Jack Sheppard. the Novel Was So Popular That the Authorities Became Concerned That It Would Incite People Into a Life of Crime

EDITORIAL

So summer is finally here at last, and the unlocking of the lockdown is under way – slowly, cautiously, with stumbles and hiccups, but so far, so good.

How the giants have been falling from amongst us lately! After Rosalie White, our first Committee Secretary, and Flo Waller before her, now we have lost Chris Macro. Most of us did not have any idea how much Chris used to do, and what a fireball of energy she was. At an age (already!) when most people are settling down with slippers, cat and cocoa, she was Group Leader for Tennis and Badminton (tennis in summer, badminton in winter), organising and setting them both up from scratch. Meanwhile, she used her talent for comedy as a member of the Entertainment Group, and learnt (also from scratch) to play recorder with the our ‘Recorder Consort’. Of her parallel work at Christ Church, and her previous life as an inspirational teacher and children’s author, we only have vague notions. There will be a proper obituary in next month’s issue, written by someone who knew Chris ‘in the round’.

So what are you planning to do this summer? Revive your interest in fishing (or try fishing for the first time) with Gordon Taylor? Join the Walking Group, having walked (what else was there to do?) for most of the year as your ‘official’ exercise? Or travel, now it’s (sort of) allowed again? Marcus is offering Iceland – and it’s on the green list!

Whatever you have planned, from Crown Green Bowls to Iceland and beyond, the u3a is here to back you up, help you out and push you on your way. Just remember to Learn, Laugh and Live! The Editorial Team

GROUP NEWS

Creative Writing Apologies for the omission of the last episode of our serial ‘Music Hall’ last month – it is here this month. Although the theatre show has ended and the curtain come down, there is still one last story to be told, brought to you by Gillian Potter.

I will be putting all episodes together into a little book if you want to read the stories again as a whole.

In the meantime the group continues to meet on a regular basis via Zoom. The regulations don't enable us to meet just yet, so we will be continuing in this format for a while. The group format is the same. We set challenges to write about, share these efforts and when time permits do free creative writing exercises to get the creative juices going! Pam Melding

Crown Green Bowling Following the easing of restrictions the group have now restarted their bowling sessions on a controlled basis. Group members reminded that they must book in advance each week by contacting me. The group is currently full. Jeff Lawrenson

Fishing The Fishing Group held its first meeting this month in the Ship Inn, Blackbrook. Apart from the odd shower it was a very pleasant afternoon, getting wet on the outside as well as the inside. As it only consisted of two of us, we looked at a couple of potential venues to try out in June. The group is looking to visit different venues in the Northwest, Cheshire and North Wales.

If you have never fished, or did so many years ago and would like to try it as a way to get into the countryside and spend a day relaxing, then please do get in touch with me through the Treasurer link on the contacts page of the website. Our next meeting is 14th June at 2.00 p.m. at the Ship Inn. You do not need to have any fishing gear if you want to have a go as I have spare tackle that can be used, so it is a try before you buy! Gordon Taylor

Gardening Willowbrook Hospice is having an Open Gardens event at the hospice on 31st July. I have not yet got details of times. It would be good if we could support it. Hope to see you there. Barbara Challeno

Interesting Buildings Stanley Bank Slitting Mill and Walk Meet at the Sankey Valley Visitors’ Centre , behind the Ship Inn in Blackbrook at 10.00 a.m. on Monday, 14th June. The walk will take about two hours, and we hope the Ship Inn will be serving lunch for anyone who wants to stay.

Please contact Hugh Waring to book a place on the walk. His mobile number is on the back page or contact through the Chair link on the contacts page of the website.

Birkenhead Waterfront Meet at Hamilton Square Railway Station, Birkenhead at 11.00 a.m. on Tuesday, 20th July. All Underground Trains from Liverpool Lime Street stop first at Liverpool Central and then at Hamilton Square.

Please book a place by using the pigeon on the Interesting Buildings page of St. Helens U3a website. Barbara Challenor

Family History We have been meeting on Zoom for the past few months and this will continue until the end of June when we will take a break until September. A couple of visits are planned for the summer months and members of the group will be informed of these and re- starting arrangements nearer the time.

If you would like to register your interest to join the group in September please let me know either through the pigeon on the webpage or by phone.

