• Home
  • Audio/Podcasts
  • Austensites
  • AV/E-Texts
  • History
  • JA Novels & Bio
  • Links
  • Original Sources/19th C. Texts
  • Social Customs During the Regency
  • Teacher/Student
  • Writer/Literature Resources

Jane Austen's World

This Jane Austen blog brings Jane Austen, her novels, and the Regency Period alive through food, dress, social customs, and other 19th C. historical details related to this topic.

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Richmond Park: Historic and Still Lovely
Announcement »

The Fashionable in Hyde Park: 19th C. Satiric Poem

August 26, 2011 by Vic

Jospeh Pinder, one of the last living handloom weavers of the 19th century

This poem was printed in Punch Magazine in 1862. In the early 19th century Luddites attacked the factory machines that were about to destroy the cottage industry of handloom weavers. By 1815, these weavers had difficulty finding work. They tried selling their cloth at lower prices than the factories, with the result that their average wages plummeted from 21 s to less than 9 s in 1817, the year of Jane Austen’s death. By 1850, handloom weavers had been reduced to starvation wages. In light of their plight, this poem, which contrasts the wistful observances of the lowly weaver against the lavish lifestyle of the Ton, becomes all the more poignant.

Hyde Park, 1817

SPITALFIELDS AND HYDE PARK.

A Little “Weaver, unemployed,
Chanced in Hyde Park to stray,
And there, as best he might, enjoyed

Unwilling holiday.
The great folks being now in Town,

He strolled, and viewed their show,
Around the Ring, and up and down

A stroll in the park

The walk by Rotten Row.
What high-bred cavaliers were there,
Straight-backed, and clean of limb;
What horsewomen, superbly fair,

Displayed their airs to him!
What equipages Beauty bore.

And Consequence, reclined,
Whom portly coachmen sat before;

Smart footmen stood behind!
The little man, admiring, read
The faces of the Great,
Who passed him with erected head,

Rotten Row, Tom and Jerry, 1821

And countenance elate,
High fed, from sordid want secure,

From cares and troubles mean,
How brave their bearing, to be sure,

Their aspect how serene!
A heart our little weaver had
In others’ joy that shared.
Himself though hungry, he was glad

Hyde Park, Rotten Row

To think how well they fared.
It raised him in his self-respect
To see how riches can,
With nurture in a sphere select,

Exalt his fellow-man.
If, entering on this earthly scene,
Endowed with Fortune’s boon, His infant lips he had between
But held a silver spoon, He thought he also might have shone
Amongst the grand and gay, Then being out of work alone,
Not likewise out of pay.

Punch Magazine, Vol 42-43, 1862, p 133

Handloom weaver, 1888

More on the topic:

  • Weaving in Yorkshire
  • Cotton Times: Understanding the Industrial Revolution

Share with others:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in 19th Century England, Jane Austen's World | Tagged British history, Handloom Weaver, Industrial Revolution, Luddites, Punch Magazine | 12 Comments

12 Responses

  1. on August 26, 2011 at 06:46 Tony Grant

    Hi Vic. Great article. Although set in the early 19th century this poem and your article highlight how the modern world is changing. If we are not adaptable we suffer.

    Like the prints of Hyde Park and Rotten Row.

    Tony


  2. on August 26, 2011 at 09:38 Nancy

    Too bad they didn’t know some of the tenets of modern advertising and business. Instead of offering their goods at a lower price they should have offered it at a higher price and played up its exclusivity. Hind sight is always 20/20. It is too bad that change can’t be painless and that progress always leaves some corpses behind.
    Loved the illustrations. The cariacature of fashionable people who went to exrtremes reminds me of so many fashion shows today– extremely ugly.


  3. on August 26, 2011 at 11:13 lgilbert52

    Thanks, Vic! Great article. I see some parallels between our time and the Regency era, between the political and financial upheavals, jobs vanishing, so much change.


    • on August 26, 2011 at 21:34 Vic

      You are so astute with your comments, Tony, Nancy, and Igilbert. This poem resonated with me because of the parallels with the jobless today and the very rich who show no shame in exhibiting their wealth during these trying times.


