Chesterfield, in his Letters to his Son, written about this time, gives many other instances.

Coming to the returns, so far as Cheshire is concerned, the following members were returned for the county and city and county of Chester:

8, GEORGE III.

Met May 10, 1768. Dissolved September 30, 1714. CHESHIRE.-Samuel Egerton, of Tatton, esq.

John Crewe, of Crewe, esq.

Date of election, March 29, 1768. CHESTER.-Thomas Grosvenor, esq.

Richard Wilbraham Bootle, esq.

Relating to the last-named event, the following interesting scrap is extracted from the Chester Courant of 118 years ago, that is under date March 21, 1768, which also fixes the time when the election took place:

On Friday last, Thomas Grosvenor and Richard Wilbraham Bootle, Esqrs., were elected members for this ancient city without opposition. Immediately after, they were carried through the principal streets, attended by great numbers of freemen, etc., with loud acclamations, and then adjourned to

dinner at Mr Leech's, the Plume of Feathers, in Bridge-street, where sumptuous and elegant entertainment was provided, and at which a numerous company of gentlemen attended. The day concluded with ringing of bells and every demonstration of joy, and a considerable sum of money was spent among the freemen upon the occasion.

It was to this Parliament that Wilkes, editor of the famous North Briton, was returned again and again for

Middlesex, during which occurred the memorable "Massacre of St. George's Fields." EDITOR.

Replies.

STRINGER, THE STOCKPORT CLOCK MAKER.

I venture to tell Mr Norbury (ante 112) that his old clock was not one of the old school in his youthful days, but one of the latest improved clocks, having only one weight to work going and striking parts; he loses no time in being wound up as all the old twoweight clocks of his day did. I have not the inventor's name at hand just now. There is an old eight days' clock in Morley that has an inscription inside the works, "Stringer, Stockport, 1742." There are several older clocks than this in the neighbourhood. One of the name of Henry Burgess I should think was made before 1700; another, Benjamin Royle, Wilmslow. Perhaps Mr Norbury can tell us something about these being Wilmslow names. T. WHITELEGG. Wilmslow.

Queries.

COWPER, WILLIAM.-A surgeon of this name prac tised at Chester at the close of last century. He wrote a Life of St. Werburgh, published in 1749, said to have been stolen from the MSS. of Mr Stone. He had also prepared materials for histories of the city and county of Chester, but death prevented the completion of his labours. Can any reader of Cheshire Notes and Queries say what became of this MSS.? CESTRIAN.

Notes.

RECOLLECTIONS OF STOCKPORT. VIII.

At an

Mr Samuel Barrett, one of our early cotton manufacturers, was born in the year 1786, of respectable parents of the operative class. early age he was sent to work in the cotton mill, and, like most of the youths of that time, received what little education he got at the Sunday and night schools. When a youth he resolved, by industry, thrift, and economy, to make his way in the world, and leave it if possible better than he found it. This resolve he carried out in his after

extraordinary long life. By steady attention to his occupation he became when quite a young man an overlooker in the cotton mill. In the year 1820 ke was renting several rooms in Mr Brentnall's mill, Higher Hillgate. Whilst there his business was to card, spin, and prepare rovings for the jenny spinners. Mr Barrett must have prospered whilst there, for in the year 1823 we find him established in the Bury-street Mill, Lancashirehill, spinning and manufacturing cotton through. out. This old cotton mill stands in a rather obscure locality. The entrance and the larger portion of the mill are in the small thoroughfare called Berry. street, whilst another portion abuts on Penny-lane

and overlooks the pleasant valley of Grimesbottom, with the river Tame meandering its course to join the Goyt, the junction of the two forming the source of the river Mersey near the old Portwood Bridge. A well-executed painting representing this beautiful valley may be seen painted on the wall in the bar parlour of the Woodman Inn, Heaton-lane, which was painted by one of Stockport's best artists, the late Mr Shuttleworth, who lived in Churchgate, in or near the present Girls' Industrial Schools. Mr Shuttleworth died about the year 1829, and was interred in Northenden Churchyard.

