cornwall england newspaper
1849 NEWS
DECEMBER
7 DECEMBER 1849, Friday
[Transcribers notation: The first article on Mines and Miners of Cornwall is very difficult to read in parts and therefore has had to be abridged.]
THE MINES AND MINERS OF CORNWALL - (From a correspondent of the
Morning Chronicle.) - Long before Roman, Dane, Saxon, or Norman, put
his foot as a conqueror on British ground, Cornwall was both known and
frequented for its mineral wealth. The earliest celebrity which the
county seems to have attained in this respect was for its tin, but
subsequent mining operations have proved it to be also rich in copper
and lead. It likewise possesses iron, but not in very great quantity,
whilst silver is found to a small extent in the lead mines. For many
centuries the tin produced in Cornwall was extracted from mere diluvial
ores, or superficial deposits, it being only with a period
comparatively recent that the system of mining was commenced which has
since developed itself on so stupendous a scale. The county was long
known for its tin [...?] copper was extracted from it to any extent.
But although this branch of the mining industry of Cornwall was the
most recently developed, it is now the most extensive of all - the
copper mines being the most numerous, and employing the greatest number
of hands in the county. The ores of Cornwall, whether of tin, copper,
or lead are found in veins - these veins are called "lodes;" they run
in very irregular lines, varying greatly in width, but all resembling
each other in this respect, that no limit can be assigned to their
depth. The two great features in the geological structure of the
county are the granite and the slate-stone. In the granite the tin is
generally found - in the slate-stone the lead; and the copper usually
at or near the junction of the two. In parts these different ores are
found by themselves, in other places they are mingled together. Thus,
from a particular lode copper, tin, or lead only may be extracted; or
copper, tin and lead may be found in different proportions together.
Copper and tin are frequently found in one and the same lode; and when
they are not so, the different lodes in which they may lie are
sometimes so close to each other as to be within the bounds of one and
the same mine; so that whilst one shaft of a mine may descend into a
copper, that contiguous to it may penetrate a tin lode. It is thus
that many of the mines, particularly in the west, are worked both for
copper and tin.
The mining interest of Cornwall is, beyond all question, the most
important in the whole county. The number of people employed in and
about the mines, including surface and underground workers, was in
1841, upwards of 27,000. On a calculation similar to those made on
former occasions with respect to the number of persons dependent for
support upon agricultural labour in particular districts, this would
give about 87,000 persons dependent upon mining operations for their
subsistence. The importance of the mining interest will be
appreciated, when it is considered that it supports nearly double the
number of people maintained by agricultural labour in Cornwall. In
regard to mining, Cornwall is divided into three great districts - the
western, the midland, and the eastern. The western comprehends the
parish of St. Just and its neighbourhood. The midland has a larger
range, extending from Hayle on the west, to the parish of St. Blazey,
near Fowey, on the east. Fully one half of this district is wild,
uneven, and bleak, and scarcely adaptable for the lowest agricultural
purposes. Its chief foci are St. Agnes, Camborne, Redruth, and St.
Austell. The eastern district comprehends the mines in the
neighbourhood of Liskeard, and those at Callington, on the borders of
Devon. In all these districts, copper, tin, and lead abound in varying
proportions - the copper being generally in the greatest quantity,
except, perhaps in the neighbourhood of St. Austell. As the main
object of the present inquiry is to ascertain the condition and
prospects of the labourer, I shall confine myself to a brief account of
the practical working of the mines, with a view to the elucidation of
the miner's duties, and of the different circumstances which more or
less affect his lot and fortunes. Before doing so, it will be as well
to premise that the timer "miner" exclusively applies to those actually
working in the mines - the capitalists, or those employing the miner,
being known as the adventurers. Each mine is owned by a company of
adventurers, the capital being divided into shares, which are
marketable and transferable like those of a railway company.
The miners are divided into two great classes - the surface and the
underground men. The latter are by far the most numerous, being fully
three to one, as compared with the former. The underground men are
again divided into two separate classes, known, in mining phraseology,
as the "tutwork-men," and "tributers." The tutmen are those who do
"tut" work, which is neither more nor less than simple excavation. In
commencing a mine, therefore, the tutmen are the first called into
requisition. They sink the shaft and run the levels - all the ore
which may chance to be raised during the process belonging exclusively
to the adventurers, always with the exception of the lord's dues. The
work is given out by the fathom; it is regularly bid for, and the
parties offering to do it for the lowest price secure the work. It
generally happens, however, that one of the captains of the mine
ascertains before hand, as far as can be, the nature of the work, and
sets his won price upon it - the price at which it is taken seldom
varying much from the captain's price. Both tut and tribute work are
usually taken by what is called a "party;" the party, in both cases,
consisting of several individuals, their number varying according to
circumstances. The party is divided into three gangs to a tut party,
each gang working eight hours at a time - the whole twenty-four hours
being thus turned to account. The gangs employed in tutwork are
strictly required to relieve each other at the proper time. As their
work is chiefly preliminary to the real business of mining, it is, of
course, the object of those who employ them to have it done as speedily
as possible. Nor are the interests of the tutmen themselves interfered
with by this - for, as their work is piece-work, the sooner they get
through it the better. A greater degree of discretion is generally
given to the tributers, as to how long they may work, and when they may
relieve each other - it being suppose that they have sufficient
inducement to diligence in the share which they have in the proceeds of
their own operations. At the poorer mines tutwork is generally
confined to ground which is not metallic - tribute work having
reference invariably to metallic ground.
The work of the tutman is that of simple excavation, at so much per
fathom. He bids for it with a real or presumed knowledge of the nature
of the ground to be worked - the same knowledge being possessed, or
presumed to be possessed, by the captain assigning him the work.
Miscalculations in this respect are not unfrequently made, which are in
their results sometimes in favour of, and at others against, the
tutmen. The undertaking of the tutman is to bring to the surface so
much matter, whether or "stuff," or both together, at so much per
fathom. To fulfil it, he requires the use of machinery to raise the
matter excavated to the surface. That which he thus employs is, of
course, the machinery on the spot, adapted for the purpose and
appertaining to the mine. For this he is usually charged at the rate
of 14s. per fathom, which is so much to be deducted from his earnings.
There are other deductions also to be made, but as these are common to
both tributers and tutmen, then explanation will be deferred for the
present. Each mine has its own regular setting days, and the process
of settling is as follows. At the property time and place the
tributers and captains of the mine meet together. I may here explain
that the captains are invariably men who have risen from the rank of
miners. It is their duty to set and superintend the work, to do both
of which properly they must frequently descend into the mine. There
are three or more of them, according to the extent of the mine, and one
or more of them are invariably below. The setting is a species of
auction, the captains being the auctioneers, the miners the bidders,
and the pitches the subject-matter of the transaction. Since the
previous setting day more pitches may have been opened, either by the
further sinking of the shafts, and the construction of additional
levels, or by the extension of the levels already existing. It
frequently happens, too, that pitches already partially worked but
abandoned may be offered. In such cases they may be taken by different
parties, or by the same parties at a higher rate. Both miners and
captains are supposed to have a knowledge of the quality of the
pitches, and it is upon this knowledge that they proceed to business.
The pitches are put up, one after another, not to the highest, but to
the lowest bidder. There are maps of each mine, and the pitches,
levels, shafts, and wines are all as well known to the parties
concerned, as are their streets to the denizens of a town. Pitch so
and so is put up, and the bidding commences. The offer, on the part of
the captains, is to set the lode to the party that will work it for the
smallest share of the proceeds. This explains the position of the
tributer and the character of his work. He does not work for fixed
wages, or for so much per fathom, but becomes, quoad the portion of the
mine which he engages to work a partner, as it were, in the profits and
loses. The share in consideration of which he will work a pitch
depends upon his belief as to the quality of the lode at that
particular point. Thus he will offer to work a rich pitch for 5s. in
the GBP1 - that is to say, for 5s. out of every GBP1 worth of ore which
he may raise to the surface. This is called his tribute. To work a
poor pitch, however, which yields but little ore to a great deal of
labour, he may ask as high as 13s. in GBP1. Sometimes he will work at
a lower rate of 5s., but when the ore is so rich as to tempt him to go
much lower than that, the adventurers generally give it out on tut by
the fathom, retaining all the produce themselves. Between 4s. and 13s.
in GBP1 is the range at which the tributer generally works. It is
seldom that there is any indiscriminate bidding, or any great scramble
at the settings. Men who have obtained a footing in the mine have
generally the preference over strangers. The captain has generally his
price for each pitch, and if it is a new setting for the same pitch, he
usually offers it to the party who have already worked it. If they
take it, the matter so far is at an end: if not, it is then put up, and
the lowest bidders, before a stone which is thrown up falls to the
ground, receive the work. The pitches are set for two months at a
time, an arrangement advantageous to all parties; for if the tributers
find a pitch poorer than they anticipated, they are not obliged to work
it for a greater length of time - whereas if it turns out much richer
than was expected, the adventurers will be enabled, at the end of that
period, to secure their fair share of the produce. The tributers have
this further advantage, that, should they find the pitch very poor,
they may throw it up at the end of a month, although they have taken it
for two; and, in such a case, it maybe re-set to them at a higher rate.
I have already intimated that, in setting the pitches and giving out
tutwork, a preference is usually given to those who have been
established in the mine, provided they are disposed to take the work at
or near the captain's price. This preference has given rise to the
practice of taking "farthing pitches," as they are sometimes called -
that is to say, taking a pitch at the low and merely nominal tribute of
a farthing in GBP1. The object of doing so is simply to get
established in the mine. At the next setting those parties will be on
the same footing as those who preceded them in the mine. But
advantageous as this appears to be to the adventurers, it is not in
reality so. Beyond getting established in the mine, the men have no
inducement to work, their tribute being merely nominal. The
consequence is that they waste their time doing little or no work
whilst below, to the obvious detriment of the adventurers. This is now
so clearly seen that in most mines the system of farthing pitches has
been discontinued, the adventurers having been all the more inclined to
depart from it, from the umbrage which it frequently gave to those who
had been long in their employment.
