West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser - transcribed by Julia Mosman 4 December, 1857 . NOTICE . THE CREDITORS of Mr. GOARD, of Trethevey, in the parish of Tintagel in this county, are requested to forward their amounts to Mr. PARNALL, of Greylake, near Camelford, before the 9th instant, and a Meeting of the said Creditors will be held at the Office of Mr. W. D. KING, Solicitor, Camelford, on the same day by Twelve o'clock. December 1st, 1857 ......................................... NOTICE ALL PERSONS having any CLAIMS on the Estate of Mr. ROWLAND FAIRCHILD THOMPSON, late of Pentuan, in the parish of St. Austell, in the county of Cornwall, are requested to send the same to Mr. JOHN BADGE or Mr. CHARLES TRUSCOTT at St. Austell, on or before the 17th December instant, in default of which the parties neglecting so to do, will be deprived of any Claim they may have on the said Estate, as the Trustees are about to declare a first and final dividend. JOHN BADGE, CHARLEST TRUSCOTT, Trustrees Dated 2nd December 1857 ........................................................................... WANTED - A good MINE CLERK, to fill a leading situation in the Office of an Established Mine. Business habits indispensable. Apply by letter, stating age and experience, to ABC, 34 Lemon Street, Truro. All applications will be deemed strictly confidential. Salary GBP 8.8s. per month. Dated December 3rd, 1857 ........................................................................... WANTED - A FOOTMAN, where a butler is kept; one who perfectly understands his duties and can produce an unexceptionable character. Apply to the PRINTERS. Dated 2nd December 1857. ............................................... LOCAL INTELLIGENCE . TRURO TOWN COUNCIL - [Election and pay of a constable] At a meeting of the council held on Monday last, there were present the Mayor, Dr. BARHAM, and Messrs. E. MICHELL, CLYMA, UGLOW, TRURAN, SOLOMAN, JOHN JAMES, BARLOW, HALL, WILLIAMS, JAMES JOB, PASCOE, ROUSE, CHAPPEL, AND GATLEY. The only business was to elect a policeman to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of ROBERT CRAWFORD. There were three applications, from RICHARD FIDOCK, NICHOLAS JOHNS, and JAMES JERRITT. Nicholas Johns was elected, his pay to be 14s.6d. per week for the first three months, and 16s.6d. per week afterwards. . LANIVET - There has been collected by the Rev. J. FRENCH, for the “Indian Fund,” in this parish, the sum of GBP 7.14s.9d. . FALMOUTH - At the Town Hall, an application was made to the Mayor for leave to establish cabs, and to have a spot appointed for a stand. The Mayor said he should be glad to see it carried out, but a bye law would be required to regulate the cabs. . TRURO INSTITUTION - On Tuesday evening last, Mr. KIDD, of Hammersmith, editor of "Kidd's Jouranl and Book of Nature," author of "The Natural History of British Song-birds," &c., gave a lecture a the Assembly-room, entitled "The Marvels and Mysteries of the Animal Kingdom, and other faithful impressions of the book of Nature, with a free translation of the language of our British and Foreign Songsters, and a Key to a Bird's Heart." The lecture was kindly given by Mr. Kidd gratuitously, and it was one of the most interesting lectures ever delivered at the Truro Institution. . Mr. Kidd, as is well known to those who have read his publications, has contrived to place himself on very intimate and friendly terms with the feathered tribes, particularly the singing birds, and on this occasion he instructed his audience "how to win a bird's heart." . At his residence near London, he built a splendid aviary, and collected therein 366 song-birds, all of which were tamed, and were surprisingly familiar with their master, until at last, during his absence from home, rats got in and destroyed all but eleven. Horses in training for the amphitheatre were sometimes cruelly treated, but he never exercised any act of brutality towards his song-birds, although he reduced them to a state of tameness almost incredible; he found, however, that it was sometimes necessary to exercise discipline, tempered with judgment. Mr. Kidd stated that canaries could be kept in the open air in this country, and that they were so kept in a gentleman's grounds sixteen miles from London. There was a greenhouse with a trap, into which they could fly when the wintry blast was very severe, but he never lost more than two in the most severe winter. The canaries looked very beautiful flying about in all directions, and to hear them discoursing music on the tops of the trees was most delightful, the more so for their being in a state of liberty. A similar experiment was to be tried in some beautiful grounds in the neighbourhood of Dorchester. . Mr. Kidd showed how dogs and other animals, and even fish, might be tamed, and related interesting anecdotes, some of them elucidating the affinity that exists between