In 1812, Bellingham, who shot Mr. Percival in the House of Commons, on
the 11th of May, also lived in Duke-street, about the sixth house above
Slater-street. His wife was a dressmaker and milliner. She was a very
nice person, and after Bellingham's execution the ladies of Liverpool
raised a subscription for, and greatly patronized her. Bellingham was
born at St. Neot's, in Huntingdonshire, about 1771. His father was a
land-surveyor and miniature-painter. Becoming insane, he was for some
time confined in St. Luke's Hospital, London; but being found incurable
he was taken home, where he died soon afterwards. Bellingham, at the age
of fourteen, was apprenticed to a jeweller in Whitechapel, named Love,
from whom, after giving much trouble and annoyance, he ran away. In 1786
his mother's sister's husband, a Mr. Daw, yielding to the solicitations
of his wife and Mrs. Bellingham, fitted the young man out for India,
whither he sailed in the ship _Hartwell_, in the Company's service. This
vessel was wrecked off one of the Cape de Verd Islands, and young
Bellingham managed to get home again, penniless--having lost everything
he possessed. Still influenced by his female relatives, Mr. Daw next
took a shop in the tinware trade for Bellingham. This shop was in
Oxford-street; but a fire occurring in it, Bellingham asserted that he
had a large number of bank-notes destroyed. It was suspected he was
cognizant of the origin of this fire; but nothing could be proved against
him. In 1794 he became bankrupt; but his creditors were so disgusted
with the statement of his affairs, that they would not grant him his
certificate, and he never obtained it. We next find him obtaining
employment in a merchant's counting-house; and after being with them some
time he was sent out by them to Archangel. He remained there about three
years, and then entered into partnership with a firm there. He then came
to Hull where he entered into contracts for the delivery of 12,000 pounds
worth of timber, but only 4,000 pounds worth was ever delivered upon the
bills drawn, accepted, and paid. Upon this transaction Bellingham was
arrested and imprisoned in Hull, where he remained seven months. On his
release he went back to Archangel, where he had no sooner arrived than he
was again thrown into prison. He appealed vehemently against this arrest
to the English Consul, and also to the British Ambassador at St.
Petersburg, Lord Levison Gower; but they both declined interfering, as
they considered his arrest legal and justifiable. On his release he came
to Liverpool, whence he went to Dublin, where he met his future wife,
Miss Neville, a native of Newry. Having become possessed of a legacy of
400 pounds, left him by his aunt, Mrs. Daw, he returned to Liverpool,
where he commenced business as an Insurance and General Broker. He now
began memorializing the government on the subject of his claims upon
Russia. General Gascoigne presented his petitions. All he got was a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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