  4. on August 26, 2011 at 18:32 Linda

    Nice post, and thanks for the link to the Yorkshire weaving website! I have enjoyed visiting the mills in England where this work went on for so long. It is still possible to talk to the people for whom this was their life’s work or that of their family — we met several such people who now, in the 70s and 80s, are volunteers at the museums. I particularly enjoyed:
    — Quarry Bank Mill, Cheshire – a national trust property, where the transition from individual labor to factory labor is explained. This was one of the original water-powered mills, which at least did not have the pollution problems of the later factories, and now is in a park-like setting.
    — Queen Street Mill near Burnley, Lancaster — a later one, used for scenes in “North and South”, and the last surviving operational steam-powered mill in the world.
    — Farfield Mill, Sedburgh, Yorkshire — a woolen mill that is now an arts center, but has museum exhibits on textile workers’ lives and working power looms
    — Masson Mills in Derbyshire — Surely Elizabeth Bennet and the Gardners passed Arkwright’s water-powered cotton mill during their Derbyshire trip! It’s now mostly a shopping center but the tour of the mill area is fascinating.


    • on August 26, 2011 at 21:35 Vic

      Linda, thank you for stopping by and sharing your first-hand knowledge.


  5. on August 26, 2011 at 19:34 kester2

    Another interesting post, Vic. But what do I see in the first illustration—the belles are wearing skirts that cut off just below the knee? Would this be the equivalent of the fashion models of today who parade in see-through fabrics with nothing on underneath?

    Chris H.


    • on August 26, 2011 at 21:32 Vic

      Chris, the illustration was a satirical exaggeration, as dress hem lines did indeed go up to reveal slippers and ankles. The waist lines had gone up as far as they could go under the bust. After this year, the skirt shapes became conical and waists slowly began to lower.

      Interestingly, women did not as a matter of course wear under drawers. They wore chemises, petticoats and stockings. As the century progressed, underdrawers became more popular. Rowlandson’s cartoon of the Exhibition Staircase illustrates exactly how little Regency ladies wore underneath those gossamer clothes. https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2010/11/06/ladies-underdrawers-in-regency-times/


  6. on August 26, 2011 at 22:03 Diana Birchall (@Dianabirchall)

    Wonderful find, that poem, and especially at this moment, how sad and true. Well done!


    • on August 26, 2011 at 22:35 Vic

      Thank you, Diana. This poem tugged at my heart. So glad that you and others are equally touched.


  7. on August 27, 2011 at 13:54 Dentelline

    Hi Vic,
    J’aime beaucoup ce poème! Je ne connaissais pas cette histoire des tisserands! Merci pour toutes ces informations historiques!
    Bel article!
    Bises,
    Dentelline


  8. on September 15, 2011 at 19:30 High Bred

    estoy buscando semillas de High Bred alguien sabe algo?



Comments are closed.

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 7,028 other followers

  • Item of Interest

    Black London by Gretchen Gerzina

    Free E-Book: Gerzina has written a fascinating account of London blacks, focusing on the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Because of a paucity of sources from blacks themselves, Gerzina had to rely primarily on glimpses through white eyes, especially those of antislavery advocate Granville Sharp. Gerzina is quite adept at culling evidence of a rich, complex black life, with significant interaction (and intermarriage) with the white community. Although subjected to much discrimination, London blacks never suffered as much as their American counterparts. The author rightly concludes that blacks have played an important role in the life of London for much of its history.

    Click on this link to Dartmouth.edu.

    Book cover of Black London

  • Follow Jane Austen's World on WordPress.com
  • Blog Stats

    • 16,088,954 hits
  • Highly Recommended a New Book! Bath -An Adumbration in Rhyme

  • Edited by Ben Wiebracht. Read the review of the book at this link. Click to order the book on Amazon US or Amazon UK

  • Book cover of Bath: An Adumbration in Rhyme by John Matthews
  • In Sri Lanka lies the grave of Rear Admiral Charles Austen CB, Jane Austen’s Brother

    The neglected tombstone found in an overgrown burial ground.

    Rear Admiral Charles Austen CB

    Died off Prome, the 7th October 1852, while in command of the Naval Expedition on the river Irrawady against the Burmese Forces, aged 73 years.”

    The grave after restoration

    Read the full article in The Sunday Times. June 27, 2021.

  • The Obituary of Charlotte Collins by Andrew Capes

    Click on image to read the story.