When a pitch is set, it is marked down in the books of the mine as set
to such and such a party. Their names or marks are all subscribed to
the notification. The party varies in number, according to the nature
of the pitch, and the quantity of labour which will have to be expended
upon it. Sometimes the party does not exceed four, at other times if
consists of six or eight and occasionally extends to twelve. The share
of the tributer is determined as to its amount by the value of the ore
when ready for market. He has, therefore, not only to extract it from
the hole, but also to prepare it for market. This is done on the
surface by those whom he employs for the purpose. At every mine there
is a large number of surface workers, amongst whom may be seen some
men, but the majority of whom are women and boys. They constitute from
one-fifth to one-fourth of the whole number employed in and about the
mine. These surface workers are almost all in the pay of the tributers
or underground men. It is their business to take the ore as it comes
from the shaft, to have it stamped, cleaned, and washed, and prepared
for the smelters. The larger masses are broken with hammers, generally
by women, until the whole pile is in pieces, about the size of a large
egg. If the ore is very rich, it is then carried to the rollers
between which it is crushed. It is then ready for market. This
applies only to the copper ore, which is considered good if it has from
ten to fifteen per cent of metal in it. The preparation of the tin ore
is very different. It often comes to the surface with no more than six
per cent of metal in it. But before it is ready for market, and in a
state fit to be received by the smelters, it has to be "worked up"
until it contains seventy-five per cent of metal - in other words, the
great bulk of the dross must be got rid of. The ore is first taken to
the stamps. These are perpendicular beams of wood, set in frames, each
beam being shod at its lower end with a large and heavy mass of iron.
In one stamping machine there may be a great number of these beams.
They are raised alternately by a cogged cylinder driven by the
steam-engine, and fall with great weight upon the rough ore, which is
placed below them, and which they grind very fine. The ore when placed
below them is immersed in a stream of water, whose only outlets are
fine wire sieves, close to the lower end of each stamper. Through
these sieves the water is forced with great violence, carrying out with
it such parts of the ore as have been sufficiently crushed to pass
through. Such as is not small enough remains below the stamper until
it becomes so. As the crushed ore passes from the stamper it is
carried by the water to beds, which slightly decline towards one end.
The best part of the ore sinks immediately at the upper end of these
beds, the dross not sinking until it reaches the lower end. This dross
still containing some metal is again washed, by being divided into
other beds similarly situated, and the process is resumed until little
but dross remains. In this way the tin ore is worked up to the
requisite quality of seventy-five per cent. When the copper ore is not
very rich, it also is put under stamps, and undergoes the process of
washing. There are other operations, such as "jigging," &c., all
having in view the preparation of the ore for market. It is when sold,
after it has been so prepared, that the tributer's earnings are
determined, in ascertaining the net amount of which he has, of course,
to deduct the wages of those employed by him on the surface for the
preparation of the ore. Nor is this the only deduction which has to be
made, as will be presently seen. The tin ore is not thus prepared at
his cost, being generally bought of him at the top of the shaft, the
adventurers working it up to the requisite point. Before considering
the miner's wages, it will be as well to see him at work. To do so, if
the reader will accompany me, we will descend a shaft together.
The mines are not all equally wet, but no one can expect to penetrate
very far into a mine and emerge dry from it. We have, therefore, to go
to the "shifting-room," and attire ourselves in a miner's garb. It
consists of a suit of thick flannel, with a stout coat over it, heavy
shoes for the feet, and a hat generally made strong enough to "bear a
good knock." We must also provide ourselves each with a candle. The
candle is stuck into a piece of clay, which again is stuck upon the
hat, which is of the "wide-awake" shape. Thus equipped, we descend the
ladders. As we approach the shaft, we perceive a steam rising form it.
This, we are informed, is the breath of the men at work below. The
very mine itself seems to breathe. There are, at least six hundred men
at work beneath our feet, at various depths, some one hundred, some
five hundred, and others one thousand six hundred feet. The ladder is
very narrow, with iron bars, and is well nigh perpendicular. The bars
are moist and greasy, from the men passing up and down, which makes us
cling all the more firmly, considering the unknown depth of the shaft,
and the almost perpendicular position of our means of descent. We bid
adieu to daylight almost by the time we have reached the first level.
There is no one at work in it, so we descend to the second. We pass
it, and several others, until at length we reach the seventh level. We
are then about four hundred feet under ground, a sufficient depth to
bury St. Paul's. We take the level to our right, and pursue it until
we reach the men at their work. There is a tramroad along the level,
for "running the stuff" to the shaft, so that it can be raised to the
surface. In some of the smaller mines this is done by boys with
wheelbarrows, which, with the exception of working the ventilating
machines, is the only purpose to which boys are put below. We proceed
about one hundred feet in a horizontal course, when we come upon the
miners. When they take a pitch, they generally work it up not down -
that is to say, the men working from the seventh level work up towards
the sixth, not down towards the eighth. Their object is to follow the
lode, and extract the ore from it, disturbing as little of the
non-metallic ground as possible. When the lode is wide enough, they
work nothing but the lode, leaving the matter on either side untouched.
A miner will thus work in a lode only eighteen inches wide; but if it
is narrower than that, he has to clear away some of the "country" -
which is removing a sufficient quantity of the granite, slate, stone,
or other substances, which may envelope the lode, to enable him to
follow it.
Those upon whom we have come are engaged at this work. They are
preparing to clear away the granite by blasting it. The hole for the
powder is made with a "borer," held by one whilst the other strikes it
with a large sledge hammer. The latter is in a state of profuse
perspiration, whilst the other is shivering with cold. They are both
completely wet, as, indeed we are ourselves. The man with the hammer
has nothing on but his flannel trousers. The beatings of his hear,
which are quick and strong, strike painfully upon the ear. He seems to
be galloping through life- and so he is, for the miner is generally but
a short liver. We leave this part of the level, and take that on the
other side of the shaft, which we follow for a considerable distance,
until we come to a hole, through which we have to crawl on all fours.
We then find ourselves at the bottom of a winze, which we pass, and
pursue the level. The men have worked up for a considerable distance,
making stages for themselves as they rise into the lode. The ore is
carefully separated from the stuff, and is carried over the tramway to
the shaft. Such is the merest outline of the work which the mine
exhibits. Space will not permit me to go into details here. We return
again to the surface. But to climb a series of perpendicular ladders,
reaching as high as St. Pail's, is no joke. We take about half an hour
to do it, resting at the different levels as we ascend. We arrive at
the top utterly exhausted, and thankful that we have emerged again into
daylight.
Such is the position, and such are the circumstances of the miners when
at work. They generally relieve each other every eight hours, each
gang working eight out of the twenty-four. Their tools are chiefly the
sledge, the borer, and the pick, with the last of which they remove the
dislodged granite, and other stuff, which do not require blasting. I
one day overtook a tributer making for one of the mines near Redruth.
He told me that he worked in the 300 fathom level - that is to say,
1800 feet below the surface. His engagement was to be on the ladders
by six in the morning, and he merged from the mine shaft five in the
afternoon. Nearly two hours was spent in descending and ascending the
ladders. At this period of the year, with the exception of the
Sundays, his life is one perpetual night. The temperature was so high
in his level, that they all worked naked, ascending, every hour or so,
to several fathoms above them, to dip themselves in some pools, which
were comparatively cool. He was a tributer, and the tributers look
with as great contempt upon the tutmen, as the tutmen do upon the
surface labourers. Indeed, a tributer will be on the point of
starvation before he will take tutwork. Some mines, like the Carn Brea
mine, employ about 1200 people; others more. The Caradon and other
mines which have recently sprung up in the neighbourhood of Liskeard,
afford subsistence to about ten thousand people, including the miners
and their families.
It is not very easy to get at the earnings of a miner. The wages of
the surface-workers are fixed and known, but the earnings of the
underground workers depend, as to amount, upon so many circumstances
that it is difficult to ascertain them. Throughout the midland mining
district, particularly around Redruth, which is the centre of the most
extensive mining district in the county, they have been receiving, for
some time past, from 45s. to 50s. a month. At the Caradon mines the
earnings are, on the average, about 10s. per month higher than those in
the west. When these mines were established, a large migration of
miners took place from the west, for whom no adequate house
accommodation has since been provided. They are thus not only
compelled to huddle together in large numbers, but they have also to
pay very high for the wretched accommodation afforded them. Many of
them have left their families in the west, and cannot remove them,
owing to the scarcity of cottages near Liskeard. They are consequently
saddled with the expense of two establishments. In addition to this,
they have not the advantage of allotments of ground so common in the
west, in cultivating which they could employ their leisure time, of
which the miner has a great deal. All these disadvantages have
necessitated a higher scale of wages in the east than in the west.
The wages, or earnings, are paid once a month; but to keep the miners
and their families going, a portion is paid on account once a
fortnight. This is called their "subsist," or, more commonly, "stist."
This is objected to be some, as tending to make men lazy. Where the
farthing-pitch system is in vogue, it works very badly. In such case
the men are not entitled to any thing till the end of the first two
months, and they do not get their subsist until a fortnight before the
day on which they are entitled to their earnings. The consequence is,
that they work for six weeks without receiving anything. They are thus
driven, by their circumstances to go into debt with the retail dealers
for the necessaries of life. Once in debt, it is very difficult for
them to get out of it, and reckless habits frequently supervene. The
wages paid to the surface-workers are 8d. a day to women, and from 4d.
to 6d. a day to boys and girls. At Caradon the women had, a short time
ago, 1s. 3d. a day but their wages have since been reduced to 1s.
REDRUTH - On Wednesday the 28th ult. and following day, Mr. CLARK,
the sanitary inspector, visited Redruth, and the result of his
investigation is that the town will be placed under the provisions of
the "Public Health Act," by which means it is hoped the inhabitants
will soon be better supplied with water, lighting, sewerage and
cleansing, &c. The management will be vested in twelve of the
rate-payers who will be elected by the people, and four of them will go
out of office every year; a surveyor is to be elected at a salary, and
to be irremovable. The qualification a rental of GBP20, or property to
the value of GBP300.
APPOINTMENT - The Rev. H. FOWLER has been appointed Head Master of
the Bideford Grammar School; consequently there will be a vacancy in
the Head Mastership of the Helston school.
Madron - Mr. COCKS, late schoolmaster of Lelant, and formerly of the
Diocesan Training College, Exeter, has been elected master of the
Madron endowed parochial school.
SHIP ACCIDENT - The "Zulieka," of Fowey, bound to Southampton, coal
laden, in proceeding down the Bute dock gateway, Cardiff, on the 26th
ultimo, caught the bank, slid down and filled with the tide.
TRURO POLICE - On Monday last, CATHERINE CLODE, was charged with
stealing a blanket, the property of ROBERT COSWAY, eating-house keeper,
Duke-street. Prisoner came to the house about ten o'clock on Saturday
night, and had some refreshment and slept there. She left on Sunday
morning without paying for either bed or refreshment and Mrs. COSWAY,
on examining, found that a blanket had been taken away from the bed in
which prisoner had slept. DAVID VERCOE, constable, subsequently
apprehended the prisoner at her mother's house at Probus, and also
found the stolen blanket in the house. She was committed for trial at
the sessions.
