Norfolk Newspapers
Norfolk Chronicle

Extracts from August 1781

Copyright © Pat Newby
April 2005

4 August 1781

4 August 1781. Page 2, column 3

On Saturday last Mr S. PEACH, of Gimmingham, farmer, was convicted before W. TAYLOR, Esq., on of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Norfolk, of the offence of evading payment of the toll at Filby gate, and paid the penalty of five pounds, according to the statute.

On Friday, the 27th ult. was married at St George's Hanover Square, by the Hon. and Rev. Mr CADOGAN, the Hon. Horatio WALPOLE, eldest son of Lord WALPOLE, of Wolterton, and Lieut. Col. of the East Norfolk regiment, to Miss CHURCHILL, daughter of Charles CHURCHILL, Esq., of Grosvenor-street, London.

Died.

4 August 1781. Page 3, column 2

Tho TURNER, Secretary.
N.B. Dinner on the table precisely at Two o'Clock.

11 August 1781

11 August 1781. Page 2, column 2

Assize News.

Hon. Henry HOBART, Foreman.
Sir Edmund BACON (Baronet)
Sir John BERNEY (Baronet)
Sir Edward ASTLEY (Baronet)
Sir Thomas Beauchamp PROCTOR (Baronet)
Sir Harbord HARBORD (Baronet)
Thomas William COKE
William WINDHAM
William Wiggett BULWER
Jacob PRESTON
Thomas DURRANT
John Berney PETRE
Thomas BEEVOR
John LOMBE
Edward HASE [might be HAFE, as the paper uses an 'f' for both letters]
Robert FELLOWES
George CHADD
Crisp MOLINEUX
Philip BEDINGFIELD
Martin Folkes RISHTON
John MICKLETHWAYT
Brampton Gurdon DILLINGHAM

11 August 1781. Page 2, columns 2 & 3

Same day ended the assizes at the Crown bar for the city, when the following prisoners received sentence of death, viz. John ASHLEY, for stealing a bay gelding, saddle, and bridle, from out of the stable in the Town close, in this city, the property of Jeremiah IVES, Esq., and Isaac ABRAHAMS, for stealing (together with Shawye LEVY, not yet apprehended) several articles of wearing apparel, the property of Mary TOWNSEND, in St Peter of Mancroft. -- James GOOCH, for stealing one hundred and forty- four [indecipherable word] wainscot boards, and twenty-four nine feet [sic] wainscot boards, from out of a timber-yard in St Augustine's, the property of Robert JOLLINS, was sentenced to three years hard labour on the river Thames; there were seven other indictments lodged against him. -- Thomas WALKER, and Thomas DRUE, for stealing ninety-nine pounds weight of hard soap, the property of John CRABTREE, and Thomas AGGS, in St Michael COSLANY, the former was sentenced to two years on the river Thames, and the latter to serve on board a man of war. -- John DUNT, for stealing from out of a hay chamber at Lakenham an engine for cutting straw, the property of Nathaniel THURLTON, was also sentenced to two years on the river Thames. -- Rhoda, the wife of Thomas HORTH, for stealing three tin canisters, two silver teaspoons, and two pewter teaspoons, the property of James WILMOT, in St Ethelred, to be kept twelve months to hard labour in the house of correction. -- The Judges, before they left the city, were pleased to reprieve ASHLEY and ABRAHAMS.

On Monday last at the quarter-sessions for the borough of Thetford, Elizabeth HUBBARD, found guilty of stealing a silver spoon, value 9 shillings the property of Mr William Robert MINGAY, surgeon, was ordered to be publicly whipped the Saturday following.

The prisoners in the city gaol return their grateful thanks to the Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, for 2 pounds 2 shillings given them at the assizes, which was equally divided by their Governors in bread, beef, and beer, and proved a great relief to many individuals.

The prisoners in the Castle, who were convicted at this assizes, return their sincere and hearty thanks to the gentlemen of the Grand Jury, for 1 pound 15 shillings sent them, which was equally divided, and proved a great relief. The debtors also return thanks to the High Sheriff for half a guinea sent them.

11 August 1781. Page 2, column 4

Married.

Died.

11 August 1781. Page 3, column 2

To be Sold by Auction,

An Estate in Mendham, in the County of Suffolk, late in the Occupation of the Bankrupt, consisting of a good Dwelling House, Shop, Chandling Office, Stable and Yard, four Acres of exceeding good Arable Land, and Four Acres of good Feeding Ground, the Buildings are in excellent Repair. -- Part of the Purchase Money may be left with the present Mortgagee on the Premisses [sic].

For Particulars enquire of Mr Edmund JENNEY, Attorney, in Bungay, or of Mr Charles LAY, Jun. Attorney, in Norwich.

