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126] ANNUAL REGISTER For the YEAR 1772

SEPTEMBER 7th.

A most astonishing rain fell at Inverary, in Scotland, by which the rivers rose to such a height, as to carry everything along with current that stood in the way; even trees that had braved the floods for more than 100 years, were torn up by the roots, and carried down the stream. Numbers of bridges were swept away, and the military roads rendered impassable. All the Duke of Argyle's cascades, bridges, and bulwarks, are destroyed, at his fine palace in that neighbourhood. 

The communications of the Birmingham, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire canals, were this day opened.

His majesty's pardon, on condition of transportation during life, hath been obtained for Capt. Robert Jones, a convict in Newgate.

By letters just received from the East Indies, there is an account of the blowing up of the power-magazine in the forests of Trichinopoli, by which explosion the whole fortification was shaken to the foundation, many houses were levelled with the ground, above 100 Europeans buried under the ruins, and more than 200 natives. The company have sustained, besides, a very considerable loss, 340,000 ball-cartridges having been blown up, all the gun-carriages destroyed, and almost all the arms, tumbrils, &c. The whole loss is almost irretrievable.

Passed the seal, a proclamation, promising a reward of 500l for the discovering and apprehending any of the persons concerned in burning the Gaspee schooner in Providence river, on the 10th of June last; also a further reward of 500l. and his majesty's pardon to any of the offenders, for apprehending each of the ringleaders.

At the assizes at Dorchester, Elizabeth Taylor, charged with the murder of her bastard child was found guilty. By some error in the indictment, by which Elizabeth Taylor was first tried, she was acquitted; and being tried again on a second indictment, was found guilty of murder; but a doubt arising how far she could be tried a second time for the same offence, her sentence was respited. 

At Carlisle assizes, a cause was tried before Judge Willes, in which the matter in dispute was, whether the plaintiff (against whom a commission of bankruptcy had some time before been issued, upon the affidavit and petition of the defendant)could be deemed a bankrupt; and the defendant not being able to make out a debt of more than 26l. due to him, the Jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff.

8th.

The late Sir Robert Kite, alderman of Lime-street ward, has left the following charitable legacies; to the charity-children of Lime-street, Cornhill, Bridge, Candlewick and Dowgate wards, 100l. each: to Christ's-hospital 100l. to Bridewell and Bethlem-hospital 100l. to St Bartholomew's-hospital 100l. to St. Thomas's-hospital 100l. to the London-hospital 100l. and to the poor of Lubbenham and Little-streeton, in Leicestershire, where he had a considerable estate, 20l. each.

In the Will of John G----e, Esq; who died at Lambeth, a short time since, is the following very remarkable clause: 'Whereas it was my

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misfortune to be made very uneasy by Elisabeth G----e, my wife, for many years, from our marriage, by her turbulent behaviour; for she was not content with despising my admonitions, but the contrived every method to make me unhappy; she was so perverse in her nature, that she would not be reclaimed, but seemed only to be born to be a plague to me; the strength of Sampson, the knowledge of Homer, the prudence of Augustus, the cunning of Pyrrhus, the patient of Job, the subtilty of Hannibal, and the watchfulness of  Hermogenes, could not have been sufficient to subdue her; for no skill or force in the world would make her good; and as we have lived separate and apart from each other eight years, and she having perverted her son to leave and totally abandon me, therefore I give her one shilling only."

His Swedish majesty was pleased to dissolve the diet with the usual ceremonies, when he told the states he would assemble them again after six years.

The King of Prussia took possession of the district of Great Poland, situate between the Drage and the Netze, after publishing a manifesto, in which he pretends to make out a right to all the country known by the name of Polish Prussia.

12th.

Richard Daw, a wealth farmer in Gloucestershire, was executed at Gloucester, for being accessary, before the fact, to the murder of a bastard-child, of which he was the father. He was upward of seventy years of age, and had a wife and family. He caused the poor innocent to be exposed to the inclemency of the weather, in a cold frosty night,
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where it must be either destroyed by vermin, or frozen to death. 

York, Sept 8. At the anniversary meeting of the sons of the clergy, on Thursday last, at Newcastle, the collection amounted to 337l. 10s. 2 1/2. Which was distributed to sixteen clergymen's widows, nine clergymen's sons, and twenty-eight clergymen's daughter, according to their several necessitous circumstances.

14th.
Came on at the sessions in the Old-Bailey the trial of one Male, a barber's apprentice, for robbing Mrs. Ryan, of Portland-street, on the highway, on the 17th of June last. The evidences swore positively to the identity of the lad, and the whole court imagined him guilty. He said nothing in his defence, but that he was innocent, and his evidence would prove it. His evidences were the books of the court, to which reference being made, it appeared, that, on the day and hour the robbery was sworn to be committed, the lad was on his trial, at the bar where he then stood, for another robbery, in which he was likewise unfortunate enough to be mistaken for the person who committed it; on which he was honourably acquitted. 

A bow and quiver were found in New-Forest, Hampshire, supposed to have lain there ever since the reign of William Rufus.

A set of villains broke into the convent of Newburgh, in Germany, and robbed it of 200,000 florins in cash.

There fell ten inches of water in twelve hours at Marseilles in France; a thing hardly credible.

It is said, that the captain who carried