Yesterday evening I attended a prize giving event at Church
of St George the Martyr here in Ramsgate, sitting near the back on the side
balcony unable to see the event, with most of the view in front of me being the
view of the opposite balcony – closed because of the roof leaking there – I sat
and sketched.
I doubt that there would be much noticeable difference
between a Ramsgate prize giving in 1830 and one now, children played the piano
some sung, occasionally the lists of prizes were read out, children collected
their prizes. An eminently suitable background to sketching the church, I am
always a little concerned about doing this during god bothering events – struck
by a thunderbolt – upset the vicar type of kidney.
I supposed – sitting there – that St George’s Church opened
in about 1830 and sketching the features it occurred to me that it really is
one of the more attractive Georgian churches in England.
Having done two blog posts of 1830s directories this week
and written a leaflet for Margate Tourist information office with most of the
illustrations copied from an 1820 guide to Margate, my mind is somewhat focused
on Georgian Thanet
At this time most of the population of Kent were
agricultural workers living in poverty and at times when the rents went up, or
the price of bread went up there were riots, rick burnings. The central
character in this being Captain Swing, a sort of fictional leader, as a
bookseller I imagine I would have sold the pamphlets.
What sort of pamphlet? Best not try to explain so I have
put an example below.
