Liverpool Mercury. 1913
Dips into the past.
A corner for antiquarians, 100yrs ago.
Extracts from the Liverpool Mercury
January 6th 1813
To be seen at Mr JAMES’S rooms, bottom of Lord St, the Yorkshire Giant, 7ft 8inch tall and weighing upwards of 27 stone, who had the honour of being introduced by their Majesties and the Royal Family at Windsor
January 15th, 1813
There is now living at the house of Mr John MATTHEWS, Gardner, Armagh, a woman named Mary O’BRIEN, aged 103, four generations of her lineal descendants reside with her. There is a probability from her health and strength, that she may live to see her grand-daughter’s grand-child, when she may be able to say, “Rise up, daughter, go to your daughter, for your daughter’s daughter has got a daughter.”
A Castle St exhibition
The celebrated Miss BEFFIN, miniature painter, now exhibiting her wonderful powers at the Auction Mart, Castle St. This young lady was born deficient of arms, hands and legs, she can cut her own clothes, sews extremely neat and in a wonderful manner, writes well, draws landscapes, paints miniatures, and many more wonderful things, she performs principally with her mouth.
Jan 22nd 1813
A recruit at Shrewsbury
On Monday last a female in man’s apparel was enlisted as a recruit in the 63rd Regt quartered at Shrewsbury. She shortly afterwards confessed and said her object was to enlist in the 43rd Regt, as in that corps she had a lover, now on foreign duty, and she wished to follow him. Her father is a respectable farmer in St Asaph, Denbighshire.
York assizes, on Tuesday afternoon, 12th inst, Baron THOMPSON passed sentence on the prisoners convicted under the special commission of assize. After a summary address he passed the judgement of death. On leaving York, 14 of these unhappy persons were ordered for execution on Saturday last, and accordingly executed on that day amidst an immense crowd of spectators, 13 wives and 50 children are thus fatherless and widowed, HARTLEY’S wife having died half a year ago, his 8 children orphans.
Feb 5th, 1813
A singular order of the day has been ordered in Russia for the capture of BUONAPARTE to which is subjoined a description of his person. Little did he expect on his entrance upon the dominions of the Emperor Alexander that he should become a notification. His enemies appear to have been confident in securing him.
Description of his Majesty Napoleon.
The figure short and compact, - the hair black, flat and short – the beard black and strong, shaved up towards his ear, - the eyebrows strongly arched, but contracted towards the nose, the nose aquiline with perpetual marks of snuff, - the countenance gloomy and violent, - the chin extremely projecting, - always in a uniform with ornament, - generally wrapped in a grey surtout, to avoid being remarked, and continuously attended by Mameluke.
Mr Henry WOODFORDE who lately died at his house in New St, Square in Fleetwood has been upwards of 50yrs a member of the celebrated society the Lumber Troop, held in that neighbourhood. He has for 20yrs past been in the possession of a crooked guinea, which he said should be spent on his death for the benefit of the society, in 4 crown bowls of punch, and 1s worth of tobacco, on condition his coffin be conveyed in the room the company assembles, and previous to his burial, a canon, [the society has many] be fired, and his wishes will be strictly obeyed
This week the tenters of Mr Joseph MELLOR of Dungeon nr Huddersfield, one of the witnesses against the murder of Mr HORSFALL, have been cut and a piece of cloth in the shape of a heart, pricked full of holes, has been placed on his latch door, inscribed with, “Blood for blood, says General LUDD” and an intimation his heart will soon be the same situation. These infatuated men seem bent on their own destruction.
50 guineas reward offered on conviction of offender or offenders of stolen gold watches, from the shop of BARNED and Co, Lord St, apply to shop or Mr MILLER, Police office.
