in which above 4000 pieces of serges, baize, and flannels were burnt, the damage computed at 40,000l. Aug. 15. Mr. Blandy of Henley on the Thames, died of poison given by his daughter. Aug. 28. The first stone in the foundation of Islington church was laid by James Colebrook, esq. one of the trustees for that work. Aug. 31. In the weekly bill from Aug. 6 to 13, the number of burials was no more than 224, being much lower than any since 1665, and a proof of the extraordinary healthy season. The pier of Westminster bridge next the Surrey side inclined near a foot from its true perpendicular. From the middle of July to the end of August, about 8000 ounces of gold, and above 300,000 ounces of silver, were entered at the Custom-house, for exportation to Holland. An order was issued by the king of Spain, at the pressing representations of Mr. Keene, the British minister, to all governors and commanders of ships in the Spanish West Indies, "Not to molest or interrupt the navigation and commerce of the English in the West Indian seas; nor to stop any vessels belonging to that nation, on any pretence whatever, unless actually found carrying on the contraband trade prohibited by treaties." Commanders of the King's ships or guarda costas were to be severely punished that presumed to disobey this order. Sept. 2. The Dauphiness of France was safely delivered of a prince, who was called duke of Burgundy. Sept. 4. An order of council was issued for all ships coming from the Levant into any port of his Majesty's dominions, to perform a quarantine of forty days, on ac count of the plague which had raged at Constantinople, where 70,000 people died of it. Aug. 7. A fire broke out at the seat of Hume Campbell, esq. near Colnbrook, in Buckinghamshire, which consumed all the rich furniture, &c. and was so fierce, that Mr. Campbell was obliged to get down from his chamber by a ladder, without his clothes. The fire broke out in his study, and was first discovered by a helper in the stables, who gave the alarm, and saved the greatest part of the family from being burnt in their beds. Aug. 10. At Kingston in Jamaica, in the evening, the whole firmament appeared of a very livid colour, horrible to behold, and the greatest part of that night was at tended with hard squalls of wind; about six in the morning of the 11th it blew very hard at north, which brought off great quantities of leaves and sprays of trees from the mountains to the ships which rode at anchor a mile and a half distant from the town, and were seen in the air like flocks of birds. At half an hour after eight the wind shifted to the east, and after that to the south-east, when instantly it blew a hurricane which raised the sea in the harbour to a most surprising height, and in a few minutes it grew totally dark, so that at noon day the ships could not be seen that were driving foul of each other, and the men were scarce capable of keeping themselves fixed to any thing, the wind roaring as if the most tremendous thunder had been bursting, so that no man could be heard to speak. The height of the gale lasted till between eleven and twelve, when it something cleared; and on looking round, nothing was to be seen but death and destruction, numbers lying on the shore drowned, and others floating on the sides and pieces of wrecks, till the following afternoon. The violence of the wind was so great, that only three ships out of forty sail of vessels rode out the gale, viz. the Cornwall, Duncomb; the Mercury, Mat thews; and the Queen Mary, which suffered not the least damage. The proprietors of what small canoes were saved in the town, asked six and eight pistoles each to carry any man aboard or ashore, or to endeavour to save those that were perishing on the water. Of the vessels that were lost, some were driven ashore in the woods, overset and stove to pieces, to the number of twentyseven; and there were fourteen riding before the town without masts. Some days after several vessels arrived with jury masts, and in a very shattered condition, who met with the gale between Hispaniola and Porto Rico. At the same time the Fox man of war from the Havannah, Mr. Manning on board, with a great quantity of specie, was obliged to cut away all her masts, and let go all her anchors, and after driving over two or three quays, brought up between two rocks, where it pleased God to preserve their lives, although they had taken leave of each other, and were preparing for their last moments. They saved some of the specie. Another account adds, that the loss the inhabitants of Jamaica suffered amounted to 300,0004. Aug. 11. An order of council was made for summoning the Parliament to sit for dispatch of business on the 12th of November. The lords of trade and plantations or dered five ships to be got ready to sail for Nova Scotia with two companies of Lee's foot, and warlike stores. By a list published of the ships employed in the whale fishery for 1751, it appeared that 167 went out, viz. thirty-two from Great Britain, thirteen from Hamburgh, three from Altona, two from Bremen, one from Embden, and the rest from Holland. Orders were issued for repairing and augmenting the fortifications of Carlisle, and several towns in North Britain. At Weyhill fair, best Farnham hops sold from 81. to Sl. Ss. per hundred, the second from 4l. 158. to 6. the Kent and Sussex best from 51. 