I Predict A Riot

On Monday 27 November 1843 Peter d'Egville appeared before the magistrates at Ipswich Town Hall charged with riotous conduct. R.B. Clamp, the Governor of the Ipswich Union House, alleged that Peter had conspired with the other "able-bodied paupers" and refused to obey orders.

Peter is described as "One of the more violent of the party" who "appeared to have seen better days." Peter's age is not given but he is a contemporary of the Peter Harvey Gooding d'Egville who accosted James Hervet d'Egville in Worcester in September 1854. Lacking further identifying information, on the balance of probabilities he might be a member of the d'Egville family who were active in East Anglia in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Consequently they are likely to be separate individuals.

Peter justifies his behaviour by complaining about the quality of the food and that Mr. Clamp is robbing the paupers. Their soup was made of herring and sprats' heads and tails, potato peelings, peas and water. It is central to Peter's complaint the paupers who come to beg for soup at the workhouse gate are getting the peas because they sink to the bottom and the inmates are served first from the watery broth.

At first sight such soup might appear disgusting but at the time this "waste" would not be disposed of for composting or the local authority refuse collection. Most households would have used such ingredients to make stock.

In the course of this petty uprising a stick was thrown at a policeman and Peter displayed threatening behaviour towards a porter. It is surprising that he was only bound over and asked to make further complaints to the Board of Guardians. The Great Whip Street Workhouse was an institution intended to accommodate 400 people in an environment of strict discipline. Despite the magistrates apparent support of Mr Clamp their leniency towards Peter in a climate where compliance was paramount perhaps reveals deeper undercurrents.

The Ipswich Journal 2 December 1843
British Library Board

Denial Of An Impudent Vagrant

On Tuesday 19 September 1854 James Hervet d'Egville was accosted in the Tything, Worcester, by a stranger. The man claimed to be related to him and demanded sixpence.

In 1854 the average weekly wage of an agricultural labourer was 10/8 (for those of you who don't remember the pre-decimal currency of the United Kingdom that's ten shillings and eightpence or about 53 pence). Sixpence (2.5 pence) had a good deal more spending power then and would certainly have bought a couple of pints. The average price for a gallon of beer in that year has been calculated as about just over one shilling and sixpence (7.5 pence) [1].

James was born in Worcester in 1813 to Louis Hervey d'Egville (1786-1857) and Mary Davis (1791-1846). Peter Harvey Gooding d'Egville was born in 1803 to George d'Egville and Mary Reid (who appear to have married in 1803). Consequently the man who accosted James in the Tything was probably his first cousin.

James might not have known that Peter was his cousin. George was committed to the institution of marriage and entered into serial wedlock as his wives wore out and died. His progeny are extensive and he did not invest in their futures; unlike his brothers.

Peter Harvey Gooding d'Egville was certainly a pest. There are other instances of petty crime which are recorded around the Midlands and I'm uncertain if it were he who instigated an insurrection in an East Anglian workhouse.

The Worcestershire Chronicle 27 September 1854
The British Library Board

1. An extensive Excel spreadsheet of prices taken from the data series which were collected by Professor Gregory Clark and used in three publications were re-formatted by Peter Lindert 10 April 2006 can be downloaded here. Citations are provided in the spreadsheet.