General Chat

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THE WEEKLY JOURNAL

AND BRITISH GAZETTE

March 2nd 1723


On Monday morning last one Brittain, a widow woman in Milford Lane, was married to a brewer's servant at the church of St. Clement Danes; and being advised by her learned counsel, or as others say, some old woman in the neighbourhood, went to the Church door without any manner of apparel on than her bare smock to the great surprize and laughter of the numerous crowd of spectators.

By means of this cunning adventure she thinks herself it seems 'not liable to pay any debts contracted by her former husband.

At the church door her intended spouse took her in his arms and carrying her to an apothecaries house over against the church new cloath'd her from top to toe, after which whimsical transaction tion the nuptials were solemnised very gravely.

NEWS LETTER

June 1st 1724

Last Thursday, as the nobility and others of distinction were passing through Pall Mall in the midst of their gaiety to the palace of St. James to pay their compliments to his Majesty on occasion of his birthday, one Elinor Stuart was placed in their way as an object of compassion, on account of her great age and misfortunes, being 124 years old.

She kept a linen shop at Kendal in Westmoreland, in the time of the Civil War, and had nine children at the time King Charles 1 was beheaded, and was undone by adhering to the royal cause.

The Princess of Wales, seeing her, caused her chair to stop, and, after talking with her gave her a generous relief, and ordered her to come to Lester House for more. She is reckoned (Jane Skrimshaw being now dead who was 128) the oldest woman in London.



NOTE: Hmmm! Pinch of salt needed here methinks.

THE UNIVERSAL SPECTATOR AND

WEEKLY JOURNAL

May 25th 1732

John Loftas, the grave-digger, committed to prison for robbing of dead corpse has confessed to the plunder of above fifty, not only of their coffins and burial cloaths but of their fat, where bodies afforded any, which he retailed at high price to certain people, who, it is believed, will be called upon on account thereof.

Since this discovery several persons had had their friends dug up, who were found quite naked, and some mangled in so horrible a manner as could scarcely be supposed to be done by a human creature.

GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE

February i6th, 1736

A question was carried in the House of Commons for building a bridge over the Thames from Palace Yard to the Surrey side. During the debate that river overflowed its banks by reason of a strong spring tide, the water was higher than ever known before, and rose above two feet in Westminster Hall where the courts being sitting, the Judges etc. were obliged to be carry'd out.

The water came into all the cellars and ground rooms near the river on both sides, and flowed through the streets of Wapping and Southwark as its proper channel; a general inundation covered all the marshes and lowlands in Kent, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Lincolnshire, and some thousands of cattle were destroyed with several of their owners in endeavouring to save them.

On February 23rd, 1885, John Lee was to be executed at Exeter Gaol for the murder of his aged mistress and benefactor, Miss Keese, at Babbacombe.

On being placed on the platform, owing to the swelling of the timber through rain, the drop would not act. Twice he was removed and repairs attempted. On the failure of the third attempt he was removed to his cell, and eventually the sentence was commuted to imprisonment for life.

The Times had a leading article criticizing this decision of Sir William Harcourt, then Home Secretary. The 'Thunderer* was backed up by several correspondents, one of whom suggested that it should be announced that In future executions will take place weather permitting*.

This writer signed herself *A Friend and Neighbour of the murdered lady*. There were certainly no extenuating circumstances. Lee broke Miss Keese's skull, cut her throat, and set fire to her body.

The matter was raised in both Houses of Parliament. When it was suggested that it was difficult to get candidates for such a disgusting occupation as that of hangman, the reply was that, on a previous vacancy, there had been 800 applications.

( London In The News)

GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE


BURIAL OF A SUICIDE

August 27th, 1755


One Barlow a bookseller In Star Alley, Fenchurch Street, shot his child of two years old which died instantly and then himself in at the mouth, but the ball glancing sideways did not kill him.

The inquest brought in the child's death wilful murder; upon which the father was committed to the compter, where after a few days, he died of the wound; and the jury upon the inquest found him guilty of felo de se. His friends took away the body and buried it; of which the Lord Mayor being informed, ordered it to be dug up, and put in a hole made for that purpose in the cross roads at the upper end of Moorfields, and a stake drove through the body.

