1 note

1 note

1 note

Either Robert Eden Duncombe Shafto (1776-1848) or his son Robert Duncombe Shafto (1796-1888), Neither were Members of Parliament at the relevant time. Nor were any member of the Vane (or Vane-Tempest) family (i)  The "members" who "ne'er shall be forgot" were presumably other MPs.

Reference:

(i) www.historyofparliamentonline.org/research/members/members-1820-1832

1 note

Soap was mixed into hot water for the main wash, and extra might be used for spot stain treatment, but everyday linen might still be cleansed with ash lye [ref: http://www.oldandinteresting.com/history-of-washing-clothes.aspx]
1 note

The OED says that it was fashionable in high society in 1829 (3 years after this song was printed.) to use "lunch" to mean Luncheon, this may be the author putting high society language into the mouth of a poor woman for comic effect.
1 note

The London Evening Standard 5th February 1830 refers to "the Steam Washing Company, Isle of Dogs" and "the new wharf of the Steam Washing Company". See also bar308 ~ Patent Steam Washing
1 note

Half-a-crown a day seems a good rate for domestic work at a time when a typical wage was 10 shillings per week. This was clearly a song aimed at the upper classes and almost certainly written by one of their number who probably didn't know how much a washerwoman earned.
  1. [Note 558.5]
  2. [Note 558.6]
  3. [Note 558.7]
  4. [Note 558.8]

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