Page images
PDF
EPUB

mechanics, he employed his leisure in the study of ship-building and astronomy, and without any instruction he built a vessel of which every timber was moulded by his own hands. This he navigated from 1760 to 1773 chiefly in St. George's Channel, making surveys of the ports and roadsteds, the accuracy of which obtained the notice of nautical men, and induced Sir Richard Hotham to recommend his entering into the East India service. He accordingly made a voyage as fourth mate of the York, during which he took valuable surveys on the western coast of Sumatra. After his return he resumed the command of his own vessel, in which he made an annual voyage to America; and at the request of a chart-seller, he completed his survey of St. George's Channel. In

1778 he again sailed to the East Indies as chief mate, and made four voyages in a period of ten years, during which time he completed a survey of the peninsula from Bombay to Coringo. After quitting that service he executed surveys of the Western islands of Scotland; and he was employed by the Trinity-house in 1790, in a survey of that intricate navigation Hasbro' Gatt for the purpose of placing lights. By his labours above-mentioned, he rendered essential service to marine geography, and obtained high reputation in that branch of science. Not less valuable to mariners was his capital improvement in the manufacture of cordage, by means of which an equal distribution is made of the strains on the yarns, thus obviating the former danger of a cable giving way in conse

quence of the unequal stress upon different component parts. His most ingenious piece of mechanism for this purpose was invented by him with such exactness of conception, that it was rendered perfect at one effort, without a previous model. For this contrivance he obtained a patent, which lay dormant for some time on account of the prejudice of rope-makers in favour of their received method; but the superiority of Captain Huddart's mode was so well established on trial, that his own rope-work, constructed at Limehouse, has proved a very successful concern.

Captain Huddart was a tall erect figure, with a countenance strongly indicating thought, with an expression of placid benevolence corresponding with the amiable simplicity of his character.

28. Sir Chaloner Ogle, bart. senior admiral in the navy, in his 89th year.

Charles Chaplin, esq. M. P. for the county of Lincoln, aged 58.

31. Hon. Mary Bennett, relict of Hon. Lieutenant-gen. Bennett.

[blocks in formation]

name of the Colebrook Dale Company, in which he raised an ample property, which, in his hands, was the instrument of larger and more diffusive beneficence than can easily be paralleled in any station of life. His charities, unlimited by the distinctions of sect or party, were extended as far as his careful and assiduous enquiries could detect suitable objects, and were commonly distributed without any knowledge of the hand which supplied them, except by the secret agents of his bounty. Such were his modesty and humility, that they would not suffer him to assume merit from what he regarded as an indispensable duty, and he considered himself as the mere steward of the superfluity which Providence had bestowed upon him. At Bristol, where he resided during the latter part of his life, he was regarded as a general good; and the regret inspired by his loss was participated by all ranks and denominations. Besides the honour paid to his memory by a numerous attendance at his funeral, a general meeting of the inhabitants of the city was convened by public advertisement, at which a resolution unanimously passed for instituting a philanthropic association under the title of Reynolds's Commemoration Society.

12. Mrs. Otway, relict of Viceadm. O.

Sir Wm. Codrington, bart. in his 78th year.

14. General John Leveson Gower, aged 47.

15. Paul Cobb Methuen, esq. of Corsham House, Wilts, which he had decorated with one of the finest collections of pictures in England.

16. Sir James Wright, bart. in his 70th year.

18. Philip d'Auvergne Prince de Bouillon, Vice-adm. of the Red, in his 81st year.

22. In his 87th year, Sir Robert Gunning, bart, formerly minister at the courts of Denmark, Prussia, and Russia.

24. John Manley, esq. Viceadm. of the Red.

29. Lady Susannah Wombwell.

He

Rev. Wm. Bell, D. D. Senior Prebendary of Westminster, in his 85th year. This learned divine was educated at Magdalen college, Cambridge, in which university he obtained considerable distinction. He became domestic chaplain to the Princess Amelia, aunt to the present King, through whose interest he obtained a prebend of Westminster in 1765, and two years afterwards proceeded S. T. P. by royal mandate. acquired several other preferments; and made himself known to the public by various publications. That for which he was principally distinguished was "An Attempt to ascertain and illustrate the Authority, Nature, and Design of the Institution of Christ, commonly called the Lord's Supper," 1780, Svo. In this work he chiefly adopted the opinions of Hoadly on this sacrament; and it produced a letter addressed to him by Dr. Bagot. Dr. Bell followed up the subject by "An Enquiry, whether any doctrine relating to the nature and effects of the Lord's Supper can be justly founded on the doctrine of our Lord recorded in the 6th chapter of the Gospel of St. John," 1790. In 1787 he was the Editor of a curious tract by the late Dr. Cou

rayer,

rayer, entitled "Declaration de mes derniers sentimens sur les differens dogmes de la Religion," the manuscript of which had been given by the writer himself to the Princess Amelia, who left it to Dr. Bell. A translation of this work was published by Dr. Calder. In 1810, Dr. Bell testified his attachment to his Alma Mater and to the established church, by transferring to the university of Cambridge 15,2001. 3 per cents. in trust to found eight new scholarships for the sons or orphans of clergymen whose circumstances would not enable them to bear the whole expense of education at the university.

30. Sir Edw. Hulse, bart.

October.

11. John Joseph Blake Lord Wallscourt.

chioness Wellesley, a native of France.

