The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-03-03 00:00:00

Norottsbirt.

DOW, Lam Assises.—The oommlasion for holding
thaw amine will be opened on Wednesday next by Lord
Chiel Justice Spell' and Mr. Justice Blackburn. There
are fur special jury oases aid one common jury ease lee
down for trial, sad the felleeriag is eke eekswfur of
prisours :—Jasme leemass, Mad* a pod Weer at
Derehester ; Robert Hill, munekestoffense it Lealg=
George PIM, ante et Warminster Newton ;
0447, blew, at Weymouth ; George Parker arid Ocorp
Snook, night poasklsg, armed, at Wool; Ann
aluadostlng and azpoi.g her child, Re., at Loogberton ;
&owed Bishop, steaks( leather at Bridoort ; Herbert
P..uazad, se at WsYmoeth ; tiubeth Foot,
stealing a hoe and money at Dorchester; Joseph
Ort. rape ; Robert Snook, stealing hay
!erne • iloeaedusChard, obtaining bottles by
...rifeloreedi at Weyttioath ; William Keys, Frederick
W and Mary ()err, steeling wearing :E=",
at *mouth ; Luise Annie Orions, by
fanPesSaeS at Charnionth ; George Look, night
armed, at Wool; Job Priddal, steeling mould-
at King and Charles Halter,
obtaining money Lya.ca pretuiess at Dersherter ;
Cheri. 'bore Allem, housebreaking at Corte Mallen ;
Mathew Lewis sod Joke Roberts, dealing front the
person at Dorehmeer.—Ors Boil: Sanaa Use. arson
at Child Okeford ; George Hoene and G• 3128 Froloo
night Pose!ilng at Wool • Angelina Stevens, stealing
leather at Beidport ; Hansford, stealing meat at
Loden; John speoe, stealing wearing aPPand at
illeadford ; Robert bre Deem, amealt it Chardetook ;
limo Co.,
_organs( gees* at ginfassbery Thomas
Kendall and Rienesd Gage, stealing riniW it amens&
buy.
Logawin AND ogirlslallairgg.-11r. W. J.
Thome Ia still esepriail as to whether Mrs. Williams,
relict of the late Robert Williams, Req., of Moor Park,
Rents, and Bridelmad, Dorset, who died at the latter
seat on October 8, 1841, wee really one hundred and
two at the time of her death, ea stated by Mr.
Nutmeat Williams in Nota sad gawk*, and he says,
"The reader will perhaps share my surprise when be
hears that Mr. Williams commences his account of the
lady by saying that the family do not know either the
date or Place of her baptism. In the absence of this
most essential evidence, Mr. Williams rests entirely
on the recollections of the lady herself, as recorded by
her grandson on several oecuioes, the earliest being
made when the lady was eighty-one I From these it
would appear that she believed herself to have been
born in 1739, "the year she always spoke of as the
Yeer of her birth;" and her birthday, there can be
no doubt, was " November 13," as that was the day on
which it had been oskihrated for many years. She was
married to Kr. Williams on October 77, 1764. as appears
by an entry in her Bible, but by whom written is not,
however, staled, nor does Yr. Williams say whether the
egtrY wadi when the was warded or beg age at that

time. The rest of the evidence consists of memoranda
made by her grandson, the father of Mr. Montague
Williams. One records that an inscription, written by
her in a bible which she gave him in 1820. was written
in her 81s1 year- another, that • suooessful operation
for cataract was performed on her by Mr. Alexingler
on November 22, 1820, she being eighty-one years of
age; and a third referring to an inscription by her in
October, 1823, "written by her in her eighty-third
year." Now Mr. Williams will forgive me for remind-
ing him that of course, his father was unable
of his own knowledge to know what his grand-
mother's age really was; and this is moreover
Proved by the discrepancies which exist between
some of his datements : for, while he descr.bes her as
being eighty-one in November, 1820, he descr.oes her
three years after (namely, October, 1823) as being
eighty-three l—whereas, if the former statement was
correct, she most then have been eighty-four ; while, if
the last entry be received as cotrect, she would have
been, at the time of her death in 1811, not one hundred
and two, as Mr. Widlianu believes, but one hundred and
one. In the face of these contradictions, swely Mr.
Williams will not repeat his assertion, that Mrs.
Williams's "exact age can be readily computed." The
fact is, the real age of the lady is very uncertain. The
Wilily. very naturally, received implicity what she in
all good faith told them. No question having been
before raised as to the 'accuracy of her statement, the
fact has never been thoroughly investigated. But
canaot doubt that, looking to the pwition of the lady,
a little search among the papers of the family will
settle the question. At present I deny that there is
anything approaching to satisfactory evidence to show
that she was • centenarian; and I am sure that if by
any family arrangement a charge had been created on
Mr. Williams' estate on the event of his great-grand-
mother having attained the age of one hundred and two,
or even of one hundred and one, he would call for a
little stronger evidence of that fact than has yet been
produced, before he paid the money."

