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ham-bridge, by the feverity of the weather.

6th.

Peter the wild man, who was taken in the Hartz Foreft in Hanover when a youth, and sent as a prefent to his late maje

on

his acceffion to the throne, was brought from Chefhunt in Hertfordshire, (where he had been kept for many years at the expence of 30lsh to be feen by the royal fá. mily. He, like Shakespear's Caliban, can fetch wood and water, but can fpeak no language articulately. The tale in the papers of his being a poor Hanoverian ideot, fent here in a drunken frolic to be maintained, deferves contempt.

Daniel Eckland, one of the rioters under fentence of death at Reading, was executed without the Teaft tumult.

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Three of the rioters condemned at Gloucester were executed there; and the behaviour of one of the fufferers was very affecting, and made a deep impreffion on the fpectators; of the other two little can be faid, one was ill, and the other very ignorant.

b James Kitlety, broad-cloth-wea verat Bradford, one of the ring leaders of the gang of rioters who robbed the warehoufes at Brad ford of bacon, &c. and who re. ceived fentence of death for that fact at Salisbury aflizes, was executed at Fifherton, gallows, amidit a yaft crowd of people, who were very deeply affected at his unhappy fate, nwb and god I were 14th. Samuel Orton, aged fortyWe three, in a mourning coach, William Thornhill, aged twenty fix, commonly called capt. Thorn. hill, in the first cart, for different forgeries and William Walker and William Johnfton, for a foot. pad robbery, both feamen, and mad

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each under twenty-feven years old, in the fecond cart, were conveyed from Newgate, and executed at Tyburn. Thornhill had ferved fome years in is trial ever fince laft the army abroad; he had put off

June feffion. When they came to the place of execution, they behaved devoutly and penitently. Mr. Orton took leave of fome friends with great compofure; but Thornhill, before the cart drew from under them, put up his cap five times, feeming very unwilling to leave this world. After having hung the ufual time, the bodies of Orton and Thornhill were taken away in hearfes: Johnfon's was put into a coffin, and Walker carried off by the failors, who attended there for that purpofe. Mr. Orton was the first crimi. nal (except Lord Ferrers) that has gone to Tyburn in a coach, fince the unfortunate Mr. Baker, fugar-refiner, who was execut ed many years ago. William Col lins and John Winter were fpited..

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The great duchefs of Tuscany was happily delivered of a princefs: The young princess was chriftened the fame evening by the names, Maria, Terefa, Giuseppe, Charlotta, Giovanna. The cere mony was performed by the arch. bishop of Florence, in the prefence of the great duke.

17th.

The feffions ended at the Old Bailey, when three re ceived fentence of death; one to be tranfported for 14 years, and nineteen for feven years; four were branded, and three ordered to be whipped.

Among thofe who received fentence of death, was John Wil liamfon, for the barbarous murder of his wife, by, confining her in a

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that Charlotte, daughter to Mr. Robert Nefbit, of Marybone, was aged twenty-one years and upwards, upon which he married her without her friends confent: It appeared at that time she was but fixteen years and ten months of age. The above Alexander was a fervant to the Duke de Nivernois, when that minifter was lately in England; but staying after his mafter, and getting an acquaintance with Mr.

a tradefman at the weft end of the town, he offered to teach his daughter French, which offer being accepted, he had admiffion to Mifs who fell in love with, and

married him.

moft cruel manner, and ftarving her
to death. The poor unhappy crea-
ture was a kind of ideot, who hav,
ing a fum of money left for her
maintenance, Williamfon, to poffefs
himfelf of the money, found means
to marry her. They were firft asked
in church, but her trustee forbad the
banns; the villain, however, pro
cured a licence, and about 8 mouths
ago they were married; fince which,
the ufage the unhappy creature re
ceived has been one continued scene
of cruelty. He had driven a ftrong
ftaple into the wall of a clofet in
the room where they lodged, and
to this staple he daily tied her with,
a rope which he drew round her
middle, her hands being faftened
behind her with iron handcuffs,
and the little fuftenance fhe receiv-
ed was laid upon a fhelf, juft with-
in the reach of her mouth, fo that
if the dropt any part of it, the
could not again recover it; and fo
very barbarous was this inhuman
villain, that he often tied her up
fo tight, that her toes only reach-
ed the ground, and if his daughter
endeavoured to alleviate her mifery
by fetting a tool for her to ftand
on, he used to beat her unmerciful-
ly. In this manner the languifhed
till the became a frightful fkeleton,
and when he was fo far reduced
that her ftomach loathed food, he
releafed her, let loofe her hands,
and fet coarfe meat before her, and
tempted her with tender words to
eat, with a view to fcreen himfelf
from juftice. In a day or two after
this the died a fhocking fight, no
fleth upon her bones, and the skin
that enclosed them covered with

vermin.

