Star. — London, England, 1830-12-28 00:00:00

DESTRI crtn.v CHURCH BY FIRE. --e Smiley morning, about three o'clock, great alarm and confusion prevailed in the town of Lewisham. Kent, by a discovery that the parish church had taken fire, and the flames, at the time it was detected. had gained such power ful poseession of the fabric, that all attempts to preserve it from the conflagration were useless. .Messengers were despatched to Greenwich and Deptford for the engines, whilst expresses were sent off to London for those of the Fire Insurance-Office, and in a very quick time they ar rived, and were actively set to work upon the tlames,which had obtained total possession of the interior of the sacred edifice, together with the organ, the Communion-table, &c. in consequence of the late disturbances, upwards of three hundred of the householders had a fortnight ago enrolled themselves as special constables, and the moment the alarm tvas given they proceeded to the scene of devastation, and, with the aid of a party of tho new police, kept the ground for the firemen, and all interruption was thereby prevented. The firemen placed their engines in the church yard, as close as po:sible to the church, but having at first but a scanty supply of water, owing to the canal and other places being frozen, their efforts were of little or no avail, and the flames raged with overwhelming fury. By the prompt exertions of the inhabitants, aided by the firemen, a supply of water was obtained, and immense quantities were thrown within the building, which had the appearance of a furnace, and after much exertions the flames were pre vented from destroying the roof, but with the exception of the roof and the outward walls, all was destroyed. About seven o'clock the flames were entirely subdued. We were in formed that, notwithstanding every attempt was made to preserve the communion plate, and other valuable articles, they were all destroyed. The conflagration is said to have arisen in consequence of the bursting of the heater by which the church was warmed, and which had been in MO on the evening of Christmas Day. This church was only a few years ago beautifully embellished and re-decorated throughout. Yesterday vast crowds of persons arrived in the town from the adjoining villages to witness the destructive effects of the fire, which at first was attributed to the act of incendiaries, but there are no grounds whatever for that suspicion, as there can be no doubt but the disaster arose from accident. Another account says it has been clearly ascertained that the tire originated in mere accident. It appears that, at the early hour above mentioned, a fire was lighted in the stoves of the vestry-room, to which several of the flues were at Cached, for the purpose of warming the sacred structure. -1 From some carelessness the fire was not properly guarded, and, the pipes becoming red-hot, communicated to the wooden wainscotting of the room of the vestry and parish registry, which was entirely destroyed. The flames extended with great rapidity to the adjacent galleries and pews, and raged with such fury that the venerable edifice was for some time in the most imminent danger of being completely de stroyed. The ornamental work of the ceiling, and the fine oak carvings, were very much burnt and injured; as was the organ, lately repaired, the pipes and metal works of which were entirely melted by the intense heat. The organ-loft and the western galleries are wholly destroyed, and every indow of the church is broken to pieces. The frame-work is partly consumed. The interior of the edifice,/the altar and the chancel, have sustained considerable injury by the great discharge of water, and the exertions made by the pa rishioners to extinguish the flames. Fortunately water wis early obtained from the Ravensbourne river, which flows through the village, and, engines arriving in quick succes sion from Greenwich, Deptford, and London, the fire was got under by nine o'clock. The assembled multitude and the new police rendered t most praiseworthy assistance, and every person present did his utmost to preserve the church from total destruction, whicb at one time appeared inevitable. We are sorry to add that a collision took place between some of the persons col lected together and the officers of the R division of police, many of whom inflicted severe blows with their truncheons in attempting to clear the body of the church after the flames were extinguished. One youth, an attendant, or cad," to Watson's Deptford stages, had his head broken by a blow from a police-constable's staff, and was removed to a surgeon's. The police, on leaving the village, were greeted with loud hisses and groans. The parish records in the Vestry-room were preserved. Soon after tbe commence ment of the fire a policeman was seriously hurt by the fal lintr of one of the burning timbers. PALACE COURT. Before W. BRENT BRENT, Esq. HAMPTON V. DALTON. Mr. CHAMBERS and Mr. BELDAM appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Ev ANS for the defendant. Mr. CH AMBERS stated this to be an action to recover a balance due to the plaintiff, who was a coal-merchant, upon a promissory note for 71. 