The map below locates the thirty-five plates which illustrate (or perhaps provide the excuse for) the story of Pierce Egan’s 1821 Life in London: Or, The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorne, Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom, accompanied by Bob Logic, the Oxonian, in Their Rambles and Sprees Through the Metropolis. As the title indicates, Egan’s narrative tells the story of the elegant socialite Corinthian Tom, his country cousin Jerry and their provoking and licentious friend Bob Logic as they explore the possibilities of high and low life in London in the early 1820s, with a particular focus on blood sports, disguises and the pursuit of pleasure. At present, the text provided for each image is the original plate caption, sometimes with a bracketed gloss to explain why I’ve located that image in a particular place. Life in London itself includes extensive accounts of each of the plates – I may add these at a later date, but for now, they can be viewed using the Google Books copy. The base map here is William Faden’s 1819 fourth edition of Horwood’s Plan.
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Jerry in training for a "Swell". (This scene takes place at Corinthian House, which is not explicitly located by Egan in the text. For convenience, I've placed the relevant markers in Berkeley Square, a location indicative of the relatively high status of Corinthian Tom's family.) |
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Tom & Jerry, Sporting their "bits of blood" among the Pinks in Rotten Row. |
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Tom & Jerry in the Saloon at Covent Garden. |
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Tom & Jerry taking Blue Ruin after the Spell is broke up. (The location here is a conjecture based on the characters' next destination ('near the Olympic [Pavilion]') and the general low reputation of the streets between Covent Garden and Lincoln's Inn Fields). |
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MIDNIGHT. Tom & Jerry at a Coffee Shop near the Olympic. (The Olympic Pavilion, which opened in 1806, was located at the junction of Drury Lane, Wych Street and Newcastle Street.) |
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Tom & Jerry in Trouble after a Spree. (In placing this marker, I have assumed that the characters would have been taken to the Covent Garden Watch House, located next to St Paul's Church). |
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BOW STREET. Tom & Jerry's sensibility awakened at the pathetic tale of the elegant Cyprian,_the feeling Coachman,_and the generous Magistrate. |
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Tom & Jerry larking at a Masquerade Supper, at the Opera House. |
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ART OF SELF DEFENCE. Tom and Jerry receiving Instructions from Mr. Jackson at his Rooms in Bond Street. (References in Pierce Egan's Boxiana locate 'Gentleman' John Jackson's rooms at 13 Bond Street). |
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CRIBB'S PARLOUR. Tom introducing Jerry and Logic to the Champion of England. (Tom Cribb became a publican after retiring. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography gives the location of his pub, the Union Arms, as 36 Panton Street, while other sources give number 26. Horwood's Plan reveals that the current number 36 (the location of a modern pub, the Tom Cribb) was number 26 in the early nineteenth century, resolving this seeming contradiction). |
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Tom & Jerry sporting their blunt on the phenomenon Monkey, Jacco Macacco, at the Westminster Pit. (The Westminster Pit was located on Duck Lane, Orchard Street. Horwood's not having gathered the street numbers here makes placing the marker on a precise building a difficult proposition). |
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Tom Getting the best of a Charley. (The text of Life in London and the view of St Clement Danes in the plate both locate this incident as taking place just inside the Temple Bar Gate.) |
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A "LOOK IN" at TATTERSAL'S. Tom taking Jerry's judgment in purchasing a "Prad". |
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AN INTRODUCTION. Gay moments of Logic, Jerry, Tom and Corinthian Kate. (This scene takes place at Corinthian House; I've used Berkeley Square as an indicative location.) |
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FENCING. Jerry's admiration of Tom in an "Assault" with Mr O'SHAUNESSY, at the Rooms in St James's St[ree]t. (Exact address not yet located.) |