Jofeph Alexander, a negro, was found guilty of perjury, in fwear. ing an affidavit in the commons,

Came on to be tried at Hicks's hall, an indictment against Thomas Pratten, a bricklayer, in Ironmonger row, Old-ftreet, for refufing to take on him the office of conftable, having been thereto elected by the felect veftry and elders of St. Luke's parish. After a fhort trial, and hearing the learned arguments of the council on each fide, it plainly appeared to the fatisfaction of the court and jury, that this cuftom, for the felect veftries to nominate conftables, notwithstanding it was fupported by the evidence of a worthy magiftrate, and fome other ancients in the parish (who all declared the custom had subfifted near fixty years) was yet illegal and contrary to law; therefore the jury, without going out of court, honourably acquitted Mr. Pratten.-By this verdict it plainly appears that cuftom, notwithstanding its longevity, cannot be fup. ported, when contrary to the known laws of the land.

A few days fince, the great quantity of ice cut the cable of the Duke of Devonshire, bound to the

Straits,

Straits, and the dropped upon her anchor, which made a hole in her bottom, and funk her. Her lading confifting of bale goods, to the amount of 20,000l. is confi. derably damaged.

The queftion fo iong agitated by the fociety of arts in relation to the land carriage fishery, was finally determined in favour of Mr. Blake. The cold was fo exceffive as to freeze the Rhine, near Coblentz, a circumstance which the annals of that city record as a memorable event, when in the year 1670 the waters of that river were frozen from the 11th to the 17th of January, and the artificers exercifed their feveral employments upon it, as they now do.

At Copenhagen the cold is as intenfe as it was in 1740. The Sound is frozen over, and the communication open with Sweden on the ice.

At Berlin the cold is more fevere than it was in the year 1740.

Many perfons, both rich and poor, have perished with the cold in Ruffia, and many more have been devoured by wolves from the forefts.

What is more aftonishing, in Italy the cold has been fo fevere as to drive the poor from their habitations in the country, to feek relief in the cities, feveral of whom are faid to have perifhed on the roads.

Friday a great number of larks were difcovered in the hay carts in Smithfield, where they had taken refuge from the cold, by which they were fo numbed, that feveral of them were taken by the perfons prefent.

John Williamfon,a journey. 19th. man fhoemaker, was carried in the cart from Newgate to Moor VOL. X.

fields, and there executed pursuant to his sentence, for the murder of his wife, by ftarving her to death; the gallows was erected in the cen tre fronting Chifwell-ftreet. Hewas attended by two clergymen of the church of England, and a methodist teacher, who prayed by him for a full hour.

It was with much difficulty that the clergymen could prevail upon him to acknowledge his crime; but at last, juft before the cart drew off, one of the clergymen informed the people, that he had confeffed the murder; and further, that his disorderly life had been a principal means of bringing him into that unfortunate fituation, and hoped the people would pray for his foul. He was a tall man, about forty-fix years of age. It is fuppofed there were 80,000 perfons prefent, a great number of whom were women. It was with difficulty that the refentment of the populace was reftrained; for they were prepoffeffed that the punishment of hanging was too mild for fo heinous a crime. He feemed apprehenfive of being torn in pieces, and haftened the executioner to perform his office.

A great flock of larks fettled in the market place at Horsham in Suffex, fo froft ftarved, that many of them were taken up by hand.

The fall of fnow has been fo great in South Wales, that all communication there, except by the great poft roads, was cut off. Between the mountains the fnow is fuppofed to be 40 fathom deep.

Her majefty's birth day was celebrated at court with great fplendor. The manufactures of Great Britain never appeared to more advantage, the whole court being dreffed in fuits entirely British. [D]

The

The poft boy who carried the mail from Bradford to Rochdale, was with his horfe frozen to death. A fmall cottage in Wales was buried in the fnow, and an old couple perished before they were relieved.

From the 3d to the 14th inftant it froze inceffantly at Paris. The degrees of cold were very accurate. ly obferved at the Royal College by four well regulated thermometers, and has been found to exceed that in 1740 by 3 degrees, and but 2 degrees and a half fhort of that of $709.

