Notes from the 14 May 1832 Edition:
Mrs Heard advertises her return from London with fashionable dresses for sale for the women of Bridgwater in King Square. For more on the fashion of the 1830s, see here.
A meeting to be held for the creditors of William Russell, previously of the Castle Inn, to be held in the Punch Bowl, to discuss his debts.
Summons in the town hall for the non-payment of poor rates. William Ware ‘a notorious defaulter’ complains about being singled out, and threatens to leave his wife and children so they will be the responsibility of the parish.
The case of Richard Webb throws up a matter of corruption. He had no idea he was liable for rates, assumed to be for a ship which is owned by his daughter. However, this throws light onto Mr John Browne, churchwarden, who had said he received the rates from Webb when he had taken Webb’s vote for his position of churchwarden. It seems Browne had claimed to have received the rates of many of those in arrears so he could get their votes, even though by not having paid they were ineligible to vote. Note, Mr John Browne was an important brick and tile maker. Here is Bowen’s verdict on the incident:
Inquest at the house of George Edolls at Dunwear held on Monday 7 May 1832. George’s son Henry Edolls, aged 12 had been killed. It seems the boy had gone out early the previous morning to drive cows from the field into the farmyard, but was set upon by a bull and trampled to death. A servant girl had attempted to scare the bull away with a broom stick without success.