Star.
London, England, 1823-07-14 00:00:00

A FEMALE SAILOR.

TIIE SHIP JANE AND MATILDA, CHANDLER, MASTER.
This was--a novel and singular case of mariner's
wages claimed by a female. In the month of De-
cemoer, 1821, proceedings were instituted in this
Court by Elizabeth Stephens, spinster, in a cause of
subtraction of wages, which she claimed for services
as cook and steward on board the above-named ves-
sel. The owners having become bankrupt, the action
was defended by their assignees. In the original at-
testation of the won:an she swine to a debt of 641.145.
but in the schedule annexed to the summary petition
(which alleged her having been shipped and hired on
three successive voyages, between the 17th of May,
1817, and the 50th of October, 1821), the amount
was stated at 911. 2s. and this latter account was cool
what novel as this claim migbtat first seem, coming
I from a female, it did appear from the evidence that
she had performed, during a considerable time, the
duties, not only of cook and steward, but of a sea-
man and shipkeeper also. His Lordship intimated
that the Court, however, would be-unwilling, upon
general principles, and indeed iftrongly disinclined to
encourage claims of this description, from their very
obvious tendency to encourage licentiousness and im-
morality on board merchant vessels. He then re-
ferred to a variety of cases, and among others, al-
luded to the claim recently agitated between Lord
Douglas and the Duke of Hamilton, as to the right
of carrying the regalia of Scotland at the coronation
of a Scottish Kiag ; in which it had been shewn
roborated by three certificates of the Plaster, that she
had been shipped and hired on each voyage-as cook
and steward, at the wages of 21. ss:per month. Four
witnesses were examinetl on her part, but the opposite
party only offered one allegation,which was exceptive
to the testimony of Chandler, the Master, who was
asserted to have cohabited with the woman on board
as his wife ; and this allegation wasrejected.
The matter had been •severil times before the
Court in its different stages ; and after hearing it fully
argued, the Learned and Noble Judge (Lord &comm.)
this day delivered his judgment.
His LORDSHIP was of opinion that Stephens had
clearly been hired by Chandler, the master and put
_ owner of the Jane and Matilda. Stlstular and some-