•
WHAT BECOMRS OF PARISH RIGISTIRS. —IS MA
not perhaps be very generally known that the returns
made pursuant to the Act for taking an account of
the population, 1831, comprised answers to a quest on
which had been put to every incumbent of a parish as
to the number of volumes, dates. and state of preserva-
tion of the registers, down to the year 1812, then in
hiepoesesaion. An abstract ofithese retorts' was printed
by authority of Parliament in 1833; and the full
abstract of the answers, together with nearly 4,000
original letters from clergymen and others in special
explanation, were subsequently deposited in the British
Museum in six large folio volumes. From these
authorative Noumea -11 extract the foUowing general
summary of the condition of parish registers after 300
years of clerical custody : -Half Cl,. register. anterior
to A.D. 1600 have dimappeseed. 812 registers commence
In the year 1538, about 40 of which contain entries
(copied probably from memoranda kept in the old
monsatories, family Bible', or on tombstones) anterior
to Cromwell's injunction. 1,822 registers commence
from 1538 to 1558 (when Queen Elisabeth required a
protestation from the clergy, on institution, that they
would keep the register-book according to the injunc-
tions). 2,448 registers commence from 1568 to 1603
(when cannon No. 70, authorised by King James,
directed • copy of all extant parish register, to be made
on parchment and preserved). 969 registers commence
from 1603 to 1660. 2,757 registers commence from 1650
to 1700. 1,476 registers commence from 1700 to 1750.
and the rest (600 or 700) since the latter date. Thus
it appears that, out of about 10,000 parishes, about
2,060, or one-fifth of the whole, have no register prior
to the year 1700, and of these 600 or WO begins sub-
sequently to 1750! Vet:, fete registers, moreover, are
perfect from the date of their commencement; gaps of
ten, twenty, or thirty years not unfrequently occur
(the books having been lost or the leaves torn out), and
many entries have been obliterated, either designedly
or through neglect. In looking through the returns
for Dorset, I find amongst others the fodowing
. . .

Winifred Nrebargti: The oldest register. are -imperfect,
lalistial,lllegible, sal
_tors."
_

Wait LaiSiiriii7Regisien:-1/11ffillil 174. 3 • mar. deficient 173
—l7BO. "04d register destroyed by fire 1780."
Huspreeloia . No register anterior to 1813, the church
having been destroyed"

The incumbent of C Fiickerell writes :
"I have minutely examined the registers of this parish, and
bops Unman no others in the kingdom in which so little cons
fidenoe should be placed. There are only two old books—one
ofla tar: , h
Innent, the
te his.
otherof.o d.
paper; UfLin
former
e.r
nn
cumbency of one year rosny certificates have been requested to
no purpose, for want of entries. The omissions, I suspect,
may be attributed to eareicameis ; the &bum, to frauds
which have been committed on the lord of the manor In favour
of the copy-holders; but to particularise all of them would be
• very unprofitable work, No. 1 commences with six christen-
ings in 1710, followed by one In 1715, one In 1718, two in 1717,
one in 1714, one In 1718, end then none till 17t1. .' .
NB. The father-In-law of my immediate predecessor had been
the incumbent of Wyk. Regis and Portland, as well as of this
I Wish previous to hls resignation of this last to hhi relative,
which circumstance will account for my having been enabled
to restore last week to the rector of Wylie the Register of his
parish containing the burials from Aug., 1678, to April, Ml.'.
Although many registers have been destroyed owing to
MIMI over which their custodians had no control, and
which were—and under the present system will con-
tinue to be—inevitable, yet it is also apparent that
culpable negligence and indifference have had a large
share in bruiting about the present lamentable result.
If the puncluel registers were all oollectedand deposited
in London in • fire-proof building (either with the
Registrar-General at Somerset House or at the Public
Record Office) two benefits would result which I think
it is quite clear cannot be obtained under the present
system, and various incidental advantages would also
accrue: I. The registers would be preserved from
future destruction, with as much certainty as human
affairs are capable of; 2. Erasures and interpolations
would become next to impossible. The incidental ad-
vantages are the registers would never get out of the
hands of their custodians; they would more nay,
and with less danger to themselves, be producible in
courts of Poetise A general alphabetical index could
he mode (on hie mate pieu me Slat now in WM at the
Registrar-General's, of all births, deaths, and marriages
since July 1, 1836, and of the non-parochial registers),
and the facility of referenoe thus afforded would be an
inestimable boon to aIL It would be requisite that a
oommimioner or commissioners should be appointed for
each diocese (or whatever other territorial division
might be adopted) personally to receive the registen
from the respective incumbents, both for the
of seeing that no registers were inadvertently
t
behind, and to prevent loss in transmission. The plan
would probably be self-paying toe great extent,
rrai.ortli y reckon five shillings annually as the amount
received in search-fees by each parochial incumbent,
we get an annual income of £2,500 to pay for the
proper custody of the regiaters in London. But the
increased facility of reference would undoubedlp largely
Increase the number of searchers, and at the rime time
the annual income. I think an effort should now be
made to obtain some legislation on the subject with-
out further delay.

