Social England under the Regency, Vol. 1 (of 2) — John Shaqi
Social England under the Regency, Vol. 1 (of 2)Ashton, John
History
Social England under the Regency, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Ashton, John
England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century; Regency -- England
Tender hearts felt for the Poor Debtors, and those in Ludgate record
their thanks to M. A. Taylor, Esq., M.P., for his annual benevolent
gift of two Chaldrons of Coals, 158 lbs. Beef, and 23 half-peck
loaves; and to Alderman Wood, the friend of Queen Caroline, for
his present of £5; and an unknown donor for 40 lbs. Beef. The poor
debtors in Newgate had very many large sums to acknowledge, and were
duly grateful for the kindly and thoughtful assistance thus rendered
them. Sad, however, is it to find that during the Severe Frost, on
the 7th of January, a poor prisoner died of Cold and Want in the
Marshalsea prison. At this time we learn there were about 320 debtors
in Newgate alone; and those that were without private means, had to
subsist on the prison allowance of 2d. worth of bread (the quartern
loaf being, in January, 1s. 3d.), so that their relief during the
inclement winter, was a work of necessity, as well as of benevolence.
In 1811 was living amongst us an illustrious Prisoner of War, no
less than Lucien Buonaparte, Prince de Canino (his son, Prince
Louis Lucien still lives at Norfolk Terrace, Bayswater), who, not
altogether falling in with his brother's policy, was on his way to
the United States, when, on the 1st of August, 1810, he was taken
and made prisoner by a British Cruiser. After some detention at
Malta, he was sent on to England, and Ludlow was assigned as his
place of detention; and there he lived for some time, inhabiting
Dinham House, the seat of the Earl of Powis. He seems to have
accepted the inevitable cheerfully, according to _The Times_ of
Friday, January 4th:--
"Lucien Buonaparte arrived at Ludlow about 4 o'clock on the evening
of Wednesday, sen'night, accompanied by his nephew, an interpreter,
secretary, Mr. Mackenzie, and a few servants. He drove to the Angel
Inn where he dined and slept. On Thursday morning he walked about
the town, viewed the Castle, and some of the principal streets; but,
as the weather was rather unfavourable, and public curiosity great,
he did not stay out long. On that evening, one of the Winter Dancing
Assemblies took place, which Lucien, his nephew, and some of his
friends attended. Some of the latter danced, but Lucien did not. He
continued in the room till supper was announced; he then attended
Countess Powis to the supper rooms, and sat at her Ladyship's right
hand during supper: after which he returned to the ball and card
rooms. On Saturday he went to Stone-house, a seat of Lord Powis,
about five miles from Ludlow, where Lucien is in future to reside,
and from thence proceeded to Walcot, the principal residence of his
Lordship, where he stayed a day or two, and returned to Ludlow."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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