The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-29 00:00:00

'1

SUICIDE OF CAPTAIN LAYMAN. R.V.

CHEL TILLMAN, MAY 21
The melancholy death of the above officer has crearedagreaf at;„
satioo amongst the visitors and inhabitants of this fluthinnable
sort;
and although the Coroner's inquest was last night held hetc;;
John Cootie, Esq. at the Swan Inn, the cause which led to the at;
of self-deetruetron la involved in considerable mystery.
The deceased was, it appears, an author of several works even
naval architecture, and a brave officer ; his town residence was se
No. 34, Hans-place. Sloane-street, and he had taken up his ahnee
here at Woodland Cottage. He was about sixty years of age, a
tnarrieil man, without a family. A respectable Jury assembled At
the Swan Inn, last night, at six o'clock. and having appointed
George Russel, Esq. their Foreman, the Coroner proceeded i 4 the
investigation,
Mr. Sadler, the high constable, who had been indefatigable
--
collecting evidence, &c., produced a slip of paper whit l hod been
found near the bath, in which the deceased had teen divenveve,i
with
lines, h
in ais thstrong.sroat cut,
teady, and legible han on which was written, d
in pencil, the follewing
" Captain Edgeeumbe will explain ; but should he not arrive
before the inquest takes place, the accompanying may be 01,,,ed
by the Coroner."
John Coward, one of the guides at the bath, proved that the dr.
ceased called at the baths on Monday, and ordered a bath to be got
ready for him the following day, at tour o'clock. at heat. He
came punctually on the following day (Tuesday), went into the
bath-room, and ordered witness to let him remain therefor ma hoer,
deceased was particularly attentive to the bolt of the door; won";
was greatly astonished, when he went to the bath at five o'clock, atia
found the deceased in the bath, quite dead, with his thmat cut
There was a razor lying on the side of the bath, which was give„
to Mr. Sadler. The deceased had undressed himself, and
hung up his clothes in the greatest order.
Jacob Jeremiah Iloldehip. a Quaker, affirmed that he was ma.
eager of the baths, and had known the deceased for three yes,,
he hal been changeable and wavering within the last three weeks.
‘Vitnem saw him come to the bath, and he gave witness a neves!.
letter to take to Mrs. Layman. Witness saw him in the bit a,
the situation described, quite dead ; he found the slip of paper gi,et
to Mr. Sadler (quoted above.)
ness_ s par(S%'ieness p "areel, directed to
Curtly:ow Ea.--rhaiVhatcaecic.om pied it ?noticed
Captain Edgecumbe).
IVitness a mtinued—The deceased was a married leak and
lived happily wi:h his wife, excepting on matters cookery. •
[ Here the Coroner opened the parcel alluded to above; it
con.
teinod two books, one written by the deceased, and the other the
.work of A ccum, the chymist. It a'so contained several letters-
CORONER—Here is a letter, or copy of a letter, but I d Ir.'t
know whether I ought to read it or not ; it is sired Millen
Layman.
111 r. Jones--I should say that is in the deceased's hand-writing.
Coen,/ER—llene is another, but they are in different hands.
Mr. Jones--This does not appear to be in his hand-writing.
Mr. Holdehip thought it night be his daughter's writing, Lu:
decided in the negative on looking at it.
The CORON ER read the copy aloud ; it purported to be a corn
of a letter, dated March, 1822, and addresser' to Admiral sir
Cockburn, upon the subject of preserving the lives of seamen; he
also read (to himself) the letter which was proved to be in the
hand-writing of the deceased.
Mr. M. Jones said he had known the deceased about six months;
he rented a house of him from October, but had since told witness
lie could no linger live there, as the cook behaved so badly to hint.
Mi'itneos questioned tile cook upon the subject, and she could
aia,n no reason for having provoked his displeasure, as he (the de-
ceased) had presented her with a sovereign for her good behaviour.
The deceased, however, still complained of the cook, god winless
took her into his own service. Demised called at witness's house,
and paid him what lie owed hint ; witness asked him if he intended
leaving, and he replied that he d.d not know what to do; they
wanted him to be sent to London, but he could not live there, sag
wee all dirt and poison. It he went there he should be poisoned,
as he could not eat any thing in London ; 111 r. Accum was the only
man who knew any thing upon that subject. Cheltenham (the
deceased acid) was the d—st place in all the world; the met
was most filthy. Now (said Mr. Jones) it is very well lam
that the water in Cheltenham is excellent. When it rained, the
deceased used to send the cook to hold a dish under the slates to
catch the water. Witness was ennvinced he was not of sound tiled
at the time he committed the act.

