[list-cumbria] Cumberland Pacquet - 5

[Nev Ramsden]

Whitehaven  - November 17 - 1774.



The following remarkable affair happened at Distington, nigh this town, on Wednesday the 9th instant. The people at work in a pit, observed that a part of the roof had shrunk; they quitted it, and were removing about 80 tons of coals that lay upon the bank, when suddenly the heap broke in the centre, and one Thamar Armstrong, a young woman, who was standing upon it, sunk down, as if descending in a whirlpool. The rest of the people were left upon the brink, in the greatest terror; but one of them recollecting himself, went into the pit by one of the passages which they call a day hole, and in his inexplicable astonishment met the girl running towards the light, in the greatest confusion, and unable to give any account of her miraculous escape. She had received a slight wound on her forehead, without any other harm.

On Monday last, a woman, decently dressed, went into a mercers shop in this town, and desired to look at some silks for a cloak, she had a piece cut off, and told the mercer it was for a lady in Church street, that she would take the silk, and some patterns of lace might be sent, for the lady to chuse for herself. This was Complied with; but when the lace was carried to the lady, it appeared that the whole was a fraud, she not having ordered any such thing



In a violent gale of wind last Monday night, two vessels were sunk in entering the harbour; the same evening several vessels came in, too early for the tide, and some little damage was done in the harbour by the great sea which set in from the North West. One of the vessels was got off again on Tuesday morning.



Last week was married at Bassenthwaite, in this county, Mr. John Bell, to Miss Brown of the same place; and which if very remarkable, the bridegroom is older than his bride’s father, mother, or grandmother.

[05.11.1774         John Bell of Bassenthwaite & Jane Brown of Bassenthwaite; at Bassenthwaite church]



On Tuesday last were interred in Trinity church yard the remains of Mr. Henry Dixon, an old inhabitant of this town, who died in the 101st year of his age. He was a man of a very fair character, and had a most retentive memory, which was a faithful repository of various occurrences for 90 years; which he was able to relate, till within a few days of his death, he was posest of an agreeable manner of callery?, without offending, which endeared him to all his acquaintances, and makes his death much regretted.



The same day died at Workington, in an advanced age, Mr. William Hodgson, father of Mr. Hodgson, merchant of that place.



On Tuesday night, William Dixon of Stonehouse, in the neighbourhood of Longtown, having unfortunately [missed] the ford in attempting to cross the River Esk, was thrown from his horse, and drowned. He had left Longtown the same night about 10 o’clock, in company with two other men, from whom he had parted not a quarter of an hour before the accident happened. His having sixteen pounds in his pocket, when taken out of the water, happily freed his companions from all suspicions of injury. He has left a family behind.

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Nev.Ramsden.
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