The Virginia Gazette

BATH, June 14. On Friday evening last the same frantic spirit of destruction which has thrown the city of London into such confusion, began to display itself here.

About twilight a number of boys, headed by a Gentleman's servant, crying out "No Popery," gave the alarm, and their numbers increasing as they ran through the streets, before 9 o'clock they formed a body of several hundreds; previous to which several ill disposed fellows had assembled before the new Roman Catholic chapel near St. James's parade, and had begun to break the windows. The parties being soon joined, they broke open the doors, totally destroyed the inside of the chapel, the materials and ornaments of which they set on fire on the parade, and they were wholly consumed. They then entered the house adjoining, inhabited by Dr. Brewer the Priest, which was very elegantly finished and furnished for the occasional residence, it is said, of Lord Arundel; after demolishing the windows and window frames (which appeared to be done by a set of desperate fellows, strangers, who came with instruments for the purpose) they threw all the neat and elegant furniture, linen, books, &c. into the flames; rifled the cellars, and drank or wasted all the wines and other liquors. The magistrates attended, and the riot act was read, but their authority was now ineffectual, Major Molesworth, with a few of the city volunteers hastily collected, went into the chapel, and repeatedly prevented its being set on fire. About half past eleven, the drum beat to arms, and about 20 more of the volunteers, headed by Capt. Duperre, marched to the scene of action, with bayonets fixed, though without powder and ball; the officers, entering first, were grossly insulted, and the volunteers then followed with great intrepidity through a shower of billets, splintered wood, firebrands, &c. which wounded several of them. While they were in the house, one of the rioters was shot dead by a pistol, aimed, as supposed, at one of the officers. This so exasperated the mob, who thought he was shot by one of the volunteers, that they attacked them most furiously, and their muskets not being charged, they retreated in good order. It was now near one o'clock, when the scene became dreadful; the Priest's house, the chapel, and four tenements adjoining, were all on fire about two, and at four nothing but the bare walls were left standing. The rabble dispersed soon after.

As soon as the magistrates saw the impossibility of so desperate a mob being quelled by the civil power, they sent expresses to Wells, Devizes, &c. to the commanding officers of the troops there, to come to their assistance; when Major Mallock, of the Queen's second regiment of dragoons, with about forty horse, came here with most uncommon expedition before 5 o'clock: Captain Taylor, of the same regiment, with 60 more, was here from Devizes before 7, and Capt. Barnaby, with about 240 of the Hereford militia, arrived here by nine o'clock from Wells, where they had marched from this place to the day before, and from whence they came, though it rained all the way and was very slippery, twenty one miles of very hilly road, in less than five hours. It is impossible to say too much in commendation of all the officers both horse and foot, for their uncommon expedition on this occasion; they understood from the messenger, that the town was on fire in several places, and how desperate and large a body they were to encounter, which the flames they saw from the neighbouring hills seemed to confirm, yet the danger only served to hasten them to our relief. Most of the corporation stayed up all night, to watch the city and receive the officers on their arrival, whom they very properly invited to an elegant dinner. By the disposition of the troops and peace officers, every thing here is now perfectly quiet. It is universally agreed that the leaders in the riot were persons come from London; the gutting and firing the chapel was executed with amazing haste and regularity, and not a single person in the city was insulted, except those immediately concerned.who attempted to seize them. The rioters did not exceed three or four hundred in number though the spectators were as many thousands.

It seems that the villains who have chiefly plagued the riots in London, have a list of every Roman Catholic chapel and school throughout the kingdom, particularly of every priest, and have dispatched their emissaries to go from town to town and destroy them. It is therefore necessary for the magistrates of every city, from the unhappy example of this, to be more strictly on their guard, and desire the inn and lodging house keepers to give notice of every suspicious person that comes there, particularly, as the suddenness of this disaster was such, that the utmost prudence could neither foresee or prevent.

Several persons, who were active in destroying the furniture and firing the buildings, are now in custody.