who wanted the ground for building on, it took refuge on Mr. Wyatt’s ground at Mount Pleasant. The fair had gotten to be neither useful not ornamental, but simply a rendez-vous for the dissipated and vicious.
A Violent Wind
A gale of a tempestuous character and of wide range occurred on the night of July 24th, blowing down chimneys, wrecking parks and gardens and damaging fences, both locally and provincially, as well as in the Metropolis. In a Kentish orchard 500 bushels of apples were blown down, and in our own towns “windfalls” were sold at 2d. per gallon. The violent wind and peculiar thunder-storm of June 5th are described on page 26. Also on page 25 the remarkable rain and hail of the 25th of August.
A Magnificent Carriage
Messrs. Rock and Son, the celebrated coach-builders, of Hastings, who built to order, a beautiful state-carriage for the Lord Mayor of London, also executed, in this year of grace, 1858, a splendid band-carriage, to be drawn by 40 horses, for Mr. William Cook, of Astley’s Royal Amphitheatre. The carriage was designed by Mr. James Rock, jun., and was about 15 feet long. The larger wheels were six feet in diameter, and the height of the carriage about eleven feet. The ornamentation was very elaborate and in good taste. {{Rule}
Inquests (other than those on pp. 24, 25, 75, 76)
An inquest on May 28th by Coroner Growse, revealed the fact that James Snashall, a labourer, 50 years of age, living in Bourne Street, died suddenly by a rupture on the brain.
Another inquest by the same coroner on the 11th of June resulted in the verdict that Elizabeth Ball, housekeeper to Mr. Clitheroe at 3 East Ascent died by internal haemorrhage from not having medical assistance in child-birth. She had told persons that she was 47 years of age.
A Coroner’s Inquest on John Sinden, 34 (son of Henry Sinden, a sawyer) who died at Lavatoria, March 15th, showed that he had died falling down stairs while being intoxicated. Left a widow & 3 children.
Also an Inquest on John Bristow, aged 52, was held on March 22nd at the Commercial Inn, East Ascent. The deceased had been in a strange way for several weeks, and on Saturday night, March 20th, was found suspended by a cord to the bannister rail at 2, St. Clement’s Place while his wife was out at cooking. I knew John Bristow as a brother Oddfellow, and remember that on one occasion when accused of having made some misstatement, he admitted its probability in consequence of his having at the time so bad a cold as hardly to be able to speak the truth. This witticism saved him from what might have been unpleasant proceedings.