On Tuesday last, JOHN PETERS of Truro, pilot, was fined 5s. with 6d.
damages, and 18s. costs, for stealing four cabbages which were growing
in a garden belonging to Mr. RICHARD BRAY.
ROBBERIES - On Saturday last, a silver salver was stolen from the
cabin of the smack "Helen," Captain ATWALL, then lying in Penzance Pier.
Early on Sunday morning Mr. PENTREATH's warehouse at Penzance, situate
in the passage leading from the Market-place to the North Parade, was
forcibly entered, and some cheese removed from its position towards the
door, but none was carried off, in consequence, probably, of the
parties having been disturbed.
On Sunday morning also, the shop of Mr. HEMMINGS, chemist and druggist,
Penzance, was broken into. The shop and premises were secured as usual
on Saturday night, the proprietor living at another house in
Chapel-street. On Monday morning it was discovered that a pane of
glass in the sitting room behind the shop had been broken, by which
means the bolt had been pushed back, and the premises entered. Tobacco
and cigars, a three-penny piece, and some pence were stolen; the safe
had been tried, but not forced, and a key was left lying on the shop
floor. A man called WILLIAM ROWE was taken before the magistrates on
suspicion of being concerned in the robbery, but for want of evidence
he was discharged.
CORONERS' INQUESTS - The following inquests have been held before Mr.
HAMLEY coroner:- At St. Mabyn, on GEORGE STEPHENS, a master shoemaker.
He had been at a farm house in the parish on business and returned
home in the evening in his usual health, ate his supper, and went to
bed perfectly well. Soon after supper, two young men, his workmen, who
slept in an adjoining room, heard him making an unusual noise. They
went in and found him very ill. They called his housekeeper, and sent
for Mr. GAVED, surgeon, who came immediately, but he was dead before he
arrived. Mr. Gaved was of opinion that he had died of apoplexy and the
jury returned a verdict accordingly.
At Lanreath, on the body of JOHN JOLLY, a farm servant of Mr. WILCOCKS,
of Fursdon, in the same parish. He had been to Lerrin, with a load of
corn, and on returning home was seen by a man in the road riding in the
front of his wagon driving three horses. A short time after, one of
the other servants saw the horses and wagon coming into the farm yard
without the driver; thinking something had happened he went into a
field, where the wagon had to pass, and found Jolly lying on the
ground. He got him up, procured assistance, and had him taken into the
house, and Mr. ROW, surgeon, of Lerrin, was sent for. He never spoke
and was dead before Mr. Row arrived. There were no external marks of
violence on the body; and Mr. Row was of opinion, that in coming down
the field, which is very steep, he must have been thrown off with a
sudden jerk and pitched on his head, which caused his death. It was
proved that the horses were very quiet and steady. Verdict "Accidental
death."
The following inquests have been held before Mr. HICHENS, coroner:- At
the parish of Sithney, on Saturday last, on the body of JANE EVA, aged
59 years. The deceased had been in ill-health for some time, but went
to bed on the preceding Thursday night not at all worse than before.
The family consisted of her husband and herself, and a little
granddaughter, all of whom slept in the same room, and the same bed.
The husband got up early on Friday morning to go to his labour, leaving
his wife and grandchild in bed, and the former as he thought asleep;
sometime after, the granddaughter rose, and having dressed herself went
down as she was accustomed to do, to get up the fire and prepare her
grandmother's breakfast. Having made all ready, she went up to ask her
if she should bring it up, and after calling to her several times, and
moving her to endeavour to get her to speak, she found she could get no
answer, upon which she became alarmed, and went out shrieking to call
her grandfather, and returning with him shortly, he and one of his
neighbours went in, and on removing the bed-clothes found that the wife
was dead. The deceased lay on her left side, with one hand under her
head, and the other on her breast and looked as if she had been asleep.
The jury without hesitation returned a verdict of "Natural death."
On Tuesday last, in the same parish, on the body of CHRISTIANA
JENNINGS, aged 26 years. The deceased had been in service at the
parish of Mawnan, and having lately left her place, returned to the
house of her sister, JANE PRYOR, at Sithney, which she was accustomed
to make her home when out of service. She came there on Saturday the
24th of November, and on the morning of Sunday last, she complained of
pain in her bowels, and after some time the sister, Jane Pryor, went to
a neighbour, an old midwife, to ask her assistance and advice, and she
very kindly went with her to the house. The midwife had not been there
long before the sister observed that deceased was suffering from what
resembled labour pains, and she asked her whether she was with child?
She did not answer the question, but being afterwards pressed to answer
by the other woman, confessed that she was with child, and subsequently
she gave birth to a female infant. In a few minutes afterwards,
however, she complained of being faint, and fell away in a state of
insensibility, from which she never recovered. A surgeon, Mr.
ROSKRUGE, of Helston, was sent for, who came, and saw the deceased
after she was dead, and expressed to the midwife his satisfaction with
regard to the way in which deceased had been delivered. Verdict,
"Natural death."
14 DECEMBER 1849, Friday
BANKRUPTS � Friday, December 7. � RICHARD THOMAS, St. Columb, Cornwall,
draper, Dec. 19, Jan. 16, at eleven o'clock, at the Liverpool District
Court of Bankruptcy: solicitors, Messrs. SOLES and TURNER,
Aldermanbury: Mr. ELWORTHY, Plymouth: and Mr. STOGDON, Exeter: official
assignee, Mr. HIRTZEL, Exeter, WILLIAM SHEWARD, Norwich, Pawnbroker.
THE MINES AND MINERS OF CORNWALL � (From the correspondent of the
Morning Chronicle.) - Connected with almost every mine is a sick
club, or benefit society, of some kind or other. For the payment of
sixpence a week to the club, a miner, when ill, or labouring under the
consequences of an accident, has the benefit of good medical
attendance. If he pays 1s. 3d. a week, he is entitled to such
attendance for his family as well as himself, in addition to which he
gets a certain weekly allowance, if he is detained from work by
illness, or an accident. The miners have no option as regards these
clubs, the adventurers requiring them to join them. Indeed, a
deduction on this account is made from their earnings. There is also a
forge attached to each mine, at which the tools used by the miners are
sharpened and repaired. For such work as they may have had done at the
forge a deduction is also made on each pay day. There is likewise the
barber of the mine, who shaves the men, another deduction being made on
this account. Further deductions are made for the candles, and powder,
and so forth, which they may use when at work below. The number and
variety of their deductions may be taken from the following list, which
I find in an account now before me:- Subsist and barber, doctor and
club, candles, powder, hilts, fuse, rope, cans, nails, shovels, locks,
paper, barrows, canvass, smith cost, trimming, wheeling, dressing, and
labour, tonnage, tramming down, stems and spales.
One of the greatest evils attending the employment of the miner is the
speculative character which it assumes. His whole life is spent in a
species of gambling. If his "take," as he calls the proceeds of his
pitch, is good, he may make GBP100 in a month; but if he has a series
of bad takes, he may work for months without earning anything � nay,
more than this, he may all the time be getting in debt, not only with
tradesmen, but with the adventurers, for the supply of such articles as
he uses in mining, and the value of which is deducted from his
earnings. It is the fitful character of his earnings that justifies
the remark made to me by one very competent to decide, that where one
hears of a tributer having 14s. or 15s. a week, it is seldom that he
can be put down as so well of as an agricultural labourer, with
constant work, at 10s. When men get inured to it, they cling with
tenacity to a life of excitement, and such is the life of the tributer.
Considering its many disadvantages � the length of time for which it
may be worse than unremunerative, and the inroads which it makes upon
health � the wonder is that it is pursued at all. The
counter-balancing element to all these acknowledged drawbacks, in the
tributer's mind, is the great gain that is sometimes made. The
circumstances under which the miners thus earn and receive their money
impart a general recklessness to their character. Some of them have
sufficient forethought and self-control to lay by, in their day of
prosperity, what enables them to meet, without difficulty, a series of
unlucky adventures. But the bulk of them are too apt to spend their
money as fast as they get it � sometimes revelling in abundance, and at
others suffering the very extreme of privation. As a class, they would
be much better off if regular and fixed wages could be given them; but,
owing to the difficulties attending the supervision of work in the
mines, such a course is deemed impracticable.
The captains must be shrewd, active men, well acquainted with the
practice of mining, for the miners are sometimes inclined to be lazy,
and at others to play tricks. The amount of work done by the tutman
is, generally, easily ascertained by the quantity of stuff brought to
the surface. But, if he is not well watched, he is apt to pretend that
the ground offers more impediments than were anticipated, with a view
to a favourable modification of his bargain. The tributers are also
prone to make very unfavourable representations of their pitches, in
order, if possible, to raise the amount of their tribute. Thus, they
will send to the surface the poorest part of the lode representing it
as the best, as evidence that their complaint is well grounded. To
counteract such devices, the captains must be constantly on the look
out. There is a trick called "kitting," to which the tributers
sometimes resort. When a pitch supposed to be bad is taken at a high
rate of tribute, say 13s., and one supposed to be good at a low rate,
say 5s., they are apt to transfer a portion of the ore of the rich
pitch to the poor one, when it is sent to the surface, as coming from
the poor pitch, and the high rate of tribute, instead of the low rate,
is generally paid upon it. The gain by this is divided amongst those
concerned in the imposition.
The house accommodation of the miners is, generally speaking, of a very
inferior description. It is worse in the eastern mining districts that
in those of the west. In the extreme east the evil is being partially
remedied by the liberal policy pursued on the Bedford estates. Until
lately it was not generally supposed that there was much over-crowding
in the midland districts, but many startling revelations in respect to
this have recently been made by the house-to-house visitation of the
different local boards of health. Taking Redruth as a centre, and
describing around it a circle with a radius of five miles, there will
be found a larger proportion of good cottages amongst the tenements
occupied by the miners than elsewhere in the county. Many of these,
generally the best of them, have been built by the miners themselves �
that is to say, by such of them as have been provident enough to save
money for the purpose. The worse tenements in this district are the
older cottages, which can be easily distinguished from the others by
their mouldy walls, small windows, and thatched roofs. Many of the
modern cottages are well built, being two stories high, and well
lighted; they are usually covered with slate. Their position, too, is
better selected, with a view to health, than has been that of the older
cottages; but the advantages of room and good position are in too many
instances counterbalanced by the numbers which crowd into the best of
the cottages as well as the worst. I was told by a member of the Local
Board of Health for Camborne that he knew of a case in which fourteen
slept in one room � some of them being members of the family, and the
rest lodgers in the house. On my asking him how many beds they had to
sleep on, his reply was, that "the room was all bed." The rent
generally paid for a cottage is from GBP3 to GBP4, exclusive of potatoe
ground. Such as build for themselves can procure a good stone cottage,
with four rooms for from GBP40 to GBP50; they have generally a piece of
ground attached to it, to occupy them during their spare time. Many
such houses have been built by the miners in the neighbourhood of
Penzance. Of these, numbers are now deserted and tenantless, their
owners having emigrated, some with and others without their families.
