“Ech, ech, my dear’y, andAch, ach, my love.“There was a little man who had a little gun, and“There was a little maid who was very much afraidTo get wed, wed, wed,” etc.
This is long and curious, and was greatly altered and abreviated in early 19th Century Editions.
“The Royal Primer,” from John White’s York and Newcastle Stock.
From Dean Swift’s Royal Primer, Dublin, circa 1770.
From Evans’s edition of Cinderella.
Very Early “Cock Robin” Series, “Postboy” by Bewick for a Newcastle Newspaper,“Wife Joan,” etc., from J. White’s Stock.
Early “Mother Hubbard:” J. Evans, Long Lane, circa 1770.
Early “Goody Two Shoes,” “Jack and Jill,” “Cock Robin,” The Fables, early Bewick School.
All Evans’s style of woodcut, Catnach, etc., all used at Rushers Banbury Press.
Babes in the Wood.
Blue Beard.
Providing ourselves with a variety of pens and ink, we select two of the best and proceed to describe the Banbury Printer’s old stock of cuts.
Banbury, Oxfordshire, was one of the chief provincial towns noted for its Children’s Books, Chap Books,Battledoes, Reading Easies, etc., also for locally printed works,notably for two, viz., Dr. Johnson’sRasselas, and White and Beesley’swork onBees, thin 12mo volumes, boards, printed in a curious phonetic character, called “Rusher’s Types.” Rusher, printer of this town, had some ingenuity and originality of his own, and was not such a plagiarist and imitator as some of his contemporaries. Many of the tales he cleverly adapted to the locality, which have become very valuable. His edition of the Rasselas realized £5 5s. This book was written by Johnson in a week to defray his mother’s funeral expenses.
We give several extracts from some of Rusher’s Penny Books which will show how well he adapted them to his town.
[Early John Bewick,] Rusher’s Lilliputian Library, Banbury, circa.1810.
At Rusher’s fam’d Warehouse,
Books, Pictures and Toys
Are selling to please all
The good girls and boys.
For youth of all ages
There’s plenty in store,
Amusement, instruction,
For rich and the poor.
From the New House that Jack Built.
See Jack in his study,
Iswrittinga book,
As pretty as this is
In which you may look;
The price is one penny,
For girls or for boys,
There’s more too at Rusher’s,
And Pictures and Toys.
Poetic Trifles.
Sing see-saw, Jack thatching the ridge,
Which is the way to Banbury-bridge?
One foot up and t’other foot down,
And that’s the way to Banbury town.
As I was going to BanburyUpon a summer’s day,My dame had butter, eggs and fruit,And I had corn and hay,Joe drove the ox and Tom the swine,Dick took the foal and mare:I sold them all—then home to dineFrom famous Banbury Fair.
Here’s something newDear child for you,I will please you in a triceA halfp’ny chuse,Now don’t refuse,A penny is the price.
Tho’ basely bornPray do not scornA Tale no worse than manyFor I’m afraidMore say in trade,A halfp’ny’s made a penny.
Good things to engross,Near Banbury crossWhere Tommy shall go on the nag,He makes no mistake,Buy a Banbury Cake,Books, Pictures, and Banbury Shag.
Little Robin RedbreastSat upon a treeHe sang merrilyAs merrily could be.
He nodded with his headAnd his tail waggled heAs little Robin RedbreastSat upon a tree.
Now each lad and each lassBoth sister and brotherMay have books for each classFor Father or Mother.
And when with much pleasureYou’ve read them all o’er,Then hasten to Rusher’s,He’s printing some more.
Where each daughter and sonAnd each nephew and niece,Each good child may have one,For a penny a piece.
Black your shoes, your Honour?
Here’s Finiky Hawkes,As busy as any,Will well black your shoes,And charge but a penny.
The following little “Banbury Cake” Book is so excessively rare, we give the text verbatim.
Itwill be thought very odd, I doubt not, by each little boy and girl into whose hands this book shall fall, that a Banbury Cake should be able to write (as it were) its own life; but as they advance in years, they will find that many strange things happen every day—I shall therefore without more words to the bargain proceed with my story.
