112 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



Blore-heatb, in the year 1459, be- 

 tween the united forces of tlie 

 duke of York and the earl of 

 Salisbury, and those of the king 

 commanded by lord Audley, who 

 was beaten about four miles from 

 this spot, the coat might possibly 

 have been thrown away by one of 

 the soldiers of the routed army — 

 (Salop Journal.) 



In the neighbourhood of Ville- 

 neuve, Switzerland, a part of the 

 eastern chain of the Fourches, 

 which had been sapped by a stream 

 that ran at its base, suddenly fell 

 with a terrific noise. About thirty 

 cottages were buried beneath the 

 ruins, and twelve of their inmates 

 killed. The noise of the fall was 

 heard at the distance of six miles. 



Sunbury, ( United Slates.) — On 

 Sunday last, a man by the name 

 of Walton, from Luzerne county, 

 entered the court-house of this 

 town, took a seat at the council 

 table, produced shaving apparatus, 

 and was about commencing the 

 operation of shaving his beard 

 (which had not been taken off for 

 upwards of three years, and was 

 nearly a foot in length). His 

 strange conduct and appearance 

 attracted the attention of the court, 

 and every person present. The 

 court, to prevent interruption, 

 ordered the man to be taken away. 

 He resisted, and was at length in- 

 dulged by the court. He said he 

 had been commanded by his Maker 

 to do it on that very da)', in pre- 

 sence of the court, and with the 

 same razor which he produced. 

 Warm water was provided, and 

 he soon disencumbered himself of 

 his beard — put up his shaving 

 utensils, thanked the court for 

 their indulgence, and walked off, 

 seemingly pleased. 



5. \_From the Leeds Mercury.']-^ 

 A number of nocturnal depreda- 

 tions have been this week com- 

 mitted in the parish of Halifax. 

 In the night between Saturday and 

 Sunday last, a party of arms- 

 stealers entered the house of Mr. 

 Haigh, of Skircoats, and took from 

 him three stand of arms. On 

 Monday night, three of the peace- 

 able inhabitants of Thornhill, near 

 Brighouse, were each plundered of 

 a gun. The same night a blun- 

 derbuss was fired into the house of 

 Mr. Waddington, of Brighouse, 

 corn-miller, and seven bullets 

 lodged in the ceiling of his bed- 

 room : a musket was also fired into 

 the parlour window, and a large 

 discharge of duck shot lodged in 

 the room. And last Thursday 

 night a mill at Southowram, where 

 woollen cloth is dressed by machi- 

 nery, was attacked by a number 

 of men, amounting, it is supposed, 

 to about 100, who, after securing 

 the watchman, broke 17 pairs of 

 shears. At half-past one o'clock 

 in the morning the picquet passed 

 the mill, when all was safe ; but 

 the depredation was committed 

 with so much address and celerity, 

 that on their return at two o'clock, 

 the mischief was effected and the 

 offenders completely dispersed. 

 One man was taken up and detained 

 on suspicion. 



Bartholomew Fair. — The scene 

 of riot, confusion, and horror, ex- 

 hibited at this motley festival, on 

 this night, has seldom, if ever, 

 been exceeded. The influx of all 

 classes of labourers who had re- 

 ceived their week's wages, and 

 had come to the spot, was inri- 

 mense. At ten o'clock every 

 avenue leading through the con- 

 spicuous parts of the fair was 



crammed 



