Record Number: 29035

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Mr. B. B. Popplewell rose to propose “the health of the Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel and the Conservative members of the House of Commons,” and after eulogizing the public and private character, and conduct of the great statesman, remarked that he had on=observed on a late occasion, when Sir R. Peel was elected Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow, that the gentleman who proposed Sir John Campbell, driven to desperation for want of a subject of disparagement, sneeringly said in allusion to Sir R. Peel that they would not have “paternal power-looms and spinning-jennies.” Such a sneer was worthy of such a cause. He (the speaker), however, sincerely hoped, for the credit of his countrymen, that they at all events had yet to learn that it was a disgrace to be raised in the scale of society by the honourable fruits of successful industry. Hopeless, indeed, was that cause whose defenders were driven to sneer at the rise of individuals from the humble ranks of life. In the words of a living poet (Robert Story), who he was happy to see present, he would say —

“I envy not, covet not, title nor sway
Yet ’tis pleasant to think that to all they are free;
That, thanks to the laws of my country, the way
To her honours is open, ay, even to me.”

The toast was responded to with great enthusiasm [...]'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

2 Dec 1836

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

city: Bradford
county: Yorkshire

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Benjamin Briggs Popplewell

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Wine and Spirit Merchant

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

Mr. Robert Story, Mr. M. Thompson, Mr. J. Pollard, Rev. S. slack, Mr. W. Basfield, Mr. J. G. Horsfall, Mr. H. W. Hird, Rev. T, Newbury of Greenwood, Mr. W. Walker, Mr. J. Outhwaite, Mr. J. G. Paley, Mr. H, Simons, Mr. F. Dutfiel, Mr. Mr. W. Basfield [et

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Robert Story

Title:

'I was bred in a cot' from Songs and Lyrical Poems

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

1st edition 1836 publishers details not known. 3rd edition Story, R. Songs and Lyrical Poems (1836; Liverpool: Whittaker & Co, 1845), [Syd

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

29035

Source:

Print

Author:

n/a

Editor:

Thomas Barnes

Title:

The Times

Place of Publication:

n/a

Date of Publication:

5 Dec 1836

Vol:

n/a

Page:

3

Additional Comments:

The Times, Monday, December 5, 1836, p. 3. Issue 16278

Citation:

Thomas Barnes (ed.), The Times, (5 Dec 1836), p. 3, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=29035, accessed: 15 May 2024

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Additional Comments:

Identified in The Times, Monday, December 5, 1836 p. 3. Issue 16278. Article mentions a speech by Benjamin Briggs Popplewell at a Grand Conservative Dinner, Bradford Yorkshire Friday, December 2, 1836. During a the speech Popplewell recites part of Robert Story's poem 'I was bred in a cot'. Poem Appeared in a volume of poetry, Songs and Lyrical Poems. 1st edition 1836, publisher's details not known. 3rd edition as follows: Story, R. Songs and Lyrical Poems (1836; Liverpool: Whittaker & Co, 1845), [Sydney Jones Library, Special Collections and Archives, Y84.3.830]. *The author Robert Story was also present at time of speech.

For clarity's sake, marginal left-hand quotation marks in the poem have been silently elided.