It appeared by a paper left behind him that, being hard-pressed by his creditors, who refused to give him time, he took this desperate method to put an end to all his troubles at once.'

On December 30th, 1811, John Williams, murderer and suicide, was buried, with a stake through his body, at the junction of New Road and Cannon Street Road. This appears to be the last occasion when the full penalty was exacted (see under August 1886). In 1823 Abel Griffiths was buried at the junction of Eaton Street, Grosvenor Place, and Kings Road, but, says the report: *The disgusting part of the ceremony of throwing lime over the body and driving a stake through it was dispensed with.

* This had been abolished by an Act of Parliament of the same year.

DIED OF LAUGHING

GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE

April 19 1782


Deaths.

Mrs. Fitzherbert, relict of the late Mr. Fitzherbert of Northamptonshire. On the Wednesday evening before her death this lady went to Drury Lane Theatre, in company with some friends, to see The Beggar's Opera.

On Mr. Bannister making his appearance in the character of Polly, the whole audience were thrown into an uproar of laughter; unfortunately the actor's whimsical appearance had a fatal effect on Mrs. Fitzherbert; she could not suppress the laugh that seized her on the first view of this enormous representation; and before the second act was over she was obliged to leave the theatre.

Mrs. Fitzherbert, not being able to banish the figure from her memory was thrown into hysterics which continued without intermission until Friday morning when she expired.

LOL Susan that last has made me laugh, not funny really.....................ROFL

xx

Good Morning Rose :-))


Here is one that may also make you laugh. A great Poet in the making, don't you think? :-)))


Made me chuckle anyway Lol

Edit:- Come to think of it. It smacks a bit of Pam Ayres.

MASTER SLENDER AND HIS BOOK
OF SONNETS

THE LONDON MERCURY

October 30, 1836

At the Court of Requests, Kingsgate Street, on Friday a very sentimental, and withal, very consumptive looking young gentleman about 20 years of age, wearing a round blue jacket, and his shirt collar turned a la Byron, was summoned before Mr. Commissioner Dubois, by a book-binder named Harrison, for payment of the sum of six shillings.

'What do you say to this?* asked Mr. Dubois of the defendant.

Defendant: 'Say, sir, why I could, write a whole volume upon it
(Laughter.) You must know, sir, I have a taste for poetry, and having some idea of setting up in that line, I writ a great many fugitive pieces - sich as sonnets, and sich likes; and as it was my intention to employ Mr. Murray to publish 'em, I thought I'd have 'em all bound up together so as to look tidy (laughter). Well, sir, and gentlemen of the jury, this here's the book, and I mean to say the binding's a disgrace to my genius' (laughter).


Mr. Commissioner: 'That's a great pity -just hand it up' - (the thing was done in blue morocco and resembled a large cyphering book). 'Will you allow me to read a portion of the contents to the jury?'

Defendant: 'With inconceivable pleasure, sir.' The Commissioner here read to the Court the following portion of a sonnet to Mr. Graham's balloon! -


'Great gawky, wonder of the hupper skies,
Oh, how I loves to see yer body rise;
There's lots of fear, although they try to mask it,
As they hangs dangling in a wicker basket;
For me when'ere I takes an hariel ride,
I means to book a place in the hinside -
And mounting huppards to the hupper skies,
I shan't feel giddy! cos I'll shut both hies!'

Although the whole Court was convulsed with laughter, Master Slender maintained the most imperturbable gravity.

The Commissioner intimated that there were odes to Daniel O'Connell - 'Sonnets on my Mother', and a few tender epistles 'To Sarah*.

The worthy Commissioner, on charging the jury, observed that the value of the binding could be estimated alone by a bookbinder.

The contents of the book was mere rubbish; but it did not follow the bookbinder was to charge an exorbitant price for what certainly appeared to be a very indifferent binding. The jury decided that 4s. with the payment of costs, was amply efficient.

Loved it Susan :)) hespecially the 'ighly hamusing hamount of aitches

xx

THE LAST 'CHARLEY’
CITY PRESS
September 27 1888

In the person of Mr. William Mason, who died on Wednesday at the age of 89, we lose the last survival of the Charleys who used to patrol the streets prior to the establishment in 1839 of the City Police Force. Another fact of interest is that as beadle to Alderman Finnis he assisted in the Lord Mayor's Show of 1856 -the last occasion on which the pageant proceeded to Westminster by water.

