76 HISTORICAL CHRONICLE. of fail to keep the fhip off fhore, in doing which the thip hove a great quantity of water on the gun-deck; founding the well, found the ship had fprung a leak, and had five feet water in the hold; pumps to work immediately at 2. A. M. Wednefday morning, endeavoured to wear fhip, but without effect; cut away the mizen maft, and tried a fecond time to wear, but with as little fuccefs as before, the thip having now seven feet water in the hold, and gaining on the pumps very faft; cut away the main maft. The fhip at this time was just foundering. At 8 A. M. cleared the wreck, and got the fhip before the wind; kept her in that polition for about two hours, in which time the ! ned two feet with the pumps going. At 10 A.M, yery little wind, and the hip labouring very much, rolled the foremaft over on the larboard fide; the wreck going through the forefail tore it to pieces. At 1 A. M. the wind came to the weftward, and cleared up; faw the Berry Head bearing N. E by E. four o- five leagues; got another forefail bent immediately, and erected a jury main maft, and fet a topgallant fail for a main fail, and bore up for Portsmouth; employed the remainder of the day in erecting a jury main maft. At 2 A. M. on Thursday morning the wind came at South freih, and was very thick at noon; faw Portland bearing N. by E. diftant four or five Jeagues. At 8 P. M. it blew a firong gale at South; faw Portland lights bearing N. W. diftant four or five leagues; kept stretching out to the eastward in hopes of weathering Peverell Point; faw St. Alban's Head a mile and a half to leeward; took in fal immediately, and let go the fmall bower anchor; the thip brought up at a whole cable; rode for about an hour, when the drove a fecond time. At 2 A. M. Friday morning the freck, and immediately came broadlide to the rocks, and at 4 A. M. not an atom of her was to be feen. One hundred and feventy men were fuppofed to have got afhore, but from the darkness of the morning, and furging of the fea, upwards of an hundred were dashed to picces and drowned. The circumstances attending this unhappy wreck are dreadful in the extreme. Capt. Pierce, a little while before the fhip went down, called Mr. Meriton into the cuddy, where his two daughters, two nieces, and three other beautiful young ladies were clinging round him for protection, and on being told that it was impofiible for the ladies to escape, he nobly refolved to share their rate, and addreffing himself to his daughters, and enfolding them in his arms, he faid, Then, my dear children, we will perish together. The hip difappeared in a few minutes. The unhappy wretches who gained the rocks, were in a more dreadful fituation; they were, by the force of the re turning furge, dafhed to pieces, except the Second Mate, who fell into a fiflure of the rock, and was fome time up to his chin in water.. The Chief Mate faid, in the fatal mement when the Second Mate was quitting the ship, that he would die with his uncle, the Captain and his coufins, the Mifs Pierces; for were he to leave fuch dear relatives behind him, he could only expect the worst of deaths, to be difcarded for ever from the fervice! Mr. Thompson, the Quarter Master, was the firft who climbed up the rock aud got on thore, he faw a light about a mile off, whither he went: the people very humanely came down with him to the fhore with lives, which were the means of faving many lives, though feveral afrer being drawn patt of the way up the rock, from fatigue let go their hold, and were dathed to pieces. The following is an authentick lift of those paffengers who were loft: Mifs Eliza Pierce Mary Ann Pierce Anne Paul · Mary Paul 2 daughters of Capt. Mary Hoggard. Ann Manfell. Two fifters of the wife of Mr. George Templar, who married a niece of Capt. Pierce, are alfo among the Ladies which are loft. And a younger brother of Mr. Templar was alfo loft. Correct lift of OFFICERS faved. } midshipmen M Manus Jacob Murray gunner's mates Thomas Barnaby, boatswain's mate quarter makers James Jackfon, cooper's mate Thirty feamen and 26 foldiers. The few men, who have efcaped, are moft terribly bruifed, and fome have had their limbs broken from being dashed ashore on the rocks. The East India Company's lofs is valued only at about 60500 1. Capt. Pierce was the oldeft Captain in the service of the Hon. East India Company, and propofed to retire, had it pleafed Providence to permit his return from this intended voyage. The HISTORICAL CHRONICLE Tuesday 10. The following malefactors were executed before Newgate; Charles Seymour, for stealing, in the chambers of Edward Poore, Efq. in Lincoln's-Inn, fome wearing apparel, a Book Note of 201. and a Bank Poft bill of 481.; Jofeph Lennard and George Wilson, for breaking into the chambers of Mr. De kins, in