CORI KRUM% Saturday.—Whet, 64e. to 751. per
cm; barley, 395. to 44e. Id. Averages: Wheat,
70s. 66d.; barley, 425. 36d.
_

. -
COMITY HOSPITAL —John Ilowbun, Esq., of Swaney,
has forwarded a donation of £5O to this' eseel/ent
institution.
dam:mum —Colonel Slaw, of the 8..11. A., met
with an aceident whilst hunting with the B.V. H., on
Tuesday, and received a fracture of the oo.Uar bone.

FAULT CLO6IIIO ASSOCL•TION.—Thie• WY • capital
attendance at the Infants' school-room, on Friday
',ening, to hear the Rev. B. Tennear's address on
"Cornwall and the Cornish," and the interact of the
audience wee well sastained. Thensusical performances
of Yews. F. W. and Boyton Smith were entho-
siastioally applauded. The BAIT J. Fisher occupied his
accustomed plass U Pruideot.

A Hirr FOB Foiumthrog.—Upwards of 6,000 oc-
cupiers of smith tenements in Hackney were summoned
on Friday before the magistrates for their rates- Most
of the defendants, we are told, were poor, hard-working
women, who were paying 6s. and 7a. per week rent. In
many butane's the rate colle4ors bore testimony to the
wretched condition of the parties, end their being
utterly unable to pay the amount of the rates; bet the
magistrates had no alternative but to make an order
that they must be paid, • certain time being allowed
them to do so.

MUNTWAL.—The eleetlon of audio, and 411•1111011
took pleas on Monday, at the Guildhall, the votes
offered bola; taken before the Mayor (G. Curms,
and the retiring Assessors (Mee . R. Taylor and
(yesnley). Of the whole number of burgeons (575)
considerably INS than a hundred voted, and the
poll was closed at midday, no vote being tendered
during the hour presiding twelve o'clock. The
result is, Messrs. J. H. Jones sad J. It Taylor are
elected auditors, and Mews. Henry Barnes and Edwin
Bassombe ....on for the ensuing year.

IBRISTOL COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, Wednesday,
February 26.—Re Charles Gardiner, formerly manager
of the Antelope Hotel in this town. This was a meet-
ing for choice of sameness. The bankrupt was repre-
sented by Mr. ton. Mr. Frederick Marshall,
gaieties., of Cheltenham, tendered his own proof of
debt for £lOO, and also a proof from Messrs. Tanana%
the well-known London auctioneers, for CM. It
rrrfrom what was stated respecting this debt
he bankrupt had obtained some horses from
Mrs. Tattersall• for which he had given his cheque on
some bank where he had "no effects." As there was "no
estate," Mr. Marshall stated that he should not apply
for the usigneeship, preferring to appear independently
for himself and climb', and to leave the ofildal
assignee to manage the bankrupt's estate, which
was likely to produce more trouble than profit. Ix
rail° uitfl fit. The bankrupt's first emnination
promises to be interesting.
Armors HOT= 0011 PANT (LENITID).—Tbe this
annual meeting of this company took place on Thursday.
The report stated that the directors were unable to pay
the dividend resonamanded at the last meeting in eon.
NNIKSOOB of there not being sufficient shares disposed of
to free the company from liability, but they are pleased
that the liebiliges are not now to the amount they
were at the last meeting. Daring the last year it
became IMIOIIIIIIII7 to get rid of their manager (Mr.
Gardiner) arid also to take legal proosediap against
him and his surety, and the diresten await the
saection of the shareholders bribes promeding
farther therein. Mr. Teasley kindly offered his
gratuitous surviess until • suitable p•Thon
was appointed to fill the situation, and his offs
was assepted. The &restore remark that the eonapan
is la • bettor position Ursa it was at the last general
meeting, but, In order to carry it on. it is absolutely
necessary that additional shares should be taken, and
they urge on every shareholder at mei to take some.
The seems' during Mr. Yearaley's management, via.,
from the Ifith June to the 31st Deoember shows reseipts
£3,066 3e. 63., and debits £1,039 Is. ld. leaving a profit
of £126 2s, 53. The financial statement for lbs whole
year gives receipts £4,644 2s. 70. which includes £728
celled up on shares and £203 doe on the seas; while the
general disbursements were £4.334 16s. ld., and there is
owing to Mr. Youraley £2,000, and to sundry debtor.
£1,391 175., so that the total debts were £7,727 13s. 13,,
and their is now due £3,083 lOn 80, to meet which ,
there is set the good will, furniture, fittings, plat% I
glees, hones, carriages, stook in trade, Creel - Western
plank kek,
__ -

