‘Sweet William and Grizzel or Newington Nunnery in an Uproar’, 1827

Description

Mounted hand coloured etching, entitled ‘SWEET WILLIAM & GRIZZEL-or-NEWINGTON-NUNNERY in an Uproar !!!’, designed and etched by Henry Heath, and published by Samuel William Fores in 1827.

This is a lampoon on the third marriage of William Allen, set in a Friend’s meeting house. William Allen was the first President of the Pharmaceutical Society; he married for the third time in 1827.

This marriage was the subject of public comment, since his betrothed – Grizell Birbeck (formerly Grizell Hoare of Stoke Newington) – was a wealthy elderly Quaker widow. A lengthy caption written in a large open book in the centre of the scene ends with the comment; “And all do say Love never can Diminish or grow cold, She doats upon the very Man, He doats upon her Gold”.

William and Grizzell stand on the right-hand side, holding hands, in front of a collection of carboys and graduated measures. Her five nieces stand around with a number of speech bubbles commenting on the marriage.

On the left a woman, seated in a