YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Gift of
BERNHARD KNOLLENBERG
Hon. M.A.
i93»

BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

PRINTED BY
WEST, NEWMAN, & CO., 54, HATTON GARDEN,
LONDON, E.C.

BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE

BEING AN ACCOUNT OF THE

LIVES OF FRIENDS

AND OTHERS WHOSE

portraits

ARE IN THE

LONDON FRIENDS' INSTITUTE.

ALSO DESCRIPTIVE NOTICES OF

THOSE OF THE

jfrktth' Sfrjwrla aatir Iratttwtaa

OF WHICH THE

GALLERY CONTAINS ILLUSTRATIONS,
&c, &c, &c.

LONDON :
FRIENDS' INSTITUTE, 13, BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHOUT.
1 888.

When Esther Wheeler {afterwards Seebohm) was in attendance on her aged
grandfather, William Tuke, she often read to him in his blindness. On one
occasion (she says), after finishing an interesting piece of biography, in which
the concluding scene was a short one, "I remarked how little was said
respecting his death," my grandfather replied, "I reckon nought of that;
a fnan's Life is his Testimony." See "Memoirs of B. and E. Seebohm," p. 112.

PREFACE.

TPvURING the course of last year, it was proposed by
-L/ a Circular issued generally throughout the Society,
to print a Biographical Catalogue respecting the Friends
and others whose portraits were in a Collection hung
in the Gallery of the London Friends' Institute, the
nucleus of which had been gathered there by our late
friend Smith Harrison.
The response in subscriptions has encouraged further
proceeding, and the work is now issued.
It partakes largely of compilations from such
sources as the Annual Monitor, Obituary notices
in Magazines, or in the Daily Press, but there has also
been much kind assistance rendered by relatives, so
that not a few of the articles are original contributions —
for which the Committee desire to render their thankful
acknowledgments. They would also mention the great
kindness of James Boorne amongst other contributors,
in adding largely to the Portraits and Subjects now
in the Institute Collection.
There has been an endeavour in the compilation of the
Catalogue to give within the limits that were available,
such amount of information as would render the
biographical notices interesting to general readers, and
this, as well as the introduction of more names than
was at first proposed, has greatly increased the extent of
the work ; and made its Cost decidedly beyond what
was originally estimated.

VI PREFACE.
It is certainly remarkable how much there is worthy
of record in members of so small a Community, and
how large a proportion have made their mark in the
varied walks of life. Science and Literature, Art and
Manufacture, Philanthropy and Religion, Mission Effort
and Education, Social Reforms and Mechanical Develop
ments, have all had their furtherance from various
members of our Society whose lives are here recorded.
It forms a remarkable evidence of that quickening
power in what the early Friends trusted would prove
" Primitive Christianity revived."
This remark receives further illustration, when it is
observed that, with but little exception, the various
individuals thus brought under notice have been the
fruit of training in pious families, and how often they
have themselves acknowledged the blessing attendant
on a mother's care.
It remains now but to add that the Committee
will feel themselves amply repaid for their no small
labour if the general acceptance of this work does but
meet the Costs incurred in its production, and the
absence of any other desire than to benefit the Society
may be shown by their resolve to hand any surplus,
should such accrue, to the Committee of the London
Friends' Institute for the benefit of the Gallery Fund.
W. BECK.
W. F. WELLS.
H. G. CHALKLEY.
London,
Ninth Month, 1888.

CONTENTS.

Biographical Catalogue
Meetings and Meeting-Houses
Schools 
Miscellanies .
Index

i
759791837 875

The Quaker of the olden time,
How calm and firm and true !
Unspotted by its wrong and crime
He walked the dark earth through.
The lust of power, the love of gain,
The thousand lures of sin
Around him, had no power to stain
The purity within.
With that deep insight which detects
All great things in the small,
And knows how each man's life affects
The spiritual life of all,
He walked by faith and not by sight,
By love and not by law ;
The presence of the wrong or right
He rather felt than saw.
He felt that wrong with wrong partakes,
That nothing stands alone,
That whoso gives the motive, makes
His brother's sin his own.
And pausing not for doubtful choice
Of evils great or small,
He listened to that inward voice
Which called away from all.

From scheme and creed the light goes out,
The saintly fact survives ;
The blessed Master none can doubt
Revealed in holy lives.
J. G. Whittier.

BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

LUCY AGGS.
Born 1789 — Died 1853 — Aged Sixty-three Years.
Lithograph 9x7 in.
LUCY Aggs was the daughter of Thomas and Lucy
Aggs, and was born in Norwich, on the 20th of 4th
month, 1789. Her mother was a daughter of Henry
Gurney, one of the original partners in the Norwich
Bank. In a minute issued by Norwich Monthly Meeting
concerning her, it mentions that " after much mental
conflict, she came forth in the ministry early in the year
1822 ; and her communications being to the comfort
and edification of Friends, she was recorded as a Minister
at the close of the following year," and the following
obituary notice is taken from The Norfolk News : —
" The life of this Christian lady furnishes no incidents
of an exciting or remarkable character ; for though it
was one of considerable activity, rich in deeds of bene
volence and religion, and even in some degree public,
yet it was a life of sunshine rather than of sound. It
had in it neither the earthquake, nor the whirlwind,
nor the consuming fire, but only 'the still small voice,'
which was more powerful than them all. She evidently
never sought 'great things for herself,' but ' her very
gentleness made her great.' And the remembrance of
1

2 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
her meek and quiet spirit, of her simple habits and of
her instinctive shrinking from everything that might have
the appearance of display, renders it somewhat difficult
to record her name on the pages of a public paper.
" Educated by her parents as one of the Society of
Friends, she ultimately adopted their peculiarities from
conviction as well as from habit. They were associated,
however, with a cordial and practical belief of all the
great truths of Christianity ; so that she was, all through
life, much more distinguished by the graces which the
Gospel inspires, than by the costume and language which,
as a Friend, she adopted. Possersed of a clear and
sound understanding, of a quick and susceptible but
carefully controlled temper, and of undoubted conscien
tiousness, she became a most efficient member of many
of our benevolent and religious institutions. The Ladies'
Bible Association, the Sick Poor Society, the Magdalen,
the British Society for Propagating the Gospel among
the Jews, the Orphans' Home, the Ladies' Branch of
the City Mission, and the committees of schools and of
other institutions, occupied her attention, and received
her services. She gave to them not only her name and
her liberal contributions, but her punctual and regular
attendance. Having a remarkable tact in business, ' the
sisters of charity ' with whom she was associated in these
societies always found that when she presided or assisted
in the committee-room, the business of the hour was
conducted with great judgment, order, and expedition.
"For many years she was a Minister in the Christian
Society to which she belonged, and latterly the service
was often conducted chiefly by herself. . . . Her public
addresses were decidedly evangelical in their doctrine,
and were enforced with appropriate appeals to the heart
and conscience. There was an eloquence, too, in the

JOHN ALLEN. 3
'awful goodness ' of her character, as well as in her soft
and silvery tones, which gave demonstration and power to
her discourses, and which strongly excited the sympathy
of every Christian mind. These various occupations were
conducted, however, with a due regard to the claims of
her own house. These claims, in her case, were not
indeed very numerous, but they were faithfully discharged ;
and by her orderly, courteous, and religious habits, she
diffused a holy and a happy influence which won the
affectionate esteem of those around her. Her end was
peace. After a short illness, which was alleviated and
sanctified by Christian consolation and hope, she died as
gently as she had lived. She died at the house of
her brother-in-law, John Brightwen, at Thorpe, near
Norwich, on the 23rd of ist month, 1853, in the sixty-
fourth year of her age, a Minister about thirty years.
Her remains were interred in Friends' burial ground at
Norwich."

JOHN ALLEN.
Born 1790 — -Died 1859 — Aged Sixty-eight Years,
Enlarged Photograph 23 x 17 in.
John Allen was born at Liskeard, on the 26th of 9th
month, 1790, Deprived of his father by death in in
fancy, the care of himself and an only sister devolved on
their watchful mother, and their uncle, Samuel Rundell.
Of the maternal care thus bestowed, John Allen thus
wrote : — "She taught by example more than by words, and
ruled by love and persuasion rather than by authority."
He received his school education at Milverton, and

4 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
also at Josiah Forster's establishment, Southgate, near
London. The intercourse with valued friends which the
neighbourhood of London afforded was acknowledged as
having been a blessing, and the friendships formed with
intelligent and serious young friends compensated for the
limited association of home, and strengthened his attach
ment to his own religious Society. Soon after leaving
school he applied himself assiduously to business as a
wool-stapler. There was now little leisure for intellectual
pursuits, but that little was diligently occupied.
In 1 8 10 he was deprived by death of his affectionate
mother ; through her long illness she had been the object
of his devoted attention, and though he felt much stripped,
yet the comforting assurance was not wanting, that, as he
endeavoured to serve the Lord, He would be with him for
good through the future paths of life.
In 1 8 1 2 he was united in marriage to Frances, daughter
of George Fox, of Perran, but this happy union was only
of short duration. They were soon called to part with an
infant son,and in 1 8 1 6 his beloved wife, over whose declining
health he had watched with anxious care, was suddenly
taken away, leaving him with the sole charge of an infant
daughter, but in the depth of his affliction he felt that
underneath are the Everlasting Arms of Israel's Shepherd.
In the year 1820 he married Elizabeth Wright, of
Bristol, with whom a close bond of union was permitted
him during the remainder of his life.
About this time his friends had appointed him to the
station of an Elder. In the fulfilment of this, as well as of
other important services in the Church, his conduct was
marked by the meekness of wisdom, and whilst steadfast
in upholding and defending that which he believed to be
truth, he was a bright example of patience and condescen
sion, and of submission to the judgment of his friends.

JOHN ALLEN. 5
John Allen was one who sought to honour the Lord
by " life and conversation " rather than by " mere words
or fervid emotions," and largely realised his desire of
manifesting a '' practical, moral, self-renouncing, beneficent,
unpretending religion." " May we never " (he once wrote
to a friend) " be attempting to set ourselves in our
imaginations on a hill above others . . . nor dwell too
much in the foggy valley of depression . . . but strive
that every valley be exalted, and every mountain and
hill be brought low.''
In 1830 he relinquished business, partly with a view
to devote himself to the education of his children ; he
was also deeply interested in the cause of general educa
tion, and the British Schools in his own town were from
their commencement the objects of his devoted attention,
and various other philanthropic objects of general or local
interest received his warm support. For twenty years he
filled the office of poor-law guardian, and was a useful
member of the Bible, Anti-Slavery, and Peace Societies, in.
all his intercourse with others maintaining, with integrity
and meekness, the character of a consistent Friend.
He was for many years a diligent attender of the
Yearly Meeting, and was several times appointed on
committees for visiting the Quarterly Meetings, and in
the year 1845, on a deputation to the Yearly Meeting
of Indiana, where a separation had taken place in con
nection with the question of slavery. Referring to this
latter service, which brought him many and valued friend
ships with brethren in America, he wrote ; —
" This intercourse between members of the London
Yearly Meeting, and those of many of the meetings on
the American continent, was, I trust, productive of good ;
we were brought near to each other, and closely united
iu. spiritual fellowship, and amid diversities of circum-

6 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
stances and practice, had often to feel that the faithful
living members compose one spiritual body, of which
Christ alone is the true and ever-living Head."
For many years John Allen had spoken occasionally in
Meetings for Worship, which offerings became more frequent
in the latter years of his life, and were characterised —
especially in prayer — by deep feeling and humility.
Various literary subjects at times engaged his atten
tion, resulting in publications, of which the most important
was a work on " State Churches and the Kingdom of
Christ," that has had an extensive circulation. His pen
was also often employed in endeavouring to promote the
dissemination of the views of his own Society.
This active and useful course of life was terminated by
rather a brief illness, on the 15th of 2nd month, 1859,
at the age of 68 years.
Adapted from the Annual Monitor.
" Beloved, revered ! thy course I knew,
Path of the just in wisdom's way ;
A shining light that brighter grew
To perfect day.
" Taught of thy Lord, it seem'd no thrall
To take His yoke, and self to make
Of no repute ; servant of all,
For Jesus' sake.
" Valiant for Truth ! Bold to confess
Truth, in its fresh unfolding seen,
Clear'd of Tradition's cloudiness,
In native sheen !
" When coming glory gathered fast
Round thy meek brow, I could discern,
With skill to teach, joined to the last,
The will to learn !
" The Church, thy service to resign,
Must grieve, and riven hearts must sigh ;
But records of such work as thine
Remain on high ! ' '
William Ball.