man and animals. He discoursed also of the vegetable kingdom, and inclined to the belief that plants have some degree of sensation, and that flowers have the power of enjoying their existence. He spoke of the study of natural history as not being dry and uninteresting, as some suppose, but in a high degree humanizing and elevating. He recommended his audience, when they take their walks, to carry with them a microscope, and employ it in observing natural objects. . The moral aim of his lecture was the inculcation of the law of kindness when exercised by ourselves one towards another. He deprecated harshness towards children, and recommended parents to try to develop fondness in their children towards some animal; he never knew a cruel child turn out a good man or woman or a good member of society. . The lecture was delivered in a very pleasing conversational style, and at the close a cordial note of thanks was presented to the lecturer by the audience. It was stated that the lecture on Friday the 4th instant, would be delivered by the Rev. J. SCRIVENER, entitled "An Evening with Astronomers." . Mr. WOODIN'S ENTERTAINMENTS - Mr. Woodin, who is expected to visit Cornwall in the course of a few days, appears to have been very successful in Plymouth and other places throughout Devonshire, which he has lately visited. We need scarcely mention that his "olio of oddities" has long been one of the most popular of the London public entertainments. . GWINEAR RINGING MATCH - At this match, on the 16th ult., the Camborne ringers carried off the first prize, GBP 3; and the Helston party the second, GBP 2. . OXFORD UNIVERSITY - In the class list issued at Oxford on Friday last by the Examiners in the school of Natural Science, we observe in Class II, the name of Mr. EDWARD G. SPRY, B.A., of Magdalen Hall, son of Mr. Spry, the mayor of Truro. . THE TANCREED SCHOLARSHIP, CAMBRIDGE - Mr. RICHARD AUGUSTINE CHUDLEIGH, son of the Rev. N. F. CHUDLEIGH, of St. Columb Minor, has lately been elected to this scholarship, (value GBP 170 per annum for seven years) in a way which does credit to himself, as well as to his late master, the Rev. CHARLES COLLYNS WALKER, head master of Luton Endowed Grammar School, Herefordshire. . UNIVERSITY OF LONDON - Last week the annual examination for the degree of doctor of medicine was held at Burlington House, Piccadilly. Among the successful candidates, we observed the name of Mr. EDWYN ANDREW, son of Mr. B. ANDREW of St. Austell; who has also had the honour of being placed in the first class. Mr. Andrew obtained the bachelorship of medicine in the same university in 1856. . DR. WILLIAM BORLASE, THE HISTORIAN OF CORNWALL - In a London catalogue of books, on sale by Mr. J. C. HOTTEN, of 151 Piccadilly, we observe a curious remain of Dr. Borlase, the historian of Cornwall, about the middle of last century. It is a copy of his natural history of this county which formerly belonged to himself, and contains large additions and corrections in his own handwriting. There are also numerous drawings inserted of remarkable and curious fishes, shells, &c., and the engraved plates have also many alterations and additional figures delineated on them. Perhaps it might be worth the consideration of the managers of some of our local literary or scientific societies whether it might not be desirable to secure so curious a relic as this. . LAUNCH OF THE "JAMES LIVESEY" - On the 15th ult., at noon, the iron ship, "James Livesey," was launched from the ship building yard of Messrs. THOMAS VERNON and Son, Brunswick Dock, Liverpool. The dimensions and tonnage of the ship are as follows: length between perpendiculars, 187 feet; breadth of beam, 34 feet; depth of hold, 22 feet; registered tonnage, old measurement, 1024 tons. The "James Livesey" has been built for Messrs. Potter Brothers, for the Calcutta trade. She will be a full rigged ship. The launch was unusually interesting, and Mrs. Livesey honored the occasion by christening the ship. . The "James Livesey" is to be commanded by Capt. Wm. CORNISH BROAD, of Penzance, who has also succeeded in passing the board a second time, and in obtaining a first class extra master's certificate. . Capt. W. C. Broad's family have stood very high in Penzance for seamanship for several generations. In 1835, Mr. RICHARD PEARCE (Lloyds agent) on behalf of the mayor, justices, and inhabitants of Penzance and its neighbourhood, presented to his lamented father (the late Capt. JOHN BROAD) a piece of plate "to testify their approbation of his humane conduct towards, and successful treatment of, six unfortunate seamen, sole survivors of the crew of the 'Elizabeth,' found at sea in an open boat 1000 miles from land, in the last state of wretchedness." We wish the captain of the "James Livesey" every success. . IMPRISONMENT FOR BLASPHEMY - A memorial to the Secretary of state Sir GEORGE GREY, is in course of signature by the working men