Beadle

Hand puppet representing the figure of a beadle with carved wooden head and hands and wool clothing. Punch and Judy shows were part of the regular street entertainment on offer in 19th century London. The ridiculing of unpopular figures of authority such as beadles went down particularly well with audiences. This puppet is one in a set of 13 dating from about 1830. A similar Punch and Judy set up is described In Henry Mayhew's book London Labour and the London Poor published in the 1850s: 'There was twelve figures and the other happaratus, such as the gallows, ladder, horse, bell, and stuffed dog. The characters was Punch, Judy, Child, Beadle, Scaramouch, Nobody, Jack Ketch, the Grand Senoor, the Doctor, the Devil (there was no Ghost used then), Merry Andrew, and the Blind Man. These last two kerrackters are quite done with now. The heads of the kerrackters was all carved in wood, and dressed in the proper costume of the country. There was at that time, and is now, a real carver for the Punch business. He was dear, but werry good and hexcellent. His Punch's head was the best as I ever seed. The nose and chin used to meet quite close together.'