The Sun.
London, England, 1826-04-07 00:00:00

DEATH OF MR. FAULKNER,
OF THE THEATRES YORK, LEEDS, &c.

(Pram the Leeds Independent.)
We have apainful duty to:perform this week, in announcing
the premature death of 211 r. Faulkner, one of the Managers of
our Theatre, which took place at York on Saturday last. The
following are .the patcular! which have !tached us, and we

• P -
have every reason to believe they are perfectly authentic
On Saturday morning, about' half-past seven o'clock, a hat
and stick were discovered on the banks of the river,'a little dis-
tance from the Well-house, on the New Walk. The manner
in which they were found,' precluded the idea of their being
placed there by accident; the conjecture that some one had
come to an untimely end was immediately adopted and proved
too correct. The man who found the hat and stick alarmed a

person named Clarke, who lives at a small house in the Walk:
he soon after commenced dragging the river ; but it was half-

past two o'clock before the body was found ; in the mean time
the hat and stick had been recognized as belonging to allr.
Faulkmov—therefore, the friends of that gentleman were fully
prepare,,,to find that the body was his ; it was conveyed to the
Light Horseman public-house, on the Fulford-road ; and
notice being sent to the Coroner, a Jury was immediately
summoned.

The melancholy news being conveyed to Mr. Downe, Mr..
Faulkner's parner, a handbill,a which the follciwing is a copy,
was imtnediately issued :
" THEATRE ROYAL, Yoßßee-The public is most respect
folly informed, that on account of the awful and sudden death
of Mr. Faulkner, the Theatre will be`elosed this evening, and
remain so until urther notice.--e April 1, 1826."
At six o'clock, the Inquest on the body was held by Mr.
Wood, one of the Coroners for the county. Several gentlemen
who knew the deceased, and others connected with the-
Theatre, were present ; and the following is an abstract of their
evidence, taken on the occasion :---
•John Holmes, of North street, gas lighter to the Theatre.•
went to the New Walk about two o'clock this afternoon, in,
search of the deceased, who had been missing since six o'clock.
in the morning. Witness was induced to go, by bearing that a.
hat and stick had been found in the Walk. They had a boar
and creepere, and found the body in about an hour.
Robert Dearlove confirmed the last witness's testimony. He. T,
said the deceased was ill some time since at Hull, when witness '
assisted him in and out of bed, and he appeared to be wild ire
his conversation, bueneVer otherwise observed any thing like
his being insane.
. Martin Andews, of the 'I hentre, had known the deceased for'
the last twelve years ; and had -frequently observed symptoms .1
of insanity about him. Witness saw him last alive yesterday
morning, when deceased said, his Sunderland creditors would:,
~
seize every thing he had, and tomorrow would be his ruin 4, .. -
that they had locked up his raizors • and he Pitthis:silk hand-
i.
kerchief round his neck, and shewedi witness how nicely he could --1. -
hang himself by the bedside. Whitness argued with him upon /.-....!
so rash a step, and at length he became inure composed. le it-
nests has reason to know, that there were considerable claims upon
him .fro'm
,Sunderland, and that the persons there had been
pressing for the last five or six years. The debts were contracted
by him and ids partner Mr. Anderson,
-zo' long ago as eleven e
or twelve year.
Robert Hamilton, of the Theatre Royal, has known the de- '.
ceased seven or eight months. lie has frequently appeared to t .
witness to be delirious. Witness Saw him last night about ten
o'clock, and he then appeared to talk very Wildly. -Witness saw
him into bed, and did not leave him until he was asleep. Dur-
ing
the conversation, deceased appeared to win-less to be quite
derangell. -
Verdict—Drowned himself in a fit ofAtivanity.
After the Inquest, the corpse was conveyed to Mr. Faulk- .
ner's lodgings. He has left tive children, two sons and three :
daughters ; two of the latter were residing with him, who were
immediately removed to Mr. Downes' house—where they
have received every kind attention front Mr. .and Mrs. !,
Downe. The other children are at a'boarding-school, at Hull,
and the melancholy intelligence has bean conveyed to them by
letter. Mr. Faulkner has left a brother, a single gentleman, in ,
good circumstances, at present residing at Brussels; and, is .
sister to the late Mrs. Faulkner, .Miss Browne, at present ,
resides as companion with Mrs. Avison,• of Liverpool. These!:
are the only
,relatives whose residence is known, though "the 0
late Mrs. F. had several brothers, who, it is believed, ar
still.
The
alive.
pre-disposing; cause of this rash act on the part of
Mr,
Faulkner was .undoubtedly pecuniary embarrassMents, amain
. from the pressure made upon hint by his creditors in Sunder. i.
land, where he for some years managed the Theatre, in con
*talon with Mr. Anderson, and where he had contracted debtsii
insotnvoelvreadyimn
eantsChpaennedeirnyg
Dio.rir
an.oonsn,sti
tjsdnti
oe:ehine amount,nmiaosubnalir.eiyDtflioravtnn,dSunderlandeaa.
tii ' Ithe t ,
cr y existencelately.
rw
.1)
hadi cl i waslso ebr let,
..i.
or grill f- . '
toome,nA
ri unknownaaredbar..ceeft
thiti month. Among his letters were found several dunnia
~
t
nysw:d°llilultiticclteirferieoo:r;sfyieip:etolecollrilisttiesi.o:ne:gdatinfieUnadaeli ittibilU-tlaShin: iePd:°‘ll riliteobtfiliVftlyeceeulithiltatihsarhe:taottetl:::entibtl:Sel,:'n:;;,'.
, ,
pate himself, preyed upon a mind already touched with in t: S
sanity, add produced that event .which cannot be too much tie
plored.
~ W
We may. add, that.the!' inanity which affected Mr, Faulk';;
ner appears to have been in some degree hereditary ; 1111';•
father died in a private asylum, at Gateshend, in a Jude b t .
mental derangement;. and he himself was nailer ,coniinel'
ment some years beck. In fact, we have been informed by:
i
those who were mist intimate with. him; that his converse '.-
tion and conduct displayed evident signs of a disordered in
~
tellect. .
We have been thus minute in !dating the particulars of th.is.
surviving manager, which we know-to- be most false and un
uhnitsfobmeetnnabteusayffiatsirs,bpereczatstitisLrarn‘i,ocroirrt,itetowitlheeiri
fist:t,trarritecingtoenogluet4
fotinded ; attriliuting the , derangement under which „Alf
Faulkner laboured, and his consequent suicide, to the'effe.c44
of :Mr. DowrieN .conduct, -
plate-between them. For these reports, we can confidently
be, attested by
state there is no foundation whatever. The late differen4)
at Hull did not originate with Mr. Downe; indeed .31t.
and the quarrels which tau
Faulkner has declared since, (and his declarations csP
he *as to blame—and r't'eltiohiswpintretdneurr
ciliation between them was cordial and sincere. Since the !
persons
arrival at York, Mr. Downe did all in his power to alleviate ti
distress of mind underivhich-he' found Mr. Faulkner labouring4'
and when he learnt that it arose from pecuniary embartavynal!;
he off'ereti him , assimance to the utmost extent of his priv:llo.
means. His landladheard Mr. F. declare only two clays bt
fore his death, that Jr.M litiwne had -behaved like a gentled; ll_
to him, and that he was very much obliged-to him for his kin f'
ainldhitnhlat dally)
elylectohri
ness. We hope to hear no more of those rumours which rr. .
tend so materially to detract.frour the reputation of a deserve ~
individual. We understand Mr. Downe has declared that t .
children of Mr. Faulkner shall stand precisely,. in the
place ,
their late father, with respect_ to the. Theatre, and share all . : !
emoluments arising from the concern.CC:concern.
,

