m 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. [July. 



Riccarton, a villnge about half- 

 a-mile distant. He enjoined the 

 sexton to be sure, and make his 

 grave roomy, and in a dry and com- 

 fortable corner ; and he might rest 

 assured that he would be well re- 

 warded for his care and trouble. 

 Having made these arrangements, 

 he ordereil the old woman that at- 

 tended him to go to a certain nook, 

 and bring out 9/. to be appropriated 

 to defray the funeral charges. He 

 told her at the same time not to be 

 grieved, for he had not forgotten 

 her in his will. In a few hours 

 afterwards, in the full exercise of 

 his mental powers, but in the 

 most excruciating agonies, he ex- 

 pired. A neighbour and a man of 

 business were immediately sent for 

 to examine and seal up his effects. 

 The first thing they found was a 

 bag, containing large silver pieces, 

 such as crowns, half-crowns, and 

 dollars, to a large amount: in a 

 corner was secreted, amongst a 

 vast quantity of musty rags, a great 

 number of guineas and seven shil- 

 lingpieces. In his trunk was found 

 a bond for 300/. and other bonds 

 and securities to a vei-y consider- 

 able amount. In all, we heard the 

 property amounted to 900/. His 

 will was found among some old 

 paper, leaving to his housekeeper 

 '20^. and the rest of his property 

 to be divided among his distant 

 relations. As it required some 

 time togive his relatives intimation 

 of his death, and to make prepa- 

 rations for his funeral, he lay in 

 state four days, during which pe- 

 riod the place where he was re- 

 sembled more an Irish wake than 

 a deserted room where the Scots 

 lockup their dead. The invitations 

 to his funeral were most singular. 



Persons were not asked indivi- 

 dually, but whole families; so 

 that, except a few relatives dressed 

 in black, his obsequies were at- 

 tended by tradesmen in their 

 working clothes, barefooted boys 

 and girls, an immense crowd of 

 tattered beggars : to the aged 

 among v/hom he left sixpence, and 

 to the younger threepence. After 

 the interment, this motley group 

 retired to a large bani fitted up 

 for the purpose, where a scene of 

 profusion and inebriety was exhi- 

 bited almost without a parallel.—^ 

 Glasgow Courier. 



21. The following decisive af- 

 fair took place here between twelve 

 and one this morning. One of the 

 workmen of Mr.R. Gleadow, ship- 

 builder, having occasion to look 

 over the premises about seven 

 o'clock yesterday evening, was 

 greatly surprised to find the outer 

 door pf the counting-house open, 

 and also the Avindow of a small 

 back office, with an inside wooden 

 shutter, the latter of which was 

 lifted up and battened to the top 

 of the room as usual : they had all 

 been left secure on Saturday even- 

 ing. On his proceeding into the 

 counting-house (the adjoining 

 room) , one of the closet doors was 

 also found forced open, and several 

 keys taken away. A large and 

 small chisel, belonging to a chest 

 that stood under the counting- 

 house steps, and which, it appeared, 

 had been broken open, were also 

 found on the counting-house floor, 

 with which the front and closet 

 doors had been poised. It being 

 clearly apparent, from all these 

 circumstances, that a robbery of 

 the premises was in contemplation 

 and actual progress, Mr. Gleadow, 



on 



