The Sun.
London, England, 1801-03-14 00:00:00

PIII,IA±E

A. short &Count hating afaieaieti in a Morn-
ing Paper, -of tligeemale Swindler who resided late-
ly at BlackhiAth, wliere she had the address to de-
fraud various tradesmen, of property to the amount
of zo,oOol. and upwards, we are enabled to give
the particulars of the whole transadion. This
impostor had a Boarding School on Cthome'sz
hill two years, during which titne she repre-
sented herself as heiress to.severallarge estates,
particularly to that of an uncle in Scotland,
on whose demise she should. come into posses-
sion of roo,oool. Under the impression of
these high sounding appearances, she assumed
all the consequence attached to birth, fortune,
and expedations ; and, from the Manner of ad-
dress, and the lofty
_stile which she assumed, the
people in the neighbourhood of Blackheath and
Greenwich really believed every thing she thought,
proper to advance. In May la%t she sent to a
Mr. Creasy, of Greenwich, a man of property,
by trade a Currier, whom she informed that her
uncle Alexander • Stuart Robertson, of Fascally,
was dead, and begged he would -accompany her to
a respedable Attorney, in Crane-court, Fleet-
street, to arrange matters preparatory to her tak-
ing possession. Mr. Creasy complied, and went
with her to the Gentleman's house in question ;
Miss R. in stating the business to the Attorney,
desired he would make out a factory (the usual pro-
cess for conveying Scotch property) for i6OOl.
year on the estate of her late uncle, Alexander Stuart
Robertson, of Fascally, and a bond for soool. to
be drawn on the Agent who had the superintend.
ance of the estate, and who she said had been ap-
pointed to receive her rents. A few days aster this
transaction, she again sent to Mr. Creasy, and
knowing him to be a man of property, asked him
to lend her two thousand pounds, until the settle.
ment of her affairs at liascallr. Mt. Creasy
not having the slightest -stispicion of any part
of what had been advanced being untrue, readily
complied, and likewise recommended her to
all the trades-people of the town. Desirous of
an elegant house, she fixed upon a very hand-
some one in the Paragon, which was in an unfi-
nished state : thiS house she purchased on credit ;
and, through the recommendation of creasy,
engaged bricklayers, carpenters and painters, to
finish the premises in the most expensive stile
imaginable ; and ordered Mr. Driver, the nur-
seryman, to spare no expense in planting the
shrubberies, and improving the'pleasure-grounds.
--While these improvements were going for-.
ward, Miss Robertson set up three carriages ; a
coach, sociable, and pbst-chariot ; and while the
house and grounds were finishing, she and
Miss Sharp (who lived with her), continued
at Croome's.hill, from whence they made fre-
quent excursions to London ; the latter end of
June they set off for Brighton, where they figured
away with four hores and out-riders. The
horses they had on job from a stable-keeper at
Greenwich, and the carriages from different
coachmakers in London.
On their return in August last, Miss Robert-
son went to Hatt-hetes, and desired him to make
her an elegant char kit, with silver monidings, and
raised coronets of the same. Mr. Harchett treated
his customer with much respett, and hastened to
complete the order by the time promised, the
Queen's Birth-day, her cousin, Mr. Secretary Dun-
(Ls, intending on that day to introduce her at Court.
About this time the house was finished, bUt not
furnished : having heard that Mr. Oakley, in Bond-
staeet, was remarkable for the elegance of his
ware-rooms, she applied to him, through the me.
ilium of a man of respedability at Blackheath,
and, from the representations made to Mr. Oak-
ley, he agreed to furnish the house for 40001.
Things then went on in a very flourishing
way ; the drawing-rooms were painted in water
colours by one of the first artists in the King-
dom ; the walls in landscape, and the cieling
composed. of clouds, and appropriate devices.
—The looking-glasses, to the floor, were in
burnished gold frames, richly carved, with sta-
tuary marble slabs, and or molu ornamentse—
These six mirrors came to r tool. On the mar-
ble slabs in the principal drawing-room Were
placed a pair of Egyptian 'candelabras, the price
of which was 200 gu'ineas'; the principal bed
was cool. and every other article equally mag-
nificent.

During the three months that the furnishing of
the house was going forward, Mr. Oak!ey had
frequent conferences with his employer, Miss Ro-
bertson, when she frequently mentioned that she
had great
sexpeaations from rich rehttions in l_ndia,
and was continually receiving presents of great
value. Among the number lately arrived, was a
chimney-piece, then lying at the India-House,
worth, in that country, r tool. and added, that
.it was her intention to build a thorn on purpose
to erect it in, adapted for balls or music. Mr.
Oakley Flo t being -perfedly satisfied with .ap-
, 'pearances, requested, when half the order had
been completed, the sum of toool. Miss Robert.
son felt herself hurt, and said, if he had any
doubts of his having his money when her afnirs
were settled at Fascally, he might apply to her
sister, Lady Paget, or to her cousin the Bishop
of London. "If you have any farther. doubts
(added Miss Robertson), apply to Sir Richard Hill,
who has known me froth infancy. Sir Edward
Law (the present Attorney.Gcneral) can speak
to my respectability." From these bold asser-
tions Mr. Oakley -proceeded with the order, but
when nearly completed, he ju;iged it proper to
wait upon the Bishop 'of London and Sir Richard
both those Gentlemen said they had no
firth& knowledge of a Miss Robertson, than by a
'card, which a person of that name hal been. in
the habit of leaving at the houses of persons of.
.•

Upon this discovery, in February laqt, Mr.
Oakley took out a writ, and with Forel Ofti-
ters,.his own men, and several carts, went down
,to Blackheath, and laid in wait till nine o'cloz:k
:(being, informed that Miss Robertson dined
out), when the carriage came home, but no Miss
Robertson. From this circumstance it appeared
'bat she had received intimation of wiiat was

• •

loin* -fOrtViiiii would nod fitiiiii; Me 4
OakleT) finding he could.not take the body, eon-
trived ro get into the . house; and let in hi !Tien,
who disrobed the Mansion of its furniture by six
o'clock the next morning, hating, Worked hard
all night, At nine o'clock in the morning came
in an'exectition, under virtue of which the remain;
ing part of the property wan sold by auction on
the premises.

