Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 18th century
‘A certain Gentleman who liv’d at _Hackney_, and had been a Collector
of the late Queen’s Duties, but cheated her of several thousands of
Pounds, goes home, and pretends himself sick. Upon this he keeps his
Bed, and, after a Fortnight’s pretended Illness, it was given out that
he was Dead. Great preparations were then made for his Funeral. His
Coffin, which was filled with Bricks and Saw-Dust, was covered with
black Velvet, and his Wife, and Six Sons and Daughters, all in deep
Mourning, follow’d it to the Grave, which was made in St. _John’s_
Church, at _Hackney_. This sham Funeral was so well carried on, that
all the People of the Town would have sworn the Collector was really
Dead. About a Week after his supposed Interment, _Jacob Broad_ had
an Action of one hundred and fifty Pounds against him. He went to
_Hackney_ to serve the Writ, but, enquiring after the Person he was to
arrest, and being told that he was dead and buried, he return’d home
again.
‘About Seven Years afterwards, the Creditor being certainly inform’d
that the Collector was alive and well in his own House, he employed
_Jacob_ again to arrest him, and accordingly he and another went to
execute the Writ. _Jacob_ planted himself in an Alehouse adjacent to
the long-supposed Deceased’s Habitation, and, while his Aid-de-Camp,
or Follower, was doing something else, he told a Woman, coming by with
a great Load of Turnips on her Head, that the People of such a House
wanted some, which was the House where the Seven Years dead Man dwelt.
She went forthwith and knockt at the Door, which was open’d to let
her in, and the Follower, who was close at her Heels, rush’d in after
her, and ran into a Back Parlour, where he saw the Person (according
to the Description of him) whom he wanted sitting by the Fire Side.
It happening then to be a festival Day, for the Entertainment of the
Collector’s Children, and Grand Children, the Table was spread with
Variety of Dainties; the Follower leapt over the Table, overthrowing
the Viands on it, and laying hold of the Prisoner, all their Mirth was
spoilt at once. In the mean Time came _Jacob Broad_, and, taking out
the supposed dead Man, he seem’d to be overjoy’d at his Resurrection
from a Seven Years’ Confinement and for tasting the fresh Air. _Jacob_
brings him to _London_, whence he remov’d himself by a Writ of _Habeas
Corpus_ to the King’s Bench Prison in _Southwark_, where he died again
in a Week’s time, for he was never heard of till he was seen about
Three Years after in _Denmark_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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