The Coronerand Jury now proceeded to Woodland Cottage, to
view the body, whither it had been removed, under the (brims of
Sir William Hicks, Ban., the Chief Magistrate. Ihe le:, side of
the threat pre,ented a cut of several inches in length aoil depth,
which must have occasioned almost instant dea:h.
On the return of the Jury to the Inn, the Coroner stated that
there was a letter.

Before he read it, he desired the Court to be cleared.
The Jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict of •'
sanity."

SUIPPI NG INTELLIGENCE.

LIVERPOOL, SATVILDAT, MAT 27.
Arrived the Elizabeth end Sarah, Bainbridge, from Memel; Mediterra-
nean Packet, Hewan, from Cephalonia; Sophia Juliana, Wolff, Loin
Dantzle ; Cecilia. Domuitsky, from ditto , Johannes, —, (tom ditto.
The Ardent, from St. Vincent'a, la off.

EAST INDIA SHIPPING.
The Company's eblp Buckinghamshire arrived off the Wight the Nth
instant, from China. She left the Cape the 20th March, and Si. Hs,rns
the 4th April. The Lord Lowther outward bound, and the PTIVIMS
Charlotte of Wales, homeward bound, were at St. Helena whet its
ISuckingham•hire left that !stand.

The 41. John, Freeman. from the Mauritius, has arrived off Plymouth
sailed the 11th February and St. Helena the ?2tl March.
The Alfred, Lamb. from Bombay on the Ist April; Sutton, and
the Lord II ungerford, Talbert, from Bengal, on the 3d ; Coldstream, Halt,
from Madras; Pallas, Black, from the Mauritius; and the Harmonic.
-, from Bourbon on the 4th.

SAILING FROM Si. HIGLIINA.—David Scott, Thornhill, on the 2d Apia.
ARRIVAL AT MANILLA.--Vamco de Game, -, from China.
ARRIVAL AT Rio Jws stao.—Richard and John, Payne, from London
bound to the Mauritiu..

Passengers per the Buckinghamshire, Captain Glasspool, from Mai.—
John Fowler, Esq. General le Hera, F. J. de Payne, Esq. Mr. Thuroid,
late Fifth Officer of the Royal George ; Mr. Tighe, late Hon. Com-
pany's ship Lord Lowther ; Mrs. Colebrooke and family, Jir. and Urs.
Hemmings and family, Lieutenant Treasdale, his Majesty's 13th Lislt
Dragoons, Lieut. Toward,his Majesty's Moth Foot, Mr. J. M. Greethain
and Ives, late of the Perseverance, Mr. Partridge, of the Lord Lowther.
ARRIVAL. AT Tux Care.—The Columbia, Chapman, Gum Bengal is
March ; Superior, Smith, from Monte Video, on the 14th ; Alred, Lamb,
from Bombay on the 17th; his Majesty's ship Athol, Murray, from Sierra
Leone fur India.

Discov FRY Vtisser.s.—The final orders for the Adven-
ture and Beagle surveyir', and discovery vessels came down
on Thursday. They are bound on a most interesting ex-
pedition ; and, from its peculiar nature, a great accession
of information is likely to result to the natural and scien-
tific, as well as to the nautical and astronomical world.
From Captain King's important surveys of New Holland,
a few years since, which were executed in a manner so
highly creditable to himself, and satisfactory to the Lords
of the Admiralty, he has been selected to command these
1 vessels. The former vessel has nine, and the latter three
chronometers, so that the longitudinal position of the
•,laces they visit may be ascertained with the greatest mu-
racy. The officers are instructed to make collections of all
ns of natural history; and these are
new and rare..Tecime
to be considered tn.., property of the public, and will pro-
bably be deposited on the return of the vess,?l% in the Bri-
tish Museum. As they are to proceed along the coasts of
La Plata, Paraguay, Patagonia, and Terra del Fuego.
round Cape Horn, &c., we may easily conceive that their
labours will be most arduous and anxious; they have,
therefore, been furnished with eretrything to contribute
to the health, co nfort, and convenience of their crews,
who were paid their advance on Friday. They sailed ea
Minday forenoon, with a favourable Wia4.;-1,772°414
Journal.

