QUAINT ADVERTISEMENTS

Evening Star, Issue 20311, 21 October 1929, Page 1

QUAINT ADVERTISEMENTS

SOME EARLY EXAMPLES ' Witli the abandonment of censorship over the British Press in 1695 began the rise of the _ power of newspapers. So rapid was this rise that in 1712 an attempt was made to curb the power of the news sheets by imposing a tax of Id on every printed half-sheet, and of 12d upon each This tax, writes Mr Carrol Homer, in an article on ‘ eighteenth Century Advertisements,’ m the ‘ Nineteenth Century,’ was responsible for the Jongwinded character of public annonreements; for advei Users desired to obtain the most for their tax. Despite the tax, however, the newspapers nourished. The number of taxation stamps issued in 1753 was 7,412,000. Toward the middle of the eighteenth century traders began to use the papers regularly for advertising their wares. Booksellers took the lead, and their example was followed by mercers and haberdashers, by dealers, in snuff, wines, and teas, by quack sellers of cosmetics and nostrums for diseases, and later by managers of places of amusements.

The first example given by Mr Homer was selected, he says, because he was attracted by the word “ quaddy, ’ which ho is unable to trace. It ns from the ‘ Norwich Gazette,’ of September, 1742, and it runs:—“Run away from his master, Mr William Leek, Carpenter of Hindringbam, in Norfolk, one Edward Bloom, his apprentice; who is a short, quaddy Lad, pale faced, and having his own Hair when he went away.” At this period highway robbery was flourishing; the roads were infested by thieves, and advertisements offering rewards for their arrest were frequent. One of these robbers, name unknown, is described by an indignant Postmaster-general, whose mails had been rilled near Uxbridge: “A single highwayman, who carried off the said mail, the person who committed this robbery was a tall, lusty, black man, about 6ft high, •between forty and fifty years of age, marked with the Small Pox, and had on a blue Snrtout, and under it a dark-coloured one, with white metal buttons, and wore a black or dark coloured wig, and rode on a largo Brown” Bay Horse or Mare, fifteen hands high, with a bald face and a dark mane, the Tail lately docked and nicked, and wounds not healed ' This" description of the culprit is typical of many others. The reward offered is £2OO more than that given by Act of Parliament. Bo daring had thieves become in 1780 that the Public Office in Bow street inserted a long advertisement in the ‘ New Daily Advertiser ’ warning the public against their activities. Among other things noted; “With astonishing success trunks and portmanteaus are almost daily out off from behind, as well as before, post-chassis,” and travellers are recommended to “ fasten their trunks with chains instead ol straps.” Among the most consistent advertisers were stavrnakers. Thus, in 1749, John Ward advertises in the ‘ General Advertiser ’: “At the Golden Dove, in Hanover square, Longacrc, Tabby allover for thirty-three shillings; ticken backs for twenty-seven shillings; for largo sizes two or three shillings more; as good in every respect as you <',m have of any person, notwithstanding you give ever so much more money’ for them.” An educational announcement which appeared in the ‘ Norwich Mercury ’ of 1752, is significant ‘ Wanted, at Burnham Market, in No v 4!i, a Schoolmaster, to teach Hendig, Writing, and Arithmetic, and a /oman to tmich girls sewing and knitmg. . . . N. B.—There is a man nd his wife who now teach children in he snkl Parish, but the poor man i° a Inna tick, and the woman superannu ated; whor'-c’ore the said town is m great wants of <srch Persons as befo’e’"ntioned.’