of Exeter, in reference to a case of blasphemy tried at the last summer sessions for this county. The memorial sets out the following facts: . That at the July assizes at Bodmin, a labouring man, named THOMAS POOLEY, of good moral character, and of exemplary industrial habits, was sentenced by Mr. Justice Coleridge to one year and nine months' imprisonment, for the alleged offence of writing blasphemous words on a field gate, and holding blasphemous conversations with a labourer and a policeman. That the words written on the field gate were not established on the clearest evidence, the witnesses not agreeing as to what the words were. Upon this count the sentence was six months' imprisonment. . That the conversation with the labourer, the counsel for the prosecution admitted, might have been a jest - and the judge put this view to the jury - yet upon this count Pooley was also sentenced to six months' imprisonment. That the conversation with the policeman took place after Thomas Pooley was in custody. The words indicted were spoken under irritation and excitement, and being spoken after Pooley was in custody, is a peculiarity which, we are informed, was never made the subject of an indictment before. Upon this count he was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment. . That upon these grounds, and upon the further ground that it has been necessary, under the Secretary of State's warrant, to remove Thomas Pooley from Bodmin Gaol to the County Asylum, in consequence of the appearance of insanity. It appears, therefore, to your memorialists that these statements, of which they will be happy to offer proof, show that the sentence ought to be annulled. That your memorialists therefore pray that you will reconsider the case of the said Thomas Pooley, and recommend him to her Majesty's favourable consideration. . ST. AUSTELL FAIR - This fair on Monday last, was well supplied with cattle, but owing to the downward tendency of prices, few bargains were made. . IMPORTANT CASE - CHARGE AGAINST UNION OFFICERS - At the petty sessions held at Truro on Thursday the 3rd instant, before the Rev. T. PHILPOTTS (chairman), Dr. CARLYON, Capt. KEMPE, and Mr. COLLINS, magistrates, THOMAS ANDREW, the relieving officer of the St. Columb union, and JOHN OXENHAM ROBERTS, master of the workhouse of that union, were convicted, and each fined in the penalty of GBP 2 and costs, for illegally sending a pauper away from the St. Columb workhouse, whereby he became chargeable to the parish of Kenwyn. Mr. ROBERTS appeared on behalf of the parish officers of Kenwyn, and Mr. HOCKIN watched the case for the pauper and the board of guardians of the Truro union; the defendants appeared in person without an advocate. As the case is one of considerable importance to unions and parishes, we purpose giving further details next week. . FELONY - WILLIAM BRANCH, a lad of ten years old, was apprehended by JOHN SEARLE, of the County Police, on Friday at Chyandour, and charged before Mr. T. S. BOLITHO and Mr. D.P. LeGRICE, with stealing a watch, the property of WILLIAM MAJOR, of Penzance, from a tool-house at the Coomb. He was summarily convicted and sent to prison for six weeks. . TRURO POLICE - On Monday last, ROBERT PAULL, farmer, of the parish of St. Clement, was charged before Mr. CHAPPEL and Mr. PADDON, magistrates, with emptying the contents of a cess-pit in the day-time, in St. Clement Street, for which he was fined 10s. and costs. . ST. AUSTELL PETTY SESSIONS - These sessions were held in the Town Hall on Tuesday last, before Mr. E. COODE, jun., Mr. TREMAYNE, Mr. T. HEXT, and Mr. LAKES, magistrates, when the following cases were disposed of. CHARLES LUCAS was fined 5s. and costs for drunkenness. ROBERT TABB of St. Mewan was fined 10s. and costs for assaulting Mr. THOMAS HOOPER, landlord of the St. Mewan Inn; and THOMAS HICKS was ordered to pay 2s. and costs for damaging a table, the property of Mr. T. HOOPER. WILLIAM CLEMES and JOHN OLIVER were charged by Mr. THOMAS SAWLE, of Trewiddle, with swearing, and were fined 1s. each and costs. . CAMBORNE PETTY SESSIONS - At these sessions on Tuesday last, before Mr. J.P. MAGOR, chairman, Mr. R. DAVEY, M.P., Rev. U. TONKIN, Rev. T. PASCOE, and Mr. C.A. REYNOLDS, magistrate, RICHARD CLARK, WILLIAM HODGES, RICHARD MORCOM and JAMES WILLOUGHBY, all of the parish of Redruth, beer-shopkeepers, were summoned by superintendent MILLER, of the county constabulary, for keeping their houses open after eleven o'clock at night, and were fined each in the penalty of GBP 1 and expenses. . RICHARD THOMAS, of the Pendarves Arms, and Western Inn, Redruth, was summoned for refusing to admit into his house, at one o'clock A.M., on Sunday the 22nd ult., LUKE MITCHELL and SAMUEL PAYNTER, two of the county police officers; but it being the first time of Thomas's appearing before the bench, he was dismissed with a caution that if he appeared before them again for