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arrived to sweep the chimneys of Mrs
Tottenham's house. The maid who answered the door informed him that no sweep had been requested, and that his services were not required. A few moments later, another sweep presented himself, then another, and another; twelve in all. After the last of the sweeps
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Every
Officer that could be mustered was enlisted to disperse the people, and they were placed at the corners of Berners Street to prevent trades people from advancing towards the house with goods. The street was not cleared at a late hour, as servants of every denomination wanting places began to
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Despite a "fervent hue and cry" to find the perpetrator, Hook managed to evade detection, although many of those who knew him suspected him of being responsible. It was reported that he felt it prudent to be "laid up for a week or two" before embarking on a tour of the country, supposedly to
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assemble at five o'clock. It turned out that letters had been written to the different trades people, which stated recommendations from persons of quality. A reward has been offered for the apprehension of the author of the criminal hoax.
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The book of days: a miscellany of popular antiquities in connection with the calendar, including anecdote, biography, & history, curiosities of literature and oddities of human life and character, Volume
144:, also arrived. The narrow streets soon became severely congested with tradesmen and onlookers. Deliveries and visits continued until the early evening, bringing a large part of London to a standstill.
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that he could transform any house in London into the most talked-about address in a week, which he achieved by sending out thousands of letters in the name of Mrs
Tottenham, who lived at 54
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had been sent away, a fleet of carts carrying large deliveries of coal began to arrive, followed by a series of cakemakers delivering large wedding cakes, then doctors, lawyers,
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Hook stationed himself in the house directly opposite 54 Berners Street, from where he and his friend spent the day watching the chaos unfold.
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Lives of Wits and
Humourists: R. Brinsley Sheridan. Richard Porson. Rev. Sydney Smith. Theodore Hook. James and Horace Smith
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and priests summoned to minister to someone in the house they had been told was dying.
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After all was said and done, Hook won his one-guinea bet (£87 in 2021 terms).
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were among the next to appear, along with "six stout men bearing an
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245:"Most extraordinary scene — Berners Street in an uproar"
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The life and remains of
Theodore Edward Hook, Volume 1
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The site at 54 Berners Street is now occupied by the
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Museum of hoaxes article on the
Berners Street hoax
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103:On 27 November, at five o'clock in the morning, a
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63:Theodore Hook, perpetrator of the hoax, circa 1810
427:(States street number as 10 and the year as 1810)
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321:"£1.05 in 1809 → 2021 | UK Inflation Calculator"
87:, in 1810. Hook had made a bet with his friend
388:Secret Britain: The Hidden Bits of Our History
253:. 28 November 1810. p. 3 – via
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432:London in the Nineteenth Century
296:"The Famous Berners Street Hoax"
130:Governor of the Bank of England
55:Berners Street hoax, caricature
373:Lockhart, John Gibson (1852),
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128:". Dignitaries, including the
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181:List of practical joke topics
16:1810 hoax in London, England
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361:Chambers, Robert (1832),
384:Pollard, Justin (2009),
138:Archbishop of Canterbury
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376:Theodore Hook, a sketch
368:, W. & R. Chambers
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325:www.in2013dollars.com
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474:November 1810 events
406:Timbs, John (1862),
300:www.shadyoldlady.com
142:Lord Mayor of London
469:19th-century hoaxes
71:was perpetrated by
69:Berners Street hoax
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37:51.5176°N 0.1372°W
464:Hoaxes in England
399:978-1-84854-198-6
120:and over a dozen
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343:Bibliography
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330:26 September
328:. Retrieved
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303:. Retrieved
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114:Fishmongers
77:Westminster
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443:Categories
283:Timbs 1862
187:References
159:convalesce
118:shoemakers
25:51°31′03″N
28:0°08′14″W
175:See also
140:and the
99:History
85:England
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136:, the
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122:pianos
110:vicars
81:London
192:Notes
126:organ
105:sweep
394:ISBN
332:2021
307:2021
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