Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 1.djvu/417

12 S. 1. MAY 20, 1916.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

411 time the purchaser turned a handle on a dial to indicate the book he wanted, put the money through a sliding panel, and the book shot down through a wooden spout without his being able to see who had supplied him. Later on, in 1831, Mr. Henry Vizetelly relates, in his 'Glances Back through Seventy Years,' vol. i. p. 69, that he found an empty shop, into which a basket was lowered by a cord. He called out the name of the pamphlet he wanted, put the money in the basket, and it was drawn up, being lowered again with the pamphlet.

In spite of these precautions Carlile served sentences amounting to nine years. His wife took his place, and was also sent to prison. She was followed by her sister, and by seven of Carlile's shopmen in succession between 1821 and 1824. Mr. G. J. Holyoake tells us, on Carlile's authority, that Julian Hibbert contributed in all 7,OOOZ. towards the expenses of this fight, including the maintenance of the families of the victims and the defence of the prisoners in the courts.

One of Carlile's shopmen who went to prison for twelve months in April, 1823, was James Watson, who had come from Malton in Yorkshire to volunteer on hearing that Carlile and his wife had both been sent to prison. Watson, who afterwards became one of the most respected of the Chartist leaders, is described by Mr. W. J. Linton as "of the old Puritan type, a brave specimen of the honest and intelligent British workman." He was working subsequently to 1823 as a compositor on Carlile's Republican, when he was attacked by cholera, which led to typhus and brain fever. Julian Hibbert took Watson from his modest lodgings to his own house at 1 Fitzroy Place, Kentish Town, and nursed him there for eight weeks. Watson declared that Hibbert had saved his life, and in his 'Memoir' (edited by Mr. W. J. Linton) he wrote:—

This is the press as to which writes. Hibbert had special founts of type cast in uncial Greek, in which the two books mentioned were printed. I suspect that it was here that Hibbert commenced to publish in 1826 'A Dictionary of Modern Anti-Superstitionists,' "compiled by a searcher after truth." The late Mr. J. Mazzini Wheeler, who published a 'Biographical Dictionary of Freethinkers,' says that Hibbert's Dictionary "evinced great scholarship and research," but was conceived on a too extensive scale, and in 128 pp. (all that was issued) only reached the name of "Annet."

In 1831 Hibbert, being in ill-health, gave his press and types to James Watson, who about this time became interested with Henry Hetherington in the establishment of an unstamped newspaper entitled The Poor Man's Guardian. In order to hamper and obstruct the sale of Radical publications their publishers were required to pay a newspaper stamp of 4d. on each copy. Hetherington issued his newspaper in defiance of the authorities, and in three and a half years more than five hundred men and women were sentenced to imprisonment in various parts of the country for selling it, Hetherington himself being twice sentenced to six months. A Victim Fund was established, and once more Julian Hibbert came forward with his purse to finance the movement, which ended in 1834 in the surrender of the authorities and the triumph of the democratic press.

Julian Hibbert never partook of animal food, but, according to 'The Annual Register,' lived in "a rigid and abstemious manner." 'The Annual Register' or 1833 gives an account of his appearance at the Old Bailey on Nov. 28, 1833, as a witness for the defence. He came there on subpœna, but objected to be sworn on the Bible as he was an atheist. This very edifying dialogue took place between him and Mr. C. Phillips, counsel, who asked him if he knew what the term "atheist" meant:—

Within two months, on Jan. 23, 1834, Julian Hibbert died. His personal estate was sworn under 8,000l., but he had some landed property which went to his sister. He directed that his body should be given to an anatomical school, and that no one should wear mourning for him. He bequeathed 492l. to Richard Carlile's printers to clear off a debt which Carlile owed them. He left 500l. each to Henry Hetherington and to James Watson. He was 33. A portrait of him was engraved in Mr. Holyoake's journal, The Reasoner, for July 1, 1855. Richard Carlile died on Jan. 10, 1843.