[List-Cumbria] Carlisle Patriot, 21 Sep 1816 - Mysterious Circumstance

[Petra Mitchinson]

Saturday 21 Sep 1816   (p. 4, col. 2-3)

 

MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE. 

 

The following examination will afford our readers the particulars of a very mysterious circumstance which occurred in this
neighbourhood last week:- 

 

The Examination of Mary NICHOL, of Jollie's Buildings, in the City of Carlisle, taken on the 13th September, 1816, 

 

Who saith, that she has known Francis HARKNESS about six months last past, and John M'GORRIN, a much longer time; that for some time
past HARKNESS wished to marry her, and on Wednesday night last, the 11th September, she agreed to accompany him to Gretna to be
married. HARKNESS and Examinant were then standing at her mother's door in Jollie's Buildings. M'GORRIN was in the house; he came to
the door and asked if they were going to Gretna Green that night; Examinant replied she thought they were. M'GORRIN, his wife,
HARKNESS, and Examinant then went to the head of the lane, and M'GORRIN's wife tied a handkerchief about her husband's neck; it was
then just nine o'clock. HARKNESS, M'GORRIN, and Examinant then set off for Gretna, all upon good terms; they walked until they
arrived at Rockliff Cross, where M'GORRIN rapped at the door of a person named HEWITT, but he would not let him in; they then
proceeded to Wm. IRWIN's, the boatman, but M'GORRIN walked on before them, saying he would call the boat across; it was then just
twelve o'clock. Examinant and HARKNESS walked slowly around the creeks, but M'GORRIN went straight across; they heard him call for
the boat several times, which they could see on the opposite side of the water. When Examinant and HARKNESS came up to M'GORRIN he
was stripping himself on the grass; he had his shoes and stockings off, and was loosening his waistcoat. M'GORRIN said he would swim
across and seek the boat; on Examinant making some observations, he replied that she need not be frightened, he had often swam much
further. He then finished stripping himself, and Examinant was left standing by the clothes. HARKNESS and M'GORRIN went to the water
side, which was about 100 yards distant, and in a few minutes she heard HARKNESS calling M'GORRIN by his name, but there was no
answer, nor did she hear M'GORRIN call out. HARKNESS returned to Examinant and said he was afraid that M'GORRIN was a lost man; he
went two or three times to the water side and called aloud on M'GORRIN, and cried much. After some time they returned to IRWIN's
boat-house, where Examinant was for calling, but HARKNESS prevented her; they walked on; Examinant observed that they should have
raised somebody; HARKNESS replied that M'GORRIN was surely a lost man, and they would walk on as fast as they could to Carlisle and
acquaint all his own countryfolks of the circumstance; they reached Carlisle about three o'clock in the morning and called at half a
dozen houses belonging to Irishmen, and told them that M'GORRIN was lost in the water. Examinant then proceeded home to her
mother's, and HARKNESS went away yesterday morning about seven o'clock; M'GORRIN's wife had found HARKNESS and they had set off
towards Rockliff, but Examinant followed and overtook them at Stanwix. M'GORRIN's wife abused HARKNESS very much and said she would
have satisfaction of him, and make him tell what had become of her husband. HARKNESS then told her that he went into the water to
seek the boat, and that was all he knew about it. They all three walked on to together until they got near Rockliff, when HARKNESS
turned up a lane, walked away, and Examinant has not seen nor heard of him since. 

 

 

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