From the same column that I quoted from the day before yesterday in The Western Times of 26th November, 1842, we learn that the Mayor of that year, Samuel Kingdon, began his career as Chief Magistrate at Exeter Guildhall by summoning drapiers of the Hebrew Persuasion for hanging out their clothes in front of the line of their walls and windows. Rumour had it that there was one such business opposite Sam Kingdon's house and it irked him..
In any case he rounded up four of the Hebrew persuasion and fined them five shillings each for this misdemeanour. They were none of them too browbeaten by their day in court and, as so often in Exeter Guildhall, one has the impression that there was a certain levity about the proceedings, or maybe that is only 'the way The Times tells them'.
One of them, a Mr. Marks, looked around the Court and delivered the commendable sentence: I am a free-born Englishman as much as any gentleman here. (A sentiment I have yet to hear from any of the many Islamists that share our small island.)
But my favourite was young Mr. Mordecai Hart, who, it seems, preferred to be called Mark, who clearly was as sharp as a needle:
MARK HART was the next Hebrew summoned; but it appeared that they had given him the wrong name - Mordecai and not Mark was he called by. He was summoned for hanging out his clothes. Mr Mordecai was very fiery and peppery - he declared that when the officer came he had his clothes all in - he had a pretty sharp eye of his own - in fact a Jew's eye - and he could see the officer.
"LASCELLES, the active officer, who has a decent orb of his own, averred that the offence was actually seen, whereupon Mr. Hart asked how he was to get his living if he could not expose his goods.
"THE MAYOR could not see what difference it would make if they were all put upon the same footing.
"MR HART - I've seen Mr. Kingdon's key hanged out - I shall have a summons for him - (laughter)
MR. SAM. KINGDON. - I have no objection—you are little sharp —how come you keep two shops ?
MR. HART—Because one won't answer.
"MR. HART - KINGDON - You are very sharp—l could say a sharp thing upon you.
"Mr. HART—Very well, sir—l should have some answer for it.
"Mr. SAM. KINGDON would not take up the challenge to this keen encounter of wits, and so the public are not able to decide which is sharper.
"His withdrawal from the combat appeared to excite the young Hebrew to deeds of daring. He waxed warm, took off his coat, and we feared that he was about to prove his English descent and challenge to the collective Bench to step out and let him maintain the reputation of tbe Hebrew school after the fashion of Mendoza, Aby Belasco, and Dutch Sam.
"After flourishing the garment to and fro he tendered it to the Bench, saying, 'you had better take my coat next.'
" THE MAYOR—l cannot hear any indecent language— you are fined five shillings.
"He offered his coat in payment, but there was not a Magistrate on the bench that could by any means get into it—and if it had fitted any one they could not have permitted so gross a breach of the truck laws as to have received it. Defendant was first inclined to resist the law even to imprisonment, but eventually put on his coat and paid the fine."
To be worth a Jew's eye, was apparently a common idiom meaning that something was worth a great price.
Daniel Mendoza, Aby Belasco and Dutch Sam were all champion boxers of the Regency years. They were all Jewish. Dutch Sam was known as The Terrible Jew. Here they are being remembered long after their pugilistic careers.
Incidentally, the only man who managed ever to beat Dutch Sam was Bill Nosworthy, an Exeter baker, who met Dutch Sam before a record crowd at Mousley Hurst, on Tuesday 8th December 1814 - I quote from For Love of Williamina, Agre Books, 2001: 'Before the fight Dutch Sam was reported as saying to Nosworthy: 'So help me Cot! Bill. I will not only fight you first but I will afterwards take you home and nurse you like one of my own children!' So, it would seem the 'staredown' is no new phenomenon. Bill Nosworthy died in Lympstone in 1816.
I can't work out what is meant by truck law but it sounds like something Keir Starmer should have observed.
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