In the year 1830, the year after the great strike, some of the mills were running night and day, and the Bury-street Mill was one of them. One of Mr Barrett's overlookers, whose name was Martin Bredbury, lived opposite our house in Heskethstreet. Martin, like the rest of Mr Barrett's over. lookers, had to work during the night every alternate week. He had a son William, about the same age as myself, whose duty it was to take his father's supper to the mill, and I often accompanied him on this errand. Mr Bredbury was a good neighbour. I believe that he was upright in all his dealings, was a temperate man, loved his home, and provided well for his family; still he held very curious views regarding religion, and had a great abhorrence of parsons of whatever denom. ination Mr Bredbury had a painting hung on the wall of his sitting room which he prized very much. This picture was painted by some local man, I won't say artist, for there was nothing like art about it, at the dictation of Mr Bredbury. This picture was intended to show that the hog was the only true English gentleman, and was represented in seven tableaux. I have seen this picture many times, but it always appeared to me as hieroglyphics, excepting one tableau. This represented a parson being surrounded by a litter of pigs, and he ap. peared to be getting the worst of it. Mr Bredbury was a steady, good workman, and he worked for Mr Barrett up to a few weeks before his death, which took place about the year 1837. Before his death he suggested how he should like his funeral to be conducted. He desired to be buried in the Cheadle Churchyard, and he wished to be carried there by eight persons, whom he named, myself being one of them. There must be no coaches, and all who attended the funeral he wished would do so in their ordinary apparel. These injunctions were almost carried out, excepting the apparel; I noticed that most of us wore black gloves, a very

uncommon appendage to our ordinary dress in those days. This funeral took place on a very hot antumnal afternoon. There had been no rain for some time, a westerly wind was blowing in our faces, and before we had got to half our journey's end we were so covered with dust that it would have plagued anyone to tell what colour our clothes originally were. At last we arrived at our journey's end, and the funeral service was gone through very decorously. Afterwards we adjourned to a neighbouring hostelry, and got something to rinse the dust down our throats.

Soon after Mr Bredbury's funeral another funeral cortege went from Stockport to Cheadle. On this occasion all the mourners rode in coaches, excepting the four carriers, who walked two abreast each side the hearse. The driver of the hearse was a well-known sexton belonging to our mother church. All went off well until the return journey commenced; then came on a tremendous thunderstorm, and these poor carriers were soon drenched to the skin. The storm increased in violence, and the rain came down in torrents, and the poor carriers had three miles of a walk before them, and there was much murmuring amongst them. At this juncture one of them hit upon what he conceived to be a bright idea that was that they should ask permission to ride inside the empty hearse. Their desire was made known to the jolly old grave digger, who, with a roguish twinkle in his eye, willingly granted their request. The funeral cortsge halted while these poor half-drowned fellows crept into the hearse. They had not proceeded far however, before a violent commotion took place inside the hearse. Another halt took place, and the driver came down from his seat, opened the hearse door, and demanded from the inmates what that row was about. They told him that they were almost smothered for want of air, and they wished that he would leave the hearse door open a little, and he must be sure to discharge his cargo when he arrived at Brinks way. The sexton told them that he would attend to their wishes. He again mounted his box, and the procession again started on its homeward journey amidst the pelting rain. Joseph Smith, that was the driver's name, drove along without any more interruption until he came to the Lancashire-bridge. Here he halted and got off his seat again, and with the utmost sang froid went to the rear of the hearse and commenced to untie the string which he had fastened to the hearse door to prevent it flying wide open. He had tied this string with a knot, whether intentionally I don't know;

he was fumbling a long time in untieing the string, and the crowd round the hearse kept grow. ing larger and larger, all eager to see what sort of a cargo Smith had got to unload at that unlikely place. During this time the execrations proceeding from inside the hearse grew strong and stronger, amongst them being "Cut the string, tha foo';" "What hast brow't us this far for ?" At last the string was untied, and Smith unloaded his hearse amidst the acclamations of the crowd standing by, to the astonishment of scores of onlookers. Joseph Smith, the once popular sexton, died a few weeks ago at a very advanced age.

