Nineteenth Century Collections Online Sample From 1800-1820

I chose to sample a range of dates from the beginning of the 19th century, spanning the years 1800-1820, because it was relatively close to the latest year in the sample I had for the 18th century, yet with enough distance to see the rapidness of change in connotation. In this sample collection I focused less on the representation of forms and more on this change in connotation. I noticed that although all of the uses of cheap held consistent meanings to past centuries there was a distinct use of cheap in referring to items that were worth more to impoverished people. Perhaps the best example of this is from Hannah More's writing, in which she tells the tale of a woman that convinces wealthy parish members to only buy more expensive meat so to leave the cheap meat for the poor. Nowadays we see cheap as a description for something or someone with little value or of unfavorable qualities. The development of cheap in the 19th century referencing to inexpensive commodities for a lower standard of society is a likely predecessor of the negativity associated with the meanings of today.

Author Title Date Pub. Place Passage Image/Page Number Definition
Anon. "A New and Cheap Paint"

The Medical Repository
1804 New York, NY, United States "A new, cheap, and lasting paint has been lately invented and successfully applied to gates, rails, and palisadoes...Two coats are to be laid on with a painter's brush; the expense of which will be about a half-penny a square yard." i.116 Bearing a low price in proportion to its intrinsic value; of good value in proportion to its price; well worth the price. (adjective)
Anon. "A Cheap and Excellent Wine"

The Medical and Agricultural Register
1806 Boston, MA, United States "A cheap and excellent Wine...At the end of six or eight weeks, you will have a liquor, which will not cost more than about twenty-five cents by the gallon, possessing much the taste and sensible qualities of wine, and inferior hardly to none." i.14 Bearing a low price in proportion to its intrinsic value; of good value in proportion to its price; well worth the price. (adjective)
Anon. "Ornamental Hair"

La Belle Assemblee
1807 London, United Kingdom "For lightness, elegance, and ease, they are unparalleled; fifty percent cheaper than any other house in London; and, for the variety, he can display thousands of tints and shapes, appropriately to heighten the loveliness of youth, or veil the deficiencies of age." i.7 p.72 (Applied to the price itself, the place where a commodity is sold, etc.) cheap fare: a fare at a lower rate than the ordinary fare; also cheap rate; also attrib. (adjective)
Anon. "Miscellaneous"

The Lady's Weekly Miscellany
1810 New York, NY, United States "The ornament of Sobriety which comes next to be considered, is by no means a cheap one. But though it be purchased with difficulty, it is lost with ease. To preserve it will require the unremitted exercise of prudence, vigilance, and severe circumspection..." i.4 p.388 Involving little trouble and hence of little worth; worthless, paltry. (adjective)
Anon. "Recent Publications"

The New York Medical Inquirer
1810 New York, NY, United States "A late discovery extremely interesting to Planters and Farmers, relative to fertilizing poor and exhausted ground, upon a cheap and easy plan, with some remarks and observations on Orcharding and Gardening." i.146 p.144 Costing little labour, trouble, effort, etc.; easily obtained. (adjective)
More, Hannah The Works of Hannah More 1813 Philadelphia, PA, United States "the poor would get the coarse pieces of meat cheaper, if the the gentle-folks did not buy them for soups and gravy. Mrs Jones thought there was reason in this: so away she went to...the only persons in the parish who could afford to buy these costly things. She told them, that if they would all be so good as to buy only prime pieces, which they could very well afford, the coarse and cheap joints would come more within the reach of the poor." i.171 p.173 That may be bought at small cost; bearing a relatively low price; inexpensive. Opposed to dear. (adjective)
Anon. "The Avowed Object of Some of the Reformers of the Present Day"

The Briton
1819 London, United Kingdom "The avowed object of some of the Reformers of the present day is the establishment of Atheism or Deism; and the tendency of many of their cheap publications is to ridicule religion and to bring the Bible into contempt. The number of Deistical publications, and the industry with which they are disseminated, must astonish every person; and the probable effects of the perusal of them, must fill every friend of religion with alarm." i.1 Accounted of small value, made little of, lightly esteemed; esp. brought into contempt through being made too familiar. (adjective)
Anon. Papers Relating to Queen Caroline. 1820 London, United Kingdom "Court publications of yesterday, furnish us with the names and abodes of half-a-dozen little knots of address-makers, most of which were already public. With those who have no doubts to satisfy - no differences to trouble them, nor opinions to form, but whose task is simply to obey the injunctions of a master - addresses are as cheap as Christmas pies. It is only to set a single puppet going, and the rest will dance to the same wire. But it really would puzzle any novice to make out the drift of what are nicknamed 'Loyal addresses'." i.175 Accounted of small value, made little of, lightly esteemed; esp. brought into contempt through being made too familiar. (adjective)
Latham, John "On the Medicinal Properties of the Solanum Tuberosum, or Potato Plant"

The Medico-Chirurgical Review, and Journal of Medical Science
1820 New York, NY, United States "We have many medicines, but few remedies. Of the former, many are expensive exotics, as opium for example; and therefore it would be exceedingly desirable, both in point of economy, and to check the inducements towards adulteration, if substitutes, of easy access and cheap materials, could be procured. This is leaving out of the question the chance or hope of discovering useful properties in the new articles investigated." i.64 p.400 That may be bought at small cost; bearing a relatively low price; inexpensive. Opposed to dear. (adjective)
Lady Humdrum, pseud. Domestic scenes: A Novel 1820 London, United Kingdom "The return of Henry from the Priory entirely relieved Emily's anxieties respecting its inmates; nor could she help being amused with Katty's reliance on the efficacy of her P.S.; and still greater amusement did she afterwards, very contrary to her intention, afford her invalid, when in her zeal for the school, and ignorance of lacalities, she imparted the commission for cheap flannel." i.5 That may be bought at small cost; bearing a relatively low price; inexpensive. Opposed to dear. (adjective)