John Hetherington
Encyclopedia
John Hetherington was an English
haberdasher
, often incorrectly credited as the inventor of the top hat
, which supposedly caused a riot when he first wore it in public on 15 January 1797.
and inciting a riot, and was required to post a £500 bond. Reportedly he had "appeared on the public highway wearing upon his head what he called a silk hat (which was shiny luster and calculated to frighten timid people)" and the officers of the Crown stated that "several women fainted at the unusual sight, while children screamed, dogs yelped and a younger son of Cordwainer Thomas was thrown down by the crowd which collected and had his right arm broken".
reported the story, noting that it originated in "a recent number of the Hatters' Gazette"..
Later accounts also attribute the story to the Hatters' Gazette - however, both the Australian Law Review of 1927, and The Dearborn Independent
in its "I Read in the Papers" column of 8 January 1927, erroneously describe it as being reported in a 1797 edition of the Hatters' Gazette (The Dearborn Independent specifying it more narrowly as the 16 January 1797 edition) - this is obviously an error, as the Hatters' Gazette only began publication in 1878.
The Canberra Times
for 10 June 1927 reproduced the usual account, with an introduction saying, "During a discussion in the columns of 'The Times' (London) on the pioneer of umbrellas, a correspondent sent an extract from an old journal in her possession, dated 16 January 1797, giving the following amusing account of the wearing of the first silk hat in London". It is not known which "old journal" is referred to, but as noted above it cannot be the Hatters' Gazette.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
haberdasher
Haberdasher
A haberdasher is a person who sells small articles for sewing, such as buttons, ribbons, zips, and other notions. In American English, haberdasher is another term for a men's outfitter. A haberdasher's shop or the items sold therein are called haberdashery.-Origin and use:The word appears in...
, often incorrectly credited as the inventor of the top hat
Top hat
A top hat, beaver hat, high hat silk hat, cylinder hat, chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat is a tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat, predominantly worn from the latter part of the 18th to the middle of the 20th century...
, which supposedly caused a riot when he first wore it in public on 15 January 1797.
The story
The common form of the story, as reproduced in many books, has it that he was arraigned before the Lord Mayor on 15 January 1797 on a charge of breach of the peaceBreach of the peace
Breach of the peace is a legal term used in constitutional law in English-speaking countries, and in a wider public order sense in Britain.-Constitutional law:...
and inciting a riot, and was required to post a £500 bond. Reportedly he had "appeared on the public highway wearing upon his head what he called a silk hat (which was shiny luster and calculated to frighten timid people)" and the officers of the Crown stated that "several women fainted at the unusual sight, while children screamed, dogs yelped and a younger son of Cordwainer Thomas was thrown down by the crowd which collected and had his right arm broken".
Origin
The story appears to have first appeared in a late 1890s edition of the Hatters' Gazette: in 1899 the quarterly journal Notes and QueriesNotes and Queries
Notes and Queries is a long-running quarterly scholarly journal that publishes short articles related to "English language and literature, lexicography, history, and scholarly antiquarianism". Its emphasis is on "the factual rather than the speculative"...
reported the story, noting that it originated in "a recent number of the Hatters' Gazette"..
Later accounts also attribute the story to the Hatters' Gazette - however, both the Australian Law Review of 1927, and The Dearborn Independent
The Dearborn Independent
The Dearborn Independent, a/k/a The Ford International Weekly, was a weekly newspaper established in 1901, but published by Henry Ford from 1919 through 1927. It was notorious for its antisemitic content , and its publication in English of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion...
in its "I Read in the Papers" column of 8 January 1927, erroneously describe it as being reported in a 1797 edition of the Hatters' Gazette (The Dearborn Independent specifying it more narrowly as the 16 January 1797 edition) - this is obviously an error, as the Hatters' Gazette only began publication in 1878.
The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times newspaper was founded in 1926 in Canberra, Australia by Arthur Shakespeare.It was the second paper to be printed in the city, the first being The Federal Capital Pioneer. The paper was sold to the Fairfax group in the 1960s by Arthur Shakespeare on the condition that it continue...
for 10 June 1927 reproduced the usual account, with an introduction saying, "During a discussion in the columns of 'The Times' (London) on the pioneer of umbrellas, a correspondent sent an extract from an old journal in her possession, dated 16 January 1797, giving the following amusing account of the wearing of the first silk hat in London". It is not known which "old journal" is referred to, but as noted above it cannot be the Hatters' Gazette.