Reported On This Day 280 Years Ago (June 16 1739): Joyous celebrations for the first birthday of Prince George

From the News Letter of June 5 1739 (June 16 modern date):
The Belfast News Letter of June 5 1739 (June 16 in the modern calendar)The Belfast News Letter of June 5 1739 (June 16 in the modern calendar)
The Belfast News Letter of June 5 1739 (June 16 in the modern calendar)

LONDON, May 26.

On Thursday being the anniversary of the birthday of his highness prince George, eldest son to his royal highness the prince of Wales, the morning was ushered in with the ringing of bells and displaying of flags at a great many parish churches: at noon there was a prodigious concourse of nobility, quality, and gentry, at Norfolk-House, to congratulate their royal highnesses the prince and princess of Wales on the happy occasion.

[Norfolk House on St Jame’s Square in London was only briefly a royal residence. It was pulled down in the 1900s and General Eisenhower helped plan 1944 D-Day in the replacement building].

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sixty youths, under twelve years of age, sons of eminent citizens, having formed themselves into a lilliputian company of foot soldiers in proper military cloathing, were brought in hackney coaches to Norfolk-House; where the prince ordered them to a-light and enter, they march’d in accordingly with drums beating, colours flying, and musick playing before them, with the officers at their proper posts; they were admitted into the great drawing room, and had the honour to kiss the hands of prince George, prince Edward, the youngest princess Augusta; the former had a hat and feather with a cockade; his royal highness the prince ordered them to be entertain’d at the Gloucester-tavern in Pall-Mall, and afterwards to be carefully conducted home to their parents.

The same evening their royal highnesses the prince and princess of Wales came with the lady Charlotte Edwin, in her coach to view the model of the Mansion-house on the Royal Exchange.

His royal highness the duke of Cumberland continued very ill of the measles till Wednesday last, when his highness was blooded by Mr. Ranby, surgeon to the houshold, and cupped by Mr. Hahan, cupper to the royal family, and has been much better ever since.

[Prince George, who had just turned one, was grandson of the King, George II. The infant’s father, the Prince of Wales, predeceased his own father, and so George became George III in 1760, and not long thereafter ‘the king who lost America’]

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On Sunday last a clergyman of the town of Bedford, of the new sect of methodists, preached from a windmill near Bedford to about 3000 People.

On Tuesday night the Rev. Mr. Whitefield arriv’d at Oulney in Buckinghamshire, and being refus’d the pulpit, preach’d in a field on Wednesday morning; the same evening he preach’d at Northampton from the weighing chair on the horse-course; on Thursday morning he preach’d there again, and at noon was to preach at Oulney; in the evening at Bedford; yesterday morning at Bedford again; at noon at Hitchen; at night at St. Alban’s; this morning at the same place, and, God willing, is to be at seven o’clock this evening on Kennington-Common; tomorrow morning at seven in Moorfields, and in the evening at six on Kennington-Common.

[George Whitefield was an Anglican preacher who was a founder of Methodism with the Wesley brothers]

On Sunday last the Rev. Dr Trapp preach’d his fourth and last sermon, in answer to Mr. Whitefield and the methodists, shewing the nature, folly, sin, and danger of being righteous over-much; which sermons are now printing at the earnest request of his audience, the parishioners of Christ church, Harrington, St. Lawrence, and St. Martin in the fields.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

[Joseph Trapp was a clergyman and academic. In April 1739 Whitefield had gone to Christ Church Newgate Street to hear Trapp preach against him on one of the four discourses above]

LONDON. May 26.

The body of a young lad, who was run over some days ago, by a car in Cheapside, having been interr’d in the burial ground White-Cross-Street, was taken up on Wednesday by order of the coroner to be examin’d; as soon as the grave was open’d the man employ’d to do it, whose name was Clark, was taken with a sweeming in his head (as he said) and dropt down and died immediately. [The word above seems to be sweeming, but might be sweaming, tweeming, tweaming, fweeming or fweaming, none of which are words of which we can find any record]

By letters last night from Smyrna, we have advice, that they have had a most dreadful earthquake there, which happened on the 24th of March, O.S. by which a great many mosques and other buildings were thrown down, and great many Greeks and other inhabitants buried in the ruins, but we don’t hear that any of the English have lost their lives.

Those letters likewise add, that the famous rebel Sarey-Bey-Oglou has quitted those posts where he had done so much mischief, and is run away, and no body knows where he is gone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

[Smyrna was a Greek city in Turkey, now known as Izmir. In April there had been a report that Jews in the city had been hanged for helping a rebel leader]

This day the 12 judges attended in the house of lords, to give their opinion on the bill depending there; for the suppression of rogues, vagabonds, &c. which was rejected, and a new one ordered to be brought in by the judges next sessions of parliament.

Last Tuesday evening, a boat going through the bridge with 6 passengers, besides a load of goods, was sunk. One of the passengers, who could swim, sav’d his wife, and a child about 3 years old, by laying them cross his belly, and swimming on his back. The 2 watermen, with the rest of the people, were sav’d by the assistance of other boats.