So anxious were the men to get away, that they have, in many cases,
left the houses which they themselves have put up at their own sole
cost.
The miners, as a class, sacrifice to a great extent their domestic
comforts to their inordinate love of dress. This failing has long
characterised them, but within the last few years it has greatly
increased. The increase is attributable to the greater ease with which
they now procure the materials for dress � "tallymen," or peripatetic
dealers, perambulating the country in all directions, selling to them
goods at high prices, but taking payment by weekly or monthly
instalments. To see the miners, both men and women, at church on a
Sunday, or enjoying themselves at a fair at Redruth, one would not
suppose that there was much distress of any kind amongst them. Most of
the men are attired in fine broad cloth, whilst the women parade their
finery. But many who come out covered with broad cloth, or arrayed in
flaunting flounces, emerge from holes and dens more resembling
pig-styes than human abodes.
I was not prepared to find the diet of the miner so poor as it
generally is. I have seen many instances in all the mining districts
of Cornwall, of families living in great comfort, having a good and
spacious house to live in, and a sufficiency of nourishing food to
consume. The children, too, in such cases, are generally sent
regularly to school; but, in all these cases, I found that the husband
was a prudent saving man, who kept his small account at the savings'
bank and that the wife was a good manager, thrifty, and attentive to
her household duties. Much depends upon management. Some families get
on very comfortably on 50s. a month, with which others cannot manage to
escape great privation. The love of dress greatly affects the miners'
diet. This is frequently but a coarse unleavened paste, with, perhaps,
a few pieces of turnip, or an apple or two enveloped in it. Sometimes
he has neither the turnip nor the apple in it, having nothing but the
heavy paste to eat; occasionally it is sweetened with a few raisins or
currants. Numbers of them seldom taste meat; indeed, many told me that
they have been for weeks together without partaking of it. In many
such cases, however, their own improvidence is chiefly to blame. Such
as work underground during the day take their pasties with them in the
mines. If they are at work not far from the surface, they ascend about
the dinner house, had have the pasties heated for them at the forge.
When they are too far below to do this they eat them cold. The surface
workers have half an hour generally allowed them for dinner. Those
underground eat when they please.
As has been shown to have been the case with the fisher, the loss of
the potatoe has also been a great blow to the miner. Whether a tutman
or a tributer, he generally works but about eight house a day, and has
thus a great deal of spare time on hand. It is, in more respects than
one, of the utmost importance that this spare time should be well
employed. So long as the potatoes succeeded, the spare time of the
miner was in perhaps the majority of instances, well employed. If he
had not a garden attached to his house, he generally rented a piece of
ground, which he applied to the production of potatoes and other
vegetables. These holdings varied from an acre to two or three acres
of land, and were generally leased to him for three lives. In some
districts, where the land had not been cultivated before, he would have
a piece of waste land and enclose it, and thus reduce it to
cultivation. A great deal of the surface of Cornwall has been thus
reclaimed, and a large proportion of the Lord Falmouth's present rental
is derived from land originally reduced by the miner. The miner was
thus always secure of a good supply of potatoes, and other vegetables
for the climate of Cornwall is admirably adapted for the production of
vegetables of almost all kinds. The quantity of potatoes which he
produced was frequently not only sufficient for the consumption of his
family, but also for the feeding of one or two pigs. When he killed
his pig, which he generally did about Christmas, he would sell enough
of it to enable him to buy another young pig or two, sufficient being
still left to supply some animal food to his family. When he killed
two pigs, which was not unusual, he would sell enough to enable him not
only to buy two other young pigs for the succeeding year, but also to
pay the rent for his plot of ground, so that the remainder of the pork,
and the potatoes and other vegetables, which he had for the use of his
family, were all so much clear profit to him. The extent to which this
enhanced both his own and his family's comforts may be easily imagined.
In addition to the employment of his own spare time, it also gave
employment to his wife and children. The chief advantage of this was,
that, in many cases, it enabled the parents to send the children for
some part of the day to school. But it was also advantageous to the
adventurers and the public. The miner, when certain of a sufficient
supply of potatoes and other vegetables to fall back upon, in case of a
temporary suspension of his money receipts, was far more adventurous in
prosecuting the discovery of new lodes. A very high rate of tribute is
generally given in such cases, and miners have frequently thus released
their luckiest adventurers. If, for instance, a miner had reason to
believe that, in a certain place not yet worked, a lode existed which
would pay for the working, he would offer to try his luck, at a tribute
of, perhaps, 13s. in the GBP1. If his judgment was correct, for the
month or two for which the arrangement lasted, he would realise
considerable profits, and establish for himself a claim to constant
employment in the lode, which by his enterprise and acumen he might
thus add to those already worked by the adventurers. If he failed, he
lost his time and his trouble; but still he was not destitute, inasmuch
as he had his potatoes and other vegetables, and his pig or pigs, to
fall back upon. He was not thus absolutely dependent from month to
month for subsistence upon his money wages, as he is too generally at
present. It is this dependence that prevents him now from taking his
chance in this way, for in the majority of cases, if he were to run the
risk and fail, he would be rendered absolutely destitute by the lost of
his time and the stoppage of his wages. It would be erroneous to
suppose that the cultivation of the potatoe had been altogether
abandoned. The prospect of its again succeeding, is likely to restore
confidence in it, and it is probable that, in the course of a year or
two, its cultivation will be as successful, and its consumption as
great in Cornwall, as it has heretofore been. This will effect great
changes for the better in the condition of the miner and his family.
I was so unfortunate as to stumble upon St. Just when all work was
suspended in the parish. This I regretted, as I was anxious to witness
the operations carried on in the stupendous mines situated in this
district, whose shafts, as it were, overhang the [�..?] and whose
levels project far beneath it. The annual feast of the patron saint of
the parish was being observed when I visited it. This ceremony is
common? To all the western parishes of Cornwall. In this instance it
commenced on the Sunday, when the religious part of the ceremony was
performed. For the three following days the parish was a scene of a
miniature carnival. From seventy-five to one hundred bullocks were
slain for the occasion, which gave about five pounds of meat for every
person � man, woman and child � in the parish. Of course, during these
days no work was done. Thursday would also be a dies non. On Friday
some would return to work, but the great bulk would make the week of
it. After this, the parish would return to labour and sobriety, and
think no more of the saint until the next return of his festival.
The miners are by no means a long-lived class of men. Their employment
is such that the strongest constitution will, ere long, feel its
pernicious influence and break down before it. There are diseases
peculiar to their work, which only a small proportion of the miners
escape, provided they continue at it for several years. The two great
exciting causes of disease are impure air and climbing the ladders.
The miners when at work have occasionally to encounter all kinds of
pernicious gases; but those most frequently met with are carbonic and,
sulphuretted hydrogen, and carburetted hydrogen. The first is the
invariable product of respiration and combustion. Sometimes as many as
six hundred people will be at work at one and the same time in one and
the same mine. The respiration of so many in a mine, never too well
ventilated, must soon contaminate the atmosphere. Many mines, too, be
it remembered, are never without large numbers of people in them. The
quantity of gunpowder used is also another means of rendering the
atmosphere impure. There are two atmospheres which the miners dread �
the "cold damps" and the "poor airs." Of the latter there is a
[��cation?] know as the "hot poor air." They are constantly wet whilst
at their work, and subject to great and sudden changes of temperatures.
At one moment they may be in a profuse perspiration, and at another,
subjected to a cold and chilling draught of air {��. ��..?] all these
causes they are extremely liable to impair respiration and fatal
diseases of the chest.
You can almost tell how long a miner has worked underground from his
pale and emaciated loo. Some of them attain a green old age, but these
are almost invariably such as have abandoned their underground
employment after adhering to it for years. If they pursue it for
fifteen or twenty years, the chances are that their average life will
not much exceed thirty-eight years. Even without the impure atmosphere
of the mines, the climbing of the ladders would of itself be sufficient
to superinduce serious disorders of the heart and chest. The heart is
in a state of high palpitations when the miner reaches the top of the
shaft, whilst the lungs are in violent exercise. It is no wonder,
seeing that sometimes they have to climb ladders four times the height
of St. Paul's. Dilatation of the bronchial tubes is a disease very
common to them. In some mines machines have been invented to supersede
the necessity of this laborious mode of descending into and ascending
from the mines. These machines, however, can only be used in
perpendicular shafts. The want of space prevents me from here
describing them. The miners are also liable to many accidents. They
seldom fall down the shafts, most of the accidents which happen being
the result of careless blasting. These are now greatly provided
against by the use of the patent safety fuse.
The present generation of miners are deplorably deficient in education.
The number of those who can read or write is very small. But few of
the rising generation attend any school but the Sunday school, and a
large proportion do not attend even that. There are schools enough in
the neighbourhood of the mines: but the children are in most cases put
to work as soon as they are able to earn anything. At the Caradon
mines I was informed that not one-half of the children could write,
whilst not much more than four-fifths of them could read, even
imperfectly.
The mining population of Cornwall is generally of the Methodist
persuasion. In many of the mines the captains are their preachers.
Many of themselves are office-bearers in their respective churches,
which has a great effect in keeping the whole body in order; they
attend church very regularly. I regret however, to say that I did not
hear the best account of the morals of the miners. Early marriages are
very common with them. The number of petty crime is very great,
particularly in the west, but fluctuates very much. It is generally
greatest after orgies, such as I witnessed at St. Just.
I have been compelled, by want of space, to hurry over much on which I
could have greatly enlarged. There are other topics such as the
"ticketing system," by which the ore is disposed of to the smelters �
to which I might have adverted, had space permitted, bearing as they
do, more or less, upon the condition of the labourer in the mines; but
I must postpone these for the present. On the whole, I do not regard
the condition of the miner as so good as that of the fisherman. The
fitful nature of his earnings, and the gambling tendencies of his
employment, beget, in too many instances, reckless and extravagant
habits, which reduce him, as regards physical comfort, to the level of
the agricultural labourer, although his yearly receipts may be double
those of the man employed in the fields.
