3-065-635 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Marriage Festivities for the Duke of Edinburgh: the Mayor of Liverpool's treat for the poor, 1874. 'The Mayor of Liverpool, with his characteristic munificence, chose to celebrate this joyful occasion in the good old English fashion, by giving a dinner to the poor. His Worship Mr. A. B. Walker...invited about three thousand of the deserving poor of Liverpool to dine at the St. George's Hall. The hall, spacious at it is, was not large enough to entertain all the guests on one evening, and therefore the Mayor divided them into two parties, about 1300 poor men and women (over sixty) being assembled on Friday evening and the same number on Saturday evening. The fare consisted of roast beef, plum-pudding, with beer, tea, fruit and cakes; the old folks, to the majority of whom, no doubt, a full meal of choice and wholesome food was a rare luxury, appeared to enjoy themselves thoroughly. The evening was filled up with speeches, glees, performances by Mr. Best on the grand organ, and instrumental performances by the local police band...The Mayor invited a considerable number of the leading residents of the town to witness the entertainments'. From "Illustrated London News", 1874.