65., which was given by the de fendant jointly, with a person named Miller, for coals sup plied to Miller. The promissory note was produced, and the defendant's handwriting, and his frequent promise to pay, proved by wit noises. Mr. Ey A NS, for the defendant, caused considerable merri-' inent in Court, in stating the nature of the defence. He stated that he should, no doubt, excite some surprise in the minds of the jury by detailing the answer which the de fendant had to give to this action. He observed in the onset that he should be able to prove that the demand now sought to be established against the defendant had been fully and clearly satisfied long ago, and that there was now no pretence for setting up this claim. The plaintiff was a person who, it would seem, was exceedingly fond of litiga tion ; and the jury would be surprised to learn, that al though it was generally supposed that lawyers made a pretty good thiug of an action, still the lawyers' profits bore no comparibon whatever to the profits of this litigat ing coal-merchant. If a person got into his debt, and was unable to pay him, he put the case into the hands of his at torney, and before the action could be set down for trial, he would call on the defendant, expostulate with him on the expense to which they would both be put, and, without suf fering the defendant to go to the attorney, effect a compro mise, by taking a large sum for costs, and a note of band for the debt, with another person's name to it as a further security ; he would then go to his attorney, and desire him to discontinue the action, telling him the defendant was so poor it would be useless to go to further expense; lie would also state his own inability to pay his costs, and prevail on the attorney to aocept of a children of coals for the costs. so that by this cunning artifice' he profited ' very considerably. In this cue he got be-1 tween 61. and 71. of Miller (to whom the coals were sap plied) as the amount of costs, when, in fact, the costs only amounted to 41. 18s. and then, by pleading poverty, end stating that he had lost his debt and costs by the defendant, his attorney consented to receive a chaldron of coals, which cost him about 40s. in discharge of that amount. The plaintiff bad therefore pocketed nearly 61. in respect of the costs; he had sinee then been paid the whole of the debt by Miller, and now he attempted to get something mote out of the defendant, who had joined Miller in the promis sory nets. William Miller stated that he was a hatter. He bad had three chaldrons of coals of the plaintiff, who sued him for the amount, 71. 6s. Before the action could be tried, the plaintiff came to him, and wished him to compromise the action by hie (the witness's) paying the costa, and prevent tho necessity of further expenses. He wished to go to the plaintiff's attorney, Mr. Willoughby, to ascertain the amount of the costa, but the plaintiff prevented him, by saying that the costs were about /1. and that if he went to Mr. Wil loughby, he, the plaintiff, would break off all negotiation. The witness then agreed to the compromise, and he paid the plaintiff at two different times 11. ss. and 51. making 61. ss. on account of the costs. A note of hand to pay the debt at 11. a week was then given, in which the witness got the defendant, Mr. Dalton, to join. In pursuance of that arrangement he paid three instalments. Some time after wards a lhdy came to him and ordered several hats, amounting to 41. 6s, to be sent i to Camberwell, where she stated she kept a school ; he took the hats home, expecting to get the cash for them, when, to his astonishment he found the plaintiff there, and then he learnt that the lady who had ordered the hats was the plaintiff's sister ; the plaintiff then said the hats were for him, and that they could be placed against the outstanding debt. The witness, though somewhat astonished, did not object to this arrangement, and it was then mentioned by the plaintiff that he and the witness were straight, as the 31. paid before, and the price of the hats, made up the amount of the promissory note. The witness then asked him for the note, and the plaintiff said it was at his house, but promised to send it to the witness. He had, however, never done so. When the action was pending against the witness, ho received some letters as from the plaintiff's attorney, sisned " R. Green, for Mr. Willoughby;" and witness knew that tray could not come from Mr. Wil loughby, for they were in the plaintiff's handwriting. Mr. Robson stated that he was clerk to Mr. Willoughby, who was the attorney for the plaintiff, in th 3 action against the preceding witness. Pending the action, platatiif called and desired him to discontinue it, stating that Miller was so poor, that he should lose both the debt and costs. Mr. Willoughby's costs amounted to 41. 