Current Briny en Garde Turn Report

It was a wonderfully beautiful day, with a slight and varying but reasonably favourable breeze at last. Among those watching the middle distance, looking where HMS Belle Poule had just come about on the starboard tack, were two former members of her crew. One of them was Amos Fainshaw, gunner's mate, who had had lost his right arm to a French roundshot as he had bent down to pick up the handspike of No. 7 gun, and his friend Tom Satterslay, who had lost his leg to the very same ball! Both carried telescopes and watched the ship with keen attention. “The breeze is veering again,” said Mr. Fainshaw, “It will be abaft their beam directly.” “They will be in on this leg, surely.” Mr. Satterslay replied.

The breeze did come aft, and both watched HMS Belle Poule flash out studdingsails aloft and below; A noble spectacle, but one that called for no particular comment. After a while, Mr. Fainshaw spoke again: “She always was an excellent sailor, well handled. And I notice that Captain Dover has kept her trimmed half a strake aft, just as Sir Matthew had.” Both thought of her former captain, still hospitalized in Quebec , while their practiced hands held the ship steady in their telescopes; but presently their talk turned to more recent matters, notably the news that had come with yesterday's packet. HMS Belle Poule had sailed from Portsmouth three weeks ago, not only with a very full crew but also with several volunteers aboard. Lord Attenborough-Davis of the RM had been the first to offer his services, and he had come aboard with just a sea chest and a servant. But on his heels had followed Major Cunning (RM) and three score Marines destined for the Gibraltar station, among them Subaltern Scarlett . Mr Midshipman Delaford had come aboard without so much as a “by your leave”, running as fast as his legs could carry him, with a dozen bailiffs hard upon his heels, and Messrs . Reefer , Wellingborough and Cornwall , with a large, hairy dog upon theirs!

The extra crew had proved a godsent when HMS Belle Poule had run into two returning Indiamen being chased by a French ship of the line. Indiamen usually carry plenty of guns but less crew than a man-of-war to serve them, and still less officers. But Lord Attenborough-Davis had gone aboard E.I.C. Aberdeenshire with a score of experienced hands, and Major Cunning had taken the same number to E.I.C. Newport Castle, and by the time L'Aurore, of 74 guns, had come up the three ships had already formed their battle line: HMS Belle Poule in front, then E.I.C. Aberdeenshire, with E.I.C. Newport Castle bringing up the rear. The Frenchman had not been deceived by the black and white checker; he had recognized the two Indiamen for what they were, and he had steered straight for the gap between the two Indiamen, intending to board first one and then the other. But his first attempt had failed when a lucky shot from E.I.C. Aberdeenshire brought down his fore topgallant, and L'Aurore had been obliged to fall off. Her second attempt had been frustrated by HMS Belle Poule turning back and threatening to cross his stern, raking him from end to end. And his final attempt had ended in a cloud of fire and smoke, when another lucky shot had caused L'Aurore's magazine to blow up.

“S o Mr. Delaford will not have to fear the shadow of the debtor's prison when he is next in London ” Mr. Fainshaw remarked to his friend. “I heard he found himself a little something to tide him over.” “So he did, but it wasn't anything to do with the Frenchman. A friend on the packet told me that the celebrations had lasted two days, with dancing on E.I.C. Aberdeenshire's main deck and a boxing championship on HMS Belle Poule . And since both Indiamen carried a number of very wealthy passengers, the betting was like at White's or the Almanack. Mr. Delaford's uncle is a bookmaker, so you could say it runs in the family! But he's not the only one upon whom Lady Luck smiled . Both Major Cunning and Subaltern Scarlett won a small fortune as well, and so did Captain Dover and Mr. Reefer .” “But what about the next Gazette? What about promotions, mentions in dispatches? Did anybody win anything except money?” “Most certainly. The admiral said several handsome things about Captain Dover , and Lord Attenborough-Davis was mentioned as well. He'll be made Lieutenant-Colonel (RM) as soon as he's back in London . And Mr. Cornwall is now a master's mate. But I'm afraid Mr. Baker has failed to win a golden opinion for himself. Being discovered in the crow's nest when he should have been in the magazine is no way to win a golden opinion for oneself; And he may find that hereafter few other captains are willing to take him aboard.” “Although his explanation sounded plausible enough; and all the muskets he had with him had been fired.” “Yes, that's why no charges were brought. But hark! is this the midday gun? We must be off to the Crown, or dinner will be over before we're there. And I could eat half an oxen to start with.”