10s. to 67. 10s. and ordinary from 31. to 4l. Oct. 15. Both Houses of Parliament met at Westminster, and were further prorogued to Nov. 14. Oct. 25. An eruption of mount Vesuvius began; on the 24th the whole cavity appeared in a blaze, and next day two streams of liquid fire descended in torrents towards the sea. The virtuosi, by observations lately made, calculated the duration of these irruptions to a few hours, Oct. 26. His Majesty granted his royal charter for incorporating several of his Majesty's loving subjects therein named, by the name of the Society of Antiquaries of London. A treaty of peace and commerce between his Majesty and the kingdom of Tripoli, was concluded and signed Sept. 29; and also a treaty of peace and commerce between his Majesty and the state of Tunis, was concluded and signed Oct. 19. Oct. 29. The right honourable Thomas Winterbottom, esq. Lord Mayor of London, went to Westminster, and was sworn into his office with the usual ceremonies. The commissioners for the navy, contracted for 10,500 load of timber for Deptford, Woolwich, and Chatham. Nov. 9. The King reviewed in the Green park, St. James's, colonel Rich's regiment of foot, called the King's Tangier regiment, raised in 1680; there were present the duke of Cumberland, lord Cadogan, general Huske, and Sir Robert Rich. They made a very fine appearance, and after the review marched over Westminster bridge to their quarters in Kent. Nov. 14. The King went with the usual state to the House of Peers, and opened the session with a most gracious speech. His Majesty was followed by a number of sailors belonging to the herring busses, with acclamations of "Long live the King; Prosperity to the British fishery." These sailors were the crews of the Chesterfield, Bedford, and Shaftesbury busses, which had cockades in their hats, having just received their bounty money (given by alderman Janssen, for having caught the most fish this year) viz. 304, for the Chesterfield buss, being the first prize, 201. the Bedford, and 157. the Shaftesbury. Both Houses of Parliament presented loyal and dutiful addresses to his Majesty. A certificate signed R. Brooke clerk of the cocket, was published to confirm the evidence given at Guildhall, Oct. 22, about orders for oats, declaring that 33,000 qrs. had been brought into the port of London since October 14, the price 10s. 6d. to 14s. 6d. Nov. 20. An order passed the House of Commons that the honourable Mr. Alexander Murray be again committed close prisoner to Newgate. Resolved also, that he do receive the said sentence at the bar of the House on his knees; and ordered, that the sergeant at arms do take him into custody for that purpose. And a complaint being made to the House of a printed pamphlet, entitled, The case of the honourable Alexander Murray, esq. in an appeal to the people of Great Britain, more particularly the inhabitants of the city and liberty of Westminster," the said pamphlet was brought up to the table and read; when it was resolved nem. con. "That the said pamphlet is an impudent, malicious, scandalous, and seditious libel, falsely and most injuriously reflecting upon, and aspersing the proceedings of this House, and tending to create misapprehensions of the same in the minds of the people, to the dishonour of the House, and in violation of their privileges." Whereupon a resolution passed to address his Majesty to give directions to the attorney general to prosecute the author, printer, and publisher of the said scandalous libel, which was done accordingly. Nov. 25. The House of Commons resolved to address his Majesty to issue his royal proclamation with a reward for apprehending Alexander Murray, esq. after whom diligent search had been made in town, Dec. 8. Died her Majesty Louisa, queen of Denmark, youngest daughter of our sovereign. Dec. 16. A new road was opened from Westminster bridge to Kennington common, cut through gardens eighty feet wide. Dec, 19. The King went to the House of Peers, and gave the royal assent to the following bills. A bill for granting an aid to his Majesty by a land-tax of 38. in the pound, to be raised in Great Britain for the year 1752. A bill for continuing and granting duties upon malt, mum, cyder, and perry. A bill for punishing mutiny and desertion, and for the better payment of the army and their quarters. Six hundred and sixteen thousand five hundred and six ells of Irish linen were entered from Dublin, and 290,000 yards from Belfast. SHERIFFS APPOINTED FOR THE ENSUING YEAR. Berkshire, John Price, esq. the Sixty and seventy Seventy and eighty.. Eighty and ninety Lincolnshire, Richard Harwick, esq. Monmouthshire, Thomas Parry, esq. Northumberland, postponed. Northamptonshire, Sir Charles Wake bart. Norfolk, Francis Long, esq. Nottinghamshire, Darcy Burnill, esq. Ninety and one hundred. A hundred and one.............................................. .... 