The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-27 00:00:00

PARKER, THE MUTINEER.

Our readers may recollect, that about a month since
(October 22) a paragraph appeared, stating that the wife
of Richard Parker, the principal mutineer at the Nore, had
appeared at a police-office to claim parish relief, and to pass
into her native country, Aberdeenshire. This statement
having attracted the notice of some philanthropic indi-
viduals, they resolved to rescue this poor, old, blind, forlorn,
and destitute woman from the inconvenience of a journey of
500 miles in this inclement season, with the intention of
tracing relations, who probably had ceased to exist ; and
with this benevolent and praiseworthy intention they re-
moved her from St. Giles's workhouse to the Orphan Asy-
lum, Wellclose-square, and published a short account of her
extraordinary history. We have been much struck with the
clear and intelligible manner in which the afflicted widow
reverts to the minutest circumstances of this interesting
event, and the extraordinary part she bore therein ;—her
reception at the Palace with the petition for her husband's
life ; witness of his execution when she was not allowed a
parting interview, although she had travelled 500 miles for
that purpose, having been liberally supplied by her friends
with money to purchase substitutes for her husband, and
reclaim him from his perilous position ; her interview with
Admiral Bucknor ; the extraordinary means by which she
effected the exhumation of the body, and brought it to
London ; the interference of the Lord Mayor ; and the
steps taken to avoid the apprehended tumult at the funeral :
all of which matters seem indelibly impressed on her me-
mory, notwithstanding her great age, and the heavy afflic-
tions she has endured ; and she narrates the smallest cir-
cumstance in the most graphic manner, leaving no doubt to
be entertained of the truth.

It seems that Parker was entitled, by reversion to a
maternal property, of about 200/. per annum, and this he
willed to his wife, who for nearly half a century appears to
have enjoyed it ; by what means this property has been
alienated we have not yet learned, but for the last five or
six years she has subsisted upon the remains of her personal
property, and during that time received some charitable
donations from those who " do good by stealth, and blush
to find it fame."

Our kind-hearted Monarch, with that benevolence which
always prompts him to respond to the petition of the sailor's
widow, has, during that interval, presented her with two
sums of 201. and 101., as the letters of Sir H. Wheatley
(which we have seen) testify ; this is an act of grace
which deserves the more praise for the disinterestedness on
the part of our beloved King, who allowed not the cha-
racter of the husband to thwart his charity and commise-
ration for his desolated relict. We doubt not, that could
any charitable individuals be induced to interest them-
selves for this poor creature, whose sojourn in this world
cannot, in the course of nature, be long, the property ad-
verted to, or a portion of it to suffice her wants, may be
recovered, and a sufficient sum for that purpose would be
subscribed. Our mite shall not be wanting ; and what-
ever may have been the crimes of the husband, we trust

that circumstance will not induce our readers to withhold
their charity ; and it must, moreover, be remembered,
that, for a considerable period, upwards of a dozen sail
of the line, and a prodigious number of merchant ships,
with valuable cargoes which had been accumulated under
the guns of the Fleet, were completely under the con-
troul of Parker, who could, by a single word, have trans-
ferred them to the Directory of France. It is true, that
during the latter period of his usurpation, he might not
have been able to persuade the seamen to join in so
abominable a design ; but it is unquestionable, that for a
long time the destiny of the Fleet was in his hands ; and
when the history of the period is considered, the state of
the French Navy and our own (for the victories of the
Nile, Camperdown, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar had not
then been achieved), there is much due to the man's for-
bearance. In fact, Richard Parker appears to have been
a character, who, if his talents had been developed under
favourable circumstances, would undoubtedly have attained
to distinction. His perilous eminence was, in a manner,
forced upon him ; and we really believe his intention was
to redress the grievances of which the seamen complained
(and let it be remembered, they were all subsequently
redressed), and then to surrender the Fleet into the
hands of the officers, in the same manner as had been
done at Spithead. When his adherents fell off, he ap-
pears to have made no attempt to escape—and he could,
up to the last moment, have taken off one or more ships—
but surrendered himself to his fate, in the hope that his
life might expiate the crimes of his comrades ; a conduct
which, although in Parker's case displayed by a rebel and
a mutineer, has been exalted into heroism in persons who
had far less claim to such distinction.—Naval and Mili-
tary Gazette.