Gray's Inn, and ftealing a quantity of apparel; Thomas Harris, for theep-ftealing; he denied the fact: Thomas Shipley, for robbing the house of Dr. Warren; Michael Druit, for forgery; John Murray, for counterfeiting a man's will. They all be haved with decency, which, it seems, is nowa-days an high commendation! Wednesday 11. The tide rofe fo high this day, that moft of the cellars in Wapping were under water. Thursday 12. A duel was fought at Chatham Lines, between Lieut. Gamble and Lieut. Mollifon, both of them of the marines. No compromife could be fettled by the feconds, and Lieut. Mollifon firing first, hit his antagonist in the upper part of the back of the thigh. Lieut. Gamble directly fell, but fuddenly starting fup, as Mr. Mollifon advanced towards him, difcharged his pistol, and the ball fhattered the bumerus or upper bone of Mr. Mollifon's arm, a little above the elbow. Here the feconds interpofed, and the combatants were taken into their quarters. Mr. Mollifon's arm has fince been amputated, and both the gentlemen are now perfectly reconciled, and as good friends as ever. Friday 13. The Lord Mayor, Recorder, Sheriffs, &c. going to St. Margaret's-Hill, in the Borough, to hold the Quarter Seffions, found Sir Jofeph Mawbey in the chair, holding the Quarter Seffions for the county, and trying a prifoner for felony. The Lord Mayor waited patiently till the trial was over, and fentence paffed on the prifoner to be tranfported to Africa. It was then expected that Sir Jofeph would have refigned the chair, instead of which he was Proceeding to other trials, which brought on a warm altercation between the Recorder and Sir Jofeph. The Recorder infifted he was infringing the rights of the City. Sir Jofeph infifted on the privilege of the County. The Recorder pointed out Guildford, Croydon, or Kingston, as the proper places for that bufinefs. At length Sir Jofeph quitted the chair, and the Lord Mayor took his place. Monday 16. The Seffions at the Gld Bailey, which began upon Wednesday the 11th, ended, when 7 convicts received sentence of death, 20 were fentenced to be tranfported, 14 to be imprisoned, and kept to hard labour in the houfe of correction, 6 to be whipped, 2 imprifoned in Newgate, and 16 discharged by proclamation. At the above feffions, among others, came 77 on the trial of John Hogan, the Mulatto, for the murder of the fervant of Mr. Orrell (fee vol. LV. p. 485.), of Charlotte-street. The following circumstances appeared. That the deceased had her head-drefs torn off, and thrown on the ground, covered with blood, as were her handkerchief, gown, &c. Her skull was fractured; her left eye beaten almoft out of its focket; her cheek bones both broken; her chin out; her neek and throat both cut; feveral wounds in her breaft, particularly a large circular one; her left arm broke; and her right arm and wrist both cut. The inftrument with which the wounds had been made was a razor; and notwithstanding it had been thrown into a fire, the spots of blood were not erased. She was alive, but fpeechlefs, and died that fame night at 12 o'clock. The prisoner having brought home fome chairs, a thort time before, to Mr. Orrell's, and a perfon answering his defcription having been feen in the neighbourhood that day, fufpicion fell on him, and he was twice taken up, and twice difcharged for want of evidence. The prifoner had been tried for a larceny, and Mr. Orrell reading his trial in the Seffions-paper, it occurred to him to search at the pawnbroker's, where he had pawned the property ftolen, for which he was so tried, to fee if any of his property, which was folen at the time of the murder, had been lodged with that pawnbvoker; there he found a cloak of his wife's, pawned the morning af ter the murder, by the woman with whom he cohabited. On the prifoner's being taken to the body of the deceased, he appeared not in the leaft agitated; but, putting his hand on her breast, he faid, "My dear Nancy, I do remember "you well; I never did you any harm in "my life!" Thefe expreffions very forcibly added to the suspicions of his guilt, becaufe her face was fo exceedingly cut and mangled, that Mr. Orrell declared he could not poffibly have known her. Two other cir cumftances, which tended to criminate him, were a spot of blood on a waistcoat which he wore, and fome flight marks of blood on one of the fleeves of his coat; which coat had been washed, though the blood on the fleeve remained; and an effort feemed to have been made, but in vain, to rub out the spot of blood from the waistcoat. The principal evidence against him was the woman with whom he cohabited; who depofed, that he brought her home a cloak, which he faid he had bought, on condition of paying for it at the rate of fo much a week. The cloak was produced in Court, and Mrs. Orrell fwore to it as her property. The deponent further faid, that after Hogan had been twice taken before a Magiftrate, he, at intervals, appeared to be very uneasy; that particularly he could not fleep in bed; that the faid to him one night, "For God's fake 78 HISTORICAL fake what is the matter with you, furely you are not guilty of what you have been 66 yes, raken up for:" that his anfwer was, I am:"I am guilty:-I did it."