John Cooke of Howland Street (c.1799-1805)
Despite the fact that these reviews
were regular events, not many originals of such “Review” plans are known.[1] The publisher,
William Walker was one of the publishers of the Hendon parish map of 1796 as
was W Faden.
Throughout
its history the British Army has relied on part-time soldiers to guard British
shores and also maintain law and order.[2] The part-time
militia was preserved as a counter to a small professional army that had to be sanctioned
by Parliament. The Militia Act of 1757 transformed these men into a better-trained
and better-equipped national force, organised by county. The militia was still local
and militia officers were gentlemen chosen by the local landowner. The ordinary
militia soldiers were local farmers, tradesmen and labourers conscripted
by ballot from their own communities to serve for five years.
Uniforms
and weapons were provided and regiments were assembled for training and to deal
with civil disturbance. The number of men obliged to serve in the militia meant
that many more ordinary civilians had experience of military service than they
do today.
Even when embodied, day-to-day militia camp commitments were not onerous and Reviews held in summer drew great local interest, becoming part of the social calendar and providing opportunities for local tradesmen. The troops would spend a day marching, drilling and firing at targets for the entertainment of gathered crowds. There were a number of such reviews during the period of unrest which ensued following the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon. When manoeuvres took place in the late 1800s, they attracted spectators and journalists. From the 1860s the Reviews and Manoeuvres were a regular feature in The London Illustrated News. This militia became the Special Reserve under the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act of 1907.
Fig. 9. Volunteer Review, June 4th 1799, Illustrated London News June 30, 1860.
When the
King faced his volunteer army on his birthday that June the Gentleman´s
Magazine recounted that: The whole number amounting to 15,000, of whom
only 8,200 of the association of London and Westminster, were on the parade
yesterday, serving without pay, in the vicinity of the metropolis only, gives the
most satisfactory assurance that this country would be perfectly defended
against any hostile attack, even by the volunteers only, since it is known that
every part of the kingdom is as well defended by such bodies as the metropolis.[3]
Each regiment
had assembled at 5 o´clock and then proceeded to the park to begin forming
their respective lines between 7 and 8 o´clock. The King arrived at 9 accompanied
in the field by their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, and the Dukes of Kent
and Cumberland, in their respective uniforms. The ladies who attended, including
Her Majesty and the Princesses, then viewed the proceedings from the houses of
Lady Holdernesse, in Park-lane, and that of Lord Catheart.
The review
was watched amid the joyous shouts and affectionate greetings of the people
who assembled on the occasion to the amount of near 150,000, including all the
beauty and fashion of the metropolis who observed 7352 infantry and 841
cavalry brave the wet and windy weather. Only one woman spectator was injured,
kicked by one of the horses.[4]
At the
Review in Hyde Park that day there was one regiment from Hendon under Captain
Nichols (Fig. 9, the Hendon group is the central of the seven groups
opposite the cavalry, bottom right). One of the units at the parade four years
later, on 28th October 1803 and also held in Hyde Park, was the
Gray´s Inn Volunteer Riflemen led by their Captain, John Cooke.[5]
Probably a coincidence, but Gray´s Inn was less than a half hour walk from
Howland Street.
At the
time of the Volunteer Review, there was a momentary lull in the conflict that would
engulf Europe until 1815, the Napoleonic wars. Returned from Egypt Napoleon was
busy with domestic affairs. During this time, he initiated the creation of the
Bank of France, brought in a Civil Code, created the Legion of Honour and
reformed the school system: and scientists and artists who had accompanied the
French forces during the expedition to North Africa were writing about the
discoveries that they had unearthed.
Nevertheless,
there was much anxiety that Napoleon could not be trusted and a large number of
pamphlets and broadsheets of an anti-French nature circulated including
caricatures by well-known artists such as Thomas Rowlandson, William Dent,
William Holland and James Gillray. Such a broadsheet was published by Obadiah
Prim and presents one of Cooke´s most unusual assignments.
A satirical caricature of poster dimensions, appeared in February 1799 (Fig. 10). Titled Represantant d´une Grande Nation, it was created by Obadiah Prim to combat French Revolutionary ideology and military aggression, but it also took an anti-Jacobin stance, hence seven English Jacobins are portrayed.[6] The caricature was accompanied by a four-page leaflet, Monstrous but True Representation of a Great Nation, which gave precise explanations of all the parts of the cartoon as the complete wording, except for imprint and signature, is in French. The author was well able to translate as he was a well-educated and much-travelled young man. Obadia(h) Prim had been born Friedrich Albrecht Winzer in Brunswick, Germany, and was a confirmed Quaker.[7] Possibly deprived of a university education on account of his religion, he recounts in passages in the accompanying leaflet and in some of the works that he advertised that he had travelled extensively in Europe as a salesman.[8] One of the works he advertised was A Hambro Guide to Englishmen, with complete and necessary Instructions for Travelling on the continent of Europe.