18a. (not 71. as charged by the plaintiff to Miller), and for that amount, by pleading his own poverty, Mr. Willoughby was prevailed upon to accept a chaldron of coals. The letters that were sent to Miller, signed " R. Green, for Mr. Willoughby," never were sent from Mr. Willoughby's office, there being no clerk named Green there. The Jury stopped the cue, expressing themselves satis fied, and immediately found a verdict for the defendant. 7_ :POLICE REPORTS. Mairstow-sonss...-Christmas has commenced very unfavourably in 1 the City amongst the working and pauper classes, for very desperate violence has shown itself in bevcral instances, and the most appalling wretchedness in others, during the last few days. A poor Irish sailor was brought, yesterday, before the LORD MAYOR. He bad been found, along with four other poor wretches, under one of the land arches of London Bridge on Christmas night. They had ga thered together a little straw, and made a sort of chamber for themselves under the arch, by placing some loose bricks, and they were all huddled together, the sailor more exposed than any of the rest, es he was the only hardy one of the set. Had they been left in their chamber till morning, there would, the officer said, have been no occasion to trouble his Lordship on the subject, as the grave-digger would do their business. Mr. Teague, the Governor of the Compter, said, that when the poor men were brought to him, be found it necessary to send off two of them immediately to the hospital, as he feared they were dying. The third was in a very bad state, now in the Comptes. The sailor came to very well, and did all be possibly could to assist the unfortunate companions amongst whom he had fallen, but the condition of the other three vas dreadful in the extreme. They appeared to be in the last stage of human misery. Thasallor said, two of his comrades under the bridge had told him that th e y h a d been in 'wising* in r parish to which they did not be long, but that the overseer I.as ing ascertained that they were in a bad state of health, and likely to perish, sh ell; ' t itled their landlord to put talent out of doors. for fear the parish be at the expense of bury ing dram. The Ice' , j_ti•mt*. said that the circumstance should certainly be inquired into, sr wiled the pilot what he intended to do. The unfoetunati Ceiow said he had gone to Bristol from Liverpool in expectat i on of ge tting e ivloyment as a sailor, but had been disappointed. He wished to go to sea, ato - 7as fit for sharp work. The Loan Maros said it iiisiew probable that some benevolent Captain, who should hear of the safiew's humanity as well as of his ability to work, would give him immetrat. • „employment. Several paupers, cold and hungry, were brotigfA up. They mostly belonged to the west-end of the town, but had beenNtaund begging in the City, and actually so strongly resembled the genius Vg.fiunine, that no one who had a heart a bit softer than a stone could look upon te•aa without grief. - - The LSD mans inquired particularly into their cams, and sail. Watered to each relieL The greater number told his Lordship that the overseers of the pariah upon which they had claims, turned them away, after having refused to take them into the workhouse, to get them employment, or to give them any thing to keep them from starving. - - - - - The Lord Mays believed there was some exaggeration in what bad been stated, but knew that there was many a hard heart amongst the gentlemen who dispensed the parish bounty, and that he feared the principle of economy and retrenchment was extending itself beyond the polidal reformers. Mr. Holger said, that in some parishes the economy was carried to emus as regarded the expenditure of the poor, but those who had claims were net without the means of enforcing them. The Loan MAT014..163i, I advise all poor persons who have claims, to go to the overseen or churchwardens, and if relief is refined to them at this bitter season to hit down at the doors of the gentlemen, whose duty it is to sec that the poor shall be provided for, until relief is given. The parish officers will, in such case, be compelled either to give the support required, or to take the claimant before a Magistrate. In either ass relief must be obtained. Several paupers went off aocceding to this direction. Dirersaass Assaus.T.