Morris tribune., 1911-12-01
STATE LOTTERIES.
Rise and Fall of a Tremendous
Gamble In England.
STARTED UNDER QUEEN BEss
The First One Was "Without Any
Blancks. Contaynine Good Prices, as
Wei Of Redy Money as of Plate and
Certane Sorts of Marchaundizes."

Certaine Sorts of Marehaundizes."
Though it is certain that the custom
Of holding lotteries was practiced in
European countries as far back as the
middle of the fifteenth century, it
seems that this particular idea was
unknown in England until more than
100 years later. The lottery. in fact
appears to have been included among
those many other important things
both good and bad. that were intro
duced to public notice during the reign
of Queen Elizabeth. it being her maj
esty's express command that this
ready means for raising the wind
on behalf Of the state finances was
adopted.
The first English lottery must have
taken a good deal of arranging, owing
no doubt, to the fact that the people
of that day required a certain amount
of education in this form of gambling
for although the idea was first brought
forward in the year 1856 lin Mary's
reign). the actual drawing did not
take place until three years later.
One of the original bills of Queen
EliZabeth's lottery has fortunately
been preserved. printed in black letter
and measuring five feet in length and
one and one-half feet wide 1t begins
by announcing "a very rich Lotterie
General. without any blancks. con
tayning number Of good prices tsic)
as wei of redy money as of plate and
certaine sorts of marchaundizes, hav-
ing ben valued and priced by the com
maundement Of the Queene's most ex-
celent majestic. by men expert and
sziIful." and goes on to say that 'thp
same lotterie is erected by her majes
ties order to the intent that such com
mOditie as may chaunce to arise there
of, after the charges borne. may be
converted towardes the reparation Of
the havens and strength of the Realme
and toward such other publique good
workes." There were something like
10000 prizes in this gigantic venture.
of which the first was of the value of
$4,000, while the entrance fee was
only 1.-TWO shillings and six pens"
James l. lent his special favoure'
to a lottery whose object was the
present plantation of English colonies
in Virginia." the prizes consisting OF
$4,000 in money. besides rewardes OF
casualitie." the tickets being drawn
lin a new Quilt house at the west enc
of PauTs the 29tb of June. 1872
This lottery does not, however. appear
to have been very popular although
we are assured by the historian that
it was "plainely carried and honestly
performed, for owing to the want OF
filling uppe the number of lots there
were taken out and thrOwne away
threescOre thousand blanckes without
abating any one prize" certainly a
very generous proceeding on the part
of the promoters. The lucky man on
this secession was Thomas Sharpliffe,
"a Taylor of London who won the
first prize of "fOure thousand CrOwnos
in fayre plate, which was sent to his
house in very stately manner"
Though to some extent poorly patron
lied. this lottery appears to have
evoked q good deal of interest among
the important persOnages Of the day,
for we are told that during the whole
tyne of the rawing there were al
wales present diuers worshipfull
Knights and Esquires. accompanied
with sundry graue discreet Citizens"
AS time went on lotteries for every
conceivable purpose were held in Lon
don and other important towns. with
the inevitable result that trouble con
stantly arose between the promoters
and those of the ticket holders who
happened to be unlucky or thought
they had been unfairly treated, as no
doubt many of them were. We find,
therefore. that periodical orders were
issued for the suppression of this form
OF gambling, though the law does not
seem to nave had any great effect.
AT last. however, any one proposing
to hold a lottery was obliged to send
in a petition to the king, and in
Charles Ills reign we find mention OF
several such applications. One Of
these was for the ransom of English
slaves in Tunis, AIgiers or the Turkish
galleys or for any other charitable
USE the promoter making it a bar
gain that after he had paid in a third
Of the profits he should reserve the
rest for his own expenses and "the re
pair of his fortunes ruined by loyaf
ty."
Lottery offices for the sale of tickets
were established all over the country
as time went on, but none was more
famous than the agency of one Bish.
who fourished at the beginning of the
nineteenth century This enterpIfSing
individual. whose chief Offices were in
CornhilI and at Charing Cross, must
have made considerable fortune out
Of the much safer business of selling
tickets than taking them. But his
prosperous career, as also that of his
fellows. came to an abrupt end when
the lottery act was passed in 1923. by
which it was provided that after the
drawing of the state lottery for that
year there were TO be no more of
4 A Ntx~l