Captain Lord Miller of Tresco was appointed Committee Member of the Patriotic Fund.

Major Lord Attenborough-Davis was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (RM), HMS Ferocious.

Mr A D Delaford purchased the rank of midshipman and was then promoted to Lieutenant , HMS Sheik Yassouf.

Mr P T Westcott purchased the rank or Master's Mate aboard HMS Berwickshire.

Mr A Wellingborough volunteered aboard HMS Belle Poule, and was promoted to Master's Mate.

Mr R A Trelawney volunteered as a sailor aboard HMS Droits de l'Homme and was appointed Captain's Steward.

Mr P E King Volunteered as a sailor aboard HMS Droits de l'Homme and was appointed as Gunroom Steward.

The Court recommended that Lieutenant Templeton-Smythe of HMS Droits de l'Homme be exonerated of any wrong-doing in the loss of HMS Salisbury, and he was commended by the Court of Enquiry for his conduct during the shipwreck, which saved so many lives.

The phrase that my esteemed colleague, the erstwhile (but misinformed) T, is looking for here is “Investigative Journalism”. My absence from the offices of The Gazette last month was due to my following a tip off, unfortunately to no avail (so far) but it is early days yet. To suggest that it was anything else is slander – or it could be libel, I always confuse those two. The articles editor has a copy of Dr Johnsons' ‘ Dictionary of the English Language ' somewhere – I'll look it up later. I've also asked the sports supplement reporter to collect his fishing gear before I sell it.

A fair amount of the ins and outs of London life this month have been taken up with the elections – the details of which have been admirably reported by the redoubtable Colonel Gallop and will be found elsewhere in this publication, but away from the hustings and returning officers a full calendar of events has been laid on for the great and good of Society and it is once again my privilege to bring them under scrutiny.

Week one and the Dolphin has not seen business so brisk in many a season: not just one but two fine parties hosted by gentlemen of note. The Green Room had Midshipman Dizzodly , accompanied of course by Miss Doris Open hosting a gathering. Due once again to the fog that generally seems to follow Sir Pavel everywhere (he really should cut down on those cigarettes) I had a rather difficult time in seeing exactly who was present, but the House Manager kindly provided me with a copy of the guest register:

By all accounts this was a rather raucous but enjoyable affair – it would seem that any party involving Sir Pavel and drinking games will be, and after attempting to put all his officers under the table (after declaring that drinking was an order rather than a request) he then proceeded to start the dancing, with the rest of the guests joining in with varying degrees of success. It is always a worry when hosting a party and it is generally accepted that the hosts do not always enjoy themselves as much as they would like as they are constantly trying to ensure that their guests are having a good time – if I may make a suggestion to any gentlemen thinking of hosting their own parties in the near future, and that is to take a leaf out of Midshipman Dizzodly's book and make sure that Sir Pavel is on the guest list.

Moving downstairs to the Yellow Ballroom to where Lieutenant Sum Yun Gai was hosting a Chinese New Year Party, I bumped into the toastmaster leaving early: “It's far too loud in there” he told me “can't hear myself above a whisper so how I'm supposed to announce the arrivals I'll never know. To be honest I don't even think they saw me sneak out – I'm nipping out back for a cough and a drag if anyone wants me”. For those unfamiliar with the expression – I believe he was going for a cigarette. The card he handed me as he passed revealed the following revellers:

