"The candidates for Middlesex and their supporters race (right to left) to Brentford. The foremost rider is Wilkes on a horse wearing a royal crown (indicating George III); he holds up the cap of 'Liberty' on its staff. Half a length behind, and nearer the spectator, is Mainwaring, holding up a sword whose blade is inscribed 'Justice'. His horse's human head is blindfolded, in its mouth is a pair of scales; in one balance is 'Byng Dunston', in the other and heavier, 'Wilkes Manwaring'. The horse probably represents Justice, its rider was a well-known Middlesex Justice and chairman of the Middlesex Sessions. Behind Wilkes, his horse's head hidden, is a rider not identified, he has lost his stirrups and clutches his saddle with both hands. Behind these three and in the centre of the design is George Byng, the friend of Fox and the Prince of Wales, M.P. for Middlesex since 1780. He rides a pair of horses (representing the Coalition), standing with one foot on the saddle of each; the near horse has the head of Fox, the other that of North; the tail of the near horse is a fox's brush inscribed 'Grace'. The fore legs of the pair touch a paper inscribed 'Test'. Byng's whip is inscribed 'Coalition' and he is saying, "Spur them up behind Doctor, or I shall lose the race", addressing Hall, the Westminster apothecary, who rides like a hobby horse a pair of crutches tied with a ribbon; in place of a hat he wears a mortar inscribed 'All [sic] Blue and Buff'; he holds up his pestle as if it were a whip. Behind Byng, Jeffery Dunstan rides an ass with long ears and the head of Sam House; he looks round to address the Duchess of Devonshire who is the last of the cavalcade. The Duchess (right) rides astride, her bunched-up skirt showing spurred half-boots. Her horse has the head of the Earl of Surrey; she says, "Byng for ever - and may the Hearty Cock ever stand stout in our sarvice". Dunstan says, "Well said my Dutchess - Charly's Whipper-in for ever. Huzza". The Duchess wears a heavily trimmed hat in which is a large election favour and four fox's tails, each inscribed 'Byng'. On the extreme left is a sign-post pointing 'To Brentford'."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Mounted to 27 x 36 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. as the act directs, by J. Brown, Rathbone Place
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain, Middlesex (England), and England.
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, Wilkes, John, 1725-1797, Mainwaring, William, 1735-1821, Byng, George, ca. 1735-1789, Dunstan, Jeffery, 1759?-1797, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792, Hall, Edward, active 1784-1793, House, Samuel, -1785, Cavendish, Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire, 1757-1806, Norfolk, Charles Howard, Duke of, 1746-1815, and Great Britain. Parliament
Subject (Topic):
Elections, 1784, Politics and government, Elections, Crutches, Donkeys, Hobby horses, Horse racing, Horses, Justice, Liberty cap, Pharmacists, Political elections, Scales, Symbols, and Traffic signs & signals
"An election mob in which Townshend and his supporters, as butchers, are violently attacking the populace with cleavers and marrow-bones. They wear aprons with butchers' steels dangling from the waist. George Hanger (right), his hat decorated with three ostrich feathers and the coronet of the Prince of Wales, raises a cleaver in both hands and threatens two constables with staves who fall backwards, wounded or terrified. He is in violent action, one foot rests on the unconscious body of a sailor whose face is gashed and bleeding. In the sailor's hand is a flag with a ship and the words 'Royal Navy'; on this Townshend, who uses his marrow-bone and cleaver as a musical instrument, not as weapons, is trampling. Behind Hanger, Fox, climbing above the crowd, is violently smashing the sign of 'The King's Head' (a bust portrait of the King) which is over a door inscribed 'Martin'. In the foreground a woman half-lying on the ground tries to protect her screaming infant from a cleaver and bone brandished by Sheridan. On the extreme left Lord Derby attacks a kneeling sailor with a wooden leg. Behind Sheridan, Burke raises a cleaver in both hands, and behind him the Duke of Norfolk waves a flag inscribed 'Townsend and Liberty'. Behind is a dense crowd brandishing cleavers and bones, while others attempt to escape. On the right are houses inscribed 'James Str[eet]', the houses of Covent Garden are indicated on the left."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Text right of title: Price 1 s., and Mounted to 32 x 44 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. July [...]th. by H. Humphrey, New Bond St.