f

PAP.I f, J Lllll LEE.—Dr. Poil:rin, the 1101001
Catholic liishop of the London district, illiviNt
'received-!the. 8011. of -Lao X 11.,. extending •11
observance. of the Jubilee to the Ca'holics ,r?
England, has appointed Sunday next for its cot
mencrinent in his. iiibtesp. it will therefore
published
.in all Catholic (11111)1'1S on that da 1
and u soleinn irevocatiost of the holy Ghost is PI,
precede the ordinary service. Its duration i::1 . O.
continue for six. months.. looks of instruct 8
and devotion are7already printed for the occasi .1,
t,
------ -------------':,e--.--.--- i...._.--.-2:-..n..--!:-_-,.-..-..: --.-
131 ItTlf.
On the Gth inn. in Harley-street, the Lady of Thos. Sotto
Cocks, Est. of a daughter.
_......:..;.

MARRIED. . „.-
r
Yesterday, at Sr. Mary's, hiz atnbeth, W. Sydney W" ,
Esq., of Upper Bedford-place. RusselLsquare, to Eliza hoi I,
lip
youngest daughter of the late F. R. Holdaworth, Esq.,a( i.lr
ham Rise, StYrrey ; and of Dawlish, in the county of Deli , ,r,
At St. Pancras New Church, on Wednesday, Lieutena 4,
Smith, R. N. to Anne A tnelia,eldest daughter of the late
Thomas M;les, R.N. - L

L • DIED.
On the Oth inst. at illackheath, J. Allen, Esq. Of Cl4Ol
Inn.
On Friday, the 31at ult.. at the Observatory, Cambailg
Ilan*, the wife of allr. Profexsor Woodhouse, and daurw
of the late. W. Wilkins, Esq. of Novi'11111"R• • 'di'
On Saturday last, a loug and protracted illness. 7
41st year of his age, F. Coupland, Exci., of liunslet, near 149,
Yesterday niorrang,in the Igth year of her age, Sara St
wife of Mr. .1. N. Gardner, of Charlotte-street, Iliac k fri ar.,•To4'
On the 4th inst. glary Anne, wileof Francis P. Muddr,
of diti Royal Regiment or

Printed arid PubilAbed fai the PrtOPRICTOIIi, At tbetitil
FicE, No. Strand by J. B. I: vtiT4iiis,f