March 1846

Sunday 1st March 1846

Rose at 6 o’clock.  Went to coffee shop, Broad Street, St Giles’s - read news of the week.  On my way thither met Jack Richardson in Oxford Street.  After breakfast made for St Mark’s Church, Kennington Common.  Though there early, yet so crowded I could get no admittance, so bent my steps to St Mary Newington and there stayed.  Sat in free seat, west side of church and north end, close against pew 34.  Afternoon, made a fool of by A F, after waiting about Soho for an hour returned homeward.  Had visit from Mr Guest who did not stop long but took M Ward to his place of residence (King Street, Snow Hill).  After tea took walk with A F through Camden Town etc.  Round Albert Road.  Turned up road to the right leading to a wayside cottage through a private road leading through Hampstead.  Overlooked by two policemen kissing.  Returned same way homeward and arrived thence a quarter before 10 o’clock.  Mother taken very bad with pains in the back, supposed to be rheumatism.

Tuesday 3rd March 1846

The infant Marshall who died February 24th was this day buried in the north ground of Tottenham Court Chapel.

Friday 6th March 1846

Bookbinding this afternoon.  Put on a temporary cover to Biographical Dictionary with gum and parchment - made sound job of it, though a rough one.  Sat on a bench in St. James’s Park opposite the Duke of York’s monument with Ann.  We were accosted by a policeman who, mistaking her for some other person, accompanied by the threat warning her to be there no more.

Sunday 8th March 1846

Rose early quarter past 6, went to coffee shop in Windmill Street, Tottenham Court Road to read weekly news.  Went to church of St Olave Jewry in mistake, intending to go to St Lawrence - found it not out till seated in pew.  Fine old church enough but rather dark.  Took walk alone (my companion feeling indisposed) through Marylebone, Lisson Grove, up Edgware Road leaving Kilburn to left to Hampstead over the Heath and homeward across the Fields, between the Hampstead and Highgate Roads, till I got to Taylor’s Alms Houses.  A rather dirty tramp of it.  Half pint beer and biscuits at public house, Hampstead Road.  Made from thence to Gower Street Chapel and there saw poor Old Granny Shepard.  Gave her hint that I might shortly want to draw some money from the bank.  Thence to Tottenham Court Chapel, and took a little walk with Ann.  One of the oldest houses in St Marylebone viz the ‘Rose of Normandy’ public house, 32 High Street, between Bowling Street and Devonshire Street, is now being pulled down to be rebuilt.  It was a fine old house which stood back from the street and went down some stone steps, two stories high, the back whereof was formerly Marylebone Gardens.  Adieu to relicks.

Monday 9th March 1846

Married at St James Piccadilly by Banns Mr Frederick de Alquin, teacher of the pianoforte, to Miss Elizabeth Moyes, third daughter of the late James Moyes, baker of Hemmings Row, St Martins-in-the-Fields, and sister to the Miss Moyes who some years back destroyed herself by throwing herself from the Monument.

Thursday 12th March 1846

Shortly after 3 o’clock this morning a fire broke out upon the premises of Mr Kneller, bullion dealer and refiner, 60 Princes Street, Leicester Square.  It originated in the smelting house the back of the dwelling and when first discovered it threatened very serious consequences.  The speedy arrival of four engines prevented the flames from extending further, but the … entirely extinguished … the stock in trade, fixtures, utensils in the smelting house were very consumed … .

Friday 13th March 1846

Took walk after business was over with Ann to Jones’s Auction Rooms, Princes Street, Soho.  M Ward there also.

Saturday 14th March 1846

Mr Ballingall paid us a visit at Richmonds Buildings this evening.

Sunday 15th March 1846

Went to coffee shop in High Street, St Giles’s, opposite Dudley Court, to read news of the week.  Wet morning.  After breakfast went to the Church of St Lawrence Jewry, near Guildhall, a rather grand church, the first stone whereof was laid April 12th 1671, as stone in the church states.  Dirty walking in the City.  Saw a gilded coach, with ditto coachmen and footmen, in Holborn going towards the City, which I suppose to be the Lord Mayor’s with a gentleman and lady inside - the Mayor and Mayoress ‘Alderman Johnson’.  After dinner took walk alone to Bunhill Fields Burial Ground to see (not the first time) the tomb of John Bunyan.  While there fell into conversation with an elderly lady who came on the same errand, and from her learnt that there is now living an old lady, a descendant and the last remaining of that great man, who is also a member of a dissenting chapel in King’s Head Court, Shoreditch, one end whereof leads to the High Street, and the other to Cumberland Street, Curtain Road, and she liveth somewhere in John’s Row, Clerkenwell or St Luke’s.  This same lady has had tea with her twice, and she the said descendent by name Skillicker has now in her possession a painting of him.  ‘Remarks’: I must see this lady if there is a possibility and that next Sunday morning if the weather is fine, and nothing particular prevents and see if the same be true, her age is somewhere about 83 years.  Returned home to tea rather lame from the pinch I received upwards of two months back from wearing stockings too large and doubled underwards.  Took walk in the evening to meet Ann in Tottenham Court Road and walked together about Bloomsbury and Oxford Street.

