£6 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 181' 



[April. 



\\hat avidity slieletons of men de- 

 vour the most disgusting- aliments, 

 dead bodies, nettles and food which 

 they dispute with the brute cre- 

 ation. In this dreadful destitution, 

 tlie inhabitantscannot sccuie tliem- 

 selves from humidity or cold. In 

 some houses twenty persons occupy 

 one room, and labour witli hollow 

 and half-extinguislicdcycs in a con- 

 ti.^ious atmosphere. Beds are out 

 of the qucjtion ; a wretched sack of 

 dried leaves is the best couch of 

 thifsa miserable persons. 



These old men, dej)rived of con- 

 solation, and bereft of the attention 

 of fiiends, left a prey to famine and 

 sorrow, have no other resource but 

 tears ; or, falling into sickness, and 

 under tiie agonies of a burning 

 lever, pant for a drop of whey, 

 which they cannot always obtain. 



Sitspicious Fires. — Aboiit twelve 

 o'clock on Saturday night last, a 

 most tremendous fire broke out on 

 tlie premises in the occupation of 

 Messrs. Lungley and Brewer, at 

 Abbott's-hall Farm, Great Wig- 

 borough, in this county, which, 

 in a sliort time, entirely consumed 

 the whole of the farmery, stand- 

 ing upon nearly two acies of 

 ground; also in the barns, wheat, 

 the produce of 25 acres, a large 

 quantity of oats, and also of beans, 

 which had lately been taken in : 

 three stacks of beans, and two of 

 liay, which were standing in the 

 yards, were likewise consumed, 

 •with all the farming implements, 

 including waggons, tumbrels, 

 plough and cart harness, a thrash- 

 ing machine, and much other pro- 

 perty, used in so extensive a con- 

 cern. The live stock, which was 

 confined in the yards, was releas- 

 ed, excepting a call", several pigs, 

 and the poultry, which were burnt. 



Such a lamentable scene of de- 

 struction has not been witnessed 

 since the fire at Norton-hall, in 

 Purleigh ; the flames, as on that 

 occasion, were seen at a great 

 distance. The estate is the pro- 

 perty of Mr. Cline, the surgeon. 

 Whether the buildings are insured, 

 we are xmacquainted j the tenants 

 are fortunately insured, although 

 much under the extent of their 

 loss, in the Phoenix fire-office. 

 The damage is estimated at 4,000i. 

 The engine belonging to the Essex 

 and Suffolk Equitable Insm-ance 

 Society was dispatched with all 

 possible expedition, and arrived in 

 time to save the house; but, from 

 the dryness of the season, the 

 flames gained so great an ascend- 

 ancy, as to counteract every exer- 

 tion to ])revcnt destruction to the 

 other j)roperty. There is too 

 much reason to conjecture that 

 the fire was wilfully occasioned ; 

 and it is hoped that justice will, 

 ere long, overtake those concern- 

 ed in such a villanous and diabo- 

 lical deed. — Chelmsford paper. 



On Friday morning, about ten 

 o'clock, a fire broke out upon the 

 premises of a farm at Aspeden, 

 near Buntingford, occupied by 

 Mr. \Vm. Eling, which in a very 

 short time consumed the whole of 

 tlie buildings, with the exception 

 of the dwelling-house. 



On Saturday evening, about 

 eight o'clock, a most alarming fire 

 broke out at a farm, at Weston, 

 near Baldock, in the occupation 

 of JVIr. Farr, \Ahich raged with 

 unabated fury until the whole of 

 the buildings (with the exception 

 of the dwelling-house) were com- 

 j)lete!y destroyed; five horses, 

 three cows, and as many calves, 

 fell victims to the devouring cle- 

 ment. 



