England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century; Great Britain -- History -- William IV, 1830-1837
appearance, and, drawing his staff, prepared for an onslaught. I
called to him, and told him that the Duke's progress was under my
directions, and that I desired he would put up his truncheon and
keep himself quiet until I called upon him to act, and that he
would communicate this order to the other policemen, as they came
up. This kept them perfectly quiet. As we proceeded, the noise of
the mob attracted the workmen in the shops and manufactories,
particularly in Long Acre, where the upper windows were quickly
opened by workmen, who, with their paper caps on, rushed to join
the people; but nowhere was there any personal violence offered
to the Duke, and the respectable portions of the crowd would
promptly have crushed any attempt at violence.
"I had walked from the West End to my chambers that morning, and
I recollected that there was an excavation at the west end of
Long Acre, and a large mass of paving, and other stones collected
there. I ordered several of the police to go there, in advance,
quietly, and occupy the ground, so as to prevent any one from
making use of the stones. This they did; but, scandalous as the
conduct of the mob was, I must do them the justice to say that
they showed no disposition to get at the stones. When we reached
the West End streets, the people tailed off a good deal.
"As the Duke passed the United Service Club, he maintained his
rigid posture, and cast no glance that way, whilst a few men who
had rushed out of the club upon hearing the noise, looked on with
wonder. Nothing more occurred; and, when we got opposite to the
clock of St. James's palace, I, for the first time, turned round,
and, there being only a few stragglers left, the Duke and his
companions shook hands with me, and thanked me; and, putting
their horses into a trot, reached Apsley House without further
annoyance."
More stone-throwing--this time at the King! This happened next day,
June 19th, when the King was at Ascot races. He was looking out of a
window in the royal stand, when two stones were thrown from the midst
of the crowd below, one of which struck his Majesty severely on the
forehead, but his hat saved him from any injury. The king immediately
stood up, and was received with the loudest cheers. The culprit turned
out to be a discharged Greenwich pensioner, who took this way of
making his grievances known. It is not worth while to trace what
became of him, but I know that his punishment was light.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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