Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne, Taken from Original SourcesAshton, John
History
Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne, Taken from Original Sources
Ashton, John
Great Britain -- History -- Anne, 1702-1714; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 18th century
The Lincolnshire ox -- The large hog -- The whale -- Monkeys and
wild beasts -- 'The Lest Man and Hors in the World' -- Performing
horse -- Dwarfs and giants -- Human curiosities -- Helen and
Judith -- Conjurors -- Posture masters -- Mr. Clinch -- Waxwork
-- Mrs. Salmon, etc. -- Westminster Abbey wax-figures -- Powell's
puppets -- Moving pictures -- Glass-blowing -- Miraculous
fountain -- Winstanley -- His waterworks -- The four Indian
chiefs.
But it must not be imagined that these fairs monopolised all the
rarities and natural curiosities. On the contrary, there were plenty
on exhibition elsewhere, as we shall see. 'This is to give Notice to
all Gentlemen, Ladies, and Others, that the Great Ox that hath been so
long talk'd of, and that hath been in the News so often, is now come
to _London_, and is to be seen any Hour of the Day, at the _White
Horse Inn_ in _Fleet Street_, at the same place where the great
_Elephant_ was seen. This Large and Famous Beast, otherwise called the
True _Lincolnshier_ Ox, is Nineteen Hands High, and Four Yards Long,
from his Face to his Rump, and never was Calv'd nor never Suckt, and
two Years ago was no bigger than another Ox, but since is grown to
this Prodigious Bigness. This Noble Beast was lately shown at the
University of _Cambridge_, with great Satisfaction to all that saw
him. The like Beast for Bigness was never seen in the World before.
Vivat Reginæ' (_sic_). Other dimensions are given when it was
exhibited at May Fair. 'His shin being 36 inches round, and an Ell
broad from Huckle Bone to Huckle Bone across the Back.' The following
looks suspiciously like a newspaper puff: 'Yesterday the 17th Instant,
was proffer'd for the Great Lincolnshire Ox, 350 Guineas.'[349]
[Footnote 349: _Daily Courant_, Nov. 28, 1703.]
Then there was a 'Large _Buckinghamshire_ Hog, above 10 Foot long; 13
Hands high; above 7 foot and a half round the Body; almost 5 Foot
round the Neck, and 18 inches round the fore Leg, above the Joynt.'
And 'At the White Horse in Fleet Street' could be seen the 'Wonderful
Worcestershire Mare 19 Hands high, curiously shaped, every way
proportionable.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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