Newspaper Transcripts
Some Selected Reports from The Windsor and Eton Express
Saturday, November 21, 1829.
THE KING.
His Majesty continues in the possession of excellent spirits and the best health. Those who are honoured by being allowed to approach the royal person ridicule the reports the ignorant have circulated as to either one or the other being in the slightest degree impaired. His Majesty, it is true, has not been out in his pony phaeton so frequently of late as was his custom in the summer months; but a natural indisposition to expose himself unnecessarily to the inclemency of the weather is the only indisposition with which his Majesty has been affected.
The King has had few visitors at the Royal Lodge during the week. The Duke of Wellington had a long audience of his Majesty on Tuesday : and was received with every mark of the most flattering esteem.
When his Majesty will take up his residence at the Castle is not exactly known.
WINDSOR POLICE.
[Before J. CHURCH, Esq Mayor, R. TEBBOTT, Esq Justice.]
MONDAY.
Thomas Thorn, a youth, about 18 years of age, and the person to whom Mary Ireland affiliated her child a short time since, appeared to make some arrangement for its support.
He was told the expenses incurred were �4. 5s., which he must pay down, and 1s. 6d. per week for the future.
The lad said his wages were only 10s. a week.
It was arranged that he was to pay 1s. 6d. weekly, and his father engaged to pay �5 immediately, and the remaining �2 in the course of three months.
There were no other cases of the slightest public interest; neither was there any business of importance transacted on Thursday.
FIRE AT SLOUGH.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
We find that the three horses which were consumed at the fire were the property of Mr. Thumwood of Windsor, who has been obliged to have ten more destroyed in the course of the week, as they were so much scorched and injured, that there was not the slightest chance of their recovery. It seems the first mentioned animals were harnessed and waiting in the stable for the Bath down coach; the ostler had stepped into the yard to see if the coach was coming, and on his return to the stable, discovered that the premises were in flames. The fire is attributed to the ostler having stuck his candle against the stable-wall, and its fallen down in his absence, amongst the straw. We believe this to be a very common practice.- Masters should invariably discharge men detected in it.
The engines present were Mr. Botham's, Mr. Ramsbottom's, Her Royal Highness the Princess Augusta's from Frogmore, and the parish engines of Hounslow, Burnham, and Windsor.
When we last week gave general credit - and there were numbers who deserved it - for the exertions that were made, we little expected we should have to record some abominable instances of the very worst species of depravity. We learn that some miscreants took advantage of the confusion created, and plundered to no inconsiderable extent. Either the parties engaged in this nefarious business must have been very numerous, or the few remarkably active. Quantities of furniture linen, and plate are missing. Out of twenty-eight beds, some are destroyed, some have been carried off, and there are but two that are in a condition to be used. Out of ninety-six pairs of sheets, forty pairs are lost. Further, Mr. Luff ran into his room, to secure his desk which contained money; he observed it was locked thought the money was safe, and conveyed the desk to a place of safety : but on examining it, he discovered that the back had been taken out, and �30 extracted. Happily he had only a few days before made some heavy payments to the Excise, &c. or the loss would have been very considerable.
The premises which belonged to Mr. Jonnings [?], the brewer, were insured in the County Fire Office; Mr. Luff's furniture, in the Norwich Union; and Mr. Thumwood's horses, in the Phoenix.
UXBRIDGE.
A grand day's coursing took place at Drayton, in commemoration of the birth-day of Herbert De Burgh, Esq., lord of the manor, which was numerously attended. The matches were run as follows :-
1. Mr. Warne's brindle bitch, quiz, F. Wellford's Esq brindle bitch, lady - undecided.
2 (Two guineas) - Mr. W. Betts's red bitch nimble, beat Mr. W. Trehem's a black dog sultan.
3 (Two guineas) - Mr. W. Betts's red dog nimrod, Mr. Trehem's black dog lancers - undecided.
4 (Five guineas) - Mr. Thompson's black and white dog pilate, beit [sic] Mr. Sabin's black dog smoker.
