50th Anniversary of King George III - Newspaper report (1809) of the celebration at the Mount.

The working classes were allowed into the grounds of The Mount on special Occasions. One such occasion was the 50th anniversary of the accession of George III which was celebrated in style by Josiah Spode II.

The Staffordshire Advertiser reported on the 28th of October 1809 under the headline "The Jubilee in Staffordshire"

"The Jubilee in Staffordshire"

"At no place in the Kingdom could the jubilee be celebrated with more demonstration of joy, than it was by Josiah Spode, Esq., China Manufacturer to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, at Stoke-upon-Trent, in the Staffordshire Potteries. Before the time of divine service, the servants began to muster at the works, and being collected together, walked in procession to the church, where a most appropriate and impressive sermon was preached by the Rev. William Robinson, Rector of the place, to a very crowded congregation.

The servants afterwards were drawn up at his manufactory, headed by a band of music, chosen out of his own servants. Mr. Spode, attended by about thirty gentlemen of the neighbourhood and the servants two by two, to the number of near 600, paraded up to the Mount, an elegant mansion, recently built by Mr.Spode; the music playing "God save the King." The line of servants extended a long way, and the fineness of the day, with the great number of spectators attending, all dressed in their Sunday clothes, together with the happy countenances of the whole, rendered it a most pleasing sight.

When they arrived at the Mount, they were marched round the lawn in front of the house, when the skies resounded with three times three. They afterwards paraded as before, close to the house, where each person drank the good Old King in half a pint of good Staffordshire ale. They were then formed three deep round the Bowling Green where "God save the King" was sung in full chorus, the whole of the spectators, not less than three thousand joining heartily in the song. Two additional verses, written by one of Mr. Spode's servants, were sung and received with the loudest plaudits. They were as follows:

Tyrant Napoleon
From thy usurped Throne
Look with dismay
Sovereign and Subject join
To praise that Pow'r divine,
That to his Reign has joined,
This happy Day.

May George yet live to see
Peace and Prosperity
Reign in the land;
And when his glass is run,
May his Anointed Son,.
Firm as his Sire has done,
Tyrants withstand.

The gentlemen who attended, were regaled with a most elegant cold collation in the house, good Staffordshire ale, and choice wines - here the good Old King's health was drunk with three times three; numbers of loyal and appropriate toasts were drank, and the health of the hospitable and worthy host was drunk with the loudest acclamations - some elegant lines, written by the Rev. W. Fernyhough, on the memorable occasion, were recited in a very energetic manner, by Mr. Tomlinson, of Hanley, and received with much applause.

Afterwards each servant drank Mr. Spode's health in half a pint of more ale, and each of them received a good loaf of bread and one shilling in money. They then paraded as before down to the manufactory, and sang "God save the King" with the two additional verses as before. Mr. Spode's and family's health was proposed in a very handsome manner by a gentleman, and followed by nine times nine. These exclamations must have been heard at an immense distance. Mr. Spode then claimed silence, and in a very handsome manner thanked his servants and the spectators for their attendance, and the good order they had preserved. They then dispersed, each going comfortably, and happy to their own home."

Staffordshire Advertiser - 28th of October 1809