A novel feature in periodical literature is about to
be presented with the opening of 1837. In " Bentley's
Miscellany" for January, one of his contributors in himself
appears like his country's shamrock in the tripartite charac-
ter of poet, musician, and painter ; need we state that we
allude to that capital delineator of Irish life, Lover ; and it
will be curious to see how Cruikshank will stand beside
this new adventurer in the region of art. " Boz" and Cruik-
shank against Lover are, however, powerful odds. The
public must see and judge for themselves.
THE LATE GEORGE COLMAN.—One of the most
interesting features in the January Number of the " New
Monthly Magazine," to be edited by Theodore Hook, Esq.,
will consist of an article on the genius, wit, and humour of
the late George Colman, from which it is expected that the
friends and admirers of that distinguished dramatist, as well
as the public at large, will derive much gratification. In
the same number will be given no less than fifteen other
original contributions by Theodore Hook, Esq.—the Au-
thor of " Tremaine "—the Hon. Mrs. Norton—the Author
of " Rejected Addresses "—N. P. Willis, Esq.--Miss Lan-
don—Douglas Jerrold, Esq.—J. B. l3uckstone, Esq.—Al-
fred Crowquill, Esq.. &c. &c.
A CHARGE TO THE JURY :BY AN AMERICAN
JUDGE.—" Murder, gentlemen, is where a man is murde-
rously killed. The killer in such a case is a murderer.
Now murder by poison is as much murder as murder with
a gun. It is the murdering that constitutes murder in the
eye of the law. You will bear in mind that murder is one
thing and manslaughter another ; therefore, if it is not
manslaughter, it must be murder. Self-murder has nothing
to do in this case. One man cannot commit felo de se on
another ; that is clearly my view. Gentlemen, I think you
can have no difficulty, Murder, I say, is murder. The
murder of a brother is called fratricide, but it is not fratri-
cide if a man murders his mother. You will make up your
minds. You know what murder is, and I need not tell you
what it is not. I repeat, murder is murder. You can re-
tire upon it if you like."
THE MARRIAGE RING.—A few days since a cir-
cumstance occurred at Lamerton, in this county, which for
the time gave rise to no little feeling of anxiety as well as of
mortification in the breasts of the pair most interested, as
also that it has afforded a topic for conversation for the
whole parish. A couple having resolved to bind themselves
in Hymen's chains, repaired after due notice to the Church
for the purpose. 'The clergyman attended, and the cere-
mony had proceeded to the part at which the ring is to be
produced, when, conceive the consternation of the Bride-
groom and terror of the Bride, at finding he had left it at
home ! ! What was to be done—to return for it the dis-
tance forbad—several rings were tried, but though extra
size would have been in this emergency, no objection, it Is
indispensable the hoop of good should be large enough.
Time was flying fast, and soon must the matter at least have.
been deferred to another day, when the clergyman, feeling
for the situation of the pair before him, dispatched a mes-
senger to his own house, requesting the loan of the ring of
his better half, which being kindly acceded to, and all right
—the parties were made one, and the ceremony finished.--
Devonport Independent.

T. COX SAVORY, Goldsmith, &c., 47, Cornhill,
London, informs the Public, that he offers SILVER WATCHES,
on the celebrated PATENT LEVER CONSTRUCTION, (the
most accurate on which a watch can be made) for SIX GUINEAS
EACH, with all the latest improvements, i. e. the detached escap
ment, jewelled in four holes, capped, hand to mark the seconds, hard
enamelled dial, and maintaining power to continue going while wind-

ing up. hand
N.13.—1f in hunting Cases, 10s. 6d. extra.—Second-
Watches purchased in exchange.

B IR THS.
On the 21st inst., Mrs. J. Anderson, of Highbury-place, of a sol_1;
On the 2.)d inst., Mrs. J. P. Kennard, of Lombard-strect, of
daughter.
On the 22d inst., the lady of the Rev. S. Wilberforce, of a daugh-
ter, which lived only till the day following.

MARRIED.
On the 21st inst., at Hanwell Church, Mr. John Kent, of Houn-
slow, Middlesex, to Mary Ann, third daughter of Mr. A, Wood, of
New Brentford.
On the 24th inst., at St. Mary's,
Islington, E. Newton Bryant,
Esq., of Gibson-square, to Ann, eldest daughter of H Bennett,
Esq., Compton-terrace.

DIED.
On the 23d inst., at Totnes, Devonshire, the Rev. John Nether-
ton Edwards.
On the 21st inst., at Kensington, Mrs. Elizabeth Williams.
On the 26th of August, at Poonah, Jane,
des
Esq., of the Hon. East India Company's Civil Service, and el t
W
daughter of the late , Swaine, Esq., of Leverington, in Cam-
bridOgeshire. wife of J. M. Browne,
n the 21st inst., at the Vineyards, Great Baddow, Essex,
aped
59, Anne, wife of Mr. T. Probert, of Newport, Essex, solicitor,
and eldest daughter of the late Rev. Thomas Carwardine, of Colne
Priory, in the same county.
On the 23d inst., at Kilburn, Thomas Sanctuary, third son of the
Mr. M. Hill, of Waterden house, Norfolk, aged 30.
On the 23d inst., aged four years and a half, Anne Elizabeth,
the only surviving daughter of the late Mr. J. Cauthorn, bookseller,
of
OCocksur-street.
n thep 25th inst., Miss Sarah Shakspear, niece of W. J. Lyon,
Esq., of Walbrook and Claremont-square

London : Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, of is o.
112, Strand, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the county
of Aliddlesex.—Tuesday, December 27, lea.