Editor’s note:  Nathaniel changed the surname of John Bunyan’s descendant from Skillicker to Skirricker on March 22nd.

Monday 16th March 1846

Saluted by little maid servant at Wharf with a kiss.  Though not the first time, but the first time of my returning the compliment by giving one also.

Tuesday 17th March 1846

Bought halfpenny worth of paste, to fasten lids of my Pilgrim’s Progress, and made a strong job of it too.

Wednesday 18th March 1846

Mr John Langan, better known as Jack Langan the pugilist, breathed his last at the house of Mrs Ellis, Five Lanes End, near Neston, Cheshire.  Jack passed through many vicissitudes of fortune and at length realised for himself a very handsome independence.  Went to Jones’s Auction Rooms, Princes Street, Soho, and there saw a very eccentric character, by name Thomas Williamson, who liveth in lodgings in Somers Place, New Road, and presenteth a very singular appearance, always dressing alike viz: a pair of old corduroy trousers, with an old brown great coat, white neckhandkerchief and an old hat short-crown, which I remember him to have worn for the last four years.  He built a great portion of Somers Tower as Church Way and many of the small tenements at the back of Wilsted Street, Brewer Street, and about the neighbourhood of the Brill.  His buildings are mostly distinguished by his initials TW and the date, which are about 1820.  His age now is between 60 and 70 and I should think nearly approaching latter.

Thursday 19th March 1846

Mrs Charlotte Lamy, formerly wife of Alderman Cox, and through whom an action was tried for criminal connection between Cox and Kean, ‘buried’ aged 62 years.

Friday 20th March 1846

Fall of snow during the night which gave the Mall, St James’s Park, a very grand appearance, owing to the trees having, through the late mild weather, come out in full bloom - the snow sticking so thick to the leaves whereof.  Generally in winter the branches are bare, but this morning they looked like a hearse of white funeral feathers.  This day has been more similar to winter than any before this season, which caused a stir in the coal trade … we sold 76 tons.

Sunday 22nd March 1846

Mr Liston, the celebrated comedian died this day (Sunday).  He was born August 1775 and was therefore entered his 71st year.

Rose at half past 6 o’clock, went to Rice’s Coffee Shop, corner of Compton Street and Broad Street, St Giles’s, filled principally by flash boys and their wenches.  Read some of the news of the week.  After breakfast went to a chapel in King’s Head Court, Shoreditch more to see Mrs Skirricker, the great-granddaughter of John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress, and was successful thus far for she was there before I and sat in a square box close to the pulpit while I sat behind her in a free seat.  After service the minister spoke and said to me, are you in want of anyone, to which I answered and said not particular, only I was noticing that old lady there.  Yes he said, she in between 80 and 90 years of age.  I asked him whether it was she I sought.  He said, yes, and asked me whether I would join them, I pleading in excuse the distance, when he said I could dine with them if I chose.  Well that passed off and I thought the old lady was perhaps going to dine with them, so I waited about, but she soon came out and I followed behind along Cumberland Street and Curtain Road, Worship Street and along Bunhill Row by the burial ground, across Old Street to the turnpike gate where she took an omnibus which I ran after and followed at a rapid pace to the Angel Islington, whence it stopped to put down and take up passengers, which I was very glad of for I had well nigh lost my wind.  It then proceeded through Islington past the church where it put her down, I keeping up to it all the way, not a little punished for to get breath; whence I followed her down a street to the Liverpool Road when she turned down a place with gates at the end of the street and went in a house of modern structure with stuccoed front, situate No1 Barnsbury Park, Islington, opposite Laycock’s Dairy, when I saw her no more, but proceeded homewards amid a shower of rain.  Coming along Store Street, a little girl laying hold of my hand and asked me to carry her across the roadway, after which I saw a funeral at Cuxons the butcher, Tottenham Court Road, which I think is his eldest daughter.  James Reid of Goode Street was undertaker, and John Goodwin one of the hearse pages.  I met there a young woman who accosted me and whom I knew not till she made herself known.  She turned out to be a cousin of Mary Cook who walked with me to the end of Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street, where I parted with her and went home to my dinner, which was nearly cold, and stopped at home all the afternoon and had tea with poor old Granny Shepard.  After which, I accompanied her to Soho Chapel door and then went on for a walk to Islington, but rain coming, I turned back and went in coffee shop, corner of Pancras Lane, Tottenham Court Road, after which I took walk with Ann round the houses.  A description of the above mentioned Mrs Skirricker: in height rather better than five feet, when young no doubt taller, rather inclined to corpulency, with broad fresh coloured face and full features somewhat resembling those of her great-grandfather John Bunyan, and for her age firm on her feet, though a heavy walker owing to her bulk; her dress the real old English costume with dark velvet bonnet, very large and of antique shape, black silk sown with ditto, cloak and ruff round her neck, altogether … the appearance of a thorough gentlewoman being … of … .