Lieutenant Sum Yun and Miss Octavia Marvell were there to greet their guests, the Lieutenant dressed in a red Chinese robe and Octavia in red and gold. Greeting his arrivals with “Welcome to the year of the Tiger, Gung hei fat choi ” (which he later explained to me means “Congratulations and be prosperous”) Sum Yun then guided them into the main ballroom which was positively festooned with red hangings and lanterns. Messrs Lake, Parker and Trelawney I saw enjoying the fare that was on offer – chicken, fish, lucky cake and dumplings, while admiring the Dragon that was dancing around the room with smoke coming from its nostrils; in fact I do believe Sir Samuel Marvell moved closer to one of the fire buckets just in case – after all his sister was there!. Also seen was Colonel Albytross , out for once without Rebecca, but it would seem not for long: The newly elected Captain Steele M P spotted a likely target for his new ideas on Whig politics and closed in on the Colonel, but just as he started in on his “Sensible policies for a happier Britain” he found himself drowned out by the cymbals and drums of the orchestra playing in a joyful cacophony. Both the Colonel and the Captain looked over to see Sum Yun standing next to the band master with a big grin on his face – apparently he had been expecting exactly a speech from Captain Steele and had been prepared. Colonel Albytross raised his glass to his host with a wry smile as the Captain retreated – no doubt looking for a quieter corner. It would seem, however, that quiet corners are hard to come by, so Captain Lord Miller took Miss Ophelia Goolies into the garden (again festooned with lanterns) so they could have a moment's peace. Returning a few minutes later they announced the news that they had become engaged and had set the date for the fourth week in March! (with an open invitation to all gentlemen present to the stag party a week earlier). As if on cue the fireworks then started (There is definitely a touch of the theatrical in Sum Yun ) and the happy couple were showered with congratulations and best wishes. The guests then all retired to the garden to admire the firework spectacle, while some of the ladies stayed inside to admire the rather stunning solitaire diamond that Ophelia had been given. As the guests returned to the main room Octavia and Sum Yun were there distributing the gifts that are traditional at New Year – red envelopes containing Chinese coins. Apparently Colonel Albytross is now wearing his coin around his neck as a lucky charm to ward off politicians.

The opera house was as popular as ever this week as well with the following in attendance:

Although I do believe that the front of house manager is becoming a little exasperated with the behaviour of some of the patrons – we are all aware of the antics of a certain Miss Marvell, and this week we have now found that a bill was handed to Lieutenant Warwick for the damage caused by practising his golf swing during the performance. Apparently he said that he was more than happy to pay the bill – with the proviso that the loge itself was renamed “The Bunker”. My advice to the front of house manager was to put on more interesting operas – but that is merely my opinion.

South of the river continues to do good business – with Captain Sir Matthew Walker, Lieutenant Jackson, Lieutenant Blowhard and Mr Carthew sampling the delights on offer. Also there was the newly elected Mr Macdonald, MP. A member of parliament visiting a house of ill repute – where will it end?

With my attendance at the various parties this week I needed to leave the details of other matters of the heart to the team of urchins that I employ, and their report was as follows:

1) Mr Pike met Lieutenant Smith on the doorstep of Moll Flanders, lots of shouting and cards exchanged.

2) Lieutenant Trelane visited Sue Briquette – and was seen stepping out later that afternoon.

3) Vice Admiral Earl Sandwich paid a visit to the abode of Lady Elizabeth Doolittle, giving cause for yet another fracas with Captain Sir Huw Jorgens.

4) Captain Viscount Brock took advantage of her husbands' absence to visit Baroness Attenborough-Davis bearing fine gifts of Chinese silks and teas. This scandalous behaviour gives cause for an appointment upon the return of Major Attenborough-Davis.

Note as to point 4: Nice to know that in this ever changing world there is one thing that remains constant, and that is Captain Brock and his attention to the ladies – anyone's ladies.

W eek 2 and we are starting at home with Lord and the soon to be Lady Miller. These gatherings are proving to be very popular as can be seen by the quality of the assembled throng:

Of course the majority of the conversation was to do with the planning of the forthcoming nuptials, and great debate was had as to who would be granted the honour of being Best Man. Lord Miller remained silent on the fact, but I would hazard a guess that he has already made his mind up on this subject.

Elsewhere the various clubs of the city were doing brisk trade, with Viscount Brock in attendance at The Almanack with Lady Attenborough-Davis (something of a talking point), Master and Commander Fregate and Miss Rebecca Morrison, Lieutenant and Mrs Templeton-Smythe and Lieutenant Jackson at the Dolphin (back to it's former attire – how very different from the week before), and the newly elected Mr MacDonald MP pressing the flesh (again) and explaining his new ideas to the assembled company at The Pit .

The front of house manager at the Royal Opera House had a quieter time of it this week (and he was able to give the carpenters and upholsterers the week off) with only the following patrons of note:

The Ladies of Southwark were once again occupied with a fair number of visitors this month, with Captain Sir Matthew Walker, Lieutenant Blowhard, Midshipman Sharp, Mr Allard, Mr Carthew and Mr Lake in attendance. I was beginning to think that the roughs that hang around the alleyways near Tooley Street or Clink Street had given up, as a lot of the visitors to the area have been returning to the city unmolested, unfortunately I was wrong as Mr Lake had his purse lifted. In saying that, though, I wonder if the gang responsible may yet rethink their chosen professions as they only gained the princely sum of 1 guinea!

