His

This evening the ceremony of the christening of the young prince was performed in the Great Counkil-Chamber, by his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury. royal highness was named Alfred. The fponfors were his Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales, his Royal Highnefs the Prince Bishop of Ofnaburgh, and her Royal Highness the Princefs Royal.

A feffion of oyer and terminer and goal delivery of the High Court of Admiralty of England, was held before Sir James Marriot, knt. Judge of the High Court of Admiralty, and Mr. Justice Heath; when James Robinfon was tried for piratically and feloniously running away with a merchant brig, called the Hermione, in the Jamaica trade. The jury acquitted the prifoner.

There being no other bills of indictment found by the grand jury, the court was adjourned. There were many other prifoners remanded to prifon till next fefLions.

Paris, 08, 15. M. de Sartine, the minister of the marine, is difmiffed. On Friday laft, at two o'clock, M. Amelot, Minifter and

Secretary of State, went to him in the name of the king, and demanded his ftate papers. It is said, that he delivered to him a letter from the king, who thanked him, in obliging terms, for his fervices in the marine.

The fucceffor in the above im portant poft, is M. de Caiftres, lieutenant general, and the commandant of the Gendarmerie ; and yesterday morning he went to Marly, where the court is at prefent, and there took the oaths to the king in quality of minifter of the marine.

DIED. At Staunton, Cumberland, Mrs. M. Smith, aged 104. At Fintray, Scotland, J. Taylor, aged 108.

At Taunton, James Codring. ton, Efq; aged 104.

At Winchefter, Mrs. Clark, aged

Mrs. Bradshaw, formerly of Drury-lane theatre. The circumftances of her death are worth relating. She had a few years ago adopted a young girl; but the uncommon care which he had taken of her education, and the fatal confequence which has attended the want of fuccefs of her adopted, makes it now believed that be was really Mrs. Bradshaw's own daughter; for, upon her return from France, fhe was engaged to dance at Plymouth; but whether from the length of the dance, the timidity of the performer, or the ill nature or ignorance of the audience, fhe was hiffed. The effect this misfortune had upon Mrs. Bradshaw was truly tragical. She fell into fits inftantly, was convey

Oxford, Nov. 2. Last week di vers tradefmen of this city were defrauded of fums to the amount of upwards of 100l. by a female fharper of very genteel addrefs and appearance, who had made Oxford her refidence for about three weeks paft, in company with a perfon who fpoke, or affected to fpeak, broken English, and whom fhe called her hufband. This fraud was effected by negociating falfe and counterfeit notes on copperplate cheques. Thofe put off here were filled up in an exceeding good hand payable to Robert Pearce or order at a banker's in Lombard-ftreet, London; the last indorfer, A. Clifford; and it feems the lady had daily practifed the art of going from shop to hop in an affable way, purchafing trifles with ready money, and telling the people the fhould be a better cuftomer hereafter, being come to make a confiderable ftay. Having thus made a flight acquaintance, the day fhe left Oxford fhe went round and took up filver and other

The

out of her counterfeit notes. feveral articles thus taken up they likewife found means to carry off last Friday night, affifted by a third perfon, their accomplice, and who went off with them privately after dark in the fame poft chaife. Upon breaking open the door of the apartment where they lodged, in a large leather trunk (fuppofed to contain their wearing apparel, which they alfo left locked) were found only a couple of walking fticks.

10th.

In the Court of King's Bench. the Attorney-General prefented a bill of indictment againft George Gordon, Efq; commonly called Lord Geo. Gordon, to the grand Jury, which they very foon returned, finding a true bill.

Mr. Dunning obtained a 14th. mandamus from the court of King's Bench to transfer stock at the bank, which was refufed by the directors, on pretence that baftards could not devife by will; which was held nugatory.

The report was made to 15th. his majefty in council, of the prifoners under fentence of death in Newgate, who were convicted laft September feffions, when the following were ordered for execution on Wednesday the 22d inflant, viz. Samuel Baker, Steward Montague, Thomas Cox, Jofeph Freeman, Mary Gardner, Jofeph Carter, Abraham Danford, and William Newton, Benjamin Kinder, and Thomas Humphreys.

The following were refpited during his majefty's pleasure, viz. John Harris, Grace Maddocks, George Duffey, and George Watson.

This evening came on by petition, before the twelve judges at

Ser

Serjeant's-Inn-hall, the cafe of Mr. Hart, against the benchers of Gray's-Inn, for refusing to call him to the bar on account of his having taken the benefit of an A&t of Infolvency; when, after hearing counfel, they were unanimously of opinion that the petition be difmiffed. All the judges were prefent on the occafion. 228.

This morning the following malefactors were carried in three carts from Newgate to Tyburn, where they were all executed according to their fentence, viz. William Edwards, Steward Montague, Samuel Baker, Abraham Danford, William Newton, Thomas Cox, Benjamin Kinder, Mary Gardner, and Jofeph Carter, who was drawn on a fledge. They all behaved very penitently; particularly Danford, who left the following curious paper in the hands of the ordinary.

