426 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804 



allowed to officers in similar situa- 

 tions on board the company's ships. 



Mellersh, a butcher of Newgate 

 market, dropped a bank note for 

 1001. some time ago, at a settling 

 bouse ill Smithfidd. The note was 

 traced to one Murray, a butcher, 

 of Plumstead, in Kent; who has 

 since been compelled to restore it, 

 with all the costs of an action insti- 

 toted for its recovery. Murray was 

 present when the note was dropped 

 in Smithfield. 



Mr. B. Knight undertook for a 

 •wager of considerable amount, to 

 walk from Cardiff to Brecon, and 

 back, a distance of 86 miles, in 40 

 hours, whick he performed with great 

 case in 33. 



27th. Henry Perfect, alias the 

 RcT. Mr. Paul, alias the Rev. Mr. 

 Bennet, was indicted at the Middle- 

 sex quarter sessions, for obtaining, 

 at dilferent times, 121. 15s. by false 

 pretences, from the earl of Claren- 

 don. It appeared from his lord- 

 ship's testimony, that in the charac- 

 ter of a clergyman, the prisoner had 

 written to him, to implore assistance 

 for a distressed lady, named Grant, 

 residing at Harlow in Essex, who 

 was represented as the daughter of 

 a gentleman in the West Indies, 

 newly married to a proud young 

 Scotchman, who had deserted her. 

 Several other letters, signed by Mrs. 

 Smith, came to his lordship's hands. 

 The prisoner wrote in three different 

 hands, and carried on his plan of 

 fraud for a considerable time, until 

 at last the whole (with many other 

 impositions of a similar nature, to a 

 most extensive amount), was disco, 

 vercd; and at the prisoner's lodg- 

 ings, when taken up, copies of the 

 different letters, with the answers to 

 them, were found. The jury pro- 

 nounced a verdict of guilty, and tlie 



prisoner was sentenced to 7 years 

 transportation. 



Three gentlemen of Manchester, 

 shooting at Colne, near Burnley, 

 were for two days accompanied by 

 a man 82 years of age, who carried 

 a ba.sket containing their provisions 

 with great apparent ease to himself, 

 though it is supposed that he must, 

 at an average, have walked 23 miles 

 a day. He told them that at the age 

 of 76 he walked thence to London 

 in 3 days, which was 55 miles a day, 

 stopped 4 days, and was 3 more in 

 returning to his native place. He 

 said he had several lads between 50 

 and 60. He frequently goes to 

 Preston and back in a day, which is 

 46 miles. — Nor did he think his ex- 

 ertions extraordinary, as he inform- 

 ed the same gentleman, that he re- 

 membered, a grandson, his father 

 and grandfather, residing in the 

 neighbourhood of Colne, the young- 

 est of whom was upwards of eighty 

 years old ! 



28th. As the wife of John Brew, 

 a:ca(chmarj, in Lemon-street, White- 

 chapel, was reading the bible at the 

 fire side, a spark flew from it, and 

 set her clothes in a blaze. She call- 

 ed to her husband, who is neurli) 90 

 years old, and very deaf, for assist- 

 ance, but before he could give it she 

 was so miserably burnt, that she died 

 the following day. 



29th. The anniversary festival of 

 that excellent and humane institution, 

 the society for the relief of the wi- 

 dows and orphans of medical men, 

 Avas held at the London tavern, and 

 very numerously attended. Sir Win. 

 Blizard, one of the vice presidents, 

 was called to the chair, and favour- 

 ed the society with his company to 

 a late hoiir ; during which many loy- 

 al and patriotic toasts were given, 

 and the company entertained by 



songs 



