The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-19 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.

Yesterday morning a commission for inquiring into the
sanity of Mr. Richard Read Parry, of No. 11, Colebrook-row,
Islington, was opened at the Angel Inn, before Mr. Barlow
and 17 jurymen.
Mr. Cockburn and Mr-Prior appeared in support of the
commission, and Mr. James in opposition to it.
It appeared from the evidence of a number of witnesses,
that Mr. Parry was the second son of Mr. Roger Parry, who
filled a situation in the Bank of England, and who died in
1838, leaving two sons and a daughter. The gentleman
whose state of mind was the subject of inquiry early in
life embarked in theatrical pursuits, much against the
wishes of his family. He was manager of several provincial
theatres, and was himself a performer. His affairs became
embarrassed, and in 1822 he went to reside abroad
on an allowance of 200/. a-year from his father. On
the death of his elder brother, in March, 1844, he
returned to this country, and succeeded to the family
property, consisting of the freehold residence in. Cole-
brook row, 4,7001. Three per Cents. Reduced, 4,0001. in-
vested on mortgage, and furniture appraised at 300/. and odd,
including 181. worth of jewellery. Probably the sudden ac-
cession to this property overturned a mind predisposed to
insanity, for early in March last his manners became strange.
He had been a man of peculiar habits, liking to be alone; he
now dismissed his servants, and appeared for A time to be
without food or fire. Mrs. Mayhew, an old friend of the
family, sent him a pigeon-pie and some other articles of food,
and communicated the circumstance to his married sister,,
who had been estranged from her family through marrying
contrary to their wish. A person was then engaged to attend_
on him. He began to attach excessive value to; the fainily'
plate, and to fancy that pewter articles were silver.: He said he
had discovered 10,0001. worth of plate in a closet in the kit-
chen, and a quantity of china still more valuable; he wore
brass curtain rings, and said they were gold. He said he was
worth 15,000/. a-year. He announced his intention to keep four
horses, and said he could keep them all for 401. a year and
the sale of their manure. He professed that he should keep
the first society. The Lord Chancellor and his lady, and
several of the nobility, were to visit him. The New River,
which ran in front of his house,
~he meant to have brought
through his garden, and ladies were to bathe before break-
fast and gentlemen afterwards. He said, he should fit up a
gallery with all Wilkie's pictures, and another with Ho-
garth's ; and he bought some. Me purposed; as he was
" immensely rich," to throw his own and the next house into
one. He said, one day, that a beggar had been to the doer
and he had sent him with a sovereign to get change, and
meant to give him something when he returned ; however,
no such person returned. When he considered it to be
Sunday, he read prayers and a sermon, but he
generally fixed on some other day than that which war
really Sunday, and was very angry with any one who
said it was not Sunday. In the same way he confounded
the hours of the day ; at four o'clock in the afternoon
he would insist it was nine in the morning; he generally car-
ried several watches about with him, some of which had
stopped, and whatever hour was indicated by the first he
looked at, he would insist on that being the time. He had
gas laid on in the drawing-rooms and parlours ; this must
have cost him 30/., but he said it was only an expense of a
few shillings. One night he went to Sadler's-wells ; he sat
all the time with his face buried in his hands, and refused for
a long time to come away when the performances were over,
saying, it was quite early. He said he had become proprietor
of Covent-garden Theatre ; that Mr. Macready and Miss
Cushman had called on him, and entered into engagements
with him ; at another time ho declared that Mr. Bunn had
engaged him for Drury-lane at 150/. a-night. He told his
friends he was going to be married to a young lady, his
cousin ; he bad not asked her, he said, but he had only to go
down and put his brother's diamond ring on her finger, and
it would be all right, and then he and her father would sit
down to dinner on rumpsteak and onions. He wrote to her
mother proposing to marry the young lady on the 3d of
July, " and then return to Colebrook° mansion, for one hun-
dred years the seat of the Danes; in case of any impediment,
application would be made to the executors of the good and
great Sir Hugh ; in jewellery he would present her with
1,000/.; by mere accident he had found the family estate
quadrupled, and had discovered in a closet in the kitchen an
immensity of china and plate, estimated at 100,000/." His
conversation was generally jocular and facetious.
During this evidence Mr. Parry was in the room, and ap-
peared to take great interest in the inquiry; he communicated
frequently with his counsel, and conducted himself so properly
that the jury were evidently puzzled. After the letter about
the marriage was read, he observed that it was a mere pro-
posal, And was never sent. As to the china and plate, he
said he certainly found some; he was an ignoramus as to
the value, but the jury might see it; his father said he gave
a guinea and a half for the smallest china plate ; it had
been 200 years in the family. The jewellery belonged to
his mother; the jury might say the articles were copper, but
he really believed them to be diamonds; he could not help
it if that was called insanity. He believed the tea-kettle to
be silver, with marks on it to define it as such; but if his
word was not to be taken, let people judge for themselves. It
was no great presumption that he was mad that he did not
know the quality of such things.
At this stage of the inquiry the jury proceeded to visit his
house. Two pewter tankards being produced, with a large
crown, and the letters "W. R. upon them, he said he was
no connoisseur, but he believed them to be silver. A com-
mon tin tea-kettle was in the parlour, and he expressed his
conviction that it was silver. This delusion was so gross
as to make an impression on the jury that quite decided the
case.