MARRIRI).
On the 24th inst. at Cranbrook. the Rer. Henry cleaver. If.A. Stodrot
of Christ Church, and or Flawkhurst, Kent, to Caroline Charlotte Rath
mina, daughter of the Right Hun. Lady Louisa de Spain.
On the 2Gth that. at Rath, Johu Pistor, Esq. (who now aontraes the maw
of Worthington) to Elisabeth, aecond daughter and co-heiress of the lag
C. Worthington, Esq. of Lan.dawn.cre.cent. and Lincoln.' Inn.
On the 25th Init. at Great Stokely, by the Rev. B. Lee, Jobn
Esq. of Farnwortb House, near Bolton, Lancashire, to Elite, yannini
daughter of the Rev. John Bailey, Vicar of the former place.
On the 27th, at Marylebone New Church, by the ter. I. S. froaPP,
Thomas Cathuall. Esq. of Pall-mall, to Alias Grindle, of Rerners.street.
On the 25th inst. J. LI. Mckinson.Et.q. of 'favi.tock-place, to )tartarets
dasigh:er of the Rey. J. W. Alexander, of Rayne, Essex.
On the Zid inet. at Walcut Church, by the Rev. Edward Gardiner, 1114,7.
C. Gardiner, to Harriet, only child of Charles Plunket, and niece
T. T. Villehoits. Esq. of Hannsworth, Hants.
On the 2nth init. at Kingston, Mr. Henry Mortimer, Gent. of Can't?
Inn, London, to MI6. Haynes, daugbter of John Baynes, Esq' of 6
Mujeity's Hock-yard, Portsmouth.

DIED.
At Hastings, on Friday last, Mr. Thomas Ringley Browne, gird 17 Yell"'
son of the late Thomas Browne, LL.D. of Trinity CO.:ege, Dublin.
At Cheshont, at the house of her son-in-law, Thomas Todd Walton.
oEfs
Durham.
int
,a.he
anthdiss;
Lately. the Rev. John Woolfe, 31. A. Scholar of lt•crcester
Dr. Finney's Founation, Dean of Hartlngton, and late Master of *
iereoforthTelizant4:arl,p.d.d..t.ll.4ino.f Lao:he •ter, In the county
Grammar School at Dilhorne, Staffordshire.
On the 2ith inst. at her residence, at Impington, in Huntingjortaire,
aged sereotY years, Mrs. Catherine Hovendcu, relict of the late ...jot
fluvemien.
On the 25th inst. In Upper Gower-street. Mrs. PbUtlpps, wife of Sem
uel
March Philllpp,
On the Ilb hist. at Caen, of consumption, In her 14th year, MITT'
third daughter of Captain Renwick, of the Royal Navy. et
Ou the 20th inst. at his a.-at, Shroton House. Dorset, George Frederl
Ryer., Rear-Admil al of the Blue, aged 67 years ; fatbtr of the pie•
sent Captain Ayres, R.N. and brother-In-law of the late Lord Amadei, of
Werdour. He was one of the best officers and Penmen In his Ifelestfasd-
vice, and a most excellent mon. He adorned the naval profession.
College one
On the 22d inst. at Haines. Sophia, widow of the late George Gra°t•
Esq. of Russell-place, London, aged 24, and sister-la-law a Captain Su.
Richard Grant, R.N.
Lately, Commander Joseph Hoy, R.N.

fluff
mor.2ing WATVmTinH.
after A 7 y, I,T,DON 13!!!12.5..ain

Printed at THE DRIT:SH PRESS Office, by J. W. CARLTON. No. Nh
Strand, and published by R. cA.N:ioN, suo place.