Some Selected Reports from The Windsor and Eton Express
24th November 1827
Mr.R.B.Davis, has lately finished a painting of the giraffe, for his Majesty. It is an excellent representation of this beautiful animal in several positions.
At the sitting of the magistrates at the Town Hall, on Monday, a charge was preferred against William Martin, a lad, for stealing two books from Mr.Yates's stall, in Windsor market, on Saturday last. It appeared that Mr.Yates comes from London, and regularly keeps a book stall at Windsor market. On Saturday evening he missed a "Pilgrim's Progress," and asking about it from the crowd round his stall, a boy pointed to the prisoner and said he had been reading one; Yates searched him, and in a basket found the book, wrapped up in a cloth; also a "Robinson Crusoe," which, on returning to the stall, he found had also been taken. The prisoner at first denied having the books; but afterwards said he had taken one, but had found the other. He was committed to the Borough gaol, to await his trial at the quarter sessions.
The remains of the Hon.Mrs.Egerton were on Wednesday removed from Castle Hill, for internment in the family vault, at St.Jame's Church, London. The funeral was attended from Windsor by the relatives and friends of the deceased; and at Knightsbridge the carriages of their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Augusta and Sophia joined the procession. The many amiable qualities this lady possessed had endeared to her a large and distinguished circle of acquaintances, who will long and deeply deplore her loss.
A serious accident occurred to William Moody, on Monday afternoon, whilst driving the Original 5 o'clock coach from this town. Between Colnbrook and Longford (the fog being thick and the night dark), he was passing rather too close to a waggon, when one of the leaders shyed, and, becoming unmanageable, forced the coach with violence against it. The shock broke the pole and the traces. The horses immediately started off with the pole, and Moody was drawn from the box, by which he received a severe fall, and his hands getting entangled with the reins, he was dragged 50 yards before the horses stopped. He was conveyed to Bedford's inn, at Longford, much hurt. The passengers, we are happy to state, remained uninjured. No blame whatever is attached to Moody.
The Rev.John Lonsdale, B.D., Fellow of Eton College, succeeds to the vacant Stall at Lichfield, and will resign the Fellowship of Eton.
A woman of the name McMullen, mother of the celebrated pedestrian of that name, on Monday last undertook to walk 15 miles in three hours, starting from Windsor Bridge, half a mile out and back through Eton. The woman, though upwards of 60[?] years old, performed her task with amazing alacrity , having a quarter of an hour to spare, and was handsomely rewarded by the inhabitants of the town. The same person lately displayed her pedestrian powers at Aylesbury.
On Wednesday last a lamentable accident took place in Brocas-street, Eton. Henry Hall, son of John Hall, the waterman, left his gun loaded (a percussion one), in his father's home, having as a precautionary step, taken the cap off. In the absence of both father and son, two Etonians called in, and one of them seeing the piece, took it up and examined it, repeatedly cocking and uncocking it, Having procured a cap, he at last, unconscious of its dangerous state, pulled the trigger, and the contents of the gun passed through a window opposite, and partly lodged in the back of a shoemaker, named Light, and wounded a child (ten years old) near the eye. These persons were in the house of Mr.Peters, who had died early on the same day; and the child was his granddaughter. Surgical aid was promptly obtained, and they are both, we are happy to state, doing well. The accident has preyed much on the mind of the youth who was the innocent cause of the mischief, and he is now very poorly.
On Saturday morning, the town of Chertsey was thrown into great confusion by a report that the church yard has been robbed. Upon investigation one of the graves was found to be open, and the body of a fine young man, of the name Martin, was taken away, no trace of which has been discovered. It is supposed that the party was disturbed, as a wrenching screw and a portable shovel were left behind. Other graves had been opened, but only one more body was discovered to be missing. - and this was not at first suspected, as the earth was replaced, and made up as neat as any sexton could have finished it.
Aylesbury
The Second Regiment of Bucks Yeomanry Hussars has been ordered to assemble at Buckingham, on Saturday, the 15th of December, to receive Field-Marshal His Grace the Duke of Wellington.- His Grace, who is to visit the Marquis of Chandos, at Wotton, is to escorted from thence to Buckingham by a guard of honour, composed of some of the finest young men of the regiment.