Although not exactly miners, I cannot conclude this letter without a
passing allusion to the workers in the china-clay pits, between Bodmin
and St. Austell. The clay, which they extract from the wild district
between these two points, is disintegrated granite; they procure it by
washing from the pits, and send it off to the potteries in blocks as
white as snow. The streams of the district are of the colour of milk,
from the washings which flow into them. As a class, the people who
prepare the clay are not well off: they are a cleanly set, but their
wages are generally low; whilst the house accommodation of two-thirds
of them may be inferred from their miserable huts, which the traveller
perceives strewn over the heathy plain.
THE FUNERAL OF THE QUEEN DOWAGER - At the request of the Mayor, the
shops in Truro were generally closed, from eleven till two o'clock on
Thursday, though we believe nothing of the sort was ever done before,
except for the reigning monarch. We have authority for stating, in
reference to a paragraph which appeared in our contemporary, that the
clergy of Truro had made arrangements for full service &c., that such
was not the case, most of the clergymen of the town never having
entertained any such intention. This indeed the sequel sufficiently
proved, there being no morning service anywhere but at St. Mary's,
which clearly is not Truro.
ODD FELLOWS - On Tuesday the 4th inst., the members belonging to the
Star of the West Lodge, met at Mr. JENKINS's, London Inn, Penryn, when
a very valuable gold pencil-case was presented by the chairman, to Mr.
RICHARD NEWCOMBE, from the members of the lodge, for his untiring zeal
in endeavouring to promote the interests of the lodge, during the last
five years. Mr. R. NEWCOMBE, returned thanks in a very able manner,
assuring the brethren that he highly appreciated their kindness.
Immediately after a most excellent supper was served up, and after the
cloth was removed, interesting speeches were delivered, and the evening
was spent in the most satisfactory manner.
APPOINTMENTS - Mr. JAMES NISS[?] CROKE, son of Lieut WENTWORTH
PARSONS CROKE of Falmouth, has been appointed Naval Cadet to the
"Impregnable."
Mr. WILLIAM ADAMS, of Moorwinstow, in this county, has been elected to
the office of House Surgeon, to the Hospital of University College,
London.
WOOLWICH MILITARY ACADEMY - We observe that the gentleman who stood
first on the list of the late twenty-four successful candidates, for
the Royal Military Academy, at Woolwich, was Cadet WILMOT EDWARD
BURROWS ELLIS, son of Mr. CARTERET J. W. ELLIS, of Penzance.
PENZANCE BOARD OF HEALTH - This body has entered into a contract with
the Gas Company of Penzance, for the supply of gas, for the same period
as last year, at the rate of GBP3. 3s. per lamp; the Gas Company to
light and repair the lamps.
DISASTERS AT SEA - It has seldom happened that we have had the
melancholy duty of recording such losses so near home as those detailed
below. The inhabitants of Polperro were alarmed at midnight, on
Thursday last, by loud cries proceeding from persons apparently in
distress. It was found that a party of sailors wet and their clothes
in disorder, were requesting assistance, at the same time stating that
their ship, an Indiaman, was dashed to pieces on the rocks a little
distance off. The vessel proved to be the "Shepherdess," of London,
STAINBANK, master, bound to Plymouth with teak wood from Penang, from
which port she sailed in July last. The alarm was instantly given
through the village, and a great number of persons hastened to the
spot. Here they found the captain's wife lying on the edge of a
dangerous cliff, she had been missed by her husband during the struggle
to escape from the surf, and the discovery awakened in him feelings not
easily to be described. It appears that the ship struck about twelve
o'clock, after dragging her cables, the wind blowing hard from S.S.E.,
the hull of the bark forming a breakwater, the boat was launched and a
portion of the crew escaped in it, the remainder, with the exception of
two men (a Frenchman and an Indian) who were drowned, scrambling on
shore on the broken timbers. Nothing could be done further at the time
but to provide clothing and lodging for the shipwrecked mariners; in
this all classes came forward with a readiness and zeal highly
commendable, vieing with each other in rendering assistance. Daylight
presented the sad scene of an immense quantity of wreck strewed along
the coast, and parties of men were engaged to secure what might be
thrown on shore. The crew, including the captain's wife and a
gentleman passenger, numbered twenty-two persons, they lost everything
but what they had on them at the time of the ship striking. It appears
that the "Shepherdess" had been six months on her passage, and being an
old ship had latterly become very leaky, so much so that the men had
been kept incessantly at the pumps. On the afternoon of Thursday two
Falmouth pilots came alongside, but Plymouth being the ship's
destination and the wind fair, the Captain wish to push on, and
declined their services, depending on meeting with a pilot from the
latter port and on reaching it in safety. In the evening she was off
Plymouth, but met with no pilot, and the wind suddenly veering to the
S.E. blew very heavily. The ship at the same time missing stays, and
becoming unmanageable, was speedily driven to her fate by the
increasing gale. The ship, on striking, instantly went in two parts,
and her cargo thus released served the double purpose of a breakwater
and platform. At the point where she struck, there is a flat ledge of
rock, and tier after tier of wood having been carried by the waves
successively nearer to the foot of the cliff (which is their easily
scaled,) the crew were soon enable to transport themselves beyond
danger. It is supposed that the two poor fellows who lost their lives
must have jumped over on the sea side without considering that there
they would have no chance of escape. Mr. ROSS, the passenger, who has
been for several years in India, engaged in mercantile pursuits, which
to him were of the highest importance, and Mrs. STAINBANK has also lost
jewellery and wearing apparel of great value. Mrs. Stainbank, who is a
native of Madras, is for the first time on a visit to Britain. The
ship and cargo, we believe, were both insured. Active measures are
being taken to save as much as possible of the cargo. It was a
providential circumstance, considering the line of rocks which forms
this coast, that the ship was thrown on the most available ledge for
the preservation of life. The cove has the form of a section of an
artificial basin, such as those constructed for the reception of ships
of war, with a comparatively smooth ground surface, it is situated
about a quarter of a mile west of the peak which bounds the entrance of
the creek of Polperro.
On Friday night last, the smack "Caroline," of Plymouth, PETHERICK,
master, drove in on the rocks near Looe, supposed to have been lost on
the previous night. The boat came on shore with the painter cut, which
shows that she was got out in a hurry. Nothing has been heard of the
crew, four in number, and there is too much reason to fear they must
have perished.
On Friday morning last, at day break, a schooner was observed in the
bay west of Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, apparently entangled with the
coast, and a pilot cutter alongside. The weather was very heavy,
boisterous, and thick, the wind blowing at S.S.E., a gale. By
half-past eight she was reported stranded on the rocks between
Pendennis Castle and Gyllyngvase, and immediately under the cliff above
which are situated the mansion and gardens of the Rev. W. J. COOPE, the
rector of Falmouth. She proved to be the "Mary" of Dartmouth, THOMAS
JARVIS, master, of 123 tons register, from Acra, on the coast of
Africa, one hundred and five days, from this port for orders. She was
not fully laden; her cargo was palm oil, the property of W. B. HUTTON
and SONS, Watling-street, London. The crew, consisting of the master
and six hands, had been for fourteen days short of provisions, an
allowance of two table spoonfuls of flour being all that they had to
make use of. Of the crew, [tw���.?] blacks, one of whom was aged about
sixty years, who had evidently been under the instruction of the
Wesleyan missionaries on the coast, from his constantly having during
the peril of shipwreck, invoked John Wesley to save him. On Thursday
night at ten o'clock p.m., she made the lizard lights, she then stood
off to the eastward; a pilot cutter came alongside, and offered to put
her into a place of safety for GBP150, to which the master did not
accede to, but it appears to have been agreed to by both parties that
they would allow of the claim being adjudicated on by the underwriters
of subcommissioners of pilotage. The pilots sheered off, but after a
little while returned and told the master to pass his hawser aft, that
the cutter might two her off the lee shore, towards which she was fast
drifting. It appears that the sails blowing away one after the other,
occupied the attention of the people, which together with their
weakened condition, prevented the pilots' instructions from being
heeded; and shortly after the pilots told the master that assistance
was then too late � the schooner must go on shore. The starboard
anchor was let go with forty fathoms of chain, at which period the
vessel was in the breakers, and was beaten over the rocks to within one
hundred yards of the cliff. It was now nine o'clock, and some
hundreds of persons had assembled at the rear of Gyllyngdune, under
which the stranded schooner lay, the waves making a fair breach over
her at each return, and the people painfully excited at witnessing the
earnest appeals of the shipwrecked mariners for assistance. At length,
by means of a hemp cable, a communication was established, and the
mate, after a hazardous passage, contrived to reach the shore by it;
the remainder were got on shore one by one on a barrel, suspended by a
bank to the cable. As they landed they were taken to the Rev. Mr.
COOPE's in which act of benevolence the ladies of his family took a
most interesting part, exposing themselves to the inclemency of the
weather for some hours, for the purpose of welcoming the distressed and
exhausted mariners, who met with all that hospitality and kindness
could supply. The reverend gentleman rendered with personal risk to
himself great assistance towards getting the people on shore, and in
taking charge of their property. By three p.m. the tide had receded
from around the schooner, which allowed of getting on the cliff the
spars, sails, running gear, &c. She has lost her false keel, rudder,
stern-post, and smashed her bottom. The whole of the cargo, however,
has been saved, and on Tuesday last, the vessel was entirely stripped.
As it is impossible to get her off the rocks, it is intended to let the
[�.. �..?] as it stands. The "Mary" had been a very fine vessel and
was not many years at sea.
CORNWALL COUNTY COURTS - Truro � At this court, on Friday, there were
but twenty cases entered, the smallest number since the establishment
of the court. There was also one insolvent case � that of HENRY JOHN
JAMES, grocer of Truro, who appeared for his first examination. Mr.
BENNALLACK was his attorney. The Insolvent was sworn and briefly
examined on his schedule. It appeared that he gave up business on the
13th of April, 1848, on which day there was a deed executed by which
possession was given to trustees on behalf of the whole of the
creditors. These trustees had acted, and all the insolvent's goods had
been sold. All the creditors, except five, had accepted a composition
of 3s. in the GBP. A niece of the insolvent's Miss SARAH BREWER � had
business on the premises; but Mr. Bennallack stated that, the London
creditors were desirous that the insolvent should again take the
business, and were willing to give him credit. The amount represented
by the creditors, who had accepted the composition, was GBP1,800 and
there was GBP288 represented by the five creditors who had not signed;
but Mr. Bennallack said he had no doubt they would all come in. The
Judge, on looking at the deed of assignment, said it provided that if
within three months from its date, all creditors for amounts above
GBP20 did not come in, then the deed should be void; and there were, at
the present time, five such creditors who had not come in. Mr.