Summer is a great time to do ‘field trips’ for family history, finding graveyards or visiting places where you ancestors may have lived. Happy Hunting! Andrea Knowles

History and Heritage We have been meeting now on the 4th Friday of every month, albeit at present on Zoom. Last Friday we had a busy session, learning about new websites that we can use for our history research and view online. Also, websites that are available for visits and trips out, which is very much in our mind at present.

We are regularly having small presentations, chats etc about historical items and places. We are planning a couple of trips out in the next couple of months, if Boris’s road-map allows.

If you are interested in joining our group, please contact us so via the pigeon link on the group page on the website so that we can add you to our list. Our last meeting for the moment will be on Friday, 25th June at 10.30 a.m., on Zoom. Elaine Wilde and Andrea Knowles

Mixed and Men’s Choir It would be appreciated if all members could make contact with me as soon as they are able, as I need to give you some forms before we return (though as yet we do not have a date for this). We continue with Zoom and if you wish to join in please let me know and I will make the arrangements.

You can contact me by the pigeon on the u3a Mixed Choir web page. Neil Williams

Ukulele Ukulele is looking forward to getting back together. Our Zoom meetings have kept us going and kept us in touch with each other. I remember saying when lockdown came in March 2020 “we will have to keep playing and if we do, we will be glad when it is all over”.

So well done to all the Ukulele Group who have kept practising week by week. We may well still be a little rusty and our timing will need some working on, but thanks to those who have led us on Zoom and to Malcolm Brooks for putting songs on You Tube. We will have to proceed with caution even if all restrictions are lifted and keep each other safe but roll on – or ‘Roll out the barrel ..... because the gang is nearly here!!!!’ Judith Price

Walking During lockdown the Walking Group has kept in touch in two ways – by text or, when able, walking under the rule of six as ‘friends’. Now that we have more freedom we will be walking on the first and third Friday of the month with larger numbers. The walks on the first Friday will be local, and the third Friday will be further afield. Walking boots or shoes and waterproof clothing are necessary, also water and a snack. The walks will commence at 10.30 at the start of the venue. Barbara Wright

S.P.L.A.T. Happy Important Splat-byte! The App “WhatsApp”, which you can use for phoning, texting or video calls has had an update recently. This allows your WhatsApp account to be open to everyone outside of your contacts, enabling them to include you into their groups without you knowing. It can be used by scammers, phishing, or advertisers attempting to bring you into their world. To stop this happening you need to adjust your settings on all your smart devices that have “WhatsApp” loaded as follows:-

1. Go to WhatsApp; 2. Go to Settings; 3. Go to Account; 4. Go to Privacy; 5. Go to Groups; 6. Change from (everyone) to (My Contacts); Enter and Close.

If you need help on this or anything else associated with your mobile phone/iPad/tablet/Laptops etc., contact the SPLAT Happy group using the pigeon on the u3a web site. Mike and Jean Rossiter

Messages from the Committee

Groups Co-ordinator’s Notes

Scrabble. After leading the Scrabble Group for the past 10 years, Group Leader Jill Mitchell has decided it is time to step down. Everyone who knows Jill will also be aware of what a tremendous wordsmith she is and her knowledge and love of the English language is second to none. Jill continues to keep us entertained with her poetry and prose which we can find from time to time in our Newsletter.

I have got to know Jill personally over the past two years and we have shared some laughs together. On behalf of the Committee, I would like to wish her all the very best for the future. I know her group members will also miss her immensely. It would be lovely if the group could continue into the future.

Do you enjoy playing Scrabble? I am appealing for anyone who enjoys the game of Scrabble to consider whether you could take on the role of Group Leader for this group. If you think you can or you wish to discuss it further, please contact Groups Coordinator, Jackie Bunt.

Dining. Sadly, Flo Waller our Dining Group Leader passed away a few months ago. It would be lovely if this group could continue. If you think you can take on the role of Group Leader or wish to discuss it further, please contact Jackie Bunt through the Groups Co-ordinator on the contacts page of the website. Jackie Bunt

A.G.M.

We had hoped to hold this year’s AGM in July, as this would have been the usual time. However, because we will probably have to use an email and postal voting system, the timescale is too tight, so we will hold the AGM in September.

As you will be aware from my weekly eNews emails, the Committee is keen to encourage the recruitment of more Committee members. A nomination form for Committee members is to be found over the page.

I also need to tell you that the Committee has decided that current membership should run until 31st August 2022. This means that if you are a paid-up member, you will not need to pay for next year’s membership. You will need a new membership card because your current one runs to 31st August 2021. New ones will be printed and you will be able to collect them when we can meet or arrange a venue for their collection.

