those metals, in their shoes. The coat, waistcoat, and breeches were often all of one colour, frequently of a light or snuff colour. Ruffles at the wrists, and white stocks for the throat were almost invariably worn." Cocked hats were commonly used; the kind of cocked hat then in fashion, came to a point or peak in front, and the raised part of the back was higher than the sides, not dissimilar in fashion to the small hat of that description, which is often seen introduced in portraits of King George the Third. The two last residents in Liverpool, who persevered in wearing hats something of that description, appear to have been Mr. Murray, of Duke-street, who was the owner of considerable property near the Old Dock gut, and whom many of the survivors of the congregation of the old chapel in Benns-garden must recollect, as he was regular in his attendance at divine service there, and Mr. Arthur Onslow, the then collector of customs; the latter continued to do so until nearly the period of his death, (which occurred in the year 1807;) and he also wore a tie wig until he died. The young men, and some of the middle-aged men wore their hair dressed with large curls on each side of the face, called cannon curls, and with queues. behind, and occasionally thick short queues called clubs. Wigs of various descriptions, such as tie wigs, cauliflower wigs, brown bob wigs, (2) and bush wigs, (3) with hair powder, were also commonly worn by middle aged and elderly persons.

Hair powder was almost always worn by persons in the higher and middle ranks, whether they wore their own hair

(1) The Author's Father recollected the dress of the Liverpool merchants being as above described. A portrait of him, in a dress something of that description, taken about 1782, or a short time afterwards, has been preserved.

(2) The pictures and engravings of King George the 3rd, taken when he was advanced in life, usually represent him with a brown bob wig.

(3) The engraved portrait of Dr. Johnson, usually placed at the commencement of his dictionary, is represented with a bush wig; but the bottom or curled part is rather deeper than was worn in Liverpool at the time we are treating of.

or wigs; and the first tax upon hair powder was in 1795, when, by the Act 35th George the Third, chap. 49, a duty was imposed on certificates issued for using hair powder.

The stockings worn by them were generally of silk, sometimes plain, and at other times ribbed or striped, and in the morning occasionally of cotton or of woollen yarn.

Canes and walking-sticks were very generally used, with large heads of gold, and sometimes of silver, amber, or ebony. Boots were rarely used, except the kind called topboots, which were commonly worn by equestrians.

In such a costume, merchants, bankers, and persons in a similar station in life constantly went abroad in the morning. It may easily be supposed, what astonishment would be excited on the Liverpool Exchange, if a merchant were now to appear there, attired in the dress which was commonly worn by a Liverpool merchant of those days.

When in full dress for visiting, they usually wore silk, satin, or velvet waistcoats, frequently of a rich colour and pattern, and often much embroidered or worked about the pocket holes and flaps, which were made very long, and silk breeches and stockings, with knee and shoe buckles ; in

(1) This style of dress was also prevalent in London, and probably in all other parts of the kingdom at that period. In Townsend's Lives of Twelve eminent Judges, vol. 1, page 427, it is stated, on the authority of Dr. Dibden, who narrates the fact from his own observation, that the usual evening dress of the times which he was describing, was as follows:-" Cocked hats and ruffles, with satin small clothes, and silk stockings ;" and Mr. (afterwards Lord) Erskine is there stated to have been "attired in the smart dress of the times, a dark green coat, scarlet waistcoat, and silk breeches." This was on the occasion of Dr. Dibdin's calling upon Mr. Erskine, whilst he was at breakfast, to request permission to dedicate a book to him. The precise date is not given, but Mr. Erskine was called to the bar in 1778, and, at the time when that is stated to have been his dress, he is represented as having been on the point of going out of town, to some provincial town, on a special retainer, and as his rise was so rapid, that he had, in the fourth year after being called to the bar, refused to accept junior briefs at Nisi Prius, and had the distinction of a silk gown and a patent of precedency, in 1783, it is fair to infer, that the date cannot have been long after the latter year.

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other respects the dress differed little from the walking or morning costume.