WILLIAM ALLEN. 7
WILLIAM ALLEN.
Born 1770 — Died 1843 — Aged Seventy-three
Years.
Engraving 16 x 13 in.
William Allen was the eldest son of Job and Margaret
Allen, of Spitalfields, London. His father's birthplace
was Scrooby, in Nottinghamshire, and his mother (whose
maiden name was Stafford) was of Irish extraction, her
family having formerly resided in the city of Cork.
He was born 29th of 8th month, 1770 ; and even in
boyhood evinced much of that activity of thought and
energy in execution, which so remarkably characterised
his later years. His pious parents, who were consistent
members of the Society of Friends, endeavoured to make
religion attractive to him; and taught their son to love and
value Scripture truth and the society of those who were its
advocates ; they early directed his mind to take heed to
the convictions of the Holy Spirit, and their instructions, and
tender, yet judicious restraint, were especially blessed to
him. Often would he allude to his mother's watchful care,
and how in the parting hours she would gather her sons
around her to repeat, each holding the other by the
hand, their evening hymn " Glory to Thee, my God, this
night." William Allen's health not being strong, he was placed but
for a short time with William Alexander at Rochester School.
His tastes for philosophical pursuits were developed early,
and at fourteen he had made for himself a telescope, which,
though it cost him but fourteen pence in materials, was
sufficiently powerful to show Jupiter's satellites. His father
intended to have brought him up to his own business
(that of a silk weaver), and he followed it for a time. But

8 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
his talents and character, and the taste he showed for
chemical pursuits, led Joseph Gurney Bevan to introduce
him into his chemical establishment at Plough Court,
where he soon rose to a responsible position, and ultimately
became its well-known proprietor. Continuing ardent in
study, he rose at four or five o'clock in the morning to
gain time out of business hours for its pursuit, and this
habit of early rising continued with him through life.
Having pursued his studies in chemistry and several
other branches of natural science with much success, he
accepted the office of Lecturer on Chemistry at Guy's
Hospital, where he also delivered a course on several
branches of experimental philosophy. These pursuits
brought him into association with the leading scientific
minds of the day, and friendship with John Dalton, Sir
Humphrey Davy, and W. H. Pepys, with the latter of
whom he conducted some chemical investigations, which
were communicated to the Royal Society, and published
in its Transactions. He delivered a course of lectures at
the Royal Institution by Sir Humphrey Davy's request,
and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in
1807, having been previously made one of the Linnaean
Society, and a member of several foreign scientific
institutions. The science of astronomy he pursued with
great pleasure, having fitted up a valuable observatory for
the purpose on his own premises.
But in the midst of scientific pursuits and cares of
increasing business he was led to engage earnestly in
efforts for the good of his fellow-creatures, being prompted
by his affectionate disposition and by desires to be found
a faithful steward of the talents and opportunities entrusted
to him. Notwithstanding his many and varied engage
ments he maintained the practice of securing some portion
of each day for private religious retirement, was diligent

WILLIAM ALLEN. , 9
in an attendance of the week-day meetings, as well as
those held on First days. He also found time to attend
meetings for discipline, and took a lively interest in the
spiritual welfare of his fellow-members.
In his public lectures to young medical students at
Guy's Hospital, he availed himself of opportunities to
impress upon them the great truths of revealed religion ;
and was careful to manifest that he was not ashamed of
appearing before men as a humble and self-denying
Christian. Early in life William Allen espoused the cause of the
Slave, and made resolve at the age of nineteen to abstain
from the use of sugar so long as the slave trade existed ;
and he took an earnest share in efforts for its abolition,
being a friend and coadjutor of Wilberforce and Clarkson
throughout the prolonged struggle. When this was ended
by its abolition, his efforts continued for extinction of
slavery in British dominions, and to promote colonies in
Africa of liberated slaves.
Another object which engaged his attention was
diffusion of useful knowledge and education. He became
one of the earliest supporters of Joseph Lancaster's system,
whose school (in the Borough Road) he visited in 1805,
and was much affected by the " sight of nearly a thousand
children gathered out of the streets, and placed under a
course of scriptural instruction and moral training."
When this inventor of education under a monitorial
system became involved in pecuniary difficulties, William
Allen, in conjunction with his friend Joseph Fox, undertook
their settlement, and by forming a committee originated
the British and Foreign School Society, of which he became
Treasurer, and continued throughout life in that position,
working for its interests and the extension of this system
of education with the greatest assiduity and zeal.

IO BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
It brought him into association with many eminent
Statesmen and Noblemen interested in the progress of
education, and with some members of the Royal Family,
especially the Duke of Kent, who was a firm friend to the
movement from its commencement. This royal duke
formed so high an opinion of William Allen's character as
to request his advice, in conjunction with Dr. Lushington,
for the extrication of his affairs, then much involved, and
at his death they were left in the position of his executors.
It was by their management that the duke, retiring for a
while to the continent, was able to retrieve his finances, and
at their advice was he led to return to England at a time
that allowed of his daughter — the illustrious Sovereign
of these realms — being born a British subject.
William Allen's exertions for the cause of education
extended to foreign lands, and had considerable success
in Russia, for when travelling in that country with
Stephen Grellet they found the military schools of that
country were using books for reading compiled from infidel
writers, and on representing this to the authorities they
were requested to prepare selections from Scripture instead,
which have since been used there and in other countries
also. It was in connection with education that William
Allen established rural schools for the poor at Lind field,
in Sussex, conducted on the Borough Road system, but
with manual training there was also an Establishment
for young men, to qualify them for agricultural labour
in connection with elementary literary instruction. He
built Cottages, with small quantities of land attached
varying from one to ten acres ; and published a work,
" Colonies at Home, " to promote these allotments and
increase the number of small independent cultivators.
His labours brought him much anxiety and considerable

WILLIAM ALLEN. 1 1
pecuniary sacrifice, but have borne fruit in the greater
attention now bestowed on these important questions.
He was prominent also in efforts for improvement
of prisons, and abolition of Capital punishment. His
rooms at Plough Court, for a long series of years, were
the meeting place for these and various other Asso
ciations, whilst his table afforded hospitable enter
tainment to ingenious and benevolent persons from all
countries. In 1 8 14 William Allen, in conjunction with Bentham,
Robert Owen, and four other partners, bought the New
Lanark Mills to carry out schemes for social improvement
in factory labour, which to a great extent succeeded ; but
Robert Owen's principles became too avowedly sceptical
for them to work harmoniously together, and he withdrew
from the management in 1829, but William Allen
retained his interest in the concern until 1835.
When the allied Sovereigns visited London in 1 8 1 4,
the Meeting for Sufferings appointed deputations to present
them with Addresses, and on William Allen, as its clerk,
devolved making arrangements with the Emperor of
Russia for this purpose. Having obtained introduction
to the Emperor's Secretary, he apologised for entering
with his hat on, and showed the address, which evidently
produced deep feeling in Count Lieven's mind, and when
William Allen called again for further arrangements he
found that the Emperor was desirous first of attending
a Friends' meeting, and at once set off under William
Allen's escort for that at Westminster. This unexpected
but remarkable occasion no doubt contributed to the
friendship shown by the Emperor to members of the
Society in after years. He acknowledged the solemnity
of the silence, and was impressed by the ministry of
Richard Phillips and John Wilkinson, who happened

12 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
to be present, and the latter of whom concluded the
meeting with prayer. " Nothing" (wrote William Allen)
" could have answered better. Friends were helped," and
he and John Wilkinson and Stephen Grellet had an
interview of an hour's length next day, and much
conversation on Friends' principles, which the Emperor
appeared thoroughly to appreciate.
In the year 1 822, when the sovereigns met in Conference
at Vienna and Verona, William Allen felt it his duty
to travel thither, for which the Duke of Wellington (as
one of the commissioners) gave exceptional facilities, and
conferred with him on Treaty provisions in favour of
Africans, Greeks, and Waldenses.
In 1818 William Allen, with his much-loved friend
Stephen Grellet, undertook an extensive continental
journey, visiting Norway, Sweden, Finland, and St.
Petersburg, where they had several opportunities of religious
intercourse with the Emperor and with persons of influence
at his Court, thence making their way to Constantinople
and parts adjacent, returning through Italy, Switzerland,
and France. This continental companionship was re
newed in 1832, when Germany, Hungary, France, and
Spain were the scene of their evangelical and philanthropic
labours. They examined schools, prisons, and social in
stitutions, and obtained interviews with statesmen, rulers,
and princes, to inculcate their views of desirable reforms.
There were also several other occasions of his travelling
abroad with various Friends for similar objects.
William Allen had his share of domestic trial. He
was thrice married, and survived his last wife several
years. His first marriage, in 1 796, was to Mary Hamilton,
who died ten months later, leaving him with an only
daughter, who was married in after life to Cornelius
H anbury, and herself died soon after giving birth to a

WILLIAM ALLEN.

13

son (William Allen Hanbury). The second marriage
was in 1806, to Charlotte Hanbury, who died at Geneva,
on one of their continental journeys in 18 16, and the
third was in 1827, to Grizell Birkbeck {ne'e Hoare),
widow of Wilson Birkbeck, who died in 1835. His father,
Job Allen, had died in 1800 ; but his mother, to whom
he was tenderly attached, survived till 1830.
In the several relations of private life William Allen's
character shone with peculiar brightness. The watchful
state of mind evinced in early life continued throughout,
and sensible of his need of Divine mercy and strength, he
was an earnest suppliant at the throne of grace. For many
years he held the station of Elder, and during the latter
twenty-three years of his life was a recorded Minister. He
was indeed one that sought to live up to the apostolic
standard, " diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving
the Lord."
His decease occurred at Lindfield, on the 30th of 12th
month, 1843, in the 74th year of his age — but the
interment was in the Friends' burial ground at Stoke
Newington. William Allen, on succeeding to Joseph Gurney Bevan's
chemical business, had Luke Howard as his partner, and
their manufacture of chemicals greatly increasing, that de
partment was subsequently conducted by Luke Howard
at Stratford, William Allen retaining the Plough Court
concern, in which he became assisted and ultimately in
partnership with John Thomas Barry and his two nephews,
Daniel Bell and Cornelius Hanbury, forming the well-
known firm of Allen, Hanbury, & Co.
" Allen hath shown how wide a range
In science — all philanthropies 
And in the world, may harmonise
With constancy not ' given to change.'

14 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
" Let those of other's line inclined
To judge, mark how he bow'd his neck
To Christ, and His restraining check,
With the constraining, sought to mind ! "
William Ball.
Adapted from Annual Monitor and other sources.

ROBERT ALSOR
Born 1803 — Died 1876 — Aged Seventy-two Years.
Photograph 5X4 in.
ROBERT ALSOP was born in 1803 at Maldon, in Essex.
His parents, Robert and Phebe Alsop {ne'e Tanner), were
shopkeepers in that town, and much respected by their
fellow-townsmen, and among their friends. Of Phebe
Alsop, who, as well 'as her husband, was a Minister, there is
an account in the Annual Monitor of 1858. With more
than ordinary staidness of character and application to
study, he spent the years 1 8 1 6- 1 7 at Ackworth School.
While there he organised amongst his schoolfellows an
association for the improvement of the mind ; which,
under various modifications, has existed to the present
time. In accordance with his scientific tastes, he served
an apprenticeship under John Bell, of London, one of
the first dispensing chemists in the metropolis, and
afterwards entered successfully into business in Sloane
Square, Chelsea. He married, about the age of thirty,
Mary Ann Dean, and at the funeral of his wife, in
1 841, on the dissolution of their happy union of nine
years, offered his first public prayer. In 1846 he
entered again into the married state with Christine
Majolier, of Congenies, in the south of France. Having

ROBERT ALSOP. 1 5
both received a gift in the ministry, they became one
another's helpers in the Lord.
Robert Alsop was recorded a Minister in 1852, and
three years afterwards retired from business, and settled
in Stoke Newington, desiring to devote his time to the
Lord and the good of his fellow-men, holding all that
God had given him of time and strength as a steward
ship to be employed as appointed by the best of masters.
Henceforth was he known for many years as a quiet,
patient, useful, voluntary helper in whatever promoted
the cause of Truth and Righteousness.
The twenty years of retirement were, therefore, not
years of useless ease, but Christian work. He was clerk
for years both to the Meeting for Sufferings and his
Quarterly Meeting, he acted as Secretary to a Committee
of the Yearly Meeting's Negro and Aborigines' Fund,
by which hard-working missionaries in the West Indies
found their schools greatly assisted, for in the island
of Jamaica alone nearly ninety schools were thus
annually helped.
In the cause of Peace, Religious Freedom, Education,
and the spread of the Gospel, Robert Alsop was a
constant labourer, and of his private labours of love and
charity one who knew him well said : " He was doing
good the livelong day, gentle as a lamb, like his Master,
but firm as a rock for that Master's cause and honour."
In 1856, he, together with his wife, accompanied Eliza
Paul Gurney on a religious visit to the Vaudois Churches,
and to Friends in the south of France ; and again in
the following year to various places in Germany, etc.
In 1867 he went with John Henry Douglas to Norway,
and the year following with Joseph Crosfield to Den
mark. The latter country had not previously been
visited by Friends from England.

1 6 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
In 1 87 1, after that cruel and desolating war which
laid waste the fertile plains of France, he was engaged
for many months with his beloved wife in extensive
religious visits to many parts of that country, holding
meetings at which even the Roman Catholic population
gave their attendance. The efforts were renewed in
subsequent years, and even as late as the autumn
of 1875.
To such an one life was pleasant, and the service of
the Lord was liberty. He rejoiced in the free salvation
through Christ Jesus. He had a love of natural history
and the works of nature, and enjoyed the beauties of
the garden and the cultivation of plants ; but had
greater delight in the garden of the Lord. A peculiarly
sweet and hallowed influence was observable for several
weeks before his sudden removal.
His prayer on the First day evening previous to the
end had been very impressive, concluding with these
words : " We none of us know how short our time may
be on earth ; but, living or dying, may we be Thine,
through Jesus our Lord." Two evenings after this, when
the duties of the day were ended, and the family retiring
to rest, he lay down suddenly, and in a few moments
was translated from work on earth to rest in heaven.
His decease occurred on the nth of ist month, 1876,
and the funeral was at Stoke Newington on the 17th
of the same. He was a Minister about twenty-four
years. Abridged from the Annual Monitor, 1877.

CHRISTINE ALSOP. 1 7
CHRISTINE ALSOP.
Photograph 5x4 in.
Christine Alsop, widow of Robert Alsop, was born at
Congenies, in the south of France, where her parents,
Louis and Marie Majolier, resided. Her natural vivacity,
tenderness of spirit, and intellectual capacity attracted
the attention of William Allen, on a religious visit paid
by him, in company with some other friends, to those parts,
and her parents readily embraced his proposal for their
daughter, Christine (then about twelve years of age), to go
with him to England, that she might receive an education
in his family. She grew up with her bright and affectionate
nature greatly enriched by the large and varied society
into which this change introduced her, and she had almost
reached middle life before returning to her native country
for a residence.
She now became much occupied in tuition among the
children of French families at Nismes and its neighbour
hood, to some of whom her Christian influence was greatly
blessed. Her aptitude in teaching, and thorough knowledge
of both English and French, brought much accession to
these outward engagements, but a desire to be found
faithful in the service of her Saviour so prevailed, that
these engagements were not unfrequently (though at
some pecuniary sacrifice) put aside to place her linguistic
knowledge at the service of Friends as interpreter when
travelling in France. One of these occasions led to a
renewed acquaintance with Robert Alsop, when he was
travelling as companion to an American Friend, and the
marriage that ultimately ensued gave her for twenty
years a wedded life of great happiness and continued
usefulness, and it would be impossible to conceive of any
2

1 8 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
two more fitted than Robert and Christine Alsop were,
by combination of very different characters and tempera
ments, to become one another's helpmeet in the Lord.
They were both in the station of acknowledged Ministers,
and they were welcome everywhere. To none was the loss
more conscious than when, by her beloved partner's death,
this remarkable union was suddenly severed, but the few
years of her life that remained were still marked by an
active, though less conspicuous usefulness. To herself
(as in the case of her beloved partner) life's close was
sudden, but it came to one who could accept it as
deliverance, saying, " How sweet ; I am so happy — happy
in the Beloved ; He, the good Shepherd, Who giveth His
life for the sheep."
Christine Alsop's peculiarly attractive manners, especially
towards the young, made her a welcome visitor in the
Royal nursery, to which she had access from a personal
acquaintance with the French lady in charge of the
educational training of the early years of the princes and
princesses, and the friendship thus formed in childhood
with one whom they affectionately called " la bonne
dame," continued through life, even after they had left
for homes in distant countries ; and one of the last letters
written by the late Princess Alice was to this lovable
friend of her earliest years.
Her decease took place when absent from home on
a visit to her friend Rachel Rickman, near Lewes, but
the funeral was at Stoke Newington, where the remains
of her late husband had also been interred, and it was
largely attended. She was at the time of her death about
seventy-five years of age, and had been a recorded
Minister in our religious Society for nearly twenty- five
years.

