Pettiswood and William Bingley

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Pettiswood and William Bingley

Postby brasky12 » Fri Mar 04, 2016 1:48 pm

As history's first recorded witness of an Irish meteorite, some background on William Bingley might be of interest -

Literary anecdotes of the eighteenth Century by John Nichols (1812)

... A man of some notoriety in the days of Wilkes and Liberty. He began his political career, May 10, 1768, by publishing, at a
shop opposite Durham-yard in the Strand, "The North Briton," No. XLVII, in continuation of the celebrated papers under that
name by Mr. Wilkes ; and, for a letter to Lord Mansfield in No. L. was called on by the Attorney-general to shew cause why an
attachment should not be issued against him as Publisher; when he wished to have pleaded his own cause, but was not per-
mitted.

His intended speech, with the proceedings of the Court, are given in No. LI. He was committed to Newgate, whence he addressed,
July 1, a remarkable letter to Mr. Harley, then Lord Mayor, occasioned by some cruel reflections of his Lordship's, No. LV ; another
to the North Briton, No LIX. In Numbers LXIV. and LXXV. he is stated to have been the first person, independent of a Court of justice, imprisoned by attachment from the abolition of the court of Star Chamber.

Nov. 7, after having been 72 days in Newgate, he was committed to the King's Bench, for "not putting in bail to answer interrogatories upon oath." Assisted, as he doubtless was, by the private advice of some distinguished Lawyers, the defence of the English subject's freedom, in his case, is nervously stated in No. LXXV. The result was, that, on Dec. 5, on entering into recognizance for his appearing on the first day of the next term, he was discharged out of custody.

Jan. 23, 1769, persisting in his refusal to answer interrogatories, he was remanded to the King's Bench, and, Feb. 16 made a solemn affidavit that he never would, without torture, answer to the proposed interrogatories. June 14, 1769, he was brought from the King's Bench prison to the Common Pleas, by habeas corpus, to surrender himself to an action of debt, but the Court was of opinion they were not authorized to change the place of his confinement, and he was therefore remanded back.

In June 1770, being "suddenly and unexpectedly released from two years' confinement," he commenced a new weekly paper, under the title of "Bingley 's Journal." He still also continued "The North Briton" till No. CCXVIII, May 11, 1771; after which day he incorporated those Essays, for a few weeks longer, in his Weekly Journal, till at length, his credit in trade became exhausted, and he suffered for his temerity and credulity by an enrolment in the list of bankrupts. He afterwards sought refuge in Ireland, where for several years he carried on the business of a Bookseller; but, returning into this country in 1783, found an asylum in the office of Mr. Nichols the Printer (in which capacity he originally set out in life), and where he in some degree found repose from the turmoils of political strife.

He could not, however, refrain from authorship. In I787 he illustrated with notes "The Riddle," by the unhappy G. R. Fitzgerald, esq.; wrote an essay on the Basaltine fires in Ireland; a pamphlet on Smithfield Market, and against Carcase-Butchers; a curious letter on Stones falling from the air and a quarto pamphlet on the late Rebellion in Ireland. — He also published "The New Plain Dealer, or, Will Freeman's Budgets," a periodical work, "continued occasionally, at various prices, according to quantity."

Four numbers only of the work appeared between 179I and 1794 ; consisting, chiefly, of a farrago of political spleen, and
invectives against courtiers and their dependents. Prefixed to it was a portrait of the author, under the character of "an Eng-
lish Citizen, who was two years imprisoned in English Bastiles, without trial, conviction, or sentence" and a long account of
his own sufferings, under the title of " A Sketch of English Liberty".

In the preface to No. IV. the writer modestly likens himself to a phoenix ; "he exists merely of himself — he has passed through
the fire of persecution, and, in imitation of that bird, has risen again from his own ashes; so that his subjects of Fires and
Illuminations, singular as they appear, are only natural. But, although a phoenix, and perhaps such a one as
may never again rise in this part of the globe, the citizens of London need be under no apprehension of his ever setting flre to
the Thames."

He was a man of strong natural understanding, though not much assisted by literature; and was of the strictest integrity; but
unfortunately possessed an habitual irritability of temper, which proved a perpetual discomfort. With the most earnest inclination
to do right, he frequently wandered into error; and a considerable portion of his time was employed in making apologies for mistakes
which a slight consideration would have prevented.

He was for 36 years happy in a connubial connexion with a very worthy woman, by whom he left three daughters ; all of whom
being respectably married, he again engaged in a matrimonial connexion, Jan. 21, 1798, with the widow of a Captain in the
India trade, who survived to lament his almost sudden loss.

The following inscription is in St. Bride's Church-yard. "In memory of Mary, late wife of William Bingley, of New Romney, county of Kent, but now of this parish, bookseller, and daughter of the late Richard Dann, of Hertsbuiy, Wilts. She was born March 6th, 1736, died June 18, 1796, in the 36th year of her marriage, which terminated, as it commenced, in the most cordial love and truest friendship."
Also the said William Bingley, died 23d October, 1799, aged 61;
"Cold is that heart that beat in Freedom's cause.
The steady advocate of all her laws.
Unnmov'd by threats or bribes his race he ran.
And lived and died the Patriot! — the Man."

So quite a colourful character, not unlike Edward Topham in some respects. And on his testimony alone rests our entire knowledge of the Pettiswood fall of 1779... I must admit I'm not quite sure what distinguishes the veracity of Pettiswood compared to the numerous 'pseudo-falls' reported over the years.

At least Bingley's 'strictest integrity' is emphasised I suppose!
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brasky12
 
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Re: Pettiswood and William Bingley

Postby Kieron » Fri Mar 04, 2016 7:31 pm

Interesting. Thanks, brasky12.

I see that Pettiswood appears in Grady's Catalogue of Meteorites (not to mention our own list of Irish meteorites), but that at least one author (James D Robinson) considers it to be a pseudo-meteorite.


Regards, Kieron
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