London (England) -- History; London (England) -- Social life and customs
Let me add to this account--too scanty and meagre--of London in the last
century a brief narrative--borrowed, not invented--of a Sunday holiday.
It has been seen that the City was careful about the church-going of the
citizens. But laws were forgotten, manners relaxed; outside the City no
such discipline was possible, nor was any attempted. And to the people
within the walls, as well as to those without, Sunday gradually became a
day of holiday and pleasure. You shall see what a day was made of a
certain Sunday in the summer of 17-- by a pair of citizens whose names
have perished.
[Illustration: INTERIOR OF ST. STEPHEN, WALBROOK]
The holiday makers slept at the Marlborough Head, in Bishopsgate Street,
whence they sallied forth at four in the morning. Early as it was, the
gates of the inn-yards were thronged with young people gayly dressed,
waiting for the horses, chaises, and carriages which were to carry them
to Windsor, Hampton Court, Richmond, etc., for the day. They were mostly
journeymen or apprentices, and the ladies with them were young milliners
and mantua-makers. They first walked westward, making for the Foundling
Hospital, on their way passing a rabble rout drinking saloop and
fighting. Arrived at the fields lying south of that institution, they
met with a company of servants, men and girls, who had stolen some of
their masters' wine, and were out in the fields to drink it. They shared
in the drink, but deplored the crime. It will be observed, as we go
along, that a very creditable amount of drink accompanied this holiday.
Then they continued walking across the fields till they came to
Tottenham Court Road, where the Wesleyans, in their tabernacle, were
holding an early service. Outside the chapel a prize-fight was going on,
with a crowd of ruffians and betting men. It was, however, fought on the
cross.
They next retraced their steps across the fields and arrived at Bagnigge
Wells, which lay at the east of the Gray's Inn Road, nearly opposite
what is now Mecklenburgh Square, and north-east of the St. Andrew's
Burying-ground. Early as it was, the place already contained several
hundreds of people. The Wells included a great room for concerts and
entertainments, a garden planted with trees, shrubs, and flowers, and
provided with walks, a fish-pond, fountain, rustic bridge, rural
cottages, and seats. The admission was threepence. They had appointed to
breakfast at the Bank Coffee-house, therefore they could not wait longer
here. On the way to the City they stopped at the Thatched House and took
a gill of red port.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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