Bennallack considered that the deed would still be good against the
other creditors, though void as against the five who had not signed.
Mr. JOSEPH BARRETT, a creditor, said he understood, when he signed the
deed, that he had no further claim on the insolvent, and he believed
that was the impression of every creditor who signed. Final order was
postponed, and protection extended till the next court.
FALMOUTH - WHITE v. WYCHE - This, an undefended action against the
defendant, for GBP1. 15s. 4d. for service of a subpoena, came on for
hearing on Saturday last. The work having been proved the Court was
reminded by Messrs. MOORMAN, BAMFIELD and YOUNG, that no bill had been
proved. Mr. HENDER ROGERS, for plaintiff, observed that it was
unnecessary; vide Gedye per Coleridge, Law Journal Reports N.S. vol. 14
p. 238, S.C. � Judgment for plaintiff.
CAUTION TO BOARDING-HOUSE KEEPERS � On Thursday last, the 8th instant,
a man called at Mr. JAMES PASCOE's, 10 King-street, Truro, and ordered
a bed which he occupied that night, saying on the following morning,
that he would come again in the evening. He paid both for the lodging
and the refreshment which he took; but while the servant was in the
back-kitchen for a few minutes, no one but the man being in the
kitchen, he took a silver watch, which was suspended at the kitchen
window, and walked out of the house, and has not since been seen in the
town. It is not unlikely that he will also visit other houses for the
purpose of plunder.
FORGERY - On Tuesday last, at Penzance, WILLIAM GENDALL was committed
to take his trial at the next assizes, on a charge of forging and
uttering at Truro, on the 28th ult., a certificate purporting to be
signed by JOHN BENNETTS, to the effect that he (Gendall) had about ten
hundred of tin for sale, from Morvah having liberty from the lord to
work the same � with intent to defraud Mr. S. BORLASE and others.
ROBBERY - On Sunday evening, the 2nd instant, some thieves broke into
the house of Miss LAWRY, grocer and tea dealer. Grampound, while the
family were at chapel, and by means of skeleton keys opened the drawers
and carried off GBP13 with other valuables. We are sorry to add that
no clue has as yet been obtained to the thieves.
CORONERS' INQUESTS - The following inquests have been held by Mr.
CARLYON, county coroner, since our last report:- At Lower Henna, in the
parish of St. Ewe, on Saturday last, on the body of THOMAS LETCHER,
aged 70 years. From the evidence of MARY HAM, who resided next door to
the deceased, it appeared that as she passed his door in the afternoon
of the 6th instant, the hatch was open, and she saw the deceased
stretched on the floor, and on her attempting to left him up she found
him helpless and insensible. There was no one else in the house. Two
labourers who were passing at the time placed him in a chair and sent
for Mr. [�.?] a surgeon, who attended shortly afterwards, but the
deceased was a corpse before his arrival, he was of opinion that death
proceeded from disease of the heart, and a verdict to that effect was
accordingly returned.
On the same day at Mithian, in the parish of St. Agnes, on the body of
RICHARD PIPER, a miner, aged 46 years, who was killed in the
Tywarnhayle mines, as it was supposed by having been drawn out of the
adit level, where he was working as filler, by the kibble, and was
precipitated down the shaft about twenty-six fathoms. Verdict,
"accidental death."
At Penstrase, in the parish of Kenwyn, on the same day, on the body of
MARIA MANUEL, aged 3 years and [4?] months, who died from having caught
her clothes on fire on the previous day. Verdict, "accidental death."
At Rose, in the parish of St. Agnes, on the body of NICHOLAS TREMAYN,
aged 16 years, who was killed in Wheal Pink mine, in Gwennap, in
consequence of falling down the shaft in attempting to reach the ladder
for the purpose of ascending to the surface. Verdict "accidental
death."
On Monday last at Penhallow, in the parish of Perranzabuloe, on the
body of CORNELIUS PARKER, aged 45 years. The deceased was an itinerant
dealer in marine stores, and was generally known by the name of
"Bristol Jack." It appeared that the deceased was at the public house
at Penhallow, on Saturday evening very tipsy, and afterwards slept in a
straw house. In the morning he complained of much pain in the stomach,
and after sundry things have been given without relieving him, the
landlady placed him at the end of the table with some pillows and a
blanket, until Mr. DOBLE, surgeon of St. Agnes, who had been previously
sent for, arrived. In the mean time the deceased went to sleep, and on
Mr. Doble's arrival it was found that he was dead. The jury having had
the opinion of Mr. Doble, returned a verdict of "died from apoplexy."
The following inquests have lately been held by Mr. HICHENS:- At the
parish of St. Hilary, on the 10th instant, on the body of PHILLIS
JOHNS, aged 68 years, the deceased left her home on Saturday evening
last, and went to one of her daughter's at some little distance, where
she had tea and remained upwards of three hours. She appeared
perfectly well when she arrived there, except that she complained of
her breath being short. She left her daughter's to return home between
ten and eleven o'clock, and shortly after she had reached her home she
complained to a grand-daughter who was waiting up for her that she felt
ill, and desired her to go and call her mother, who was another of
deceased's daughters. This daughter came speedily and found her mother
in bed � the daughter in her alarm said to her mother, "I think you are
dying mother," on which the deceased answered "I believe I am." She
never spoke afterwards and died in about ten minutes from that time.
Verdict, "Natural death."
On the following day, in the parish of Crowan, on the body of STEPHEN
FREEMAN, aged 44 years, who lodged at the house of one DAVID ROGERS, a
farmer, residing at Treleath, in that parish, the deceased had lodged
there between four and five months, and had throughout the whole of
that time evinced symptoms of an unsound mind. He was impressed with a
belief that he had been told by a spirit that he was not to make use of
the same food as his neighbours did, but was to live on new milk and
bread. Mr. Rogers and his wife, had by reasoning with him prevailed on
him to take other food, and for so doing, he said on Saturday last, he
had been told he must go out into the wilderness and crawl on his hands
and knees for forty years. On Sunday morning, he came down stairs, and
upon being asked how he was, said "he was much better, thank the Lord
for it, and had slept better the preceding night than he had done for
some time before." He had his breakfast of milk as usual, and some
time after went out. Mrs. Rogers sent her son out to see where he was
several times, he found him the two first times in the stable, after
that the boy could not see him, and then Mrs. Rogers went out, and she
not being able either to find him sent her husband in pursuit of him,
who, after a little time found him in the barn, suspended by a rope,
from one of the collar beams of the roof; he was immediately cut down
but life was extinct. The jury returned a verdict, "That the deceased
was of unsound mind, and being so had hanged himself."
On the 12th instant, in the parish of Camborne, on the body of WILLIAM
HARRIS, aged about 7 years. The deceased was a scholar at a school in
Camborne, kept by one STEPHEN DAVIES, the school was always left open
for the accommodation of the children who lived at a distance, in the
interval between school hours, and on Monday last, the deceased being
one of those children, and being in the school whilst the master was
absent taking his dinner, went to a coal box and taking therefrom some
coals, was in the act of putting them into the fire, when the sleeve of
his save-all ignited and set all his clothes on fire. The boy in the
fright ran into the court yard, where the master who came almost
immediately found him; his clothes were nearly all consumed and the
deceased was frightfully burnt about his body, and about midnight he
died. Verdict, "Accidentally burnt."
On the same day at Phillack, on the body of GRACE LOCKETT, the wife of
RICHARD LOCKETT, of that parish, parish maker. The husband went from
his house on Tuesday morning about six o'clock to go to his work, at
Messrs. HARVEY and CO's foundry, at Hayle, leaving his wife in her
bedroom, having locked the door as he was accustomed to do and then
pushed the key under it, his wife being afraid to have it left open as
there was no other inmate belonging to the house. About twelve o'clock
he returned from his work and finding the door locked and seeing
through the kitchen window that the candlestick was where he had left
it, he became alarmed, and having mentioned it to some of his
neighbours, access was obtained to the house, and on going up stairs,
the deceased was found dead lying on the floor of her bed-room on her
back. When the husband left her she was apparently quite well in
health. Verdict, "found dead."
21 DECEMBER 1849, Friday
FREEMASONRY - The annual meeting of the brethren of the Phoenix Lodge
"Honour and Prudence," No. 415, Truro, was held at Brother LENDERYOU's,
the Red Lion Hotel, on Monday last, when the festival in anticipation
of St. John the Evangelist was celebrated, and the officers for the
ensuing year were chosen. There were three initiations, and many
visiting brethren from the neighbouring lodges of Falmouth, Hayle, and
Helston attended, as did those of the Fortitude lodge, of Truro. The
usual annual business of the lodge was transacted, and afterwards the
installation of the officers took place as follows:- Brother W. H.
JENKINS, W.M., Brother H. D. MARTIN, S.W., Brother H. C. MILFORD, J.W.,
Brother JOHN DAVIES, S.D., Brother FRANCIS PASSINGHAM, J.D., and
Brother REGINALD ROGERS, secretary. The treasurer's jewel was voted to
the senior warden. At five o'clock the brethren were called off to the
refectory, where upwards of thirty partook of a repast provided by the
host. On the removal of the cloth the toast of the Queen was drunk
with that loyalty which masons ever evince. The usual Masonic and
other toasts were afterwards given and duly responded to by the
different brethren, and the pleasures of the evening were continued
till high twelve, with all peace, harmony, and fraternal love.
EMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND - On Tuesday evening last, Mr. C.
HURSTHOUSE, delivered a lecture on this subject at the Assembly Room,
Truro, Mr. H. H. DAVIS, the secretary of the Truro Institution in the
chair The lecturer stated that he had lived in New Zealand six years,
and was shortly about to return to that country, and his only object in
delivering lectures in this country was to diffuse information
respecting the capabilities and advantages of New Zealand as a field
for emigration, which might probably induce some of the capitalists and
labourers of this country to emigrate to that colony, and which in that
case would be advantageous to the settlers who were already there. He
said the climate of New Zealand is unrivalled; it is as superior to
Australia as that country may be to Canada and the United States; while
it is but little hotter than England in summer, it is by no means so
cold in winter. In this country the annual amount of deaths is about
one in every forty-four of the population; in New Zealand it is only
one in every one hundred and twenty; and whilst in England the annual
number of births is one in thirty-two, in New Zealand the number is
upwards of one and a half in every thirty-two. The land is of great
fertility and easy of cultivation; the yield of grain crops is nearly
double that of New South Wales; blights, rust and mildew are unknown;
neither droughts nor wet harvests ever occur; water and water-power are
most abundant, and no winter provision is necessary for stock. Except
the rat and parroquet, there is no destructive animal or bird, and
these are comparatively harmless.
