The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-14 00:00:00

INCENDIARY FIRE.

HITCHIN HERTFORDSHIRE, Nov. 12.—An alarm-
ing fire broke out last night, about nine o'clock, at
the farm called Lilley Hoo, situate about midway be-
tween this town and Luton, in Bedfordshire, and a
few miles only distant from the locality of the destruc-
tive fires which occurred in the latter county somr.i
months ago. The house being a substantial brick
building, fortunately escaped destruction, although at
one period serious apprehensions were entertained for
its safety, inasmuch as the window sashes and sash
frames literally caught fire from the extreme heat
emitted from the contiguous burning buildings, which
led the persons assembled to move the furniture out
of the house, and much of it was broken and other-
wise damaged. The farm-buildings, principally
thatched, forming a quadrangle in front of the house,
were wholly destroyed, notwithstanding the strenuous
exertions of many highly respectable gentlemen and
farmers living in the neighbourhood, assisted by the
labouring population, who, with some exceptions, be-
haved in a most praiseworthy manner. Their exer-
tions, however, failed, except to save the house, as the
fire was so fierce, assisted as it was by a high wind
from the north-east, that to rescue the buildings or
save the stock (consisting of a large quantity of wheat,
barley, hay, and straw), was quite out of the ques-
tion. We are happy, however, to say that the horses
and live stock were not consumed, owing to the pre-
sence of mind of the farm bailiff or servant, who im-
mediately on being called from his bed, whither he had
retired about twenty minutes, flew to the stables and
sheds, and drove the horses and other live stock
away from the premises. The house was in
the occupation of some young ladies of the name of
Bates, and there was at the time no male inmate ex-
cept the farm bailiff. The fire is supposed to have
been the act of some vile cowardiy incendiary, who
watched the reflection of the light from the window
of the bailiff's room, and soon after his candle was
extinguished, and when it might be presumed the
man had fallen asleep, set fire to some fresh thrashed
barley straw, which had been deposited in the pig..
genies at the back of one of the barn. 9, and outside the
premises, for the purpose of being kept dry, and
where it could not be necessary to take a light for
any lawful purpose whatever. The wind blew
strongly from the point where the stracw was deposited,
and wafted the flames across the yard, and so com-
municated them to the stables, coach-houses, cattle
and cart sheds, which were soon reduced to a mass
of smouldering ruins. The Luton, Hitchin, and
Of engines were soon on the spot, .and did all that
could be done under the very able assistance of Mr.
Phillips and Mr_ Newton, but the flames were se
rapid in their course as to have effected the principal
work of destruction before the arrival of the engines.
The prop:?rty belonging to Mr. Bates, and we believe
the buildings and stock, are insured, in the County
F ire-office ; but we fear from what we heard that the
insurance will fall far short of the loss sustained.
Very fortunately the rick-yard, c•antaining several
valuable hay and corn stacks, was situated at some
distance from the premises, and luckity the wind blew
from the direction in which they stood„ and from that
circumstance they were saved from the devouring
flames.

LATE HOURS OF BUSINES£4.—A very numerous
meeting of persons engaged in the vadous branches of
the wholesale drapery trade was held last night at the
Gerard's Hall Hotel, Basing-lane, for the purpose of
taking into consideration the propriety of discontinuing
business at an earlier hour on every Sutturday than that
at which warehouses close under the existing system.
Mr. Bennock was called to the chair. Mr. Smith pre,
posed a resolution expressive of the opinion of the meet.-
ing, that a restriction of the hours of occupation in
drapery warehouses on Saturday evenings would be
highly advantageous to those employed in them. The
resolution was carried unanimously, as was a resolution,
that as the system of restricting hours of occupation in
wholesale drapery warehouses succeeded so well in Man-
chester, it ought to be adopted in London.
MANUFACTURES AT PERTIL—We linderStand that
manufacturing establishment here has taken premises to
commence the manufacture of the goods called unions, the
is, dresses of cotton and woollen comiiined by means of
power-looms. This is the first attempt at the introduction
of steam power to manufactures in this place, and We
hope it will bo successful, and lead to• an extension of
such establishments. The prices of hand-loom weaving
have advanced a fraction during the last month, and the
prospect of the winter trade here is favourable for the
w ork re an .—Perth Courier.

BIRTHS.
On the 10th inst., at Gainsborough, the lady of the Rev.
James Henry Willan, of a daughter.
On the 11th inst., at Gonalston, Nottinghamshire, the lady
of John Francklin, Esq., of a son.
On the 11th inst., at Burnham, Somersetshire, Elisabeth,
wife of B. T. Allen, Esq., solicitor, of a son.
On the 11th inst., at Fenchurch-street, Mrs. Samuel
Harris, of a daughter.
On the 12th inst., at Wells, Somersetshire, the lady •of Mr.
William J. S. Foster, solicitor, of a son.
On the 12th inst., the lady of Henry Robert Pearson, Esq.,
of Michael's-place, Brompton, of a daughter.
On the Bth inst., at Brighton, the Right Hon. Lady Head-
ley, of a daughter.
On the 11th inst., Mrs. James Ward, of Jewin-street,
Aldersgate, of a daughter.
On the 11th inst., at Romney-terrace, Westminster, the
wife of J. C. Atkinson, Esq., of a daughter.

MARRIED.
On the 12th inst., at St. Mary's, Lambeth, Mr. James Bol:
livant Tomalin, of Pentonville, to Charlotte Mary, secona
surviving daughter of the late Mr. Charles Fox, of the
Grange, Bermondsey.
On the 12th inst., at Marylebone Church, Hugh, only sOn
of Hugh Davis, of Maesgamedd, Merioneth, Esq., to Mary:
second daughter of the late Walter Clerk, Esq., of East
Bergholt House, Suffolk.

DIE
On the 24th of August, at UD.
mballa, in the East Indies'
John Edward Jenkins, Esq., of her Majesty's 31st Regiment
of Foot.
On the 19th of September, at Lance, near Ahmedabad,
Captain Osbert Davenport Ottley, Ist Bombay European
Regiment (Fusiliers), aged 37.
On the 27th of September, at Geneva, H. R. Leyburn, Esq"
of Clapham-road. c St.
On the 3d inst., Edward, son of W. Chamberlin, °-
Leonard's-on-Sea.

On the 4th Inst., at Ealing, Mr. Dore, late of Exeter.
On the 6th inst., Lieutenant Malcolm R. Dyett, R N„„to,
On the 7th inst., at the Vicarage, St. Mary Bourne,
Mary, infant daughter of the Rev. S. J. I. Lockhart. „,..s.
On the 9th inst., in Ormond-row, Richmond, Surrey,
Holland, aged 74.
On the 11th inst., Charles Ilamerton, Esq., of 'cPelicer-
street, Northampton-square, aged 76. y
On the 12th inst., at Newington-place, Kennington, Mary
the
e ife of Mr. John Barnett, R.N.
the 12th inst., at Rochester, Mary Cook, late of Fouth-
street, Spitalfields.

London: Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG'II2 of
No. 112, Strand, Printer,..at The Bux office, No.
Strand, in the Precinct pf the Savoy, in the COIL tl'
Middlesex, Thursday, lOvember 14,1844.