The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-02-17 00:00:00

31ARRIAGES IN LOW LIFE.

[From the neconshire Freehobier.l
Last week it became our duty to record the particulars of
a marriage in high lire; we have now to describe that of a
wedding in low life, the parties being inmates of that de-
lectable place Friary coast, or its environs—but to our
task. On Tuesday morning was married at Charles Church,
Richard Collicott, dairyman, aged 76, to Margery Greena-
way, aged 35, after a courtship of 29 days. The know-
ing ones of the " Court" and neighbourhood, having ob-
tained intimation that " Old Dick," as he is styled, was
about to be married, published the tidings amongst the
fraternity of sweeps, vagrants, &c., that " take their local
habitation" in these regions. A motley group of worthies
then sallied out, and being joined by the rabble of Higher
ar.d Lower-street, Water-lane, Friary-street, &c. attended
the " party," which was very limited, being only the happy
coupe and two friends, to the Church, saluting them
" ever and anon" with the most vulgar epithets. Their
retinue increased to a very considerable number before they
resch:d the Church-door, which was wisely shut after
the loving bride and bridegroom with their friends had
entered ; thus the ceremony was performed in quietness,
and the silken knot of Hymen tied without the modesty
of the fair lady being shocked by the rude gaze of vulgar
souls. The fees being paid, the parties left the sacred
edifice, for the purpose of going to their residence ;—their
peregrination to their home was marked in the same way
as their egress to the Church, by a crowd which was of
much gitater magnitude than that which accompanied
them on the entre. The bride, we understand, bolted
from the arm of her swain before they reached their
" sweet borne," for the purpose of taking refuge from the
salutes of the mobility. Sweet serenading was given them
under their window during the day, by several of the
'Misled! inhabitants of Friary-court. The whole had the
appearance of a jubilee, and indeed it might vie with the
celebrated wedding of Ballyporeen.
At St. Andrew's Church, on Monday sc'nnight, J.
'Holman, aged 45, a Knight of the Lapstone, to Rebecca
Harris, aged 75, a fire-flint and match seller, or, as Pierce
Egsn would term her, " a timber and stone merchant."
This amorous swain was intimidated into performing the
indissoluble contract, as, after he hail put in the banns with
his present rib, his fickle mind induced him to gallivant,
and he picked up with another lace, to whom, after using
soft persuasion, he got banned to at Storehouse Chapel.
Mrs. Rebecca Harris, having obtained intimation of this,
in propria personee denied the banns of her false swain :
with hard words did she threaten, and with tears did she
try to soften his heart; then, as the poet sung, " the
quarrels of lovers is but the renewing of love ;" they made
up the breach, and were happily united, as we have before
stated.

SUPEISTIT lON AND ( .REDULITY.—A report har&ngbeen
industziously circulated, and as generally believed, that a
small cottage in Old Melton was haunted, or rather in-
fested by invisible spirits, who played off divers pranks, to
the annoyance awl tarot of its occupiers, a most fur-
midable band of fanatics (amongst whom was one of the
late churchwardens of this place), proceeded last Thurs-
day night, to the scene of horror, in order to restore peace
to the affrighted' neighbourhood, by exorcising, through
fasting and prayer, the evil spirits from " their place of
refuge." Whether the ghosts were affected by the force
of inspired extempore elocution, or by the numbers of the
Faithful, or that, like Baal, "they were pursuing, or they
were on a journey, or, peradventure they slept, and must
be awoke," is not clearly made out; but one thing is cer-
tain—the exorcists "saw nor heard nothing." In this en-
lightened age, when thousands and toe of thousands are
spent in endeavouring to civilize a heathen world, how
forcibly are we stricken with the conviction, that, heft:ire
we attempt to instruct or reform others, we should begin at
liome.—York Courant.
WRECK I NO.—ln our last week's paper we noticed the
loss of the Unity, of Brixham, near Bude harbour, and
we have since heard, with much shame and sorrow, that,
our western coast is still degraded by the horrible crime of
" tore,iciv 2' Men, women, and children, are !mid to have.
flocked to the wreck, for the purpose of carrying of what-
ever they could ley their hands on. The placing eine of
Captain Manby's mortars at Bede would be attended with
ranch benefit. The Unity, we are told, might have been
saved, if any communication could have been made with
her from the shore ; and the crew of a ship wrecked it the
game place a few weeks ago might also have been saved
bad similar means been at band.—Ezeter Paper.