The pastoral capabilities of New Zealand are equal to its agricultural,
and wool of superior quality is already becoming an export of
considerable importance. Cattle succeed equally with sheep, and the
curing of beef and pork for shipping will be an extensive business,
40,000 tons of shipping already annually entering the ports of the
colony. The whale and other fisheries will be of considerable
advantage; large tracts of the country are covered with the Phormium
tenax, or New Zealand flax, which is capable of being converted into
cambric and linen, duck canvass, rope, and paper, and will doubtless
furnish a great staple export. The forests supply valuable timber for
ship-building; coal of excellent quality is found in great plenty;
stone, granite, marble, and limestone abound, and the country is rich
in mineral wealth. Copper ore, exported to London, has yielded a
profit of GBP100 per cent.; manganese and nickel have been found in
three or four places; quicksilver and sulphur, nearly pure, in one;
lead and silver in three, and rich magnetic iron ore is common
throughout the islands. These minerals have been almost accidentally
discovered, and afford an "earnest" of what will be found when proper
researches are made by qualified persons. Valuable tanning barks, and
dyes of great beauty and richness are yielded by the forest; tobacco
grows luxuriantly, and our English grain and root crops, seeds,
vegetables, and fruits, are easily produced of excellent quality.
There is no quadruped indigenous to the country, and an entire absence
of reptiles. With the exception of a rare kind of fly, there is not a
single stinging insect; and although mosquitoes and sand-flies are
rather troublesome at first, they seem to partake of the mild nature of
the climate, and are harmless as compared with those of America and New
South Wales.
The natives are about 120,000 in number, and are a very superior race;
they are fast advancing in civilization, and will be found one of the
most important elements of the prosperity of the colony, for they ever
year afford a better supply of labour, and are great and increasing
consumers of our manufactures. It will be a proud satisfaction to the
New Zealand colonist to reflect that unlike his fellows in America and
Australia, he is not exterminating his brother man, but is raising him
in the scale of creation, by endowing him with the peaceful blessings
of civilization. If an emigrant desired commercial pursuits, or
preferred a busy town life, he should go to Wellington, or Auckland,
which is the seat of government; if acquainted with stock, or fond of a
pastoral life, he should select the settlement of Nelson; but for an
agricultural life he should choose New Plymouth. The land in these
settlements is divided into allotments at GBP2 per acre; about 30s.,
however, of this is spent for the purchaser's benefit, - 20s., in an
allowance towards his passage and in sending out mechanics and
labourers free, and 10s. on public objects, such as roads, bridges,
schools, &c., so that in reality the purchaser only pays 10s. an acre,
and this gives him the right of recommending for a free, or rather an
"assisted" passage, any respectable mechanic or labourer who may wish
to accompany him. The expense of clearing and bringing into
cultivation would be from GBP2 to GBP5 per acre, and at the settlements
mentioned there are good roads, and the land is within an easy distance
of a town or shipping place. Mechanics and labourers are very much
wanted; mechanics earn from 5s. to 6s. per day, and labourers, for
working shorter hours than in England, 2s. 6d. to 3s. a day. The price
of fine bread is from 1 1/2 d. to 2d. per pound; potatoes, 2s. to 2s.
6d. per cwt.; pork, 3d. to 4d. per pound; mutton, 6d.; fine poultry and
fish, cheap and plentiful; firing is cheap, and rent cannot be quoted,
as almost every man lives in his own house. As to capital, as a
general rule, any man with about GBP1,000 might advantageously embark
in any of the mercantile pursuits of the colony; from GBP200 to GBP300
would serve to start a tradesman or a farmer on his fifty-acre
freehold; whilst the steady mechanic or labourer might safely land
without a shilling, for he would receive instant employment. Married
men invariably succeed the best and he would strongly advise any
emigrating bachelor to try hard before his departure to induce some
nice girl to take pity on his miserable condition, and become his wife.
(Cheers). A good wife would be infinitely the most valuable part of
his outfit, and go far to insure success from the commencement.
The Governor-in-chief of New Zealand is at present Sir CHARLES GREY;
the laws are administered as in this country; and there are no rates,
tithes, or taxes, the revenue being raised chiefly by customs' duties
and licensing fees. The colony is happily free from convicts, and good
schools exist in every settlement. The lecturer then compared New
Zealand with the Canadas and United States, the Cape of Good Hope and
Australian Colonies, and gave reasons for decidedly preferring New
Zealand as a country for emigration, particularly as compared with
America. A person going to New Zealand has a comfortable passage in an
excellent ship for eighteen or twenty-five guineas, and is landed at
the place where he intends to settle; whereas an emigrant to Upper
Canada or the Western States of America would have to pay half that sum
for an equally comfortable passage, and spend GBP5 or GBP10 more in
travelling overland to his destination. The voyage to New Zealand
occupies about four months, the vessels being despatched by the New
Zealand Company.
After the lecture, Mr. Hursthouse submitted for the inspection of the
audience a number of coloured views of the scenery and different
settlements, &c., in New Zealand.
APPOINTMENT - The Lord Chancellor has appointed Mr. JOHN CLODE
BRADDON, solicitor of Camelford to be a master extraordinary in the
High Court of Chancery.
MEDICAL HONOURS - We observe that Mr. JOHN [?] DREW, of St. Austell,
who we lately noticed as being appointed house surgeon at the Royal
Infirmary, Manchester, has obtained a diploma of Bachelor of Medicine
at the University of London, and in the examination for honours has
taken the first rank in surgery and then in medicine, obtaining the
gold medal and three certificates of merit.
THE NAVY - Mr. JOHN SYMOND of Falmouth, nephew to Mr. W. H. BOND,
R.N., has been promoted to the rank of master in the royal navy.
REDRUTH - The small pox has been very prevalent in this town during
the last few weeks, it was [infected?] by a woman who inoculated
different children. Many children have had the small pox, who had been
inoculated recently, and others some years since,and [some?] hundreds
have been ill of this disease; and the confidence of many persons is
now shaken in vaccination as a preventive. Fifty-four deaths have been
registered in Redruth for the two and parish; but this [malady?] has
not made so much stir, as the thirty-six deaths from cholera.
PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE - On Monday evening last, about six o'clock, a
gig belonging to Mr. REYNALDS, of Truro, was at Chacewater by the side
of a door, with his son in it (a lad ten years of age), when a carriage
of Mr. PEARCE's, of the Royal Hotel, Truro, returning from the west,
and coming down the village rather fast, came in contact with the wheel
of the gig, and turned the vehicle completely bottom upwards with the
child underneath; strangely, however, neither the child, horse, nor
gig, were injured.
SEVENTY-FIVE SHEEP WORRIED - On Monday morning se'nnight, three dogs,
two of them belonging to Mr. ADAMS, tanner, of Burraton Coombe, St.
Stephens BY Saltash, and one to Mrs. Sweet, of Plymouth, worried and
destroyed seventy-five sheep. In a field belonging to Mr. PEARCE, of
Forder Mills, they destroyed fifteen. They then followed one of Mr.
Pearce's sheep into a field belonging to Mr. JOHN ROGERS, of
Shillingham, where they killed twenty-one and worried and injured about
ten more. They next proceeded to a field of Mr. WILLCOCKS, of Torr,
and killed thirty, and destroyed ten belonging to Mr. SMITH, of
Trematon. It appears that the same dogs had also destroyed one day in
the previous week seven sheep belonging to Mr. ROSEVEAR, of Ward.
There were also a number injured besides those that we have enumerated.
All the sheep that were attacked were bitten about the throat. The
discovery was first made by Mr. Pearce's son who, on going early in the
morning into his father's field, found seven sheep dead, and thirteen
unable to walk, but the dogs had gone. In the course of the morning
two of Mr. Pearce's sheep had escaped from his field, and had run down
into the village of Treham, where they were overtaken by the dogs and
killed. The ewes in Mr. Roger's field were heavy with lamb, and where
the most valuable lot of the whole. The dogs were at last discovered
in a field belonging to Mr. Willcocks, two of them were in the act of
killing a sheep, and the third was engaged in driving a sheep towards
his murderous companions, and acting in concert with them.
SHIPWRECK - The "Venus," of and from (G.........?) 123 tons, JOHN
BACKLER, master, bound to Newport with ballast, and thence chartered
for Havannah, on Friday last, at half-past two o'clock, got on the
Manacle Rocks. It was during the interval of its being the master's
watch below. Immediately that danger was apprehended she was put hard
up and wore round. She soon struck forwards, and then aft. The
master, who had taken the wheel, through the concussion had his leg
badly hurt, and was thrown over the ship's side, but providentially
rescued himself by catching hold of her gunwale. After striking the
second time, way being kept on the vessel and pumps going, eighteen
inches of water in her hold indicated that she was fast settling. The
boat was got ready, and at four a.m. the master and people got into the
boat. Ten minutes had scarcely expired before the brig went down. She
was newly coppered, previously to sailing. A pilot cutter met with the
unfortunate people at sea at daybreak, not knowing where to make a
landfall, and brought them into Falmouth.
On Monday last, a Russian barque brought into Falmouth, the crew of the
"Jane," of Bristol, which vessel was run down by an American ship a few
miles west of Scilly.
The "Mary" which was driven ashore under Gyllyndune, Falmouth, on
Friday week, as reported in our last has been sold by auction. The
cargo has been saved, but there is little chance of the vessel being
got off.
CORONERS' INQUESTS - The following inquests have been held by Mr.
HICHENS, county coroner:- On Saturday last, in the parish of Cury, on
an illegitimate child of JANE WALKDON, widow. It appeared that she
gave birth to the child on Tuesday the 6th instant, and that it was
born (as it was believed) in perfect health, but died early the morning
of the following Thursday. The deceased had been very troublesome
during the preceding day and throughout the night till about three or
four o'clock, when it was quiet and as the mother thought had fallen
asleep. Some short time after she called to her mother, who was in
another bed in the same room, that she believed the child was dead,
upon which the grandmother procured a light, and upon examining the
child found it to be so. Mr. WEARNE, surgeon, of Helston, made a post
mortem examination of the body, and in evidence at the inquest stated
that there were no marks of external violence, but that on examining
the contents of the chest, he found the heart and lungs congested with
blood, more than he thought natural, and as if the child had been
overlain, or some impediment had been offered to his respiration. He
could not say, however, that it was a positive case of suffocation, but
he was unable otherwise to account for the death, and the appearances
he had spoken of were such as he should have expected to have found in
a child that had been suffocated, but if suffocation had been the cause
of death, he said it might have been accidental. As therefore there
had been no attempt to conceal the birth, and there was no proof of
actual violence, the jury returned a verdict of "found dead, cause of
death unknown."