-She then was much troubled in mind, and apprehended fatal confequences to herfelf, particularly, as The faid to her, you must fay nothing; you must be quiet, for if I be hanged, you will be hanged with me; and on her asking him, why he had murdered the young woman, he anfwered, because he wanted to be great with her, and the refifted him. The prifoner being called on for his defence, faid, "I am innocent; and if any body takes away my life, I will never forgive them." The Recorder fummed up the trial with great impartiality, and the jury inftantly found him guilty; he was then fentenced to be executed on Monday morning, and his body to be diffected and anatomized. He was accordingly taken from Newgate in a cart on Monday on Monday, and executed a gibbet oppofite Mr. Orrell's houfe. A great concourfe of people attended the exexecution, but never died a malefactor with lefs pity. Juft before being turned off, he bowed four times to the populace, and, in an andible voice, confeffed himfelf guilty of the murder, for which he had been justly condemned to die. on At the fame feffions came on likewife the trials of Goodridge and Evans, for forging the will of Mr. Sawtell, tallow-chandler. Wednesday 18. Information was this day received at the Public office, in Bow Street, of a moft daring and atrocious robbery, lately committed on a Banker at Lyons, in which the robbers had taken upwards of 17000l. worth of filver. Thurfduy 19. One of the men concerned in robbing the Hull mail was this day brought to town from Hull, where he had been apprehended on the 16th, by Meff. Macmanus and Cartmeal, belonging to Bow Street. They found, under his bolter, two twenty pound Bank notes. He was examined before Sir Sampfon Wright, and committed to Tothill-fields Bridewell. The other man concerned with him has fince been apprehended, examined, and committed. Friday 20. Sir James Harris, Envoy Extraordinary from his Britannic Majefty, had lately a conference with the Baron de Lynden de Bilterwyk, who prefided at the Affembly of their High Mightineffes, on the part of the Province of Zealand. Saturday 21. The Seffions of Admiralty was held at the . Wm. Shaw Hines, for piratically feiz- CHRONICLE. and being defcried by the Swift cruifer, on The Parliament met at Weftminster, when his Majesty opened the Seffions with the following moft gracious Speech; "My Lords, and Gentlemen, SINCE I last met you in Parliament, the difputes which appeared to threaten an interruption to the tranquillity of Europe have been brought to an amicable conclufion; and I continue to receive from foreign powers the ftrongeft affurances of their friendly dif pofition towards this country. At home, My fubjects experience the growing bleffings of peace in the extenfion of trade, the improvement of the revenue, and the increase of the publick credit of the nation. For the farther advancement of thofe important objects, I rely on the continuance of that zeal and industry, which yon mani .fefted in the laft Seffion of Parliament. The refolutions which you laid before Me, as the basis of an adjustment of the commercial intercourse between Great Britain and Ireland, have been by My directions communicated to the Parliament of this Kingdom; but no effectual step has hitherto been taken thereupon, which can enable you to make any further progrefs in that falutary work. Gentlemen of the House of Commons, I have ordered the estimates for the prefent year to be laid before you: It is My earneft with to enforce economy in every oepartment; and you will, I am perfuaded, be equally ready to make such provifion as may be neceffary for the publick service, and particularly for maintaining our naval strength on the moft fecure and refpectable footing.Above all, let me recommend to you the eftablishment of a fixed plan for the reduction of the national debt. The flourishing state of the revenue will, I truft, enable you to effect this important meafure with little addition to the public burdens. My Lords, and Gentlemen, The vigour and refources of the country, fo fully manifefted in its prefent fituation, will encourage you in continuing to give your utmost attention to every object of national concern; particularly to the confideration of fuch measures as may be Receffary, HISTORICAL CHRONICLE. neceffary in order to give farther fecurity to the revenue, and to promote