No discovery has yet been made as to the
place of residence of this swindler. Mr. Pearce,
haberdasher, of St. Paul's Church-Yard, met het
on Saturday last, in Bishopsgate-street, dressed
man's clothes and boots, with Miss Sharp leaning
on her arm.—The following persons have been de-
frauded to a large amount Greenwich the
Carpenter of i.tool. the Bricklayer of 9o0!. th.f.
Painter and Glazier of 7001; the Stable keeper,
who lent the horses, of 3001. The Whrseryinan,
for laWns and pleasure grounds, of 4001. Mess.
Clark, of Fleet.strect, Silversmiths, a superb side,
board of plate. Messrs. OM and Morris, and
Mr. Pearce, of St. Paul's Churchyard, are among
the number of defrauded; A Milliner in Bond_
street, for dresses and laces, of 2601. •

This female Proteus had pretended to great sane_
tiny in religion, was a devOtee, and attended.seve-
ral Presbyterian and other meetings; where she
worked upon the Chrlstian bo*els of the compat-
siOnate and liberal,. by borrowing .money in the
way of loan, reprerenting- herself as a person of
family in distrefSed circumstance's. In person
she 'is plain, much marked bY the small•pox,
about five feet two inches -in heitht,• insinuating
in her manners, and speaks in art elevated tone of

THE ORATORIOS.

Corpent.Gai-dev.

•
THE grand composition of The 117-sriab, Ott_
tra&ed a numerous Audience to this Theatre last
night, and was given with a force and. coned.
ness nearly equal to the nivnorable performance
at Westnunstee Abbey. INCL EDON opened it
with a chaste simplicity, that does not often tuatk
his singing. Miss TENNANT, in "Rejoice- great',
0 DaugAter of Zion," acquitted herself in a
manner highly creditable to her abilities. Mrs.
SE coN D's, " I blow that my Releemer livetb;"
was one of the prominent merits of the Evening.
"The Trumpet shall sound," was sung by DEN.
MAN, and very well accompanied on .the Trumpet
by a new Performer, whose name we understand
is SMITH. Mrs, DUSSEK was prevented from at.
tending by indisposition,
At the end of the second Al, a Master NEATE
performed a Concerto on the riano-Forte in a
capital style. .

The PRINCE of WALES, and many of the No.
bility were present.

Hely -Market.
The new Oratorio of " theirct;an.
of Shunem," was performed last night at this
Theatre to an overflowing and-fashionable Au.-
thence. As it is from Works of this magnitude
and labour, that we are enabled to judge of the
talents and skill of a Composer, the pie sent Per.•
formance seems to• demand a full and critical in-'
vestigation.—As our limits do nor, however, al-
low tit to enter into minute particulars, we shall
confine ourselves- to general. remarks.•
The Story upon which the Oratorio of E/;sba
is founded has a strong interest for its founda-
tion. The Composer has therefore had free scope
for the display of powerful feelings and strong
passions ; and in the performance of this arduous
task, Dr. ARNOLD has even exceeded- the ex.
pedation which a long course of years, employed
in the display of very superior talents, had in.
duced us to form.
The Overture has a very spirited fugue, and
received the strongest testimonies of the public
approbation.
Madame MARA, who appeared to exert her
utmost talents on this occasion, sung no less than
five Songs and a part in a Trio. The Songs are '
such as admirably suit her powers, and are in the
highest degree beautiful and chatadedstie.
Mrs. MOUNTAIZf had only two songs and a
duet allotted her, which, notwithstanding she
laboured under the disadvantge of a violent cold,
she sung in such a style as did the highest credit
to her taste; her last song in particular, '' Let
sqefrtn Silence reiv," was given in a very finish-
ed manner—There is a very striking and masterly
modulation in the last mentioned conyositiou. •
Miss MARTYR had but one song, :but which
,was not the least beautiful in the Oratorio—she

gave it with much sweetness, and the composer
and singer shared in a long, loud and universal
applause.

Mr. T. WELSH had several fine airs, which he
executed well. Ni ELD' also, had his share ; and
VAUGHAN and Master KELLNER WerC SUCC._
full in the parts assigned to them : the latter has
a very pleasing Song, with a Harp accompmi.
merit.

There are several accompanied Recitatives,
which -divlay the ingenuity of the Composer ;
but, 'perhaps, the most masterly parts of the
whole are the Chorusses, of which too much can-
' not he said in-praise. Those beginning, " Sons.
If Israel," and " Almightj God," have been
conceived and written in. a style of, not only
.superior, but peculiar grandeur ; and • that of,
" Mc) iZ'at great God," possesses a degree of
beauty and solemnity surpassing most composi-
tions we have ever heard. The Chorus at the
end is original in its construaion, and excellent
in its execution; and the " Hai/eh/fah," and
•" Amen," with which it concludes, arc trials and
proofs of skill which no praise can over-value.
A _judicious variety prevails through the
whole of this perf..)rmance, and we have to con.
gratulate, not only Dr. AkNOLD on this ad.
dition to -his well-earned reputation, but thlt
Public, an the acquisitio►3 of a inusicai. perform.
ante which proves the cavicity of our own Coun.
4 rymen, to produce works of equal nognisvi.
and skill with any Foleigrat whatcur;

i ~ i