The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-08-25
ENGLISH HUxoR.
London SocietY.l

London Society
| Punch first saw light in Crane Court, Flee
street, in the very house where the first ParrI
Life Pill was rolled into existence. Mr.. Her
bert Ingraham (afterward NJ. p for his native
town Of Boston, Lincolnshire) was theI
"pushing" that we'll known patent medicine
| the proprietorship of which Mark Lemon
! only on the score of personal dignity, but or
moral grounds, and in the interest of the
| illustrated Ne,os.
The idea of Punch was the joint work. Of
Henry Mayhem and Mark Lemon. Mr.. Last
says he first mentioned proposal for q comic
and satirical journal Mr.. Holder says the
idea originated with Mr.. Mayhem, who men
toned it to him. Mark Lemon always spoke
of it to me as the project Of himself and May
hew. 1t is pretty certain, however, that the
first meeting upon the matter took place some
time in June, 1841, at Mark Lemons house
in Newcastle street, Strand, and that Mr.
Last, the printer, and Mr.. Henry Mayhem were
present Mr.. Lemon and Nh. Mayhem both
undertook to communicate with writer's and
artists. Mr.. Las. mentioned Mr.. Ebenezer
Landells as good engraver.
A few days afterwards meeting was held
at the Edinburgh Castle, in the Strand, at
which Douglas Jerrold, Henry Mayhem, Stir
ling Coyne, Llndells, the engraver, and Will
liam Newman and Archibald Henning (artists)
were there. Mr. Henry Bayliss and Mr. Hod-
der were present as lookers-on. Several
authors who did not attend we're written to
for contributions, including Mr.. Gilbert
aBeckett, u. P. Grattan and W. Il. Wills.
It was arranged that Mr.. Henning should be
the principal artist. and he was to have the
assistance of Mr. New man, Mr.. Brine and M.
Phillips. Mark Lemon had drawn up the
This was written on blue foolscap paper. 1t
was at first intended to call the paper the
Funny Dog or, The London Chariuari, allu-
sion being made to funny dogs with comic
tales. Mark Lemon, it will be seen, had &C.
tually begun the title, writing as far as the
Fun, but this was afterwards struck out and
Punch inserted. The first idea, it must be
confessed on all hands, like many other clever
ideas, was an adaptation from the French.
The second title was agreed upon in the be-
ginning, and was discovered accidentally,
like many greater inventions. At the Edin-
burgh Castle meeting there was the custom
airy badinage that brightens the conversation
of literary men.
Somebody suggested that the paper, like
good mixture OF punch, would be nothing
Henry Mayhem, beaming with delight, ex-
claimed, GA capital idea Let us call the
paper Punch" There is nothing new under
The sun. Somebody else then remembered
hat Douglas Jerrold had once edited paper
called the Penny Punch. CONSERVATION for
i've minutes. The mystic spirit of copyright
cast its shadow over the meeting. But on ex-
it turned out to be only the shadow
t always has been. and the title of Punch
vas fearlessly written down. This is Mr..
Lasts version in the main, and it was gener-
lily Endorsed, with only slight alterations over
cigar one summer day, long ago. at the late
'ditor's transformations cottage in his favorite |
'illage of Crawley.