BOIQUQE Prrry Basenon, Itonlay.—Before J. P.
Haim lisq.(ahairman), L DavisiZzasacl J. Bishop,
liaq.—Krs. Pros, al , sa sideiy
woman, bat with a partisalarly satin tamps, was
sammoaad for aa arotalt Rpm Mrs. thsralista Amelia
Haight, at liddlohlaloo, a yellow wawa, yo 6 ono
gybe as voluble as hra mak( swum AcariligSo

the somplaisent's statement she was at the Royal Oak
Ma, Dorchester, on the 14th of February, with her
husband, when the defendant came in, and, without soy
preliminaries, threatened to black her eyes, put her
Ist up into compinisnint's far in earnest of her in-
, ration, and called her ill names. Compl drat added
that this was but • resumption of previous attacks upon
ber.-Defendant : Didn't you say you'd blacken my
eyes ?- -Complainant : No. -Defandant : Oh, dear, deer;
the Lord in heaven do keow you did. That's (pointing to
complainant's husband) my brother's son, your honors.
Complainant esalaim.sl oontemptootia "You're no re-
lation of mine," end defendant smartly retorted, "Then
you're not married." Defendant: I went in to speak to
my nephew; didn't you (to complainant) tall I a witeb ?
-A. No-Defendant: You did; YOU said I had
'witched people. Didn't she Bob (appealing In her
blandest tons to the husband) ?-Bob (plainly disgusted
with the whole business): No, her didn't. -Defendant
fervently: Oh, my dear Bob, dont'e say that; you'll
have to answer for it. Your honours, they were twiting
one another about drinking gin, and! went to ask what it
woe-Bob was then called, and be corroborated his wife as
to the throats defendant made to her, and said she called
her • - He left them "at it." Defend-
ant followed him out, and twitted him about his wife
being •—. Hs told her he'd never ran anything of
It, and didn't want to have any conversation on the
subject. But the old woman was viciously earnest to
poi•on the husband's mind against his wife, and reminded
him that his mother had said she was a—, But his
faith was strong and he turned off that attack by
observing, " Ah, well, I know mother did say it, but
she was false." This ended their colloquy-In defence
Mrs. Friar said- I went in to speak to my nephew, which
was only nat'rl like, as I had been with him in the
morning, and bad a glass of hoer, though not with her,
as lion better than she ought to be, but we should all
forgive and forget, and I'll never speak to her any more,
unless she wee on her dying bed and asked me to ; sal
I found them having a wori or two about gin, so I
risked what was the matter. She looked up and said
"What odd's that to you? I'll black your ere r and I
said "Oh, indeed! then perhaps I may do the same to
your Then she called me • witch, and I called her
but not one curse in the day, Oh, no, I don't
de that. I called her • --, and I'll speak the
troth, and nothing but the truth. Them's the
very words I said, and the Lord in heaven do
know it. I shall not. have that to answer for.-The
Town (Seek: Were you perfectly sober?-Defendant:
Oh, dear, yes. I only had • glass of beer all day with
my nephew there, as is my brother's son, what's gone,
but a better man never lived, and I was newer the woman
to get tipey in my Ida but he'd been twiting her about
being tipsy &derides of gin. -Complainant : I
tared a drop.-Defendant : Isn't that to.. Bob?
Didn't you toll woe she 41111130 home sick and bed in the
week, after being out with some man and drinkiog gist
-Bob: That's nothing to do with this. I don't re-
member that I did. -Ddendant Oh, yr, Bob, you
did: do's speak the truth; you'll go through the world
with that—ms Town Clerk to Bob: Did you say any-
thing about your wife drinking gin ?-Defendant : Yes,
he did; sad he said she same home aisle and bad. -
Complainant : Oh, Se, fie.-The Bench dismissed UN
summons, telling both parties tit& conduct was bed,
and advising them to behave properly for the future.-
The defendant was highly elated. She thanked" their
tumours* sod curtsied to them, and as she left the court
ejaculated, "The Lord be praised, He's heard me, and
she's got to pay for this summons !"