26 
it has occurred to his lordship as 
being highly desirable that the 
respectable inhabitants of the 
parish of should immedi- 
ately assemble and concert such 
measures as may be conducive to 
the above object. His lordship 
conceives that the best course to 
be pursued would be to call a 
meeting of the principal inhabit- 
ants without delay; that at such 
meeting a permanent sitting of 
the magistrates acting within the 
parish should be agreed upon ; 
and that a number of special con- 
stables should be immediately 
sworn in, who might receive di- 
rections from the magistrates so 
assembled, in such manner as 
they should think most expedient: 
In order to give every support to 
the magistrates, a regular com- 
munication would be made to 
them from time to time, at their 
place of meeting, of the stations 
which government might appoint 
as military dépdts, from whence 
the civil power could at any mo- 
ment be assisted in preserving 
pir ed in cases of emergency. 
‘Lord Sidmouth desires that 
you will immediately cause the 
subject of this communication to 
be made known within the parish 
of ‘and his lordship will 
be glad to confer personally upon 
it with any two gentlemen of the 
parish, whenever they will do 
him the favour to call at the Home 
Department. 
“Ihave, &c. J. Beckerr.” 
** The Vestry Clerk of the 
parish of ; 
15.—-At Painshaw Colliery, 
Cumberland, four men having oc- 
casion to go down to examine the 
state of the air, they met what is 
called the choak-damp, and were 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1815. 
struck senseless, when three of 
them, Jeremiah Taylor, Edward 
Barrass, and Thomas Barrass, be- 
ing precipitated to the bottom, 
were killed on the spot ; the fourth 
was fortunately caught by the 
heels, and being pulled up, soon 
recovered. 
20.—A serious riot took place 
at Bishop Wearmouth, near Dar- 
ham. It appears that Messrs. 
Neshams, the extensive coal-deal- 
ers of that place, have been seve- 
ral years busily occupied in erect- 
ing railways, and other conve- 
niences, to save the labour of 
men and horses in conveying coals 
from the pits. The keelmen who 
are employed to convey the coals 
in boats or barges, had, it seems, 
taken offence at these improve- 
ments, and on Monday afternoon, 
having first moored their barges 
opposite Messrs. Neshams’ pre- 
mises, they proceeded in a riotous 
manner to demolish their works. 
After completing the destruction 
of the most expensive and valua- 
ble part of the waggon road, 
which was the object of their ani+ 
mosity, they set fire to an immense 
pile of coals, which burned with 
great fury during the whole night, 
presenting a grand and awful 
spectacle for many miles around. 
The rioters previously overpow- 
ered all the proprietors and their 
friends, who had assembled to re- 
press the tumult. Mr. Robinson, 
the collector of the customs, Mr. 
Biss, and several other gentlemen 
of respectability, were repeatedly 
knocked down and bruised. It 
was three o'clock the next morning 
before the rioters were dispersed 
by the arrival of the military. 
24..—An inquest was held at the 
Triumphal Car, public house, in 