Dispatching another of my urchins to observe the front door of Moll Flanders after the events of the previous week it warmed my heart, dear Reader, to hear that Mr Pike made a return visit. Tentative at first I believe – in fact the urchin in question found the laurel bush that he usually hides behind already occupied by the aforementioned Mr Pike checking that the coast was clear before making his move. But make his move he did and Miss Flanders seemed delighted that he had taken the trouble to visit again and he was invited inside.

Moving on to Week 3 we have the highly anticipated Patriotic Fund Annual Dinner and Dance at Whites . A glittering invitation only affair, the like of which only few members of the public (and the lucky members of the press) can gain access to. Guests of honour were Captain Sir Huw Jorgens with Lady Elizabeth Doolittle, and Captain Sir Pavel and Lady Prudence Pipovitch . The two officers were presented with gilded swords inscribed “From a Grateful Nation” for their capture of enemy warships, by the newest Committee Member, Captain Lord Miller , and his fiancée, Miss Ophelia Goolies. Unfortunately for Mr Westcott , the “Invitation only” heading seemed to pass him by and he was turned away from the door with Miss Ann Bonny looking less than impressed with her current beau.

Clubs again were proving popular hideaways this week after the hurley-burley of the elections, with Captain Viscount Brock and Lady Attenborough-Davis spending their second week at the Almanack , Captain Steele (RM) talking politics at Red Coats (Colonel Albytross nowhere to be seen – that lucky charm appears to be working), Lieutenant and Mrs Templeton-Smyth e and Lieutenant Jackson at the Dolphin , and the Pit playing host to Lieutenant Trelane with Miss Briquette, and for a second week Mr Macdonald, MP , continuing to expound the virtues of Tory politics.

Heading over to the Opera House I found the Front of House manager in pensive mood, directing various members of staff all of whom appeared to be carrying fire buckets. Before I even had the chance to ask he exclaimed “Miss Marvell's in again – I'm not taking any chances this time!” The other patrons included:

Captain Champion (RM) and Miss Joan Fullins, with guests Mr King and Miss Sophia Williams in a perfect loge.

And of course Lieutenant Sum Yun Gaiand Miss Marvell in a newly refurbished good loge.

Miss Marvell politely declined the several calls for a repeat performance of her fire juggling with Lieutenant Sum Yun during the interval, but truth be told I rather think that she enjoyed the attention.

Duty roster this week saw Midshipman Dizzodly, Midshipman Sharp, Mr Trelawney and Mr Parker at their various posts, and the training masters found their schools positively besieged with gentlemen wanting to shake off the last vestiges of the winter and get themselves in full trim for the start of the campaign season:

My report of the Southwark roughs may have been slightly premature last week as it would seem that they were out to recoup their losses this week by pouncing upon Lieutenant Blowhard and relieving him (if the rumours to be heard in the Blue Eyed Maid public house in Borough are to be believed) of close to 200 guineas! Admittedly it could be said that the Lieutenant provided a public service as Captain Sir Matthew Walker and Lieutenant Smith were able to go on their way unmolested. The Press Gangs were also prowling the streets and pounced upon Mr Carthew in Watermans Walk – just north of the river for those unfamiliar with the location and generally thought to be a safe area. Mr Carthew was dragged along to HMS Belle Poule , where the gang were hoping to claim their fee for finding a new crew member only to be told that the ship didn't want him back! So just like a fisherman throwing back a tiddler the press gang were forced to let him go. Actually I think that they were contemplating literally throwing him back into the river, and while this discussion was taking place he bolted.

Elsewhere, Vice Admiral Earl Sandwich called again on Lady Elizabeth Doolittle, giving cause for another appointment with Captain Sir Huw Jorgens. I think that he now has this down as a regular engagement, and is in the process of attempting to get his own parking space at Hampstead Heath.

Week 4 already and we have a positive plethora of parties. We will start at The Almanack where Captain Viscount Brock with new acquaintance Lady Attenborough-Davis was playing host. Guest register showed the following entries:

From what I gather this turned into something of a post-election political affair as Whig politics seemed to feature quite highly.

Next stop – Buttons , Where Captain Sir Pavel Pipovitc h was in the chair. Another quick glance at the register revealed the following attendees:

An intimate gathering, which gave Major Adams a chance to expound his theories on how the country would prosper under the Whigs.