5 Mr. De Burgh's blue dog north star, Mr. Weedon's black dog spring - won by spring.
6 Mr. Evans's brindle dog specire beat Mr. De Burgh's black and white dog go-along.
7 Mr. Wellford's brindle bitch lady, beat Mr. Warne's brindle bitch quiz.
8 Mr. W. Betts's black dog claret, beat Mr De Burgh's brindle bitch veste.
9 Mr. Kneyett's blue dog hawke, beat Mr. H. Taylor's black and white dog spring.
10 Mr. Phelps's black bitch fly, beat Mr. Evans's black and white dog, piper.
11 Mr. D. Mercer's black bitch old sal, beat Mr. Tollett's black bitch fan.
12 Mr. Curnock's black bitch skip, beat Mr. De Burgh's pied black bitch nymph.
13 Mr. Anderson's red and white dog snap, beat Mr. Hartley's blue dog rocket.
14 Mr. Thompson's blue bitch fly, beat Mr. Sabin's black dog smoker.
15 (Five guineas) - Mr. Evans's brindle dog spectre, beat Mr. Taylor's blue bitch pilbte.
16 Mr. Warne's black and white dog go-along, beat Mr. Taylor's blue bitch lawrence.
17 Mr. De Burgh's blue dog north star Mr. Weedon's black dog spruce - undecided.
18 The same two dogs - won with ease by north star, a most excellent race.
On Saturday night last, the tan yard of Mr. W. Stevens of Cowley, was robbed of a number of hides of the value of �20 [?] or more.
FARRINGDON.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE - The effects of the late "untoward" season are fast developing themselves; the most distressing accounts are almost daily pressing upon us from every quarter round this neighbourhood; the complaints appear to be general among the farmers, graziers, and dairymen; and the markets are superabundantly supplied with every article of agricultural produce, but little or no demand for it, except at the most ruinous prices to the seller; yet notwithstanding this cruel sacrifice on the part of the farmers and graziers, the consumer reaps no benefit whatever from the low prices which they are compelled to submit to; the retail dealers are now luxuriating on the distresses of the wholesale ones : bread, meat, and all the other articles of human sustenance are still kept up at most shameful prices. At a sale of farming stock in this neighbourhood, the other day, some fine oxen did not fetch more than from 3d. to 3 1/d per lb. yet we are giving the retail dealer 7d. for much inferior meat : we must say this is "too bad."
We are requested to call the attention of the Feoffees of Sir Henry Unton's charity, to the abominable nuisance of allowing builders, masons, and others, to make mortar, and chip their bricks, and other filthy occupations appertaining to building, on the very brink of the "Port well"; for upwards of six months have the inhabitants of the parish been prevented the use of the water (for the supply of which, and to keep the well in repair, a yearly sum was left by the charitable donor) from the above circumstance. - Jackson's Oxford Journal.
John Warburton, late shopman to Mr. Thomas Baker, of this town, grocer, was indicted for stealing from his master on the 2d of November inst. - Guilty, and sentenced to be imprisoned for 18 calendar months in our House of Correction, and kept to hard labour.
AYLESBURY.
(From the Bucks Gazette)
STATE OF THE POOR - A vestry was held at Aylesbury, on Thursday, when the state of the poor being taken into consideration, agreeably to the recommendation of Sir J.D. King, became the subject of rather a warm discussion. It was admitted by all that some alteration to the present mode of management must be effected both for the sake of the poor and of the rate payers. Mr. Jackson proposed that 20 acres of land should be taken and apportioned out to ten poor families, as a means of rendering them independent of the parish. His motion, however, fell to the ground for want of being seconded. Several other plans were proposed without any result. Mr. Churchill suggested that the matter should be referred to the parish-officers and the committee who at present assist them in managing the parish affairs, adding to the list the names of Mr. Joseph Read, Mr. William Winfield, Mr. John Gurney, and Mr. Jonah Dawney, four of the chief renters of the land in the parish. This suggestion was unanimously agreed to. Mr. Churchill's own opinion on the matter was, that nothing better could be done then to sell the houses and land belonging to the parish, and to build with the money arising from the sale, a large workhouse, properly arranged for the old and young, and in which work should be found for all the latter class who applied for parish relief. - This expression of opinion, though not put in the shape of a motion, seemed to meet the approbation of most of the persons present, and it was resolved that Mr. Churchill's name should be added to the committee. The above matter having been decided upon, Mr. John Gibbs brought forward a motion that in the present distressed state of the inhabitants; it would be extremely unwise and impolite to take any further steps to procure an Act for lighting, watching, and assessing the cottages of the town of Aylesbury.- Mr. Churchill said, that question had been decided at a meeting called specifically for the purpose, and could not now be entertained - Many persons left the vestry during the conversation of the subject - The question was, however, put, and carried in the affirmative.