Feb 12th 1813
Lady HAMILTON has published a narrative of the services she rendered to her country by her influence with the Queen of Naples, while resident with her husband, the late Sir William HAMILTON, and that court, the cost of which, and losses sustained by her in the accomplishment of these services, she states, is no less than £20.000. Her Ladyship says she is now embarrassed and wishes remuneration. [ The Lady HAMILTON, NELSON left to the protection of this country]
Remarkable longevity
BOWLES, a widow of West Hannay, Berks, died Apr 4th, 1749, aged 124
BROOK Roger of Halifax, Yorkshire, died Oct 8th, 1568, aged 133
BROOKEY John of Broad Lush Common, Devon, was living there in Jul 1778, died aged 135
CLUM Mrs, nr Lichfield, who lived 103yrs in one house, died Jan 23rd 1772, aged 138
DAMM Thomas of Leighton, nr Minshall, Cheshire, died 1668, aged 168
ELLIS Mrs W. at Liverpool, died 1780, aged 130
FAIRBROTHER Mr, of Wigan Lancashire, died May 1770, aged 138
FOTHERN James, Granada, West Indies, died Feb 10th 1792, aged 120
JENKINS Henry of Yorkshire, died 1670 aged 169
PARR Thomas, lived 10 reigns, died 1635, aged 152
WAKELEY William, Shiffnall, Salop, died, 1714, aged 124
YATES Mrs Mary, Shiffnall, Salop, died, Aug 1776, aged 127
Feb 19th 1813
Epitaph in Stanwell churchyard
On Margaret GRISSEL, wife of Roger GRISSEL, Crier of the parish.
“Nere to this plot my wife is layd.
At rest to all her erthly laburs
Gloria to God, peece to the ded,
And to the years, ie ears, of all her nayburs”.
Mar 12th, 1813
The following was copied from a daily paper, for it is the truth we do not vouch. – “ It is said that when BOUNAPARTE ventured to make his first appearance in public, after his elopement with his army, he was openly abused by the Parisian poulace who called him the butcher of the human race. His distress and flight were also made the subject of caricatures and ludicrous exhibitions, which it required the utmost vigilance for the police to suppress, but the circumstances said to annoy the Emperor most was, that some wags of Paris, having obtained a number of dogs, they for several nights, together tied tin kettles to their tails and labels round their necks, with the words, “Run away from Moscow” and giving the animals their liberty, they ran with great veracity and fury in all directions, to the great entertainment of the Parisians.
At the quarter sessions at Derby, Abraham HODGKINSON was found guilty of forestalling in Ashbourne, by buying 10 pecks of potatoes, before they came to market at 10d per peck and selling them in the market for 13d per peck, he was sentenced to 1 mths prison.
Lusus Nature
Rebecca DAWSON the poor woman residing in Great Hale, who was well known and suffered greatly for the last 30yrs by the growth of two enormous wens or fleshy excrescence’s springing from her neck, died on Wednesday, aged 43, the wens weighed 24lbs, one measured 2ft 2ins in length and 2ft in circumference.
Mar 19th 1913
Mathew, Mark, Luke and John.
Birth – lately the wife of J. CROWN, Journeyman shoemaker, No 16 Colchester St, Whitechapel London, safely delivered of 4 boys, named the same evening, Mathew, Mark, Luke and John, by Rev P. MATTHIAS rector of the parish – they are all likely to live.
April 9th 1813
Madame TUSSAUD in Liverpool
By permission of his Worshipful the Mayor, lately arrived from Manchester the Grand European Cabinet of figures, Modelled from life, consisting of 71 different characters, exhibiting in the large room, Golden Lion, Dale St.
Madame TUSSAUD, Artist, respectfully informs, the nobility, Gentry and public of Liverpool and its vicinity, that her unrivalled collection lately exhibited at the Exchange Manchester, Lyceum London, Dublin and Edinburgh will positively remain here but a short time.
Highway robbery in Everton
At Lancaster assizes before Baron THOMPSON on Sat, 27th ult.
T. TOOLE, aged 34, John DAVIES aged 20, William O’BRYAN alias Thomas DWYER aged 32, were convicted of having robbed Richard CHAMBERS on the King’s highway at Everton, they are part of a gang which infested the neighbourhood last winter.
TOOLE and DWYER were apprehended when they attacked a coach containing decoy constables. NEWTON and DAVIES were taken soon afterwards, Michael CLANCIE, the other of the gang has hitherto evaded justice.
21 prisoners were capitally convicted at these assizes.
We have nothing but praise for our police officers, owing to their manoeuvreably and spiritedly planned execution they apprehended a formidable gang of highwaymen.
They last week earned fresh laurels by apprehending the celebrated Huffey WHITE. The corporation have presented the officers with £50.
Fatality at Duke St quarry
Mar 21st, inquest held on the body of Peter MILLER who was drowned in the Queen’s dock.
25th, on the body of Peter RYLEY who was killed falling into the stone quarry at the top of Duke St, verdict, accidental death
same day, on the body of Garratt BURNS, found dead in a cellar in Strand St, no evidence how he come to his death.
30th, on the body of Samuel LEWIS found dead in a stone quarry opposite the workhouse, no proof how he came by his death.