On to The Dolphin for Midshipman Dizzodly , hosting another gathering to bookend the month with Miss Doris Open. Those in attendance:

For once it would seem that Whig politics was off the menu – either that or an amnesty had been called.

The Opera House was quieter than usual (no sign of bucket carriers anyway), so the entertainment was uninterrupted for:

The training masters only had a single student this week – Colonel Albytross , obviously getting ready for the summer, while ships duty saw Mr Westcott and Mr King not shirking their responsibilities.

News from south of the river – I know that the saying “Lightning never strikes twice” is one that is used frequently, but I do sometimes wonder if some people take it rather too seriously. Arnold - the barkeep at the Blue Eyed Maid reported to me that the roughs were in good spirits again this week – apparently they found “the gent they rolled for 200 last week” and damned if they didn't do it again! For the same amount!! Lieutenant Blowhard must be finding Southwark a very expensive place to visit. On the plus side – it did mean that Mr Trelawney, Mr Carthew and Mr Parker had a free run. Apparently Mr Carthew was seen later hanging around Watermans Walk calling after the press gang for a while, but they chose to ignore him.

Any further run ins between Mr Valentine Carthew and the Belle Poule Press gang will, of course, be reported in The Gazette.

The articles editor has just informed me that it is Libel. Slander is apparently when you just say it.

For further clarifications on the English Language please contact the Articles Editor as he's the one with the dictionary, at the usual address.

Welcome to the 10th edition of the London Gazette sports supplement, in this section of The Gazette we will bring you the latest news of any and all contests and sporting events taking place within the City of London and environs.

As you all know, the taking of matters into one's own hands is something that is frowned upon in this country – and so well it should be, but that is not to say that two gentlemen of good standing cannot settle their differences in the manner of a sporting contest, and it is with that in mind that we at The Gazette have decided to publish reports of such events for the information of our readers.

Disclaimer – The report contained within these pages was viewed by our reporter as a sporting contest and The Gazette accepts no responsibility if it was actually a duel. We will not be held accountable for encouraging such illegal activities, and we strongly endorse the work of the Admiralty in discouraging such events

Our Man was up early for the first meeting, he had passed quietly down the now deserted street to the appointed meeting place where the event was to take place.

I t was between a certain Mr King , Sailor off HMS Droits de l'Homme and Midshipman Sharp of HMS Halcyon. Captain Champion (RM ) acted as second for Mr King, Lieutenant Trelane acted as second for Midshipman Sharp.

King used a sabre, and was the heavier and more skilful of the two. Sharp used a regulation cutlass. King inflicted the first wound, then the two traded wounds twice in a glittering flurry of swordplay. Sharp came off far worse, but gamely kept on despite receiving three wounds. Then King stumbled and missed, allowing Sharp an opening to inflict a third blow upon his opponent, whereupon King surrendered. Honour was judged to be satisfied.

However word reached us the next day that an informer tattled to the Port Admiral, so both men will face a court-martial next month, I hope the said informer will be very happy and if I ever discover his name I will blacken it from one end of the country to the other, for the man is the lowest form of scum!

The second meeting was held in the utmost secrecy, with myself only being told one hour before the meeting was to take place. There were very few to witness this meeting and they seemed to be mostly trusted friends and other sportsmen.

It was between Vice Admiral the Earl Sandwich and Sir Huw Jorgens. Admiral the Earl Goodman acted as second for Admiral Sandwich, while Captain the Viscount Brock acted as second for Sir Huw.

Earl Sandwich used a rapier and was more skilful. Sir Huw used a sabre, and was the stronger. It was a long duel, of the matador against the bull, with Sir Huw slashing furiously while the Earl danced around him: The Earl struck Sir Huw eight times with his needle sharp rapier, running circles around the heavier man and his unwieldy blade, who only managed to return two blows against his agile opponent. However, each of Sir Huw's hits cut fearful gashes, and at the end they both struck simultaneously and both yielded to their wounds – Sir Huw with nine wounds and Admiral Sandwich with three. Neither won the battle outright. I must agree with the decision, for both men showed courage and fortitude in the meeting, well done Sirs!

Colonel Gallop's Political Editorial

F irst let me introduce myself, I am Colonel Horace Gallop of the 17th Lancers and the Royal Society. I have been invited to produce a limited editorial for this fine paper about the goings on in the coming London Elections. So without further ado let's get on with the report shall we?

