Birthday: George III of Great Britain

George III was the reigning monarch of Great Britain during most of Walter Scott’s lifetime,

ruling from 1760 until his death in 1820.  George has been mentioned in more than one

previous post.  In remembrance of his birthday (June 4, 1738), today's posting includes the

following description of the annual birthday celebration in Edinburgh from Henry Cockburn’s

“Memorials of his Time".

Another [test of loyalty] was keeping the King's birth-day. This day 

was the 4th of June, which, for the 60 years that the 

reign of George the III lasted, gave an annual holiday 

to the British people, and was so associated in their 

habits with the idea of its being a free day, that they 

thought they had a right to it even after his Majesty 

was dead. And the established way of keeping it in 

Edinburgh was, by the lower orders and the boys 

having a long day of idleness and fireworks, and by the 

upper classes going to the Parliament House, and drink- 

ing the royal health in the evening, at the expense of 

the city funds. The magistrates who conducted the 

banquet, which began about seven, invited about 1500 

people. Tables, but no seats except one at each end, 

were set along the Outer House. These tables, and the 

doors and walls, were adorned by flowers and branches, 

the trampling and bruising of which increased the gen- 

eral filth. There was no silence, no order, no decency. 

The loyal toasts were let off, in all quarters, according 

to the pleasure of the Town Councillor who presided 

over the section, without any orations by the Provost, 

who, seated in his robes, on a high chair, was supposed 

to control the chaos. Respectable people, considering 

it all as an odious penance, and going merely in order 

to show that they were not Jacobins, came away after 

having pretended to drink one necessary cup to the 

health of the reigning monarch. But all sorts, who 

were worthy of the occasion and enjoyed it, persevered 

to a late hour, roaring, drinking, toasting, and quarrel- 

ling. They made the Court stink for a week with the 

wreck and the fumes of that hot and scandalous night. 

It was not unusual at old Scotch feasts for the guests, 

after drinking a toast, to toss their glasses over their 

heads, in order that they might never be debased by 

any other sentiment. The very loyal on this occasion 

availed themselves of this privilege freely, so that frag- 

ments of glass crunched beneath the feel of the walk. 

The infernal din was aggravated by volleys of musketry, 

fired very awkwardly by the Town Guard, amidst the 

shouts of the mob, in the Parliament Close.  The rabble, 

smitten by the enthusiasm of the day, were accustomed, 

and permitted, to think license their right, and exercised 

their brutality without stint. Those who were aware of 

what might take place on the street, retired from the 

banquet before the spirit of mischief was fully up. 

Those who came out so late as ten or even nine of the 

evening, if observed and unprotected, were fortunate if 

they escaped rough usage, especially if they escaped 

being … made to "Hide the Stang" a 

painful and dangerous operation, and therefore a great 

favorite with the mob. I forget when this abominable 

festival was given up. Not, I believe, till the poverty, 

rather than the will, of the Town Council was obliged 

to consent. 

George III Passes

‘The long reign of George the Third was brought to a close on the 29^th of January, 1820.  The chief interest of the people in this event, seemed to consist in its depriving them of their sixty years holiday on the 4^th of June.  On the following Sunday Sir Harry Moncreiff not satisfied with merely praying for the new sovereign generally, said in plain terms, giving the very date, that there might be no mistake about it, “And oh Lord, stablish his heart in righteousness, and in the principles of the glorious revolution of sixteen hunder and ecthy echt”…’

The text above comes from Lord Henry Cockburn’s “Memorials of his Time”.  Concerning this Hanoverian monarch, Sir Walter Scott wrote: ‘George the Third labored under some disadvantages, which for a long time obscured his highly estimable qualities.  Notwithstanding what we have said of his personal qualities, his education had been narrow and confined in an unusual degree, and no adequate pains had been taken either to form his external manners, or to cultivate his mind in classical or polite literature…’  

Act of Proscription

‘And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from and after the first day of August, one thousand seven hundred and forty seven, no man or boy, within that part of Great Briton called Scotland, other than shall be employed as officers and soldiers in his Majesty's forces, shall on any pretence whatsoever, wear or put on the clothes commonly called Highland Clothes (that is to say) the plaid, philibeg, or little kilt, trowse, shoulder belts, or any part whatsoever of what peculiarly belongs to the highland garb; and that no tartan, or partly-coloured plaid or stuff shall be used for great coats, or for upper coats; and if any such person shall presume, after the said first day of August, to wear or put on the aforesaid garments or any part of them, every such person so offending, being convicted thereof by the oath of one or more credible witness or witnesses before any court of justiciary, or any one or more justices of the peace for the shire or stewartry, or judge ordinary of the place where such offence shall be committed, shall suffer imprisonment, without bail, during the space of six months, and no longer; and being convicted for a second offence before a court of justiciary or at the circuits, shall be liable to be transported to any of his Majesty's plantations beyond the seas, there to remain for a space of seven years.’