I was born or made (whichever you please, my little reader) at Banbury in the county of Oxford, as you can plainly conceive by my title, where great numbers of Cakes are brought into being daily; and from whence they travel by coach, chaise, waggon, cart horse and foot into all parts of this Kingdom: nay and beyond the seas, as I heard my maker declare that he had, more then once sent some of them into France.
Soon after I was made, and while I was yet warm from the oven, I was sold by my maker’s fair daughter to a person on horseback for twopence.
With this person I took my first journey to Oxford; he rode a very fine Black Horse. As soon as he came home, he gave me to his son a lovely little boy, about seven years of age, and one as I found to my comfort not only lovely in person but in temper also. His name was Tommy, and he was praised and loved by all that knew him, and had often presents of cakes, toys and little books, and other things that are proper for children of his age; the books he kept with great care as things of value and worthy of his notice, but other trinkets he seemed to despise.
Tommy and his cousin were taken to see Mr. Polito’s collection of wild beasts and birds, which were then exhibiting at Oxford, among which were a large lion, an eagle, and many other natural curiosities, which sight was very entertaining, as Tommy and his cousin had never seen such before. They afterwards walked into the Colleges, round Christ Church College Meadow, and indeed saw all the curiosities about Oxford.
(The Banbury Cake).
We give a Bibliographical List, as perfect as is possible to date, of the “Halfpenny Series” of little History and Story Books issued at Rusher’s Banbury Press, some even with the same titles as the “Penny Series,” yet totally different in arrangement and woodcuts, used, as comparison in theBodleianLibrary will readily show: Mother Hubbard and her Dog; Nursery Rymmes from the Royal Collections; Poetic Trifles for young Gentlemen and Ladies; The Cries of Banbury, London, and Celebrated Stories; Children in the Wood, Historical Ballad (Norfolk?); Children in the Wood, Restored by Honestus; Hermit of the Forest (Cumberland); Jack the Giant Killer, a Hero, celebrated by Ancient Historians (Cornwall); Robinson Crusoe; Nursery Poems from the Ancient and Modern Poets; Jack and Gill and Old Dame Gill; Read who will, They’ll laugh their fill; Dick Whittington and his Cat; The History of Tom Thumb (Middlesex); Death and Burial of Cock Robin; Renowned History of Dame Trot and her Cat; London Jingles and Country Tales for Young People; Tom, Tom,the Piper’Son; Cinderella and her Glass Slipper; Jack Spratt and his Wife Joan, etc. etc.
Bewick School, used in Rusher’s Banbury Toy Books.
Used by Rusher in his Banbury Horn Books, Battledores, Galloping Guide to A, B, C, Primers, Reading Made Easy, Spelling Books, etc.
From Evans’s, Long Lane, West Smithfield, used afterwards at Banbury.
Rusher’s BanburyBattledoreandReading Made Easyblocks, show the next improvement on the oldHorn Books. Then Rusher published aGalloping Guide to the A B C., for which see next page.
Whole pages:page 30 (A-H)page 31 (J-W)page 32 top (XYZ)
Whole pages:
page 30 (A-H)page 31 (J-W)page 32 top (XYZ)
A was an Acorn, that grew on the oak;
B is a Boy, who delights in his book.
C is a Canister, holds mamma’s teas;
D is a Drum, you may sound if you please.
E is an Eagle, that soars very high;
F is a Fox, that is crafty and sly.
G is a Griffin, of him pray take heed;
H is a Hare, that can run with great speed.
J is a Judge, that the law oft obeys;
K is a Key, that no secret betrays.
L is a Lamb, often freaks o’er the lea;
M is a Mermaid, that sings in the sea.
N is a Nightingale, dwells in the wood;
O is an Ox, whose beef roasted is good.
P is a Peach, that did grow very high;
Q is a Quince, makes a savoury pie.
R is a Raven, rapacity charms;
S shining Sun, is the Banbury Arms.
T is a Trumpet, your merit to raise;
V is a Vulture, on other birds preys.
W a Wren, that was perch’d on a spray;
X was King Xerxes, well known in his day.
Y is a Yew Tree, both slender and tall;
Z Zacaariah, the last of them all.
Reading made Easie, copy of Bewick.
You are Old Father William, by Green.