a similar offence, the bench would inflict the full penalty. . WILLIAM WARNE, MATTHEW TRUAN, and JOSIAH HOCKING, of Redruth, were summoned by the police, for being drunk and disorderly at Redruth. Warne and Truan were fined 5s. each and costs, but Hocking did not appear. . WILLIAM DAVEY, of Camborne, mason and beer-shopkeeper, and JOHN DOBLE, miner, were also summoned for being drunk and disorderly at Camborne, and fined 5s. each and costs. PHILIP DAW, of Illogan, was summoned by the police for riding without reins, and having been twice cautioned, was fined 11s. and costs. WILLIAM VINCENT, of Camborne, was summoned by ANN THOMAS, of the same place, for money owed to her from a mine, which he had refused to pay. The bench ordered the payment of the money due, and costs. . JOHN PENBERTHY, of St. Ives, appeared to a summons for refusing to pay MARIANNA FURZEBROOK money due to her for work done for him at a mine. The bench ordered the payment of 10d. a day for thirteen days, and costs. WM. PAYNTER, of Hayle, appeared to a summons for assaulting ALEXANDER STEVENSON; but the bench was of opinion that the complainant had not proved his case, and Paynter was dismissed. JOSEPH GOODMAN, of Hayle, sailor, was summoned by JOHN ROTHEROE, for non-payment of wages. The bench ordered that the money due was to be paid, and directed an order to be served on the captain of the vessel for payment of the same. WILLIAM WAILS, of the parish of Redruth, appeared to a summons, for assaulting ANNE LUKEY, and the case being proved, he was fined 7s. and costs. . JOSEPH BARKELLS, of Camborne, was brought up in custody of Superintendent MILLER for assaulting JOHN WELSH, marine store dealer, of Camborne, on the 30th ult., for knocking him down, and when lying on the ground severely kicking him in the head; but upon it being proved that Welsh gave provocation, Barkell was fined in the mitigated penalty of GBP 2 and expenses, or one month’s imprisonment. MARY ANN GEORGE, of Redruth, was apprehended under a warrant for assaulting MARTHA RODDA, of Camborne, and was fined 1s. and costs, or one month's imprisonment. CHRISTOPHER HOSKINS, of Penponds, was brought up in custody of the police for an indecent assault on MARY CORIN, a married woman of Camborne, but the complainant not appearing, he was discharged. . A MAN DROWNED - An accident of a singular and fatal character occurred near Mevagissey on Saturday last. Just before daybreak, two fishermen, named ANTHONY OLVER and MARTIN JOLLY, of Mevagissey, left in a boat for the purpose of going to Fowey. As they were going out through "the Pool," Martin Jolly, was about to hoist the foresail, when suddenly Olver observed something fall into the sea, and, supposing it was the cover of one of the sails, he called out to Jolly to notice it. Jolly, however, made no reply, and instantly the thought flashed in Olver's mind, that it was his companion and not the cover which he had seen fall overboard. With great presence of mine Olver brought the boat about at once, steered her in the direction where the unfortunate man was, and, notwithstanding the heavy sea that prevailed, succeeded in getting within a tiller's length of him but could not touch him with his hand. The poor fellow had his head and hands submerged, as well as his feet - his back only floated above the surface of the water. Finding it impossible to get the boat back again by himself Olver came into the pier in the hope of obtaining other aid but before he succeeded Jolly had sunk to rise no more, and his body, though great efforts were made forthwith to find it, has not yet been discovered. The mysterious part of the unfortunate affair lies in the deceased's falling overboard, but this is easily explained by the fact that he was subject to epileptic fits, and that he probably was seized with one when in the act of loosening the sail. The widow and seven orphans of the deceased are in the most distressing circumstances, and appeal for relief to the benevolent. . [The Captain's name below was shown with 2 spellings - Commons and Cousins] CORONERS' INQUESTS - On Tuesday last, an inquest was held before Mr. JOHN CARLYON, county coroner, at Falmouth, on the bodies of JOHN H. COMMONS, aged fifty-three, late captain of the ship "Coronet," from Callao for Cork with guano, and NATHANIEL RYDER, aged twenty-one, late second mate of a barque called the "Calcutta," trading from Quebec to Liverpool laden with timber. . It appears that the "Calcutta" became water-logged and was fallen in with in that state by the emigrant ship "Anglo-Saxon," on her way to Melbourne, which took the crew from the rigging, and afterwards fell in with the "Coronet" on board which vessel the rescued crew were then placed. . On the "Coronet's" arrival off Falmouth, on Saturday evening, the whole of the crew except the second-mate were landed and proceeded on by the "Drake" on Monday morning to Plymouth. . On Monday