The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-07-10 00:00:00

FROM THE

" LONDON GAZETTE," FRIDAY, JULY 3

ST. JAMES'S PALACE, JULY I.—The Queen has been
please to appoint the Earl of Aboyne, one of the lords in
waiting to her Majesty, in the room of the Viscount Falkland,

resigned.
The Queen was this day pleased to confer the honour of
knighthood upon the Right Hon. William. Stephenson Clerk,
lord mayor of the city of York. _ . .

The Queen was this day pleased to confer the honour of
knighthood upon Joshua Walmsley, of Wavertree Hall, in
the county palatine of Lancaster, Esq. mayor of the borough
of Liverpool, and a magistrate for the said county palatine.
The queen• was this day pleased to confer the honour of
knighthood upon William Lowthrop, Esq. mayor of Hull.
The queen was this day pleased to confer the honour of
knighthood upon John Westley Williams, Esq. F.R.S.
mayor of Portsmouth.
The queen was this day pleased to confer the honour of
knighthood upon Thomas Potter, Esq. mayor of Manchester,
and a magistrate for the county palatine of Lancaster.
The queen was this day pleased to confer the honour of
knighthood upon Jacob Adolphus, Esq. M.D. Inspector
General of Army Hospitals and Physician General to the
Militia Forces in the island of Jamaica.

The queen was this day pleased to confer the honour of
knighthood upon Alexander Mackenxie Downie, Esq. M.D.
Physician to her late Royal Highness the Landgravinc of
Hesse Homburg.
The queen was this day pleased to confer the honour of
knighthood upon John Hare, of Springfield, in the county of
Somerset, and of the city of Bristol, Esq.

GREAT FIRES NEAR EXETER.-TWO LIVES
LOST-FORTY HOUSES BURNT DOWN.

Yesterday morning intelligence arrived at the numerous
fire insurance companies, in the metropolis, of two terrific
fires, which occurred during Friday and Saturday last, near
the city of Exeter, occasioning the destruction of 40 houses,
with the loss of two lives, and great sacrifice of property.
The particulars are as follows :
About half-past two o'clock on the night in question,
mounted expresses arrived at the fire-stations of the West
of England, in Exeter, with information of a large fire raging
in the village of Stoke Cannon. a few miles from the city.
The engines instantly hastened to the spot. On their arri-
val they found several houses, the dwellings of tradespeople,
in flames, and the fire extending with alarming rapidity to
others. On inquiry being made, it was ascertained that it
commenced in a smith's workshop, belonging to a person
named Webber, and arose from the forge-chimney taking fire.
The people living on the spot endeavoured to extinguish the
fire, but owing to the strong wind were unable to do so, and
and in consequence the flames communicated to the buildings
adjacent, and, subsequently, consumed in the whole nine
houses with other property. During the raging of the fire
the walls of some of the houses fell and killed two men,
one, the son of Mr. Webber, and the other a labourer
named Herbert, who has left a wife and five children. Their
bodies were soon got out of the ruins, and an inquest has
since been held on them. The loss is very great. The only
part of the property insured are the buildings.
On the following day (Saturday) the inhabitants of Credi-
ton, a small village, eight miles from Exeter, were alarmed
by the outbreak of a fire ou the premises of Mr. W. Francis,
tanner, situate in the vicinity of East Town, opposite the
well. The engines of the village were immediately taken to
the spot, and were worked vigorously by the inhabitants. It
was, however, upwards of an hour before the flames were got
under, and by that time five houses had been burned to the
ground. By nine o'clock, the fire, to all appearance, was
wholly extinguished, and the engines were withdrawn from
the spot. About two hours after, hoWever, the dreadful cry
of " tire was again raised in the village. Another, occa-
sioned by the previous one, had broken out, and, we regret
to say, proved of a most calamitous description. The flames
burst forth from a thatched cottage opposite the ruins left by
the termer fire. It was tenanted by a poor family, who_
nearly fell a sacrifice to the flames. The conflagration raged
for three hours, in its career destroying 22 houses, the dwell-
ings of upwards of 60 families. The sufferings of the poor
creatures were truly heart-rending. Everything that they
possessed was burned, and many, in consequence, were re-
duced to a state of utter destitution. The fire was not got
under till near seven o'clock the next morning. It is sup-
posed to have originated by some sparks during the previous
tire falling on the thatched roof of the cottage. The loss
cannot be estimated.—Morniny Herald of Wednesday.