About this period only one civilian of position in
England had the hardihood to wear the moustache. He was Mr George
Frederick Muntz, a member of Parliament for Birmingham. He was a notable
figure in the House of Commons, and is described as manly in appearance,
with a handsome face, a huge black beard, and moustache. He died 30th
July, 1857, and is regarded as the father of the modern moustache
movement. Another early moustache member was Colonel Sibthorp, the
representative for Lincoln, who bore Mr Muntz company for some time in
the House of Commons. Daniel O'Connell wrote a biting epigram on
Colonels Sibthorp, Percival, and Verner, the first of whom was
remarkable for his length of beard, whilst the others had none:--
Three Colonels, in three distant counties born,
Lincoln, Armagh, and Sligo did adorn.
The first in matchless impudence surpass'd,
The next in bigotry, in both the last,
The force of nature could no further go,
To beard the first she shaved the other two.
It will be noticed that the foregoing is a parody on Dryden's celebrated
tribute to Milton.
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