Liverpool a few years since: by an old stager

by James Aspinall

This ebook was transcribed by Les Bowler.

LIVERPOOL
A FEW YEARS SINCE:

BY
AN OLD STAGER.

THIRD EDITION.

LIVERPOOL:
ADAM HOLDEN, 48, CHURCH STREET.

1885.

CONTENTS.

	Page
CHAPTER I.
Liverpool fifty years since. Goree warehouses. The docks. Extent of the town. Ships in dock. Ships for sea. Outward bound	[1]
CHAPTER II.
War. The old “Princess.” ThePress-gangs—their unpopularity—Jack’s race forlife	[6]
CHAPTER III.
Captain Colquitt. Convoys. Privateers. Dublin packets. The deserts of Cheshire	[12]
CHAPTER IV.
Volunteers. Captain Bolton. The Marquis ofLondonderry. General Benson. General Fisher	[18]
CHAPTER V.
Prince William of Gloucester. The Prince ofWales. The Duke of Clarence. Scene at theMayor’s dinner	[23]
CHAPTER VI.
Old stagers—Dr. Currie, John Foster, Dr. Brandreth,Sir William Barton, John Bridge Aspinall, John Bolton	[29]
CHAPTERVII.
Moses Benson. Fashionables. Militarybeaux. Major Brackenbury. Thomas Leyland. Pudsey Dawson	[35]
CHAPTER VIII.
Fletcher Raincock. James Clark. The Recordernon-suited. George Rowe. Jack Shaw. The oldCorporation	[41]
CHAPTER IX.
Sir George Dunbar. Tom Dunbar. ThomasWilson. Edward Houghton. Mr. Black’s whitewig. Roger Leigh	[47]
CHAPTER X.
Joseph Leigh. Shakespeare Tom. WilliamHarper. Bamber Gascoigne	[54]
CHAPTER XI.
Society. Sets. Roscoe—howappreciated. Anecdote. Dr. Shepherd	[61]
CHAPTER XII.
Sir Joseph Birch. Arthur Heywood. TomLowndes. Colonel Nicholson. Rushton. CaptainCrowe. Night Action. Peter Tyrer	[68]
CHAPTER XIII.
William James. Silvester Richmond. Anecdotes. Joseph Daltera. Puns. Jokes. Sermon	[76]
CHAPTER XIV.
Practical Jokes and Jokers. Committee ofTaste—their doings and misdoings. Quarrel with Mr.Staniforth—how settled. Their Chairman. Improvement of the present age	[83]
CHAPTERXV.
The old tower in Water-street. Committee of Tasteagain—more of their pranks. William WallaceCurrie—his character and writings	[90]
CHAPTER XVI.
Sir John Gladstone—his character. OttiwellWood. Judge Littledale. GeneralD’Aguilar. Devaynes, the conjurer	[97]
CHAPTER XVII.
Old watchmen—tricks played upon them. Pigtails. The last and very last of the pigtails. Hair powder. Barbers ruined. MarshallBlucher—preparing for the Battle of Leipsic	[104]
CHAPTER XVIII.
The old Corporation—their exclusivespirit—their doings. Management of publicaffairs. Anecdotes. Corporation dinners—countyguests. Honest John Watkins, and his defeat at Waterloo	[113]
CHAPTER XIX.
The Clergy. Blair’s sermons. The Rev.Thomas Kidd. The Rev. Thomas Moss. Anecdotes. The Bottle and the Wood. Chat Moss	[122]
CHAPTER XX.
Rector Roughsedge. Anecdotes. The Bishopastonishing the Clergy. The Rector’s one joke. St. George’s Church. The Mayor’sProcession. Maternal discipline. After Church. LordStreet. The Athenæum steps	[130]
CHAPTER XXI.
Jonas. Mr. Pitt. The Duke. ArchdeaconBrooks. The Rev. James Hamer. Dr. Hodgson—inLiverpool—in Oxford—his character, career, andbrilliant talents	[138]
CHAPTERXXII.
An Election. Parties in the Town and Council. General Tarleton. Old Freemen. GeneralGascoigne. Bamber Gascoigne. Conscience	[145]
CHAPTER XXIII.
Shops. Danson. Shower bath. TheLiverpool Hunt. Peter Carter and his gray horse. Abraham Lowe, the huntsman. Cheshire Squires. SirPeter Warburton. Sir Harry Mainwaring	[154]
CHAPTER XXIV.
Old Coaches. Macadam. Coachmen. TheUmpire. The Bang-up. Pleasures of travelling on theold roads. Hours kept by our grandfathers andgrandmothers. Visiting. Sedan Chairs. Routs. Going out and going home	[164]
CHAPTER XXV.
Theatres—themanagers—actors—singers. Elliston. LordNelson. George Bailey. Abolition of the SlaveTrade. Liverpool ruined. Liverpool revived. Conclusion	[172]

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.

This little volume has been twice published, and this issue of it is in ready response to the “third time of asking” by an appreciating public, largely, as we imagine, made up of families associated in some way or other with “Old Liverpool” as it appeared in the earlier part of the present century.