tobacco, snuff, peals of bells and the music of
the band, the poor continued to enjoy themselves until nine o'clock,
when the illumination of the town began, and by ten o'clock at night
the streets "with their coloured lamps and candles and transparencies
had a most beautiful appearance."
The second day, Friday, 116 of the principal inhabitants sat down to
dinner at the Red Lion, Mr. John George Fordham, then of Odsey (father
of Mr. Henry Fordham), presiding, and supported on his right by Mr. J.
P. Wedd, and on his left by Mr. E. K. Fordham, the venerable banker.
Toasts came thick and fast, and all shared the enthusiasm of "this
proud moment of conscious victory when the march of ages is
over-stepped by the exertions of a day."
We kindle not war's battle fires;
By union, justice, reason, law,
We claim the birth-right of our sires:
We raise the watchword liberty,
We will, we will, we will be free!
{159}
In this strain the oratory flowed, from the reformers--the Chairman,
Mr. Wedd, Mr. E. K. Fordham, who re-called the first reform meeting he
attended in that very room forty years before, and the Rev. J. Horseman
(rector of Heydon).
The third day, and still the reforming zeal had not spent itself, and
the musicians were still in tune, and on Saturday joined in witnessing
a cricket match on the Heath, with a cold dinner. Unfortunately for
the older cricketing reputation of the town it is recorded that "owing
to their having had two amusing days previous there was too much work
in the game of cricket for their performance to be worth recording, and
so threw away their bats and balls and retired to the Indies who were
preparing a social cup of tea, making altogether a party of about 100."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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