Skip to main content

The Funeral of the Party, 30 October 1798

 Item — Box: LF104/5 Box 1
Reference code: LF104/5/29
The Funeral of the Party, 30 October 1798
The Funeral of the Party, 30 October 1798

Scope and Contents

Artist: Charles Williams. Published: S. W. Fores. The coffin, its pall inscribed 'The \ Party \ Supported by Corresponding Citizens', is the centre of a procession, preceded (right) by four ragged Citizens each playing a marrow-bone and cleaver: 'Marrowbones and Cleavers by Corresponding Citizens'. Behind them walks the Duke of Norfolk, holding up a standard: 'Majesty of the People'; on its summit perches a bird: 'The Standard Bearer in Half Mourning with the Chicken [M. A. Taylor] chaunting the Elegy'. His Earl-Marshal's baton projects from his coat-pocket. Next, in a surplice, hold ing an open book, 'Right of Man' walks 'Parson H-----e T-----e [Horne Tooke] reading the Service'. The coffin is supported by three plebeian pall-bearers wearing long gowns edged with tricolour, and mourning noisily, who walk beside the coffin; the legs of three others are seen beneath it. Behind it are the 'Chief Mourners': Fox (weeping) and Sheridan are the first pair; next is Derby, very short, beside the tall Bedford. Erskine and Lauderdale walk together, followed by Stanhope on the extreme left. All the mourners wear bonnets-rouges with mourning-scarves. The coffin is surmounted by a pile of emblems, 'Regalia of the Deceased', in the form of an animal 'couchant', on a large book: 'Kentish-Oath's'. On this is a smaller book, 'Toasts and Sentiments'. A pile of 'Old Wigs' forms the creature's shoulders and fore-paws; the hind-quarters are a bundle of 'worn out Liberty Caps'. The head is a skull inscribed 'Boney-parte'; under its jaw is thrust a long dagger; it wears a cap of 'Libert[y]'. The pall, bordered with tricolour, has three side-panels, and one, 'Injusti[ce]', partly visible, in front; each of the three has a bonnet-rouge; beneath it, representing [1] 'Plunder' are crossed muskets, [2] 'Murder' with crossed daggers, and [3] '[P]erjury' with spears. Description from the British Museum.

Dates

  • Creation: 30 October 1798

Conditions Governing Access

Physical item available by appointment in our Reading Room

Extent

1.0 Item(s)

Language of Materials

English

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and Archives Repository

Contact:
Western Bank Library
University of Sheffield
Western Bank
Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN United Kingdom
+44 (0) 114 222 7299