In February the purchase of Strathfieldsaye was completed, being a National gift to the Duke of Wellington.
In turning to one of my sources of information for the above, I find the next paragraph to be: "A Society is about to be formed at Ross, under the designation of the Kyrlean, and Philanthropic, the object of which is to celebrate the birthday of Mr. John Kyrle (already immortalized by Pope, as the 'Man of Ross'), and to raise a fund for the improvement of the walks, and those public buildings which he erected, and, in imitation of that amiable philanthropist, to relieve honest merit in distress. The Members are to be elected by ballot, but not confined to distance."
I do not know whether this Society was started, or whether it had a long life, but I do know that there is now a very praiseworthy "Kyrle Society," whose power of doing good might be largely increased, by their possessing a larger income. Their object is to bring beauty home to the people. The means employed are (1) The decoration of working men's clubs, hospitals, &c., by mural paintings, pictures, &c.; (2) By laying out, as gardens, or recreation grounds, any available strips of waste land; (3) By a voluntary choir of singers, who give oratorios and concerts to the poor, singing in hospitals, workhouses, and carrying out a scheme for providing Choral Classes for the people.[28]
This year, there was quite an epidemic of Royal Marriages. The Princess Elizabeth was married to the Prince of Hesse Homburg, the Duke of Clarence to the Princess of Saxe Meiningen, the Duke of Cambridge to the Princess of Hesse, and the Duke of Kent to the Princess Victoria of Saxe Cobourg, the mother of our present Queen, and as "Sons and Daughters of England," they were all dutifully provided for.
From Fetters Matrimonial to those of a baser, yet not more material kind, is an easy transition, and it is pleasing, to record, as an advance in humanity, and civilization, that in April of this year, the disuse of fetters on the prisoners was commenced at Clerkenwell prison, and immediately followed by Newgate.
In May, a woman was arrested for trying to annoy the Queen, and she seems to have had a peculiar penchant for keys. "On the sentinels being placed on duty on Tuesday night, in the Garden at the back of the Queen's Palace, the key of the garden, belonging to the watch house, could not be found, and it was ascertained she had stolen it. She had been at Carlton House, York House, most of the Courts of Justice, and, in all the places where she gained admittance, she stole keys, or trifling articles. She had stolen, in the whole, 146 keys."
Schoolboys, now that grown-up men had ceased from rioting, took to it. First of all the Winchester boys caught the disease, and on May 7th, on returning from a ramble on the hills, "they suddenly attacked the porters, forced from them the keys of the College, and locked out all the Masters. Having thus obtained full possession of the building, they proceeded to take up, with pickaxes, &c., the large stones with which the Court was paved, and soon conveyed upwards of a cart-load of them to the top of the building, threatening any one who approached the gates. In this barricaded state, they kept possession all the night, deaf to the remonstrances of their friends, and bidding defiance to their Masters. On the following morning, after many admonitions were in vain given them to return to their duty, it was found necessary to call out a party of Military, some Constables, &c., who procured crowbars and other instruments to force the gates. Upon observing these preparations, the young gentlemen opened the gates, came out in a body, and many of them went to their respective homes. Twelve ringleaders were expelled; and about forty of the Gentlemen Commoners have been allowed to resign. There were only six out of 230 who did not join in the revolt."
Again we read, "Nov. 14.—During the last week, the boys at Eton College were in a state of rebellion, and offered the grossest indignities to Dr. Keate, the head of the College. By his firm and judicious conduct, however, aided by the other masters, peace was restored on Saturday. Seven of the boys have been expelled."
The poor Prince Regent could not get popular. On the 7th of July his carriage broke down in South Audley Street, on his way to, or from, the Marquis of Hertford's. A mob instantly collected, as the carriage was known to be the Prince's. The blinds were all drawn up and he could not be seen, but they called him naughty names, and said naughty things about him, begging him, not very politely, to show himself. He endured this for some time, but, afterwards, emerged, and, making his way through a Mews, he took shelter in General Cradock's house, followed, and grossly insulted by the populace.
In October, this year, was issued the Noble Crown piece by Pistrucci, which completed the series of the Silver Coinage. It is remarkable, not only for its beauty, but for the fact that it was the only Crown-piece coined during the long reign of George III. It had on the reverse St. George and the Dragon, surrounded by the Garter, and excited much controversy, because the Moneyer had introduced his name on the Coin. It was classed with Cardinal Wolsey's famous "Ego et Rex meus."