Anyone who has not yet done so, but wishes to renew their membership will find an updated renewal/application form and instruction pages on our website. Hugh Wareing (Chair)

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Nomination Form for 2021 AGM to be held on 15th September, 2021 I/We would like to nominate…………………………………………………………… Membership No…………

Signed by nominee ……………………………………………

For the position of Committee member

Proposed by……………………………………………………Membership No……………

Signed…………………………………………………………………………

Seconded by ………………………………………………… Membership No……………

Signed………………………………………………………………..

Date ……………………………………………………………..

Please email this form to Gordon Taylor, Treasurer at [email protected] or post to: 12 Bosworth Road, St Helens WA11 9JF

The Membership Number of a Proposer or Seconder for Nomination to Committee or Trustee Office needs to be included and each must be a fully paid-up and current member of St Helens u3a. Any person so nominated must be a fully paid-up and current member of St Helens u3a.

As it may be difficult to sign the above form, please complete as best you can and then the details will be checked by the Treasurer via email or phone. Please remember that Committee members cannot propose or second a nomination for any Committee position.

EVENTS

General Meetings These now take place on Zoom. They are held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month and start at 10.30 a.m. Invitations and details will be available via the weekly eNews.

Wednesday, 9th June. Steve and Carol Robson. ‘Fools Gold’ is an acoustic musical duo. They will present a live programme of songs and an explanation of the mysteries connected with them, including visual effects, “Plenty to laugh, learn and live for…”

Wednesday, 14th July. Ian Buchan. ‘My life as a Magician’. Ian is a member and past-President of the Edinburgh Magic Circle, and has been performing his magic for over thirty five years. He talks about some of the magicians we all know, like Tommy Cooper, Paul Daniels and the like, and will be performing some of his tricks. This looks to be an enjoyable presentation, that has been enjoyed by many u3a groups.

Wednesday, 23rd July Zoom Coffee Morning An informal get to together to chat and catch up. Why not join us?

MagAZINE SECTION

Northern Lights, Face Masks and a Foot in Two Continents! For my next Bucket List adventure, I thought I would wax lyrical about one of my favourite countries, Iceland. I travelled there for the first time 15 years ago and fell in love with the stunning landscape, friendly people and the abundance of quiet open spaces! I think I am right in saying it is still the most sparsely populated country in Europe.

I first went to Iceland for a long weekend and then returned a couple of years later with 26 sixth-form students in tow! I loved teaching them in this amazing outdoor classroom, showing them the most amazing waterfalls, glaciers and volcanic landforms ‘in the flesh’ so to speak! Now, as a Travel Consultant, this has become one of the most popular holiday destinations I have been asked about, particularly from people looking to see the Northern Lights for the first time or wanting a surprise holiday for their significant other, somewhere ‘a bit different’!

Getting there……. Iceland has become more accessible in recent years as its popularity has increased. I had to travel to Stansted to fly there 15 years ago but now you can fly from Manchester with regular flights at really good times. The number of airlines has also increased with the budget providers like EasyJet, Jet2 and TUI adding more to their flight plans. This summer the number of flights to Keflavik airport is set to rise sharply following the announcement that Iceland is on the Green List for travel from the UK.

Keflavik airport is about a 45-minute drive from Reykjavik. Coach transfers are frequent and do give you the opportunity to see

14 some of the volcanic landscape on your way to the capital. Most visitors opt for a hotel in the capital as this is an excellent base for tours and an amazing city to spend some time in. You can, of course, opt for a more remote hotel, lodge or hostel but you would need to factor in hiring a car from the airport to ensure you make the most of your stay.

Reykjavik

This, along with Lisbon, is my favourite capital city! Architecturally fascinating, culturally rich and in a stunning location on the southwest coast of the island. Europe’s most northerly capital! I highly recommend taking a bus tour with a guided commentary to help set the scene and give you some ideas of where you would like to spend time. You can book a ‘Hop on, Hop off’ type of ticket over a couple of days so you can use it both as a guided tour and as a form of transport during your stay.

There is so much to see in the city that I recommend spending at least two full days exploring the capital and a further two or three for Iceland’s other attractions. Most people who have booked with me have opted for a five-day stay. The capital has so many hotels ranging from budget hostel-type to four- and five-star hotels with saunas and rooftop bars overlooking the harbour. I would recommend opting for three-star and above accommodation, and steering clear of many of the large hostels. These are much cheaper but personally I have stayed in one and did not like the shared facilities and the lack of privacy!