EDWARD ASH, M.D. 19
EDWARD ASH, M.D.
Born 1797 — Died 1873 — Aged Seventy-six Years.
Carte-de- visite.
EDWARD ASH, M.D., was born in the city of Bristol on
the 1 2th of 8th month, 1797, and received his education
at a boarding school in Melksham, Wiltshire. In his
twenty-fourth year he entered on a course of medical
study in London and Edinboro', taking the degree of
M.D. in 1825. Subsequently he was for a time at York,
when the religious convictions of his early youth returned
with much power, and continued to the end of his life.
These were much strengthened by a friendship formed
with Joseph John Gurney during a residence at Norwich,
where he commenced practice as a physician, and he was
recorded as a Minister by Norwich Monthly Meeting.
In 1837 he retired from medical practice, and returned
to Bristol, his native city ; which continued to be his
abode for the latter half of his extended life. One useful
result of his retirement from professional pursuits was a
work in three volumes, consisting of " Explanatory Notes
and Comments on the New Testament," the fruit of a
diligent and careful study of the original Greek, and
Dr. Ash took great interest in conducting Bible classes
for the religious benefit of the young, which labours received
much appreciation.
For some years, differences on doctrine and practice led
to Dr. Ash's withdrawal from membership in the Society
of Friends, but he never joined any other Communion,
and it was with great satisfaction that he was found
able to reunite himself to them during the latter portion
of his life. His conversational powers, his rich store of

20 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
learning and information, made his company very agreeable,
and the earnest bent of his mind toward the unseen, but
spiritual realities would often cause these occasions to
become times of religious instruction and profit. He
enjoyed in no common degree the blessed consciousness
of a life in Christ. The young and undecided felt the
influence of his singleness of aim, and the more mature
Christian became strengthened in patience to run the race
set before him.
His domestic habits were on principle very simple and
self-denying. He loved Nature greatly, and took much
pleasure in walks through fine scenery, tracing in all,
evidences of his heavenly Father's goodness and power.
His wife was Caroline, a daughter of William Fry, of
London, and after forty-seven years of union she was left
his survivor. He had never enjoyed robust health, but
his life extended to the age of seventy-six, and the illness
that brought its termination was brief. It found him quite
ready, and the state of his mind was shown by a memorial
card which he prepared to be issued for himself shortly
before its close. It was headed, " A Christian Believer in
the near prospect of Death," and described himself as
decaying in bodily health and strength, but in spirit largely
dwelling in that "land of Beulah " of which John Bunyan
tells us " that the birds sing and the flowers bloom, and
delectable fruits grow ; where angels' visits are neither few
nor far between ; and where the King Himself sometimes
walks, taking delight in the works of His own hands;" and
as his feet touched the margin of the river he said, " It is
broad, but tranquil as a lake, and there's rock at the
bottom, and Jesus is leading me through." His decease
occurred on the 23rd of 12th month, 1873.
Adapted from Annual Monitor of 1874.

EDWARD BACKHOUSE. 21
EDWARD BACKHOUSE.
Born 1808 — Died 1879 — Aged Seventy-one Years.
Enlarged Photograph 10 x 7 in.
Edward Backhouse, the son of Edward and Mary
Backhouse, was born at Darlington on 8th of 5th month,
1808. A resident from early boyhood at Sunderland,
of which place he became one of its foremost citizens, he
was thoroughly identified in his interests with the busy,
stirring life of the North of England. He was not him
self, however, actively engaged in commerce. Although
a partner in collieries, and in the extensive banking
business with which the name of his family has been so
long connected, he took little, if any, share in the practical
management of these businesses, having desired, from the
time of his early manhood, to keep his hands free for
philanthropic and religious work. He was an eager and
diligent student of natural history, a frequent traveller,
and a landscape painter of considerable merit. Though
not cultivating the graces of a professed orator, he could
always be relied on to make a plain, vigorous, straight
forward speech with a heartiness that never failed to win
the ear of a popular assembly. He was a rather keen,
but not bitter politician, on the Liberal side, but never
sought a seat in Parliament, whither he could certainly
have gone as representative of Sunderland if he had
desired to do so. His whole life was coloured by his
enthusiastic adoption of the principles of that portion of
the Christian Church to which his ancestors for many
generations had belonged — the Society of Friends.
Edward Backhouse used to refer his own conversion
to the thirtieth year of his age. His life had been

22 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
always pure and unblamable according to man's judg
ment. After this time it became more conspicuously
devoted to the service of Christ ; yet it was not till
fourteen years afterwards that he commenced work as
a Minister, previously to which he had occupied the
station of an appointed Elder.
It was during this" period of his life that he was in
a remarkable manner preserved from death by ship
wreck. In 1842 he had arranged to accompany his
uncle, William Backhouse, on a visit to the little con
gregations of Friends in Norway. A few days before
the time fixed for their departure, William Backhouse
stood up to preach in the meeting-house at Darlington ;
before he had uttered a word he fell back senseless, and
expired upon the spot. The event was of course felt as
a great shock by all his relatives, including his nephew
and intended companion ; but when tidings came that
the steamer in which they were to have sailed, and
which started on her voyage on the very day of his
uncle's funeral, had foundered at sea, and that all on
board had perished, he saw that his own life had been
given back to him in the course of God's Providence,
and felt himself more than ever bound to use it in the
service of Christ.
In 1852 he began to preach in the Assemblies of
Friends, and after two years was " recognised " as a
Minister, which position he occupied for the remaining
twenty-five years of his life.
His preaching was very characteristic of the man,
with no elaborate oratory, but a fine natural flow of
language and a certain character of manly strength
and earnestness in every discourse. His favourite topic
of exhortation, especially in later years, was, " Press
on, do not be satisfied with infancy or childhood m

EDWARD BACKHOUSE. 23
the Christian life. It is time now that you were full-
grown men and women in Christ Jesus, with all the
power to overcome which this maturer life should bring
to you." The happiness of the Christian believer was
another favourite theme both in his conversation and
his sermons. In speaking of his life after conversion
he says, " The more closely I kept to my faithful
Guide, the more I understood the beauty of holiness,
the glory of the Lord's delightsome land, the sweetness,
the safety, and the rest of abiding in Jesus." Those
words " the Lord's delightsome land " are very character
istic both of his life and ministry, and in writing them
(says his biographer) one seems to hear again the fine
tones of that strong and hearty voice impressing them
on his hearers.
He married, in middle life, Katharine, daughter of
Thomas and Mary Mounsey, of Sunderland. He had
no children of his own, but always surrounded himself
as much as possible with young people, his nephews
and nieces, or the children of his old friends, and often
seemed himself the youngest of the party. He associated
them with himself in his rambles in search of health,
in his yachting excursions in Norway, or his sketching
tours in Switzerland ; and his own keen love of nature,
and observant eye for her varying moods, made him a
delightful companion on such occasions. It is difficult
to describe this part of his character without conveying
the impression that his was a self-indulgent life ; but
this was far from being the case. The sorrows and
the sins of great cities, and especially of the great
seaport near to which he himself lived, claimed a very
large share of his time and thought, and he spent not
only money, but health and energy, freely in the en
deavour to alleviate and reform them. He erected a

24 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Mission-hall in one of the poorest districts of Sunder
land, which became the resort of a large congrega
tion, and was the centre of a great Christianising and
civilising work in a district which had much need
of such assistance, and in the various operations con
nected with this place he took a large personal share.
Edward Backhouse took an active interest in the
affairs of the Society, and in the years 1862 and 1863
acted as clerk to its Annual Assembly in London.
The latter years of his life were greatly devoted to
Church History, for which he read extensively, and left
at his death much material in MSS., which, under the
able treatment of Charles Tylor, became expanded and
arranged, and form four volumes, printed and illustrated
in the best style, that have taken their position as a
clear, concise, and candid presentment of the earlier
stages of this great subject.
As has been already hinted, Edward Backhouse was
not able to complete for the press any portion of this
work. His health failed perceptibly after he had passed
the threescore years and ten, but he was still able to
engage in his ordinary pursuits. In the hope of pro
fiting by a southern climate he went to Hastings, but
was there seized with a more serious malady, and
after an illness of only four days, passed peacefully
away on the 22nd May, 1879.
This account is extracted from that written by Thomas Hodgkin,
LL.D., as an introduction to "Backhouse and Tylor's Early
Church History.''

HANNAH CHAPMAN BACKHOUSE. 2$
HANNAH CHAPMAN BACKHOUSE
Born 1787 — Died 1850 — Aged Sixty-three Years.
No Portrait.
Hannah Chapman Backhouse was the daughter of
Joseph and Jane Gurney, and was born at Norwich the
9th of 2nd month, 1787.
Possessed of a powerful and energetic mind, she soon
began to take great delight in study, and had an ambi
tion to excel in all that she undertook. Drawing and
painting she especially pursued, and in these and other
acquirements made great proficiency, imagining the
greatest happiness to consist in the cultivation of the
intellectual powers. But gradually she felt herself formed
for higher purposes than gratifications, though of the
most refined and plausible form, and was led to an un
reserved surrender to the service of her Lord. In re
ference to this change, it is remarked in her Journal,
July 1806: "This time, for almost the first in my life,
I seem come to a stand in the objects of my darling
pursuits, which, I may say, have been almost entirely the
pursuit of pleasure through the medium of the under
standing. This, I feel, must be a useless search ; for the
further I go, the more unattainable is the contentment
which I hoped a degree of excellence might have pro
duced ; the further I go, the further does my idea of
perfection extend ; therefore, this way of obtaining happi
ness, I find, is impossible. Never in my life was I so
sensible of the real weakness of man, though to all
appearance so strong ; for I am persuaded that it is
almost impossible to conduct oneself through this world
without being sincerely religious. The human mind must

26 biographical catalogue
have an object, and let that object be the attainment of
eternal happiness."
The death of a near relative appears to have deepened
these impressions, and increased the desire to " relieve
herself " (as she expresses it) " from the miserable state of
inconsistency in which a gay Friend is situated."
Her parents and family connections moved in the
upper ranks of life, and though members of the Society,
had not adopted any strictness in social habits or per
sonal apparel ; but as H. C Gurney's religious convictions
deepened, she felt it right to adopt both the dress and
address of a plain Friend, which was, to one so circum
stanced, what nothing but great strength of character
and depth of conviction could have induced.
In 1 8 1 1, Hannah C Gurney married Jonathan Back
house, and settled at Darlington. The early years of her
married life appear to have been much devoted to her
young family.
In 1820 she first spoke as a Minister, in reference to
which she writes, 3rd month, 1820 : " Had felt for some
time, and particularly lately, a warm concern for the in
terest of our family, which, to my humiliation, surprise,
and consolation, I was strengthened to express to them
in a private opportunity before I left Sunderland. On
our ride home, I felt the candle of the Lord shine round
about me in a manner I had not done for years. . . .
I felt I had put my hand to the plough, and must not
turn back." She now took part in the vocal service of
the meetings, and observes that " they became very in
teresting, and, as the reward of what I was induced to
believe was faithfulness, often greatly refreshing."
In the course of this year she lost her eldest son, and
the suffering attendant upon this deep sorrow, in addition
to close mental baptism, at times greatly prostrated hen

HANNAH CHAPMAN BACKHOUSE. 27
physical powers ; but .she could say, " I believe there is
never much attainment without much suffering ; — a chas
tened habit of thought — how desirable to be the habit cf
life ; riches and indulgence, how inimical to it."
In 1826 she visited the families of Friends in Darling
ton Monthly Meeting, in company with Isaac Stephenson,
and from this time advanced rapidly in the work of the
ministry. Her naturally powerful and refined mind,
deeply instructed in the things of God, rendered her
well fitted to labour amongst those invested with wealth
and influence ; with many of these in the upper classes
she obtained opportunities for conveying religious counsel ;
and in not a few instances a deep response in the hearts
of her hearers resulted.
The public meetings she held were very numerous.
Her fervour sought to arouse those to a sense of their
condition who were " dead in trespasses and sins ; " her
sound and convincing arguments controverted the views
of the infidel ; her zeal stirred the lukewarm professor ;
and her affectionate invitations were consoling to the
humble believer, " to lay aside every weight," and partake,
in all their fullness, of the blessings of the Gospel. She
dwelt much upon the glorious scheme of redemption,
through Christ Jesus, for the sins of the whole world,
and of the necessity of sanctification through the Spirit,
being one who had herself largely participated in these
mercies and blessings.
In 1827, with her husband, she visited the west of
England, and three years afterwards was liberated by her
friends to go to America, where her abundant Gospel
labours extended over five years' duration, during which
no difficulties of travel or fatigue, in reaching parts but
recently settled, were suffered to prevent her visiting
Friends in all parts of that vast continent. During most

28 . BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
of this time she had the company of her husband, and
when he found it necessary, from home engagements, to
leave her, Eliza P. Kirkbride (who afterwards became
the .wife of her cousin, Joseph John Gurney) proved a
most faithful and valuable companion.
On Hannah Backhouse's return from this prolonged
and arduous American engagement, she had a season of
much domestic happiness. But this was not permitted
to interfere with devotion to Him whose service was
her highest aim and her chief delight. Many /parts of
England and Scotland were visited between this time
and 1845. During this interval some of her nearest
domestic ties were broken by the decease of her eldest
surviving son, her beloved husband, and a daughter, the
wife of John Hodgkin, of Tottenham, and after having
devoted the meridian of her life to active Gospel service,
a season of almost uninterrupted repose preceded her
own departure. Like Moses viewing from the Mount
the Promised Land, she seemed to live above the trials
and temptations of time, and nothing appeared materially
to disturb or ruffle the repose of her soul. Her decease
occurred on the 6th of the 5th month, 1850, in the sixty-
fourth year of her age.
" Earth without thee, oh, gifted friend !
Impoverished seems, bedimm'd, bereft :
Our circle shrinks ; let prayer ascend
For blessing on the remnant left !
" Hearts that with thine were intertwined,
Bare to each other, only knew
Thy store of wit, thy wealth of mind,
The play of thought, and vigour too.
" All strifes and jealousies above,
Sound in the faith, and firm, though meek,
She ever gave forbearing love,
But not her judgment, to the weak.

