Denounced in Bristol

Bristol 6^th Jan: 1794

Sir

                I was last Saturday honoured with your letter of the 2^d instant, and immediately sent for Mr. Weeks, the Master of the Bush Tavern, who this morning attended me and gave the following account respecting the two Frenchmen mentioned in your letter._ That in Nov^r last a coach stopt at the door of the Bush Tavern and upon one of the Waiters going out to open the coach-door one d’Aiguville a French Dancing Master came up to the coach-door and without any provocation struck the waiter two or three times on the breast with his fist. The company in the coach interfered which occasioning a noise, Mr. Weeks went out to know the occasion when he observed d’Aiguville with a sword drawn out of a cane, flourishing it about and calling the people by several approbrious names in the French language; and declaring also that he wo^d run the sword thro’ their hearts or Guillotine them. On this Mr Weeks advanced towards d’Aiguville unobserved by him, knocked him down and took the sword-cane from him which now remains in his possession.
 Mr. Weeks was afterwards threatened to be sued at law by d’Aigville for this assault, but d’Aiguville soon afterwards left Bristol & went to London, as Mr. Weeks supposes, because he has been since served with a writ_

Writ served out by one Mr. Taylor an attorney in London. Respecting de Tourville, the miniature painter, mentioned in your letter_ Mr. Weeks says he knows nothing more than that in last Christmas week he was informed by the Landlord of the Greyhound and Shakespeare at Bath that de Tourville had been in his public room and had declared the Mr. Weeks was a very great Jacobine; and that de Tourville having made use of a great number of his affected expressions had been kicked out of the room by the company; and that the Landlord had further informed Weeks that de Tourville was a very bad fellow; for that he visited the Club of Jacobins at Bath,_ Weeks adds that on enquiry he found that de Tourville had been turned out of a public house at Bristol for having the impudence to hiss a loyal song sung there.

                This, Sir, is Mr. Weeks’s story and the first information I ever received of the disorderly conduct of these Frenchmen, or of any other from Mr. Weeks; and it seems to deserve no other attention (independent of your letter) than what arises from their being Frenchmen, and the necessity of excluding from this city all aliens coming under His Majesty’s Proclamation of the 4^th February, fixing the limits in which such person may permitted to reside.
  I therefore summoned de Tourville under the Alien

Alien-Act who immediately appeared and produced a passport dated 18^th February 1792 (by the name of Jean Benoît de Tourville) from Lord Grenville to proceed to Germany; he also produced a letter from Lord Grenville date 8^th May 1793 allowing him to go and remain at Bath; it is directed to him at Charing Cross.

                As these documents have all the appearance of authenticity (tho’ he has taken a latitude by coming to Bristol which Lord Grenville’s licence does not allow him) I did not think it right to detain him in custody but have given him liberty to return to his lodgings in Bristol until I receive your command respecting him. I have the honor to be Sir

                                                                        Yo^r. Most obed^t. and      

Humble Serva^t

                                                                                                                                James Morgan

                                                                                                      Mayor.

A copy of the autograph manuscript of this letter can be obtained from the National Archives.

It is addressed to the Right Honourable Henry Dundas who at this date was still Home Secretary, having succeeded Lord Grenville in this post in 1791. It would seem that the denunciation must have been made by Weeks directly to the Home Secretary. This letter does not appear in the catalogue of the National Archives.

James Morgan, Mayor of Bristol, was a druggist by trade. His reply appears quite reasonable, particularly as Mr. Weeks had the reputation of being a 'patriot'. His obituary describes Week's welcome for Lord Rodney,

Lately. Aged 84, Mr. John Weeks, formerly landlord of the Bush Tavern, Bristol, and since contractor for the mail coaches.—During the time he kept the Bush Tavern, he was celebrated for his patriotic spirit, and the following anecdote is related :—On Lord Rodney's arrival in England, he landed at Bristol, and nent to the Bush Tavern. On inquiring for his bill, the patriotic landlord replied, " There is nothing to pay—nothing for Lord Rodney to pay." After getting into his carriage to proceed to Bath, Lord Rodney requested he might be driven there as expeditiously as possible; the person who rode the leading horse immediately turned round and pulled out his watch ; when his Lordship at once recognized his worthy host, who replied, " As your Lordship said to the Governor of Eustatia (alluding to the time allowed for capitulation), in an hour, in an hour, my Lord."

THE Gentleman's Magazine AND Historical Chronicle.
From January to June, 1819.
Volume LXXXIX.
(being The TWELFTH Of A NEW SERIES.)
PART THE FIRST. (page 654)

The Bush Tavern