--A tierce looking fellow named Manley, was charged with having broken the arm of Mr. William Louis, the owner of the Blue Pig public.house, in St. Warp Axe, and with having threatened to break his other arm. The complainant slated, that Stanley and a comrade were in his house on Friday night, and bad a very noisy quarrel about their wages. The waiter interfered to prevent murder, but Stanley soon dashed him to the ground. Witness then begged that no more violence might be done, but did not address an angry word to the defendant, who, how. ever, dew at him and knocked him.dovnt, and broke his arm by throwing himself upon his bodwith all his force. Witness with diEculty got up, but be kw some time was without sesistance, as be had been no MOW than these weeks in the hone; and was not acquainted with the neighbows. At length a person entered, but nothing checked the fury of tits defendant, who swore, upon seeing that the seen was broken, that be would break the other b—y arm, and wield probably have accom plished it if he bad not been prevented with violence. The Loan. INlewou asked whether the defendant had lately escaped from the mad-bewas ! The eemplehmen mid, the man was drunk at the time, and acted like a login, andiesa, for note single word of once had been spoken; but he (the complainant) did not wish to' do him injury, as he was poor, and had a wife and children. To be we the wife was not m y kind , for she called and abused him (complainant) that morning. The defendant said, he was sorry fo what be had dons, but be was really so drunk that he was not master of himself. Mr. Nobler- Well, have you get See hundred pounds to give for this broken arm _ . The defendant said, he would give recompence as far as was in his power. The cemplainant, who was the most extraordinary but anes O f for. bearanca and maelmess that ever received a broken arm, Bald, be for. gave the man on account of his family; and expressed himself satisfied ' of the expenses incurred were defrayed. The LOILD MAlroa.—Your gnat kindness and humanity do you in enee trait. I know 'no man Capable of ow+ an act ; but I amine' DHOW' so dreadful an injury to be billeted upon you with impunity.. This madman mht have murdered you, Ind you and th e p u blic must si bed amni. iu d e f en d ant roa st ,fisd unex ce p t i ona bl e b ail to appear le lieselan . . /* defendant wit tionimlued 4 defaul t o f Wt. ma* mamas imm o sege d with having beaten a licensed victualler f a a dope", manner, but they were remanded, the prosecutor being ;amble to move from his bed. gtainuALL,—A journeyman butcher, named George =we hrouOt_ before Mr. Alderman Kelly, recede', • by H A le ' to account for the possession of two pieces sr d int " , Coloured halibut* and eve parcels of muslin itandkamb• u seb -- 44: borders and sowed figura% worth - sbout let Ilerdafteld stated, that in passing through Bst&h.atrast, Barbican, about seven o'clock on Friday evening, he saw the prison e r hurrying r along with a bag full of property, and he asked him what be bad got Mere. Prisoner said be did not know, but be was carrying it for a per. son ahead, whom he pointed to. Witness called after this man, who turned round sad bawled out, " It's all right--that's mine." Witness asked bim to step back, as he had doubts whether it was all tight; upon which the man ran off. Witness hallooed stop thief; but no one chose to assist, and the man escaped. From the nature of the marks it seemed probable that the goods had been stolen . from a wholesale warehouse, and the prisoner described the man who employed him as having the appearance of a porter. Prisoner said that as he was going through Smithfield, the man who ran away hired him as a porter to carry the goods for him. The Alderman remanded the prisoner till Thursday, that the officer might have an opportunity to trace the owner. - - - - • BOWATREIT.—Sarah Harris, aged sixty, was charged by John Tennison, a market gardener, with having violently assaulted him, de. mended money from him, a n d threatened to take his life. The complainant stated, that about fifteen years ago he was sitting at home, ananging some accounts, when Miss Sarah Harris tapped at his door. On being desired to come in,' she obeyed and took a seat. He asked her what her business was with hint, she replied, that ho was constantly looking at her, and that it had been observed by every body, particularly by the minister of the pariah, during divine service. Mr. Tennison told her he had never seen her before, and went down stairs and desired a boy to go and turn that mad woman out. " From that time to the present, your worship," said Mr. Tennison, " I have been teased