Some day ago I was searching the local papers for the Dover area around 1860-70 for one of my ancestors, a certain Henry Williams, Booking Clerk with the SE Railway. (Yes, it’s needle in haystack stuff, but he’s elusive so I’m clutching at straws.) In the process I came upon the following, very non-PC by our standards but still highly amusing, court report in the Kentish Chronicle for 19 July 1862:

Beautifying a Black Man
A tall woolly-headed negro, named Henry Williams, was brought before Mr Selfe, at Worship-street Police Court, on Saturday, charged with creating a disturbance, and breaking a pane of glass in the shop window of Mr Noah Sayer, a barber, in Well-street, Wellelose Square.
William Butler, a journeyman barber, said the prisoner came into his master’s shop on Friday evening, and said he wanted beautifying [laughter]. He proceeded to shave the prisoner – to polish him up, and cut his hair. He then shampooed the prisoner [great laughter].
Mr Selfe: Shampooed him! How did you do that?
Witness: Oh, I shampooed him in the American style – dressed his hair, and poured some odoriferous stuff, and beautified him nicely [roars of laughter]. When I had done all that he offered me a penny.
Mr Selfe: A penny for beautifying a black man! [increased laughter]
Witness: I told him a penny would not do; the charge was a shilling. He said he was not half-beautified, and would not pay it, but after creating a great disturbance he paid the shilling and took up a pot of cosmetic, which he was about to put on his head [laughter]. I told him that could not be included, on which he seized me and threw me on the shop door, and broke a large pane of glass.
Mr Selfe: What cosmetic was it?
Witness: Pomade, sir.
Mr Selfe: To make his hair straight?
Witness: No, sir; it is the sort of pomade to make the hair curl.
Mr Selfe: Pomade to curl a black man’s hair; it will curl without pomade [laughter].
Mr Sayer, the proprietor of the barber’s shop, said this was no laughing matter; but as the prisoner had made it straight he would not press the charge.
Mr Selfe: Made what straight – his hair?
Mr Sayer: No; he will pay for the glass he has broken.
Mr Selfe: Very well. Now, Mr Williams, when you want to be beautified again, don’t meddle with the barber’s cosmetics and break his windows. You may go.
The black man, who looked all the better for the “polish” he had received from the barber, then withdrew.

Well first of all this is not “my” Henry Williams. And, yes, as I say, very non-PC by our standards, although one can’t help feeling that it was all rather knowingly tongue-in-cheek and that the reporter and magistrate enjoyed it as much as the public gallery. How times change in 150 years; no such exchange would be permitted these days.

Each month this year we’re bringing you a post under the general title “Things that Count in [Number]” where [Number] will be the month. And naturally each month’s post will contain the [Number] of items (so just one for January, up to 12 for December).

For our purposes the definition of counting includes things which either come in groups of [Number] (eg. four suits in a pack of playing cards) or things which count in [Number] (eg. decimal coinage counting in tens).

Things which Count in Four …

1. The Beatles
2. Violin strings
3. Classical elements
4. Horsemen of the Apocalypse