Fig. 10. Represantant d´une Grande Nation by Obadiah Prim, 1799.
He probably spoke fluent
French, German and English. Taking refuge in England during the continental
unrest, Winzer seems to have become very attached to his new “Heimat” (literally
home country) and, in common with many immigrants, anglicised his name -
to Frederick Albert Winsor – although he seems to have been resident still in Germany:
according to the dedication to Prosperity he was in Hamburg in November
1797 to attend to his wife, who was ill.[9]
It was in Hamburg that his Address to the Sovereigns of Europe was seized, confiscated
and forbidden![10]
The imprint to his
caricature reads: Published as the Act directs, by Obadiah Prim, for the
Increase of Voluntary Contributions, and sold at all Print & Booksellers,
in Great Britain, and on the Continent, Feby 23rd 1799. The
signature is clearly J. Cooke, sculpt. 50, Howland Street.
The pamphlet has a list
of other works by Prim (all to support the increase in public contributions) including
one published in the above three languages on the same page and particularly
adapted for amusing exercises in Academies and Boarding-schools. This was sold
at the Continental Agency Office by G Cawthorn at the British Library (at No.
132, Strand), by G J and J Richardson in London and even at the British
Commission Office in Hamburg!
This satirical caricature
is reminiscent of James Gillray´s The Tree of Liberty (published a year
before, in May 1798) (Fig. 11), in which James Gillray portrays John
Bull leaving the Tree of Plenty, sated and with pockets stuffed full of ripe
apples passing the French Tree of Liberty with the Devil (C J Fox) as a
serpent trying to tempt him[11].
Prim, however, has the monster propping himself up against the L´Arbre de
Liberté, while trampling on civil liberties and Sovereigns etc.
Also in Prim´s cartoon, a
five headed hydra (the five Republican kings) directs its efforts to entice seven
Jacobins to join them. These
seven Jacobins are identified as the Dukes of Norfolk and Bedford, the Earl of
Derby, as well as Charles James Fox, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Thomas Erskine
and Horne Tooke. The seven are calling out in unison,
“Bravo, Citoyens, Bravo.”
A snake as priest (Talleyrand or Sieyes) proffers them a rotten but gilded apple, while another snake asks the Jacobins, “Qu´est ce qu´un ROI, compare un CITOYEN FRANCAIS?” The image reflects the sentiments of Adolphus de Biron, the title character in Ann Thomas´ work of five years earlier when he says: I must, however, acknowledge that we have some restless Spirits amongst us, who by their seditious Writings have contributed not a little to the work of Destruction … I thank Heaven the number of such Miscreants is but small, when compared to the Spirit of the whole Nation!
Fig. 11. The Tree of Liberty by James Gillray, 1798.
The use of Obadiah Prim as
a pseudonym was chosen carefully: Prim was a character in the popular play, A
Bold Stroke for a Wife. First performed in 1718, the Quaker Prim, one of
four guardians of the rich young heroine, only consents to his ward, Miss Anne
Lovely, marrying her suitor when the eligible man converts Miss Lovely to the
Quaker faith.[12] The
writer, Susanna Centlivre, was born Susanna Freeman, and although from a
respectable family her education was largely due to her own hard work. A
neighbour was French, taught her the language and by the age of 12 she was able
to read Moliére. She reputedly joined a band of strolling actors and became
accomplished at playing male roles.[13]
The play was something of a success and was often performed, also by companies outside
London: it was performed at least 3 times in 1798.[14]
The title of the explanatory leaflet reflects a line of Obadiah to the suitor during
the play: What monstrous works of iniquity are there in this world, Simon?[15]
Apart from being roughly
the same age, there is no clear reason why Winsor should choose John Cooke to
engrave this cartoon for him. The aquatint that emerged is brimming with French
expressions and while there is nothing in John Cooke´s background to suggest
further education after his apprenticeship, his wide reading as presented in
his Synopsis of Geography (1812) and his more than just a general
interest in astronomy and geography suggest it is not altogether impossible. This
kind of subject matter is not seen in any other work by Cooke so far
discovered. The three vignette views of workers at the shipyards he carried out
for David Steel suggest he was quite accomplished at engraving views, but this
type of work seems quite rare from Cooke.
