Newspaper Transcripts
Some Selected Reports from The Windsor and Eton Express
12th March 1842
Literary Institution
On Wednesday evening last, Mr.Walker delivered his second lecture on "Electrotype Manipulation." Having briefly reviewed the substance of the last lecture, he dwelt upon those experiments in which he had demonstrated that, in the decomposition of metallic solutions by voltaic currents, the metal is obtained at the wire, or other conductor, by which the electricity leaves the solution. The wire, or conductor, is termed the cathode. He then read extracts from the specifications of several patents, each of which depends upon some particular form of cathode. Having spoken of other patents in this art (especially of electrotype which he intends describing in his next lecture), he went through the process of forming cathodes, or moulds of plaister casts, medallions and medals. It was the first instance he shewed the manipulation with a composition, of which the basis was permaceti; and then he struck a mould in the fusible metal termed clichee metal. Having placed these moulds in the voltaic circuit, he described the general distinctions between conductors and non-conductors, and showed the application of plumbage as one of the former. He illustrated the difference between clichee and ordinary fusible metal, by submitting a spoon of the latter to the action of boiling water, in which it immediately melted; the other metal requires more, but not much more heat. Several batteries were then analyzed, and their relative values mentioned: among which Daniell's and Smee's were mentioned. The process of amalgamation was described, and illustrated by three experiments:- First a piece of ordinary zinc was placed in acid beneath a tumbler, which was soon filled with hydrogen; similarly circumstanced beneath another tumbler was a piece of zinc covered with mercury, or, as it is termed, amalgamated; in this case no gas appeared.
Under a third was placed a piece of amalgamated zinc, wrapped in copper wire, thus constituting a single voltaic pair - hydrogen was given off from the copper, and the glass was soon full. Mr.Walker then gave some general directions for the management of moulds when in action, and described the precaution requisite to ensure a solid, and not a rotten deposit. The lecture was throughout interspersed with practical hints on all the subjects introducted; it was illustrated by a large series of electrotype medals, copper plates, leaves, lace, &c., &c. In the third lecture, he purposes illustrating electro-gilding, plating, etching, &c. For the latter purpose a drawing of Windsor Castle has been prepared.
On Monday morning last Mr.William Clode, of the New Inn, sustained a loss by an unforeseen accident to one of his horses, which shortly after being turned out in Mr.C's orchard, broke his leg while at play, and was consequently obliged to be killed.
On Sunday afternoon a thatched cottage belonging to Captain Forbes, near his residence, Winkfield-place, was burnt down, owing to the chimney taking fire, which bursted the chimney-pot, and let some of the lighted soot fall on the thatch; fortunately the cottager, a man named Taylor, his wife and five children, escaped unhurt and also saved their furniture.
Fatal Accident by Fire
Yesterday evening an inquest was held at Mr.Darling's, the Red Lion, Thames street, in this town, before Mr.Marlin, coroner for the borough, on the body of a child named Frederick Deverill, aged six years, whose parents reside in Bier-lane, and who was on Wednesday morning so shockingly burnt that it caused his death on Thursday night.
Mary Franklin stated that she was the wife of George Franklin, a shoemaker, living in Bier-lane, About nine o'clock on Wednesday morning she heard two children calling out of the house in which she lived. On hearing the noise a second time she went down stairs, and saw the deceased child come out of Mrs.Stevens's room (another lodger in the same house) enveloped in flames. Witness immediately screamed out for assistance, and her husband and a person named William Gray came downstairs immediately . They stripped the child's clothes off, and the child ran again into Mrs.Steven's room. He appeared to be much burnt in the stomach and face. Witness saw no more of the occurrence.
George Franklin, the husband of the preceding witness, who was much burnt in his hands from endeavouring to extinguish the flames that ravaged round the unfortunate child, stated that he was a shoemaker. He ran downstairs on hearing the cries of his wife about nine o'clock on Wednesday morning, when he saw the deceased enveloped in flames. Mr.Gray assisted him in stripping the child of his clothes. [ Witness here produced the remnants of his clothes.] The poor child appeared much burnt, and blood was flowing from his mouth when he (deceased) returned into Mrs.Stevens's room.
Mr.Pearl, surgeon to the Windsor Dispensary, stated that the deceased was brought to him at the Dispensary on Wednesday morning, between eight and nine o'clock, wrapped in a blanket; he was severely burnt, especially about the chest and face. Witness dressed him all over with proper applications, and saw him again in the course of the day at the father's house. He then found the deceased got worse, and he saw him again on Thursday. The deceased died on Thursday night, about eight o'clock, through the injury he had received by the burning. The deceased's father appeared to be exceedingly attentive to him, and he appeared to do everything that was right.