by her, and when she cannot come herself, she sends let ters. The last I received from her she signed your affectionate wife. I am a married man, Sir, and desire protection from her." The lady in her defence stated, that Mr. Tennison was bound to pro vide for her and protect her; and as to his being married, that made no difference, she had determined upon having him fur her husband, and she would have him ; he had promised in the Church of England to be her's until death did them part, and she would never leave him again. The love-sick lady suited the action to the word, and seized the complainant so firmly by the arm, that it required two of the officers to make her relinquish her intended victim. She was locked up till she could find bail to keep the peace. Mary Turner, an interesting young woman, was brought up by a police constable, who had taken her in the act of swallowing some lau danum. She said that she was much attached to a young man ; she went to see him, and his mother told her that he had left London for a long time, which site knew to be false. She felt much diatreszed at this and drank two glasses of brandy, which had affected her senses, and she admitted mat she had bought the laudanum for the purpose of destroying herself. An of was sent to take her to her lodgings, and make inquiries respecting her connections. IxTaiTrctnrs.—Oa Friday last, Masters, a constable of East Cowes, Isle cat art;ireti at thi Offirr: with a warrant, issued by the coro ner of that district, against Susan Hatchet. anti J.r.epit Proctor who were charged with being principal and accessory a ft er the fact, In Cie murder of a male child, of which the former had been delivered on the 28th of November last, in the house of Mrs. Dennison, a lady of re spectability, who resides at White House, East Cowes, and with whom the accused persons lived in the capacities of housemaid and footman. The warrant was backed by Sir R. Birnie, and placed in the hands of Birchen, an old and active officer, who succeeded In executing it in the course of Saturday and Sunday. The female prisoner was taken' into custody at the house of a baker, at the corner of George.aireet, Portman-square, and the male prisoner was soon apprehended at Hexton House, in Hertfordshire. It appears that the prisoners, while in the service of Mrs. Dennison, carried on an illicit intercourse, and that Susan Burchelt finally became pregnant ; but whether her situa. tion was knoan or not, either to her fellow.eervants or to her mistress,' , does not appear ; although it might be concluded that it was not, inasmuch as the fact of her being in labour was not known to a fellow-servant, with whom she slept on the night the child was born. According to her own account, she was seized with the pangs of child birth in the middle of the night, while her fellow-servant was asleep, and exerted all the firmness she possessed to suppress even the slight est indication of the agony she endured. The child was born without the sleep of her bedfellow being disturbed, and at an early hour the sante morning the unfortunate mother was observed by her bedfellow stretched on the floor In a state of complete insensibility. The truth suddenly developed itself, and on examining the chamber utensil a male child was found contained within it. The infant was dead,' and Its skull was fractured, and one of its eyes was knocked out. The body was afterwards fiunsf by the mother into the privy, but removed from thence at the desire of the butler and hits. Dennison's maid, by Proctor, who cast it into the fish-pond, where it was die. covered floating some time after by a constable, who suspecting that it' had been murdered, caused notice of the circumstance to be sent to the Coroner. An inquest was accordingly held upon the body, and the facts before stated having:transpired, the Jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against the mother, and implicated the father and other individuals (as we were informed) as accessaries after the fact. The prisoners, it appeared, were discharged from Mrs. Dennison's ace. vice after the transaction, but nothing would probably have ever been said of the matter, if the constable had not discovered the body of the infant in the manner described. The mother denies that the child came by ha death in consequence of any violence used by her, and attributes that ammo. to Ilse eirrismatallPfl under which the infant was born. The prisoners were, by order of the Magistrates, transferred by Burchell into the custody of the constable Masters, who undertook to convey them safely to the Isle of Wight, where they are to undergo an examination:on the charge before the local authorities., Yesterday John Hurley, an Irish coal-whipper, who has been re. poatedly fined and imprisoned, and Mary, his sister, were charged with assaults on various persons, but MOM particula rly with seriously wounding and assaulting a poor old man named Cornish Beilcock, a block-maker, aged 70 years. The male defendant knocked him down with his fist, and then kicked him in a cruel manner. His wife was also beaten and cruelly maltreated by the Hurleys, and rendered tenseness. ktt E-sreghton fined John Hurley IL, or two months' Imprisonment. His alma %Li Encd 201., and in default of payment, to 14 days am. finement. Qies2X-e4th6rti...