Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

I do think I meet with droller adventures than anybody else. At dinner yesterday, a foreigner told as droll a story, at which he almost choked with laughter, of the difficulties he had encountered to get to dinner at five o’clock. That he had left Hull that morning at six – the steamer was agoing to blow up I believe. However, he could not go on – “and we were all put ashore at Goole, and we were obliged to walk three miles up to our knees in mud, till we came to de ferry; and dere vas only von chaise, vich I took. Some of de players vas dere, and dey could not get on.”-“Was there a person there of the name of Willson?”[Mr. Mathews’s professional servant.-A.M.] said I.-“Oh, yes; a fittler, I believe. He is left too. Dey cannot get here to-night. Ha! ha! ha!” You may suppose my feelings. I sent away my plate, and was dandled up and down, with a sick stomach, in a sedan to the theatre, as soon as I could get one, expecting to have the mortification of dismissing the house. I have not time to tell the rest of the particulars; but as to my chaises, they arrived in time, a few minutes before seven, and the relief made me act in tip-top spirits.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations:

• ER: East Riding
• GM: Greater Manchester
• NR: North Riding
• NY: North Yorkshire
• SY: South Yorkshire
• WR: West Riding
• WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

Comment

The ferry in question is the one at Booth/Boothferry from before the 1929 bridge.

Which theatre in York were they appearing at?

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Original

To Mrs. Mathews
York, December 20th, 1826

I was, last night, gloriously repaid for all my toils, and they were not trifling. On Monday night, I had one hour and a half at the table, and acted in “Before Breakfast” and “Jonathan;” travelled here yesterday, and acted “Youthful Days” and “Before Breakfast.” Rather tough work. To-night I rest my old bones. I dine at Belcombe’s. They go to the ball, and I read all alone.

I do think I meet with droller adventures than anybody else. At dinner, yesterday, a foreigner told, as droll, a story, at which he almost choked with laughter, of the difficulties he had encountered to get to dinner at five o’clock. That he had left Hull that morning at six – the steamer was agoing to blow up I believe; however, he could not go on – “and we were all put ashore at Goole, and we were obliged to walk three miles up to our knees in mud, till we came to de ferry; and dere vas only von chaise, vich I took. Some of de players vas dere, and dey could not get on.”-“Was there a person there of the name of Willson?”[Mathews’s professional servant] said I.-“Oh, yes; a fittler, I believe. He is left too. Dey cannot get here to-night. Ha! ha! ha!” You may suppose my feelings. I sent away my plate, and was dandled up and down, with a sick stomach, in a sedan to the theatre, as soon as I could get one, expecting to have the mortification of dismissing the house. I have not time to tell the rest of the particulars; but as to my chaises, they arrived in time, a few minutes before seven, and the relief made me act in tip-top spirits.

Having nothing further to say, I can only say, “If you loves me as I loves you,” why you are as affectionate as

C. MATHEWS.

342 words.

Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• Boothferry Bridge (1) ·
• Boothferry (1) ·
• Comedy (drama) (9) ·
• Comedy (7) ·
• Goole (7) ·
• 📌Kingston upon Hull (65) ·
• Litter (vehicle) (2) ·
• Mathews, Charles (1776-1835) (2), London-born theatre manager and comic actor, known for his impersonations and table entertainment ·
• Non-native pronunciations of English (1) ·
• River Ouse, Yorkshire (19) ·
• Road transport (13) ·
• Road (3) ·
• Steamboat (2) ·
• Table entertainment (2) ·
• Theatre (22) ·
• Violin (4) ·
• Walking (18) ·
• 📌York (164) ·

All tags.

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