CHRONICLE. 



43 



grant the prayer of thine unworthy 

 servant, that, if in the course of 

 thine inscrutable and adorable pro- 

 vidence, I can contribute, even by 

 the sacrifice of my life, or fortune, 

 or character, to the preservation of 

 my native country , from those heavy 

 calamities and distresses which to 

 us short-sighted creatures have ap- 

 peared impending over it (and 

 wherewith at this time our enemies 

 threaten us), as also to the refor- 

 mation of manners, and the ad- 

 vancement of genuine undissembled 

 virtue, by means whereof thy gra- 

 cious favour may be regained, and 

 public peace and happiness pro- 

 cured, I may always in that case 

 be willing, and, when strength- 

 ened by thy divine assistance, able to 

 surrender for those desirable ends, 

 every blessing and comfort of life, 

 and life itself, into thy most boun- 

 tiful hands, from whom I have re- 

 ceived them all.'' 



30. The Derby assizes were at- 

 tended by great crowds of per- 

 sons. One of the most dangerous 

 gangs of nightly depredators that 

 has infested England for many 

 years has been broken up. They 

 were formed by one John England, 

 who resided at a little stone-house, 

 the first on the right hand on en- 

 tering Derby, from Nottingham. 

 This gang was wholly made up of 

 deserters, with the exception of 

 England, who, as a brewer, la- 

 bourer, and petty huckster, used 

 every art for the purpose of finding 

 a cover for the rest. He never 

 went out himself with his com- 

 rades to plunder, but always point- 

 ed out the object; and his concu- 

 bine (wife of one Maitliew Bush, 

 of Wessington, who was principal 

 witness against one of the depre- 

 dators on these trials,and who was 



attempted to be seized as a deser- 

 ter as he entered the hall), pro- 

 vided them with caps, masks, and 

 other things necessary for disguise. 

 He used to have a share of the 

 plunder; but at length he out- 

 witted himself. Three of these 

 depredators, James Tomlinson, 

 Perceval Cook, and John England, 

 were put to the bar, charged with 

 entering a dwelling-house, at mid- 

 night, on the 23rd of December, 

 and robbing Mr. Hunt, at Oc- 

 brock Mill, of thirty-five one- 

 pound notes, and several other 

 articles. The prisoners were found 

 guilty. Cook and Tomlinson were 

 then convicted on another indict- 

 ment, of the robbery of the house 

 of Mr. Brentneal, at Lock-grange. 



31. Wyatt, of Fowey, 



was tried at Launceston assizes, 

 for the murder and robbery of 

 Isaiah Faik Valentine. The pri- 

 soner kept a public-house in Dock, 

 called the Jolly Bacchus, from 

 whence he removed in November 

 last to the Rose and Crown, at 

 Fowey. The deceased, a person 

 of the Jewish persuasion, was in 

 habits of intimacy with the pri- 

 soner. About the 16th of No- 

 vember, two letters were addressed 

 to Valentine (then in Dock) by 

 the prisoner, desiring him to come 

 down to Fowey, where he (the 

 prisoner) had some buttons, or 

 guineas, to dispose of. Relying 

 on this statement, Valentine ac- 

 cordingly went down on the 19th 

 of the same month ; but on his ar- 

 rival, instead of introducing Va- 

 lentine, as he had proposed, to 

 the persons whom he had stated as 

 dealing in coin, the prisoner con- 

 trived to amuse and deceive him, 

 in various ways, until Monday 

 evening, the 25th of November, 



when, 