Mary Stevens, wife of Thomas Stevens, a ballast heaver, stated that on Wednesday morning between eight and nine o'clock she went downstairs to the father of the deceased to request that he would allow his child to come to her room and play with her child, who was a boy not yet three years old. Deverill consented, and the deceased went with the witness to her room, in which there was a fire, not a large one. There was no guard around it. Witness afterwards went out and left the two children playing in her room, and the door open. She did not know of any sticks being left there that they could play with and light. Witness left no person but the children in the room. She had left the children there before to play. Witness did not return home until after the melancholy affair was over. Witness's child could not talk, and she could not ascertain how the accident happened.
By the jury - Witness told the deceased not to touch the fire, and she would bring him an apple when she came back.
The Coroner said it was very improper to leave children of such an age where they were alone, and a fire in the room, and he hoped this would be a warning to Mrs.Stevens in future, for the sake of her own child.
Mrs.Stevens, who seemed very distressed in mind, expressed her deep regret at the occurrence.
Mary Derverill, the sister of the deceased, stated that she attended her brother after the accident, and assisted her father in dressing his injuries. On Wednesday the deceased could speak a little, and his father asked him if he had played with the fire, to which he said yes, and that it had caught his pinafore. The poor boy also said "If I live I will never play with the fire any more father." The deceased complained very much of the pain he was enduring. The whole Thursday he was insensible, and he died about a quarter past eight o'clock.
This being the whole of the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death."
Windsor Police - Monday
[Before John Clode, Esq. (mayor) and Sir John Chapman].
A great many poor-rate defaulters, numbering from 40 to 50, were summoned for non-payment of their rates. They consisted principally of poor people who complained of their inability to pay the money. These were generally allowed a fortnight or three weeks time, and orders in all the cases were made with a due consideration of the circumstances of the parties.
One of the parties summoned, a poor woman named Morgan, said she should have paid her rate, which was only 2s 6d, but that she had been told by Mr.Beenham it was illegal, and therefore that she was not to pay it.
Sir John Chapman - Ah! , and now you have an additional sum of 3s costs to pay.
Mrs.Morgan said she knew nothing about the matter, and she thought as Mr.Beenham told her not to pay she was acting right.
Mr.Towers (the collector) - Yes; and directly he told you not to pay your rate he came out and paid his own [laughter].
Sir John Chapman - Well Mrs Morgan, you have 5s 6d to pay now, but you had better see if Mr.Beenham will re-pay you the 3s costs.
Two or three parties who were summoned complained of the illegality of the rate, on account of it not including the rating of the Gas and Water Companies pipes.
The magistrates said they had nothing to do with that, as that objection was the subject of an appeal against the rate.
Mr.Jarman, who with several other rate-payers attended to show illegality of the last rate, addressed the bench, and said he was prepared to prove that the last rate was perfectly illegal. The parish officers had no power by law of making one rate until all the preceding rates had been collected, and here parties had been summoned in some instances for three rates; in the next place the Gas and Water Companies should be rated to the poor the same as in other places.
The magistrates interrupted Mr.Jarman, by telling him they had nothing to do with the legality or the illegality of the rate, sitting as they did. It could be appealed against provided the parties were in time to give their notices.
Mr.Long, the magistrates clerk, said they were now too late for appealing against the rate last made.
Mr.Jarman said he had given his solicitor to appeal, but by some accident it was found that it was a day too late.
Sir John Chapman - All we have now to do is to decide on the summonses brought before us. We cannot go into the legality of the rate.
The cases were then gone through. Several poor persons, on the recommendation of Mr.Astle, the only overseer who attended the bench, were excused their rates.
In the course of the proceedings Sir John Chapman complained of cases against poor persons for non-payment of the rates. It was the most disagreeable duty that the magistrates had to perform, and rather than be obliged to continue it, he for one would resign his office.
Eton Police - Tuesday
[Before the Rev.Thomas Carter].
William James, better known by the soubriquet of "Wire," a well known drunken character, was charged with having on the previous night, while drunk, wilfully broken the windows of shops belonging to Mr.Byles, Mr.Wigginton, Mr.Brown, and Mr.Mitchell, all of Eton.
It appeared that the prisoner had got drunk, and while staggering in the middle of the road of Eton, it struck his fancy to take up some the macadamised stones lying there, and fling them right and left. Hence the damage done. The case of Mr.Byles's damage alone was gone into, that being the extent of nearly �2, and for which the prisoner was sent for two months to prison. The other charges remain to be substantiated against him at a future time.
Maidenhead, Saturday, March 12.
