1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class. It's a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey y'all, I'm Eves and welcome to this 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:10,800 Speaker 1: Day in History Class, where we uncover a new layer 4 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: of history every day. Today is November. The day was 5 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: November eighteen ten. English writer Theodore Hook sent hundreds of 6 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: service providers and products to number fifty four Burner Street 7 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: in London as a prank. Fifty four Burner Street was 8 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 1: located in a wealthy part of London. It was the 9 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: home of a woman referred to as Miss Tottenham, who 10 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: herself was wealthy and lived near a bunch of influential people. 11 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: At about five in the morning, a chimney sweep arrived 12 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: at number fifty four, saying that he had been called 13 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: to the address. The maid who answered the door told 14 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: the chimney sweep that no chimmy sweep was needed there 15 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: and turned him away. But soon after another chimmy sweep 16 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: showed up at the house saying that he had also 17 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: been called there. She sent him away too, But people 18 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: kept showing up at midst Tottenham's doorstep, claiming their services 19 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 1: had been ordered, and they came with all kinds of goods. 20 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: There were cakemakers carrying wedding cakes, doctors, apothecaries, surgeons, lawyers 21 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,759 Speaker 1: and vicars, and priests who had been told that someone 22 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: inside the house was dying. Six men delivered an organ, 23 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: butchers came with legs of mutton. Fishmongers, bootmakers and hat 24 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: makers showed up. Pianos and coal wagons were delivered to 25 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 1: the house. The Lord Mayor of London even showed up 26 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: at number fifty four with a couple of his servants 27 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: saying that Mrs Tottenham had written saying she was sick 28 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: and would appreciate his visit. Other big names showed up 29 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: to enjoy the spectacle, like the Governor of the Bank 30 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: of England, the chairman of the East India Company, and 31 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: the Duke of Gloucester and more. Random trades people were 32 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: making an appearance at the house. There were artists, auctioneers, grocers, 33 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 1: barbers with wigs, and an undertaker with a coffin. A 34 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,399 Speaker 1: crowd gathered in the area to watch all the commotion. 35 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: The police blocked off the street, but it took a 36 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: while for the crowd to thin out. Many newspapers reported 37 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: on the incident. The Morning Post even included some of 38 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: the letters sent in the name of Miss Tottenham one red. 39 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 1: Miss Tottenham requests Mr Blank will call upon her at 40 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: too tomorrow as she wishes to consult him about the 41 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 1: sale of an estate fifty four Burner Street Monday. At 42 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: that point, the perpetrator of the hoax was a mystery, 43 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: and the police offered a reward for finding them. But 44 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: within a couple of years, Theodora Hook, known for his jokes, 45 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 1: had emerged as a suspect. Later accounts of the debacle 46 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: said that Hook and a couple of his friends has 47 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: spent weeks writing anywhere between a thousand and four thousand 48 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: letters to people asking them to show up at number 49 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: fifty four on that day. It's not completely clear why 50 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: Hook singled out Miss Tottenham. Some said it was a 51 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: bet between him and a friend, perhaps the architect Samuel Beasley, 52 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: to make the house the most famous one in London. 53 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: It could have been just for fun, as other hoaxers 54 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: have pulled similar stunts before. Either way, no criminal charges 55 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,359 Speaker 1: were brought against Hook, and the story of the hoax 56 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: lived on in popular culture. I'm Eve Jeff Coote, and 57 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: hopefully you know a little more about history today than 58 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. If there's something I missed in the 59 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: show today. You can let us know at t D 60 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: i h C Podcast on Twitter, Facebook, for Instagram. You 61 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: can also email us at this day at i heart 62 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: media dot com. Thank you for listening to today's episode. 63 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 1: We'll see you again tomorrow with another one. For more 64 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 65 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.