William Hone's Appeal for Donations, 19 March, 1830 An Electronic Edition William Hone Kyle Grimes

For publication in the Hone Correspondence section of the William Hone BioText, http://honearchive.org. The letter is published under a Creative Commons license, details of which are accessible from the BioText homepage.

Transcribed from the original in the British Library, Add. MS 37950, ff. 80-81.

 Began TEI coding of original Word copy.
William Hone's Appeal for Donations, 19 March, 1830. British Library, Add. MS 37950, ff. 80-81. From late October until Christmas day 1829, Hone had travelled to several cities—Liverpool, Manchester, Derby, Birmingham, etc.—in an effort to raise sufficient funds to establish a coffee house that, in turn, would supply the Hone family with an ongoing source of income. As is evident in this document, he did meet with some success, but his funds fell short of what he required to finally open the doors of the "Grasshopper" in Gracechurch Street. It appears that Hone created this document at the urging of his friends Charles Lamb and Francis Place who were trying to gather more donations for Hone. The document was thus included in Hone's letter to Place dated the following day, 20 March, 1830. Hone's friends' campaign was eventually successful, though not without some additional delay, and the "Grasshopper" opened for business in June of 1830. [return] — -TEI-
London
19 March 1830

William Hone, whose “Every Day Book” and other works of like tendency have largely contributed to the information and recreation of the Public in general and the rising generation in particular, has gradually fallen into distress with a large family.

Notwithstanding the publicity of his name, and the popularity and utility of his recent writings, his recluse and sedentary [word missing?] have limited him to personal intimacy with very few individuals, and of these, two gentlemen that know him well have witnessed the anxiety and precariousness of his literary employment, and have earnestly encouraged the Family to open a Respectable Coffee House on principles of Economy at No. 13 Gracechurch Street, which, in the opinion of persons qualified to judge, is a situation peculiarly suitable to the purpose.

At the express instance of his active wellwishers in London he went into the North at the close of last year to obtain means for the concern, and the undermentioned Gentlemen contributed as follows —

At Liverpool

Charles Blundell Esq. -----------------------------£10 Joseph Birch Esq. M. P. ---------------------------£5 Edward Cearns Jun. Esq ----------------------------£5 William Fawcett Esq -------------------------------£5 Enoch Harvey Esq ----------------------------------£5 Arther Heywood Esq --------------------------------£10 William Jevons Esq --------------------------------£5 Robert Preston Esq --------------------------------£5 W. R. Preston Esq ---------------------------------£5 William Rathbone Esq ------------------------------£5 Richard Rathbone Esq ------------------------------£5 Edward Rushton Esq --------------------------------£5 Joseph Sanders Esq --------------------------------£5 Rev. William Shepherd (Gateacre) ------------------£5 Earl of Sefton ------------------------------------£10 Thomas Thornely Esq -------------------------------£5 Robert Whittle Esq --------------------------------£5 Joseph B. Yates Esq -------------------------------£5

At Manchester

John Ashton Esq -----------------------------------£5 Hannibal Becker Esq -------------------------------£5 John Brooks Esq -----------------------------------£5 A Friend of John Brooks Esq -----------------------£5 Thomas Burgess Esq --------------------------------£5 William bury Esq (Foxhill Band, near Blackburn) ---£5 Messrs Thomas Coates & Co ---------------------------£5 Richard Collins Esq -------------------------------£5 Thomas Crossley Esq -------------------------------£5 Messrs Du Fay Colin & Co ----------------------------£5 J. C. Dyer Esq ------------------------------------£10 Messrs Fielden Brothers ---------------------------£10 John Fort Esq -------------------------------------£5 Robert H Greg Esq ---------------------------------£5 Alexander Henry Esq -------------------------------£5 Charles Howard Esq --------------------------------£5 Aaron Lees Esq ------------------------------------£5 Joseph Mason Esq ----------------------------------£5 Robert Philips Esq --------------------------------£10 Thomas Potter Esq ---------------------------------£10 Richard Potter Esq --------------------------------£10 Richard Rostrum Esq -------------------------------£5 E. B. W. Sanderson Esq ----------------------------£5 Leo Schuster Esq ----------------------------------£5 James Simpson Esq ---------------------------------£5 J. Smith Esq --------------------------------------£5 John Smith Esq ------------------------------------£5 George Smith Esq ----------------------------------£5 Messrs William George & Joseph Strutt (Derby) ------------£15 P. F. Willcart Esq --------------------------------£5 George William Wood Esq ---------------------------£5

These and other gifts have enabled the Family to obtain the Lease and Fixtures of the house in Gracechurch Street, and pay for Furniture and Goods, and for Bricklayers’ Carpenters’ Joiners’ and other essential work to the extent of about £700. But there is a further sum of at least £300 required for Bedsteads Bedding &c for Sleeping Rooms which will yield a daily profit, and for Gas Lamps Floor-cloth Carpetting Ironmongery Steam-vessels Hardware Plate Glass Earthenware and other articles and Fittings absolutely indispensible to the completion of the place which in all other respects is now ready for business. This sum it is proposed to collect, if possible, by way of loan or gift, as may be agreeable to Gentlemen disposed to assist the Family in their united effort. And, if the amount can be obtained without loss of time it will be attended with indescribable benefit, inasmuch as it will enable them to open the Coffee House immediately and put an end to many disadvantages and expenses inseparable from delay.