Food-wise, Reykjavik has the same variety of choice as any other capital city. From traditional Icelandic menus to standard restaurant fayre, you can take your pick! Food is reasonable but alcoholic drinks are expensive, so be prepared for this! Depending which bars and restaurants you choose to visit, you can end up with a healthy bar bill before bedtime!

Here is a list of just some of the sights in Reykjavik worth a visit: • Alþingishúsið – the Icelandic parliament building • Árbæjarsafn (Reykjavík Open-Air Museum) • Hallgrímskirkja – the largest church in Iceland • Harpa Reykjavík – Reykjavík Concert Hall • Höfði – the house in which Gorbachev and Reagan met in 1986 for the Iceland Summit • National Museum of Iceland • Ráðhús Reykjavíkur – city hall • Reykjavík 871±2 – exhibition of an archaeological excavation of a Viking-age longhouse, from about AD 930

• Safnahúsið, culture house, National Centre for Cultural Heritage (Þjóðmenningarhúsið) • Vikin Maritime Museum – located by the old harbour • Reykjavík Botanic Gardens Excursions and Tours There are so many options for exploring the island. You can, of course, hire a car for your stay and then you have the flexibility to travel as far outside the city as you want and on your own timescale. However, I found that if you are visiting for the first time, you miss out by doing this as you do not have access to the local guides on the organised tours. Most tours depart from bus stops all over the city. You can usually find one very close to your hotel without having to walk any distance to one of the main stops in the city centre.

Pre-booking is advised but you can of course book them during your stay, with some hotels offering the facility to do this at reception. Several are full-day options, with some half-days. The Northern Lights tours are a must and the local guides will take you to the best locations to see the Lights. These are usually a couple of hours one evening and often include a snack or drink with your ticket. Many of the excursions and tours do include lunch, which is a really good option and worth checking as you can then plan if you need to take food with you from a nearby supermarket. My recommendations for excursions are:

1. The Blue Lagoon This is just a short drive from Reykjavik and some tours include a visit here as part of the day’s itinerary. I really enjoyed relaxing in the geothermal pool with a volcanic mud mask! This is the main reason I have not aged a bit in the last 15 years……!

Ideal for those who love to bathe or want to experience some relaxation treatments during their stay.

2. Skógafoss And Seljalandsfoss These are two of the most popular waterfalls to visit and they’re just 29 kilometres apart, so can be visited one after the other. I love waterfalls so these were a must! Don’t forget your camera, and a waterproof!

3. The ‘Golden Circle’ Tour The route itself is beautiful (especially through Þingvellir National Park) and a day of gasps and such contrasting scenery. The geysers and Gullfoss waterfall are two highlights and really do make you realise how powerful nature really is! At Þingvellir National Park, you even get the opportunity to stand with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia!

There are so many other places to visit but I thought I would highlight those that are possible on a short break and give you a real flavour of the country, culture and geography/geology. Iceland has so much more to offer than the Northern Lights and is often overlooked as a destination for a city break or weekend away. I highly recommend adding it to your bucket list if it isn’t already on there! Marcus Edwards Personal Travel Consultant www.marcusedwards.notjusttravel.com

HISTORY CORNER THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JACK SHEPPARD - 18th CENTURY ROGUE AND CELEBRITY

We're returning to the 18th century again in this month's article. Jack Sheppard was a contemporary of Blackbeard, but in a different location. Their careers were very different too, but they were both charismatic and non-violent and both on the wrong side of the law.

It's safe to say that Jack Sheppard was the 18th century's most notorious robber and thief. He's been described as the first celebrity. But it was his spectacular escapes from various prisons, including two from Newgate, which made him the most glamourous rogue in London in the weeks before his execution.

EARLY LIFE Jack (also known as "Gentleman Jack", "Jack the Lad" and "Honest Jack") was born in White's Row, Spitalfields, East London, on 4th March 1702. His father died when he was young and he, with his mother and siblings, ended up in the Bishopsgate workhouse. At a young age he was apprenticed twice but both of these failed. Finally at the age of 10, he went to work as a shop boy for Mr William Kneebone, a wool draper on the Strand. It was he who gave him an education of sorts, and arranged for him to be apprenticed to Owen Wood, a carpenter in Covent Garden. His apprenticeship was to last for seven years.

