2 Bridge Foot, of St. Thomas and Redcliffe Street fronting the New Bristol's Bridge (now Bristol Bridge)
George Catcott and Henry Burgum had their pewter shop here. Burgum founded the shop in 1764, and went into partnership with Catcott a year later. Chatterton probably first met Burgum and Catcott through George’s brother, Rev. Alexander Catcott (Meyerstein, 1930). He would also have passed Burgum and Catcott's shop when he walked from where he lived in Redcliffe across the river to the centre of Bristol. In those days there was only one bridge across the river, and Burgum and Catcott's shop was adjacent to one end of it. Both Catcott and Burgum were both adherents to the Chatterton myth – some have even suggested they were in on the conspiracy. In 1767, Chatterton wrote ‘Song to Mr G Catcott’. For Burgum, he fabricated a family tree, the ‘De Burgham Pedigree’, extending back in time to William the Conqueror. Chatterton had supposedly transcribed the information from documents discovered in the church. Burgum paid Chatterton five shillings for his work. This prompted Chatterton to ‘find’ more, and he returned with a second volume, this time bringing the genealogy forward to the reign of James II (died 1701). The second volume also contained a poem, supposedly written by John De Burgham in 1320, in fact one of the Rowley poems ‘The Romaunte of the Cnyghte’.
Both Catcott and Burgum are satirised in Chatterton’s ‘Will’:
Burgum I thank thee thou hast let me see That Bristol has impressed her stamp on thee Thy generous Spirit emulates the May'rs, Thy generous spirit with thy Bristol's pairs Gods ! what would Burgum give to get a name, And snatch his blundering dialect from shame! What would he give to hand his memory down To Time's remotest boundary ? - A crown. Would you ask more, his swelling face looks blue; Futurity he rates at two pounds two. Well, Burgum, take thy laurel to thy brow; With a rich saddle decorate a sow; Strut in Iambics, totter in an ode, Promise, and never pay, and be the mode.