Reported On This Day 280 Years Ago (July 7 1739): Man is arrested in Co Down for trying to enlist recruits for the Jacobite pretenders

BELFAST.

[Last Saturday] a person cloathed in scarlet, and appearing in other respects like an officer of the army, having a gold watch and fire arms about him, came on foot to some young men who were playing at long-bullets, near the presbyterian meeting-house of Moneyrea, in the county of Down, and spoke French to them, and pull’d out gold in abundance and offered the same to them in case they would inlist in the pretenders service; but upon their refusing and speaking roughly to him he went off.

The young men on second thoughts pursued, took and carried him before James Wilson of Purdy’s Burn Esq; one of his majesty’s justices of the peace for said county who took great care and pains to examine the witnesses; and we hear that the said person was committed to Downpatrick goal: we are also told that the same night on the rumour of the said person’s being apprehended, multitudes of people whom he had been among soliciting in the same manner, were seen riding to and fro’ to the terror of the neighbourhood.

[The pretenders, who were alive at this time and reported elsewhere in this very same edition to be departing Rome for the summer, were the son and grandson of the deposed Catholic King James II, who had been defeated at the Battle of the Boyne almost 50 years earlier, a battle that older News Letter readers would have remembered]

LONDON, June 14. Yesterday morning the lady of the hon. Mr. Chichester, brother to the right hon. the earl of Donnegall, of the kingdom of Ireland, was safely delivered of a son, at the said Mr. Chichester’s house in Hatton-garden, to the great joy of that noble family. [This seems to be birth of Arthur Chichester, son of John & Elizabeth Chichester, who would succeed his uncle as earl]

Yesterday his excellency Horatio Walpole, Esq; took leave of his majesty; and this day embark’d on board the Fubbs Yacht, capt. Dansie, with his lady, for Holland. [Horatio was son of the prime minister]

LONDON June 16. They are beating up in all parts of the town for voluntiers. [War with Spain was near]

On Thursday morning, about two o’clock, several press-gangs came up the river, and got a number of seamen from on board the same ships they had visited when the warrants were first issued.

Ten regiments are actually coming from Ireland, but upon what intent is not known.

This morning an Express arrived from Mr Keene, with advice, that 17 men of war are ready to sail at Cadiz with a great number of marines, but on what expedition was not yet known.

We hear that our admirals Haddock and Balchen have had orders given them to take all the Spanish vessels which they can meet with, which will be confiscated to the use of the British merchants who have been sufferers by the Spanish depredations, and, ‘tis said, that these vigorous resolutions were occasioned by a private conference which the duke of Argyle had with his majesty the last week at Kensington, so that now we may expect to have justice done us.

To be Lett, To a responsible Tenant, for a Term of Years, commencing from the first Day of May last,

THE CORN MILLS of BALLY GROOBY, adjoining the Town of Randalstown in the County of Antrim, together with a large Tenement House and Garden commodious thereto; now in the Possession of John Frew.

WHOSOEVER is inclined to farm the same, may apply to Charles O’Neill, Esq; at Shane’s Castle.

Dated the 14th Day of June, 1739.

JAMES CRAIG and ROBERT MOOR of CARRICKFERGUS,

CONTINUE to Dye and Dress Scarlets, Blews, Greens, and other common colour’d Cloths, as well as any in the Kingdom, very reasonably.