9th September 1812: The Town Clerk of Barnstaple sends more information to the Home Office about the poet Shelley

Barnstaple Septr. 9th. 1812.

My Lord

Referring your Lordship to my Letter of 20th Ulto., and in addition to the Information therein contained, I beg to inform your Lordship that, not being enabled to obtain here sufficient Information respecting Mr. Shelley, I went Lymouth where he resided, and returned Yesterday — On my arrival there I found he with his Family, after attempting in vain to cross the Channel to Swansea from that Place, had lately left Lymouth for Ilfracombe, and on my following him there, found he had gone to Swansea, where I imagine it present is.—

The Day after his Servant Daniel Hill was apprehended in Barnstaple, Mr. Shelley came here to apply for his discharge, and on visiting him in Gaol, did not, I apprehend, express any Astonishment at his Situation, or reprove him for his Conduct, which appears rather extraordinary.—

In my letter of 20th Ulto. I mentioned that Mr. Shelley had been observed to drop a Bottle into the Sea, which on being picked up and broken, was found to contain a seditious Paper; on enquiring into this Circumstance at Lymouth, I found that that Paper was a Copy of one which I sent to your Lordship intitled the “Devil’s walk”, and which was taken from Daniel Hill on his Apprehension:—I have also learnt that Mr. Shelley has been often observed on the Beach in Company with a Female Servant (supposed a Foreigner) and that he frequently in her Presence only, has been observed to push out to Sea — from the Rocks, some small Boxes, and one Day being observed by a Man more curious than the rest, to put one of these small Boxes to Sea, the Man went out in a Boat and brought it in, and on opening it, he discovered a Copy of the other Paper which I sent to your Lordship intitled “Declaration of Rights”—This little Box I have seen, and observed it was carefully covered over with Bladder, and well resined and waxed to keep out the water, and in order to attract Attention at Sea there was a little upright Stick fastened to it, at each End, and a little Sail fastened to them, as well as some Lead at the Bottom to keep it upright.—This Box I have ordered to be safely taken care of.—From these Circumstances there can be no Room for Doubt but that the Papers found on Daniel Hill were given him by his Master.— I also learnt at Lymouth that Mr. Shelley had with him large Chests which were so heavy that scarcely three Men could lift them, which were supposed to contain Papers.—

Mr. Shelley is rather thin, and very young, indeed his Appearance is I understand almost that of a boy.—

Any further Intelligence which your Lordship wishes me to procure, I will immediately attend to, on hearing from your Lordship.

I have [etc]

Henry Drake
Town Clerk

20th August 1812: Shelley's servant, Daniel Healey, is arrested after distributing seditious literature in Barnstaple

My Lord

I am directed by the Worshipful the Mayor of this Town to address your Lordship, on the following Circumstances:

Last Evening a Man was observed distributing and posting some Papers about this Town intitled “Declaration of Rights”, and on being apprehended and brought before the Mayor, stated his name to be Daniel Hill, and that he is a servant to P.B Shelley Esq. now residing at Hooper’s Lodgings at Lymouth near Linton a small Village bordering on the Bristol Channel and about 17 Miles from Barnstaple: On being asked how he became possessed of these Papers, he said, on his Road from Linton to Barnstaple Yesterday, he met a Gentleman dressed in black, whom he had never seen before, who asked him to take the Papers to Barnstaple and post and distribute them, and on Hill’s consenting the Gentleman gave him 5 shillings for his Trouble — on interrogating Hill more particularly respecting his Master, he said he principally lived in London but in what Part of it he did not now know, but that he had lived with him in Sackville Street — that he married a Miss Westbrooke or Westbrooks a Daughter of Mr. Westbrooke of Chapel Street Grosvenor Square and that two Sisters of Mr. Shelley are now with her at Lymouth, and Mr. Shelley his Master's Father is a Member of Parliament.—This is all the Information the Mayor could get from Hill, but he has been informed that Mr. Shelley has been regarded with a suspicious Eye since he has been at Lymouth, from the Circumstances of his very extensive Correspondence and many of his Packages and Letters been addressed to Sir Francis Burdett — and it is also said that Mr. Shelley has sent off so many as 16 Letters by the same Post — The Mayor has also been informed that Mr. Shelley has been seen frequently to go out in a Boat a short distance from Land and drop some Bottles into the Sea, and that at one time he was observed to wade into the Water and drop a Bottle which afterwards drifting ashore, was picked up, and on being broken was found to contain a seditious Paper, the Contents of which the Mayor has not yet been able to ascertain but will apprize your Lordship immediately on learning further particulars.

Daniel Hill has been convicted by the Mayor in 10 penalties of 20£ each for Publishing and dispersing Printed Papers without the Printer’s name being on them under the act 39. Geo. 3. c. 79. and is now committed to the Common Gaol of this Borough for not paying the Penalties, and having no Goods on which they could be levied.

I have taken the liberty of transmitting to your Lordship a Copy of the Paper intitled “Declaration of Rights” and also another intitled “The Devils Walk” which was also found in Daniel Hill's Possession

I have [etc]
Henry Drake
Town Clerk

Barnstaple
Augt 20th 1812