On August 1, 1747, the Act of Proscription, which banned the wearing of ‘the highland dress’ in Scotland, went into effect.  The text above is from that act, which George II of England introduced.  This act was repealed in 1782 under George III of England, which made it possible for Walter Scott to orchestrate the tartan pageantry involved in the visit of George IV to Edinburgh in 1822.

George III Crowned

From "Redgauntlet":

'I have often heard,' said Darsie, 'that a female, supposed to be a man in disguise,--and yet, Lilias, you do not look very masculine,--had taken up the champion's gauntlet at the present king's coronation, and left in its place a gage of battle, with a paper, offering to accept the combat, provided a fair field should be allowed for it. I have hitherto considered it as an idle tale. I little thought how nearly I was interested in the actors of a scene so daring. How could you have courage to go through with it?'

On October 26, 1760, the first King that would rule during Sir Walter Scott's lifetime was crowned king of England and Ireland.  His father George II died the day before.  George William Frederick Hanover's reign lasted 60 years. 

Early in George's career, there were stories that Bonnie Prince Charlie returned to London, mostly to visit a mistress, but as Walter Scott portrays, as a last attempt to claim his throne.  "Redgauntlet" includes this note about George III's coronation:

'NOTE 9--CORONATION OF GEORGE III





In excuse of what may be considered as a violent infraction of probability in this chapter, the author is under the necessity of quoting a tradition which many persons may recollect having heard. It was always said, though with very little appearance of truth, that upon the Coronation of the late George III, when the champion of England, Dymock, or his representative, appeared in Westminster Hall, and in the language of chivalry solemnly wagered his body to defend in single combat the right of the young King to the crown of these realms, at the moment when he flung down his gauntlet as the gage of battle, an unknown female stepped from the crowd and lifted the pledge, leaving another gage in room of it, with a paper expressing, that if a fair field of combat should be allowed, a champion of rank and birth would appear with equal arms to dispute the claim of King George to the British kingdoms. The story is probably one of the numerous fictions which were circulated to keep up the spirits of a sinking faction, The incident was, however, possible, if it could be supposed to be attended by any motive adequate to the risk, and might be imagined to occur to a person of Redgauntlet's enthusiastic character. George III, it is said, had a police of his own, whose agency was so efficient, that the sovereign was able to tell his prime minister upon one occasion, to his great surprise, that the Pretender was in London. The prime minister began immediately to talk of measures to be taken, warrants to be procured, messengers and guards to be got in readiness. 'Pooh, pooh,' said the good-natured sovereign, since I have found him out, leave me alone to deal with him.'--'And what,' said the minister, 'is your Majesty's purpose, in so important a case?'--'To leave the young man to himself,' said George III; 'and when he tires he will go back again.' The truth of this story does not depend on that of the lifting of the gauntlet; and while the latter could be but an idle bravado, the former expresses George Ill's goodness of heart and soundness of policy.'

Queen Victoria

On May 24, 1819, the ruler that links many of our current generation's grandparents to Sir Walter Scott was born.  At the time the future Queen Victoria was born, her grandfather George III was on the throne.  Sir Walter Scott lived about 13 years after her birth, so he did not live to see her ascend to the throne.  But he did meet her.  This meeting, when Victoria was still an infant is recorded in Sir Sidney Lee's "Queen Victoria, a biography".

"...The Duchess of Kent was fond of presenting her daughter to her visitors at Kensington, who included men of distinction in all ranks of life. William Wilberforce describes how he received an invitation to visit the Duchess at Kensington Palace in July 1820, and how the Duchess received him' with her fine animated child on the floor by her side with its playthings, of which I soon became one.' On May 19, 1828, Sir Walter Scott ' dined with the Duchess ' and was ' presented to the little Princess Victoria—I hope they will change her name (he added)—the heir-apparent to the crown as things now stand. . . . This little lady is educating with much care, and watched so closely, that no busy maid has a moment to whisper, " you are heir of England."' But Sir Walter suggested ' I suspect, if we could dissect the little heart, we should find that some pigeon or other bird of the air had carried the matter.'..."

George Square Glasgow

George Square in Glasgow was named after King George III.  The square was planned by architects James and Robert Adam, beginning around 1780. 

Robert Adam was the son of Scotland's most famous architect, William Adam who designed Hopetown House and Duff House.  Of William's three architect sons (John, Robert and James), the latter two developed a style known as Adamesque.  Features of this style include Roman motifs, grotesque panels, and pilasters.  Robert Adam died on March 3, 1792.

George Square contains a statue of Sir Walter Scott, which was the first memorial dedicated to him.  Other famous Scott Memorial sites include Edinburgh, and the Literary Walk in New York's Central Park.  The column on which the statue sits was erected in 1837.  Scott shares the square with other notables such as James Watt, Robert Burns, Queen Victoria, Sir John Moore, William Gladstone and  Robert Peel.