Lahikainen assumes that
Prim and Cooke combined the references to the Whigs in the print and that
Winsor and Cooke were well versed in British caricature; that they
cooperated on the text seems unlikely, but a shared interest in caricatures,
quite popular at the time, is a distinct possibility. However, Lahikainen also
points out that Winsor apologised in the Prosperity for the errors of
the Press are many, owing to the Printers total unacquaintance with the English
language. Furthermore, she attributed the misshapen belly of the monster (it
appears to be missing a rib cage) as perhaps partly due to a deficiency
in draughtsmanship. It is not clear who the printers were, but there are
similarities to some of Cooke´s later work.
Winsor would have been
well aware of the volunteer reviews held for George III, as, for almost twenty
years there had been such parades held for the Surrey Volunteers on Wimbledon
Common; and as early as 1794 the Volunteers of Leeds assembled at White Cloth Hall
and marched to honour George III.
The dedication to Prosperity of England midst the
Clamors of Ruin is to “the Gentlemen Volunteers of the British Realm in general,
and to the Light Horse Volunteers of the Cities of Westminster and London in
particular”.[16] In the
same work he recounts he was a member of “Number 145” and in another passage
suggests he was still a member although unable to attend meetings for three years
due to travelling. If he had belonged to
the Light Horse Volunteers of the Cities of Westminster and London, he would
have been fairly affluent. In the first year he would have had expenses of some
£147.00, consisting of the price of his horse (£50), its upkeeping (£45.10s) as
well as costs of accoutrements and clothing, etc.[17]
Links to sections of I - London
John Cooke of Howland Street (1799-1805)
The Ladies Circular Atlas and “Mr Barrow”
The Rev. Thomas Smith & The Universal Atlas
John Cooke and the Admiralty (1802-1805)
Between the Admiralty and Plymouth (1805-1812)
Links to section II - Plymouth.
Stonehouse (1813-1845)
Napoleon and Cooke´s first Plymouth engravings
The Copper-Plate Engraving, and Printing Office (1815-21)
John Cooke of Union Street, Stonehouse (1823-1845)
Summary
Return to Introduction
Link to IV: Short List of John Cooke's works.
[1] BL also has a Plan of Hyde Park for a review in 1860.
Durham University has a plan for a review held in that city in 1864. NLS has a
plan for a review held in Edinburgh in 1860. George Cambridge, writing for the
Journal for the Society for Army Historical Research, Vol. 40, No. 163, 1962,
writes that a plan of the 1800 review is held by the Inns of Court Regiment.
[2] The National
Army Museum has a very good website devoted to the use of volunteer soldiers. See
https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/civilian-soldiers. The text here is a synopsis with
thanks to the authors.
[3] The Gentleman´s
Magazine and Historical Chronicle. Hathi Trust has a copy from Ohio State
University available on-line under Nichols, John, 1745-1826. The Gentleman's Magazine. London: E. Cave.
[4] See also Kit Batten; Thomas Vaughan and the
Volunteer Reviews; private printing; 2023, based on a portrait of a volunteer
and his invitation card to a review of 1803.
[5] The Marquess of Cambridge, George Cambridge, writing for
the Journal for the Society for Army Historical Research, Vol. 40, No. 163,
1962, pp.117-124.
[6] Amanda Lahikainen writing in Print Quarterly; XXIX,
2012, pp.22-32. Both the caricature and the leaflet are held at the Library of
Congress (size is circa 660 x 500 mm). Illustration is courtesy
of the Library of Congress where the address for Cooke is falsely given
as 40 Howland St. Image is on-line. The British Museum,
London as well as the Paris Museum have copies.
[7] Prim´s identity has not been definitively proven, but
indications are that he is Winzer/Winsor. In some of the other publications
advertised his name is given as Winsor. He also wrote books on lighting.
[8] In the preface to Prosperity of England midst the
Clamors of Ruin he writes: During my travels on the Continent … . Amanda
Lahikainen ibid, p.27: and I … have travelled through most parts of Europe on Commercial
business, p.30.
[9] Lahikainen, Amanda; Print Quarterly; XXIX,
2012, p. 30 and footnote.
[10] Ibid. P. 25.
[11] The caricature is
on-line. Courtesy
of the British Library.
[12] Ibid. p. 31.
[13] See newspaper
article in North London Record; 14th November, 1868. See also
Bowyer,
John (1952). The Celebrated Mrs. Centlivre. Duke University
Publications. Quoted in Wikipedia.
[14] Newspaper adverts show it was performed in Manchester
in June, York in July and Hull in November.
[15] A Bold Stroke for a Wife, Act V. In The British Drama -
Comedies; William Miller; London; 1804.
[16] Lahikainen, Amanda
ibid, p.30.
[17] Buckell L E and Absolon E J; writing in Journal of
the Society for Army Historical Research; London and Westminster Light
Horse Volunteers; Vol. 28; No. 116 (Winter 1950); pp.168-171.
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