This month saw the elections take place in London, but before I go to the results let me cover the recent riots which were, dare I say, caused by two well known men of London society. t hey appears to have started when Captain Harry Champion upset a certain Captain Ian Steele (both of the Royal Marines) by allegedly saying “he was a damned shopkeeper selling off the regimental silver to anyone who was willing to pay for it!” There was also talk of the French and tradesman's entrance for some reason? However Colonel Albytross (RM) put a stop to it after rumours of a duel were in the offing

Then for some reason Lieutenant the Honourable Richard Warwick delivered a verbal assault on Captain Champion , while the said Captain was still ranting at Captain Steele!

After that, it got quite messy with more name calling and ungentleman-like behaviour! Before we knew it, the crowds were on the streets and there was a mob of commoners joining in and taking sides. It seemed to reach a height just before the elections and Lieutenant Warwick took to the streets when he heard the uproar going on. Shouts for “Champion to get his a*** out here” to settle this were heard. From there things went from bad to worse with the mob eventually rampaging in the East End and fires being started. I did hear at one stage the Pit looked in danger, but in a bizarre scene the fights stopped and they ensured it was left intact before restarting further down the street! Albert Square was completely gutted by fire.

Ships in the London docks were on high alert with many a Captain and his marines being ready to sally forth to put a stop to this mob. In the end a squadron of His Majesty's 6th Lt Dragoons and a company of Coldstream Guards dealt with the matter, most forcibly I hear!

Anyway after the rioting had calmed down and order was restored, the elections went ahead as planned and I am here to tell you the results, so here they are:

Westminster

Admiral Earl Goodman, Tory Party , was returned as MP for Westminster without opposition. Vice Admiral Earl O'Groats and Vice Admiral the Earl Sandwich both cast their votes for him.

Tower

Captain Viscount Brock, Whig Party, was returned as MP, with 15 votes. Vice Admiral the Earl Kerr had only 7 votes, including the support of Major Lord Attenborough- Davis . The Vice Admiral was so disappointed that he decided to retire from public life and concentrate on his two life-long passions, the Noble Art of Pugilism and the propagation of peonies, on his estate near Portsmouth .

Islington

Mr Archibald Macdonald, Tory Party , was returned as MP for Islington with 10 votes, including 5 votes held by Lieutenant the Honourable Richard Warwick . In a close run campaign, Captain Sir Huw Jorgens had 8 votes, including the support of Captain Lord Miller . Some have suggested that what tipped the balance was the sympathy vote engendered by Mr Macdonald's recent and fortunate escape from the shipwreck of HMS Salisbury, while others, of a more cynical disposition, point to the guineas spent on the Islington electorate by Vice Admiral Kerr and others.

Camden

Captain Steel (RM), Whig Party , was returned as MP for Camden with 16 votes, including those of Captain Sir Huw Jorgens , Colonel Albytross (RM), and Lieutenant Jackson . Lieutenant the Honourable Richard Warwick gained only 10 votes, including those of Captain Champion (RM), Master and Commander Sir Samuel Marvell (in a surprise defection to the Tory cause), and Lieutenant Sum Yun .

Hackney

Midshipman Oates, Whig Party , was returned as MP for Hackney with 18 votes, including those of Major Adams (RM), Mr Parker , Mr Trelawney and Lieutenant Smith . Captain Sir Matthew Walker gained 6 votes, with the support of Mr King.

Southwark

Major Lord Attenborough-Davis, Tory Party , was returned as MP for Southwark with 11 votes, including those of Midshipman Sharp and Mr Christopher Pike. Captain Lord Miller gained only 5 votes, including that of Lieutenant Kyle and Private Scarlet (RM). The new MP for Southwark has deep pockets – it is rumoured that he spent over 6000 guineas to secure his place!

So that made it three seats each and a pretty much even contest in my eyes. I do feel more could have been done in some of the more closely contested seats. The Radicals it seems were not even in the running politics-wise; they failed in all their attempts to gain an MP. Perhaps the wounding of their leader, Captain Sir Matthew Walker , and the rumours of poltroonery around him played a part in the Radical's dismal showing.

One item of of interest was Midshipman Oates running from Borough to Borough to whip up support for his party members and candidates, and his ingenious use of posters on the side of hackney carriages and sedan chairs to promote the Whig cause. A good effort by the young MP in the service of his Party. I t will now be interesting to see if these new MP's actually live up to their election promises and do what they said they would do. I usually find that this is sadly not the case. Once ensconced in Palace of Westminster they tend to forget such promises!

Colonel Gallop's Political Editorial

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