London in the 1720's was a bustling multicultural city of over 600,000 people. The area around Spitalfields was particularly busy with manufacturing and trade in all types of areas. People flocked there for work, and when there was none to be had they took to begging or – more often – crime. There were tensions between groups and riots at times. Most importantly, there was no police

20 force, just local endeavours to apprehend criminals, and the Bow Street Runners, a private outfit funded by the Fielding brothers.

Jack was lucky to be offered this career opportunity at the age of ten years. By 1722, he was showing great promise in the carpentry trade. Jack was a small, lightly-built man but deceptively strong. This attribute would stand him in good stead later on in his life. He had a pale face, dark eyes and a slight stutter. Despite this, his wit made him popular in the taverns around Drury Lane. He served five unblemished years of his apprenticeship, but then he began to be led astray into a life of crime.

THE WRONG CROWD In Drury Lane lived Joseph Hayne, a button-moulder by trade. He also owned a tavern, ‘The Black Lion’, which he encouraged the local apprentices to frequent. This place was to be the undoing of Jack, and also his younger brother, Tom. It was a well-known criminal lair, visited by Joseph Blake, known as ‘Blueskin’ and the self-proclaimed ‘Thief-Taker General’, Jonathan Wild, amongst others. Wild worked on both sides of the law, and was the linchpin of a criminal empire across London. He was Jack’s implacable enemy.

Much of what we know about Jack Sheppard's life at this stage is from his ghost-written autobiography. This book is attributed to none other than the celebrated Daniel Defoe. Defoe was a writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. His most famous work is "Robinson Crusoe", published in 1719. He never directly acknowledged his part in this book but gave many allusions to it being him and was said to be fascinated by Jack's life, as were many others – some very elevated folk, as well.

Returning to the Black Lion, as well as Jack finding London's criminal underworld there, he also found his one true love.

Elizabeth Lyon was a local prostitute, known as "Edgeware Bess". She introduced Jack to all and sundry, and to the demon drink. It is said he was an innocent sort until he entered the tavern and fell prey to the types there. In his, "The History of the Remarkable life of John Sheppard" Defoe records that Bess was, "a main lodestone in attracting of him unto this Eminence of Guilt".

Later historians (Peter Linebaugh) have offered a more pragmatic view that Jack was liberated from the drudgery of indentured labour and he was, "happy to progress from pious servitude to self- confident rebellion".

A CRIMINAL CAREER BEGINS It didn't take long for Jack's work to suffer, whilst he immersed himself in a world of drinking and women. Bess encouraged him to turn to crime to augment his meagre earnings. His first theft is believed to be in spring 1723. His innocent face was a help. He became good at petty pilfering, and wasn't suspected of any crimes. It wasn't long before he moved onto burglary and fell in with criminals in Wild's gang. He had less than two years to go of his apprenticeship, but he left his disappointed master in August 1723. Although he did continue in carpentry, it was more for a cover for his illegal activities.

He moved to Fulham and later Piccadilly with Bess, and they lived as man and wife. When Bess was arrested, she was imprisoned in St. Giles Roundhouse. The Beadle, Mr Brown, refused Jack a visit. He promptly broke in (easily!) and took her away.

THE GREAT ESCAPES This is where Jack earned his full notoriety. He was arrested and imprisoned five times between 1723 and 1724 and escaped four times. Because of his daring escapes from the law he was both famous and loved, by the poor in particular.

His first escape was very creative. Jack was arrested and brought to St. Giles lockup. He escaped by climbing onto the roof and deliberately knocked a tile off to attract attention. A crowd gathered, and he scrambled down and immersed himself in the crowd, who were all looking upwards for the escaped felon on the roof! Needless to say, he got away.

Three weeks later he was back in prison in St. Anne's Roundhouse in Soho. Next day he was visited by Bess, who was recognised as his wife, so both were sent to the New Prison in Clerkenwell. Another daring escape was on the cards, his second. Within a few days Jack had filed through their manacles and removed a bar from a window. They knotted blankets and using some of Bess's clothing they descended down to the neighbouring Bridewell Yard. As if this wasn't enough of an achievement in itself, they then scaled the 22-foot prison gate to freedom. This event was widely written about, and Jack’s fame grew. It was a fairly astonishing feat as Jack was a smallish man and Bess a buxom lady. Do you, like me, consider that the security of these prisons must have been rather lax? Well, it was. Guards were also open to bribes and easily tricked, as in the next escape.

