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Subject Area: Law

Bentham to Dr Robert Watts. - Jeremy Bentham, The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 10 (Memoirs Part I and Correspondence) [1843]

Edition used:

The Works of Jeremy Bentham, published under the Superintendence of his Executor, John Bowring (Edinburgh: William Tait, 1838-1843). 11 vols. Vol. 10.

Part of: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, 11 vols.

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Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


Bentham to Dr Robert Watts.

“Q. S. P.,September 8, 1801.

“Reverend Sir,—

The importance of the public object, the pursuit of which has suggested the liberty I am taking by this address, will, I hope, plead my excuse for the trouble I am attempting to give you by it, unknown as I am in person, and perhaps even in name. Being engaged in some inquiries relative to the rise of prices, with the privity, and not altogether without the assistance of the Treasury, I obtained, not long ago, some valuable information on that head from Bethlem Hospital. It was confined, however, to provisions and fuel; and my subsequent endeavours to extend it to clothing and other articles, were not equally successful.

“In looking over t’other day my stock of pamphlets, I happened to light on those sermons preached before the Society for the propagation of the Gospel, in so many different years, [1772, 1777, and 1780,] at the end of two of which, among other statistical matters, I found accounts of the prices of the clothing furnished to the Charity Schools in the respective years. It struck me that, supposing these accounts to have been published regularly, or even frequently, from the commencement of that respectable institution, or for that part of the time which constitutes, in a more particular manner, the subject of my inquiries, viz. the period commencing with the present reign, the series of them might go a considerable way towards filling up the gap left in the above-mentioned document.

“Observing Mr Rivington to be the printer to the Society, I accordingly sent to his shop but now, in the view of furnishing myself with the sermons, &c. for such years as might serve me for that purpose. The answer being, that they had no copies with the documents, Sion College occurred to me as the place, of all others, in which I might reckon on the existence of a complete collection of those documents, if anywhere.

“The favour that I have accordingly to request, is—to know whether any such collection exists; and in what state in respect of completeness, in the library under your care; and whether I might be favoured with permission, and at what day or hour, by myself or clerk, to visit the library for that purpose.

“Enclosed is a copy of the information furnished by the documents in question, for two of the years, (1772, and 1780,) that of 1777 being silent on the subject; from this, my object will be more clearly understood; and any answer you may be disposed to favour me with, will leave a more precise standard to refer to.—I have the honour to be, with all respect, Reverend Sir,” &c. &c.

Mr Watts sent these extracts from sundry documents.

“An Account of Charity-Schools, lately erected in Great Britain and Ireland, &c. 8th edition. London: 1709.” 4to.

Page 50.—The charge of clothing a poor boy of a Charity-School in London:—

s.d.
1 Yard and half-quarter of gray Yorkshire broad-cloth, six quarters wide, makes a coat,30
Making the coat, with pewter buttons, and all other materials,10
A waistcoat of the same cloth, lined,36
A pair of breeches of cloth or leather, lined,26
1 Black knit cap, with tuft and string,011
1 Band,02
1 Shirt,16
1 Pair of woollen stockings,08
1 Pair of shoes,110
1 Pair of buckles,01
152

The charge of clothing a poor girl of a Charity-School in London:—

s.d.
3 Yards and half of blue long ells, about yard wide, at 16d. per yard, makes a gown and petticoat,48
Making thereof, strings, body-lining, and other materials,10
A coif and band of Scots cloth plain, with a border,09
A shift,16
A pair of leather bodice and stomacher,26
1 Pair of woollen stockings,08
1 Pair of shoes,18
1 Pair of buckles,01
1210

Note.—The different stature of children is allowed for in this account; and 50 children, between the ages of 7 and 14, (one with another,) may be clothed at this rate in London.

In the ninth edition of the same account, London, 1710, 4to., p. 54, is the same list of prices, with the exception of the boy’s cap, which is there charged at only 10d.: so that the whole charge amounts to only 15s. 1d.

At the end of the Annual Sermon for the Charity-Schools for the year 1779, the prices for clothing men, women, and children, are the same as in the list for 1780, except as follows:—

s.d.
Woman’s bodice and stomacher,410
Checked apron,22
Girl’s leather bodice and stomacher,36
Buckles not inserted.
Ditto 1781. The following exceptions:—
Woman’s bodice and stomacher, not charged.
Girl’s pair of leather stays, (instead of leather bodice and stomacher,)46
[Buckles, as in 1780, 2d.]
Ditto 1790:—Ditto.
Woman’s bodice and stomacher, not charged.
Girl’s stays, as in 1781,46
Ditto 1791:—Ditto.
Woman’s bodice and stomacher, not charged.
Girl’s stays,46

Ditto 1793, 1794, 1796:—No prices inserted.

Dumont writes to Bentham from Paris, 27th November, 1801.