[Editor, Duke St Quarry is now St James cemetery]
April 15th 1813
At the late delivery of the constables lists of the militia, the following curious returns were made in the parish of Sedgley.
“Joseph FELLOWS, aged 70, number of children of 1st wife 10, by second wife 13, by third wife 4, and Jack in the box!”
On Wednesday night last the side wall of Mr BARTON’S flour warehouse in London Rd fell with a dreadful crash. Every floor broken down destroying all the property on the premises. The persons in the house Mr and Mrs BARTON and a daughter who had retired to bed. They slept on the first floor and were precipitated into the cellar.
The neighbours crowded to the spot and forced the door, Mrs BARTON was found clinging to a wooden prop and escaped unhurt. The daughter, aged 13 was considerably injured, but not seriously. A quarter of an hour later Mr BARTON was extricated from the ruins, lifeless.
Weird discovery at Windsor
The day before the interment of her Royal Highness the Duchess of Brunswick in the new vault at St George’s chapel Windsor, a discovery was made by the workman of two ancient coffins, one lead, one stone.
His Royal Highness the Prince Regent being down at Windsor on Thursday evening, he was of course consulted about the mode of exploring those royal remains, which he directed to be immediately done in his presence.
Sir Henry HALFORD attended his Royal Highness to the vault, when the leaden coffin being unsoldered, a body appeared, covered over with a wax cloth, on carefully stripping the head and face, the countenance of the unfortunate martyr Charles the first immediately appeared, the features apparently perfect as when lived. Sir Henry HALFORD now endeavoured to raise the body from the coffin, in attempting which, the head fell from it, and discovered the irregular fissure made by the axe, which appeared to have been united with cement.
What added considerably to the interest in this extraordinary spectacle, was that as the head separated from the neck, a fluid drop, of what appeared blood, fell upon the hand of Sir Henry HALFORD which he accounts for by supposing it to be the dissolution of some congealed blood on it being exposed to the warm air. The body of the Royal Martyr was always supposed to have been interred at Windsor, but so privately that the spot could never be ascertained till now.
The stone coffin was next opened, which from the inscription was found to contain the remains of Henry the eighth, which consisted of nothing more than the skull and principle limb bones, which appeared in a perfect state – “Globe.”
May 28th 1813
Lately a woman the wife of a labourer of Hessie, named Thomas BROWN, was brought out in a halter by her husband in the market place at Hull and exposed for sale, she was bought for one guinea by another labourer of Hessie Cliff, named George HARDY.
July, 2nd 1813
Triple execution at Chester
Execution of three Northwich men at Chester, named, BURGESS, WILKINSON and YARWOOD, for assaulting a Runcorn woman.
The chapel at Seel St
On Weds, se ‘nnight, the Right Rev Dr SMITH coadjutor to the Right Rev Dr GIBSON, R.C, Bishop of this district, administered the sacrament of confirmation to 621, in the chapel at Lumber St, and the following day, 571, in the chapel at Seel St, this town.
Two weddings
On Monday last, at St Peter’s Ch, Mr Thomas HOLLINGSWORTH, Senior, late of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, to the agreeable Mrs DAVENPORT, of Shaw’s Brow.
On Sunday last, at St James Church, Mr Thomas GASKELL to Miss Catherine WALKER, both of Prescot.
Death
Died on 29th ult, Mr James TAYLOR of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the 89th year of his age, leaving issue by one wife, 15 children, 103 grandchildren and 62 great grandchildren, He invented the first machine for the spinning of cotton by power, for which he obtained a patent, but was compelled to relinquish it by the ill-treatment he received from prejudices of the working classes against improvement. He likewise invented many other useful and ingenious pieces of machinery.
July, 16th 1813
A fatal accident occurred on Thursday last, at the entrance to the town of Halifax, about 8 that evening when the Jubilee coach, which only commenced running between Leeds and Halifax the preceeding day, was about to turn the south corner of Halifax Bridge, when it was overset, 2 passengers were killed, the rest 5 in number sustained serious injury.
David BROTHERTON, Coachman, was thrown from the box, yesterday at 3, no hopes were entertained of his recovery.
July 23rd, 1813
Epitaph in Pancras church yard
Underneath this stone doth ley
The body of Mr Humphrey
JONES, who was of late,
By trade a tin plate
Worker in Barbican
Well known to be a good man
By all his friends and neighbours too,
And paid everybody their due.
He died in the year 1737,
Aug 4th, aged 80, his souls we hope in heaven.