  • Comments

    “My idea of good company…is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation.” – Jane Austen, Persuasion

     

    Gentle readers: Please feel free to post your comments and continue the conversation! Due to SPAM, we will no longer accept comments on posts after 30 days of publication. In some instances, links will be removed from comments as well.

  • Administrators and Contributors

    Vic Sanborn, founder of this blog, is supported by a team of talented and knowledgeable writers about Jane Austen and the Regency era. They are:

    • Brenda Cox
    • Rachel Dodge and
    • Tony Grant, who now contributes his photos from London and England

    Click on their names to enter their own blogs.

    In addition, we thank the many experts and authors who frequently contribute their posts and opinions, and who continue to do so freely or at our request.

  • Pin It!

    Follow Me on Pinterest
  • Top Posts

    • Keeping a Clean House Regency Style
      Keeping a Clean House Regency Style
    • Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
      Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
    • Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
      Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
    • You can watch Persuasion 2007 online
      You can watch Persuasion 2007 online
    • Men's hair styles at the turn of the 19th century
      Men's hair styles at the turn of the 19th century
    • Pride and Prejudice Economics: Or Why a Single Man with a Fortune of £4,000 Per Year is a Desirable Husband
      Pride and Prejudice Economics: Or Why a Single Man with a Fortune of £4,000 Per Year is a Desirable Husband
    • The Servant's Quarters in 19th Century Country Houses Like Downton Abbey
      The Servant's Quarters in 19th Century Country Houses Like Downton Abbey
    • In the Garden with Jane Austen, by Kim Wilson
      In the Garden with Jane Austen, by Kim Wilson
    • Social Customs During the Regency
      Social Customs During the Regency
    • Regency Hairstyles and their Accessories
      Regency Hairstyles and their Accessories
  • Recent Posts

    • In the Garden with Jane Austen, by Kim Wilson
    • Jane Austen’s Last Years Without a Summer
    • BLOOMSBURY GIRLS: Book Review
    • Keeping a Clean House Regency Style
    • Review of The Time Traveller’s Guide to Regency Britain: A Handbook for Visitors to 1789–1830, by Ian Mortimer.
  • Links to Jane Austen Blogs

    Click here to enter the page. Topics include Regency fashion, historic foods, Jane Austen societies, British sites, related topics. Click on image.

  • Find Jane Austen on Google

  • May we suggest?

    Regent’s Canal Walk (Little Venice to Kings Cross): Tony Grant

    Canal opposite Masefield House-TonyGrant

    Take a walk along a portion of Regent’s Canal with Tony Grant and friend. His superb photos and commentary make you feel as if you’ve tagged along.

    John Masefield House

    Click on this link to stroll along with Tony & Guy. (Images: Barges along Regent’s Canal; John Masefield’s House. Copyright: Tony Grant)

  • Hello, my name is Vic and I live in Maryland, USA. I have adored Jane Austen almost all of my life. I am a proud lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me and my team. We do not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, we do accept and keep books and CDs to review.

    If you would like to share a new site, or point out an error, please email us. (Yes, we are fallible. We'll own up to our mistakes and will make the corrections with a polite smile on our faces.) Write us at

    gmailbw

    Thank you for visiting this blog. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome.

  • Project Gutenberg: eBook of Stage-coach and Mail in Days of Yore, Volume 2 (of 2), by Charles G. Harper

    STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE: A PICTURESQUE HISTORY
    OF THE COACHING AGE, VOL. II, By CHARLES G. HARPER. 1903. Click on this link.

     

  • Top Posts & Pages

    • Keeping a Clean House Regency Style
    • Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
    • Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
    • You can watch Persuasion 2007 online
    • Men's hair styles at the turn of the 19th century
    • Pride and Prejudice Economics: Or Why a Single Man with a Fortune of £4,000 Per Year is a Desirable Husband
    • The Servant's Quarters in 19th Century Country Houses Like Downton Abbey
    • In the Garden with Jane Austen, by Kim Wilson
    • Social Customs During the Regency
    • Regency Hairstyles and their Accessories
  • Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape
  • Disclaimer: Our team makes no profit from this blog. We may receive books (physical or digitized) and DVDs for review purposes.

  • Copyright Statement: © Jane Austen's World blog, 2009-2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jane Austen's World with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


  • Follow Following
    • Jane Austen's World
    • Join 7,028 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Jane Austen's World
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: