HO 42-158

Folio:

Notes, Descriptions, Transcripts . . .

13 ff.

Spy's report describes a meeting on Thurs. 30 January 1817 at the Mulberry Tree public house, attended by about 130 persons. Evans spoke at length about there being no constitution; a new member was proposed, then . . .

"Two others were proposed One named Clarke the other I couldn't learn, Evans Jun^r [posing?] the usual questions, after the Business of the meeting was over they proceeded to Harmony and Evans Jun^r read a Publication of Hone's called the Political Litany--the company chaunting the Responses. Evans Jun^r who read another of Hone's Publications called the Sinecurists Creed and gave us to understand that the Person meant by Old Bags was Lord Eldon. Derry Down Triangle Lord Castlereagh and the Doctor Lord Sidmouth in allusion to their origin."

Flap of letter says: 30 Jany 1817

Included with this report are a copy of the Sinecurist's Creed (Hone's edition, printed by J. D. Dewick, Barbican), a copy of the Political Litany (printed by J. Russell, Birmingham), and a flier announcing Hone's newly established Reformists' Register.

(unnumbered)

Note to Lord Sidmouth, 27 Jan. 1817

Correspondent expresses admiration for the self control demonstrated by radical members of a meeting he had just attended: "I must say I never saw a more orderly set of people collected together, or who seemed to be less influenced by the doctrines that were addressed to them."

But later,

"But these Gentlemen, did express some doubt as to the result of the manners of the disaffected in establishing a Hampden Club, of which there are already 500 members subscribing 1p. per week for the purpose of distributing seditious publications! I hope some means will be discovered for the abolition of this Society."

[emphasis in original, bold hand. Signature illegible.]

39 ff.

A letter from Wolverhampton, dated 23 January, 1817. The writer is apparently a local magistrate.

"My Lord

I have the honor to transmit to your Lordship the copy of a Deposition I have taken against Thomas Worth for offering for sale "Cobbett's Weekly political Register," together with one of the pamphlets. I detained the man this morning, intending to have convicted him in the penalty of ten pounds under the Hawkers and Pedlars Act: but on perusing that Act I do not feel myself justified, because he did not proclaim them thro' the streets but only stood with them for sale in the Market Place (it being Market-Day) as set forth in the Constable's Deposition. After thirty years executing the Office of a Magistrate, I am happy to say it is the first instance of the kind I have met with: and therefore as it is a new case, I have taken the liberty to request your Lordship's directions how & upon what Act of Parliament I am to convict him, should he be liable to such conviction. He is a very poor man; and I am given to understand by those who know him, the penalty would be instantly raised in the Town among those who are admirers of Mr. Cobbett. It is a most important question at the present moment; therefore, I should not feel quite satisfied to act upon my own judgment, unless it receive the superior opinion of some one of the Crown Law Advisers. . . ."

82-3

Fascinating letter from Lancashire to Sidmouth, describes how a number of "Johannites"--that is, followers of Johanna Southcott--are leaving the county in search of a new Jerusalem.

109

Copy of one of the parodies associated with Hone:

113

A letter from Manchester, 21 January, 1817:

"My Lord,

Never since the days of the infamous Paine has a more blasphemous production, or one more calculated to bring into contempt our venerable and truly apostolical Church [flowed?] from the Press than the pamphlet which I have the honor to enclose to your Lordship.

(The enemies of our constitution and Church are most [busily?] employed in this Town and neighborhood. Indeed in no part of the Kingdom are they more active. The Town literally swarms with seditious tracts, and it will require great firmness and presence of Mind to avert the storm ready to burst over our heads.)

As our ecclesiastical establishment is recognized by the states I trust the arm of the Law is yet long enough and strong enough to reach and punish the printer and [seller?] of this diabolical tract. Perhaps by your Lordship forwarding the pamphlets to the proper authority, something may be done to show the people there is still a judge firm enough to punish that Man who dares to openly break and disregard the Laws of the land.--

I have the honor to be

My Lord

Your Lordship's faithful

and obedient Sevt.

W Ulray [?? difficult hand]"

Note: The enclosed pamphlet was probably the Political Litany listed at folio 109.

131

Correspondent encloses the first number of a new publication entitled The Manchester Political Register; or, Reformers' Repository, dated 1(1), 4 Jan. 1817.