GAME LAWS - There are at this moment thirty five prisoners in Aylesbury gaol for offences against the game laws. Six were committed in the last and five in the present week.
SHEEP STEALING.- On Saturday night last, a sheep, the property of W. Rickford, Esq, was killed in a field near the Friarage-path, Aylesbury. Part of the carcase was carried away, the remainder, in a shamefully mangled state, was left in the field. - On the same night, eight sheep, belonging to Mr. Wing, corn-dealer, of Aylesbury, either strayed, or were stolen from a field in his occupation, the latter supposition is most probable, as notwithstanding a strict search, they have not since been heard of.
LONDON RETAILERS.- A gentleman who resides in town purchased last Saturday in Aylesbury market a choice piece of beef at 6d a pound to take home with him. By doing this he calculates that he saved threepence a pound, the same joint selling at 9d in London. The strangest part of the matter, however, is, that the ox, part of which he thus bought, was purchased in Smithfield market, and driven to Aylesbury to be slaughtered.
The Earl of Buckinghamshire (it is said) has generously given notice of his intention to reduce twenty-five per cent on the amount of his rents.
We are happy to announce that his Grace the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos is positively expected at Stowe, on Tuesday next, no doubt some public testimony of congratulation will be given by the inhabitants of Buckingham to his Grace, after an absence of more than two years. In the expectation of this welcome event the faces of the poor of Stowe and its immediate neighbourhood are fac-similes of some of Cruikshank's grinning visages.
At a wedding which took place at Leckhamstead, in the last week, the united ages of the clergyman, clerk, bride, and bridegroom, father, and bridesmaid, and of the person who was purposely engaged to cook the wedding dinner, amounted to no less than the extraordinary total of 479 years, averaging upwards of 68 years for each person !
The poor of the parish of West Bradenham, were last week most liberally supplied with blankets by the bountiful head of W.H. Haggard, Esq.
ROBBERIES.- On Saturday night last, the house of Mrs. Eustace, of Wigginton, was broken open, and two bushels of flour stolen therefrom; and on the Saturday night preceding, the cottage of a labourer named Wallis, was also broken open, and the whole of the poor man's provisions stolen from his pantry.- A short time since an uninhabited cottage at Wigginton, belonging to a farmer of Marlow (which the owner was about to repair), was pulled down, and the whole of the wood work and a great many of the bricks belonging to the building carried away.- During the night of Friday last, the cellar of Mr. Tomblin, Black Horse, Chesham Bottom, was broken into, and three ferrets and a quantity of tobacco stolen.- On the Wednesday night previous, the pheasant pen of Mr. Stephen Dwight, at Buckland Common, was broken into, and �10 worth of tame pheasants stolen therefrom.- On the preceding night an attempt was made to rob the house of Mr. Thomas Hawkes, publican, of Cholesbury, by breaking the window and picking the brick work underneath. The villains were, however, unable to accomplish their object.- Three hives of bees have been stolen from John Mander's, whose house adjoins Mr. Hawkes's.- On Wednesday night last, the dwelling house of Mr. John Jemmett, of Thame, was broken open, and a flitch of bacon, a spare-rib, a rare-end, and the fleg of a pig stolen.- A horse belonging to Joseph Birch an industrious man, who keeps a haggle-cart at Wigginton near Tring, has lately been stolen.- This robbery is peculiarly cruel, as the poor man is thereby deprived of the means of earning a livelihood.
THE SLOUGH SWINDLERS.
On Tuesday se'nnight Parkes, one of the Slough Swindlers, was apprehended at Islington. One of the officers of Bow-street had made frequent application to the carrier, who removed the goods on their departure from Slough, to ascertain where he had unloaded them, but without effect, as he refused to render the least assistance; however, on the day above mentioned, his wife, who appeared to be very uneasy about the affair, prevailed upon him to give the required information, and he accompanied the officer to Islington; upon enquiry at the house, Parkes was not at home, and they awaited his return on the outside. Many minutes had not elapsed before he made his appearance, and the officer tapping him on the shoulder, enquired if his name was not Parkes ? His reply was "No, Sir, you are mistaken in the person," The officer said, that however mistaken he might be in the name, he was not in the person, and accordingly handed him into a coach, which was in readiness. Yesterday week he underwent an examination at Wandsworth, where a great number of unfortunates, who had been duped, and had received notices of his apprehension, were in readiness to give evidence against him; he was remanded until Tuesday, and in the interim sent to Horsemonger-lane gaol.
