Nathaniel Bentley aka Dirty Dick

When tourists come to London they of course do all the tourist things and one of those might include a trip to Bishopsgate and a drink or a meal at 'Dirty Dicks'. It's a little more 'up market' than it was in the past no more sawdust on the floor and far less dingy interior, but the artifacts remain.

One question that's always asked is  ''who was Dirty Dick ?'' ..... ''did he really exist ?'' well like many stories that are passed down though the years things get changed, and added, so it's impossible to decide where fact ends and fiction begins.  

Nathaniel Bentley (aka Dirty Dick) was born into a fairly affluent family about 1735, his father had a warehouse shop which stood on a corner of Leadenhall Street alongside this was side an alley lead which lead to the family home, which was formerly the 'The Old Crown' public house. Leadenhall street was one of the busiest streets in London. The shop was the first glazed hardware shop in London as his father was fond of telling anyone who entered the premises.

Nathaniel's mother was Sarah Pankeman, it's suggested she was of french descent of possibly Huguenot family. Although Nathaniel was given a good education his home life was far from happy for his father was an abusive bully. One drinking partner remembers him saying ''I'll go home and kick up a fine dust'' and keeping to his threat he went home and abused both his son and servants. There is no record of whether Nathaniels mother was alive at this time, or how old he was, but shortly afterwards he left the home and stayed away for some years. It's thought that the ill treatment at his fathers hands had something to do with the eccentricities he exhibited later in his life.

In 1751 Nathaniels father married for a second time. Bethia Plomer was a dissenting Protestant, as was her new husband, she was also a widow, and a very wealthy one. Into the marriage she brought an eleggant mansion in Edmonton, which was still countryside at that time, together with servants, carriages and all the trappings of a very comfortable life. During this time he aquired several properties including, his self importance grew with his wealth for although a dissenting Protestant in 1754 he made a gift of a bell to the church in Leadenhall Street St Catherine's Cree. 

St Catherines Cree (Cree is a corruption of the word Christ, the church was built in 1630 and escaped the fire of London in 1666. The church was later renovated in 1830 and the name changed from the Regency spelling to St Katherine Cree). the bell however came with a proviso,and that it was to be rung each year on his birthday as long as he lived.  

It's seems that Nathaniel had returned home during this time for it is noted that before his father's death in 1760 he was known as the 'Beau of Leadenhall Street'. The title 'beau' was given to any young man considered overly conscience of his appearance and if not a fashion setter was certainly someone who was the first to been seen in the latest styles. It probably derived from Beau Nash. Born Richard Nash in Swansea in 1674 he became the most celebrated dandy of his day, being refered to as 'The King of Fashion'.   

In the Georgian period, in which Richard lived, Bath was the social centre for society and he became what is known as 'the master of ceremonies' in the spa town, It was Richard who arranged the social life of the wealthy visitors, the balls, social gatherings, dances and so on and as being 'The King of Fashion' he certainly dressed the part.

Instead of the usual white wig, which was custom at, he wore the direct opposite a black wig topped with a beaver trimmed and bejewelled hat. His coat decorated in the most flamboyany way was worn open to show his waistcoat, something that hadn't been seen before. The customery knee high boots were dispensed with and stockings and shoes were worn instead, this was one innovation that was quickly adopted. It seems that every age has its own trendsetter. In the early 18th century it was Richard 'Beau' Nash but before the century was over another trendsetter arrived on the scene who turn the earlier fashion on its head, that man was Beau Brummel, but let's get back to Nathaniel Bentley.

The image of Nathaniel that has come down through the years is that of a dirty dishevelled recluse who upon the death of his future wife on the eve of their wedding shut himself away from the world with the wedding feast left to decay mirroring own life and earning the name Dirty Dick. As I say that is the folktale and whether it is true or not it's impossible to say. What is true is that his life wasn't that of the owner of  'The Dirty Warehouse' as his business was known, although this was fame of a kind for it's said just that address sent from anywhere in the UK or abroad would be delivered to him.

He had had a good education and could speak several languages, French and Italian fluently, and he used this when he travelled abroad. In 1775 he travelled to France for the coronation of King Louis XV1. While there he was presented to the King and made a very favourable impression on the whole court who considered him one of the most accomplished Englishmen who were at court during this time. 

Although Nathaniel had travelled to France many times before, usually to Paris, this time he was in Reims and to the Notre-Dame de Reims where French Kings had been crowned for a thousand years. Little did anyone who attended that splendid glittering occasion full of ritual and history that the young king would live through one of the most turbulent times in the history of France. His reign was marked by wars and revolution and in January 1793 after being arrested and tried for treason he became to first King of France to face the guilotine, his wife Marie Antoinette was held in prison with her two children Louis Charles and Marie Therese Charlotte, after a few weeks she was seperated from her children and in October the same year she followed her husband to the guilotine, her son Louis Charles died in prison but her daughter was released sometime later.

According to contempary writers Nathaniel Bentley was also well know in British high society.He had attended the Masquerade balls at Renalgh House, a visit to Sadlers Wells was another favourite of his where he was often seen dressed in his finery in the company of society women. He also attended the Prince Regents birthday at Vauxhall Gardens which was the most famous pleasure gardens of the Regency era, and one of the Prince's favourite places to entertain.

