Newspaper Reports, 1732 Thursday 10 January 1732 Wye's Letter Verbatim, London, Jan. 4. 'Tis buzz'd about, that a certain Common Council man of this City [London] has lately been detected in the detestable Sin of Sodomy; but as he is a Man otherwise respected, and has a Wife and three Children, 'tis supposed the Matter will by some Means or other be accommodated. (Caledonian Mercury) Thursday, 13 January 1732 Friday, Jan. 7.   Last wednesday died at Weybridge in Surrey, Jonathan Beesaiz, Esq; and has left 5000 l. by his will to a private Centinel of the foot guards. (Grub-street Journal) Thursday, 3 February 1732 The latter end of last week died at his lodgings near Lancaster-Court in the Strand, Capt. Stephens. He has left, by his will, 1000 l. to a poor Cobbler in Southwark. DJ.— If this Cobler [sic] buy a Place, civil or military, it will make him a Gentleman. (Grub-street Journa;) 5 February 1732 Exeter, Jan. 28. One Arthur Scholar, a Cutler, of this City, who had long been infamous for Profaneness, &c. to the horrible Sin of Sodomy, being on Tuesday last discover'd in the actual Commission of that detestable Crime,and ('tis suppos'd) being ashamed of it, and fearing the Consequence, hang'd himself in his own House the next Morning, and was Yesterday, as a Felo de se, buried in a Cross Road near this Town, calle'd Careless Road. (Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal) Thursday, 17 February 1732 Friday, Feb. 11. Yesterday morning died Tho. Howard, Esq; a Gentleman of a plentiful fortune, and has left 2000 l. to one Stephens, a Journeyman Shoe-maker. DJ. — Will not this legacy make Crispin an Esquire? (Grub-street Journal) 24 February 1732 LONDON, February 22. On Saturday last three Gentlemen were taken into Custody by the Centinels in St. James's Park, for Sodomitical Pra\ctices; and being examined before a Justice of the Peace, two of them were enlarged upon Bail, and the third was committed to the Gatehouse for want of Sureties. (Stamford Mercury) 26 February 1732 Last Sunday Morning a young Gentleman, happening to be innocently in Company with a Sodomite, and perceiving his base Design, by offering himMoney, and behaving in a very indecentManner, he immediately seized the Sodomite's Sword, and called the Watch, and charged a Constablewith him, (who happen'd to pass by at the same Time,) and being carried before a Magistrate, was committed to the Gatehouse. (Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal) Thursday 28 February 1732 LONDON. On Saturday 3 Gentlemen were taken in Custody by the Centinels in St. James's Park, for Sodomitical Practices.        On Sunday Morning two Men were detected in the abominable Sin of Sodomy in Hedge lane, near Licester [sic] Fields, and committed. (Caledonian Mercury) Friday 7 March 1732 LONDON On Monday last, at the Sessions held at Hicks hall for the County of Middlesex, a Frenchman was fully convicted of attempting to commit the detestable Sin of Sodomy, on a young Gentleman who innocently came into his Company: And he was ordered to hard Labour for a Month in Bridwell [sic]. (Caledonian Mercury) Thursday, 9 March 1732 Thursday, March 2. On monday last, at the Sessions at Hicks’s-Hall, a French man was try’d for attempting to commit the detestable sin of Sodomy, on a young Gentleman, who by accident came into his company; the Jury brought him in guilty, and he was ordered to be sent to Bridewell to hard labour for a month. D. J. — This Frenchman pretended to teach Italian. (Grub-street Journal) 29 June 1732 Last Night a Gentleman of Note was taken into Custody for Sodomitical Practices, and being this Morning examin'd before a Justice of the Peace, he was bound over to answer what was Charged against him at the next Sessions. (Derby Mercury) 8 July 1732 Bristol, July 8. Another Discovery has been made among those infamous Monsters call'd Sodomites, last Saturday, at the Three Black Birds on Temple Backs, where two of those Catamites, one a Baker in St. Phillip's, and the other a Cloth Shearer in Temple-Street, were seen in a Caterwauling Posture in a Room of the House by the Fire-side; but were routed by the People, and narrowly escaped being mobbed. They have both disappeared. (Ipswich Journal) 2 August 1732 Thursday Morning William Bishop was committed to Newgate by Sir John Gonson, Kt. and Thomas De Veil, Esq; for an Assault on Willliam Curtis,with an Intent tocommitthe horrid and detestable Sin of Sodomy, and for several other vilew Sodomitical Pratices: A Warrant is also issued out against another Person for a caital Crime of the like Nature: And we hear that a great Number of Persons are inform'd against for very horrid Practices of the same kind. (Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal) 3 August 1732 On Thursday a Man was committed to Newgate for Sodomitical Practices: And Information has been given upon Oath, of a Society of Sodomites who meet weekly inMasquerade Habits, and Womens Cloaths. (Caledonian Mercury) 5 August 1732 From the Daily Journal, Aug. 2. Last Night a young Man about 18 Years of Age, was committed to the Gatehouse by Justice De Veil, for Sodomitical Practices: He was under Examination near 3 Hours, and has impeach'd a great many of the Gang, and Warrants were issued out for apprehending of them accordingly. (Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal) Saturday, 12 August 1732 Maidstone, Aug. 4. This Day the Assizes ended here for the County of Kent …. Henry Shepherd was found guilty of threatning to swear Sodomy against People, in order to extort Money from them, and was sentenced to stand once in the Pillory, to suffer two Years Imprisonment, fined five Marks, and to find Security for his good Behaviour. … (Read’s Weekly Journal, or, British-Gazetteer) Monday, 4 September 1732 On Saturday last an Irishman came to Mr. Zounsby, a Linen-Draper in Clare Market, and pretended to buy Holland for Shirts, but not agreeing, he wanting Credit, he afterwards went to a publick House, and sent two Letters and a Messenger, desiring to speak with Mr. Zounsby, who accordingly went to know his Business, which was to extort Money from him, threatning, if he refused, to swear Sodomy against him; upon which Mr. Zounsby caused him to be secured, and carried before the Justices who were then sitting at St. Clement’s Vestry, who committed him to the Gatehouse. (Daily Journal) Wednesday, 6 September 1732 This Day begins the Sessions at the Old Baily, and it is reckon’d it will be the largest that ever was known at this Time of the Year, there being about twenty Persons to be try’d for Robberies on the Highway; five or six for Murder; two for sending threatning Letters; two or three for Sodomy; one for a Rape, and an Attorney for forging the Mark of a Person to a Letter of Attorney; also a Person for drinking Damnation to his Most Sacred Majesty; and many others. (The Daily Post) 13 September 1732 On Thursday at the Sessions at Hicks's-Hall, Geo. Cadogan was tried on an Indictment for an Assault with Intent to commit Sodomy with Wm. Curtis; but the Jury acquitted him. (Kentish Weekly ost or Canterbury Journal) CITATION: If you cite this Web page, please use the following citation: Rictor Norton (Ed.), "Newspaper Reports, 1732", Homosexuality in Eighteenth-Century England: A Sourcebook, 27 January 2006, updated 17 Nov. 2011, 25 Jan. 2021. 7 July 2022 <http://www.rictornorton.co.uk/eighteen/1732news.htm>. Return to Homosexuality in Eighteenth-Century England