The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-05-09 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL• STANDARD.

Sfu,—A few days ago, I came across an old odd volume
(minus its title), which contained an extraordinary his-
torical account of persecutions at Chester, in the year
1657, in the days when the blessed Cromwell protected
this country. One Richard Sale, an undaunted reproacher
of vice, without respect of persons, lost his life by being
shoved into " Little Ease." This place is described to have
been a "hole hewed out in a rock—the breadth across,
seventeen inches; from the back to the inside of the great
door, at the top, seven inches ; at the shoulders, eight
inches; at the breast, nine inches and a half ; from the
top to the bottom, one yard and a half, with a device to
lessen the height, as they are minded to torment the per-
son put in, by draw-boards, which shoot over the two sides
to a yard height, or thereabout."—ln this place they tor-
mented many of those who were induced, with Christian
courage, to reprove- the vices, either of ministers, magis-
trates, or people. For instance : Ist—" Richard Scostroph,
for preaching repentance in the streets, was put in `Little
Ease' till next day,. and then, by the Mayor, sent to
briciewell." 2nd—" Thomas Tarwood, who, as the Mayor
and Aldermen were going to a customary feast, with,
music playing before them, dared to remind them wherein
real Christianity stood; viz., in true holiness and the fear
of the Lord, was sent to ' Little Ease,' and kept there
five hours, by which he, being but a weak sickly man,
was much bruised and hurt." 3rd—" William Simpson,
attempting in Christian• love to exhort the people, after
their public preacher had ended his sermon, was first put
in the stocks, and afterwards kept in ' Little Ease' nine
hours. When, on the next morning, he complained to
the Mayor of his cruel usage, he was sent again to the
same place, after the sheriff, in the Mayor's presence, had
struck him on the face, so that he bled very much." 4th
—" Edward Morgan, complaining to the Mayor against a
drunken fellow who had grossly abused him, was sent to
`Little Ease' for not putting off his hat when he made that
' complaint, and the drunkard went unpunished ; as had
also a servant who had robbed his master." sth—" Into
this place was the first-named, Richard Sale, put several
times, in 1656-57, for three, four, five, and eight hours
together. Being corpulent, it required the strength of
four men to thrust him in, in doing which, they crushed
him till the blood gushed out of his mouth and nose. He
survived the last torture but two months, and died im-
puting his death to the cruelty of his persecutors."
My principal object in sending to you the tragical
account of this ironically-called " Little Ease," is to draw
to it the attention of the Historic Society of Lancashire
and Cheshire, as well as of antiquarians in general, for
further particulars of its origin, spot,—historically and
chronologically—and what has become of this tormenting
place.—Yours, Rinivome.wc.
Liverpool, May 6, 1854.

ECCLESIASTICAL JAILeLLIGENCE.

PREFERMENTS AND APPOINTMENTS.

Rev. W. Arthurs, M.A., to Dr. Downe's Lectureship in
Waterford Cathedral.

Rev. H. J. Barnard, 8.A., to the Prebend of Combe the
Fourteenth, Wells. _ _

Rev. A. Barry, 8.A., Sub-Warden of Trinity College, Glen-
almond, N. 8., to the Head Mastership of Leeds Grammar
School.

Rev. T. Blair, to the Vicarage of Milbourne St. Andrew,
with the Chapelry of Dewlish, near Blandford.
Rev..R. P. Blalceney, to the Perpetual Curacy of the new
church of Christ Church,. Claughon-cutn.Grange, Bidston,
Cheshire.

Rev. R. S. Bryan, Rector of Cheldon, at.d of East Worling-
ton, to be Domestic Chaplain to the Earl of Portsmouth.
Rev. Bull, to the Incumbency of the new church at Bus-
lingthorpe, Leeds.
Rev. G. H. Cooke, 8.A., to the Curacy of Tolleshunt
Knights, Essex.
Rev. A. Cowburn, M.A.,, to the Vicarage of Tidenham.
Gloucestershire.

Rev. H. A. Dance, to the Curacy of Heyford, Northamp-
tonshire.
Rev. J. Davidson, late Curate of Whitby, Yorkshire, to the
Vicarage of Nafferton, in the same county.
Rev. H. J. Ellison, Incumbent of Edensor, to be an Hono-
rary Canon in Lichfield Cathedral.
Rev. A. S. Fuller, M.A., to the Curacy of Kilmacrenan,
Raphoe.
Rev. J. Leatherdale, 8.A.., to the Rectory of Little Plump-
stead, Norfolk.
Rev. G. W. S. Menteath, M.A., to the Rectory of Has-
combe, Surrey.
Rev. E. Morgan, to the Incumbency of Lianychairn, near
Aberystwith.
Rev. G. 0. S. Pigott, to the Rectory of Kingston Seymour,
Somerset.

Rev. G. Renaud, M.A., to the Ministry of the new church at
Woodhill, in the parish of Bishop's Hatfield, Herts.
Rev. T. Richardson, to the Chaplainship of the York
Lunatic Asylum.
Rev. T. Robson, M.A., Second Master of the Darlington
Grammar School, to the Vicarage of Kirkleatham,Yorkshi re.
Rev. S. Rolleston, 8.A., Curate of Somerley, Leicestershire.
to be Chaplain of the Oakham Union Workhouse.
Rev. H. G. Royle, 8.A., Vicar of Islington, Norfolk, to the
Curacy of Guestling, near Hastings.
Rev. T. B. H. Thompson, M.A., Fellow of Queen's College,
Oxford, to the Rectory of Weyhill, Hants.
Rev. C. Thornton, M.A., to the Vicarage of North Ranceby,
Lincol nshire.

Rev. R. Wilton, 8.A., to the Curacy of St. John Micklegate,