On Tuesday last, a most respectable meeting was held at Buckingham, Sir. Thos.C.Sheppard.Bart in the chair, to agree upon an address to be presented to the Duke of Wellington, on his expected visit to that town on the 15th December, which was carried nem. con. A committee was appointed to superintend the providing of a cold collation at the Cobham Arms, for his Grace's entertainment, tickets to which will be two guineas; fifteen shillings of the sum to be appropriated to defray sundry expenses, and to entertain the populace. A subscription is also entered into to purchase an ox, to be roasted on the occasion.
At an Adjourned Sessions, held at Aylesbury, on Thursday, before Sir J.D.King, and a large bench of Magistrates, Sir H.Verney, Bart., of Claydon House, and the Rev.Frederick Vincent, of Hughendon, qualified themselves to act as Justices for the county.
The award which was lately given against Mr.Stevens, an agriculturalist near Tring, has excited such sympathy for him, that a subscription is in progress in several of the market towns in the county of Hertford, to indemnify him for the heavy loss he has incurred in defending the action. The subscription collected for him in Hemel Hempsted market, on Thursday, amounted to upwards of �80. His patrons entertain very sanguine hopes that he will ultimately be repaid the whole amount of the award and costs.
On Tuesday night last, or early the following morning, Mr.Wm.Stevens, of Cheddington Farm, Bucks, lost nearly one hundred pairs of pigeons. They were stolen out of his dove-house; and he has in consequence offered a reward of five guineas with a view to obtain information that will lead to the conviction of the offender or offenders.
In the latter end of October, Mrs.Parsons, a widow, who keeps a shop at Grendon Underwood, was disturbed in the night by a noise made by some person in her house. She got up and went to window to ring a handbell, in order to alarm her neighbours and bring them to her assistance, from this purpose, however, she was deterred by two men, who stood in the road and assailed her with mud and stones whenever she appeared at the window. The robbery of the house was consequently effected; and among the articles stolen were some silver spoons and �14 in bank notes; the latter were taken from behind an image, where they had been hidden on account of its being a place which Mrs.Parsons conjectured to be little likely to be searched by thieves. This circumstance caused suspicion that one of the robbers was a person well acquainted with the premises and the habits of the occupier. After the robbery a relation of Mrs.Parsons was observed to be much better stocked with cash than usual, spending money profusely, and passing much of his time at the public house. This naturally directed the attention of the constable towards him, and he was apprehended; when he immediately confessed that he assisted in the robbery, and disclosed the names of the two men who were his accomplices. They also have been taken into custody; and, we hear, that proof can be brought of their having disposed of some of the stolen articles at Leighton. They are all to undergo a re-examination at Aylesbury.
On Thursday afternoon, snow fell heavily in the neighbourhood of Aylesbury between two and three hours. The storm, we hear, extended to a great distance, and was in some places of a much longer duration. The Manchester mail, which usually arrives at St.Albans at five in the morning, was on Friday two hours behind time, owing to the depth of snow on the road.
On Monday an inquest was held before Mr.Burnham, at the Rising Sun public-house, Aylesbury, on the body of Rebecca Varney, a child about four years of age, the daughter of poor parents living at Green-end, Aylesbury. - It appeared that the child was left alone in the house by her mother for a few minutes on Thursday evening, and during her absence set her clothes on fire by playing with a lighted match; in this state she ran to the house of Richard Bailey, a person living in the adjourning cottage, by whom the flames were extinguished as quickly as possible. Mr.Terry, a surgeon, was then sent for, and attended her immediately; but she was dreadfully burnt that notwithstanding the remedies applied she expired on the following Saturday. - The Jury returned a verdict of Accidental death.
On the same day, an inquest was held at the White Horse, Aylesbury, on the body of Samuel Parsons, an itinerant musician, who was in the habit of travelling the country, and playing the bass viol at concerts, &c. - Mrs.Godfrey, wife of the landlord of the inn, stated that the deceased came to her house on Thursday week, and took up his lodgings there. He appeared to be much afflicted by an asthma, but he did not complain of being ill. On Saturday, however, he did not leave his room, but called for a pint of warm beer and some bread and cheese to be brought to him. Mrs.Godfrey attributed his doing so to a wish to keep out of the bustle of the house, it being market day. On Sunday morning, about ten o'clock, he again called for a pint of warm beer, which was taken up to him in his room. After this Mrs.Godfrey heard him cough; but at dinner time when her servant girl, Sophia Monk, went to take him some food, she discovered he was lying on his back with his mouth open, and apparently dead. Mr.Terry, the parish surgeon, was sent for, who immediately came, and having examined the body, pronounced that his dissolution had taken place. Verdict . - Died by the visitation of God.