Subject (Geographic):
England and Westminster
Subject (Name):
Hanger, George, 1751?-1824, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820, Smith-Stanley, Edward, 1752-1834, Norfolk, Charles Howard, Duke of, 1746-1815, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797, Coleraine, George Hanger, Baron, 1751?-1824, and Great Britain. Parliament
Subject (Topic):
Elections, 1788, Axes, Butchers, Crowds, Political elections, Riots, Sailors, British, Signs (Notices), and Taverns (Inns)
"The Duchess of Devonshire about to kiss a short fat butcher; one arm is round his neck, her right hand under his apron. She says, "I'll leave no Stone unturned to serve the Cause"; he answers, "Then you shall have my Plumper - but what says your Calf - mayhap, he's Jealous". She wears a hat trimmed with a 'Fox' favour and four fox's brushes inscribed respectively, 'Fox', 'Fox', 'Love', and 'Liberty'. Her skirt is festooned up with Fox favours and brushes inscribed 'Fox', showing her legs. A little chimney-sweeper lies on the ground looking under her petticoats and saying, "Sweep, sweep". A dog sniffs at her leg. The butcher has stuck into his girdle a paper inscribed 'Leg of Mutton 10 l. [Cf. 'Hint to the canvassing Duchesses and Countesses - When these ladies may again give, as it can be proved they have given, five guineas for a bundle of broccoli, eight guineas for a leg of mutton &c. &c. the tradesman may certainly take the money with a safe.conscience, if he votes on the other side; and this has already been done in three instances in Westminster.' Newspaper paragraph quoted, 'Westminster Election', p. 243.] Clare Mt [Market]'. Behind him and on the extreme right is a placard on a pole, inscribed 'Cockspur Street'. Behind the duchess is a shorter lady holding up a purse inscribed 'Bett no Bribe'. ['We are informed ... that the means used by a Certain canvassing D------s is, to lay Ten Guineas against one, that they do not, or dare not vote for her 'dear Charley....' 'Ibid.', p. 250.] On the extreme left stands Lord Surrey holding in his right hand a beer mug inscribed 'Surry' and talking to a chimney-sweeper whose hand he holds, saying, "Come and Breakfast with me, and vote for Charly - it will be the making of us all if he gets in - he'll do such things - he'll reduce the price of Gin and Porter". The ragged sweep answers, "Will he, then dam'me, tho' I live but in a hogstye, I'll Give him a Plumper - Fox for ever - "."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Duchess canvassing for her favorite member
Description:
Title from item., Temporary local subject terms: Election favors -- Election slogans: 'Fox for ever' -- Signs: Sign-posts -- Canvassing -- Allusion to Clare Market -- Cockspur Street -- Voting: Plumpers., Watermark in center of sheet: J. Whatman., and MNounted to 30 x 41 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. as the act directs for the proprietor by J. Carter, Oxford Street
Subject (Geographic):
England and London.
Subject (Name):
Cavendish, Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire, 1757-1806, Norfolk, Charles Howard, Duke of, 1746-1815, and Great Britain. Parliament
Subject (Topic):
Elections, 1784, Butchers, Chimney sweeps, and Political elections
Title from item., Temporary local subject terms: Kelly, Justice of the Peace, fl. 1784 -- Medal of the Justices of the Peace in Westminster -- Chairing: Fox on goose -- Prince of Wales as a goose -- Emblems: Prince of Wales's feathers -- Mottos: 'Ich Dien' -- Apothecary's mortar and pestles -- Election flags -- Allusion to butchers -- Allusion to Spittalfields weavers -- Musical instruments., and Mounted to 31 x 45 cm.
Publisher:
Published, as the act directs, by J. Brown, Rathbone Place
Subject (Geographic):
England and London.
Subject (Name):
George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830, Cavendish, Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire, 1757-1806, Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, House, Samuel, -1785, Hall, Edward, active 1784-1793, Norfolk, Charles Howard, Duke of, 1746-1815, Cavendish, John, Lord, 1732-1796, and Great Britain. Parliament
Subject (Topic):
Elections, 1784, Foxes, Geese, Political elections, and Trumpets
