The year was 1809. Famed English author,
Theodore Hook, made a bet with one of his close friends, the noted architect
and writer, Samuel Beazley, that within one week, he could make any house in
London the most talked about place in the city. The house he ended up
choosing was the home of the widow Mrs. Tottenham on 54 Berners Street, London,
which was the same street that Earl Stanhope and the Bishop of Carlisle and of
Chester, among other wealthy and well-to-do individuals, lived on at that time.
The event began on November 27. Hook and
Beazley positioned themselves in the home across the street, which they had
recently rented, and around 5:00 am, the fun began. First, a chimney sweep
arrived.
The problem was that Mrs. Tottenham hadn’t
requested the services of a sweep. Within a few minutes, 12 more sweeps
arrived; they too were also turned away. Next, coal delivery workers
began showing up with several large carts packed with coal to be delivered to
Mrs. Tottenham; they were turned away. Next, a cart load of furniture
arrived; then workers showed up bearing a coffin for Mrs. Tottenham.
Next came several cake makers attempting to deliver
custom made, very large, weddings cakes; then around fifty other chefs arrived
attempting to deliver a total of around 2,500 raspberry tarts; then several
doctors, lawyers, gardeners, fishmongers, dentists, grocers, priests, couch
makers, carpet-manufacturers, wig-makers, coach-makers, curiosity dealers,
opticians, brewers, and shoemakers, among others. They all came offering
their services or bringing very large orders of their wares that were to be
delivered to that address on that day at various times throughout the day.
At one point, over one dozen pianos were delivered
to her door step. After that, six men carrying a huge chamber organ
showed up. Eventually the dignitaries arrived, including: the Governor
of the Bank of England; the Duke of York; the Archbishop of Canterbury; the
Mayor of the London; the Lord Chief Justice; several cabinet ministers; and the
Chairman of the East India Company.
Throughout the entire day, various parties and
delivery people crowded the area outside of 54 Berners Street. By
mid-day, the streets in that area of London became so crowded that the roads
were jammed for several blocks in every direction with delivery people and
on-lookers.
All the while, Hook and Beazley sat and watched the
chaos from across the street. Hook’s part in the madness, that did indeed
become the talk of London, was not known until much later. He did it all
by sending around 4,000 letters out to various entities in London, ordering
various items from the simple to outlandish. He also wrote several
notable individuals like the Mayor of London and the like, creating tales
sufficient to get those people to come and call on Mrs. Tottenham on that day.
What was written in most of the letters to convince
these people to come isn’t known. One of the few that is known is the
letter to the Mayor of London. Once he realized that everyone there was the
victim of an elaborate practical joke, he went to the police station. At
the police station, the Mayor stated that he had received a letter supposedly
from Mrs. Tottenham explaining that she was at death’s door and she requested
that the Mayor call upon her home to bear witness to a deposition she would
give under oath.
The
following are a few other notes sent in the name of Mrs. Tottenham, for the
purpose of collecting this most extraordinary group:
· Mrs. Tottenham requests Mr.-- will call
upon her at two to-morrow, as she wishes to consult him about the sale of an
estate. -54, Berners-street Monday.
· Mrs. Tottenham requests that a post-chaise
and four may be at her home at two tomorrow, to convey her to the first stage
towards Bath. -54, Berners-street, Monday.
· Mrs. Tottenham begs the Hon. Mr.-- will be
good enough to give her a call at two to-morrow, as Mrs. T. is desirous of
speaking with him on business of importance. -54, Berners-street, Monday.
The Mayor then sent officers out to attempt to
instill some order in the chaos in the streets, including attempting to calm
the crowds who were reportedly on the brink of rioting with the streets jammed
with angry travelers and hundreds of merchants who were infuriated that Mrs.
Tottenham would not pay for the often massive orders of their wares they had
come to deliver, some of which were completely destroyed by the crowds with
several wagons overturned and other damage to various product the merchants had
attempted to deliver. Along with the damaged goods, several fights broke
out throughout the day within the pressing masses. On top of that, a few barrels
of ale had fallen prey to the large crowd that was maliciously enjoying the
fun.
Once the crowds dissipated late in the evening,
Hook and Beazley emerged from the house across the street and went home.
For successfully making the home the talk of London within a week of the bet,
Hook reportedly received a guinea from Beazley.
All day and far into the night this state of things
continued, meanwhile, the old lady and the inmates of adjoining houses were in
abject terror. Every one soon saw that a hoax had been perpetrated, but Hook’s
connection with it was not discovered till long afterwards.
He deemed it expedient, however, to go off quickly
into the country and there remain incognito for a time. Had he been publicly
known as the author of the outrageous hoax, he might have fared badly. He eventually confessed to the prank, but
apparently never received any punishment.
By
dispatching several thousands of letters to innumerable quarters, he completely
blocked up the entrances to the street, by an assemblage of the most
heterogeneous kind. The parties written to had been requested to call on a
certain day at the house of a lady, residing at No. 54 Berners Street, against
whom Hook and one or two of his friends had conceived a grudge. So successful
was the trick, that nearly all obeyed the summons. Coal-wagons, heavily laden,
carts of upholstery, vans with pianos and other articles, wedding and funeral
coaches, all rumbled through, and filled up the adjoining streets and lanes;
sweeps assembled with the implements of their trade; tailors with clothes that
had been ordered; pastry cooks with wedding-cakes; undertakers with coffins;
fishmongers with cod-fishes, and butchers with legs of mutton. There were surgeons
with their instruments; lawyers with their papers and parchments; and clergymen
with their nooks of devotion. Such Babel was never heard before in London, and
to complete the business, who should drive up but the lord mayor in his
state-carriage; the governor of the Bank of England; the chairman of the East
India Company; and even a scion of royalty itself, in the person of the Duke of
Gloucester. Hook and his confederates were meantime enjoying the fun from a
window in the neighborhood, but the consternation occasioned to the poor lady
who had been made the victim of the jest, was nearly becoming too serious a
matter. He never avowed himself as the originator of this trick, though there
is no doubt of his being the prime actor in it. It was made the subject of a
solemn investigation by many of the parties who had been duped, but so
carefully had the precautions been taken to avoid detection, that the inquiry
proved entirely fruitless.
About
Theodore Hook
Theodore
Hook, the forgotten genius of the English language. He founded, and wrote
anonymously, the brilliantly satirical John Bull newspaper which directly
influenced British history in 1820. Hook created the style of political satire
which has lasted to the present.
He was the only 'improvisatore' whom the English language has known, instantly composing witty songs on any subject.
He was England's best-selling novelist immediately before Charles Dickens.
He was the only 'improvisatore' whom the English language has known, instantly composing witty songs on any subject.
He was England's best-selling novelist immediately before Charles Dickens.
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