-An Interesting young female, of rather superior manners, who gave he name Caroline Worthington, apparently not more than eighteen years of age, and Catherine CaMay, the keeper of an infamous house, No. 7, Canterburyameet, Lambeth, were charged with robbing a drunken man of six sovereigns and some silver. A pollee constable searched the place, and oily found 20e. Worthing. ton, in reply, said that the prosecutor was very drunk, and threatened to cut her throat, which made ha leave him in bed. Mr. Maastrovr said that, however infamous the character of the elder prisoner might be, there was no evidence against her; with re. gard to the younger an, he should remand her. After she was re. moved from the bar, Mr. MARRIOTT ordered her to be brought back, and asked her if she had a father living? The prisoner, who appeared rather surprised at the question, said that she had. Mr. MARRIOTT: Where do you live ? Prisoner; In Portman-square. Mr. MARRIOTT put several other questions to her, which she de clined to answer. She was then removed. CORONERS' INQUESTS. LAMENTABLE OCCIMBEICE.— Yesterday afternoon, an Inquest was holden at the Coopers' Arms public-house, Rose ma: y-lane, before WM. BAKER, Esq. on view of the remains of John Williams, aged about 36 years, who was found dead in his bed on Christmas morning. From the testimony of se veral witnesses, it appeared that the deceased at one time held a respectable situation in his Majesty's Customs, but for some reason, of which the witnesses were ignorant, he was discharged, and was latterly reduced to the greatest , state of wretchedness. On Christmas-eve he entered a com mon lodging-house in Rosemary-lane, where he was latterly frequently in the habit of sleeping, and paid three halfpence for his night's lodging. He retired to bed shortly after ten o'clock, and during the night he was frequently heard to ex claim, by the persona who slept in the same room with him, " Good Gon, how cold it is, I shall be famished." At four o'clock in the morning be was alive, but at seven he was dis covered 1 1 to be quite dead and stiff. The jury were unanimously of opinion that the death of the wretched man was acceleiated by the Want of the proper necessaries of life—a fact which his emaciated form clearly indicated—and the extreme coldness of the weather, but ultimately they returned a verdict of " Died by the visitation of God." DZATH IN A STATION-110VSZ.—Yesterday afternoon an inquest was held at the Cornwall Arms, Cornwall-road, Lambeth, before Richard Carter, Esq. on the body of Ann Place, aged 55, who died in the Station-house in the Water loo-road, on Priday evening last. The deceased, it appeared, had 'for 'some years been a pauper in Lambeth parish. On Thursday she was taken to ike station-Winne Ter being very drunk in the shieii, et* Was set it liberty *hen she got sober. She, however, like many ocher fools, considered that she must still keep sip ge!,ti!tg beastlY drunk; and was again . found in the streets4a polievinui, who took her to the stat i on -h ouse, tear' • way unable to take care of h erse lf. She was pla in a Char by the fire, and although medi ca l ass i stance was sent for with the greatest promptitude, she expired in a l few minutes. Verdict, " Died by the Visit at i on of God." SCINTILLA. CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS. T CEREMONIES, AND FE STI. VI I RS. This being the period at which those of our religion celebrate OIL r great annual festival, a brief notice of some of the forms, ecremoni,.. and superstitions indulged in by our ancestors, may not be unacceptable to our readers. ANCIENT CUSTOMS. A HoooFx.—At Ramsgate, even up to the present time, they ca lm mence their Christmas festivities by the following ridiculous, and, as ia appears to us, unmeaning ceremony. A party of the youthful pas, tion of the community having procured the had of a horse, it of is axed to a pole, about four feet in length ; a str i ng is at. wised to the lower jaw; a horse.cloth Is tied round the e s , treme part of the head, beneath which one of the party is concealed, who, by repeated pulling and loosening the string, causes the jaw t o rise and fall, and thus produces, by bringing the teeth in contac t , snapping note, as he moves along, the rest of the party following i n procession, g tesquely habited, and ringing luustl.bells. In this order they from house to house, singing carols and ringing their b e ll e, and are generally remunerated for the amusement they occasion by a largess of money, or beer and cake. The ceremony prevails in ra, 2cy parts of the Isle of Thanet, and may probably be traced as the relic et son.e religious ceremony practised in the early ages by our Baron anscstont. THE BOAR'S Hxon.