JAMES BACKHOUSE. 29
" Through England's breadth, across the flood,
In perils oft, privation, pain ;
She served her Saviour and her God,
And spread His Truth, His Book, His Reign.
" Her husband gave his generous heart,
Alike, the Gospel to make known ;
How well, with her, he bore his part,
Let grateful Churches gladly own." William Ball.
The above account is adapted from the Annual Monitor of 185 1,
also from "Journal and Letters of H. C. B.," printed (not published)

JAMES BACKHOUSE.
Born 1794 — Died 1869 — Aged Seventy-four Years.
Enlarged Photograph 22 x 17 in.
He was born at Darlington, the 8th of 7th month, 1794,
and was the fourth child of James and Mary Backhouse.
His father died when his son James was little more than
nine years old. He early manifested in life and conversa
tion the fruits of pious parental care upon a naturally
volatile and imaginative disposition. His school training
was at the establishment of Joseph Tatham, of Leeds.
James Backhouse's health in early life was not robust,
and his botanical tastes, becoming developed during
country residence and excursions, he went to Norwich
to qualify himself for a nurseryman, and intended to
follow that occupation in his native town; but an oppor
tunity occurred of purchasing the business and nursery
grounds, '• Friars' Gardens," at York, of John and George
Telford, in whose family it had been conducted for a
hundred and fifty years. He decided to take to this
concern, in which an elder brother united with him, and
under their management the grounds (which are now

30 biographical catalogue.
occupied by the railway) acquired much additional
celebrity, which has continued in their new situation
a little distance from the city, being especially famous
for conifers and numerous varieties of Alpine plants.
In 1822 James Backhouse married Deborah Lowe,
of Tottenham, a Minister, with whom he passed five
years of married life, much blessed to both of them. He
was left a widower with three children, the youngest
of whom soon followed its parent, and added to the
grief of his bereavement.
In 1824 James Backhouse was recorded as a Minister,
and during the following years was ' not unfrequently
engaged in religious services at home and elsewhere.
From a much earlier period, however, he had entertained
a profound conviction of service in a far more distant
portion of the Lord's vineyard being required at his
hands, and he endeavoured to prepare himself to bear
this cross. At length the subject was mooted, and after
solemn deliberation he was freely liberated for this
important undertaking, which, it must be added, involved
great personal sacrifices. Accompanied by George
Washington Walker, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, he visited,
in the love of the Gospel, the Mauritius, the greater
part of the territories of Cape Colony, Van Dieman's
Land, and all the then settled Australian colonies. This
extended missionary tour occupied a decade nearly of the
meridian of his life, 1 831-41. The main incidents of
these voyages and travels are elaborately dptailed by
James Backhouse in two thick volumes, respectively en
titled, "A Narrative of a Visit to the Australian
Colonies," illustrated by 3 maps, 1 5 etchings, and several
woodcuts, 1843 ; "A Narrative of a Visit to the
Mauritius and South Africa," illustrated by 2 maps, 16
etchings, and 28 woodcuts, 1844.

JAMES BACKHOUSE. 3 1
They visited a large proportion of the Australian
settlers in their own homes, and devoted especial atten
tion to the various convict establishments, receiving
much encouragement from the authorities in their efforts
to promote the moral and spiritual welfare of the convict
prisoners, whom they also visited whilst at work in
chain gang upon the roads. These extensive journeys,
whether in the more settled districts of Australia or up
country, were mostly performed on foot, a mode of
travelling James Backhouse's long walks in early life
had accustomed him to, and one which was both more
independent, and gave easier access to that part of the
prisoner population assigned to the settlers as servants.
Many and varied were the hardships and dangers, both
by sea and land, which these two brethren had to endure
in the performance of this long and distant service ; but
not few were the testimonies borne to its value from
those high in authority, and by the poor convicts them
selves, as to the blessing it had been to them. It was
also the means (especially in Tasmania) of gathering
some who had been Friends and others to unite in
forming a meeting, which became the first of the various
Friends' meetings now in Australia. George Washington
Walker, when the long journeyings were over, married
and settled in Hobart for the remainder of his life, and
the memory of James Backhouse remains fresh in
Friends' minds there as of an apostle loving, cheerful,
and faithful in his Master's service.
In connection with the result of the visit of James
Backhouse to Tasmania, it is interesting to find him
recording how he left " with the prospect that the simple
truth as it is in Jesus will be borne testimony to by
those we leave behind. A few others are drawing to
wards Friends, being awakened to a sense of the

32 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
necessity of ceasing from creaturely activity in religious
matters, and of waiting on God for the inward manifesta
tion of His will, and for strength to perform it. Some
of these have long made a profession of religion, and
have been esteemed for their piety among their fellow-
professors, and have known much of the comfort of the
evidence of past sin being blotted out for Christ's sake,
but they have found that in order to ' perfect holiness
in the fear of the Lord,' it was necessary for them to
oease from man, and to wait in stillness upon the Lord
for the renewal of their strength day to day."
As a naturalist and botanist, James Backhouse turned
to advantage his journeys in these far-off regions. Many
a time his knowledge of natural history and a keen
relish for the beautiful proved a source of relaxation and
refreshment to him in passing through a land where so
much was new, and our own collections were enriched
by plants sent over by him to the horticultural establish
ment at Kew, whilst Australians owe some English ones
to his care. There is still a mulberry tree in a Friend's
grounds at Kelvedon (Tasmania) which has attained an
exceptionally vigorous growth, and is especially valued
as planted there by James Backhouse himself.
His Christian labours in these lands were not limited
to sect or station. From the highest to the lowest rank,
from the Governor of the colonies down to the most
wretched of the convicts, from the wealthy settler to the
felon in prison-cell, — all were alike the objects of his
Christian solicitude and Gospel ministrations. Salvation,
full and free, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
was everywhere his theme ; and also that a saving faith
must be a living faith, showing forth the fruits of the
Spirit in life and conversation.
The journey of James Backhouse and George

JAMES BACKHOUSE. ,. 33
Washington Walker through the wilds of southern
Africa included visits to all the mission stations then
existing on and beyond the colonial frontier. It was
made in a covered " Cape waggon," and occupied a year
and seven months. Deep was the interest, and warm
were the friendships with Christian labourers of every
denomination, to which this visit gave rise, leading, in not
a few instances, to a mutual correspondence, maintained
till the close of life.
James Backhouse was an earnest advocate of the cause
of temperance wherever he laboured, and signed the
total abstinence pledge while out on his missionary
journey, on an occasion when one hundred and sixty
coloured people (assembled to celebrate their freedom
from slavery at a little missionary station in Africa)
took the same resolution.
On his return home, the remainder of his life was
largely occupied in religious service in his own country,
but twice, when between sixty and seventy years of age,
he made extensive missionary journeys in Norway ; and
his labours in that land extended within the Arctic circle
into Lapland and Finmark.
In labours abundant he continued until within about
two years of his life's close, when his health sensibly
declined ; but through that increasing enfeeblement he
described himself as " dwelling in the Land of Beulah
under a canopy of peace." The close was sudden, and
occurred on the 26th of ist month, 1869.
Throughout the later years of his life he lived with
his two unmarried sisters, Elizabeth and Sarah, in the
retired and pleasant house so long the home of Lindley
Murray, the Grammarian, at Holgate, near York. He
was at once a naturalist, a florist, a botanist, an enter
prising traveller, and a very earnest evangelist, with eye
3

5^ BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
and heart open to all true knowledge in every direc
tion. " All nature was to him
Instinct with God ; he deem'd its every sound
An echo of the everlasting hymn,
Its light, a gleam of that which never shall be dim."
His sister published a Memoir with portrait, the Friends of
York a Testimony, and there is a biographical notice in the
Annual Monitor of 1870, from all of, which these particulars have
been gleaned.

WILLIAM BALL.
Born 1801 — Died 1878 — Aged nearly Seventy-
eight Years.
Bust Height 17 in., and Carte-de-visite.
William Ball was the son of Richard and Elizabeth Ball,
and born at Bridgewater, Somerset, where his father's
family, who were valued members of the Society of Friends,
had for three generations resided. His grandfather, Joseph
Ball, was an esteemed Minister in the Society, and Richard
Reynolds the distinguished philanthropist, was a great-
uncle on his mother's side. William Ball was one of those
instances, not very rare, of great delicacy in early life,
being succeeded by a long continuance, of which this gave
little expectation. It affected his education and training,
for it was not until he was nearly twenty that there seemed
any advantage in his becoming qualified for professional
occupation. The one then chosen by him was the legal,
for which purpose he was for some years with a country
practitioner at Yeovil, and subsequently in London ; but
he never had any occasion to develop a legal practice,
for, as the fortunate one among many who sought the

WILLIAM BALL. 35
hand of Ann Dale in marriage, he became placed, through
her ample fortune, in circumstances of independence.
William Ball's natural abilities were of that high order
combined with acute discernment and refined taste, that,
had any pressure existed for appearing before the public,
he would in all probability have become known as one of
the literary characters of his day ; but, circumstanced as
he was, little appeared in publication, and what he printed
was wanting in the finish calculated to attract attention.
He had a very keen discernment of character, and frequent
extracts will be found in these pages of the memorials
penned by him of his departed friends, the truthfulness of
which will be most appreciated by those who knew them.
Although his married life commenced at Bristol, he
moved not long after to Bruce Grove, Tottenham, and he
had a summer home at Rydal, in what was originally Ivy
Cottage, but became changed, by considerable and judicious
alterations, into Glen Rothay, one of the most delightful
of the many retreats in that district. Its grounds ad
joined those of Wordsworth's, and the poet would often
be found availing himself of the garden gate made between
them. Here, when William and Ann Ball were in resi
dence, the house was generally full of guests, not only
from among their wide circle of relations, but from their
friends generally.
William Ball's character was a combination of varying
mental qualities. He had good spirits, and yet suffered
from depression ; was satiric, nevertheless kind ; a keen
wit, yet cool in judgment ; gay often in manner, yet ever
serious at heart ; he loved intellectual pursuits, but
was truly solicitous of advancement in the Christian life.
His education was not that of a strict Friend ; very few of
his near relatives continued members of the Society. He
drew nearer to it himself by conviction, and became plain

36 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
both in dress and address when a young man, believing the
self-denial to be right for him, and his attachment to the
practices and the principles of the Society continued
firm, yet he always carried the manners of one accus
tomed to general society, and open to agreement on
essentials rather than dwelling on minor differences.
The loss of his beloved wife, after prolonged delicate
health, and the survival by him of so many of his re
lations and friends, left William Ball more than ever
dependent on his own resources and literary pursuits, but
he greatly felt his stripped condition.
" Since thou hast left my side I only feel
A pilgrim stranger on the earth I tread,
Which almost seems a city of the dead,
Seen in the light that former years reveal."
William Ball was an acknowledged Minister. His
communications were evangelical, marked by insistance on
the spirituality of true worship, and dependence on the
immediate guidance of the Holy Spirit. In his personal
experience he had a very simple trust " in the Blood that
cleanseth from all sin," as the only indisputable title of
the humble believer, to mansions in the skies. But while
rejoicing in this common ground of fellowship with all
Christ's people, he was jealous of any disposition to
assimilate Friends' modes of worship to those of other
Christian communities. He felt that such a surrender of
their testimony would not only be to the serious loss of
the Society, but to that of the Church at large, and would
say, " Common sense suggests vigilance as to the approach
of a small body towards the sphere of a larger one's
attraction." He took an active share in the discipline of
the Society, and especially in his later years became
influential in the proceedings of the Yearly Meeting. His

WILLIAM BALL. 37
mingled decision and calmness and freedom from a
controversial spirit on comparatively unimportant points,
were the fruit of a long course of careful study of human
life and character pursued on the light of Scripture and
under the Spirit's teaching. The Bible was a Lamp to
his feet and a light to his path, and known by him so
well, that he never had any occasion to use a concordance.
" We shall long miss " (said one who knew him well) " that
devout mind, that keen and subtle intellect, playful and
yet reverent, taught and trained to be subject to the
truth, and grasping that truth with whole-hearted firm
ness as revealed in the glorious Gospel of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ." The last words he uttered in the
Yearly Meeting support this view of his wise counsels.
" There was one function, one special function, which
every Church builded on the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the ' chief corner
stone,' must exercise. The labour for Christian liberty of
conscience was very right and valuable, but it was not,
he considered, to be regarded as the special function of
the Church. The testimony against war was very
precious, and never more so than at the present time, but
neither was this the special function of the Church. The
special function of the Church of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ was the spreading of the knowledge of His
name and the promotion of His kingdom."
After his wife's decease William Ball made frequent
absences from home in search of health, for change of
scene became. increasingly necessary to sustain his nervous
system ; and it was whilst on a tour in the Highlands that
the final summons reached him that suddenly ended his
life, in the seventy-eighth year of his age, on the 30th
of the 7th month, 1878. On the New Year's Day of
that year he thus wrote : —

38 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE/
"Far spent my day ! The nightfall near at hand,
I wait on Time's bleak strand,
Facing Eternity's unfathomed sea ;
While twilight warns of tarriance brief for me
On this familiar land.

