Carlisle Patriot, 24 Dec 1825 - Local News (1)

[petra.mi...@doctors.org.uk]

Saturday 24 Dec 1825   (p. 3, col. 2-4 + 6)

 

In Carlisle, as we anticipated last Saturday, we have experienced little or no inconvenience in regard to the City Banks. So great was the public confidence, that last Saturday, Messrs. FORSTER, instead of encountering that "run" for which they were so amply prepared, had to attend to their counter more busily than usual to receive deposits, especially towards evening.

 

To this we regret to add, that the Bank of Messrs. JOHNSTON, ADAMSON, and HOPE, of Whitehaven, was closed on Saturday night, and not again opened on Monday morning,—vide the particulars, below, from a Whitehaven journal. The firm, it will be seen, executed a hasty assignment, dated the 18th and 19th, Sunday and Monday; and they seem to promise a favourable winding up. We fear they are much too sanguine. Report says that they have paper afloat to the tune of £70,000, a considerable portion of which is circulated in the western and southern parts of the county. In the town of Whitehaven the blow will be felt most severely. Many families had the whole of their property in the Bank; and on account of the great interest which they allowed, a considerable number of masters of vessels had lodged their ship-money with the establishment, some of them to the amount of £1200 and £1400 each.

 

We regret to state that the respectable Firm of Messrs. JOHNSTON, ADAMSON, and HOPE, bankers, Whitehaven, has been under the necessity of yielding to the pressure of the times and suspending its payments. It is reported that the funds of the house, aided by the private property of the partners, will be more than adequate to meet all their engagements; but to prevent any undue preference, measures have been taken to render the transfer of the Notes of the Bank unavailable to any person who was not a bona fide holder of them prior to this day.—A hand-bill of which the following is a copy, was circulated early (this) Monday morning:—

 

"Messrs. JOHNSTON, ADAMSON, and HOPE, are under the painful necessity of announcing to the public that in consequence of the extensive and unprecedented pressure on the Mercantile Establishments of the Country, they are obliged to suspend their payments, and rely on the Forbearance of those who may hold any of their paper, in order to give time for a detail of the affairs of the Bank, which will be publicly stated with the least possible delay, feeling as they do, perfect confidence in being able to meet all their engagements. Whitehaven, December 19th, 1825."

 

We refer the reader with pleasure to an advertisement in a preceding column signed by a number of the principal merchants &c. of this town, expressive of their entire confidence in the stability of Messrs. HARTLEY and Co's Bank. This measure has been adopted, perfectly unknown to the partners of that respectable establishment, with the view of repressing any fears which, during the temporary agitation of the money market, might chance to get abroad, and to convince the holders of their notes, &c. in the country and at a distance that they need be under no apprehension as to their security.—Whitehaven Pacquet.

 

We observe by an advertisement in the same paper, that Messrs. JOHNSTON, ADAMSON, and HOPE have made an assignment of all their property to Mr. HASTIE, of Whitehaven, in trust, for the equal benefit of their creditors—dated Dec. 18 and 19, and attested by Mr. Peter HODGSON.

 

Our Maryport Correspondent says: "The stoppage of JOHNSTON and Co.'s Whitehaven Bank will be most severely felt in this town."

 

Following the example of other places, the Bankers of Carlisle have raised the rate of interest to 4 per ct., and the rate of discount to 5 per ct.

 

The weather, at present, is unseasonably mild. Perhaps, so warm a day as Wednesday last, was never remembered in Cumberland at the end of December.

 

We are informed that the Rev. Mr. MAYSON has been presented by Sir Wastel BRISCO, Bart., to the Rectory of Orton, in this county, vacant by the death of the Rev. James BRISCO.

 

A youth from Penrith, named THOMPSON, who has studied for about ten days in the Carlisle Academy of Arts, has produced some pictures of fish quite surprising to those who understand the art and are aware of the limited opportunity which the youthful artist has had of cultivating his talents. His pictures in the last exhibition were creditable: but if he pursues the profession with his present ardour, something extraordinary may hereafter be expected from his pencil.

 

The Carlisle Harriers will cast off on Monday the 26th at Hawksdale; on Wednesday at Red House, Kirklinton; and on Friday at Wheelbarrow Hall; each morning at nine o'clock.

 

Mr. HUNTER ARUNDELL being desirous to collect Materials for Writing an Antiquarian and Genealogical Survey of DUMFRIES-SHIRE, which of course ought to include much of the Border History, would feel himself greatly indebted if any Gentleman would forward information to him at BARJARG TOWER, either from Old Papers, Monuments, registers, or Marriage Contracts.—Mr. Hunter ARUNDELL will pledge himself to take the greatest care of any such Papers intrusted to him through the kind indulgence of his Friends.—Bush Inn, Carlisle, 20th Dec. 1825.

 

It will be seen by an advertisement in the front page of this paper, that the birth-day of the Earl of Lonsdale on the 29th inst. will be celebrated in Carlisle, as well as Whitehaven, Hensingham, Appleby, &c. A numerous and highly-respectable company is expected to assemble on the occasion, for whatever differences may exist in a political sense, men of all parties are equally ready to acknowledge the excellence of the Noble Earl's private character, and the uniform urbanity and kindness of his disposition.

 

The Directors of the proposed rail-road from Newcastle to Carlisle have printed a detailed report of the intended line on which they have finally agreed that it shall be laid down. It is to commence at the High Crane, on Newcastle Quay, pass behind the abutment, and under the road-way of Newcastle bridge, and thence upon geers to the further side of the Javel Group, where it will enter upon a new quay to be erected in a direct line to the wharf of Messrs. PARKER and Co. at Low Elswick. It will be carried thence along the banks of the river above the flood marks, to Scotchwood, and will cross the Tyne at the Northumberland paper mill. It is to be continued on the south side of the river to Tyne Green, where it will again cross it, and proceed by Brampton to Carlisle. The length is reduced from 64½ to 61 miles. There are to be seven branches from the main road. Only one cottage will have to be removed. There will be no inclined planes nor stationary engines; and the whole labour upon it will be performed by horses, the Directors having resolved to introduce a clause into the bill, to prohibit the use of locomotive engines, in consideration of the prejudice of the land-owners against these machines. We understand that there are only two objectors; the proprietors of two fields in the immediate vicinity of Carlisle.

 

One evening last week, so early as six o'clock, as a person named LITTLE was going over Caldew Bridge, he was knocked down, and had his watch snatched from him by a villain who succeeded in getting clearly off with his ill-gotten prize.

 

 

[to be continued]