—At Hornchurch in Essex, the following custom is still kept up at this festive season. On Christmas. day, the lessee of the tithe, which belongs to New College, Oxford, sup. plies a boar's head dressed and garnished with bay-leaves. Ls the at'. ternoon It is carried in grand procession into the Mill-field, a field ad. joining the church-yard, where it is wrestled for, and the conqueror and his .friends adjourn to one of the village public-houses, to which also the prize is conveyed, and a rustic feast follows, at which is in. traduced the merriment and sports peculiar to the season, TILE KING Of CHRISTMAS.—In the records of Nor wich we find an account of a pageant which took place at this wawa, A.D. 1440, when one John Hadman, a wealthy citizen, made dials* with his neighbours and friends, and was crowned King of Christmas. He rode in state through the city, dressed forth in silks and tinsel, and preceded by twelve persons habited as the twelve months of the year, their costumes varying to represent the different seasons of the yew...- After King Christmas followed Lent, clothed in white . trimmed with herring skins, on horseback, the horse beli ne f s r ew iter a Z i with tappings of oyster-shells, being Indicative that and a holy time should follow Christmas revelling. In this way they rode through the city, accompanied by numbers in various gre. taupe dresses, making disport and merriment, some clothed in armour, carrying staves, and occasionally engaging in martial combat; others dressed as devils, chased the people, and sorely affrighted th e women and children; others wearing skin dresses and counterfeiting bears, wolves, lions, and other animals, and endeavouring to imitate the animals they represented, in mating and raving, alarming the cowardly, and appalling the stoutest hearts. SUPERSTITION& TAB GLASTONBURY 11101 N...—Various and wonderful ate the b. gads respecting this celebrated tree. Upon which, probably, the pub. lic wilPere long have some authentic information in the shape of a report from a Parliamentary Committee, the proprietor of the Abbey and lord of the soil in which the miraculous thorn is rooted having now become a Member of the Commons House, and Representative for Preston. No doubt, in that character, he will be a thorn in the side of mere than one of thrhe with whom his extraordinary fortunes have now made him an associate, and equal in power and privilege. But let us quit St. Ste. phen's for a while, and return to the Abbey of Glastonbury. The cele brated hawthorn, which for ages flourished in the precincts of the Ab. bey, had the reputation of budding and blooming on Christmas-eve, which extraordinary and singular quality it derived, as tradition tells us, from its planter, no less a personage than Joseph of Arimathea, who as the story goes, having in one of his peregrinations rested on this spot, accidentally stuck his staff in the ground. and it being the 25th of Ike. on the birth-day of oor Saviour, when the Saint thus paused at Glas tonbury. The staff was no sooner bedded in the earth than it took root, sent forth branches, budded and bloomed, and having flourished in this state until midnight, faded, and in that state remained until the anniversary returned, when it again budded, bloomed and faded, and continued thus to do until it was destroyed by unholy hands dar ing the civil wars of the Commonwealth. Some slips of the precious tree were however preserved by a pious hand, and planted in moth,: spot, where it flourishes still, but its reputation has faded in cons quence of the following circumstance, which is recorded in the ' Lon. don Evening Post' of 170. "On Christmas-eve, new style, a ra.t concourse of people attended the noted thorn, but to their great dhow. pointment there was no appearance of its blowing, which made them watch it narrowly on the Bth of January, the Christmas-day old style, when it blowed, as usual, and the devout were satisfied." The Gentleman's Magazine' for the same year, IVA, alluding to this circumstance, says, "On the sante evening, at Quainton, in Buckinghamshire, above 2,000 people went with lanthorns and can. files, to watch a blackthorn in that neighbourhood, and which was re. membered to be a slip from the celebrated