On Tuesday last, at the parish of Germoe, on the body of SAMUEL CARTER,
jun., aged about four years, whose death was occasioned by his having
by some means set fire to his clothes. It appeared that the mother of
the deceased was ill, and had been confined to her bed for some months,
and the husband being a farm labourer was at his labour, so that the
children (excepting what little his wife's mother and sister were
occasionally able to do for them) were left entirely to take care of
themselves. The family being thus circumstanced, on Friday last, one
of the neighbours hearing the children crying in Carter's house, and
fearing there was something amiss, went in to ascertain the fact, when
she found the deceased, and his sister about nine years old, but of
weak intellect, and an infant in the kitchen, and the deceased on the
floor with his clothes on fire - she with her apron put out what fire
remained, but the deceased was much burnt about the breast and neck,
and died on Sunday. Verdict "accidental death."
The following inquests have been held before Mr. HICHENS, jun., deputy
coroner:- On the 13th instant, in the parish of Wendron, on the body
of WILLIAM GAY, aged sixty-six years. The deceased had complained
frequently of pain in his chest, and had taken some medicine from an
itinerant vendor, but it appeared was not prevented from following his
labour as a thatcher. On the previous morning he had risen as usual
about six o'clock, and was about to go to his work, when his daughter
who was upstairs in bed, and had just before been speaking to him from
her room, hearing a noise below in the kitchen as of some one having
fallen, hastened down and found her father laying on his back on the
ground, speechless and apparently dead. She with the assistance of
another daughter, immediately raised him up to sit, when he groaned
twice or thrice and expired. Verdict, "Natural death."
On Tuesday last, in the parish of St. Hilary, on the body of JOSEPH
ALLEN, aged sixteen years. The deceased was a kibble filler, and
worked at the "Lewis Mine, in the parish of St. Erth, and was with
another person, at his usual labour there at the fifty fathoms level on
the previous day. They had just filled a kibble, which had been pulled
up, and the deceased was in the act of collecting some scattered
stones, when he stepped backwards and his foot slipping from the "shaft
piece," he fell from the fifty to the seventy fathoms level. The poor
boys arms and one of his legs were broken by the fall, but he did not
appear to be otherwise injured. He died however in two or three
minutes after his comrade (and another person who accompanied him in
search of deceased) found him. Verdict, "Accidental death."
28 DECEMBER 1849
ECCLESIASTICAL - The Reverend NUTCOMBE OXENHAM has been appointed to
the Prebendal stall in the Cathedral of Exeter, vacant by the death of
the Reverend Sir HENRY LESLIE, Bart. The Reverend E. SEYMOUR has been
appointed by the Bishop of Exeter to the perpetual curacy of East and
West Looe in this county.
SHIPWRECKED FISHERMEN AND MARINERS' BENEVOLENT SOCIETY - It is
gratifying to refer to the doings of this society, connected with which
an eminent proof of usefulness and liberality has recently come under
our notice at Polperro. Through the agency of Lieutenant CORNISH,
R.N., of that place, each of the seventeen men wrecked in the barque
"Shepherdess," on the 6th instant, received GBP1. 17s. 9d. from the
society's funds, for the purpose of providing them with clothing, &c.,
and considering the destitute circumstances in which these poor men
found themselves on landing, having lost everything but what they had
on them, this munificent donation cannot be too highly appreciated. In
estimating the efficiency of the society we must take into account the
great number of vessels, fishing boats, &c., which are annually wrecked
on our coasts, and the vast number of persons who consequently receive
assistance in the "time of need" from this source. We fear, however,
that the society does not receive that amount of support from mariners
generally to which it is deservedly entitled, and we hope that such
instances as the above may more fully awaken them to its advantages.
CARHARRACK - In the Wesleyan chapel at this place the morning of
Christmas day was solemnly ushered in by the choir of that chapel
singing the beautiful piece, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come,"
after which prayer and singing were continued, the latter reflecting
much credit on Captain RICHARD JEFFERY, the leader of the choir. In
the evening an excellent discourse was delivered by the Rev. J. HARROP,
from St. Luke's gospel, chap. 2nd, verse 14th, in the course of which
he explained with much energy, the nature of Christ's mission. It is
highly gratifying to add, that unlike past Christmas days, no
Bacchanalians were seen in the public way, but many hundreds of human
beings proceeding to the house of prayer.
SUSPENSION OF PILOTS - We understand that Mr. VINCENT, of St. Mawes,
and the other pilots on board his pilot boat at the time of speaking
the "Mary," of Dartmouth, lost near Falmouth about a fortnight since,
are suspended from acting till some further investigation has taken
place relative to the charges against them for not taking the ship
under their care.
STEALING FROM CHANGING-HOUSE - On Saturday last, JAMES NINNIS, of the
parish of St. Austell, labourer, was brought before Mr. EDWARD COODE,
jun., charged with stealing, on the 14th instant, from Balleswidden
mine, in the parish of Saint Just in Penwith, a duck-jacket, a pair of
trowsers, a waistcoat, and a pair of drawers, the property of WILLIAM
WARREN, of the parish of Sancreed, miner. It appeared that the
prisoner took advantage, whilst Warren was at work underground, to
steal the clothes from the changing-house. He was pursued to St.
Austell, and when apprehended, the whole of the articles were being
worn by him. He was committed to take his trial at the next quarter
sessions.
FIRE - On Christmas day, about eight o'clock in the evening, the
inhabitants of Falmouth were alarmed by the ringing of the fire-bell,
and it was reported, that a fire had broken out in a house near the
church, occupied by different tenants. The part on fire was in the
occupation of a person called HOCKING, a shoemaker. There were
indications of fire for some time previous to the alarm being given,
but Mr. hocking and his wife being from home, and the place locked up,
the neighbours could not gain admittance; but at length the place was
forced open, and it was discovered that some part of the stairs, and
some sticks, &c., underneath were on fire, the door of the closet being
closed.
FATAL ACCIDENT - On Saturday last, at Restormel Iron Mine, a large
quantity of ground gave way, and buried three men, one of whom was
crushed to death, another died on being conveyed to his house, and the
other had an arm broken, besides receiving severe injuries.
CORONERS' INQUESTS - The following inquests have been held before Mr.
JOSEPH HAMLEY, coroner. On the 20th instant, at Port Isaac, on WILLIAM
STROUT, aged 16, a mariner, who died under the following circumstances.
It appeared that a puncheon of rum had washed on shore near Port
Isaac, and this young man and several others, drank of it until they
became so drunk that they were obliged to be carried home, all in a
state of insensibility. Mr. TREVAN, surgeon, was called to them, and
succeeded in recovering all but Strout, who died of apoplexy from
drinking ardent spirits, and the jury returned a verdict accordingly.
On Monday last, on WILLIAM KEAST, and JOHN JANE, two miners. They were
working together at Restormel Iron Mines, when a large rock, about four
tons weight, came unexpectedly away from the upper part of the adit,
and fell on them, killing Keast on the spot, and injuring Jane so much
that he died in being carried to his home. It appeared from the
evidence that there was no danger apprehended in that part of the mine,
and that there was no blame to be attached to any one, and the jury
returned a verdict of "accidental death." Keast has left a wife and
six children; Jane was a young man.
On the same day, at St. Minver, on WILLIAM CRADDOCK, an old man aged
66? He was an old ringer, and had been ringing in the belfry in
consequence of a wedding, and when putting on his coat to leave the
belfry, one of the other ringers saw him fall, and on taking him up saw
that he was dead. Verdict, "visitation of God."
On Monday, at St. Kew, on the body of ANNE MASIE? LIBBY, aged 5 years.
In this case, the mother had dressed the deceased and her little sister
on Saturday morning, and sent them down stairs under the impression
that their elder sister, a young woman, was there; but she had left the
house a few minutes before, and deceased, in removing a tea-pot from
the fire-place, caught her saveall afire, and ran out of the house.
She rant to a neighbour's house, but not being able to get in there,
she returned to her home, where her sister met her, and pulled off hr
clothes. The mother then took charge of her, and paid her every
attention, but she was so badly burnt that she died at four o'clock the
next morning. Verdict, "Accidental death."
On the same day, in the parish of Newlyn, on the body of THOMAS
ROBERTS, aged 7 years. The mother of deceased went to Michell to
receive some Christmas charity, and locked the deceased and his sister
in the house, to keep them, as she thought, out of harm's way, as the
neighbours had been complaining of their being mischievous children. A
neighbour, hearing screeches proceeding from the house, looked in at
the window, and saw the deceased with all his clothes on fire, and his
sister throwing water on him. The neighbour rendered what assistance
he could, and afterwards Mr. VIGURS, surgeon, attended him; but he died
in the course of the night. Verdict, "Accidental death."
On Wednesday, at Gadlass Farm, in the parish of St. Gluvias, on the
body of JANE MARTIN, aged 3 years. In this case, it appeared that on
Monday morning last, between six and seven o'clock, the deceased, who
was sleeping in a room with two other little children, called to her
mother, who went up and attended to her and left a candle on the table,
and went down stairs. She had not been down long, before she heard the
deceased crying, and on running up, found her with her night clothes
all on fire. It appeared, that she or one of her little sisters had
removed the candle from the table and placed it on the floor; and, by
some means her clothes were ignited. It was not thought that the
injuries were serious until towards evening, when the child had a fit,
and a surgeon was sent for from Penryn, who dressed the wounds, but she
survived only two hours afterwards. Verdict, "Accidental death."
CHRISTMAS MUNIFICENCE - A large quantity of beef and bread was
distributed at Menabilly on Christmas eve, to one hundred and sixty
poor families residing in the parishes of Tywardreath, Fowey, and St.
Sampson's, and one guinea and a suit of warm clothing and bedding to
each of twenty poor widows, inmates of the Rashleigh Alms Houses at
Fowey and Tywardreath. Also fifty shillings were distributed by the
vicar of Fowey, to as many poor persons in his parish, being the annual
munificent donations of Mr. RASHLEIGH of Menabilly.
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