Billy Waters ( 1778–1823) was a black man who busked in London in the nineteenth century by singing, playing the violin and entertaining theatre goers with his "peculiar antics". He became famous when he appeared as a character in

William Thomas Moncrieff William Thomas Moncrieff (24 August 1794 – 3 December 1857) commonly referred as W.T. Moncrieff was an English dramatist and author. Biography He was born in London, the son of a Strand tradesman named Thomas. The name Moncrieff he assumed for ...

's ''

Tom and Jerry, or Life in London ''Tom and Jerry, or Life in London'', first staged in 1821 was one of several stage adaptations of Pierce Egan's popular book '' Life in London'', published earlier in that year. Its most successful production at the Adelphi Theatre in the Wes ...

'' in 1821.

Biography

Billy Waters became notable as a beggar on the streets of London where he played the violin to entertain theatre-goers in exchange for halfpennies. It is said that he was formerly enslaved in

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

but that he traded his servitude to be a British sailor. His striking image was established by his African ancestry, a naval uniform, his peg leg, his violin and the addition of a feathered hat. Waters had lost his leg as a sailor in the navy when he fell from the rigging, although other sources imply he lost it while fighting in the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. He had a wife and two children to support, and in the 1780s he would busk outside the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

.Billy Waters, Adelphi Theatre, the Strand

Museum of London Docklands The Museum of London Docklands (formerly known as Museum in Docklands), based in West India Quay, explains the history of the River Thames, the growth of Port of London and the docks historical link to the Atlantic slave trade. The museum is par ...

, accessed August 2011. Waters and his "peculiar antics" became so famous that he was asked to appear on stage as himself. Billy Waters Sir David Wilkie 1815

Waters was one of the London characters depicted in William Thomas Moncrieff's ''

'', an unauthorised stage adaptation of

Pierce Egan Pierce Egan (1772–1849) was a British journalist, sportswriter, and writer on popular culture. His popular book '' Life in London'', published in 1821, was adapted into the stage play ''Tom and Jerry, or Life in London'' later that year, which ...

's '' Life in London, or Days and Nights of Jerry Hawthorne and his elegant friend Corinthian Tom'', in 1821. Waters was one of the estimated 10,000 people of African heritage who were making a living at this time in England. He was very poor and it is said that he was twice saved from the punishment of the

treadmill A treadmill is a device generally used for walking, running, or climbing while staying in the same place. Treadmills were introduced before the development of powered machines to harness the power of animals or humans to do work, often a type of ...

due to his peg leg. At the end of his life, Waters was popularly elected as the "King of the Beggars" in the parish of

St Giles Saint Giles (, la, Aegidius, french: Gilles), also known as Giles the Hermit, was a hermit or monk active in the lower Rhône most likely in the 6th century. Revered as a saint, his cult became widely diffused but his hagiography is mostly lege ...

because of his fame and the regard of his peers. His small naval pension had left him so poor that he had to sell his violin and it was said that he would have also sold his wooden leg but it was worthless with wear. Waters became ill and had to enter the St Giles'

workhouse In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...

where he died in 1823 after ten days.Billy Waters
Abolition of Slavery,

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was arguably the first national public gallery dedicated to portraits in the world when it ...

, accessed August 2011. Billy Waters' will was in verse and one section read:

Legacy

Billy Waters in Derby Porcelain in Derby Museum b

The New Union Club Being a Representation of what took place at a celebrated Dinner given by a celebrated society

After his death, his figure was recreated in porcelain – notably by the Staffordshire potteries, but also by

Derby porcelain The production of Derby porcelain dates from the second half of the 18th century, although the authorship and the exact start of the production remains today as a matter of conjecture. The oldest remaining pieces in the late 19th century bore onl ...

. The figure shown is also in the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

and this re-issue has been dated to 1862. These figures were made in Derby nearly forty years after Waters' death at the Derby factory of Stevenson & Hancock. The modelling by Edward Keys was an attempt to win away trade from cheaper Staffordshire ceramic figures. There is a sketch of Waters by

Thomas Lord Busby Thomas Lord Busby (baptized 10 November 1782, buried 5 May 1838), sometimes spelt Busbey, was an English portrait artist, etcher, and engraver. A Londoner, Busby exhibited at the Royal Academy and published collections of costume engravings, but ...

which comes from his book ''Costume of the Lower Orders of London''. A more realistic painting is attributed to Sir David Wilkie. The pottery figure however is similar to an engraving done by

George Cruikshank George Cruikshank (27 September 1792 – 1 February 1878) was a British caricaturist and book illustrator, praised as the "modern Hogarth" during his life. His book illustrations for his friend Charles Dickens, and many other authors, reached ...

in 1819 where Waters is shown providing entertainment for a fictional "celebrated dinner" of those involved in Anti-Slavery. Several notable abolitionists are lampooned in this engraving. ''The New Union Club'' https://www.artic.edu/artworks/90269/the-new-union-club One of the similarities are that the same leg is missing, which contrasts with the different missing leg in the Sir David Wilkie portrait.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Waters, Billy 1823 deaths British amputees Year of birth uncertain 19th-century Black British male singers British buskers