Anyone not knowing Nathaniel personally and seeing him at any of these occasions would think him a wealthy man about town, well wealthy he certainly was for when his father died he inherited not only his monetary fortune but all his stocks and property, but when he returned from one of these events he would slip into the persona of Dirty Dick barely caring to wash from one event to the other and living on the cheapest meat and vegetables. He chose not to keep any servants, instead whenever he went out he paid a local woman threepence to stand outside the warehouse until he returned to make certain no-one should enter without consent. Once inside he would discard his fashionable clothes and return once again the Dirty Dick his neighbours were used to.

Over time the warehouse became more and more delapidated that other traders in the street became worried that the site of it was affecting their own trade. It was large double fronted building that was now unpainted and cracked with so many broken windows that the shabby shutters stayed closed all day. In fact the outside was very little different to the inside which was piled high with so many things that only Nathaniel knew where to find anything.

Finally the traders decided to face Nathaniel to tell him if he wouldn't see to the repair of his frontage then they were willing to do so at their own cost. If they had expected him to accept their offer they were to be disappointed. He told them he had no intention of changing the way the warehouse looked not when its fame had stretched over the whole of England ''why'' he told them ''I recently had a woman who had travelled from Yorkshire just to see it, and she even told him he was the most remarkable person she had ever seen'', he then added if she was curious about him to travel all that way he was sure other ladies would be too.

As they returned to their businesses they thought how odd it was that he should be welcoming the interest in women when the loss of one particular woman had sent him spiralling into the unkempt and pitiful figure he had become. They were of course referring to the story which had circulated for so many years wether it was myth or truth no-one could say. It goes as follows some time ago Nathaniel had fallen in love with the daughter of a wealthy family, it seemed she retuned his feelings and in due time arrangemnets were made for their marriage. The wedding breakfast, or what we now call the reception, was to be held in one of the upper rooms of the warehouse, of course in those days it wasn't in the condition that it was to become later.

The room, so it is said, was freshly decorated in pale blue and white. flowers filled the room as well as filling a huge urn which stood at the centre of a long table laid out with the finest food including an ornate wedding cake. On a side table the expensive wines and crystal glasses caught the reflection of the sun as it shone through the window. Alll was ready for the celebration of his marriage and the room would be filled with family and friends. It was almost time for him to leave for church when a knock at the door brought him news that would change his life.

Nathaniel was surprised to see a friend standing ther for the arrangement was that the all meet at the church and come back to his house afterwards. Surprise changed to concern as he noticed the expression on his friends face, ''what's wrong'' he asked ''I'm afraid it's bad news'' he repied. Nathaniel heard none of the words of consolation, nor those of sympathy as he was told his bride to be had died suddenly that morning. He couldn't remember closing the door on his friend or climbing the stairs or turning the key in the door of the room that would never see a celebration. The food would remain uneaten, the wine undrunk and the flowers turn to dust for the room would remain locked and left to the ghosts of what might have been.

Whether this is fancy or not we shall never know. n 1802 the lease on the old warehouse expired and passed to a Mr Gosling, although it took another two years to get Nathaniel to leave the premises. When this happened many of the locals were eager to see over the dirty warehouse and were given permission to do so by the new owner. No sooner were the doors opened than the people filed in. Soon the whole building was crowded with the curious opening drawers her, and poking through the great piles of oddities that had been gathered over the years. Doors were flung open to see whatever lay inside, all doors that is accept one which had its key rusted into its lock. If they had managed to get inside what would they have see, perhaps time and rats had erased all sign of the wedding feast and left nothing but dust and the dishes and plates to show that once they had been there, flowers do longer exuded their perfume and would have long since turned to dust, perhaps it was only the wine that remained to keep the memory of what might have been.

By this time Nathaniel had moved to Jewry Street Aldgate where he took a three year lease on a house. However he also took a good deal of his stock into the new house so when the lease was up the landlord refused to renew it. The landlord it seems had no intention of letting Nathaniel turn the house into a replica of the warehouse. This time he took his goods with him to Leonard Street Shoreditch. He put a value of the 'goods' as 10,000 pounds but later sold them for just one thousand pounds. This  amount together what he already had in the bank would have seen him through his old age, for by now he was in his seventies. Sadly for him though during this time he had taken up with a woman of dubious character who in return for friendship stole most of the money.

Nathaniel had lived in the house for just about a year when one day he left and travelled around the country, more as a beggar than a traveller. In 1809 he found himself in Scotland, and booked in to a small inn in Musselburgh, while there he came ill with a fever. After he had rested for a few days he felt much better and continued his travels. He had walked ten miles before reached a place called Haddington but the fever hadn't left him and it was here he had a relapse. Although he was pennyless he booked in to the Crown Inn explaining to the landlord that he would write a letter to a friend and money would be sent by return, and this is what happened.

His illness continued getting worse each day but he refused the landlord's suggestion that a doctor should be called for. However the landlord was worried that he seemed to be growing worse each day sent for the local doctor. Unfortunately it was too late and a few days later. at the end of 1809 Nathaniel passed away. The money sent to him by his friend covered the cost of medical bills, lodgings and funeral. He was buried in the churchyard of Haddington church, the local magistrates, the landlord of the Crown Inn and a few local villages attended the burial.