Palace-yard and the Broad Sanctuary: nineteen persons were killed and wounded, amongst whom was Lady Burton, far advanced in pregnancy; this unhappy lady died in a few minutes. Every recompence was made to the survivors, by the King's orders, that pecuniary assistance could afford.
The King soon after witnessed the Lord Mayor's annual ceremony from Mr. Taylor's balcony in Cheapside. This gentleman was a Quaker and a Linen-draper, to whom the Monarch offered the honour of Knighthood in return for his civility; but the wary Friend declined the tempting bait, which would have procured him the less acceptable ceremony of being read out of Meeting.
The Proprietors of Sion gardens advertised the following singular method of selling deer from their park, in May 1715. They appointed the afternoons of Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, for killing those animals; when the publick were admitted at one shilling each to see the operation, or they might purchase tickets from four to ten shillings, which entitled them, I suppose by way of Lottery, to different parts of the beast, as they say the quantity killed was to be divided into sixteen lots, and the first choice to be governed by the numbers on the tickets; a ten shilling ticket was entitled to a fillet; eight a shoulder; seven a loin, &c. If the full price of the Deer was not received on a given day, the
keeper held the money till that sum was obtained. They offered to sell whole deer, and to purchase as many as might be offered.
A singular wedding occurred in November 1715, secundum usum Tremulorum, between a rich Quaker Apothecary, and a daughter of Daniel Quare, the celebrated watch-maker in Exchange-alley. The place of entertainment was Skinners-hall, "where 300 persons were present, amongst whom was the Duchess of Marlborough, &c. The Princess of Wales was invited, but did not go."
However unpleasant the yells of Barrow-women are at present, no other mischief arises from them than the obstruction of the ways. It was far otherwise before 1716, when they generally carried Dice with them, and children were enticed to throw for fruit and nuts, or indeed any persons of more advanced age. However, in the year just mentioned, the pernicious consequences of the practice beginning to be felt, the Lord Mayor issued an order to apprehend all retailers so offending, which speedily put an end to street-gaming; though, I am sorry to observe, that some miscreants now carry little wheels marked with numbers, which being turned govern the chance by the figure a hand in the centre points to when stopped.
The first notice of coloured lamps for illuminations that I have met with is in the year 1716,
when Dr. Chamberlain displayed 200 on the front of his house in Surrey-street, in honour of the King's birth-day.
The same year produced the annual rowing-match by six young watermen who have just completed their apprenticeship, which was founded by Mr. Doggett, the Comedian, who left a certain sum in trust for the purchase of the prize, an orange-coloured coat with a silver badge, representing the Hanoverian horse, as I take it; but the papers of the day will have it to represent the wild unbridled horse Liberty.
The reader will find in the following advertisement a singular method of invitation to a public-house and gardens; and I think he will agree with me, that this custom of our predecessors is better honoured in the breach than in the observance.