Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents, and Strange EventsBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents, and Strange Events
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Legends -- England -- Yorkshire; Yorkshire (England) -- Miscellanea
Another epistle was also found, on Wednesday, the 21st of January, by a
sailor from Hull, who being at York, visited the Cathedral in company
with his wife. When walking along the western aisle he saw on the ground
near a pillar, a small packet, which he had the curiosity to open. It
was tied with a shoemaker's waxed thread, covered with old matting, and
contained a stone, round which was wrapped a pamphlet, entitled "The
Life of Jonathan Martin." He also found in the parcel a letter, sealed
with cobbler's wax, and addressed to the Clergy of York. He read and
exhibited both the letter and pamphlet at the house where he was
stopping, but they were thought of no consequence. Fortunately,
unimportant as they were considered, he did not destroy them. The letter
was couched in the same strain as that already given.
In other MSS. dropped in or near the Minster, and bearing the signature
of "M.," the following expressions were found:--
"Your great churches and minsters will fall down on your guilty heads;"
but no sort of suspicion was entertained that anyone was wicked or mad
enough to cherish the determination of destroying one of the finest
existing specimens of the munificence and piety of our ancestors;
therefore no precautionary measures were taken.
On the 27th of January, Martin left York with his wife, stating that
they were going to Leeds to reside, and his luggage was sent off
accordingly to that place. They arrived in Leeds on the 28th, and Martin
remained there till the Saturday following. They lodged at the house of
John Quin, No. 6, Brick Street. His conduct is described as having been
most orderly and decorous. He attended worship at a chapel of the
Primitive Methodists one evening; his conversation was cheerful and
perfectly rational; he appeared to be kind and affectionate to his wife,
and spent the time while he was in the house chiefly in singing hymns,
reading the Scriptures, and conversing on sacred subjects. The principal
part of Thursday and Friday he was engaged in vending his pamphlet. When
he left Quin's house on Saturday morning, between nine and ten o' clock,
he seemed perfectly tranquil, and said he was going to fulfil an
appointment that he had in the neighbourhood of Tadcaster, and that he
should return to his wife at Leeds on Monday by dinner-time. Instead of
stopping at Tadcaster, he came back to York, and went to his old
lodgings in Aldwark. He told Mr. and Mrs. Lawn that he and his wife had
been no further than Tadcaster, and that he was going to stop in that
neighbourhood for the purpose of hawking books. He asked if he could
sleep there that night, and on being answered in the affirmative, he
took possession of the room he had before occupied. In the afternoon he
went out and was observed perambulating the Minster-yard, and taking
special note of the building. His attention appeared particularly
directed to the western towers. He returned to Mr. Lawn's in the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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