" Say is it cheer, no more with busy hand,
But worn and mute to stand
Before the beating wave, and wait to be
Cast out on that unknown, unfathomed sea,
From Time's well wonted strand ?

" Oh, pitying Lord ! my times are in Thy hand !
Walk Thou the waves ! command
Salvation's wondrous calm ! give me to see
The white-robed host and loved ones beckoning me
Unto Immanuel's land."
The foregoing particulars are adapted from a rather extended
obituary notice in the Annual Monitor of 1879.
Reference to Joseph Smith's " Catalogue "will show that William
Ball printed anonymously various works and pamphlets on religious
subjects, and others connected with the Society. From his "Nugae
Sacrae " Roundell Palmer has given one hymn a place in his Book
of Praise, viz., " There is a pure and tranquil wave." " Hymns or
Lyrics," and " Notices of Kindred and Minds Departed," were
issued by an Edinburgh publisher, and bear William Ball's name.

ANNE BALL (Wife of W. Ball).
Born 1790 — Died 1861 — Aged Seventy-one Years.
No Portrait.
Anne Ball, an Elder, was the sole survivor of the family of
Robert and Mary Dale, and was herself quite young when
thus bereft of all near family ties. She was not brought
up in any strict observance of all the usages of Friends ;
but it became her own preference (even in early years) to

DAVID BARCLAY.

39

adopt and maintain them, and through life she exemplified
the harmonious union of the Christian gentlewoman and
the consistent Friend. Her sympathies, kind offices,
charities, and hospitalities were abundant, and maintained
through the lengthening out of a very suffering pilgrimage
of many years of chronic invalidism, yet to the last her
thoughts were of others, and devising plans for lending
the helping hand, and so she " fell on sleep " nth of 5th
month, 1 861, aged 71 years.

DAVID BARCLAY (of Ury).
Born 16 10 — Died 1686 — Aged Seventy-six Years.
No Portrait.
David Barclay, of Ury, father of the " Apologist,"
the representative of an ancient family formerly called
Berkeley, was born at Kirktownhill, both the seat and
birthplace of his father, David Barclay, the last laird
of Mathers, Anno 16 10. He had no sooner completed
his education in the schools, etc., than he went abroad
to his travels in Germany, where he served as a
volunteer in the Swedish army, under Gustavus Adol
phus, King of Sweden, until he was made a captain,
and having given proofs of his courage and conduct,
was quickly made a major. On the outbreak of
the civil war he accepted a commission in the Scotch
army. He was a friend of John, afterwards Earl
Middleton, who had also served in the Thirty Years'
War. Barclay commanded part of the force with which
Middleton repelled Montrose before Inverness, in May
1646. On 26th January, 1648, he married Catherine

40 biographical catalogue.
daughter of Sir. R. Gordon, and bought the estate of Ury,
nea'r Aberdeen. During Hamilton's invasion of England
in the same year he was left in a command at home ;
but retired, or was dismissed, from active service when
Cromwell entered Scotland, after Preston. We are told
that Barclay and Middleton were always on that
side which at least pretended to be in the King's
interest. Barclay's estate was forfeited, and, in order,
it is said, to regain possession, he obtained a seat in
the Scotch Parliament after the death of Charles,
and was also one of the thirty members for Scotland
returned to Cromwell's Parliament of 1654 and 1656
(Acts of Scotch Parliaments, iii., part ii.). He was also-
a commissioner for the forfeited estates of the loyalists.
He was arrested after the Restoration, apparently in 1665
(see a warrant for his committal to Edinburgh Castle,
23rd August, 1665, in Additional MS. 23123); but
was released by the interest, it is said, of his friend
Middleton. ¦
He had lost his wife in 1663, and at her dying request
recalled his son Robert, who had been sent for education
to his uncle, then rector of the Scotch college at Paris.
The father was afraid of Catholic influences, and the son
tells us (treatise on " Universal Lore ") that he had, in fact,
been " defiled by the pollutions " of popery. He obeyed
his father's orders, and returned at the cost of losing
the promised inheritance of his uncle, and for a time
remained in an unsettled state of mind. His father
was converted to Quakerism through the influence, it is
said, of a fellow-prisoner in Edinburgh, John Swinton, and
declared his adhesion to the sect in 1 666. Robert Barclay
followed his father's example in 1667.
About 1676 David Barclay and some thirty other
Friends were imprisoned in the Tolbooth at Aberdeen

DAVID BARCLAY 4 1
but released on parole (apparently). The latter part of
his life, from about the year 1683-4, he stayed mostly at
his own house at Ury, enjoying great satisfaction in a
country life, being much respected by gentry and nobility
wherever he was known, in which situation he continued
until the latter end of 7 th month. Being past the seventy-
sixth year of his age, he took a fever, which lasted about a
fortnight, and then carried him off upon the 12th of 8th
month, 1686. He was buried in a new burying-place,
within his own grounds, appointed by himself, on a rising
eminence near a mile to the north-west of Ury ; having,
when in perfect health, some time before his death, by
a writing under his hand, ordered the manner of his
interment. The religious and edifying departure he
made at his end is so affecting, that it cannot be too
often read ; being so well related in his eldest son's
testimony concerning him, printed at the end of his
works, viz., " He fell asleep like a lamb, in remarkable
quietness and calmness, the 12th day of the 8th month,
1686. And that he was buried in a place allotted by
himself for that end ; and discharged, any should be
called to his burial but the professed Friends of truth,
and his own tenants ; yet the time being known, a great
number of the gentry came undesired, and conveyed his
body to the grave."
Facing the title page of the third volume of Armistead's
" Select Miscellanies " is an engraving, intended to re
present David Barclay insulted by the populace in riding
through Aberdeen, when an old comrade, recognising
him, rides up from among a troop of soldiers passing by,
and draws his sword to disperse the mob, and protect the
insulted Barclay. The Laird of Ury declines the proffered
aid of his old comrade, as beautifully set forth in the
following lines by Whittier : —

42 biographical catalogue.
" Up the streets orAberdeen,
By the Kirk and College Green,
Rode the Laird of Ury ;
Close behind him, close beside,
Foul of mouth and evil-eyed,
Pressed the mob in fury.
" Yet with calm and stately mien,
Up the streets of Aberdeen
Came he slowly riding ;
And, to all he saw and heard,
Answering not with bitter word,
Turning not for chiding.
" Give me joy that in His name
I can bear, with patient frame,
All these vain ones offer ;
While for them He suffereth long,
Shall I answer wrong with wrong,
Scoffing with the scoffer ?
" Happier I, with loss of all,
Hunted, outlawed, held in thrall,
With few friends to greet me,
Than when reeve and squire were seen,
Riding out from Aberdeen,
With bared heads, to meet me.
" So the Laird of Ury said
Turning slow his horse's head
Towards the Tolbooth prison,
Where through iron grates he heard
Poor disciples of the word
Preach of Christ arisen.
" Happy he whose inward ear
Angel comfortings can hear
O'er the rabble's laughter ;
And, while Hatred's faggots burn,
Glimpses through the smoke discern
Of the good hereafter.
" Knowing this, that never yet
Share of Truth was vainly set
In the world's wide fallow ;
After hands shall sow the seed,
After hands from hill and mead
Reap the harvest's yellow."

ROBERT BARCLAY. 43
ROBERT BARCLAY.
Born 1648 — Died 1690 — Aged Forty-one Years.
No Portrait.
Robert Barclay, the celebrated Apologist of the
Quakers, was born on 23rd of 10th month, 1648, at
Gordonstown, in Morayshire, Scotland. His father was
the son of David Barclay, of Mathers, the representative
of an old Scoto-Norman family, which traced itself
through fifteen intervening generations to Walter de
Berkeley, who acquired a settlement in Scotland about
the middle of the twelfth century ; his mother was the
daughter of Sir Robert Gordon, the premier baronet of
NoVa Scotia, and historian of the House of Sutherland.
Young Barclay received the rudiments of learning in his
native country, and was afterwards sent to the Scotch
College at Paris, of which his uncle was rector. Here he
made progress in his studies, and excited the admiration
of his preceptors, as well as of his relative, who offered
to make him his heir, if he would remain in France, and
formally adopt the Roman Catholic religion, to the
ceremonies of which he had been habituated during his
residence there. This, however, Barclay refused to do ;
and in compliance with the wish which his mother had
expressed on her death-bed: he returned home in 1664.
Though only sixteen, Barclay was an excellent scholar,
and could speak in the Latin language with wonderful
fluency and correctness. In 1667 he embraced the
principles of the Society of Friends, for reasons more
highly respected in our day than in his. He states, in his
" Treatise on Universal Love," that his " first education fell
among the strictest sort of Calvinists," those of his country
"surpassing in the heat of zeal not only Geneva, from

44 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
whence they derive their pedigree, but all the other so-
called reformed Churches ; " that shortly afterwards, his
transition to France had thrown him among the opposite
"sect of papists," whom, after a time, he found to be no
less deficient in charity than the other ; and that, con?
sequently, he had refrained from joining any, though he
had listened to several. The ultimate effect of this was
to liberalise his mind, by convincing him of the folly and
wickedness of religious strife. In both Calvinists and
Catholics he found an absence of " the principles of love,"
" a straitness of doctrine," and a " practice of persecution,"
which offended his idea of Christianity, as well as his
gentle and generous nature. He therefore allied himself
gladly to this new sect, whose distinguishing feature was
its charity and pure simplicity of Christian life, and soon
became one of its most devoted adherents and its ablest
advocate. In the course of his life he made several
excursions into England, Holland, and Germany, earnestly
propagating his peaceful views wherever he went, and
occasionally enjoying the companionship of William Penn.
His first publication was "Truth cleared of Calumnies."
It appeared in 1670, and was intended as a refutation of
the charges — many of them notoriously false — made
against the new sect. In 1673 appeared "A Catechism
and Confession of Faith," the answers to the questions
being — to avoid theological dogmatism — in the words of
Scripture. This was followed by " The Anarchy of the
Ranters," etc. In 1675, he published his " Magnum.Opus "
(written at first in Latin), elaborately entitled "An
Apology for the True Christian Divinity, as the same is
held forth and preached by the People called in scorn
Quakers : being a full Explanation," etc. It contains a
statement and defence of fifteen religious propositions
peculiar to the Friends. The leading doctrine which runs

ROBERT BARCLAY. 45
through the whole book is, that Divine truth is made
known to us not by logical investigation, but by intuition,
or immediate revelation ; and that the faculty, if it can
be technically defined, by which such intuition is rendered
possible, is the " internal light," the source of which is God,
or, more properly, Christ, " Who is the light that lighteth
every man that cometh into the world." The identity of
this doctrine with that held by Mr. Maurice and others of
the Broad Church in the present day has been more than
once remarked. In 1677 appeared his "Treatise on
Universal Love." It was the first of that long series of
noble and gentle remonstrances against the criminality of
war that has so honourably distinguished the Society of
Friends. It was addressed to the ambassadors of the
several princes of Europe met at Nimeguen. In 1686 he
published his last work, which was a defence of the doctrine
of " immediate revelation." He died at Ury, in Kincar
dineshire, 3rd of 8th month, 1690, in the forty-second
year of his age. His estate remained in the possession of
his descendants till 1854, its owner at that time being
Captain Barclay, the famous pedestrian. " The Apologist's
Study," which remained much as he left it, was long an
object of pilgrimage with members of the Society of
Friends ; it was destroyed a few years ago, when the old
house of Ury was pulled down.
At the age of twenty-two Robert Barclay married
Christian Molleson, the daughter of " Bailie " Gilbert
Molleson, a merchant and magistrate of Aberdeen ;
and her mother had been one of the first in Scotland
to receive with joy the teaching of "Friends." No
marriage, it has been said, " could have been more happy,
more holy, or more blest." Robert Barclay continued, in
patriarchal fashion, to reside at Ury after his marriage, and
Colonel Barclay spent some of the most peaceful years of

46 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
his life amidst his young grandchildren. His eldest
grandson records the impression of awe made on his
childish mind by observing his stately and venerable grand
father's attitude in public prayer, when, Scotchman though
he was, he always knelt, removing his hat with one hand
and his black satin cap with the other. Robert Barclay
was not thirty when his remarkable treatise was issued,
singular, it is said, as one to which no reply has been given.
He wrote, as before mentioned, various other works, and also
accompanied George Fox and William Penn in religious
visits to Holland and parts of Germany, where they found
great service among the Mennonists and other dissenting
communities, and had frequent and earnest Christian
communion with the Princess Elizabeth of the Palatinate,
between whom and Robert Barclay (as connected with the
Royal Family of Scotland), there was a distant relationship,
which became near in these bonds of Christian fellowship.
Robert Barclay died of a fever when only in his forty-second
year, leaving seven children, the progenitors of the large and
influential families of Barclays. His wife Christian sur
vived her husband for thirty-three years, living to extend
her bright and holy influence to her children's children,
and died in her seventy-sixth year in great peace and joy.
William Penn says of Robert Barclay, he was " sound
in judgment, strong in argument, cheerful in travails and
sufferings ; of a pleasant disposition, yet solid, plain, and
exemplary in his conversation." " He was a learned man,
a good Christian, an able Minister."
The foregoing is taken from " Chambers' EncyclopEedia," vol i.,
i860. For a full account of his works and the numerous editions
and the different translations of some of them into foreign languages,
see Smith's " Catalogue of Friends' Books." Portrait of Robert
Barclay. See a note respecting this in Smith's " Catalogue," p. 189.
Some of these particulars are also from "The Barclays of Ury," by
F. A. Budge.