Mr Barrett worked the Bury-street Mill from 1822 until about the year 1856, and during that long period I never heard of a dispute taking place between him and his workpeolpe. He was twice married. By his first wife he had a son James, who was a very clever mechanic, and he was a companion to Mr Joseph Axon, mentioned in a former Mr James Barrett rendered good service paper. in assisting Mr Axon in making and fitting up the mechanical exhibits at the grand exhibition at the Mechanics' Institute in the year 1840. Mr James Barrett was cut off in the prime of life. He died on April 17th, 1852, in the 34th year of his age, and was interred in the Christ Church burial ground. Mr Samuel Barrett lived a retired gentleman in a house near the Grammar School up to his death. He died on March 4th, 1877, aged 91 years. rests in a vault in the Christ Church yard. Stockport

JOHN GREENHALGH.

Replies.

THE MURDER OF MR. WILLIAM WOOD, AT

DISLEY, IN 1823.

He

Having read the interesting sketch on the above incident (ante 81), in which I see there appears to be some little doubt as to the exact date it occurred, I consulted the file of the Stockport Advertiser at the Free Library. Here I ascertained not only the date of the occurrence, but was able to trace the case from the announcement of the first brief paragraph to the In addition to this there are trial and execution. many items of interest that I have come across, that not only corroborate all the previous writer states, but is illustrative also of the state of society sixty years ago. The first extract is taken from the Stockport Advertiser, dated July 18, 1823, and is as follows:

HIGHWAY ROBBERY AND MURDER.-On Wednesday last, about seven o'clock, Mr William Wood, of Eyam, Derbyshire, was discovered robbed and murdered by the road side, between Disley and Whaley-Bridge, on his return from Manchester Tuesday's market. This atrocious murder, there is every reason to suppose, was committed by three men, dressed in sailor's clothes, who were observed to follow him through Disley, up the old road; both parties having, it appears, previously met by accident at a public-house, in How-Lane. Mr W. having refreshed himself, (being on foot,) left the house, and was followed in about ten minutes by the three men who taking the same road, came up with him within a short distance of Whaley, where he was foundhis pockets turned inside out, and his head beaten in the most dreadful manner possible. The villains, not content with their own bludgeons, had even taken the stones from the wall, and used them for their hellish purpose; as a large basketful have been picked up, and removed along with the body to the Cock Inn, for the decision of the Coroner's jury. Mr W. is a married man, about 30 years of age, and has a family of three children; and there is too much reason to fear the murderers have had a con siderable booty, as he received a large sum in Manchester, though he had paid several accounts en the day of the murder, one to a gentleman in this town. We had forgot to state that the unfortunate man, when found, was buried under the stones of the wall, which they had pulled upon him to conceal him. No trace has yet been made of the assassins, though they were observed to take the road leading to Buxton.

In the Advertiser for July 25 is the report of the inquest on Mr Wood. This I give in extenso, as follows:

INQUEST ON MR WOOD, OF EYAM.

On Saturday, an inquest was held at the house of Mr Sykes, the Cock Inn, Whaley, before John Hollins, Esq., Coroner, and a respectable Jury, on the body of this unfortunate man, who, as we stated in our last, was found barbarously murdered, on the previous Wednesday evening, about half-past seven, on his return from Manchester Tuesday's market, whither he had attended as a cotton-manufacturer, and had received, as near as can be ascertained, £100, no part of which was found upon him. Upon the view of the body, the head of this poor creature presented such a shocking instance of savage cruelty that we could not have imagined so terrible a sight possible in a civilized country, being literally covered with gore, from the numerous deadly wounds which had been inflicted upon him. The nature of the evidence produced before a jury, wa are sorry to say, has not been such as to lead to the apprehension of the two men still at large, notwith

standing the extraordinary exertions of G. W. Newton, Esq., of Taxal Lodge, who, on Thursday, had caused a man, answering the description of one of them, to be apprehended in Manchester, and lodged in the New-Bayley Prison; but the other two had disappeared from the public-house were they had been drinking together, just before the arrival of the officers, and have not since been heard of. The man taken was on Friday morning examined, when he confessed to have participated in the robbery, but denied being concerned in the murder.-After his business in the Court was concluded, Mr Lavender went down to the apartment in which the prisoner was confined, when he discovered that the poor guilty wretch had hanged himself on the stovepipe, having taken off his stockings, and contrived to twist them into a kind of rope. He was immediately taken down, and surgical assistance procured. At first with hopes of success, for the spark of life was not quite extinct; and he so far recovered that he remained alive till Sunday noon, when he died. He gave his name as Bradley; but his real one was Taylor, and was a native of Oldfield Lane, Salford. A coroner's inquest was on Monday evening held on the body, and a verdict of Felo-de-se returned. He was disposed of according to the new Act of Parliament.

