Gossip in the First Decade of Victoria's ReignAshton, John
History
Gossip in the First Decade of Victoria's Reign
Ashton, John
Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
Exhibition of cartoons—A duel—A monster—Gambling—The “Albert
Hat”—Nelson’s statue—Fun thereon—Soldiers’ savings banks—A post boy and
Lord Mayor’s show—M. Jullien and his orchestra—Prince Albert as a
farmer—George IV.’s Statue—Ojibbeway Indians.
The public exhibition of Cartoons for the frescoes for the new Palace of
Westminster, took place in Westminster Hall, on 3 July. There were 140
subjects altogether, varying in size from 15ft. to 10ft. square, none
being admitted over, or under those standards. Prizes of £300 each were
awarded to Armitage, Watts and Cope; of £200 to Calcott, Bell and
Townsend; of £100 to Frost, Harris, Selous, Bridges and Severn; the
judges being the Marquis of Lansdowne, Sir R. Peel and Messrs. S. Rogers,
Westmacott, Cook and Etty. The Cartoons remained in Westminster Hall for
6 months; and, in Nov. were removed to the Suffolk Street Gallery. They
were finally adjudicated upon by the Royal Commission of Fine Arts, on 12
July, 1844, the successful artists chosen to execute frescoes were Cope,
Horsley, Dyce, Maclise, Redgrave, and Cave Thomas.
The practice of duelling was fast dying out, and I give the following
case as being nearly one of the last, and one in which the seconds and
surgeon were tried for being accessory to murder. Two
brothers-in-law—Lt.-Col. Fawcett of the 55th Regiment and Lt. Munro of
the Royal Horse Guards—quarrelled, and on the morning of the 1st July
fought a duel with pistols in a field at the back of the “Brecknock Arms
Tavern,” in Camden Road. Lt.-Col. Fawcett fell, mortally wounded, and
died on the 3rd July. The Coroner’s jury found Lt. Munro, and the two
seconds, guilty of wilful murder, and the surgeon as guilty in the second
degree only, as it was believed he was present only as medical attendant.
Lieut. Munro and his second got out of the way, but Lt-Col. Fawcett’s
second and the surgeon were tried at the Central Criminal Court on 25
Aug. No evidence was tendered against the surgeon, and he was at once
discharged, and the jury found the second “Not Guilty.” Lt. Munro’s
second surrendered himself, was tried on 14 Feb., 1844, and acquitted.
Lieut. Munro was cashiered from the Army for being absent without leave;
he afterwards surrendered, and was tried, 18 Aug., 1847, found guilty,
and sentenced to death; which sentence was commuted to 12 months’
imprisonment in Newgate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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