Jack worked with Blueskin on the next burglary which was to be the home of Mr. William Kneebone, the man who had given him a "good start in life". It is said he was forced into this by Blueskin and Jonathan Wild. Kneebone, Wild and a man named William Field, another felon, (here there is clearly no honour amongst thieves) gave evidence and the case was "plainly prov'd". Jack was sentenced to death.

Bess and her friend Poll Maggot (where did they get these names from?) came to the rescue. On Monday 31st August 1724, the day the death warrant arrived, Sheppard escaped. Bess and Moll distracted the guards easily with their feminine wiles, and Jack removed an iron bar with tools they had smuggled in under their

23 skirts. He had spent time loosening this bar earlier. His slight build helped him squeeze through the gap and he was smuggled out of Newgate, dressed in women's clothes, on Bess's arm. He took a coach to Blackfriars Stairs, a boat up the Thames and a horse ferry to Westminster, where he stowed his stolen goods in a warehouse. You have to hand it to this lad, for this is an incredible third escape but his next attempt was the stuff of legend!

By now he was really famous and a hero to the London poor. This may be due to him being a cockney, non-violent, handsome and sweet-natured lad, but people loved him mostly for evading the punishment for his crimes. Also, by this stage, Wild and his gang were out to get him as he was doing much better than them – on his own.

Jack had visited some family in Northamptonshire for respite, but returned to London and was hiding in Finchley Common. He had evaded Wild and his gang, but a group from Newgate were out looking for him. On 9th September 1724 he was caught and returned to Newgate. He had two escape plans thwarted when guards found tools in his cell. Consequently, he was placed in a strong room called the "castle". This time he was chained to the floor, his ankles were fettered and he was handcuffed. A trusty nail was his saviour, as he used it to open the padlocks, but was also helped by a serious to-do involving Blueskin and Wild in the nearby prison. Jack took advantage of this distraction and unlocked the handcuffs to remove the chains. He was still in leg irons and believe it or not he escaped up a chimney where he was met by an iron bar. He removed this and broke through six prison doors into a chapel, his intention being to get to the roof of Newgate. Jack needed his blanket, so returned to his cell to retrieve it! His blanket was used to reach a nearby house. He broke into this house at midnight without disturbing the

24 occupants and escaped into the street. This was his fourth escape, and unbelievable by anyone's standards. Harry Houdini comes to mind?

Jack still had the problem of his leg irons. A passing shoemaker assisted him by relieving him of these burdens for the princely sum of 20 shillings. Jack spun him a tale saying he was put into prison for failing to support a child. The shoemaker wasn't too bothered what the story was, as he was more than happy to be paid what was to him a king’s ransom.

FINAL CAPTURE Jack was free for just two weeks. I think fame had really gone to his head now as his next escapade was sure to end badly. Dressed as a beggar he returned to his old haunts and broke into a pawnbrokers on Drury Lane. On 29th October he stole "a Black Silk suit, a Silver sword, rings, watches, a wig and other items". He dressed himself as a dandy gent and used the proceeds to spend the day getting drunk with two mistresses (poor Bess)! He was arrested a final time on 1st November, being "blynd drunk in a handsome suit of Black, with a Diamond and Carnelian ring on his finger and wore a fine light Tye Peruke (wig)".

Jack was done for this time. But there was a plan hatched to help him when desperate help would be needed. This time Jack was placed in the "middle room" of the castle where he could be easily watched. He was loaded with 300 pounds of iron weights. It was here in his final prison sentence that his fame was at its height.

CELEBRITY AND EXECUTION His gaolers charged high society visitors four shillings to gawp or chat with the inmate, poorer folk were charged less. He even came to the attention of King George I who wanted an image of this unusual man. The King sent his court painter, John Thornhill to paint Jack's portrait. The painting does not survive but there is

25 an etching which shows Jack to have shorn hair and he's pointing to the door. Several people of note wrote to the King asking for his sentence to be commuted to transportation. Reverend Wagstaffe visited him and said: "The concourse of people of tolerable fashion to see him was exceedingly great. He was always cheerful and pleasant to a degree, as turning everything into a jest and banter".

Defoe also reports that Jack said to the Reverend: "One file's worth more than all the Bibles in the world."

