Instructions.—When summoned, to attend instantly; and when assembled on duty not to depart or absent themselves without permission from the Magistrates or their respective Superintendents. The ringing of the small and large bells of St. Thomas’s Church will be the signal for the immediate assembling of the whole Constabulary force. Every one disobeying these instructions will have the full penalty of the Law enforced against him. Fortunately for the comfort of these brave volunteers no bells were rung, neither did any dreaded Chartists appear to oppose their pot-valiant authority, but the capers which some of these “Specials” occasionally cut, and the midnight orgies at certain favoured houses of public resort, kept by many a “hearty good fellow,” where ale was strong and protection sure against all assaults upon the body, made these persons on special public duty memorable, and afforded food for scandal and amusement to many in after years.
BEN BOUCHER,
The Dudley Poet and Rhymist.
“Oh! rare Ben Boucher, Boucher Ben;
The best of Poets, but worst of men.”
BEN BOUCHER.
THE DUDLEY POET, 1847.
This extraordinary old man was truly a “curiosity” in himself; for many years he enlivened the Black Country with distiches of the ins and outs of life, in all its varied phases, by his peculiar doggerel poetry or songs, which the old man used to compose on any public event which struck his fancy or provoked his wrath. He then sallied out to the wondering public, and sold his songs at one penny per sheet, and familiar indeed was the figure of the old poet, daily in our streets vending his singular wares. He took up all sorts of sad, grim, and pleasurable subjects, from the hanging of some wretch at Stafford Gaol, to a dog, or cock fight at Sedgley, or Tipton. Ben Boucher was a Collier by trade, and was born at Horseley Heath, in the year 1769, but the greater part of his singular and irregular life was spent in Dudley, at certain favourite public house haunts, where his talents were appreciated, and his songs admired and read by the curious.
The following is a sample of some of his effusions:—On the death of Dr. Booker, away from Dudley.