Читать книгу The Curiosities of Dudley and the Black Country, From 1800 to 1860 - C. F. G. Clark - Страница 6

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Died, April 25th, 1823, the highly esteemed Viscount Dudley and Ward, of Himley Hall, acknowledged to be “The rich man’s model and the poor man’s friend.” This benevolent nobleman spent his truly valuable life at his estate and amongst his numerous friends and tenantry, dispensing with rare judgment and true benevolence his continual benefactions. The noble lord was not only mindful of the well-being and interests of the rich, “but he ne’er forgot the poor;” and the thousands of colliers working in his extensive coal mines, and adding so much to his wealth and greatness, were at all times special objects of his fostering care.

In the obituary of a provincial newspaper was inserted at the time this just memorial:—“At his seat, Himley Hall, died on Friday evening, the Right Hon. William, Lord Viscount Dudley and Ward, Baron Ward of Birmingham, and Recorder of Kidderminster. Though we hope we shall be the last to burn incense at the shrine of mere worldly greatness, yet we feel that it would be unjust to withhold from this departed nobleman the tribute of our sincere respect and gratitude. He did not suffer himself to forget that it belongs to those who are placed on an eminence, and entrusted with a superior portion of the goods of fortune, to be the almoners of Heaven; for it was his delight to encourage honest industry, to provide for the destitute, and to befriend every charitable institution in his neighbourhood. While he lived, his name, wherever it was mentioned, was accompanied with the poor man’s benediction; and now his honourable career is finished, his memory will be embalmed in the tears of the widow and the orphan; and he will sleep in that noblest of mausoleums—the bosom of the virtuous and the good.”

This good nobleman’s character was illustrated in a remarkable manner, which truly developed the gentleman and the kind hearted father of his people, in an event which well-nigh caused “a strike” amongst his numerous colliers. “Strikes,” such as we are periodically subject to in our day and generation, (too often projected and fostered by idle designing knaves,) had no existence in those times of a proper respect and feeling existing between master and man. This incident is worth recording if it be for no other purpose than showing that the noble master and his colliers were brought face to face without any underlings to distort the facts or prejudge the grievance. The person who then superintended his extensive collieries, judging it expedient to adopt a different mode of working them, introduced, from Lancashire, a certain number of miners to carry his plan into execution, which so exasperated the native workmen, that, shortly afterwards, not fewer than 3000 of them suddenly assembled and proceeded to the gates of his lordship’s park at Himley; thence deputing some of their body to state their supposed grievance to him in person, and obtain an order for the aliens’ dismissal. At the same time several of the neighbouring gentry resorted with all speed to the Hall, accompanied by magistrates to render their assistance. After the deputation was admitted and had stated their case, which his lordship desired they would do fearlessly and explicitly, he requested the attendant gentlemen would individually give their candid opinion “whether his agent had acted prudently or not in bringing the foreigners, as they were termed, into the neighbourhood.” The opinion being unanimous “that the mines in the strangers’ country being very different to the mines in this, the mode of working them is consequently different, and, however competent the men might be to work there, it was conceived that so utterly incompetent would they be to work here, that accidents to themselves might be apprehended, and great loss to their employer.” “Well then, gentlemen,” said his lordship, “from your judgment I must infer that the strangers in question have no business here.” Then turning to the deputies, in a firm and dignified tone he thus addressed them:—“go and tell those who sent you that the foreigners, as you please to style them, shall depart to-morrow, and if any injury be done to them the injurers will suffer for it. Tell them, also, that I concede the point in deference to the opinions of these gentlemen. Had their opinion coincided with that of the person who brought the men hither I would have ordered them to remain, even if the mob now at my gates should proceed to pull down my hall over my head, and to bury me in its ruins.” Accordingly, the next day, the strangers departed in peace and safety, carrying with them an ample remuneration for their journey and loss of time. His lordship’s love of true liberty was most emphatic, for on one memorable occasion when importuned to allow his mighty influence to be used in controlling the civil freedom of some of the inhabitants of Dudley, he strenuously resisted the suggestion, and on being reminded that he had only to make his wishes known to ensure a compliance by his numerous friends, he nobly replied, “I believe I have many friends at Dudley, but I have no vassals there;” a sentiment that will honour his name when his monument shall be crumbled into dust. The venerable nobleman attained the good old age of 73 years.

“Thus, bow’d with age, must thou, O man! become

A time-worn ruin, on life’s beaten shore,

At last to moulder in the darksome tomb;

But, summon’d thence, thou shalt decay no more.”

This benevolent nobleman left one son (John William), who became a famous statesman, and was raised in the Peerage, as the first Earl of Dudley.

On November 11th, 1826, Messrs. Bourne and Sons, Solicitors to the Commissioners under the Town Act of 31st of George III, issued a notice to apply to Parliament for an amended Town Act, giving more definite power to the Town Commissioners to remove nuisances, obstructions, &c., and to supply the town with a good supply of pure water, and to further light and pave the same. A Ratepayer issued a placard on November 26th, 1826, condemning in strong terms the intended expense to the ratepayer, and “the unnecessary application for power to supply pure water to the then 15,000 inhabitants.” He says, “Water will never be brought to this town but at a great expense; if report be true, the estimate already given in is £17,000; he objected to have a rate levied for the purpose of supplying the town with water, of better lighting it, and of establishing a watch.” Poor benighted ratepayer, one would be tempted to think that he belonged to the nocturnal marauders complained of by Mr. Cooke above, for it is clear that he objected to a night watch; water at all events was supplied to the people of Dudley then at a reasonable price, and better quality and quantity than since the ratepayer ventilated his worldly wisdom.