7483 1485 575 588 1694 2207 2234 1815 1490 925 461 58 2 By an estimate of the navy debt, as it stood December 31, 1751, the net debt amounted to 1,665,4937. 6s. 14d, and there remained in the hands of the late and present treasurers of the navy 108,9637. 4s. 44d. towards satisfying the same. 1752, Jan. 2. At a general court of the governors and company of the Bank of England, it was agreed to lend the government 1,400,000l. at three per cent. to be paid out of the sinking fund. Jan. 6. The bishops met at the office in Dean's-yard Westminster, in order to agree on an augmentation of small livings, by the bounty appropriated for that service by queen Anne. Jan. 7. The Lords and Commons presented addresses of condolence to his Majesty, on the death of his Majesty's daughter, the queen of Denmark. At St. Andrew's, for three days they had a most violent storm of wind, hail, and snow, from the N. E. quantities of fish of different kinds were driven on shore, some dead, others alive, which the country people gathered up, and great numbers of lobsters were cast on shore between Kinghorn and Anstruther. Jan. 27. An experiment was tried before the college of physicians by order of the lords of the admiralty, under the direction of a person skilled in chemistry, in order to make sea water fresh; which gave great satisfaction to that learned body, who were of opinion, that the extracted waters were good and wholesome. By this discovery, sixteen gallons of salt water would produce thirteen gallons of fresh. Jan. 31. The King, by his ambassador at the Hague, declared himself fully satisfied with the punishment inflicted at Batavia, on the miscreants who murdered the crews of the two Chinese vessels, trading on the coasts of Sumatra, with passports from the governor of Bencoolen his Majesty also assured himself, that their high mightinesses would cause the two vessels, with the cargoes to be restored to the lawful owners, if full restitution was not made already. On Christmas day a Spanish ship, about 200 tons burthen, was wrecked at Illinggan in Cornwall, laden with logwood and Madeira wine, with a large quantity of specie on board, most of which was taken up by the country people in the neighbourhood, who demolished the whole ship in a few hours, all the men being drowned. Feb. 2. Were read in council petitions of the weavers in Spitalfields, and their requests for shortening the mourning was granted by his Majesty. Feb. 13. Was held a general court of the British fishery, at Mercers-hall, which was very numerous, among them the earl of Shaftesbury, bishop of Worcester, lord Romney, Sir James Lowther, Sir Peter Warren, admiral Vernon, and Mr. Beckford; when Sir James Lowther, Mr. alderman Janssen, and Mr. Beckford expatiated with great force on the mercantile advantages of this national undertaking. Then Sir Peter Warren and admiral Vernon enlarged on the strength which the encouragement of it would give to the British navy. The Bishop considering the scheme in a charitable view, set forth with great eloquence, the numberless benefits which would arise from it to the whole kingdom by furnishing employment to a multitude of poor. A proposal for a call of thirty per cent. was approved of, and another general court ordered for that purpose. Feb. 29. Three thousand pounds were granted by Parliament for making a road to Carlisle, and into Scotland. The whole town of Southwold, with a considerable part of Leostoff in Suffolk, the children of the Foundling-hospital, the poor of the workhouses at Ware, Hertford, and Richmond, Surrey, and the charity boys of Westham, Essex, were employed in spinning twine, and making nets for the herring fishery; by this seasonable labour the poor's rates were fallen from 4s. to 2s. in Southwold. March 3. Being the day appointed for the celebration of the King's birth day (which had been so long postponed, on account of the deaths that had lately happened in the royal family) was a very numerous and splendid appearance of nobility and gentry at court, Miss Blandy was tried at Oxford on an indictment for poisoning her father, and convicted. March 11. Elizabeth Jeffreys, and John Swan, were tried at Chelmsford assizes, for the murder of Joseph Jeffreys, her uncle, and found guilty. March 13. It was agreed in a senate of the university of Cambridge, that the public orator, in their name, should petition the duke of Newcastle their chancellor, the lord chancellor their high steward, the archbishop of Canterbury, the bishop of London, the lord chief justice of the King's Bench, and Sir George Lee, to suffer their statutes to be laid before them; and, after hearing counsel on each side, to determine the long contested point concerning