THE LAST 'CHARLEY' WATCHBOX
CITY PRESS
April 3, 1889

Perhaps few have noticed the removal within the last few days of the last of the Old ‘Charley’ watch-boxes. I refer to the one outside Gosling's Bank in Fleet Street, which is about to be pulled down.

The last 'Charley’* who occupied this box was, I believe, murdered in it. This box was made to open out at night, and close up in the daytime, and from the fact that iron railings have existed in front of it for very many years, it could only have been left in its position out of respect for its antiquity.

*One remained in Clapham Road until 1941.

A MERCENARY MATCH

ANNUAL REGISTER

February 1767

Jo Story, a blacksmith at Belford, having courted the daughter of Mrs. Eleanor Elliott, widow, near Haggerston, going one day to her house to ask for his sweetheart, found none but the old woman who told him her daughter was not at home, but asked him why he courted her daughter, who could not bring him above 20 pounds, and if he would please her she would help him to one of 500 pounds on which he replied he would ever with gratitude acknowledge the favour.

Then I am the person (says she) if you'll accept of the offer; on which a bargain was struck immediately, and on Tuesday se'n night they were married at Killo.


The bridegroom is only 18 years of age and the bride 64.

Thanks Susan for lots more interesting, though often sad stories. Always look forward to reading them.
Mau xx

Just read last one LOL............bargain,but for who? ;O)

A CURE FOR A WEN

April 19 1758

ANNUAL REGISTER


James White, aged 23, and Walter White, his brother, aged 21, were executed at Kennington Common for breaking open and robbing the dwelling house of farmer Vincent of Crawley.

While the unhappy wretches were hanging, a child about nine months old was pot into the hands of the executioner who, nine times, with one of the hands of each of the dead bodies, stroked the child over the face.

It seems that the child had a wen on one of its cheeks, and that superstitious notion which has long prevailed of being touched is looked on as a cure.


The same superstition regarding another infliction is the theme of Thomas Hardy's story The Withered Hand {Wessex Tales 1888). The executed criminal is seen to be the son of the husband of the afflicted woman, born out of wedlock. The latter and his mother meet alongside the corpse.



Thanks for the link carol more books to wade through :-)... apparently Dickens and other Authors used many characters from News items of the day.


If I am 'very' bored I try to trace their family trees....I know....sad lol


Lots of goings on like that Mau.....One of these days someone will come on the thread and claim one of them.....now that would be more than interesting :-))

Morning Susan,

I just love reading your articles as I find news from the past fascinating.

My Mum always told me that my late Grandma died laughing at a joke someone had told her. We lived in another province so would only get to see her once a year, when we went on holiday to our home town.

I did not get to go to the funeral and was very upset when I woke up one morning to find out that Mum had embarked on the two day train journey to attend the funeral without saying a word to me. I was 17 at the time and could have kept her company as she was 5 months pregnant with my sister. A few years ago I finally got a copy of my Grandma's death notice and discovered that she had been hospitalized for two weeks when she had her second fatal heart attack.

The hospital must have contacted her and told her that my Grandma had been interned and Mum never said a word .



Lindy xx

A WEALTHY BEGGAR

ANNUAL REGISTER

August 1765

In Kent Street, Southwark, John Cornwall, age 91, known by the name of the cripple of Kent, who, though a common beggar for more than 60 years past, left a woman whom he called his wife, upward of 400 guineas in gold and a considerable sum in silver.




Good Morning Lindy,

Yes, I know what you mean. I wasn't asked or told about quite a few either. I made sure all concerned were asked when these occasions arose. A topic for a thread there methinks :-)

Good morning Susan
Yes lots of macabre 'doings' and would indeed be interesting if someone found an ancestor in the tales.

Reading of the brothers being executed for robbery, and then hearing the news this morning of baby P's stepfather sentenced for life (meaning min. of 10 years) for rape of child methinks our laws need reforming again!!

Mau xx

Good evening

Last chance for those who haven't read the thread. News From the Past 17 will be next.