Editor’s note:  Nathaniel had added a note about the death of John Liston, the comic actor, on February 22nd, but Liston actually died on March 22nd .  The burial took place on March 30th.

Thursday 26th March 1846

Prince George, son to the Duke of Cambridge, completes his 27th year.

Sunday 29th March 1846

Morning, rose about a quarter before 7 o’clock, went to coffee shop in Compton Street, St Giles’s.  After breakfast went to King’s Head Court Chapel, Shoreditch, saw poor old Mrs Skirricker again, and after service followed her homeward down Cumberland Sreet, Worship Street and Providence Row into Finsbury Square where the old lady took the omnibus which I followed greatest part of the way along City Road, and then struck an angle through Islington across the New River, and came through the church yard and proceeded to her residence and there waited her arrival which presently followed.  Hastened homeward to dinner, after which stopped the afternoon at home and had tea with poor old Granny Shepard.  Afterwards saw ditto safely to Soho Chapel, then took walk by self up Tottenham Court Road, New Road towards Marylebone.  Met Charles Freeman opposite Trinity Church with a young woman.  Saw the ruins of the late fire in Crawford Street which destroyed four lives, viz a man and his three children.  Proceeded onward down Edgware Road to Hyde Park, thence down Oxford Street to Soho Chapel and waited while the Chapel was over and escorted old Granny Shepard thence homeward (she has changed her residence lately and now liveth in North Street near to John Street, Tottenham Court Road), thence returned homeward and so closed this day.

Monday 30th March 1846

Bought an old three-cornered beaver cocked hat of James Hollingsworth, screener at Wharf.  The maker’s name inside is Lock, hatter, St James’s Street, London.  It no doubt formerly belonged to a gentleman, but it is one of the has-beens.  Executed this morning at the Old Bailey Thomas Wicks, aged 20 years, for the murder of James Bostock, his master - see back February 16th.  At quarter before 10 o’clock this morning the remains of Mr Liston, who died 22nd instant were consigned to the Earth in the cemetery at Kensall Green.

Tuesday 31st March 1846

The White Hart Inn situate in Whitechapel near Somerset Street was sold by auction for the purpose of being pulled down and having some extensive building erected on its site.  This inn is recorded to have existed before the reign of Henry VIII.  It was condemned 40 years ago on the occasion of the first floor having given way by the weight of the coffin in which the corpse of the landlady.  There were many remains of antiquity.

The oldest house in Marylebone parish was this month pulled down to the ground.  It was an old fashioned white public house which went down steps and stood back from the street, the sign whereof was the ‘Rose of Normandy’, the back of which was formerly Marylebone Gardens.  The house is situate in High Street No 32 between Bowling Street and Devonshire Street.

This month was concluded the war with India, which has been in agitation for some time between the British and Sikhs and in favour of the former.  After which an agreement has been entered into for them to pay £1,500,000 to defray the expenses of the British in four yearly instalments, until which the British hold their Government in their hands.

Coals sold at Eccleston Wharf this month: 1588 tons.

Weather colder this month than any previous … though remarkably mild … .

Editor’s note:  The battles between the British and the Sikhs took place on 18-22 December 1845.  Nathaniel had first referred to them on January 28th.

Nathaniel Bryceson's adventures continue in April