The Life of Black Tom

[wolfinthewood]

A popular form of writing in the sixteenth and seventeeth centuries was the ‘jest-biography’. A typical jest-biography is a piece of cheap fiction, published in pamphlet form, telling the life story of a trickster or rogue in a series of episodes. In most of these episodes he (very occasionally she) has an encounter with some dupe, victim or enemy, usually coming out on top. The story below comes from a pamphlet of this type, The Unlucky citizen, or, A pleasant history of the life of Black Tom, published in the later Restoration period.

First, the title: in this context, at this date, ‘unlucky’ means ‘mischievous’ rather than ‘unfortunate’. Black Tom, the hero/anti-hero, is the London-born son of a black father, who was brought to England as a slave, and an English mother. Tom is a thief and robber, but he is not a villain. His activities are nowhere explicitly condemned. However, the author twice finds it necessary to warn the reader against imitating Tom’s activities. This suggests to me that a juvenile readership is expected. Tom is a comic-book hero in the days before children’s comics. His enemies are the city watchmen, whose job was to patrol the streets to keep them safe at night. Watchmen were officious, they were always on the look out for tips, which often shaded into bribes, and they were not very popular. In the story below, the watchman-victim is also a miser, a hoarder, mean with his money. Misers were culturally disapproved of and were highly unpopular. We can safely imagine the original readers of this story cheering Tom on:

Black Tom had not lain long still, but he deviseth a new Project to take him a Lodging at the Horse-Ferry in Westminster; he had not been above two days, but his Fingers itched to be at work. Now, there liv’d a certain watchman hard by, that had gotten a considerable quantity of wealth, who was an old dry Batchelor that liv’d alone, and one that liv’d more upon looking on his Coin, than making use on it; for he had at any time rather beg, then part with a Farthing of Money. Now Tom was plotting how he might get this Money from this old Miser: So Tom lay a bed most part of that morning, contriving on his Pillar (sic), but getting up, walks towards the Watch-mans House, where he found him standing at the door, makes several bows and cringes, and afterwards made him this Speech.

Gwide Maystre, Me non Inglant by mine Phace, none Inglant by mine Twang: Me de great strawnger of Aphric, me de pherry phull of Maney; me sa have van Hundred Poonds in mine Phocquet, no phlace to put it shafe, you have de gwide Lodgings; let me de gwide me give gwide Maney.

The old Miser lik’d this speech very well, and was resolved (as he was a Stranger) to make him pay dearly for his Lodging; so Black Tom gave him twenty shillings before-hand, and was to pay him twenty shillings every Saturday Night. But Black Tom had not been long there before the old Man was to go out upon the Watch, and that Night Black Tom conveyed a Coffer out of his House, wherein the Old Man’s Treasure lay, and ne’er returned to his Lodging more.

The poor old Miser returning home to his House, and missing his Lodger and his Money, made a sad lamentation, telling all his neighbours that Black Tom had rob’d him, and he knew not where to find him, nor what to do. Now this old Man had a friend that liv’d down in Whitechappel, that he was resolved to complain to, thinking, that he being a Thief-catcher, might inform him of him that had wronged him; but as he went, who should encounter him but Mr. Black Thomas, who he presently commands to be laid hold on, and has him before a Justice. Now it hapned that this Justice had a Black-a-moor in his House that had not been long in England and did not speak good English; and it hapned that this Black-a-moor comes to the door, of whom the Constable ask’d, if the Justice were within? Who answered, Dat he was at team, put note at leeberdy, but dat he vill be if you stay but de little. So they stay’d a little time: now Black Tom was meditating how to come off, for he knew himself Guilty of what was laid to his charge, but remembering that he had acted or imitated the Speech of a Barbarian, so he being an English-man, was resolved how to come off. Now the Justice being come to them, the Miser made his Complaint thus: Sir, not much above five days since, this Black came to be my lodger, and the third night he carried away my Coffer with two hundred Pounds in Gold; he is one that cannot be well understood, for he is an Out-landish Man, and speaks no English, therefore hard to be understood. I, an out-landish man! says Tom, I was never out of England in my days, my Mother is an English Woman, but indeed, my Father was a Black Born at Venice; but as for me, I speak nothing but English, nor never could. The old Miser hearing these words, knew not what to think, whether this was the Man or no. But however, he remembring that the Justices Man that let him in was a Black, and spake but bad English, he told the Justice, that he could not be very positive, whether Tom was the Man or not, for since he came there, he fancied that it was his Black that did him that mischief. Now the Justice observing that the Miser accused both, and did not know if either were Guilty, freed them both. So Tom came very well off ...

After this, Black Tom becomes the terror of the watchmen of London, whom he holds up and robs with impunity. In the final story, he meets a poor black servant who has lost his job and after forcing the watchmen to give the man some money, teaches him ‘his Trade’ of shaking down the watchmen. After this, he leaves the man to take over as the new Black Tom, while he himself goes off to Venice with his loot, with the aim of turning himself into a merchant.

from The Unlucky citizen, or, A pleasant history of the life of Black Tom (1686)


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