the right of appeal to the university from the sentence of the vice-chancellor. His Majesty held a chapter of the garter at St. James's, when prince Edward, and the earls of Lincoln and Winchelsea were installed in person, and the prince of Orange, and the earl of Cardigan, by proxies. March 15. By a violent high wind very great damage was done. Two tier of ships were blown from their anchors at Towerdock, many stacks of chimnies were blown down, a woman in Holborn was killed by a brick falling on her head, two chairmen were knocked down by the ruins of an alehouse beaten down by the fall of a stack of of chimnies in St. James's-street, and one them died the next day in St. George's hospital; a man by a like accident had his leg broke, and a child was killed; the beautiful painted west window of Westminster-abbey was greatly damaged; several hundred weight of lead was blown off Chelsea hospital; 160 feet of the wall of the King's-bench prison fell down; several hundreds of trees were torn up by the roots, and many hundred yards of wallfruit blown down about Walton, Weybridge, and other places up the river; a Sandwich hoy was run down by a collier, and all in it perished. Two servants of lord Effingham Howard were killed at his house between Guildford and Leatherhead, by the fall of a stack of chimnies; a great number of windows were broken at Norwich, besides other considerable damages. March 26. His Majesty went to the House of Peers, and gave the royal assent to An act for granting to his Majesty a certain sum of money out of the sinking fund. For better securing and encouraging the trade of his Majesty's sugar colonies in America; and for encouraging the growth of coffee in the plantations in America. For better preventing thefts and robberies, to regulate places of public entertainment, and to punish persons keeping disorderly houses. For better preventing the horrid crime of murder. For the more effectual relief and employment of the poor. For making the militia of this kingdom more useful. For converting the several annuities therein mentioned into several joint stock of annuities, transferrable at the bank of England, to be charged on the sinking fund; and for consolidating the several other annuities therein mentioned, into several joint stocks of annuities transferrable at the South Sea house. To amend the laws for preventing the spreading of the distemper amongst the horned cattle in this kingdom. To enable his Majesty's natural born subjects to inherit the estates of their ancestors, either lateral or colateral, notwithstanding their fathers or mothers were aliens. An act for giving proper rewards to coroners. VOL. II. And to several other public, private, and naturalization bills, in all ninety-one. After which his Majesty put an end to the present session of Parliament with a most gracious speech, thanking his Parliament for their remarkable application and dispatch of the public business, declaring himself particularly pleased with their just satisfaction in his measures. After this the Parliament was prorogued to June 4. Feb. 28. J. Swan and Elizabeth Jeffreys were executed on a gibbet erected near the six mile obelisk on Epping Forest. March 26. At a general court of the Free British Fishery, it was reported, that with the addition made by the members to their former stock and by new subscribers, the capital stock now subscribed in it was 234,000l. of which about 103,000l. was actually paid in; and by the resolution of the court it was ordered that the time of the last payment of the last call of 30 per cent. should be enlarged to April 15; that the subscription books should be closed March 31; and the council were desired to prepare a proper set of bye laws, for the better carrying on this noble design; for the next general court to be held April 16. Agreed nem. con. that the thanks of the court shall be returned to the council for their great attention to the concerns of the society. March 30. His Majesty in council declaring his intention of going out of the kingdom for a short time, was pleased to nominate lords justices for the administration of the government. April 6. Was executed on the Castle Green at Oxford, Miss Blandy for poisoning her father. The King set out March 31, for Harwich, on his way to Hanover, where he arrived on the 7th April. April 16. Was held a general court of the free British fishery society at Mercershall, when the president informed the proprietors that contracts had been made by the council to the amount of 100,000l. and upwards, for the use of the fishery, by which the subscribers were entitled to the 31. per cent. given by Parliament. May. A remarkable statue of Duncan Forbes, late lord president of the court of sessions at Edinburgh, was erected in the outer Parliament house. He is represented sitting in his robes, his left hand with papers in it leaning upon a chair, and his right hand extended; it has the following inscription in gilt capital letters: G |