and extend as far as poffible the trade and general induftry of My fubjects.” After the ufual orders were read, the Earl of Morton rofe in the Houfe of Peers and after a fhort fpeech, moved an Address to his Majefty, for his moft gracious Speech. Lord Fortefcue feconded the motion. In the House of Commons, as foon as the Speaker had taken the chair, the fpeech read, and the ufual forms had paffed, Mr. John Smith rofe to move the addrefs, The heads on which he chiefly enlarged were-The tranquillity of Europe-the friendly affurances of foreign powers-the bleffings of peace-the extenfion of tradethe increase of revenue-the rife of the funds the advancement of public credit-the care of the navy; and the great object recommended from the throne-the reduction of the national debt: if in that difficult task, he faid, any obftruction should be thrown in the way, he trusted every member in the house would unite to remove the difficulty. He touched flightly on the adjustment of the commercial intercourfe with Ireland; and concluded with expreffing the grateful acknowledgments the nation in general owed to his Majefty, and with moving the following humble addrefs. "Moft Gracious Sovereign, We, your Majefty's most dutiful and loyal fubje&s, the Commons of Great Britain, in parliament affembled, beg leave to return your Majefty our humble thanks, for your moft gracious fpeech from the throne. We learn, with great fatisfaction, that the difputes which appeared to threaten an in terruption to the tranquillity of Europe have been brought to an amicable conclufion, and that your Majefly continues to receive from foreign powers the firongeft affurances of their friendly difpofition towards this coun try. We are deeply fenfible of the bleflings we experience from the enjoyment of peace, in the extenfion of trade, the improvement of the revenue, and the increafe of the public credit of the nation: and your majefty may rely on the utmost exertion of our zeal and industry for the further advancement of these important objects. In order to promote, as far as in us lay, the common interes of all your Majesty's fubjects, we humbly laid before your majef ty, in the laft feffion of parliament, fevetal refolutions, as the bafis of an adjustment of the commercial intercourfe between Great Britain and Ireland; but, as no effectual hep has been hitherto taken thereupon by the parliament of that kingdom, we do not find ourselves at prefent enabled to make any 'farther progrefs in that falutary work. We cannot refrain from offering the warmeft expreffions of our gratitude, for our Majefty's gracious affurances of your 6 79 earnest wish to enforce oeconomy every de The vigour and refources f happily manifefted in our prefent fituation must give encouragement and confidence to all your Majefty's fubjects, and cannot fail to animate our exertions in endeavouring, by a continual attention to the security of the revenue, and, the extenfion of trade, to confirm and improve the increafing profperity of the em pire." Mr. Addington rofe to fecond the motion for an addrefs. He followed the former fpeaker, in congratulating the Houfe on the happy profpects held forth in his Majefty's moft gracious Speech: he fpoke more fully on the fate of the propofitions fent to 1reland; and lamented that the infiduous idea of bartering cammerce for conflitution, which had awakened the fears of that high-fpirited people, ever jealous of their liberty, bad been circulated with fuck fuccefs as to defeat, for the prefent, the molt falutary meafure that ever could be devifed for uniting the fifter-kingdoms in the pure bonds of friendship and mutual intereft; yet he hoped, ere long, to fee that difcerning us. tion as earned to embrace the propofitions as they had lately fhewn firmness to reject them, Having faid this, he amplified os the bald plan, alluded to in the fpeech, for the eftablifhment of a fund for the reduction of the national debt. This was a meature of fuch magnitude, he faid, as were it not for the enormous encumbrance of the late was that had already been provided for, he fhould have entertained no well-grounded hope of ever feeing it begon; but judging from what had been done, of what might further by effected by talents fo fupereminent, he could not help having confidence in a measure, which, however difficult, was not looked upon as infurmountable. He trufied therefore that in the execution; if fome fmall fupplics should be neceffary, that the houfe would with one voice concur in granting them. He concluded, after paying fome hand. fome compliments to Mr. Pitt, with feconding the addrefs. Lord Surrey rofe, and was forry, he faid, that he could not join in xhe praifes of the right hon. gentleman, and that, for one plain reafon, because he did not deferve them, His