11 August 1781. Page 3, column 4

The Names of the Prisoners in the Castle in Norwich, the Gaol, or Prison, for the County of Norfolk.

Second Notice.

• Joseph BEAN, formerly of the City of Norwich, and late of the Parish of Ludham in the County of Norfolk, Dyer and Innkeeper.
• William GIRLING, formerly of Grimstone, and later of Congham, both in the county of Norfolk, Cordwainer and Farmer.
• John SIMPSON, late of the city of Norwich, in the County of the same City, Flour Seller.
• Thomas HARRISON, formerly of Watlington, and late of the Parish of Wiggenhall Saint Mary Magdalen, both in the County of Norfolk, Limeburner.
• John HARVEY, formerly of South Bergh, and late of Cranworth, both in the County of Norfolk, Farmer.
• William DOWNING, late of Diss, in the County of Norfolk, Butcher.
• William LICENCE, late of Brissingham, in the County of Norfolk, Farmer and Linen-weaver.
• John HOOKHAM, formerly of Brandon, in the County of Suffolk, and late of the Parish of Brisley, in the County of Norfolk, Waterman.
• Ann LANSDALE, late of Carlton Road, in the County of Norfolk, Blacksmith.
• Robert WRIGHT, late of Stoke Ferry, in the County of Norfolk, Gardener.
• Thomas COLLINS, late of Hingham, in the County of Norfolk, Innkeeper.
• James SCRIMSHAW, formerly of Wisbech St Mary in the Isle of Ely and County of Cambridgeshire, and late of Outwell, in the County of Norfolk, Farmer.
• James FISH, formerly of Docking, in the County of Norfolk, and late of Albmy, in the County of Hertfordshire, Butcher and Farmer.
• James WOOLSEY, formerly of Aylsham, and late of Tuttingtowne, both in the County of Norfolk, Gardener.
• William SECKER, late of Swaffham, in the County of Norfolk, Dealer in Earthern Ware.
• William MIDDLETON, formerly of South Burgh, and late of Matishall, both in the County of Norfolk, Thatcher.
• Edward DREWELL, late of Fakenham, in the County of Norfolk, Carpenter.
• William WOODCOCK, formerly of Old Buckenham, and late of Bunwell, in the County of Norfolk, Farmer.

George GYNNE, Gaoler.

[There followed a further list of the names of the persons above, representing their signatures on the document. Several had an 'X' and the word 'Mark' with the name, indicating that they were not able to sign their name. The names in question were: James WOOLSEY, John HOOKHAM, and Ann LANSDALE.]

Names of Prisoners in the City Gaol, his Majesty's Prison for the City of Norwich.

• Robert COULINGTON, formerly of St Martin at Oak, and late of St Stephen, both in Norwich, Worstead Weaver, and Alehouse-keeper.
• John FRENCH, formerly of the City of London, and late of Great Yarmouth, in the County of Norfolk, Butcher and Fish Merchant.
• William COOPER, formerly of the City of London, and late of St Stephen, in the City of Norwich, Dealer and Chapman.
• James DYE, formerly of St John Sepulchre, and late of St Peter Mancroft, both in Norwich, Fishmonger.
• Francis BAGG, formerly of St Mary, and late of St Stephen, both in Norwich, Taylor.
• William WARD, formerly of Upminster, in the County of Essex, and late of Cantley, in the County of Norfolk, Farmer.
• Frederick GEDGE, formerly of St Michael at Plea, in Norwich, Haberdasher, and late of Blofield, in the County of Norfolk, Officer of the Excise.
• William MARGETSON, formerly of St Michael at Plea, in Norwich, Grocer and Tallow-Chandler, and late of Martham, in the County of Norfolk, Baker and Shop-keeper.
• John ELY, formerly of Fritton, and late of Long Stratton, both in the County of Norfolk, Farmer and Carter.
• William MOULTON, formerly of St Martin at Oak, and late of St James, both in the City of Norwich, Worstead Weaver.
• Hugh RIGGS, formerly of Whitechapel, in the City of London, and late of St Mary, in Norwich, Woolcomber.
• Richard HUDSON, formerly of the Hamlet of Heigham, in the County of the City of Norwich, and late of St Martin at Oak, in the said City of Norwich, Worstead Weaver.
• Thomas MARCH, formerly of St Augustine, and late of St Andrew, both in Norwich, Woolcomber.

Name of the Prisoner in Gaol, or Prison, belonging to the Borough of King's Lynn, the Mayor's Prison for the Borough aforesaid.

