Chapter Two - 1804 – 1805

Summary

On Sunday the first day of this year our 4 companies of Volunteers paraded at ½ past 9 in our new cloaths & at 10. march’d in form to the Cathedral, where my service was done & the Psalm I had set was sung before the sermon, which was however preach’d by Mr Phipps, Chaplain to the Bishop who was himself not well enough to go to church…

Mr Blake of Felpham, the engraver employed by Mr Hayley, having in the last autumn been accused by 2 soldiers quarter’d there of having spoken seditious words, he was taken up (but bailed by Mr Hayley) & the two soldiers bound over to prosecute, which cause came on to be tried at the Quarter Sessions at Chichester on Tuesday the 10^th on which day Mr Hayley who meant to be examined as to his character & speak in his favor, came over to breakfast & spend the day with us, during the greater part of which we all attended the hall, but the trial did not come on. In the evening therefore after tea (at which we were joined by Mr Rose the advocate employed by Mr Hayley for his protégé) Mr Hayley return’d to Felpham in preference to sleeping from home & return’d the next morning, when he & I again attended the hall till about 4. when at length the cause came on & lasted till after 5 when Mr B. was fortunately acquitted, the soldiers (who were examined separately) not agreeing in their evidence & failing to make good their accusation. Mr Hayley now taking a hasty dinner with us at ½ past 5. return’d home, & Mr Blake by the next day's coach to London, where he now resided…

[At the start of William Blake's trial Marsh received a letter informing him of the death of his brother-in-law Thomas Williams, an event which would have far reaching implications for Marsh's sister Mary, Williams’ business partner having himself died only six weeks previously.]