Ordinary of Newgate Prison:
Ordinary's Accounts: Biographies of Executed Convicts

15th September 1760

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Currently Held: Harvard University Library

LL ref: OA176009156009150008

12th September 1760


by some under-casuists in the prison, to "sham madness:" but this, he is said, to have rejected and disdained as an artifice, notwithstanding lunacy was pleaded in his defence. The following account, the most authentic that could be collected, may give some light into his real character and state of mind.

Francis David Stirn< no role > This name instance is in set 1220. was born in the principality of Hesse-Cassel , being now about twentyfive years of age; his father is said to have been a minister; her brother is now a metropolitan minister at Hersfelds, i. e. a superintendent over the clergy of a certain district of the Calvinist persuasion and discipline; tho' they chuse rather to stile themselves the reformed, in contradistinction to the Lutherans. They differ from most of our domestic dissenters, in that they use forms of continued prayer, without responses; and they also use church music.

The first school he went to was a gymnasium, or public grammar-school in Hesse-Cassel, where he made a considerable progress; whence he was removed to the gymnasium, or college of the city of Bremen , endowed with professorships as an university. Here he became a tutor to the son of a doctor of laws, and a burgher of that city, of the name of Hallar - But here, by an unhappy turn of mind towards groundless suspicions, the object of which were his patron and his spouse, he forfeited their favour, and was dismissed from that station. During his studies here, he was exercised in preaching some probationary discourses, agreeable to the custom of the place.

After this he returned to his brother, who placed him at the university of Rintelen , belonging to Hesse, where he pursued his studies from the year 1756 till the middle of 1758. During this time he made a great proficiency in the Latin classics, above his years, and attained to a very improveable knowledge in the Greek and Hebrew, tho' not so extensive as that of the Latin; he became well skilled and practised both in vocal and instrumental music, fencing, and other genteel accomplishments.

A custom highly improper in itself, and often unhappy in its consequences, obtains in that, and most of the other universities of Germany, of permitting the wearing swords to the young students, and even using them frequently in duelling, without any other penalty than a slight pecuniary mulct, unless death ensue.

On the irruption of the French into the principality of Hesse, and by oppressive contributions exacted upon the inhabitants, his brother was incapacitated to assist him as usual; and therefore thought proper to send him to England , with strong recommendations to a friend here in a station of honour and interest; on which occasion, no opportuninity offering immediately, to place him agreeable to the wishes of his friends, he was recommended by the Reverend Mr. P - a, to succeed himself as an assistant to Mr. C - d in his school; Mr. P - a being preferred to an office in the British Musum. It was further intended that he should assist the German minister , in the chapel of the reformed (so called) at the Savoy; in order to which, he preached there thrice, to the great approbation of the minister; tho' his elegance of sentiments and expression might not be so striking to the audience, especially as he used notes, which they do not approve of.

He once chose to preach on the words of Solomon, ?The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour." One of those excellencies which he recounted, among many others was the mastery over his passions, by the want of which, he himself, is so lamentably fallen. In the interval of these probationary discourses, again taking up some strange and unreasonable suspicions against Mr. P - a and his congregation, defeated him in his prospect of succeedingon this occasion. After, which his mind turned towards a military life, for which he seemed formed by nature, as he himself has expressed his opinion since his fatal crime, lamenting at the same time, that he did not embrace some offer made him to that purpose; for in that case, said he, this unhappy affair might never have happened. - However he was strongly dissuaded from this way of life by his sagacious friends, foreseeing and predicting that his extravagant spirit not permitting him to submit to any superior in the way of discipline and obedience, would bring him under a military sentence.




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