The following examinations were taken:

John Johnson, of Disley, stonemason, sworn :-I live near the Bull's Head Inn, on the old road, between Disley and Whaley, about a mile from the place where the body was found. About seven o'clock last Wednesday evening, I saw two young men going towards Whaley; and behind them (at about 18 or 20 yards distance) the deceased, and another man, going the same way:-the first two had dark coloured coats on, were below the middle size, and appeared about 18 or 19 years of age;— the man with the deceased had a light coloured coat, a jacket, and trowsers of the same colour;-he was taller than the other two. They were all going towards the place where the deceased was found.

Joseph Hadfield, of Disley, sworn. I live on the side of the old road between Disley and Whaley. On Wednesday evening last, about seven o'clock, I was standing at my door, and observed the deceased walk by, towards Whaley, with an umbrella in his right hand, and a bundle, or basket, on his left arm;-about two or three minutes afterwards I saw three young men walking after him; I cannot recollect their dress. The distance from my house to the place where the body was found is about a quarter of a mile, and they were all going in that direction.

Edmund Pott, of Kettleshulme, labourer, sworn.On Wednesday evening last I was returning back

from Stockport with my cart and horse. I returned along the old road from Disley to Whaley. When I came opposite to William Goodwin's house, (which is about a quarter of a mile from the road,) I saw the body of the deceased, lying by the lower side of the road, quite dead, but warm; the blood then still flowing from the head. It could not have been dead many minutes. It was then about eight o'clock. The head was very ill cut, and very bloody. Several stones lay at the back of the head, and

they were very bloody. I lifted the body up, and brought it in my cart to the Cock Inn, in Whaley. Blood ran from the body in the

cart.

[The stones were produced; they were pieces of rock stone, were all very bloody, with hair still sticking to them; one was of an oblong shape, and had the appearance of bloody finger marks at one end.]

John Mellor, who was with the last witness, confirmed his testimony.

Thomas Etchells, of Whaley, sworn.-About halfpast seven, or twenty minutes before eight, (as near as I can judge,) last Wednesday evening, I was coming very slowly along the old road from Whaley to Disley, when I saw three men running along the road towards Whaley. When they came within about forty yards of me, they ceased running, and walked; one of them asked me, how far it was to Chapel-en-le-Frith. I replied "four miles." One of them said "thank you, Sir." As soon as they passed me, they ran again, and continued to run till I ceased to look after them. One of the men was a little taller than the other two; he wore a jean jacket, and had trowsers of the same. On his left arm, between the shoulder and the elbow, I saw a mark four or five inches long, the colour of blood The other two were rather lower than the other, and of about the same size as each other; they had darkish coats, and one had lightish coloured trowsers, narrow stripe; they were all very young men. The place where I first saw these men is about half a mile from the place where the deceased was found, and they were running in a direction from that place.

John Johnson, of Whaley, wheelwright, sworn.On Wednesday evening last, about 8 o'clock, I was standing at the side of the smithy, at Whaley, opposite the end of the old road from Disley. I saw three men running down that road towards me. I concluded they were running a race They ran about a quarter of a mile in my sight; and ceased to run when they got near the Whaley Toll Gate. They went along the road towards Buxton. Two of the men were about 5 feet 7 or 8 inches high, had dark coloured coats; I took them to be blue, I cannot say whether they had trowsers or not. The other man

was about two or three inches taller, had on a light coloured jacket like jean, and trowsers of the same colour, with a white apron round his waist. He was thin. They all appeared about twenty years of age.