Glastonbury Thorn, and that i, always budded on the 24th, was full-blown on the next day, and went off at night. The people finding there was no appearance of a hod, It was agreed by all that December 85th, new style, could not be the right Christmas-day, and therefore they refused going to church, or treating their friends, as usual on that day. At length the affair he. came so rerious, that the Ministers of the neighbouring villages, 1^ order to appetite them, thought it prudent to give notice, that the Old Christmas-day should be kept holy, as before." In these march-of intellect days we can scarcely credit that superstition should have pre vailed to such an extent, in the middle of the eighteenth century. The fact is, that this species of thorn is common in the East, where it blooms twice in the year, and it will frequently, in mild winter, do the same in this country ; but the story of its blooming yearly or Christmas-day, is a mere monkish legend. ANCIENT CEREMONIES AND FEASTING& Stow, in his Survey, tells us that "anciently there was fa the 1 King's house, wheresoever be lodged at the feast of Chri as, s 1' Lord of Misrule, or Master of Merry Disports r' and the like abc I was these in the house of nobleman of honour or good worship. whether spiritual or tem poral. Among these the Mayor and St d& of London had the ir several Lords of Misrule, ever cot tending without quarrel or offence, who should make the rarest pastime to divert the beholden , . These Lords beg- - . their rule, or rather misrule, on All-Hallows.eve, and continued the same until Candlemas-day, In which space there were fine ank) subtle disguisings, masques, and mummeries, with playing at cue. , for counters, Wa ll y and points, in every house, more for pastime that. for gain. Against this feast, the parish churches and every war's house, were decked with holm. ivy, bay, and whatsoever the Feuer of the year afforded that was green ; and the conduits and standards it: the streets were likewise garnished." By an Act of Common Council, made about the year 1531 , fee tht mulation of the city feasts, Ale. on account of the great dearth and excessive dearness of provisions, it was enacted that from thenceforth there shall no IVpth be set home, neither at the Mayor's nor Sheriffs' houses ; neither shall they keep any Lord of Misrule in any of tittle said houses in future. The keeping of the Whitson holidays, ant'. the dinners at Bartholotnew.tide, wtre also ordered by the came Ac; to It laid down. BIRTHS. The 26th Inst. Mrs. Robal T. J. Perkin, of Laura.plsee, Clara. of a son.—The 27th inst. at Clapton, Mrs. Herman W. Mertens, of a daughter.—The 26th Inst. in Mark-lane, Mrs. John Real, of a daughttr . —The 22d inst. at Boulogne.sur.Mer, the lady of H. L. Smak, Esi of Doctor's-commons, of a daughter. MARRIED. The 27th that. at St. Mary's, Islington, T. E. Webb, Fag. surgeon. Bungay, Suffolk, to Eleanor, second daughter of J. Veen, Esq. of Highbury..park..—The 21st inst. at St. Pancras Church, Emily, OW daughter of the late S. Tibson, Esq. of the Ordnance, to Mr. A. J- Lequeutre, of Hertford.—The 23d inst. at bt. Mary's, Alary.la.bontw. A. Didier, Esq. of Calcutta, to Mary, eldest daughter of W. B. Si monde, Esq. of Cavershani, (hon.—The 12d inst. at Whitrbarct. Shropshire, S. Savl, son of the late J. lienriek, Esq. of Wyon.lutli, near Ruabon, Oath hshire, to Hannah, daughter of the late Mr. Ed . wards, of Whitehu DIED. The 234 inst. aged 67, W. S. Andrews, 2b years an eminent surgeon of Richmond, in Surrey.—The 24th inst. in his 74th yea; W. IlannsL, Esq. of John.etreet, Oxford street, man years a Caeamlesiener of Taxes, and resident of Hammersmith.—At Dmeiam, on dio 2lst inst. Bliss Mary Chsytor, daughter of the late H. %woe. L.L.D. lbw* rector of ( lust and prebendary of Durham.—The 111 foK. W. loshbl. Esq. late in the Atka service, Rand, /18...-Tas nth inst. 2417 an y Ann, the wife st W. Gibbs, , Sa Tbs . Mb fist sodisolp at Soutbougeolh la the 69th your et ass, TheB. Orman, mealy onialdeslinll, Molls, 97th WU so dolma a boo sositlepiaw. in ComptollArsoos, Islington. 111isabeth, yolks ti do lotof - .W. Ilinght. Rag, to the SIM you of Iwo sgs.—At Us Imes Is Dept sto uto lath. hot. Mt. 0. O. Towq. moil yen is hie lacsg'stVisivnlning Deottooot, sigoa 61.—ns 29th of ()mew, Eeon r aimilidu l lefikth"b 6 7:shissobilima i lmr -P lit" : ":4l%r4ll.l lllll.ll " l :ol% llllll4 lll44l: 4l 7Pabilliselli Ml UNer' ; ' Adt amilini amilitille llalltai dia: a li ff• island of haste& • , _-- - MOH WATIR AT LONDON BRIMS TO-MORROW. 31. I MINthlira•Ta.M7MlVl "NO Afterboce. 11 Itottnox : !Mated and rubildied by JOIN MATTI, at lb* STAR Orricz, No. I t Pickett-place, Temple Bar. V BRAI TO f For NOW as!! 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