Nervgate Cells, Nov. 21, 1780. Senfible of the injuries I have committed against many people who have been defrauded by me, and having nothing before me but the profpect of a speedy diffolution, and an ignominious one; as it is not in my power to make any reftitution to the feveral perfons who have been injured by me, but do for their fatisfaction declare the principal tranfactions I have been guilty of, or concerned in.

The method I chiefly put in practice was forging the poft-mark of different towns, which I put on a piece of paper made up as a letter, and then went to the inns where the coaches came, and heard the parcels called over; then went to a public-houfe near, and wrote the direction on the letter the fame as was on the parcel I had fixed

on. The book-keepers, feeing the direction the fame, and the postmark on it, they usually gave me what I asked for, on paying their demand.

The following are the principal tranfactions I have been concerned in, which I can at prefent recollect: In September 1777, I got parcel fent from Norwich, directed to Smith, Wright, and Gray, which contained bills to the amount of 500l. and upwards; one of them for 216 1. 5 s. was drawn on Mr. Gauffen, in St. Helen's, which I carried for acceptance, and pre vailed on him to give me the cash, allowing him the discount. I wrote John Watkins on the bill, and likewife on the draft, which Mr. Gauffen paid me; the amount I received in cash at the Bank of England. Two more of the bills I left for acceptance, and the others I destroyed.

In July, 1778, I obtained a box at the Bull and Mouth Inn, fent from Birmingham in the fame manner. After hearing the feveral parcels called over, I fixed on a box directed to Mr. Ford, Lombard-ftreet; I had a letter in my pocket with the Birmingham poftmark on it, and went to a publichoufe juft by and wrote the fame direction as on the box. On fhewing the letter to the book-keeper, he immediately gave me the box, which I carried to Cheapfide, took a coach home, opened it, and found upwards of 100l. in cash, and fome bills; feveral I negociated, and the others I returned in a cover to Birmingham, to the perfons who fent them, Meff. Whitworth and Yates. Two of these bills I negociated at Hazard's for

tickets;

tickets; two with Mr. Cox for gold; and one with Mr. Crafton for flockings, which his man car ried to a box-maker, in Bishopsgate ftreet, where I bought a box to pack them in. I indorfed thofe bills in the name of Thomas Downer, Tooley-ftreet, and after. wards conveyed the box to Mr. Ford's houfe, and there left it.

Soon after, I obtained a parcel directed to Sir William Lemon and Co. wherein was a letter and account, the writing of which appeared very much like mine. I copied the letter with an addition, defiring them to purchase 25 lottery tickets, which I afterwards understood they did; I defired they might be delivered to a perfon who would call for them; I fent a ticket porter for them, who foon returned, and faid they would not deliver them.

Soon after I began practifing the invention of the poft-mark, I went to the Green Dragon, in Bishops gate-ftreet, and fixed on a parcel from Lynn, directed, I think, to Meff. Boydells, Caftle-ftreet, Leicefter-fields-1 produced the letter, and received the parcel; on opening it, I found it contained only a parcel of livery cloaths, and a letter; I found by the letter that Meff. Boydells were in debted to the perfon who fent the cloaths about 301. (I think his name was Curtis)-I wrote a letter, inftead of the other, as com, ing from Mr. Curtis, telling them I had burnt my hand, and that I could not write myself, but had got a neighbour to write for me, and I drew a bill at fight for 251. which they paid to the porter I fent for the money. I was afraid it would not fuit Meff. Boydells

to pay the bill at fight; and to deceive them the more, I defired them in the letter to enquire about a ticket in the State Lottery, which I knew was drawn a 501. prize a few days before, telling them it was the property of myself (meaning Curtis), and if it was a prize, I would fend it to them to fell for me.

Another parcel I obtained from the Bell and Crown, Holborn, directed for Mr. Fox, Cheapfide, containing a piece of Irish cloth, and feveral bills, two of which I negociated; one of them was drawn on Smith, Wright, and Gray, for 50l. which I paid Hornby and Pearce for lottery tickets; the others, about 20 1. I received in cash. Another parcel I obtained from the King's-arms, Snow-hill, directed to Mr. Bedford, Friday. ftreet, containing fome dimity, &c. which I fold for what I could get.

I alfo obtained a basket from the Spread Eagle, Gracechurchftreet, directed to Mr. Stock, linèndraper, containing a goofe, and a bill on Mr. Branwaite, which he accepted, and I negociated it at a refiner's, in Castle treet, near Alderfgate-street.

I was the fole actor, and had no accomplices, in all the above frauds; and I hope no person will ever reflect on my poor wife and children, or fuppofe they were in any manner concerned with me. I folemnly declare they are per fectly innocent, and were never acquainted with any one fraud I have committed. I make this confeffion voluntarily, for the fatif. faction of the many perfons that have been injured by me, and to prevent fufpicion from being caft on innocent perfons, having fre

quently