William Beard, of Disley, labourer, confirmed the last witness.

Henry Scott, toll bar-keeper, at Whaley, swornOn Wednesday evening last, between seven and eight o'clock, I saw three young men after they had passed a few yards through the bar;-they were walking quick, along the road towards Buxton. They were of a moderate size, but I cannot say whether one was taller than the other. One had a jacket and trowsers on, both light coloured; and he was without stockings. On the leg of his trowsers, towards the bottom, I saw blood, as well as upon his leg below the trowsers. The coats of the other two were dark coloured.

William Wright, of Disley, surgeon, sworn.—I have examined the body of the deceased and find ten wounds on the head-three on the forehead and seven at the back. They are made by some blunt instrumeat. One blow on the back of the head

has fractured the skull in three directions; the one an inch and a half long, and the others rather less; part of the skull is forced into the brain. This wound is calculated to produce instant death. The four stones now produced, or any of them, would inflict such wounds as I have found upon the deceased.

No other evidence appearing to identify the murderers, the Jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against some person or persons unknown.

In the next issue is the following interesting paragraph:

THE LATE MR WOOD OF EYAM.-On Sunday last, after a short notice given in the Sunday Schools of Disley, and the neighbouring places, an excellent and appropriate sermon was delivered by the Rev. Luke Barlow, of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection, of New Mills, on the spot where the unfortunate Mr Wood, of Eyam, was so barbarously and inhumanly put to death, from the very suitable text, "Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh." Matt. c. 24, v. 44. The scholars belonging to the Disley and Furness Sunday Schools met at the place about five o'clock in the evening; and their admirable and exemplary behaviour on this memorable occasion justly entitles them to their well-earned praise. It is calculated that there were not less than 2000 persons present. After the sermon a collection was made for the widow of this unfortunate man, amounting to the sum of £4 10s. 4d.; a very hand

some sum considering the class of the population of the neighbourhood

Under date August 8 appears the following :—

It is worthy of notice that Charles Taylor, who assisted in the murder of Mr Wood, and afterwards hung himself in the New Bailey, Manchester, on the 18th ult. as mentioned in our last, had been confined in Chester Castle six months for felony, and was only liberated the day before the horrid murder was committed. Whilst under confinement he was thought by some of the discriminating part of his fellow prisoners to be a very evil disposed youth.— Chester Guardian.

In the issue for August 15:—

APPREHENSION OF A MURDERER.—On Monday Joseph Dale, one of the murderers of Mr Wood, of Eyam, apprehended on Friday last, at Liverpool, on board the ship Mary, of Great Yarmouth, by Mr Lavender, Deputy Constable, of Manchester, underwent an examination before G. W. Newton, Esq., at the Cock Inn, Whaley. None of the witnesses who saw the three men running from the place, where the murder of Mr Wood was committed, could identify the prisoner; but he was fully sworn to by a hatter of Macclesfield, at whose shop he had bought a hat, as well as the person from whom he had bought new clothes for himself and accomplice. -A shoemaker of the same town, deposed that the prisoner after buying a pair of shoes from him had offered to give his son the clothes that were afterwards left in Macclesfield-and that he had told him that he had just received a small fortune left him by a relative.-Mr Frost, Deputy Constable of Macclesfield, said he had seen the prisoner with Taylor and another at the Red Lion public house, Macclesfield, on the morning after the murder had been committed When called on for his defence, the prisoner said he had been travelling with Taylor and Platt on the road to Chapel-en-le-Frith-that they met with Mr Wood, who, after walking some time with them, offered to pay for something to drink-that Platt then gave him (prisoner) six-pence, and told him to go on and wait for him and Taylor at the next public-house, about a mile off-and he waited there above an hour and half for them, and as he was leaving the public-house he saw them running towards him, with their clothes stained with blood, and to his enquiry "what had been to do," they only answered, "Come along "—that he went with them to Macclesfield and Manchester, where they parted, and that he had never heard of them since. -The prisoner was fully convicted by the worthy Magistrate, and taken back to Manchester by Mr Lavender, from whence he was conveyed to Chester Castle on Tuesday. When first taken into custody