On 10th November Jack came before Mr Justice Powiss in Westminster Hall. He was told he would have a reduced sentence if he would inform on his associates. Jack refused so the death sentence was confirmed. The next day Blueskin was hanged due to a final assault on his one-time comrade. He stabbed Jonathan Wild in the neck in Newgate. (This was the commotion that had allowed Jack to escape for the fourth time.)

On 16th November Jack was taken to the gallows at Tyburn. He had planned one more escape, but his pen knife was later found by guards in his cell. He was banking on a daring attempt to be freed by his friends. It was by all accounts a joyous affair, more like a carnival than a hanging. People lined the streets from Newgate to Tyburn, a crowd of around 200,000, it was said. That would be a third of all Londoners, a huge figure for those days. As well as people cheering him on and singing his praises, his cart was flanked by a City Marshall and liveried javelin men.

He was allowed to stop at a tavern in Holborn where he ‘drank a pint of Sack’, (a White fortified wine from Spain). He even managed to endorse his official biography and copies of it were sold en route.

Jack handed his "narrative" paper to his captors as he mounted the gallows, all to the delight of the crowd. His slight build had

26 helped him enormously in the past escape captivity, but now it condemned him to slow strangulation. He dangled for 15 minutes. The plan was to be put into action. Jack's body was to be cut down and his friends were to try to revive him by opening a vein with the help of a doctor. This had been a successful tactic in the past, with other felons. When his friends tried to get closer to the scene, they were prevented by the crowd, who knew nothing of the plan and feared dissection. Plus his loyal fans in the crowd had surged forward and pulled on the body for a swifter death. Jack's badly mauled body was discovered later and buried that evening.

LEGACY There was phenomenal interest in this man’s life, both in his lifetime and after his death. This interest spawned poems and songs but also books and plays right up to the present day. In particular the character of MacHeath in John Gay's The Beggar’s Opera, 1728, was based on Sheppard. The money Gay made from its publication and production restored the fortune he had lost in the South Sea Bubble calamity. It was very successful and was performed for the next 100 years.

In the 1840 Jack's fame was still strong when William Harrison Ainsworth wrote a novel called Jack Sheppard. The novel was so popular that the authorities became concerned that it would incite people into a life of crime. They refused to license any plays in London with the name "Jack Sheppard" in the title – for a further 40 years! That's a powerful legacy.

If you're a real fan of trivia, you might like to know that as late as 1971 the Glam Rock band Chicory Tip wrote a song called "Don't Hang Jack". It was the B side to "I Love Onions". This is a song about how much Jack was loved by women and idolised by the lads who "made him their King".

Jack was a true phenomenon and was loved, that is clear, but mostly by the poor as opposed to his victims. There have been many characters like Jack in history in as many countries. He is the archetypal anti-hero. Charles Mackay, author of "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds" 1841, suggests that, “it is certain that the populace of all countries look with admiration upon great and successful thieves".

If you consider Jack's life, this is difficult to disagree with!

References: Dr Lena Liapi Univ. of Keele. Lecturer in Early Modern History. Greg Jenner. Public Historian. Author of "Dead Famous: An Unexpected History of Celebrity"

Contributed by an anonymous history fan

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA .

To finish this Newsletter issue, here is the very last instalment of our serial from the Writing Group. As Pam Melding says, “Although the theatre show has ended and the curtain come down there is still one last story to be told...”

My Life in the Music Halls

“ Why is it always so cold in the wings?” exclaimed one of the dancers, hugging herself whilst she waited to go on to perform.

I smiled to myself and moved further away from the group and started to think back as to how I became part of the Music Halls. So this is my story.

I had always lived with my Gran, and Gran admitted that she had spoilt my Mum after her Dad died and let her do exactly what she wanted to do and go on the stage. That is how Mum ended up as a dancer in the Music Halls. She fell pregnant with me but it was Nan who brought me up. I wasn’t the only one in our area whose Dad had mysteriously died in an accident before they were born, so I never felt different. When working at the old theatre in St. Helens, Mum would stay with us. I knew she was my Mum but I didn’t really know her, as she was just a person who flitted in and out of my life, but I wasn’t bothered because I had Gran. When

Mum came to visit she always looked glamorous; she was very pretty with beautiful blonde hair. Mum would always bring presents, and my friends would be envious and wish their Mums were more like her, but I would have liked her to be like my friend Cathy’s Mum who didn’t smell of roses, but was home all the time. Sometimes Mum would bring another dancer with her to stay, and they would sit for hours regaling us with gossip from the theatres.