First Notice

• Robert SHARMAN, late of Peterborough, in the County of Northampton, and now of King's Lynn, in the County of Norfolk, Gunsmith, Whitesmith, and Bellhanger.
  Robert SHARMAN [signature]

James CRAWFORD, Gaoler.

18 August 1781

18 August 1781. Page 2, column 3

Died.

18 August 1781. Page 2, column 4

N.B. All Persons intending to appeal, are required by Law to give ten Days Notice in Writing of their Intention so to do, (to wit) if the Appeal is to be to the original Assessments, then the Notice must be given to the Assessers [sic] of the Parish, but if the Appeal is to be made to the Surveyor's Charge or Surcharge, the Notice thereof is required to be given to Mr Chas. LAY, jun. Surveyor for the said City and County.

Elisha DE HAGUE,
Clerk to the said Commissioners.

18 August 1781. Page 3, column 1

Escaped from Justice.

18 August 1781. Page 3, column 2

King street, Norwich, Aug. 14, 1781.

She takes this Opportunity to express her Gratitude for the Favours of her Friends, of which she hopes for the Continuance, as she shall at all Times have ready for Sale a large Quantity of the above Articles, as well as of Blanketts [sic] and Rugs, in the greatest Variety, and as her utmost Care and Attention shall be exerted to merit every Favour conferred on her. Note. Wool Cards sold, as usual.

To be Sold by Auction by Edward CRANE.

• Lot 1. Two Tenements in St Benedict's, in Norwich, adjoining each other, late in the Occupation of William SWANTON, and John CALTHORPE, at the yearly Rent of 11 pounds.
• Lot 2. A Tenement in St John's Maddermarket, adjoining to the Lobster Inn, late in the Occupation of Stephen FURNACE, at the yearly Rent of 9 pounds.
• Lot 3. A Tenement in St George Colgate Bridge-street, now in the occupation of Mrs Anna KEER, at the yearly rent of 9 pounds.
• Also another Tenement in the same Street, nearer the Bridge, in the Occupation of Mr Richard CUTHBERT, at the yearly rent of 8 pounds.

One undivided Moiety of this last Lot only belongs to the said Sarah REEVE for her Life.

For further Particulars apply to Mr Charles LAY, jun. Attorney at Law, in Norwich.

18 August 1781. Page 3, column 3

Norwich, Aug. 18, 1781.

N.B. The Stock and Furniture, with immediate Possession, may be taken at a fair Appraisement.

For Particulars apply to Mr S. FREMOULT, Attorney, in Norwich.

25 August 1781

25 August 1781. Page 2, column 3

This week a cucumber was cut out of the garden of Mr MORPHEW, at Ellingham, which weight 58 pounds. It was not raised in a hot-house, but grew in the kitchen garden there.

A correspondent wishes to caution the public against the danger to which people are exposed who eat plumbs [sic] in too great quantity, as it is never failing observation, that the seasons in which plumbs are very plentiful always prove exceedingly sickly, and he never remembers to have seen more of that kind of fruit than there is this year.

Last Friday night, or Saturday morning, some villains broke into the house of Henry HIGH, a day labourer at Blofield, and stole thereout several articles, with which they made off undiscovered. -- For particulars see advertisement. [see below]

Yesterday was committed to the Castle by Robert HARVEY, Esq., Eliz. BACON, of Sprowston, charged with stealing a quantity of reaped barley, the property of Jeremiah Ives HARVEY, Esq.

Married.

Died.

25 August 1781. Page 3, column 1

On Friday, the 27th of July last, (the day of the Justices sitting at Dereham) I was charged, on the oath of Mary, the wife of Gabriel FARRER, of Mattishall, who sells meal and flour for me, and also on the evidence of three or four poor persons in Mattishall, who purchased small parcels of meal and flour of FARRER, with Knowingly selling to FARRER wheat meal adulterated, and mixed with barley meal, as, and for, and at the Price of, whole wheat meal, contrary to the clause of the statute of 31 Geo. 2 sect. 22, which says, "That no person shall, Knowingly, put into any corn, meal, or flour, which shall be ground, dressed, bolted, or manufactured for sale, either at the time of grinding, dressing, bolting, or in any wise manufacturing the same, or at any other time, any ingredient, mixture, or any other thing whatever, or shall Knowingly, sell, offer, or expose to sale, any meal or flour of any sort of grain, or any other thing, as, and for, or mixed with the meal and flour of any grain,which shall not be the real and genuine meal and flour the same shall import to be, and ought to be, on pain of forfeiting not more than five pounds, nor less than forty shillings."

