JOHN ASHTON
author of “Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne,”
“A History of English Lotteries,” etc.
LONDON
DUCKWORTH & CO.
3 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, W.C.
1898
CONTENTS
| PAGE | |
| INTRODUCTORY | |
| Difference between Gaming and Gambling—Universality and Antiquity ofGambling—Isis and Osiris—Games and Dice of the Egyptians—Chinaand India—The Jews—Among the Greeks and Romans—AmongMahometans—Early Dicing—Dicing in England in theThirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries—In the Seventeenth Century—CelebratedGamblers—Bourchier—Swiss Anecdote—Dicing inthe Eighteenth Century | [1] |
| CHAPTER I | |
| Latimer and Cards—Discourse between a Preacher and a Professor—ThePerpetual Almanack, or Soldier’s Prayer Book—Origin of PlayingCards—Earliest Notice—Royal Card Playing | [28] |
| CHAPTER II | |
| Legislation as to Cards—Boy and sheep—Names of old games at Cards—Gamblingtemp. Charles II.—Description of a gaming-house, 1669—Playat Christmas—The Groom Porter—Royal gambling discontinuedby George III.—Gambling in church | [40] |
| CHAPTER III | |
| Gambling early Eighteenth Century—Mrs Centlivre—E. Ward—Steele—Pope—Detailsof a gaming-house—Grub Street Journal on Gambling—Legislationon gambling—Peeresses as gaming-house keepers—Achild played for at cards—Raids on gaming-houses—Fielding | [51] |
| CHAPTER IV | |
| Gambling at Bath—Beau Nash—Anecdotes of him—A lady gambler—HoraceWalpole’s gossip about gambling—Awful story aboutRichard Parsons—Gambling anecdotes—C. J. Fox | [64] |
| CHAPTER V | |
| The Gambling ladies—Ladies Archer, Buckinghamshire, Mrs Concannon,&c.—Private Faro Banks—Card-money—Gaming House end ofEighteenth Century—Anecdotes—The profits of Gaming Houses—C.J. Fox and Sir John Lade—Col. Hanger on gambling | [76] |
| CHAPTER VI | |
| The Gambling Clubs—White’s, Cocoa Tree, Almack’s—A few gamblersdescribed—Stories of high play—White’s and its frequenters—Brookes’and its players—Captain Gronow and his reminiscencesof gambling—Gambling by the English at Paris—The Duke ofWellington—Ball Hughes—Scrope Davies—Raggett of White’s | [90] |
| CHAPTER VII | |
| Hanging, the penalty for losing—Suicide—Officer cashiered—Reminiscencesof an exiled gambler—Description of the principal gaming-housesat the West End in 1817 | [103] |
| CHAPTER VIII | |
| Crockford’s Club—His Life—His new Club-house—Epigrams thereon—Udeand the Magistrate—Description of Club-house—Anecdotes ofCrockford’s | [118] |
| CHAPTER IX | |
| Hells in the Quadrant, 1833—Smith v. Bond—Police powers—“Confessionsof a Croupier” | [133] |
| CHAPTER X | |
| Select Committee on Gaming, 1844—Evidence | [147] |
| CHAPTER XI | |
| Wagers and Betting—Samson—Greek and Roman betting—In the SeventeenthCentury—“Lusty Packington”—The rise of betting in theEighteenth Century—Walpole’s story of White’s—Betting in theHouse of Commons—Story by Voltaire—Anecdotes of betting—Lawsuit concerning the Chevalier d’Eon | [150] |
| CHAPTER XII | |
| Gluttonous Wager—Walk to Constantinople and back—Sir John Lade andLord Cholmondeley—Other Wagers—Betting on Napoleon—Bet ona Coat—Lord Brougham—Brunel and Stephenson—Captain Barclay—Storyby Mr Ross—The Earl of March’s Coach—Selby’s driveto Brighton—White’s betting book | [163] |
| CHAPTER XIII | |
| Horse Racing—Early mention—Thirteenth Century—Racing for bells—Racingin Hyde Park—Newmarket—Oliver Cromwell and Runninghorses—Charles II.—James II.—Anne—Her fondness for racing—Sportingin her reign—Epsom—Tregonwell Frampton—The threeGeorges—A duel—Turf anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century | [173] |
| CHAPTER XIV | |
| Match between Mrs Thornton and Mr Flint—Its sequel—Daniel Dawsonpoisons horses—Origin of Bookmaking—Turf frauds—The“Ludlow” scandal—The “Plenipo” fraud—Reports of SelectCommittee on Gaming, 1844 | [185] |
| CHAPTER XV | |
| Gambling on Race Courses—E.O. tables—Description of Race Courses—Evidencebefore the Committee—Description of the betting-roomsat Doncaster in 1846—Beginning of tipsters and betting-rooms | [199] |
| CHAPTER XVI | |
| Betting Houses—Their suppression in 1853—Bookmakers and their Clients—Defaulters—Dwyer’sswindle—Value of Stakes | [211] |
| CHAPTER XVII | |
| The Lottery—Its etymology and origin—The first in England—Succeedingones—Prince Rupert’s jewels—Penny lottery—Suppression andrevival—Rage for them in Queen Anne’s reign—Lotteries for publicpurposes—Leheup’s fraud | [222] |
| CHAPTER XVIII | |
| Blue coat boys tampered with—The two trials—Insuring tickets—CuriousLotteries—Lever Museum and Pigot diamond Lotteries—Little goes—Storiesof winning numbers—Decline of Lotteries—The last—Itsepitaph—Modern lotteries | [231] |
| CHAPTER XIX | |
| Promotors and Projectors—Government loans—Commencement of Bankof England—Character of a Stock Jobber—Jonathan’s—Hoaxtemp. Anne—South Sea Bubble—Poems thereon | [242] |
| CHAPTER XX | |
| First mention of the Stock Exchange—Attempt at hoax—Daniel’s fraud—Berenger’sfraud—Bubbles of 1825—The Railway Mania—30thNov. 1845 at the Board of Trade—The fever at its height—TheMarquis of Clanricarde pricks the bubble | [254] |
| CHAPTER XXI | |
| The Comic side of the Railway Mania—“Jeames’s Diary,” &c.—UniversalSpeculation, as shown by Parliamentary Return—Rise of Discount—Collapse—Shareholdersnot forthcoming—Widespread Ruin—GeorgeHudson | [266] |
| CHAPTER XXII | |
| Permissible gambling—Early Marine Assurance—Oldest and old Policies—Lloyd’s—CuriousInsurances—Marine Assurance Companies—FireInsurance—Its origin and early Companies—Life Insurance—EarlyCompanies—Curious story of Life Insurance | [275] |