Ulster riot in 1813
Extract from Belfast newspapers, 13th inst.
Yesterday being the anniversary of the battle of Aughrim, several Orange Lodges assembled opposite the Linen Hall and marched with colours and drums to Lisburn. On their return in the evening with numbers of associates who had joined them, they advanced to the house of a person named THOMPSON, a publican near the head of North St, in their progress they were hooted by the spectators [whose conduct we shall by no means justify] and stones and mud were thrown amongst them, some of THOMPSON’S windows were broken, when the Orange men rushed out of the house with loaded muskets, and fired upon the people, in consequence a cooper in the name of Hugh GRAHAM, was shot dead on the spot – a bricklayer named Andrew MC NARRY was mortally wounded and died the next morning at 1am – William MC LAUGHLIN, a young lad a bookbinder, received a ball in his thigh, and yesterday underwent amputation, another man was shot in the arm.
It is also material to observe that arms and ammunition appear to have been previously deposited at THOMPSON’S house, in anticipation of such an occurrence.
On the circumstances being known several magistrates immediately attended in North St, and General MITCHELL, having ordered a party of military peace was restored, and a soldier was made prisoner in THOMPSON’S house, along with two others.
These are the dreadful effects of party spirit, for which somebody is surely answerable, and which will doubtless engage the future attention of parliament. In ordinary occasions we have seen the slightest indications of the will of government adopted with the utmost alacrity by mere rank in this country. Ian other cases we find them attaching themselves to obsolete prejudices and declared opinion of the wisest legislators.
The coroners inquest
Verdict, that Andrew MC NARRY received his death by a musket fired by David MORGAN, £100 reward offered for the apprehension of MORGAN, and £30 for any information that may lead to his discovery
Liverpool Mercury 1913
Oct 8th 1813
Daniel MACRORY, condemned at the late Cumberland assizes for burglary was lately executed. On the drop falling the rope broke, and the unhappy man was precipitated to the ground, whereby his leg was broken, “I told you,” said he, “this rope would not hang a man of my weight.” It seems he had actually handled the rope before coming out of gaol, and remonstrated at its unfitness – After some delay, he was borne upon the scaffold in a chair, and, another rope being procured, he was hanged.
Wellington enters France
It is confidently believed Lord WELLINGTON has entered France in three columns, with nearly 100,000 men, and that the French had extended their line from St Jean de pie de port to Bayonne, where they are supposed to be in great strength.
Oct 15th, 1813
French prisoner released
Capt LAYCEL, of the 22nd Grenadiers, the brave and humane French officer who nobly snatched from the brink of destruction, at the imminent hazard of his own life, two English officers, at the siege of St Sebastian, was restored to liberty almost as soon as he reached the depot at Abergavenny, and has received his passport to return to France.
Nov 12th, 1813
Of interest to the ladies
Mrs HARRIS respectfully informs her friends and the ladies of Liverpool and its neighbourhood, that Miss CHENEY is just returned from London where she has purchased an assortment of the most fashionable millinery and dresses. Three – fourths rich poplins, coloured and black velvets, of superior quality; fine Pelisse cloths, Swansdown, and other fashionable furs, and a great variety of fancy goods adapted for the season, which Mrs H will open on Monday next, the 6th inst.
Apprentice wanted, 11 Castle St.
Farms of 176 acres in Garston
Farms to let 4 miles from Liverpool
For a term of 7 yrs, from 2nd Feb and 1st May next.
176 acres, and upward statute measure, of excellent land in Garston, adjoining Aigburth now in occupation of Mr R. LEWIS, with convenient buildings for 2 farms, in which it is proposed to let, few farms possess such advantages of soil, situation and conveyance, they are a pleasant distance from Liverpool, the River Mersey running at one end of them, gives the opportunity of having manure brought up by water, at a very light expense, and a considerable portion of the meadow land capable of being irrigated.
The whole are part well worthy of an enterprising farmer of gentleman fond of agricultural pursuits.
Offers will be received until the first day of Dec next at the office of William HOPE, Goree Piazzas, where a plan will be seen
Sale by Auction
This day, Friday, 12th inst, 7pm, subject to conditions at the Golden Lion, Dale St.
A house freehold of inheritance, on north side of Hunter St, No 28, containing to the front 5yds, to the back ? yds.
Apply Messers WHITLEY and LITHERLAND, Leigh St or Mr LEIGH, Basnett St.
Copyright 2002 / To date