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Someone
in the Tower Hamlets Local History Library, at some time, cut up 18th and 19th
century journals - the Gentleman's Magazine and the Illustrated
London News conspicuous among them - and stuck any references to the Tower
Hamlets area onto cards. These are now in the cuttings collection, mostly under
the parish subject numbers. I am working my way through these short items and
will be gradually building them into a series of Miscellanies.
Annoyingly, whoever did it rarely made
a note of where the cutting came from; usually there's just the year. So, in
most cases, that is all the information you will find here.
| 1707 |
Went away from his Master
Yesterday Morning at 4 a Clock, an East-Indian Boy nam'd Cæsar, about the
Age of 16, wearing his own short Hair, a sad-colour'd Fustian Frock over a
black Wastecoat, a Fustian pair of Breeches, and grey Stockings. He has a
handsome Face, and is tall for his Age. Whoever takes him up, and brings him to
Mr. John Waterhouse's, in Aylif-street Goodman's-Fields, shall have 10 s.
Reward.
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| 1738 |
Last Sunday Night a Ship
Carver was taken up and confined in Ratcliff Watch-house for the Robbery and
Murder of Charles Omstron, in Stepney Fields near St. George's Church in the
East, last Summer, as he was going home late at Night: Several People have
formerly been taken up on Suspicion, but were discharged, and about the time
the Murder was committed, it was reported a Chimney-Sweeper was concerned,
which now appears to be a negro, who belonged to a great Gang of Robbers that
hover about Rag Fair, and the said negro has impeached them, and being carried
before a Magistrate was, after a long Examination, committed to Newgate.
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| 1763 |
December 12th
The sessions ended at the Old Bailey, when six convicts received
sentence of death, viz. John Brannon for a highway robbery; John
Edenburgh, a Black, for horse stealing; Joseph Jervis for
burglareously breaking a house; Ch. Riley, Mary Robinson, and
Mary Williams, for robbing a young sailor of his prize-money; the two
women first pulled him to a house at Salt-petre-bank, but not being
strong enough to rob him, they call'd in Riley, who with a naked knife,
threatened to cut out his liver if he did not deliver the money.
(Gentleman's Magazine)
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| 1765 |
Yesterday a foreigner
bathing in a pond behind Lady Fitz-Hugh's house in Mile-End road, was drowned;
a black, after several ineffectual attempts, dived down and brought his body to
shore.
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| 1805 |
August
Aged about 39, at his country-house at
Hallowall-down, Essex, Jn. Anthony, esq. for whom a Bill of Naturalization
passed into a law in March last. His body was removed to his residence in
Shadwell, to be attended to that church by all the Chinese in town. He was the
first instance of a Chinese having been naturalized in this country, where he
had accumulated a great fortune, and bore a most excellent character, having
for several years past been entrusted, by the Directors of the East India
Company, with the care of the Chinese and Lascars [1]
employed in navigating their shipping to and from China. About six years ago he
abjured Paganism, and embraced Christianity. Before his death he gave
directions where he would be buried, which was in Shadwell church, where he was
baptised. He was carried to the grave in a hearse draw by six horses, preceded
by four natives of China dressed in white, being the mourning of their country,
with four lighted wax-tapers in their hands. Two mourning-coaches followed,
with the friends of the deceased, and above 2000 of the neighbouring poor and
other persons.
(Gentleman's Magazine, p. 779)
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| 1813 |
October 13th
POLICE.
SHADWELL.- An investigation at the above office into the
late dangerous riots among the Chinese Lascars, in which three men were killed,
and about 17 wounded, terminated on Tuesday, with the commitment of six of the
ringleaders. The following is an abstract of the most material evidence:-
A. Gola, Superintendent of natives of India stated, that in a place called King
David's Fort, there were about 500 Chinese in the barracks belonging to the
East India Company. Of there there are two sects, one called the Chenies, the
other the Chin-Choo. On visiting their barracks about eight o'clock on the
morning of the 18th ult. he found them in a state of entire hostility; one sect
fighting the other with knives and implements of every description. He
immediately directed the gates to be shut to prevent the offenders from
escaping. He then sent for and procured the assistance of several of the police
officers, on seeing whom approach, the contest in a great measure subsided. The
officers immediately proceeded to disarm them of their weapons, which, by this
time, they attempted to conceal. On searching their chests and hammocks, all
their knives, &c. were taken away. One man was found dead, with his bowels
ripped open. Seven were carried to the London Hospital, severely wounded, two
of whom are since dead. The Chenies overcame the Chin-Choo by superiority of
numbers. The witness was informed that a cutler, on Tower Hill, was employed to
make instruments for the Chenies. He found his name was Cramer: he acknowledged
that he had recently sold two sets of large knives to them, and had been
commissioned to make them a further supply, which his workmen were then
executing. These the witness saw: they were large knives, with wooden handles,
the blade about the size of a common cutlass. Cramer being apprised of their
intended use, promised they should not be delivered. Several of the Lascars
were afterwards stopped at the Barrack-gate, in the act of bringing such
instruments with them, which they delivered up, not without some struggle, and
an attempt to use them against the officers for making the seizure.
The origin of this affair appears to be thus, by the evidence of the parties:-A
Chines being at play with a Chin-Choo, they quarrelled about 1s.
6d. which one had lost and refused to pay: they came to blows, and on a
subsequent day they renewed the combat with knives. Too Sugar, a Chin-Choo, now
in the hospital, is alleged to have begun the contest, by calling to his sect
to come and fight the Chenies. Hence it appears each sect caught the contagion
of quarrel from these two, when the rencounter became general.
Of those in custody, three have been discharged for want of evidence. The
following are to take their trial, viz. Appui, Appong, Chong, and Pen.
|
| 1815 |
Wednesday, a dreadful
circumstance occurred at a house in Stepney:- A Captain of a West Indiaman
lodged there, who had a black girl, about 14 or 15 years of age, living with
him as a servant, whom he had lately occasion to punish for gross misconduct,
since which she has been extremely sullen and perverse. Wednesday she was in a
room occupied by her master, in which were several fire-arms, and had a little
boy, the son of the landlord of the house, with her. After they had been there
some time, the family were alarmed by the discharge of fire-arms, and on
entering the room, the little boy was discovered to be shot in the most
shocking manner, by the black girl, with a musket. A surgeon was sent for, who
ascertained that one side of his head was dreadfully injured, nearly all his
teeth and nose on that side being carried away.
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| 1822 |
Monday morning Octr 14th
1822 - 9 o'clock
Mr James Gordon gave charge to Wm Hinks Headboro of a Chinaman viz Setrah for
attempting to murder Atshart his countryman.
Discharged-
(Watch-house charge book of All Saints, Poplar) [2]
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| 1822 |
Decr 30th 1822
Fire
An alarm of fire was made this Monday Evening about 8 o'clock with a chimney
being on fire at Mr Robbinsons (house for the Lascars) by their putting on too
much fewell (no further damage)
(Watch-house charge book of All Saints, Poplar) [2]
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[1] An Oriental (originally Indian)
sailor.
[2] Held in the Tower Hamlets Local History Library &
Archives, POP. 740a.
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