Now! Then! Robert Gibson, fishmonger of Queen Street, Hull, is beggared by his Liberal landlord for favouring the Conservatives in the general election, says the (Tory) Hull Packet

23 August 1837: Robert Gibson, fishmonger of Queen Street, Hull, is beggared by his Liberal landlord for favouring the Conservatives in the general election, says the (Tory) Hull Packet

Hull Packet. 1837/08/25. Hull, Friday, August 25, 1837. Hull. Get it:

Excerpt

Several of Gibson’s neighbours having put out blue flags, on the Friday morning previous to the day of election Gibson himself expressed a wish to have one also, and a flag was accordingly taken to his house by some of the blue party. Mr Kirkwood, however, happening to be present at the time, told Gibson that he would not allow him to put out the flag. Gibson urged in vain that surely he had a right to do as he liked in his own house. Mr Kirkwood was inexorable, vowing that he would tear it down. His reply to an inquiry of Mrs Gibson’s – whether he had any objection to their putting out an orange flag: “No, I have no objection to that.” Gibson returned the flag, but happening shortly afterwards to overhear Mr Kirkwood say to a person in an exulting tone, “One of my tenants was going to put out a blue flag, but I have stopped him,” his indignation was roused, and he immediately procured a blue flag, which he exhibited from an upper window. Owing to the season of the year (which is very unfavourable to his trade), Gibson at this time was in arrear to his landlord for one quarter’s rent. Mr Kirkwood, however, had not demanded the payment of it, and Gibson conceived that it would be allowed to run on for the half year (as it had done the year previously). On the Monday, Gibson voted for James and Wilberforce. On the Wednesday morning, Mr Kirkwood entered a distress for his quarter’s rent, under which every article of the little furniture Gibson possessed was seized, and he, with his wife, two infant children, and his wife’s sister, who is dependent on him, was left without a chair, or a bed to lie on. The only articles of furniture they now possess are two mattresses, which a benevolent friend enabled Gibson to buy at the sale.

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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.

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Original

HULL, FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1837.

In the last publication of the Hull Packet we promised an accurate statement of the case of ROBERT GIBSON, a Fishmonger, whose goods were distrained, because he dared to act as a Conservative at the recent Election, in spite of the threats of a Mr. KIRKWOOD, who is his landlord. We are now about to make good our promise; and before doing so, we will only pledge ourselves that in no one syllable do we go beyond the actual fact.

ROBERT GIBSON, a fishmonger, occupies a house and shop in Queen-street, Hull, which he rents of Mr. Stephen Kirkwood, of Hull, builder. Gibson is a Conservative: Mr. KIRKWOOD is a Liberal! Several of GIBSON’s neighbours having put out blue flags, on the Friday morning previous to the day of election, GIBSON himself expressed a wish to have one also, and a flag was accordingly taken to his house by some of the Blue party. Mr. KIRKWOOD, however, happening to be present at the time, told Gibson that he would not allow him to put out the flag. GIBSON urged in vain that surely he had a right to do as he liked in this respect, in his own house. Mr. KIRKWOOD was inexorable, vowing that, if GIBSON did put the flag out, he (KIRKWOOD) would tear it down. That Mr. KIRKWOOD’s animosity to flags was confined solely to those of a Blue colour is best evinced by his reply to an inquiry of Mrs. Gibson’s – whether he had any objection to their putting out an Orange flag? which was “No, I have no objection to that – you may do as you like about that.” In consequence of Mr. KIRKWOOD’s threat, GIBSON returned the flag to the Blue party; but happening shortly afterwards to overhear Mr. KIRKWOOD say to a person in an exulting tone, “One of my tenants was going to put out a Blue flag but I have stopped him” – his indignation was roused, and he was determined to show Mr. KIRKWOOD that though poor he had yet too much of the spirit of an Englishman to suffer himself to be trampled upon, and immediately procured a Blue flag which he exhibited from an upper window of his house. Owing to the season of the year (which is very unfavorable to his trade) GIBSON at this time was in arrear to his landlord for ONE QUARTER’S RENT. Mr. KIRKWOOD, however, had not demanded the payment of it, and GIBSON, conceived that it would be allowed to run on for the half-year (as it had done the year previously in order to give him time to work round. On the Saturday, Mr. KIRKWOOD called at GIBSON’s house and said to Mrs. GIBSON – “As your husband has been so stupid as to put out the blue flag, if you don’t pay me the Quarter’s Rent you owe me, I will put the Bailiffs in for it.” To this threat, Mrs. GIBSON could only reply by a reference to her husband, who was then from home. On the Monday, GIBSON voted for James and Wilberforce. On the following Wednesday morning, Mr. KIRKWOOD entered a distress for his Quarter’s Rent, under which every article of the little furniture GIBSON possessed was seized, and he, with his wife, two infant children, and his wife’s sister, who is dependent on him for support, was left without a chair, or a bed to lie on. The only articles of furniture they now possess, are two mattresses, which a benevolent friend enabled GIBSON to buy in at the sale.

It is not for us to attempt to point out the particular course which it will become the Conservatives of HULL and around the neighbourhood, to pursue with respect to this particular case. We have every reason to believe that GIBSON is an honest, industrious, well conducted, and hard working young man; and we are confident, such being the fact, that the Conservatives will not permit brutal oppression to destroy him, solely because he has acted upon the dictates of his conscience and his judgment, and spurned at the low foul insolence of a bigotted Destructive. In the foregoing statement of the case we have purposely used the plainest phraseology possible; and for the present we will only further dwell upon the subject, in order to notice very briefly two or three points:- The first is, that this most liberal and very worthy Mr. Kirkwood is nearly related to GIBSON, and has by degrees, within two years, got his rent up from Sixteen Pounds year to Twenty Pounds Six Shillings a year! The second is that GIBSON votes as a Householder, and not as a Freeman; and yet the Destructives are daily scheming for the annihilation of the Freemen on the pretended ground that they are dependent, while the householders are independent. The fact is that the owners of nine-tenths of the small houses in towns which are just sufficient to confer votes are busy, prying, discontented Radicals, who would trample on their tenants. The third is to tender our humble services to promote any plan, not benefitting the liberal and honest Mr. Kirkwood, which may be devised for rescuing an industrious and well conducted young man from the pangs of low oppression, and enabling his now destitute wife and infant children to possess those moderate and almost necessary comforts which his exertions have hitherto provided for them.

946 words.