Some further evidence was gone into, chiefly medical. '
Mr. Skelly, a surgeon, stated, that he was insane upon sub-
jects relating to his property, and meditated projects based
upon his extravagant notions of it. He would probably never
recover. Dr. Hunter also judged him insane, i • he went by
the general appearance of th tak, net easil expressed in
words, but which medical men have no difficulty in discern-
ing." Dr. Seaton,:who had had him under his care in the
country since July, thought him insanei: bat that under
judicious treatment his recovery Vita Vei7 possible. Ile had
improved since July. His mind had been kept occupied,
and he had not been left alone to have bpportiinity for' delu-
sive impressions. He had been told last Sunday that his
wearing brass rings and calling them gold was to be proved
before the jury, and to-day the rings had disappeared.
The jury found unanimously that he had been from the
15th of March of unsound mind, and incompetent to take
care of himself and his property.

SOCIETY OF 1101LER-MAKERS.—The fifth anniver-
sary of this Society took place last evening at the Star and
Garter Tavern, Arbour-square, Stepney; When nearly 250
members of the Society sat tiOwn tb a gond attbstantig din-
ner, which was aettod Up hi a manner that reflects great
credit upon Mt ilubbl% the proprietor of the Tavern. The
feast was one of a purely social tharader; dnd yds enjoyed
with a gusto that Was trttly gratifying to all who feel a plea-
sure in witnessing those who contribute so largely to the
wealth of the country throwing aside, as it *Pre, the cares
and anxieties of life; and maltir* thilmselves, for the moment,
merry and-11430 with their fellow-labourers. The practical
value of the Society in respect to the trade is generally appre-
ciated by its members, and binds them together for good and
worthy purposes. The dinner, which was presided over by
Mr. J. Yah, having been disposed of, the wives and sweet-
heats of the male portion of the company joined the party,
and a dance having been got up, the festivity of the evening
was kept up to a late hour, when all retired highly delighted
with the arrangements made for their general comfort.
PRICE OF GOLD.—The premium on gold at Paris
is 11 per milk, which, at the English Mint price of 3/. 17s.
10Id. per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of
25 44; and the exchange at Paris on London at short being
25 60, it follows that gold is 0.63 per cent. dearer in London
than in Paris. By advices from Hamburgh, the price of gold
is 432 per mark, which, at the English Mint price of 3/. 17s.
100. per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange
of 13 ; and: the exchange at Hamburgh on London at
short being ISt it follows that gold is 0.23 per cent.
dearer in London? .than in Hamburgh.
OFFENCES nr THE PARKS DURING THE PAST
MoNTrie—Yesterday the usual monthly statement as ordered
by the Commissioner, s
of Woods and Forests was posted at
all the principal Park entrances, from which it appears that
only two per4ons have been convicted during October, and
who were finecl'in small sums for damaging the trees in Ken-
sington-gardens.