On Tuesday last, he was again examined , and Mrs. Thompson with him, as a particeps criminis. The evidence was similar to what we have already reported with the exception of the following :-
Thos. Ambrose, the carman, who lives in Francis-street, Westminster-road, said, he was employed by Parkes and Thompson to remove the goods from Slough, to a house at Lambeth. Parkes assisted in handing the goods out, and asked witness is knew any publican who would buy the spirits and wine which were packed in the van.
Gardener the Bow-street officer, said he apprehended Parkes at 47, Park-street, Islington. In the house he found a suit of clothes, and on the prisoner's person he found several pawnbroker's duplicates.- The clothes were identified by Mr. Cobden, who made them for Parkes, and the articles to which the duplicates related were proved to be part of those obtained from the different tradesmen.
Mr. Scriven, an accountant, of 15, Clifford's Inn, came forward, and said he felt it a duty he owed to the public to state that the prisoner Parkes had been for many years engaged in practices of the kind now alleged against him. In March, 1827, he, in company with a man named Thompson, who then passed as his groom, hired a dashing phaeton and pair, and drove into Bristol, and proceeded at once to the Bishop of that city, who was at that time absent, and introduced himself to the domestics as Colonel Parkes, the near relative and intimate friend of the Right Reverend Prelate. He was received accordingly, and had resided there a day or two, when he went to a jeweller's shop and ordered trinkets to the amount of �200, which were sent to the palace, and the next morning he absconded, and the jewellery was never seen afterwards. Mr. Scriven related a variety of other circumstances, which, however, as they were not made matters of formal charge, it would be unfair to publish.
The prisoner Parkes was asked what he had to say; and he contented himself with simply stating, that he had the goods on credit, and that he was liable to civil process for the recovery of the respective demands.
The Magistrate then committed Parkes for trial, and bound the witnesses over to give evidence. Mrs. Thompson was remanded.
HIGHWAY MAN.- On Tuesday evening last, about nine o'clock as Mr. Newman, an upholsterer residing in Peascod-street, Windsor, was on his way home from attending the examination of Parkes, at Wandsworth, who, as has been already stated, was committed on various charges of swindling to Horsemonger-lane gaol, he was attacked by two footpads. Mr. Newman was driving home in his gig, accompanied by his shopman; and just after he had passed Longford, his horse suddenly started, and made to the near side of the road, apparently in great terror. Before Mr. Newman could check the animal, a man of athletic stature had hold of the reins, and another of equally formidable appearance rushed up to the side of the gig, and raising himself upon one of the steps of the vehicle, seized Mr. Newman by the collar, and demanded his money. Mr. Newman, with great spirit, immediately rose in the gig, and first giving the ruffian a blow which sent him on his back upon the ground, he commenced an attack upon him and his companion with the butt end of his whip of so determined a kind, that they both made off at full speed; but not until they had received so severe a chastisement, that traces of blood were perceived for a considerable distance the next morning. Mr. Newman states, that one of the ruffians received a blow from his whip which made him groan, and that he was convinced that he inflicted a very serious wound upon him. Mr. Newman pursued the remainder of his journey with perfect safety.
NEWBURY.
BURGLARY - A burglary was perpetrated on Thursday night or early on Friday morning, on the premises of Mr. H. Welsh Silversmith, Speenhamland, by forcing one of the shutters, and breaking a pane of glass, when property to the amount of �200 was taken, consisting of watches, broaches, pins, &c. A handsome reward is offered on conviction.
DIED.
Nov.19 at the Angel and Crown, Datchet Bridge, Mr. Wm. Rainger, aged 52.
Nov.19, at Brompton, after a long and painful illness, Mr. John Hill, aged 49, late of Piccadilly, universally respected and esteemed by his numerous friends.
Nov.19 , at Newland, near Chalfont, Bucks, Thos. Allen, Esq late of Bond-street, aged 76.