Reported This Week 280 Years Ago (Dec 23 1738): Drunken drama Edinburgh Castle; Co Down man disowns wife

From the third surviving Belfast News Letter of December 12 1738 (Dec 23 in modern calendar). The paper was founded a year before, Sept 1737 but all earliest papers are lost:
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Dec 2018, 19:07 BST
Updated 7th Feb 2019, 18:43 BST
The front page of the third surviving Belfast News Letter, dated December 12 1738 (December 23 modern calendar)The front page of the third surviving Belfast News Letter, dated December 12 1738 (December 23 modern calendar)
The front page of the third surviving Belfast News Letter, dated December 12 1738 (December 23 modern calendar)

Edinburgh, Nov. 20.

Last Friday one Parker, a Centinel of Major Cunningham’s Company (in the Hon. Brigadier Middleton’s Regiment) one of the auxiliary Companies garrisoned in the Castle, having got fuddled, attacked one of the drummers of Garrison, as he was beating the Tattoe, and would needs have him give over doing the Duty to humour his Frolick; where upon Words arising the Drum was interrupted for some Time, which however the Drummer in some measure compensated, by disciplining the Point of War on the Centinel’s Scull.

This Alarmed the Commandant, who imagining some of the Disaffected might have crept into the Garrison, called out, Who is that so audacious as to stop his Majesty’s Drum? The Centinel answered, Why, Sir, I don’t like your shitten Scotch Tattoe, not I, I’d have the Fellow beat the English one, Go to bed, Tom! Go to bed, Tom! And I’ll dance to it for that Matter. Why then replied the Officer, don’t you obey the Word of Command, and go to bed Tom?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

So much good Nature on the Part of his Officer might have inclined the Fellow to repair to his Barrack, yet he was mad enough to break the Drum to pieces with Feet and Hands, for which he was taken up, clapt in a Dungeon, and is to be tried by a Court Martial.

WHEREAS Mary Dougherty, alias Mary O Neil, the Wife of Patrick Dougherty of Maghredrol, in the County of Down, Farmer, hath of late eloped from her said Husband, having carried off with her his Money and Part of his Houshold (sic) Goods: NOW I the said Patrick Dougherty do give this publick Eotice (sic), in order to prevent People being imposed on, by crediting her, with Expectation to receive the same off me: For I will not pay them one Penny if they do. Dated the 12th December, 1738.

• There will be more excerpts from this 1738 edition on Monday. There were numerous News Letter editions in December 1738, but only two survive. There would have been editions on Dec 15 and 19, equivalent to Dec 26 and 30 in today’s calendar, but both are lost. The next surviving edition, Dec 22 (Jan 2 modern calendar) is serialised next week

• Ben Lowry: Early News Letters give glimpse of Ulster a century after plantation

Related topics:Edinburgh Castle