Then a man called Ernie appeared on the scene. Mum visited, but didn’t stay with us once Ernie came along. Ernie was also in the Music Halls. He was very handsome with dark wavy hair, but I always thought he looked smarmy. He didn’t come very often and I knew Nan didn’t like him as she used to mutter under her breath when he had gone that he was a wrong ‘un. Nan never said anything to Mum, I think she was frightened that Mum would stop coming home.

Mum happened to be working at the old theatre when Gran took ill. Gran died. I was inconsolable, Mum seemed upset too, but seemed more worried about what she was going to do with me. I was thirteen at the time. It was decided that I would travel with her and do little jobs around the theatres, run errands for the other dancers and acts to earn my keep. Ernie was still on the scene and I knew he thought I was a nuisance. Ernie decided he needed a new act, as he felt there were too many song and dance men around, but really he wasn’t a very talented singer or dancer. He persuaded Mum to join him in a double act.

They decided to become a mentalist act. They practised and practised for weeks until Ernie was satisfied that it would work. He would be on the stage dressed in a dinner suit, looking every inch the gentlemen (which he wasn’t). The compere would come on and blindfold him, and Mum would go into the audience dressed in an eye-catching costume, ask various people for an object and then Ernie would pretend to read her mind and guess

30 what the object was, obviously it was all set up between them. The audience would gasp in amazement. Their act became very popular and they were never short of work.

When I was sixteen, Ernie decided that Mum was starting to look a bit haggard – she was only in her early 30’s – and that I would take her place. Mum was so upset about this, and also that Ernie had started going out with other women. I heard him and Mum arguing and heard him threaten her that he would start on me if she didn’t belt up. I told her we should leave, she wasn’t married to him, but she said she hadn’t danced for a few years and had now – as I thought, thanks to Ernie – lost her confidence as well. She was also still besotted with him. So I reluctantly became part of this double act. I did it for my Gran, as someone had to look out for Mum and we needed the money. I hated the double act, but I hated Ernie more.

I had always loved singing. I always sang at parties and everyone would tell me what a lovely voice I had. Gran had never encouraged me, as I think she was worried I would take after Mum and go into the Music Halls. Little did she know! One night one of the singers became ill and couldn’t go on. The juggling act had had a big fall-out, and one of them had smashed up most of their equipment, so the show was two acts down. The owner and manager was frantic. One of the performers suggested to him that I take the singer’s place as I knew the routine like the back of my hand, as I was always watching from the wings. That is how I began my singing career.

I went down a storm! I was elated. The manager asked if I would like a permanent singing job. Ernie was furious but agreed as long as I still did my act with him. Of course, Mum agreed with Ernie. This went on for a few months. Ernie’s fury was palpable; the more popular I became the more enraged he became.

One night when I was on stage, Ernie, having been on a drinking spree, crept down the stairs which led to under the stage and moved the platform from under the trap door. At one point in my repertoire I used to move back to that section of the stage. Ernie pulled the lever and the trap door opened. I fell and broke my neck. Unfortunately for Ernie, one of the stage hands had forgotten a prop for the next act and witnessed Ernie opening the trap door, but sadly for me not in time to stop him.

Mum never went near the theatre again. It fell into disrepair and changed hands several times, until it was acquired by Mr Glazebrook and reinvented as a new Musical Hall - the Majestic. But I never stayed away and was there all the time.

I love to watch the acts perform. Now and again, I stand on the stage beside the singer and sing my heart out. I still get a thrill from the applause, I take the bows and the encores, but sadly cannot take the flowers that are thrown onto the stage, as that would be weird.

So now you know – I am the one who causes the coolness when I stand in the wings. But I am harmless, as I would never hurt anyone. The theatre unexpectedly became my life and regrettably for me, my demise. Gillian Potter

The deadline for copy for July Issue will be midnight on Sunday, 4th July

Contacts: [email protected]

Mike Bartram on 01744 817127 Andrea Knowles on 0151 426 8157

To contact the Chair Hugh Waring (text only) 07934 349801

Photograph Credits Front cover, pgs. 14,16,18 - Marcus Edwards Back cover – Mike Bartram Page 4 - Jeff Lawrenson

Please note that any opinions expressed in this newsletter are solely those of the writer, and may not reflect the policies or position of the local or national u3a.