“Grand Fracas between ‘Rough Joe and Nimble Dick.’ This was a turn up arising out of a misunderstanding o’er a bottle; Rough Joe was in his cups, or rather had given his twine an extra twist, and Nimble Dick had just received a load (not of barley) but of John Blewnose’s best. Rough Joe having something to do with rope, fancied he was calculated to rig; now rigging is too knotty a point for Joe, and altho’ he squared his yards as if used to pitch into ’em, yet it was evident to all present that Joe’s rigging was too coarse to stand long. Nimble Dick, who by the bye, has lately signalised himself in several skirmishes, one in particular, wherein he unfortunately fell foul of a lee shore; on this occasion he was all afloat, and advised Rough Joe to get off his jawing tack, but instead of altering his course, he struck not his flag, but his fist straight ahead into the chops of his would-be pilot, which of course no chap could stand, so clearing the deck and doffing their dabbs, they duly prepared for a broadside, with plenty of seasover room. Joe rushing to work like a tiger, pawed, pinned, and played away, but ’twas all over, his puff was gone, and his friend the Nailer cried out bellowes to mend. ‘Its a spike to a sparrowbill.’ Dick, seeing his advantage, fought home, sent in a finisher that proved a closer to the Rough one, for his eye struck fire so vividly that a wag begged permission to light his cigar from the effect. All was now up. Joe weighed anchor, wished all rigging, and the lawyer to-boot, in a hotter place, and in answer to numerous inquiries, he replied ‘I’ll ha’ no more.’ We wish for the honour of the town they were better men; they ought to be so considering their condition.”

“N.B.—The profits arising from the sale of these are intended for the purchase of a pair of Asses’ Ears, to be carried in the procession of all our future Mayors.”—Vide Gornal Journal.

Future Mayors looked in vain for the asses’ ears, but alas for broken promises the ears never turned up; and as the author of the above recital doubtless was the owner of a pair of ears, it was at last charitably supposed that the ears were not forthcoming without the ass; and an exhibition of the ass would expose the author of this “squib” to what a donkey often gets—“a good thrashing.” Rough Joe and nimble Dick having no remedy, shook hands, and became better friends than ever.

June 24, 1826. “Five Guineas Reward.—Whereas late on the evening of the 19th some person or persons did wantonly break and pull down the lamp irons in front of the Independent Chapel, King Street. A certain young man of the name of F——s, and two of his foolish associates, were seen committing various depredations on that evening, compared with such persons colliers and miners are complete gentlemen.”

The constant practices of horse-play then so much in vogue with the young gentlemen of the period arose in a great measure from the very lax administration of public duty by the “Night Watches,” for the “Jarvy” of that period preferred a quiet snooze in his watch box to the solemn, lonely realities of a midnight perambulation of our then unlighted streets, lanes, and alleys; better days have dawned upon us, making our worthy citizens proof against such senseless follies.

Died, August 9th, 1826 (aged 60 years), Mr. Edward Guest, of New Street, Nail Master. This gentleman was a very zealous Churchman in his time, and it was mainly through the Rev. Dr. Brookes, Vicar of Dudley, and himself, that the old Parish Church (of St. Thomas) was pulled down and the present edifice erected on its site. Mr. Edward Guest was Churchwarden from 1815 to 1821, during the erection, and he had many discordant feelings to assuage, and regrets to palliate, arising from desecrations of the dead and disturbances in the old Church and Church yard. A mysterious disappearance of stone slabs and gravestones occurred at this time, and it has often been rumoured since “those good old times,” that a certain court yard at Dixon’s Green, is laid with grave slabs, “spirited away” from the Parish Church yard, and “Here lieth the remains” &c., on slabs is to be seen misrepresenting the supposed dust of departed souls, and doing duty in a private court yard as a footpath. Where, “Sacred to the Memory of Mary Jane——,” is a myth and a snare, for the slabs cover nothing but earthworms and mother earth. Who was the sacrilegeous sinner? August 14th, 1828. We find that a Ratepayer issued a placard, giving a copy of the Acts of 37, Geo. III. and 5, Geo. IV., in reference to unjust “Scales and Weights,” and says, “A demand has been made upon the Overseers of this Parish for £193 5s. for Scales and Weights, Interests, &c. In order that you may form a legal opinion upon this subject, and be the better prepared to discuss its merits at the examination of the Overseers’ Accounts, the annexed extracts, from the two Acts of Parliament, are submitted for your consideration by a Ratepayer.” The gist of the Ratepayer’s anxiety appeared to be, that it was wrong to charge the Ratepayers (through the medium of the Overseers) with the expenses of searching out evil doers (employers of short weights and measures), for the Acts enforce not only fines to the offenders, but that their weights and measures “shall be seized and broken up, and rendered useless,” and the materials thereof sold; and the money arising from such sale, with the fines, shall be paid to the County Treasurer. The fact, that £193 5s. having been expended in Dudley for that year would lead us to the conclusion that rather an extensive raid had been then made upon this class of public cheats, and the money was well expended if the evil was stopped, and the poorer classes afterwards got their legal weight and measure.