9. The Rev. Joseph Townshend, rector of Pewsey, Wilts, at an advanced age. He was distinguished as a mineralogist and conchologist, and in his scientific character was advantageously known by his "Journey through Spain," 3 vol. 8vo. He was also long a preacher among the Calvinistic Methodists, in which capacity he fell under the lash of the author of the Spiritual Quixote. He was the au thor of sermons and various miscellaneous tracts, one of which was a popular treatise on medicine.

Dowager Lady Lawley, aged 78.

10. At Thenford, Northamptonshire, Michael Woodhull, esq. aged 76, a gentleman of extensive learning, and great benevolence. He was educated at Winchester and Oxford; and made himself known by a translation of all the Tragedies and Fragments of Euripides, 4 vol. 8vo. 1782, and by a volume of Miscel

16. In Barbadoes, Lieut.-gen. Sir James Leith, Governor of that island. 17. Catharine, relict of Sir Hen. laneous Poems, in which he apFletcher, bart. aged 85.

18. Sir Arthur Davies Owen, of Glan Severn, in his 64th year.

21. William Lygon Earl Beauchamp, in his 67th year.

22. Lieut.-gen. Forbes Champagne.

29. Major-gen. Sir Geo. Holmes, of the Bombay establishment.

30. Frederick William I. King of Wurtemberg.

November.

3. Mary, widow of Sir Robert d'Arcy Hildyard, bart. in her 75th year.

peared as a zealous friend of liberty, civil and religious, and a warm asserter of the general rights of mankind.

11. Vice-adm. Charles Boyles.

14. Sir Roger Curtis, bart. Admiral of the Red, particularly known for his gallant and humane conduct at the destruction of the battering ships at the siege of Gibraltar.

17. Patrick Dillon, Earl of Roscommon, in his 48th year.

18. Hon. Henrietta Beauclerk, 2d daughter of Lord Beauclerk, in her 74th year.

26. Abraham Robarts, esq. M.P. 7. Hyacinthe Gabrielle Mar- for Worcester in his 72d year.

December.

11.

December.

Lady Catharine Murray, widow of W. J. Murray, esq. and daughter of the Earl of Galloway.

Richard Howard Earl of Effingham, in the 69th year of his age. 15. Charles Stanhope, Earl Stanhope, in his 64th year. This nobleman was son to Philip Earl Stanhope, and received a great part of his education at Geneva. He brought thence a warm attachment to the principles of civil and religious liberty, which directed his conduct during his whole life, regardless of all family or party connections, and in modes peculiarly his own; the consequence of which was, that in his parliamentary plans he frequently acted alone, and was not less singular in his language and manners, than in his notions and projects. It is, however, allowed that many of his reforming attempts were turned to useful objects, and they occasionally received support as well from the ministers as the opposition. This was exemplified by their adopting his bill respecting the prohibition of purchasing gold at a price higher than the numerary value of bank notes; and their admission of his proposal for the digest of all the statutes, which was the labour that engaged his last public cares. His knowledge was various and extensive, and his industry indefatigable. He pursued with ardour every thing he undertook, unchecked by disappointment, and regardless of criticism. From a mere boy he exhibited talents for scientific inquiry and mechanical invention, and almost

numberless were the contrivances for improving the useful arts which he laid before the public, and put to the test of experiment. Among those was an important improvement in the printingpress, which has been largely adopted under his name. No one could stand more apart from designs of private interest, either in his political conduct, or his scientific pursuits; and he appeared to regard perfect independence as more dignified and honourable than high office or court favour. He has been thought hard and unfeeling, and his domestic character may in various points be impeached, but he was a kind landlord, and a liberal benefactor to the poor.

Lord Stanhope was married first to Hester Pitt, eldest daughter to the great Earl of Chatham; and secondly to Louisa, daughter of Henry Grenville, esq. Governor of Barbadoes. When he broke off his political connection with his brother-in-law, Mr. Pitt, his family preferred the patronage of the minister to the paternal roof; which occasioned him to say, that as they had chosen to be saddled on the public purse, they must take the consequences. The result was, that none of them were named in his will, and all his disposable property was bequeathed to eight executors not in the least related to him.

17. In France, in his 36th year, Sir Hen. Hollis Bradford, a knight commander of the Bath, and knight of orders in Russia and the Netherlands.

18. Sir William Pepperell, bart. aged 70.

25. Mary Hallyburton, Countess Dowager

Dowager of Aboyne, in her 80th year.

26. John Disney, D. D. aged 70. This estimable person was descended from an ancient family in Lincolnshire, and received his academical education at Peter house, in Cambridge. After taking orders he was presented to a rectory and vicarage in his native county, where he exercised with assiduity his parochial duties. Being led by his enquiries to dissent from the articles of the church of England, and seeing no prospect of alteration in its service or subscriptions, he resigned his preferments in 1782, and removing to London became first, assistant, and afterwards sole minister, of the Unitarian chapel

founded by Mr. Lindsey, in Essexstreet. His upright and disinterested conduct so much ingratiated him with Brand Hollis, esq. that he bequeathed to him his estate at the Hyde, near Ingatestone, Essex, whither Dr. Disney retired, and honourably passed the remaining years of his life. He left two sons and a daughter by the eldest daughter of Archdeacon Blackburne. He was the author of Memoirs of Sykes, Jebb, and Jortin, of a volume of Sermons, and of various tracts.

Erratum in the Deaths of the last year.-In the account of Samuel Whitbread, Esq. the date is given September 6th instead of July 6th.

VOL. LVIII.

a

SHERIFFS

« PreviousContinue »