Six north country diaries - The MAN & Other Families

259
1784. April 24. Died at Harlcw-hill. Mr. William Baird of Alemouth,
aged 60.5
1784. April 27. Died at Alnwick, William Smart, esq., of
Trewitt, aged 79.6
1784. April. Died, William Ward, esq., of Nunnykirk, at London.'^
1784. April. Mr. W^illiam Wilson, mercer, was made free of the
town and borough of Alnwick.
1784. May. At the contested election for the city of Westminster
which ]>egun the first day of April and ended the I7tli of this month,
the candidates were: —Lord Hood, Sir Cecil Wray, bart., Hon.
Charles I. Fox. Upon the close of the poll the numbers were: —for
Lord Hood 6.694, Mr. Fox 6,233, Mr. Wray 5,998. But there being
great disputes about the legality of Mr. Fox's votes, and very bad
practices made use of, by him and his agents during such tedious
polling, the High Bayliflf of Westminster would not return Mr. Fox,
but acqueses'd to a requisition made by Sir Cecil Wray for a scrutiny
to be had of votes, which will ]>egin on the 28 day of this montli.
1784. May. An assembly was given at Newcastle, the 5th inst.,
by Sir M. W. Ridley, bart., and C. Brandling, esq., the new elected
members.
1784. Mavis. The parliament met pursuant to the directions
given at the time of dissolution, when Charles Wolfray Cornwall,
esq., was unanimously approved to be re-elected as Speaker of the
House of Commons which received the approbation of His Majesty.
On account of Westminster election being mov'd in the House
against the High Baylift", tlie majority on behalf of ministry were 147.
With respect to an address to His Majesty on account of his speech
from the Throne, were 168 majority in the House.
1784. May 30. Died. John Ramsay of the south-turnpike gate.
aged 79.
1784. June. Died, Sir Barnard Turner, knight, one of the
Sheriffs for London, and Member of Parliament for Southwark, with
a good character, aged 44.
1784. June 10. The High Bayliff of Westminster acquitted from
Mr. Fox's charge and ordered by the House of Commons (a- great
' Mr William Baird of Alnmoiith, married at Morpeth 5 Jan., 1756, Jane
Strother of Alnwick, by whom he had with other issue, William Baird of
Alnwick, Richard Baird who died in 17S7 (see po-ft, p. 292), Strother Baird,
Thomas I^aird, Jane wife of John Forster of Alnwick (see p. 251 , sujn-a), Elizabeth
and Mary.
'
Mr. William Smart, baptized at Belford, 20 Dec, 1705, was eldest son of
John Smart of that place, and uncle of William Smart, whose marriage is noted
above (p. 2.")7). He was a leading and extensive farmer in Northumberland, and
acquired property at Trewhitt and at Netherton-in-Coquetdale. He married
at Bamburgh, March 2.S, 1758, Sarah Aird of Stockton, by whom he left issue.
Mr. William Ward, second son of William Ward of Morpeth and of
Nunnykirk. was baptized at Morpeth on the 13 December, 1733, and succeeded
to Nunn\Tcirk on the death of his eldest brother in 1779. He married at
Morpeth on the 12 June, 1771, Miss Ann Ord, but died n.p.