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Tom & Jerry, catching Kate & Sue on the Sly having their Fortunes told. (Likely location, inferred from description in the main text: 'On quitting the Fencing-Rooms, TOM and JERRY accompanied LOGIC to the Albany, where they bid good-bye to the Oxonian: and, in their way towards Bedford-Square, having an appointment at that place, HAWTHORN espied, at a short distance before him, in Russell-Street, KATE and SUE tripping it along, as if in great haste. JERRY instantly mentioned the circumstance to TOM, but the CORINTHIAN had scarcely caught a glimpse of their persons, when they quickly turned down an obscure narrow street; and if the curiosity of our heroes had not been strongly excited, so as to give them a run for it, they must have lost sight of the ladies altogether, having only turned the corner of the street time enough to witness their entrance into a very shabby dirty-looking house.') |
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The "NE PLUS ULTRA" of "Life in London." _ Kate, Sue, Tim, Jerry and Logic, viewing the Throne Room at Carlton Palace. |
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LIFE IN LONDON._Peep o' day Boys. A street Row. The Author losing his "reader". Tom & Jerry "showing fight". & Logic floored. (Exactly located in the text: 'Upon turning the corner of Sydney's Alley, into Leicester-Fields, we were assailed by some troublesome customers...') |
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Symptoms of the finish of "Some Sorts of Life" in London._ Tom, Jerry and Logic in the Press Yard at Newgate. |
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The ROYAL EXCHANGE._ Tom pointing out to Jerry a few of the primest features of Life in London. |
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LOWEST "LIFE in LONDON"_ Tom, Jerry and Logic among the unsophisticated Sons and Daughters of Nature at "All Max" in the East. (Location only indicative - the only real indications we're given of the location of All-Max are that it's east of the Tower and near the river.) |
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HIGHEST LIFE IN LONDON. Tom & Jerry "Sporting a Toe" among the Corinthians, at Almacks in the West. |
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Tom, Jerry and Logic backing Tommy the 'Sweep at the Royal Cockpit. |
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A GAME OF WHIST. Tom and Jerry among the Swell "Broad Coves." (The only information given about the house where this scene takes place is that it is 'near St. James's Park'.)
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Tom, Jerry and Logic in characters at the GRAND CARNIVAL. |
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THE GREEN ROOM AT DRURY LANE THEATRE. Tom & Jerry introduced to the Characters in Don Giovanni. |
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Tom, Jerry and Logic. "tasting" Wine in the Wood. at the London Docks. (Note: the London Docks were constructed between 1799 and 1815, after the completion of the first version of Horwood's Plan). |
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OUTSIDE OF THE OPERA HOUSE AT NIGHT. Gallantry of Tom and Jerry. |
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Tom, Jerry and Logic, making the most of an Evening at Vauxhall. |
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A SHILLING WELL LAID OUT. Tom and Jerry at the Exhibition of Pictures at the Royal Academy. |
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Tom and Jerry "Masquerading it" among the Cadgers in the "Back Slums" in the Holy Land. (The Holy Land was a name for the poor rookeries of St Giles.) |
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Tom and Jerry taking the hint at Logic's being being blown up at "Point Nonplus"; or, long "wanted" by John Doe and Richard Roe and must "come". (Bob Logic's address is given as No. 9 Albany on his card (printed on p. 87 of Life in London). (The) Albany (formerly Melbourne House and York House) was (and remains) an exclusive apartment complex.) |
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A WHISTLING SHOP. Tom & Jerry visiting Logic "on board the Fleet." (The Fleet was a debtor's prison.) |
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Jerry "beat to a stand still"! Dr Please'em's Prescription, Tom and Logic's condolence;_ and the "Slaveys" on the alert. (This scene takes place at Corinthian House; I've used Berkeley Square as an indicative location.) |
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WHITE HORSE CELLAR, PICCADILLY._ Tom and Logic bidding Jerry "good bye," upon his going into training, & his return to Hawthorn Hall. (John Lockie's Topography of London (1810) locates the new White Horse Cellar at number 66 and the old one 'op. 76, two doors W. of Arlington-st'. The plate here depicts the new cellar (see top right).) |