The above woodcut of a Fugitive Soldier (designed by Craig, and engraved by Lee) was used on the back of the cover of this little book, as issued by J. G. Rusher at Banbury.
Jack’s Artfulness.
Jack shows the Giant a trick.
The Giant and his Prisoners.
Jack slices off the Giant’s nose.
Jack kills Blunderbore.
Jack strangles the Giants.
Who killed Cock Robin?
I, said the sparrow,
With my bow and arrow,
I killed Cock Robin!
This is the pie
That saw him die.
Who caught his blood?
I said the fish,
With my little dish,
I caught his blood!
Who made his shroud?
I, said the Eagle,
With my thread and needle!
This is the Owl so brave
That dug Cock Robin’s grave.
Who’ll be the parson?
I, said the Rook.
Who’ll be the clerk?
I, said the lark.
Who’ll carry him to his grave?
I, said the kite.
Who’ll be the chief mourner?
I, said the swan.
Who’ll bear his Pall?
We, said the wrens.
Who’ll toll the bell?
I, said the Bull.
Who’ll lead the way?
I, said the martin.
The birds of the air fell a sighing and sobbing,When they heard the bell toll for poor Cock Robin.
The cow took Tom Thumb
With a mouthful of grass.
His butterfly mounted,
And rode o’er the stream.
He climbed up the edge,
And fell in the bowl.
Tom soused in the firmity,
And had a great fall.
The breath of the spider
In the midst of the strife
Was too much for Sir Thomas,
And cost him his life.
With clay-cold lips the babes they kissed.
He bargained with two ruffians strong.
Away the little babes were sent.
To fight they go right suddenly.
Then hand in hand they took their way.
Till death did end their grief.
Designed by George Cruikshank (early work), and engraved by Branston.
Early Cruikshank School.
Dame Trot.
Dame Trot’s Cat.
Dame teaches the Cat.
Dame takes her to market.
Riding.
The Cat smells a Rat.
Dressing.
The Cat fights Dog Ball.
“Robinson Crusoe, he
Was determined to go to sea”
The Raft.
At Home.
The Tame Goat.
The Footprints.
Shooting Savages.
Traversing the Island.
Cruikshank School.
Jack and his Wife.
Jack Sprat goes courting.
Joan goes for a walk.
Jack’s Marriage.
Jack wheeling his Wife.
Joan sits in her chair.
Jack takes his gun.
But the birds don’t care.
Jack buys a cow.
Jack buys a mare.
Jack rests.
And grows fat.
Published by Rusher, circa 1814. Designed by Cruikshank, and engraved by Branstone. A copy is in the Bodleian Library.
Cinderella.
Cinderella dressing for the Ball.
Cinderella going to the Ball in a fine coach.
Cinderella dancing with the King’s Son.
Cinderella drops one of her glass slippers.
Cinderella marries the Prince.
Jack and Jill
Went up the hill.
Then up Jack got,
And home did trot.
Then Jill came in,
And she did grin.
They rode dog Ball,
And Jill did fall.
Says Jill, I’ll tell
You how Jack fell.
I’ll try, says Jack,
Upon his back.
Now Jill did laugh,
And Jack did cry.
They first rode high,
And then rode low.
The very next thing
They made a swing.
Camel came by.
Says Jack, I’ll try.
The pig he squalled,
While Jack he bawled.
Hearing the rout,
The dame came out.
Read it who will,
They’ll laugh they fill.
Designed by Cruikshank, and engraved by Branstone; published by Rusher about 1814. An original copy is in the Bodleian Library.
Dick goes on his travels.
And meets with a kind Merchant.
A penny for your cat, Dame!
Bow Bells ringing “Turn again Whittington!”
Pussy clears the King’s table,
And makes Whittington’s fortune.
page 45 picture 1
“The Cries of York, for the amusement of Young Children, decorated with cuts printed by T. Kendrew, Collier Gate, York.” These York Cries have not been mentioned by any writer on juvenile literature and the same may be said of the Banbury Cries. T. Kendrew of York, brought out many interesting penny and other children’s books. He published “Giles Gingerbread, a little boy who lived upon learning, by Tom Trip,” this was an abbreviation ofNewberry’sEdition of the“Silver Penny.” The series was illustrated with the early and prentice work of the Bewick School. One of the rarest is “The Cries of York,” the cuts of which afterwards travelled to Banbury and appeared in “Banbury Cries.” The series we are enabled to give complete.