DAVID BARCLAY. 4)
DAVID BARCLAY (of London).
Born 1682 — Died 1769 — Aged Eighty-seven Years.
No Portrait.
DAVID BARCLAY, second son of the Apologist, settled in
London, and had his place of business in Cheapside nearly
opposite to Bow Church, and it is noted of him that he
entertained there three successive kings when they visited
-the city at their accession, and also that George III.
on one occasion came with his Queen, and members of
the Royal family, to view the Lord Mayor's show of 1761
from his windows.
He was the founder of the Lombard Street firm, was
twice married — first, to Anne Taylor, daughter of James
Taylor, a draper in the city ; and secondly, to Priscilla
Freame, whose father was a London banker, and by both
marriages he left children.
His decease occurred at his country residence, Bush
Hill, the 1 8th of 3rd month, 1769, aged 87 years,
and his remains were interred in Friends' burial ground,
Winchmore Hill, on the 23 rd of the same, and Isaac
Sharpies (the Minister) was present at the funeral.
The two Barclays, who, returning from America, pur
chased in 1780 Thrale's great brewery in South wark, in
conjunction with Perkins, its superintendent, for ;£ 130,000,
were descendants of the Apologist, and Boswell speaks of
one of them as "remarkable for maintaining the principles.
of his venerable progenitor with as much of elegance and
modern manners as is consistent with primitive simplicity."
The Barclays, in purchasing Thrale's brewery for so large
an amount, had faith, no doubt, in Dr. Johnson's remarks,

48 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
who, as one of Thrale's executors, said, " We are not here
to sell a parcel of Boilers and Vats, but the potentiality of
growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice." Dr. Johnson
was not wanting in philosophic counsel to the purchaser
(who, like his ancestor, the Apologist, had literary tastes) :
" A mere literary man is a dull man ; a man who is solely
a man of business is a selfish man ; but when literature
and commerce are united they make a respectable man."
There was much friendship between them, and when
David Barclay saw the doctor in his last illness Johnson
said, " Have you any objection to receive an old man's
blessing ? " His visitor knelt, and the dying sage pro
nounced it jDver him with great fervour. The Barclays
of Bury Hill, near Dorking, are the present representa
tives of this branch of the family of the Apologist.
Croker's edition of Boswell's " Johnson."

DAVID BARCLAY (of Walthamstow).
Born 1728 — Died 1809 — Aged Eighty-one Years.
Mezzotint Engraving 12 x 10 in.
David Barclay, of Walthamstow, was the last sur
viving grandson of Robert Barclay, of Ury, author of
the celebrated " Apology." He was long at the head of
an extensive house in Cheapside, chiefly engaged in the
American trade, the affairs of which he closed at the
commencement of the Revolution. He was as much
distinguished by talents, knowledge, integrity, and power
as a merchant, as by his patriotism, philanthropy, and
munificence. Graced by nature with a noble form,, all
the qualities of his mind and heart corresponded with the

DAVID BARCLAY. 49
grandeur of his exterior ; the superiority of his under
standing confirmed the impression made by the dignity
of his demeanour ; and though, by the tenets of his religious
faith, he abstained from all the honours of public trust, to
which he was frequently invited by his fellow-citizens, yet
his influence was great on the public questions of the day.
His examination at the bar of the House of Commons,
and his advice on the subject of the American dispute
were so clear, that, though not followed, Lord North
publicly acknowledged he had derived more information
from him than from all others on the east of Temple Bar.
It was the American Revolution that determined him to
wind up his most extensive concerns, and to retire, but
not as busy men generally retire, to the indulgence of mere
personal luxury. His benevolent heart continued active
in his retreat. Instead of making all those persons whom
he loved dependent on his future bounty, as expectant at
his death, he became himself the executor of his own will,
and by this munificent aid to his relatives, he not only
laid the foundation, but lived to see the maturity, of those
establishments which now give importance to his family.
Nor was it merely to his relations that this seasonable
friendship was given, but to the young men whom he had
bred in his mercantile house, and of whose virtuous
dispositions he approved. It is a proof of the sagacity of
his patronage, that he had very few occasions to repent
of the protection he had conferred ; and the uninterrupted
happiness he enjoyed for many years in the midst of the
numerous connections he had reared, hold out a lively
example, and a lesson to others, of the value of a great
and well-directed beneficence. Largely endowed by
Providence with the means, he felt it to be his duty to
set great examples ; and when an argument was set up
against the emancipation of the negroes from slavery,
4

JO BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
"that they were too ignorant, and too barbarous for
freedom," he resolved, at his own expense, to demonstrate
the fallacy of the imputation. Having had an estate in
Jamaica fall to him, he determined, at the expense of
£10,000, to emancipate the whole gang (as they were
termed) of slaves. He did this with his usual prudence
as well as generosity. He sent out an agent to Jamaica,
and made him hire a vessel, in which they were all
transported to America, where the little community was
established in various handicraft trades. The members
of it prospered under the blessing of his care, and lived to
show that the black skin enclosed hearts as full of gratitude,
and minds as capable of improvement, as that of the
proudest white. Such was the conduct of this English
merchant ! During all this course of well-doing his own
manners were simple, his hospitality large, and his
charities universal. He founded a House of Industry
near his own residence, on such solid principles, that
though it cost him £1,500 for several years, he succeeded
in his object of making it a source of comfort, and even.
of independence, to all the well-disposed families of the
poor around.
Mr. David Barclay was married twice. He had but one
daughter by his first marriage, who was married to Richard
Gurney, Esq., of Norwich. She was a most beautiful and
benevolent woman, every way worthy of such a father.
She died some years ago, leaving issue, Hudson Gurney,
Esq., and the wife of Sampson Hanbury, Esq.
We have thought it right to give this short sketch of a
most honourable citizen, though he was himself no friend
to posthumous blazonry ; and we learn that the simple
notice of his death, first inserted in the Morning Chronicle,
was directed, if not actually dictated, by himself before his
departure. Nothing could surpass the tranquillity of his

CAPTAIN ROBERT BARCLAY. 5 1
last moments. He was composed, cheerful, and resigned ;
he had not to struggle with life. He rather ceased to live,
than felt the pang of death.
The above is copied, with some omissions, from Chambers'
Edinburgh Journal, October 6th, 1849. ^ should also be men
tioned that this David Barclay was a great friend of Dr. Fothergill's,
and warmly supported him in the foundation and settlement of
Ackworth School.

ROBERT BARCLAY.
Born 1779 — Died 1.854 — Aged Seventy-five Years.
Sketch in Walking Costume 12 x 5.
Robert Barclay, pedestrian, generally known as
Captain Barclay, was the son of Robert Barclay,
representative of the family of Barclays of Ury, who
took the name of Allardice upon his marriage to Sarah
Ann Allardice in 1776. The marriage was dissolved in
1793. Mrs. Allardice married John Nudd in 1795, and
died in July 1833. Robert was born in August 1779,
succeeded to the family estate after his father's death
in 1797, went into the 23rd regiment in 1805, and
served in the Walcheren expedition in 1809, as aide-
de-camp to the Marquis of Huntly. He devoted himself
to agriculture, and improved the local breed of cattle.
He married Mary Dalgarno in 18 19, and their only
child Margaret married S. Ritchie in 1840, and settled
in America. After his mother's death Captain Barclay
claimed the earldom of Airth, on the ground of his
descent from William, Earl of Monteith (d. 1694).
The case was heard before the House of Lords in 1839 ;
and in 1 840 Captain Barclay claimed also the earldoms

52 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
of Strathern and Monteith, but. proceedings were ulti
mately dropped. In 1842 he published a short account
of an agricultural tour made in the United States in the
preceding spring. He died 8th May, 1854, from
paralysis, having been injured three days previously by
a kick from a horse. Captain Barclay is known by his
extraordinary pedestrian performances. His most noted
feat was walking one mile in each of 1,000 successive
hours. This feat was performed at Newmarket from
ist June to 12th July, 1809. His average time of
walking the mile varied from 14 minutes 54 seconds in
the first week to 2 1 minutes 4 seconds in the last, and
h'"s weight was reduced from 1 3 stone 4 pounds to
1 1 stone. Though he had not trained himself regularly,
he was so little exhausted that he started for the
Walcheren expedition on 17th July in perfect health.
The last portion of this famous walk was performed
in the presence of 10,000 spectators. The betting on the
occasion was extremely heavy, and the wager Captain
Barclay thus won was for 1,000 guineas a side. He had
previously accomplished many remarkable feats, such as
1 10 miles in 19 hours 27 minutes; 90 miles in 20
hours 22 minutes 4 seconds; and on two occasions 64
miles in 10 hours, etc., etc. At the age of twenty
he could lift half a ton, and lifted a man weighing
18 stone, standing upon his right hand, and steadied.
by his left, from the floor to a table. Barclay's strength
was inherited. His ancestor, the first Barclay of Ury,
was one of the strongest men in the kingdom, and his
sword, too heavy for ordinary men, was preserved in
the family. His grandfather (great-grandson of this
first Barclay and grandson of the Apologist) was known
as "¦ the strong ; " and his father was a " noted pedes
trian," who walked from Ury to London (510 miles) in

SIR JOHN BARNARD. 53
10 days. He was six feet high, and remarkably hand
some. A portrait of Captain Barclay is given in
" Pedestrianism," with a minute account of his athletic
feats. " Dictionary of National Biography." Taken from " Pedestrian
ism," by the author of the " History of Aberdeen " (W. Thom), 1813 ;
Gentleman's Magazine (new series), vol. xlii. ; "History of the
Earldoms of Strathern, Monteith, and Airth," by Sir Harry Nicolas,
1842.

SIR JOHN BARNARD.
Born 1685 — Died 1764 — Aged Seventy- nine Years.
Mezzotint Engraving 10x9 *'w>
Sir John Barnard was so eminent a citizen of London,
that in recognition of his character and great service
throughout a long life, the citizens set up a statue of
him under the Piazza of the Royal Exchange, which
building perished by fire in 1838, at an hour when
the chimes of its tower-clock were playing, " There is
nae luck about the house." He was born at Reading,
in Berkshire, in 1685, of parents who were Friends, and
he was educated at a school at Wandsworth.
His father settled in London as a wine merchant,
and took his son into the counting-house when he was
no more than fifteen years of age, so that his education
was very limited ; but by diligence and application he
made up for this deficiency. At the age of nineteen he
left Friends, being received into the communion of the
Established Church. About his thirty-sixth year public
attention began to be drawn to him chiefly by his ability
displayed in handling some matters affecting trading

54

BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

interests before committees of Parliament. He entered-
into civic life, and quickly rose to distinction.
Sir John Barnard served the office of Sheriff in 1735,
and was Lord Mayor in 1737, being knighted by
George II. on presentation, on behalf of the city, of
a congratulatory address. He was Six times elected
Member of Parliament for London, though he never
would solicit votes. As senior Alderman he became the
Father of the City, and when incapacitated by age retired
amid general expressions of great regret. He was
prosperous in business, and of the highest honour and
integrity. Pope said of him, " Barnard in spirit, sense,
and truth abounds." By his power in debates, he
successfully espoused the cause of the trading and
mercantile classes in Parliament, when, under Sir
Robert Walpole's autocratic government, the gentry and
country party would, but for this opposition, have passed
measures of taxation to the disadvantage of the mer
chants and traders.
Sir John Barnard's acknowledged position was of
great service,, as the country gentry, forming the majority
in the House, were too apt to regard trade as incom
patible with high character and honour ; and the Prime
Minister did not hesitate to hint how much of success
in commercial life was due to evasions of the revenue.
Sir John's long and able reply had this personal allusion,
" For my own part, sirr I never was guilty of any
fraud. I put it to any man, be he who he will, to accuse
me of so much as the appearance of fraud in any trade
I was ever concerned in ; I am resolved never to be
guilty of any fraud. It is very true, sir, that these
frauds are a very great prejudice to all fair traders,
and, therefore, I speak against my own interest when.
I speak against any method that may tend towards

SIR JOHN BARNARD. 55
preventing of frauds ; but I shall never, sir, put my
private interest in balance with the interest or happiness
of the nation. I had rather, sir, beg my bread from door
to door, and see my country flourish, than be the greatest
subject in the nation, and see the trade of my country
decaying and the people enslaved and oppressed." On
his resignation at length through age of the Aldermanic
gown, the thanks of the Court of Aldermen warmly
acknowledged " his unwearied zeal for the honour, safety,
and prosperity of his fellow-citizens, his inviolable attach
ment to the laws and liberties of his country, and for
the noble example he has set of a long and uninter
rupted course of virtue in private as well as public
life ; " and the Court of Common Council concluded
theirs with a reference to " his noble struggles for liberty,
and his disinterested and invariable pursuit of true glory
and prosperity of his king and country, uninfluenced
by power, unawed by clamour, and unbiassed by the
prejudice of party " (see Harrison's " History of London,"
p. 312). He appears in this history as one whom his
brother citizens delighted to honour ; he is accredited
with a most " masculine and persuasive eloquence," words
reminding of yet a more eminent and still present
Member of Parliament who retains and supports the
character of a Friend, which does not appear to have
been the case with Sir John Barnard, whose former
connection with the Society is not noticeable in " any
published accounts of his career." He opposed in Parlia
ment the Naturalisation of Jews, and was a staunch
defender of Church and State.

56 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
RICHARD BARRETT.
Born 1784 — Died 1855 — Aged Seventy Years.
Photograph 8x7 in.
Richard Barrett, the son of John and Ann Barrett,
was born in London in the year 1784, and was blessed
with pious parents, who were careful to inculcate into
the minds of their children those sentiments of truth
and uprightness, and that habit of watchfulness unto
prayer, which formed such conspicuous traits of his
character in after life.
He was educated at Islington School, and while there,
and during his apprenticeship to his father's business,
which was that of a brass and iron founder, he was
distinguished by a meek and humble spirit, desiring to
set a good example to those around him.
He succeeded to this business, which he carried on in
partnership with his brothers Jonathan and Jeremiah
Barrett, in Beech Street, Barbican, London.
In the year 1807 he was united in marriage to
Sarah Edwards, of Chelmsford, who proved to him an
affectionate companion through a long course of years.
This union was dissolved by her decease in the year
1846. When Bible societies were first established he took
an active part, and continued to do so until a late
period. Also in various other efforts to promote the moral
and physical welfare of mankind. He was one of the
earliest to practise and advocate Total Abstinence as
the best mode of contending against the drinking customs
of the day ; and Samuel Bowly (its so successful advocate)

JOHN THOMAS BARRY. 57
owned himself to have become first converted to the
cause by Richard Barrett's influence.
His services in the ministry of the Gospel commenced
about the year 1 8 1 4, and extended to the close of his
life, during which he visited most parts of Great Britain
and Ireland on its behalf. On retiring from the active
management of the business, he removed from London
to Waddon, near Croydon, in the year 1836, and became
more engaged in religious and philanthropic effort. In
the year 1848, having been some years a widower, he
was again united in marriage to Mary Forster. Richard
Barrett's character may be summed up that he was indeed
an Israelite in whom there is " no guile."
Annual Monitor of 1856, and other sources.