On this evidence chiefly, as far as I can recollect, I was ordered to pay down 5 pounds directly as the penalty, which, although innocent of the crime charged upon me as the child unborn, I unfortunately complied with, without considering the consequence; for I was not acquainted at that time, that the statute gave me 24 hours for payment before I could be convicted, and that I might appeal to the Sessions. Without doubt the payment of this 5 pounds penalty must be generally construed as one of the strongest arguments of my guilt; but if on reflection, my distressed situation be considered, an unexperienced [sic] youth, not yet 21 years of age, called to answer before a room full of people, unacquainted with the law, without a friend at that time to advise or assist me; and above all so overpowered, that for a time I was so far bereft of my senses, as to be glad to pay any demand required of me, and to get out of the room. The truth is, my mill was too much out of repair, that I had not done work thereat for weeks past, but was necessitated to grind corn, and to buy meal and flour to serve my customers, at the neighbouring mills; particularly in July last, I sent a last of wheat to be ground at Mr Robert PERRY's mill at Bawdeswell, several sacks of which meal (as I suppose) on the 13th of July last was delivered by John PERRY to John BONE, my servant, and John BONE brought the same horse that evening and lodged in my granary the next morning; some sacks whereof were weighed off by John BONE, and my other Servants, and carried by John BONE to Mattishall, and there delivered to Mary FARRER, without seeing or examining the same myself, for I neither suspected, or was conscious of any adulteration whatever, part of which meal is supposed to the same meal complained of by FARRER to be mixed with barleymeal by me. I have since seen Robert PERRY, and John his son, who declare that they received the last of wheat from me, unmixed and unadulterated, to be ground into meal; that it was ground accordingly, and some sacks thereof, so ground into meal, delivered by John PERRY to John BONE, my servant, on the 13th of July, without any mixture with barley meal, or any other mixture whatever, part of which meal they have heard is the same meal complained of.

Notwithstanding the folly I have committed in payment of the 5 pounds I am ready to call God to witness in the most solemn manner, and even to take the sacrament, that in the milling business I never in my life time intermixed, or caused to be intermixed, barley meal with wheat meal; or do I know, or ever did know, of such intermixture by my servants, or otherwise, and more particularly, I did not intermix the meal sold to FARRER, and by her sold to the poor persons for which I paid the penalty, or do I know or ever did know, of such intermixture by my servants, or any other person or persons whatever; and I do from my heart abhor and detest all such iniquitous dealings.

I am sensible, that I have now inconsiderately deprived myself of justice by appeal to the laws of my country, should hope therefore this appeal to the Public will in some measure compensate for that false step, and recover the character, which, once lost, is so difficult to be regained, and is dearer to me than life itself!

"Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing,
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name,
Robs me of that, which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed."

Henry HALL.

We John BONE, John NORTON, and Edward RUST, servants to Henry HALL, each speaking for himself, are ready to testify in the most solemn manner, that to the best of our knowledge and belief, the case above set forth by the said Henry HALL is the real truth; and farther, that we never intermixed barley meal with wheat meal, nor do we know of any such intermixture by the said Henry HALL; and particularly, that the meal delivered to Mary FARRER, for which Henry HALL paid the penalty, was not adulterated, or mixed with barley meal, by us,or any one of us, or by any person, or persons, to our Knowledge.

John NORTON (signed), Edw. RUST (signed), John BONE (his mark).

25 August 1781. Page 3, column 2

Note. It is hoped that after this public Notice, if any Swans Skins should be offered for Sale, that the Parties will be stopt [sic] till they give an Account how they came by them.

A Robbery.

On Monday the 13th of August, inst. Mary the Wife of one Thomas WRIGHT, of Well Bradenham, Hurdle-maker, left her House and Family, and now cohabits with John HAWES, of North Pickenham, Brickburner.
These are to forewarn all Persons from trusting her as my Wife, as I am determined not to pay any Debts she may contract. Witness my Hand, this 20th Day of August, 1781.
Thomas WRIGHT (his mark).

The Creditors of the late Mr Thomas NASMITH, are desired to send their Accounts immediately to the Rev. James NASMITH, Snalewell, or to Robert MARTIN, Norwich, his Executors, to whom all Persons indebted to his Estate are requested immediate Payments.

The Business of the London Waggons [sic] will be carried on as of old, from the Warehouse in Tombland; past Favours will be ever gratefully acknowledged, and the Continuance of future earnestly solicited from the Public, by their most obliged, humble Servants,
   Robert and J. L. MARSH.

The Coach and Diligence will be continued from the Maid's Head Inn; the Proprietors wish to express their Gratitude for the Encouragement they have thitherto been honoured with, and at the same Time beg Leave to assure their Friends, no Expence [sic] shall be spared in rendering their several Carriages safe, easy, and expeditious.
   B. and J. MARSH,
   GILBERT and MILES.