Cuts belonging to York Cries.
Appended are the words to many of the foregoing Cries.
The Italian Basket Seller.
Ventured across the main behold,“Buy Baskets,” solemn Face,He sells for Lust of Naughty Gold,Which is a Common Case.
Mend old Pans and Kettles, O!(Peaseholme Green Postern)Hark! who is this, the Tinker Bold,To mend or spoil you Kettle,Whose wife, I’m certain is a Scold,Made up of base metal.
Buy my Clocks and Weather Glasses!Buy Shirt Hand Buttons!(Walmgate Bar)
“If I’d as much money as I could tell;I never would cry young lambs to sell.”(Thursday Market)
“Buy my Anchovies.Buymy nice Anchovies.”
Sweep Your Chimney Clean, O!
With drawling tone, Brush under arm,And Bag slung o’er his shoulder,Behold the Sweep, the Streets alarm,With Stentor’s voice and louder.
Come Buy My Nice Muffins.
Hot Muffins and Crumpets too,For Breakfast and for Tea;I’ve only a very few left,In Basket as you may see.
Buy Banbury Cakes! By fortune’s frown,You see this needy man,Along the street and up and downIs selling all he can.
Cockles Alive, Alive, O!
Behold Poor James at York again,His Cockles all alive, O!Alive, Alive, he cries amain,Come buy that he may thrive, O!
“Buy my fine Larks.”(Catching Larks)
“Sixpence a Score Oysters.”(Ouse Bridge)
“Come Buy my Roasting Spits.”
“Rabbits! Rabbits!”
“Buy my fine Writing Ink.”
“The City Bellman.”(Hay Weigh)
“Buy my Cranberries, fine Cranberries.”
“Sweet China Oranges.”(Pavement)
“Buy my Capers.Buymy nice Capers, Capers.”
“Buy my nice Banbury Cakes.”
“Buy my Windmills, a halfpenny-a-piece.”(Monk Bar)
“Fine Kidney Potatoes.”
“Threepence a Mart Ripe Gooseberries.”
“Come buy a true Calendar.”(Castle Gates)
“Razors, Knives, and Scissors to grind.”
“Acomb Sand.”
“Race Lists.”
The Cries of York is distinctly different from The Cries of London issued by Kendrew though the same set of Cuts are utilized.
London Street Cries have always had a fascination peculiarly their own. Madame Vestris used to bring down the house with “Cherry Ripe,” and where are happier efforts of the favourite home Artists than “London Cries” by A. Morland, Wheatley, Stodhard, and others, which are so eagerly sought after by connoiseurs? The pretty plaintive Cries too, would we had the ‘music’ to them, so familiar in the streets in those charming old English days.
page 49 picture 1
“Nothing like leather.”
A most interesting and quaint old relic is the one from which annexed impression isgiven, from Dyche’s Spelling Book: an exceedingly clean, choice and crisp copy of this book, in the original sheep covers,—a veritable “old shopkeeper,” which for nearly a century had escaped its intended destiny in Rusher’s varied stores, at length found a resting place in Sir Thomas Bodley’s venerable receptacle for bibliographical treasures in the Bodelian, Oxford. The present example—a portion of which was broken away many years ago,—is probably the sole surviving one of the quaint series of cuts, doubtless admired by our great-grand-parents over 100 years ago.
The following are curious examples of Fable Cuts, which were used in Dilworth, Cocker, Fisher, and others.
Early Fable Cuts, used at Banbury in Spelling Books.
page 51 picture 5
History of Joseph, designed by Isaac Cruikshank.
Clever little vignettes, by Thomas and John Bewick and Pupils, used first at Nicholson’s, Ludlow, circa 1787, and afterwards, circa 1814, used in Rusher’s Banbury Books.
Woodcuts of the Bewick and Cruikshank Schools, from Ludlow and Ploughwill, afterwards used at Banbury.
Used in various Rusher’s Penny Banbury Children’s Books.
By Bewick’s Pupils, used in Children’s Books at Banbury by Rusher.