The first issue of The Manchester Political Register is largely given over to a description of the aims of this new journal: (1) to stand as a kind of "non-partisan" watchdog organ of the press, (2) to stand in enthusiastic support of Reform and a free press, (3) to call attention to government inattention to popular petitions. Then:

"The propriety of convening public meetings, therefore, is strikingly apparent, were it only to preserve the peace of society: . . . They are not only useful in furnishing information to many who attend them, but they also exhibit that unanimity of sentiment and feeling which so generally prevail" (4).

Pages 23-4 of the paper describe the "resolutions" made at a public meeting held on 1 January, 1817 with a Mr. Knight in the chair and Samuel Bamford as Secretary. (This is the Samuel Bamford whose Passages in the Life of a Radical has become a central historical document for those studying Regency period radicalism.)

194

A remarkable kind of catechism-document; provenance unclear. It is set in columns, as the following excerpt shows:

Questions	Answers
How long will a nation endure Oppression?	Till distress is universal, and parents and children are each other starving. The wants of the Belly create a fever of the Brain.
When ought men to resist Power?	When rulers by obstinacy have ruined their country and the People are starving.

196

A brief spy's note mentioning meeting of the Spenceans Evans, Preston, Watson, and others.

201

A spy offers a description of Spencean meeting held, as usual, at the Mulberry Tree. Spencean meetings typically concluded with singing and chanting--on some kind of communal activity they called "Harmony."

218

Undated report on another Spencean meeting:

"Previous to the chair being taken Politcal Tracts were publickly sold by a man named Copson . . . . [A]fter the close of the debate the Chair was taken to proceed to Harmony in the course of which Mr Cannon (as he could not sing) voluntarily gave an obscene paraphrase on the first psalm, the Elder Evans offered Christian Policy for Sale and the usual Bills were distributed."

260

A blunt note from the York Club, Bath (27 Jan. 1817) offers to provide information about a "private union society"--apparently some kind of secretive radical group.

"One of the private rules of the union is, to send a confidential Member round to populous villages to make the people acquainted with what they call 'their political rights' and also 'to teach them their political duties as men and not as gentlemen.'"

And later:

"The union clubs have several political tracts such as Paine's works political catechism Litany and which [are sold?] to the known Friends of Liberty . . . ."

signed W. Lloyd Calvert [Lonsdale?]

267

A writer who signs his name as "Americus" encloses a copy of a counter-blast to Cobbett--the cover letter states: that the Government ought to respond to Reformist demands by "argument & reasoning":

"Surely, my Lord, there must be men most capable of such a task . . . but Cobbett who is worthy of imitation only in his system of propagation is suffered to diffuse his writings without the least effort on the part of the Government to rasie up combatants with the Pen against him[.]"

368

Additional copies as in HO 42/158 no. 13

370

copy of Hone's Sinecurist's Creed

374

copy of Hone's Political Litany

378

Advertisement for Hone's Reformists' Register announcing the opening issue with article on the attack on the Prince Regent. [The Prince Regent's carriage had been attacked by an unruly crowd and a stone was thrown into one of the windows on 29 January, 1817. The stone-throwing incident was the basis for Hone's parody, The Bullet te Deum, with The Canticle of the Stone.] The "statement of intent" for the Reformists' Register:

"The REFORMIST'S REGISTER, to be Published every Saturday, in addition to its Origianl Articles will contain the reulsts of the MEETINGS for PARLIAMENTARY REFORM . . . ."

The notice is printed by Hay and Turner, Newcastle St., Strand.

719 ff.

Correspondent encloses another radical parody:

A Political Catechism | dedicated | (without permission) | To His | Most Serene Highness | Omar, Bashaw | Dey & Governor | of | The Warlike City and Kingdom | of | Algiers; | The Earl of Liverpool; Lord | Castlereagh, & co. | By an Englishman | The Fifth Edition | Manchester: | Printed by Wardle and Pratt, Market-Street: | and Sold by the Booksellers | Reprinted by J. Russell, 24, Moor-street | Birmingham | 1816.

The text is not based on the liturgical model, but it may well have provided an important source or inspiration for Hone. Note especially the date and the (re)printer.

731

This note is probably written in relation to the Political Catechism, above:

from the Town Clerks Office, Chester January 1, 1817

"My Lord,

I was led by business yesterday into a cottage about 8 miles from this place where I found the small pamphlet I now inclose-- On enquiring how it came there I was informed that a person in the village had lagely been in Birmingham and this with others had been thrown into the coach in w^c he travelled and that Books of this description are industriously circulated by persons in that neighborhood by throwing them into and upon the coaches as they pass.

I have thought it my duty to make this communication to your Lordship,

I am

Your -----------

[J Frinchett ?]

Dept^y Town Clerk"