Homepage
Home
Search
Catalogue Search
Name Search
Place Search
Contact Us
Record
D5459 - George Murgatroyd Woodward (1767-1809), cartoonist - [c1780]-1840
4 - Unattributed prints and prints by other artists - 1789-c.1840
Browse this collection
This entry describes an individual archive record or file. Click here to browse the full catalogue for this collection
Archive Reference / Library Class No.
D5459/4/40
Former Reference
D5459/2/37
Title
John Bull Reading the Extraordinary Red Book
Date
[1816]
Description
John Bull sits in a chair reading the 'red book' of pensions. He is stamping his feet and shaking his fist, and his wig has flown off in his rage. He says:
"Oh!! - Monstrous!! - that twenty-six state cormorants should swallow annually an aggregate sum; under the name of salaries, independent of the indefinible[sic] emoluments which result from the other sources of gain amounting to £453,652 can we any longer wonder that the love of place in these men should supersede every more exalted consideration". On the table next to him lies the mace and a list of names with the pensions they are paid, including Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville.
To the right of John Bull sit the MPs. One holds a giant 'List of Placemen | Pensions | and Sinecures', which lists prominent political figures and their pensions. These include Ellenborough, Eldon and Castlereagh. The MPs reply to John Bull:
"I swallow £10,000 and do very little for it", "and I £16,00 - for doing next to nothing", "and I 40,000£ for doing less", "and I £71,000 for doing nothing at all". On the right a man in Scottish dress, taking snuff, adds: "And I 18,000 for doing worse."
Available on CD 167.
Level
Item
Repository
Derbyshire Record Office
Artist
Elmes
Archive Creator
George Murgatroyd Woodward (1765-1809), artist and writer
Further Information
205
by Thos Tegg 111 Cheapside
Date based on BM Sat 12781
The subject of corruption and sinecurists was of recurrent interest.
Physical Description
Hand-coloured print. Size 430 x 273 mm.
Copies
A digital copy can also be viewed on the public computers at the record office.
Related Material
See D5459/1/93/31 etc for more on the campaign against corruption.
See D5458/1/93/1etc for more depictions of Dundas.
See D5459/1/93/13 etc for more on Castlereagh.
Publication Note
BM Sat 12781
Image
Add to My Items
George M. Woodward (1767-1809), cartoonist
Useful Links
Viewing the records
I can't find what I'm looking for
Research Guides
Reproducing items from the collections
Picture the Past - old photos
Heritage Mapping Portal
Online Exhibitions
Our Blog
Tweets by DRO
See more Collection highlights
Bryan Donkin Company Ltd of Chesterfield, engineering firm
Local Studies Periodicals
George M. Woodward (1767-1809), cartoonist
National Coal Board
Collection Highlights