JOHN THOMAS BARRY.
Born 1790 — Died 1864 — Aged Seventy-four Years.
No Portrait.
John Thomas Barry was born in the year 1790, at
Tratton, near Portsmouth. He was one of several
children, the best known of his brothers being the late
Dr. Martin Barry, of Edinburgh, distinguished for his
researches in Physiological Science, and the author of an
interesting description of an ascent of Mount Blanc, a
feat which he accomplished at a time when such an
exploit was far more dangerous, and correspondingly
less frequent than it has since become.
J. T. Barry in early life obtained employment in
William Allen's chemical establishment, at Plough Court,
Lombard Street, where he soon displayed a wonderful
faculty for organisation and improvement in the manu

58 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
facturing department of the business. The laboratory
was his principal field of action, and his care and
skill in the preparation of chemicals and the choicer
class of medicines, combined with the high character
and business abilities of his partners (for he became,
in due time, a member of the firm), sustained for Allen,
Hanbury, and Co., the great reputation of that house.
Plough Court was also at that time the headquarters
of London philanthropy, but it was not till 1828 that
J. T. Barry took any prominent part in the agitation
of the question with which his name must ever be
identified — the abolition of Capital Punishment. A com
mittee had existed before that date, of which William
Allen, Basil Montague, Richard Phillips, and others
were members, the object of which was to carry for
ward the work commenced by Sir Samuel Romilly for
the amelioration of the Criminal code. In the year
above mentioned was formed the Society for Diffusing
Information on the subject of Capital Punishment, and
of this body J. T. Barry was the soul and leader.
" When he commenced his operations there were between
one and two hundred offences punishable by death, and
before his end this indefatigable but quiet worker had
the satisfaction of knowing that the death penalty was
confined to but one crime — that of wilful murder.
In 1832 Sir Thomas Denman, then attorney-general,
brought in a measure totally to abolish death punish
ment for forgery, and J. T. Barry worked, by correspond
ence, petitions, and statistics, in its favour ; and he
had the satisfaction to see the bill go up to the House
of Peers. By this time ministers and senators had
become pretty well acquainted with the Plough Court
Friend, and knew there was earnest work in hand
when "that tall, thin form surmounted by the broad-

BERNARD BARTON. 59
brimmed hat, glided quietly through the corridors,
and took its station in the lobby."
John Thomas Barry long held, to the comfort and satis
faction of his friends, the position of an appointed Elder
in. Devonshire House Monthly Meeting. His decease
occurred at his residence in Hornsey, and the interment
was in Friends' burial ground, Winchmore Hill.
N.B. — These particulars are taken, with some variations, from
"The Law on its Trial; or, Personal Recollections of the Death
Penalty and its Opponents." By Alfred H. Dymond, 1865.

BERNARD BARTON.
Born 1784— Died 1849 — Aged Sixty-five Years.
Engraving 5x3 in.
Bernard Barton, poet, is described in " Dictionary
of National Biography " as born of Quaker parents
at Carlisle on 31st January, 1784, his mother dying
a few days after his birth. His father, a manu
facturer, married again in Bernard's infancy, removed to
London, and finally engaged in malting business, at
Hertford, where he died in the prime of life. The widow
and children afterwards resided at Tottenham. Bernard
was sent to a Quaker school at Ipswich, and at the age
of fourteen was apprenticed to a shopkeeper, of the name
of Jesup, at Halstead, in Essex. After eight years' service
he removed to Woodbridge, married his employer's
daughter (1807), and entered into partnership with her
brother, as coal and corn merchant. In the following
year his wife died in giving birth to a daughter, whereupon
Barton abandoned business, and became a tutor in the

6a BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
family of Mr. Waterhouse, a Liverpool merchant. After
staying a year in Liverpool, where he made the acquaintance
of the Roscoe family, he returned to Woodbridge, and
received a clerkship in Messrs. Alexander's bank, which
employment he held for forty years, until within two
days of his death.
In 1812 Barton published his first volume of verses,
" Metrical Effusions," and began a correspondence with
Southey. In 1 8 1 8 appeared the " Convict's Appeal," a
protest in verse against the severity of the criminal code
of that day. The pamphlet bears no name on the title
page, but the dedication to James Montgomery is signed
'' B.B." In the same year Barton published, by subscription,
" Poems by an Amateur ; " and two years afterwards he
found a publisher for a volume of " Poems " which received
some praise from the critics, and reached a fourth edition
in 1825. "Napoleon and other Poems" (dedicated to
George IV.), and " Verses to Percy B. Shelley," appeared
in 1822.
It was at this time that Barton began a correspondence
with Charles Lamb. The freedom with which the
Quakers had been handled in the " Essays of Elia " induced
Barton to remonstrate gently with the essayist. Charmed
with his correspondent's homely earnestness and piety,
Lamb was soon on terms of intimacy with the Quaker
poet (whom he called his " Busy Bee "), for nobody loved
more than Lamb the spirit, apart from the observances,
of Quakerism. Shortly after making Lamb's acquaintance,
Barton contemplated resigning his appointment at Wood-
bridge, and supporting himself by his literary labours.
Lamb, to whom he communicated the project, advised
him strongly against such a course. " Keep to your
bank" (wrote Lamb), "and the bank will keep you."
Southey gave similar advice. Meanwhile his literary

BERNARD BARTON. 6 I
work was beginning to tell upon his health. In his letters
to Southey and Lamb he complained that he was
suffering from low spirits and headache, and again his
friends were ready with their advice — Lamb rallying him
banteringly, and Southey seriously counselling him to keep
good hours, and never to write verses after supper. At
this time his pen was very active, and he gained both
pleasure and profit from his labours. " The preparation
of a book," says his biographer, Edward Fitzgerald, " was
amusement and excitement to one who had little enough
of it in the ordinary course of daily life : treaties with
publishers — arrangements of printing, correspondence
with friends on the subject, and, when the little volume
was at last afloat, watching it for a while somewhat as
a boy watches a paper boat committed to the sea."
In 1824 some members of the Society of Friends
showed their respect for the poet in a tangible form by
raising the sum of ^1,200 for his benefit. The originator
of the scheme was Joseph John Gurney, at whose death,
in' after years, the poet composed a copy of memorial
verses. Barton hesitated about taking the money, and
asked the advice of Charles Lamb, who wrote that his
opinion was decisive for the " acceptance of what has
been so honourably offered." The money was invested
in the name of a Mr. Shewell, and the yearly interest was
paid to Barton. Though placed in somewhat easier
circumstances by the bounty of his friends, Barton did not
at all relax his literary labours. In 1826 he published a
volume of " Devotional Verses," and " A Missionary's
Memoir ; or, Verses on the Death of J. Lawson." These
were followed by "A Widow's Tale, and other Poems,"
1 827, and " A New Year's Eve," 1828. After publication
of the latter poem he seems to have taken a long spell of
rest, or perhaps the public was growing too fastidious to

62 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
relish the Quaker poet's homely verses. His next ap
pearance was in 1836, when he joined his daughter Lucy
in the publication of "The Reliquary," with a prefatory
appeal for poetry and poets. Then followed another
long period of silence, broken in 1845 by the appearance
of " Household Verses." This volume, dedicated to the
Queen, attracted the notice of Sir Robert Peel, who, on
leaving office, procured for the poet a pension of £100
a year. During all these years Barton seldom left
Woodbridge. He had paid occasional visits to Charles
Lamb, and once> or twice went down into Hampshire to
see his brother. His holidays were sometimes spent
under the roof of his friend, W. Bodham Donne, at
Muttishall, Norfolk. Here his delight was to listen to
the conversation of Mrs. Bodham, an old lady, who in
her youth had been the friend of Cowper. In later
life Barton grew more and more disinclined to take
exercise. He liked to sit in his library and enjoy the
prospect through the open window, or, if he started with
any friends for a walk, he would soon stretch himself on
the grass, and wait for their return. Though his
sedentary habits affected his health, he was never painfully
ill, and always kept a cheerful spirit. In 1846 he made
a short stay at Aldborough for the benefit of his health,
and on returning to Woodbridge printed privately a little
collection of poems, entitled " Seaweeds gathered at
Aldborough, Suffolk, in the Autumn of 1846." Some
other trifles remain to be mentioned : — 1. " A Memorial of
J. J. Gurney," 1847. 2. " Birthday Verses at 64," 1848.
3. "A Brief Memorial of Major E. Moor Wood," 1848.
4. " On the Signs of the Times," 1848. 5. " Ichabod,"
1848. On 19th of February, 1849, Barton died after a
short illness, and with little suffering. In the same year
his daughter Lucy published a selection of his letters and

BERNARD BARTON. 63
poems, and Edward Fitzgerald (the distinguished translator
of " Omar Khayyam," and " Calderon "), afterwards her
husband, contributed a biographical introduction. In the
Athenaum obituary notice it is stated that he left much
fugitive verse in manuscript.
Bernard Barton is chiefly remembered as the friend of
Lamb. His many volumes of verse are quite forgotten.
Even the scanty book of selections published by his
daughter contains much that might have been omitted.
He wrote easily — too easily — and never troubled to
correct what he had written. But all his work is
unaffected, nor are there wanting occasional touches of
deep and genuine pathos. In his devotional verses there
is a flavour of old-world quaintness and charm, recalling
homely George Herbert's " Temple ; " and in other lyrics
Edward Fitzgerald found something of the " leisurely
grace " that distinguishes the Greek anthology. Free
from all tinge of bigotry, simple and sympathetic, Bernard
Barton won the esteem and affection of a large circle of
friends, young and old, orthodox and heterodox.
Bernard Barton's grandfather (Bernard) was of a yeoman
stock, and one of the earliest to introduce machinery
(of his own invention) into the spinning of cotton, and
the poet's father (John) for a time carried on the same
business, but had more of literary tastes in his character
than commercial capabilities. His second marriage, to
Elizabeth Home, daughter of a London merchant living
at Tottenham, was a great blessing to his children. Of
Bernard Barton's poetic effusions, his biographer, whilst
admitting they were thrown off hastily and are without
finish, yet considers them as " abounding in genuine
feeling and elegant fancy, expressed in easy and often
felicitous verse." His elder sister Maria (who married
Stephen Hack) was also an authoress, and of. many

64 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
works that have proved instructive and delightful to
youthful minds, such as " Winter Evenings," etc., etc., etc.
" Not in the shades of academic bowers,
Nor yet in classic haunts, where every breeze
Wakes with its whispers music among trees,
And breathes the fragrance of unnumber'd flowers,
Has it been mine to nurse my minstrel powers.
Nor have I, lull'd in literary ease,
Dreamt of ascending, even by slow degrees,
The glittering steep where Fame's proud temple towers ;
Yet have I been at times a listener
To them whose hallow'd harps are now susp'ended
In silence ; and have ventured to prefer
A prayer in which both hope and fear were blended,
That I might rank their fellow-worshipper
In the esteem of some, when life is ended."

B. B.

" Dictionary of National Biography."

PETER BEDFORD.
Born 1780 — Died 1864 — Aged Eighty-four Years.
Oil Painting 12x9 in.
Peter Bedford was a native of Essex, and born at
Kelvedon in 1780, but his life was spent in London,
where he succeeded to the business of John Rowe, silk
manufacturer ; and his house in Stewart Street, Spitalfields,
had not only a commercial reputation, but became a
centre of philanthropic effort for improving the con
dition of the poor and distressed around, so that many
excellent Institutions have had their origin in conferences
held at these hospitable quarters. Peter Bedford's con
fidence in the power of Christian love and sympathy led
him amongst the haunts of some of the lowest classes, in
exertions to draw them from the error of their ways, and

PETER BEDFORD. 65
often with encouraging results* He would visit them when
in prison, show kindness to their families, and at times
made great efforts to mitigate the murderous sentences
which in the then state of our law so often resulted from
trials in criminal cases. During hard winters and in
times of much commercial distress he was active in the
organisation and management of Soup kitchens, that
became a model for similar establishments, and in more
prosperous times would encourage habits of frugality and
use of the Savings bank. Of education among the poorer
classes he was one of the earliest promoters, and may be,
in a measure, accredited with the introduction of Infant
schools into this country, as Wilderspin (a Swiss), their
inventor, found in him one of his earliest patrons ;
and the first school of the kind in England was opened
in some premises at Spitalfields, which Peter Bedford
had obtained, and these were used afterwards for the
Friends' First Day School, that developed into the Bed
ford Institute.
His countenance bespoke the benevolence of his dispo
sition, and a singularly affectionate manner would win the
confidence especially of those in trouble, who not only
profited by the wisdom of his counsels, but felt relief in
the sympathies shown towards them.
It is no wonder that his friends cherished the memory
of a long life so well spent, and that on the erection of
some premises, devoted to philanthropic effort, near what
had been his residence, they should call them by the now
well-known name of "The Bedford Institute." Peter
* A Friend with his bride returning from their wedding journey had
their portmanteau cut off from the post-chaise on coming through
Shoreditch. Peter Bedford, on hearing of the loss, at once hunted
up the chief of the gang, and the contents, but not the portmanteau
(that had been cut to pieces), were restored, with apologies for
having so troubled " one Oiyour friends." s

66 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Bedford never married, but a large family of nephews and
nieces felt his fatherly care.
The latter years of his life, when retired from business,
were spent at Croydon, where his decease occurred in
1 2 th month, 1864. The interment took place in the
Friends' burial ground there, and as a bright wintry
sun broke through the clouds over the large company
assembled, it was hailed by some as suggestive of a
bright "rising again."
"And shall the Church her mourning garments wear,
And tune her harp to plaintive notes of woe,
Because a saint no more shall grief or care,
Sorrow or sickness, pain or trouble know, —
Called from the spacious harvest-fields below
With Christ in glory evermore co reign ?
No ! rather let exulting numbers flow,
Let hearts rejoicing prompt the ecstatic strain,
Heedless of our great loss in his eternal gain.
"A life offender sympathy and love, — ¦
A life of gentleness and holy zeal, —
A life that told of wisdom from above, —
A guileless life, that ceased not to reveal
In piety a sweetness all could feel.
With him Religion wore a form of grace,
Nor sought with chilling aspect to conceal
Her native loveliness. With smiling face
He fought the holy fight and ran the appointed race." T. F. BALL.
" Friend of my earlier and my later years,
I may not hear unmoved that thou art gone !
Upon whose path through life such radiance shone
As leaves us darkened when it disappears.
Old ' Steward Street ' was once 'mongst useful spheres
Renown' d for generous deed and fostering care !
Nor outcast, nor e'en culprit, fail'd to share
The genial glow that Bedford's name endears ! "
William Ball.

