Fitzherbert, Maria Anne, 1756-1837; George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830
'The Duchess de Noailles appears to be 21, or 22 years of age, is very
handsome, and her figure and deportment are remarkably interesting.'
_September 17, 1792._--'Upwards of five hundred unfortunate emigrants
were, last week, landed on our coast, who have had the fury of the
elements to contend with, after escaping that of their barbarous
countrymen. The Brighton packets, heavily laden with them, were driven
by the winds far eastward of their usual track; and, with difficulty,
made Hastings, Pevensey, and Eastbourne. At the former place, on
Wednesday morning, _seventy six_, all ecclesiastics, came on shore;
among whom were the _Bishop of Avranches_, the _Dean of Rouen_, and
several other dignitaries. The Bishop, with great difficulty, escaped
from _Avranches_ with the assistance of one of his Grand Vicars, who,
with one of his domestics, accompanied him to _Rouen_, where they were,
for some days, concealed. The populace, however, having discovered
them, they were, again, obliged to fly. They travelled thence, on foot,
in disguise, to _Dieppe_, at which place they arrived in the night, and
took refuge, for a few hours, at a hotel. Thence, at the time appointed
for the departure of the packet, they ran to the sea side, and, as it
was, providentially for them, high water, they were enabled to put off,
and instantly get out of the reach of the rabble, who, in less than one
minute afterwards, pursued them to the shore, and, with savage fury,
declared that it was their intention to have murdered them on the spot.
'The Bishop and his Grand Vicar were hospitably received at Hastings
by the Rev. Mr. Whitear, who entertained them till Saturday, when they
left that place for London. It is the duty of every Magistrate and
Gentleman to prevent the lower classes in this country from imposing
upon these poor fugitives. We are sorry to learn that, at Hastings,
the _exactions_ of the boatmen, on Wednesday last, were shameful in the
extreme. They refused to bring any of the Frenchmen on shore for less
than four _shillings_ a man; and some even raised their fare to _five
shillings_.--Among _English_ mariners, we thought that such _unjust_
and _unfeeling_ wretches were not to be found.'
A notice of the nuns who took refuge here must close this episode:
_October 29, 1792._--'The Nuns, whose arrival at Brighthelmstone was
mentioned in our last paper, were driven from a convent at _Lisle_.
At the time of their debarkation they had only about thirty pounds in
specie remaining, all the valuables of their convent having been seized
on by the _regenerate_ French. The Prince and Mrs. Fitzherbert paid
them a very long visit at the New Ship Inn; after which, his Royal
Highness set on foot a subscription for their relief, which, in a short
time, amounted to upwards of one hundred pounds.
'The above ladies, on the evening of their arrival, celebrated High
Mass, with great solemnity, in an apartment at their inn.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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