No. 1, Model Cottages, Little St. Ann’s Lane,
Great Peter Street, Westminster, London, S.W.
17th February, 1876.
Sir,
I have just received yours, 7 p.m., and in reply I beg to say that when I came to London in 1818 Catnach’s Father was not living.
Catnach, his Mother, and Sister Julia the youngest, resided at 2, Monmouth Court, the old woman and Julia worked at a small hand press—I joined him about 1818—his father died before.—I understood Julia went astray—the Mother Died about 1826. Anne Ryle was the widow of an Officer: a Waterloo man—with one child—had a pension.
Catnach had but little type, and no stock to speak of: he had a Sister at Portsea the wife of a mate of a ship in harbour, and kept a song-shop. His Mother lived with him 7 or 8 years.—I understand about the “Horses-heads.” Cox and Kean, I forget except the title and chorus:—
COX versus KEAN;
OR
Little Breeches.
“With his ginger tail he did assail, and did the prize obtain,
This Merry Little Wanton Bantam Cock of Drury Lane—
Little Breeches.”
Ann Stanton was tried for cutting the Cock’s Head off there was no verses.
As regards the Sausages, Catnach printed a few lines on a quarter-sheet, that caused a great uproar, he was taken to Bow Street. Catnach had six months. There was no verses, it was quickly done. He printed the life of Mother Cummins, of Dyot Street—now, George Street, and that was knocked into “pye” in quick sticks. There was a change after he went to Alnwick in Northumberland, where he carried a small press and printed the state of the poll every day, while there he took up his freedom.[2] He came home and printed “Cubitt’s Treadmill”:—