lordship then adverted to the right hon. gentleman's meafores-Ilis India bill, which would 80 HISTORICAL it was feared would prove of fatal confequence in India-to his plan of Parliamentary Reform-and, what was of greater confequence, to his Commercial Treaty with Ireland; all which had failed; nor was it likely that his Commercial Treaty with France, which had been fo long depending, would meet with much better fuccefs; tho, if it did, it must be owing to the late acquifition of a gentleman he did not fee in his place [Mr. Eden].. It was asked which was his place? which produced a general laugh. He therefore allowed Do merit to the right hon. gentleman for his measures, but rather thought the rife of the funds and the increase of the revenue owing to their miscarriage, as had they fucceeded the nation must have been undone. He concluded with moving by way of amendment, "that the whole paragraph in the "addrefs refpe&ting Ireland thould be ❝ omitted." Mr. Fox feconded the motion; and Mr. Pitt replied; as we shall report more at largely in our next. Wednesday 25. This morning Mr. Price, who was committed on fufpicion of forgery on the Bank, and was to have been examined as this day at eleven, hanged himself in his room in that prifon. From a variety of circumftances, there remains no doubt but that he is the perfon fo frequently advertised for forgeries on the Bank for feveral years paft, and who has had the addrefs to elude the fictest fearch, though long known and fufpected. It was his cuftom, at times, to give entertainments to a felect party, and, to evade the Plate-tax, to borrow the fplendid articles of the fide-board at a pawn-broker's, depofit ing Bank Notes as a fecurity. The pawnbroker happening to offer one at the Bank, was flopped, and, on relating how he came by it, with all the circumstances, proper people were fent to the shop, who, when he came to return the plate, immediately took him into cuftody. The House of Peers went to St. James's, with an Aderefs, to whieh his Majesty was pleased to give a most gracious answer. Thursday 26. CHRONICLE. At Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, the waters rofe to an alarming height. At Dover the waters rofe about 15 feet perpendicular above the ufual flowing of the tide, and carried off feveral hundred thousand lumber. It deftroyed fome valuable ftores, feven mills, and two bridges. At Portsmouth, in Virginia, a moft tremendous gale, added to the freshes, carried feveral veffels into the fields and woods, where fome of them never can be got off. The damage is estimated at 30,cool. On the rft of Sept. the fhip Faithful, bound from Londonderry to Philadelphia, with 240 paffengers on board, was cast away near the Capes of Delaware, and only about fix were faved. Among whom were the Captain and thofe who accompanied him in the boat, which not being able to return, thofe who got fafe were unhappy witneffes of the lamentable fate of those who perished. Part of a letter from Mr. Hugh Williams, the only perfon who efcaped the dreadful catastrophe in croffing the Abermenaiferry, on the 5th of December laff, dated Tinllwden, Dec. 10. "On Monday [Dec. 5.] fays he to his fifters, being Carnarvon fair, myfelf, with feveral of my friends and neighbours, to the number of fixty, went into the ferry boat, between three and four in the afternoon, wind S. W. a hard gale, infomuch that the boat was driven, about five in the evening, on a fand-bank called Tracthall Gwyllhm, where the almoft inftantaneously filled with water; we immediately got upon the bank, (being low water), tolerably extenfive, and walked to and fro, making the most piercing lamentations in hopes of procuring reliefs of which however we could have no hope, the waves and the tide rifing fo faft upon us, as to render all affiftance impracticable. In this most affecting fituation, reflecting a little, I thought I could but perish if I committed my fate to the mercy of the waves. I faftened an oar to the maft, and taking off my great coat and boots, and after the heartrending talk of taking leave of my most intimate friends, I plunged myself into the wild and tempestuous ocean, lashed to the maft, which under Providence proved the means of enabling me once more to tread the thore of my native country. On my quitting the water in a tranfport of joy, I attempted to run; but alas! my limbs were fo benumbed with cold and fatigue, that it was with difficulty I could crawl up the beach, and at laft reached the ferry houfe, where it is barely neceffary to say that I was treated with every poflible degree of attention. The next morn ing I found I was the only person who efcaped this most calamitous diftafter, in which there is fcarce a family in this neighbourhood, but feels the lofs of a parent, relation, or friend." |