(1)

The ladies, when in full dress, wore hair powder, with a cushion upon the crown of the head, over which the hair was turned, and combed smoothly, so as to be raised several inches high. They also wore very high-heeled shoes, the heels being from three to four inches in height. The very large hoops which appear depicted in old pictures and prints (2) were gone out of use, or very nearly so, but they appear to have then been still commonly used on the stage.(2) Small hoops were, however, then constantly worn by ladies when visiting in Liverpool, and they continued to be used for many years after the commencement of the last quarter of that century. Parasols were not then used in Liverpool; indeed, they did not come into general use in England until about 1795; but instead of them, the ladies were in the habit of screening their faces from the sun, by means of immensely large green fans, which they carried with them when walking out; a custom which many ladies continued until about the commencement of the present century.

The customary dinner hour of the merchants and other persons of respectability in Liverpool, during a considerable part of the last quarter of the 18th century, was one o'clock, rarely as late as two, when not engaged with company at home, or not dining from home.

The usual hour of dinner parties was frequently as early as one o'clock, and, as years rolled on, it was commonly at two, or at three o'clock at the latest; and an inconvenient and expensive mode of entertaining resulted from dining so early, the giving both dinner, tea, and

(1) In Bell's edition of the British Theatre, published at various periods, between 1776 to 1781 inclusive, many such head-dresses are given, in the engravings of the performers.

(2) Ibid. Where many of the large hoops appear in the engravings.

supper to the visiters. The dinner hour of the Unanimous Club, which was composed of persons of the first families of Liverpool, and which will be mentioned in another place in this chapter, varied from half-past two, in 1775, to three o'clock, in 1777.

The following advertisement shows that, in 1775, it was usual for public dinners of gentlemen to take place, in Liverpool, as early as two o'clock in the afternoon :

"The Annual Meeting of the Friends of Sir William Meredith and Mr. Pennant, will be held on Friday, the 6th of October, at Mr. Wrigley's, the Golden Lion, in Dale-street.

Mr. Atherton in the chair.

Dinner on table at two o'clock.")

The custom of dining early extended to all classes; even the Mayors of Liverpool were in the habit of inviting guests to dine at the Town-hall, then called the Exchange, at one o'clock. The following is a copy of a card(2) (engraved) of invitation to dinner, issued by the Mayor of Liverpool, in 1776:

"Mr. Mayor presents his compliments to Mr. Leece, begs the favor of his company, on Sunday next, to dinner, at one o'Clock, at the Exchange.

An Answer is desired.-12 July, '76."

It cannot be ascertained at this distance of time, how the Mayor entertained his guests on Sunday, at such a dinner as that to which the card refers; but it is fair to surmise, that the attendance of the Mayor and his guests at Divine service in the afternoon was not a very probable event.

It was a common occurrence for the Mayors of Liverpool, after leaving St. George's Church, on Sunday, to have the

(1) Gore's General Advertiser of 22nd and 29th September, 1775.

(2) Copied by the Author from the original card of invitation, in the possession of Mrs. Bourne, the grand-daughter of the gentleman invited.

chaplain and two or three other persons, such as the Bailiffs, Town-clerk, or some personal friends, to dine with them, between the morning and afternoon services; most likely a mere verbal invitation sufficed for those occasions, without the form of a card. Instead of wine, their Sunday beverage, was punch, and censorious persons used to say, (but with what truth it is now impossible to ascertain,) that the person who most excelled in mixing it, was not one of the laymen. It is said that when the time arrived for afternoon service at St. George's Church, the Sword-bearer used to enter the room, and place the wand against the Mayor's chair, or in his hand, as a signal for church going; and if any punch. remained, the party returned and finished it after the service.

It, of course, can excite no surprise in any person, to be told, that it was then the custom (a custom which is still kept up,) for the officers bearing the regalia, and for some of the Mayor's male friends to walk and attend divine service with him, at St. George's Church on Sunday; but it is remarkable, that not long before the period we are now engaged upon, the wives of the Mayors also occasionally walked in the procession with their husbands to the church, accompanied by ladies who were their female friends or acquaintances, and who walked with them on those occasions as a mark of respect.

Balls, and parties where dancing was introduced, for young persons, were very common: the dances consisted of country dances and cottillions, and occasionally minuets.

There were public assemblies where both dancing and cards were introduced, which were held in the Exchange, before the fire destroyed its interior; they were afterwards held at one of the inns or hotels.

It may seem extraordinary to persons accustomed to the late hours of the present time, to hear of the company meeting as early as five o'clock, at a card assembly; but such was the fashion of the age.