On Monday evening a poor woman with a little boy in her hand, and another on her back, travelling from Salisbury to Blandford, and miftaking her way in the heavinefs of the fnow, as is fuppofed, perifned with her two miferable infants, and was difcovered by a shepherd's dog, covered over with fnow very early the next morning. She had three farthings in her pocket, a bit of bread and cheese, and a rusty thimble..

This day the king of 20th. Naples, who has attained his majority, made his public entry, and went to the metropolitan church, where Te Deum was fung. When his majefty was returned to his palace, he gave a private audience to the prince de St. Nicandre, his late tutor, who gave up his ac counts.

At half after nine in the morning an earthquake was felt at Lip. ftodt, the direction of which was from weft to caft, and the fhock was fa violent that the windows were broke, the doors burst open, and the ice of the Lippe broken by it in feveral places. Many people were terrified, and ran into the o

pen places; but as the fhock lafted only a few feconds, none of the buildings were thrown down.

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Two flight fhocks of an earthquake were felt at Parma in Italy, one at half paft 8 in the morning; the other at 3 quarters after nine. At Pifa fome chimneys were thrown down- by the violence of thefe fhocks, and the people thought the end of the world was come.

A flight fhock of an earthzzd. quake was felt at Hanover, but no other damage enfued but that of throwing the inhabitants into confternation.

Three fucceffive fhocks of an earthquake were felt at Genoa, perhaps the fame as before, the dates in Italy being fomewhat confufed.

Was held a court of com

mon-council, when it was z3d. unanimoufly refolved, upon the motion of Mr. Deputer Roffeter, that on account of the diftreffes of the poor in this inclement feafon, one thoufand pounds fhould be fubfcribed out of the chamber of the city; and that a fubfcription book fhould be opened in the cham berlain's office for the donations of all well-difpofed perfons; which money is to be appropriated to the relief of fuch poor perfons inhabiting within the city and liberties as do not receive alms of the parish; and a committee was appointed, confifting of the lord mayor, and all the aldermen, and fifty-two commoners, who immediately withdrew, and begun a fubfcrip. tion among themselves; to which the lord mayor gave one hundred pounds, and the rest of the gentlemen very liberally.

At this court Mr. Deputy Paterfon prefented a plan for raifing the

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fum of 282,000l. for the purpose
of paying the artificers of London-
bridge, completing the new bridge,
and redeeming the toll thereon;
embanking the river Thames bê-
tween Paul's wharf and Milford.
lane repairing the Royal Ex-
change, and rebuilding the gaol of
Newgate; and a committee was
appointed, to whom the faid plan
was referred; whereupon the court
upon the motion of Mr. Deputy
Roffeter voted their thanks to de-
paty John Paterfon, Efq. for his
conftant and zealous attention to
promote the convenience, orna-
ment and emolument of the city,
and in particular, that, though at
this time engaged in the public
fervice as chairman of the commit-
tee of ways and means to the ho-
nourable house of commons, yet
with great labour and expense he
has calculated and prefented to the
court, and, at his own expence, dif-
tributed to every member of the
fame, a plan of fo much utility to
this city.

The following is an account of
the toll taken at Blackfryars-
bridge, for four weeks, luodi kor

19 Nov200 152 81

20

122 9 91
13 16 7

22

117 4

23 Sunday 43 11

24

10 2

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25613 82

Firft Week 1133

6 14 616

27 28

83 3

29

35 Sunday 3

31

5:27 111
2 7

luc

1 Dec. 8 14 41

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One Patrick Redmont having been condemned at Cork, in Ireland, to be hanged for a street robbery, he was accordingly executed, and hung upwards of 28 minutes, when the mob carried off the body to a place, appointed, where he was, after five or fix hours, actually recovered by a furgeon, who made the incifion in his wind-pipe, called bronchotomy, which produced the defired effect. The poor fellow has fince received his pardon, and a genteel collection has been made for him.

In confequence of the thaw, which began on Saturday at Newcaftle, the ice broke this day upen the Tyne with a prodigious crack, and a fresh tide coming down, carried it to fea with very little damage.

This morning, between 25th. two and three o'clock, a fire broke out at a baker's in the Strand, oppofite Hungerford-market, which in a fhort time entirely confumed the fame, and the bel

Second Week 73 10 11 lows maker's. The flames were

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