A memorial to the directors of the Great Western Railway Company is in the course of signature by the inhabitants of Maidenhead, Marlow, and the surrounding towns and villages, for the purpose of getting removed the station , miscalled the Maidenhead-station, to some more convenient place. Maidenhead van scarcely be said to have a station , for it is not only at too great a distance from the town, but is even out of the county. It is well known that many persons, in consequence of the inconvenience, trouble, and expense, particularly as regards the conveyance of goods, do not employ the railway company, and will not do so until some alteration is made. The memorial will be attached upwards of 800 signatures, including many very influential names. It is hoped the directors will see the propriety of acceding to the memorial, not only for the interest of the public, but also for their own, which must be materially enhanced,
On Monday last, Ann Keeley, late servant to the Misses Rogers of North Town, near Maidenhead, was brought before the borough magistrates for stealing from her fellow servant a sovereign and a half. The circumstances of the case, as appeared from the evidence, were in substance as follows :- It appears that the Misses Rogers were absent, and had left money in the hands of Ann Keeley to keep house with. On the Thursday night previous information was given to Sexton, the constable, that a robbery had been committed at the Misses Rogers house, and on going there he was informed by the prisoner that three men had come to the door, with their faces blacked, knocked her down, and two of them went up stairs while one stood over her, and that they had taken away a �5 note and a half sovereign belonging to her mistresses, and a sovereign and a half sovereign belonging to Mary Ann Collins, her fellow servant. From an inspection of the premises and other circumstances , the constable suspected the girl's story was false, and ultimately took her into custody, when she confessed it was so, and that she had given the �5 note and half sovereign belonging to her mistresses to a gypsey woman, for telling her fortune, and that the sovereign and a half, belonging to her fellow servant , was secreted in the boiler by the kitchen fire, where the constable found it. The prisoner was committed on the charge of robbing her fellow servant, Mary Ann Collins.
Marlow, Saturday, March 12.
The amount of the sentences passed last week at Oxford upon the Marlow burglars, has been incorrectly stated. Samuel Smith and _ Bowles for robbing the house of Mr.Shrimpton, a grocer, at Tetsworth, having both been previously convicted, were transported for life. William Neighbour, although a notorious fence, was never convicted before, and was therefore only sentenced to fourteen years transportation. These fellows are believed to have been concerned in all the numerous robberies committed in and about Marlow during the past winter, and much credit is therefore due to the constables who apprehended and detected them.
Some of the inhabitants of Maidenhead, aided by the restless spirit of a few inconsiderate Marlow men, have been busy during the past week getting up a memorial to have the Railway-station moved from Taplow to Boynhill, and thinking it better to travel a mile backward to commence their journey than advance a mile forward, totally regardless of the conveniences the present station affords to the inhabitants of Bray, Taplow, Burnham, Hitcham, Beaconsfield, Wooburn, Wycombe, and Cookham, over one in the dreary neighbourhood of Boynhill.
The electors of Marlow have been full of anxiety during the past week respecting the approaching scrutiny of votes for this borough. All that is present known is that the lists of objections were put in last Tuesday, Renn Hampden, Esq., objecting to 33, Sir W.R.Clayton, Bart., the sitting member, to 92. The blues are in high spirits, the Tories dejected even to insanity.
Melancholy Suicide
On Tuesday an inquest was held at the Pelican beer-shop, Windlesham, before Mr.Wood, coroner for West-Surrey, on the body of Mr.James Wynn, the landlord of that house, who shot himself on Sunday last while in bed. It appeared the deceased, who was much respected, and possessed some property, was of a very excitable temperament, and when in that state of mind flew to drink, which made him worse, and so much so, that his wife fearful of danger at his hands has been obliged several times to leave the house and seek refuge at the house of her son, at Bagshot. He had been frequently heard to say he would shoot himself, and on Sunday afternoon, about half past two o'clock, while in bed, (for he had not risen that day) he put his threat into execution. He lingered about 12 hours, and then death put a period to his sufferings. The Jury returned a verdict of "Temporary derangement."
Births
On the 5th inst., at Uxbridge, Mrs T.C.Bedborough, of a son.
Married
On the 10th inst., at the parish church, Kensington, by the vicar, the Venerable Archdeacon Pott, Victoria Conroy, youngest daughter of Sir John Conroy, Bart., to Capt.Hanmer, Royal Horse Guards, brother to Sir John Hanmer, Bart.
Died
On the 3rd inst., Clara, eldest daughter of Charles Worthington, Esq., Weybridge, Surrey, aged 28.
On the 4th inst., at Hillingdon, Mrs.Hannah Ratcliff, aged 64 years.
On the 6th inst., at Harlington, Mark Augustus Haslam, aged 19 years.
On the same day, at South Moore, Berks, Vincent, second son of Mr.Litchfield
On the 8th inst., at Cowley, Mrs M.A.Rawlins, aged 30 years.
On the same day, in the 80th year of his age, the Rev.James Cowe, Vicar of Sunbury, Rural Dean, and one of her Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the counties of Middlesex and Surrey.
On the same day, at Eton, Mrs.Julia Rogerson, at the advanced age of 92.