morning, shortly after eight o'clock, the deceased captain and the second mate of the "Calcutta" were being pulled ashore by four of the "Cornet's" crew, and on arriving off Middle Point, between the Castle Point and Bar Point, a sea struck the boat's quarter and capsized her on a rocky beach, about thirty yards from shore. It was blowing fresh at the time, and there was a heavy sea going. . >From the evidence of ANDREW WILSON, one of the boat's crew, it appeared that he and the captain both got hold of the keel of the boat; but a second sea came and washed them off; but witness saw the captain swimming in close to the shore, and as soon as witness got ashore, he saw him a short distance off, lying on the rocks, with his feet high and dry and his head in the water. The other men had also come ashore by this time, and they hauled him up on the rocks and did what they could to restore animation, but it was too late. He had a cut and wound over the left eye, and it was thought he had been washed by the breakers on the rocks and had got stunned, which prevented his reaching the shore in safety. . The master-gunner from the castle and four of the men there went down shortly after the accident and rendered every assistance. The second mate when last seen by the witness Wilson, was outside him, in the water, with both his hands in his hair, apparently struggling for life; his dead body was shortly afterwards washed in, about forty or fifty yards to the west of where the captain’s body was washed ashore. Verdict, "accidentally drowned." Capt. COUSENS was one of Belfast, Maine, N.S.; and Ryder belonged to Lympstone, near Exeter. The crew gave the captain a very excellent character, and seemed much attached to him. . The following inquest has been held by Mr. HICHENS, county coroner: On Tuesday last, in the parish of Wendron, on the body of JOHN MOYLE, aged 58 years. The deceased was a miner and worked at West Wheal Basset mine, in the parish of Illogan, and on the preceding Saturday, whilst at his labour at the ninety-four fathoms level, was accidentally crushed under a solar (which gave way in consequence of a heavy mass of rubbish falling on it) and killed on the spot. Verdict, "accidental death." . An inquest was held at Borrington, in the parish of St. Dominick, on Monday the 23rd ult., before Mr. JAGOE, county coroner, on the body of MARIA NOTTLE, who died on the Saturday previous, under suspicious circumstances. It appears that for many years past she (Mrs. Nottle) has resided with her son, who on several occasions treated his mother in a manner which demanded the interference of the neighbours. On this particular occasion, however, there was nothing to criminate him, beyond the fact that when he returned to his home he was considerably the worse for liquor, and was in the house when his mother was found lying before the kitchen fire in a state of insensibility. The son's version of the story is that, soon after he entered the house, his mother fell in a fit; that he then hauled her to the fireside, took off her shores and went to bed. The jury were unanimously of the opinion that the son acted a very inhuman and highly censurable part, but as there was no evidence to show that death was caused by violence, a verdict of "died by the visitation of God" was returned. . An inquest was held on Friday last, at the Town-hall, Penzance, before Mr. ROSCORLA, and a jury, on the body of HARRIET HICHENS, a young woman twenty-nine years of age, who was found dead in bed on the preceding morning. Deceased was a distant relative of Mr. CHARLES EDMONDS, of Causeway-head, beer-shopkeeper, and on the death of her parents, eight or nine years since, went to live with him - partly as a servant and partly as a relative. During the whole of that time she appeared to enjoy excellent health, and was kindly treated. . On Monday last she left off a warm jacket, and in the course of the day complained of sore throat, but she went on with her work and on Tuesday said she felt better. On Tuesday night she bathed her feet, and on Wednesday and Wednesday night was treated for an ordinary cold. All the children in the house had suffered from a similar cause, and no medical man was called in for any of them. Late at night on Wednesday she was seen in bed comfortable, but when called on the next morning was found dead. Mr. A. BERRYMAN was sent for. He now gave it as his opinion that the deceased died about four o'clock in the morning, and that the cause of death was the bursting of a small abscess in the windpipe, the result of disease. Mr. and Mrs. EDMONDS, Mr. BERRYMAN, and Mrs. TABITHA NICHOLLS were examined, and the jury returned a verdict of "died from the visitation of God." Julia M. West Briton Transcriptions, 1836-1856 at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wbritonad St. Austell Area History and Genealogy at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~staustell