from ancient traditions and public , records, that
great and heroic actions in the army and navy,
highly serviceable to the public cause, had been
performed by females. Women also had held, and
discharged in person, high and dignified offices.—
The Countess of Dorset, Pembroke, and Monlgo.
mery, in the time of Charles I. filled the office of
hereditary High Sheriff of Westmoreland ; as such,
she was authorised to raise the posse comitatus, and
she did actually sit on the Bench at the Assizes, and
it even said to have personally attended at the execu-
tion of the last process of the law. Man's labour
(continued his Lordship) is performed by women in
many countries; and even in our own we have heard
of their performing military exercises,—we have heard
of their standing by the guns of a man of war,others per-
forming the part of a soldier. The name of Joan of Arc
is known to all, much to her glory, and to our dis-
grace for thedatth she suffered. Elizabeth, of blessed
memory, every one must recollect nas present in
many acts of intrepidity and valour. Upon the whole,
I am of opinion, that nothing has been shewn to de-
prive this female suitor of her right to the ordinary
wages for the service she has performed. In her ori-
ginal affidavit she claimed about £GO; in her sum-
mary petition, about £9O ; as I do not wish to distress
a bankrupt estate, I shall pronounce for the lower
sum. As the present is not a regular Court day, I
shall not at present make the actual decree ; having
stated the grounds of my judgment, I shad sign a
deeree conformably to them on the Caveat day.
COURT OF KING'S BENCH, JULY 12.
WHITE V. BENTLEY AND ANOTHER.
This action was brought against the proprietors of
the Morning Chronicle far a libel. The plaintiff is a
respectable broker, who commenced the trade with
South America after the Revolution. Having sailed
in a brig to Pernambuco, a paragraph appeared in
the Morning Chronicle, charging the plaintiff with
carrying out a quantity of fabricated silver and cop-
per coin manufactured at Birmingham. The libel
appeared in the MorningChronkle of Wednesday, Sep-
tember 4th, 1822.---The Jury found a verdict tor
the plaintiff—Damages £3OO.
The Sittings after Trinity Term having finished,
the Court adjourned to Wednesday, October 22.
01cFORD CIRCUIT.—ABINGDON, JULY 9.
James Hawkins, a lad 16 years of age, was in-
dicted • for the wilful murder of William Smith, a
boy of 13, by striking him on the head with a prong.
The prisoner, thought apparently very robust in per-
son, had a remarkably vacant countenance, and did
not manifest the slightest emotion.
It appeared in evidence, that the prisoner, with
one of his brothers, and a girl, named Mary Whiting,
were, on the 26th of February last, beating dung with
prongs in a field belonging to Mr. Trinder, in the
parish of Letcomb Regis. The prisoner observed.
that his feet were colc; the deceased said, " his
were cold too ;" the prisoner added, " he would go
and bring some hay to put in his shoes ;" on which
the deceased replied, " that if he did, he would tell,
James," meaning James Mortimer, Mr. Trinder's
foreman. Upon this the prisoner raised his prong,
and struck the deceased on the temple with such vio-
lence as to drive in part of the skull. The poor boy
fell, and was taken up bleeding and insensible, but
languished till the 2d of March, when he died. The
prisoner displayed no marks of sensibility or of fear.
When asked why he struck the blow ? he replied—
" He_need not have been saucy to I," and went to
work again in another part of the field, where be con=
tip beating dung for several hours. The witnesses
for the prosecution, on their cross-examination, de-
clared that the prisoner had always been regarded as
an idiot, and that he had three brothers in the same
melancholy situation.—The evidence being closed,
Mr. Baron Houma asked the prisoner if he had
anything to say ? and, receiving no answer, inquired
of him if he knew what he was brought there for ?
The prisoner raised his head, and, with a vacant stare,
replied—" For killing a boy." The Learned Judge
asked whether he had any reason to give for his con-
duct ? The prisoner, with the same apathy, replied,
" No." His Lordship then asked him if he was -not
sorry for what he had done? The prisoner said,,in
a gruff voice--" I am sorry—very."
On behalf of the prisoner, his father and mother
were called, who deposed that he hid been an idiot
from the cradle—that when sent to school he forgot
one letter as fast as he learned another—and that he
could not reckon above three or four in figures, or
count money. They had two other sons nearly as bad,
Who were subject to frequent fits, and whom they
were still obliged to tend as if they were children.
The Learned JUDGE recapitulated the evidence,
directing the attention of the Jury to the only ques-
tion in doubt—whether the prisoner, at the time he
committed the act, was insane by the visitation of
Pnovi DENCE?-The Jury immediately acquitted the
prisoner on the ground of insanity ; and he was or-
dered to be detained in custody till his Majesty's
pleasure should be known.
HERTFORD, JULY 10.
PRYOR D. NICHOLLS AND OTHERS.

This was an action to recover the sum of 31. 16.:.
the expense of maintaining a pauper during a tem-
porary illness. The defendants paid the sum of
SI. 1 ls. 6d. into. Court, and the sum in dispute was
4s. 6d. which the defendants alleged to have been
over charged. The plaintiff was a publican at Lon-
don Colney, and the defendants were Overseers of the
Parish of St. Peter, within the Liberty of St. Alban's.
A labouring man, named Britton, who ,belonged to
St. Peter's, being taken dangerously ill in London
Colney, took up his abode in the plaintiff's house, and
one of the defendants being applied to for relief, or-
dered him to.be attended by the parish apothecary,
and promised to pay the plaintiff the necessary ex-
penses attending his illness. He was confined to his
bed a week, and was exceedingly ill altogether for a
fortnight. He was attended day and night by a nurse,
and several witnesses deposed to the fairness of the
demand. The defendants resisted some trifling items
of the plaintinaecoupt, amounting to the sum above-
mentioned. The trial lasted for several hours, and
in the result the plaintiff recovered a verdict for the
whole demand.
To recover this sum the law faninses must have
amounted, at least, to the
...sum-'or £lOO, with the
greater part of which thqedefendants' parish mint be
saddled, the cause bein defended by a vote of vestry.
Joseph White, Jo s Wood, and Joseph Ludlow,
were found guilty • robbing Richard Parker's Ox-
ford van, at Rickmansworth, .on the Bth of May, of
property to a considerable amount.