JOHN BELL.

JOHN BELL.
Born 1774 — Died 1849 — Aged Seventy-four Years.
Engraving 5x3 in.
JOHN BELL was the second son of Jacob Bell, who was
a mast-maker, in partnership with his brother-in-law,
James Sheppard, at Wapping Wall. Prior to the Ameri
can War their business flourished, but when the war
commenced, they became uneasy at furnishing materials
for a purpose so much at variance with their principles
as members of the Society of Friends. Jacob Bell with
drew from the concern, and became a hosier, in which
business he was less successful.
John Bell, the second son of his parents, Jacob and
Sarah, was born on Fish Street Hill, on the 4th of
December, 1774, and received his early education under
Thomas Coar, who was a good classical scholar, and
kept a school at Tottenham. On leaving school he
was apprenticed to Frederick Smith, of 29, Haymarket,
chemist, as a preliminary step to his education as a
physician, for which profession his father intended him,
and he consequently attended a series of lectures for that
purpose. But various circumstances, due partly to a
sense of his natural disposition and qualifications, deter
mined him to follow a business rather than a profession.
He therefore decided upon commencing business in a
small way as a chemist and druggist, and it is interesting
to observe, from notes made at the time, how anxious
he was to be rightly guided in this respect. His chief
desire appeared to be to escape "the snares and temp
tations of the world," and to adhere strictly to the path

68 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
of duty. He observed a shop to let in Oxford Street,
to which he thus alludes : —
" Observed, on my return home from seeing a poor
woman, a shop to let, which seems a little to strike me,
though with a fear lest I should err in judgment. It would
truly be considered a peculiar favour to be rightly directed
so as to have peace and confidence afterwards, as with a
superior license in a matter of so great importance in
knowing the right place. This must all be left, as I have
never wanted yet, and if I may be so favoured as to keep
my place, however unworthy, will not an all-wise, bounti
ful Providence care for me ? How is it with the sparrows
and the lilies ? though, truly, can I have so great a right
as they, since they have never sinned like me ? "
Some hesitation, however, arose from delicacy of feel
ing towards his master, to whom he was desirous of acting
with strict honour, and avoiding the possibility of any
jealousy or distrust, by commencing business too near the
old shop. His employer, however, not only gave him full
permission, but encouraged him to proceed ; and his father
ultimately settled the question by taking the shop for him.
There was at that time only one chemist's shop in
Oxford Street, and a system of adulteration prevailed
which greatly lessened the confidence of practitioners in
what these establishments supplied. John Bell, having,
during his apprenticeship, seriously considered this subject,
resolved to adopt the principle of selling the best medi
cines he could procure. In this experiment he persevered,
amid occasional misgivings whether it would be possible
to carry out to the full extent what he considered to be
strict honesty.
Towards the end of 1798 John Bell opened his shop.
His returns, in the first instance, were extremely small,
sometimes not more than three or four shillings a day,

JOHN BELL. 69
and his discouragement at losing half-a-guinea by the
deceit of a customer who came in for some trifling article
was so great that his friends had great difficulty in
encouraging him to persevere. Further discouragements
arose for want of capital, so that he contemplated seeking
a purchaser having adequate resources, who would take
the concern off his hands, and thus enable him to pay
twenty shillings in the pound ; and said he would rather
be an assistant, than continue in business at the risk of
his creditors.
But his Uncle Sheppard, whom he consulted, encouraged
him to proceed, and insisted on his taking a loan of ;£ioo,
and thus he was induced to give the business a further
trial. John Bell observed the most rigid economy in his
manner of living, let the house to lodgers except the attics,
which he retained as bedrooms, and the back kitchen,
where he took his meals. Throughout the winter he did
not treat himself with a fire in the counting-house, except
on the coldest days, and then only in the evening.
During the second year the business improved consider
ably, and soon afterwards he was enabled to pay off the
capital which he had borrowed from his father and uncle.
In the year 1802 John Bell married Eliza, the eldest
daughter of Frederick Smith, his late master. He con
tinued for some years to devote unremitted personal
attention to his business, which increased beyond his
expectations. He never solicited business, or courted
the patronage of the profession, and was not ambitious of
extending his connection among the higher circles of
society. To the poor he was always attentive, and it was
a favourite remark with him that he often had "twelve
customers for a shilling." Without any attempt on his
part to encourage counter practice, he was frequently
applied to by the poor for advice in trifling cases ; and,

70 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
much against his inclination, he acquired some little
repute as a doctor among that class of customers.
Although diligent in business, John Bell did not allow
this to interfere with his religious duties. He always kept
the shop closed on the Sabbath except to cases of
necessity, and also on the morning of his week-day
meeting, in order to allow of himself and the young men
attending it, for the assistants at that time were, like
their master, members of the Society of Friends, and this
practice was, however, continued for many years, until the
active management came into other hands.
Although John Bell was strict as to rules and regula
tions of his shop and household, he was generally on the
best terms with his assistants. In taking apprentices, he
was not desirous of a high premium, and rather preferred
those who had nothing to pay, under the idea that he was
rendering them the greater service, and that they would
be more likely to prove docile and tractable, in which,
however, he was sometimes disappointed.
In the year 1 8 1 9, being desirous of some relief from
the confinement of business, he took into partnership
Thomas Zachary and John H. Walduck, who had
previously been his apprentices, and devoted much of his
time to benevolent and charitable objects, especially in
connection with the Society of Friends, in which community
he was a recorded Minister, and he was at various times
united with other Friends in religious visits to different
parts of England and Scotland.
In the year 1839 he had the misfortune to lose his
wife, and this calamity occasioned a shock from which he
never entirely recovered. His decease occurred at his
residence at Wandsworth, the beginning of 1849, and
his remains were interred at Croydon on the 21st of
1st month of that year, aged 74 years, a Minister fifty-

JACOB BELL. 7 1
one years ; and his friends, in issuing a testimony con
cerning him, quoted as applicable to his case the text :
."The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight
themselves in the abundance of peace."
Much of the foregoing is adapted from an article in the Phar
maceutical Journal, vol. viii., 1849.

JACOB BELL.
Born 1810 — Died 1859 — Aged Forty-nine Years.
Carte- de- visite.
JACOB BELL, founder of the Pharmaceutical Society,
and patron of art, was born in London on 5 th March,
1 8 10. His father, a prominent member of the Society
of Friends, first established the pharmaceutical business
which, in the hands of the son, acquired a world-wide
fame. At the age of twelve Bell was sent to a Friends'
school at Darlington to be educated. He exhibited a
decided faculty for composition both in prose and verse,
and at the age of sixteen gained the prize in a competi
tion for the best original essay on war. In conjunction
with a schoolfellow, he also founded a manuscript journal
devoted to literature and the events of his school life.
His education completed, he entered his father's business
in Oxford Street, London, but at the same time diligently
attended the lectures on chemistry at the Royal Institu
tion, and those on the practice of physic at King's
College. He also devoted his leisure to the study of
practical chemistry, and converted his bedroom into a
laboratory, fitting it with a furnace and other apparatus.
His tastes appear to have been of a varied character,
for at one time he gave much attention to comparative

72 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
anatomy, at another to out-door sports, while, in a third
instance, he studied art under H. P. Briggs, R.A. His
faculty for art was considerable, especially upon the
grotesque and humorous side. His taste for the works
of eminent painters was very early developed, and before
he was five-and-twenty he had formed the nucleus of
a collection which afterwards became famous. He also
strongly interested himself in the question of copyright
as affecting artists, and gave valuable advice and assist
ance in this direction.
In 1840 Bell visited the continent, having as his
travelling companion Sir Edwin Landseer, whose health
was then in an unsatisfactory condition. The friends
travelled through Belgium, and up the Rhine to Switzer
land ; but at Geneva, Bell himself was taken ill with
a very severe attack of quinsy. The seizure caused
him to be detained at Geneva for six weeks, and it
laid the foundation of an affection of the larynx, from
which he suffered much in after years. Returning to
London by way of Paris, he witnessed in the latter
city the solemnities which celebrated the arrival of the
remains of the first Napoleon.
B^ll was a vigilant guardian of the rights of his
fellow-traders, and it was chiefly owing to his efforts
tha in the year 1841 Mr. Hawes was compelled to
withdraw a measure which he had submitted to Parlia
ment, for the purpose of " amending the laws relating
to the medical profession in Great Britain and Ireland."
This measure, if carried, would have pressed heavily
upon the chemists and druggists throughout the kingdom.
At this time Bell conceived a scheme for a Society,
which should act as an effectual safeguard for the pro
tection of the interests of the trade, and at the same
time assist in raising it to the status which it already

JACOB BELL. 73
occupied in other countries. Accordingly, at a public
meeting held 15th April, 1 841, the formation of the
Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain was resolved
upon. Bell subsequently issued a pamphlet showing
the necessity for such a society. Great difficulties were
encountered in its formation, but they were all sur
mounted by Bell's tact and ability. In the formation
of provincial branches of the Society he also took
a deep interest ; and for the advancement of the
cause of true pharmacy he established the well-known
periodical, the Pharmaceutical Journal. The publica
tion of this work he superintended for eighteen years.
The conduct of the journal was with him a labour of
love, for it resulted in no pecuniary advantage during
its first fifteen years of existence, notwithstanding its
acknowledged usefulness. To the new journal Bell was
also a constant contributor himself until his death. His
efforts in connection with an improved pharmacy led to
his being elected an honorary member of various foreign
scientific societies, and a Fellow of the Chemical, Linnsean,
and Zoological Societies of London, and of the Society
of Arts.
In 1843 *ne Pharmaceutical Society was incorporated
by Royal Charter, and the same year Bell published
his " Historical Sketch of the Progress of Pharmacy in
Great Britain."
For several years the question of pharmaceutical legis
lation was much discussed, and numerous petitions on
the subject were presented to Parliament ; but as no
practical end was arrived at, Bell decided to seek a seat
in Parliament for the purpose of advocating the necessary
measures. In 1850, accordingly, he contested the
borough of St. Albans in the Liberal interest, and was
returned, although the unscrupulous means used by his

74 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE,
agents led to the ultimate disfranchisement of the
borough. Bell, however, was absolved from blame,
except in regard to the laxity he displayed in placing
himself unreservedly in the hands of his parliamentary
agents. During the last winter of his life, while suffering
from a painful affection of the larynx, as well as from
great debility and emaciation, he still took an active
part in professional matters, and also devoted himself
to philanthropic causes. He died from exhaustion
1 2th June, 1859.
With regard to his patronage of art, the gallery of
pictures at his house in Langham Place testified to
its extent and catholicity. The finest part of his collec
tion he bequeathed to the Nation, including six of the
best works of Sir Edwin Landseer, and well-known
examples of O'Neil, Sidney Cooper, Charles Landseer, etc.
From the " Dictionary of National Biography."

ANTHONY BENEZET.
Born 171 3 — Died 1784 — Aged Seventy-one Years.
No Portrait.
Anthony Benezet was born at Saint Quentin, in
France, in the year 171 3. His father, who was wealthy,
had associated himself with the Huguenots, and his
estate having been confiscated on the revocation of the
Edict of Nantes, he fled from his native country, and after
a short stay in Holland, settled with his wife and children
in London, in 1715, where he remained sixteen years,
and through success in commercial pursuits was enabled

ANTHONY BENEZET. 75
to recover, in some degree, the losses he had sustained
in his fortune. Anthony received a liberal education,
and was placed in a mercantile house. In very early
life his mind became religiously impressed, and at the
early age of fourteen he was received as a member of
our religious Society. From conscientious motives he
declined to engage in commerce, and placed himself
with a cooper. But this occupation proved to be too
laborious for his naturally delicate frame. In 1 731, at
the age of eighteen, he removed, with his parents, to
Philadelphia, and in 1736 was married to Joyce Marriott,
a woman of exemplary piety, and who proved a true
helpmeet. His three brothers were highly successful in
business, and he might have shared in their prosperity,
had he not felt himself restrained from engaging in
trade. He was favoured to see how unimportant was
the acquisition of wealth, in comparison with heavenly
riches ; and, making worldly concerns subservient to
higher duties, he chose the humbler path of a teacher
in a school. He followed this occupation for twelve
years in the English department of the Public School
founded by William Penn, after which he opened a school
on his own account for the instruction of females, and
soon found himself entrusted with the education of
the daughters of the most affluent and respectable in
habitants of the city of Philadelphia, in whose welfare
he manifested so much interest as to elicit a corre
spondent regard from his pupils, who esteemed him as not
only their tutor but their friend. His general interest
in the education of youth led him to write several works
in furtherance of that important object. About the year
1750 the degraded condition of the African race
attracted his attention, and his feelings became painfully
affected at the atrocities of the slave trade. The interest

>j6 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
which these subjects excited in him drew him from
private life, to plead before the world the wrongs of
Africa. One of his first steps in this benevolent cause
was the establishment of an evening school for negroes,
which he taught gratuitously himself, and by his will left
it the reversion of what little property he had acquired.
His efforts were next directed to the publication of
pieces in almanacks and newspapers on the unlawfulness
of slavery; and in 1762 he issued a work entitled,
"An Account of that Part of Africa inhabited by the
Negroes." This was soon followed by " A Caution and
Warning to Great Britain and her Colonies, on the
Calamitous State of the Enslaved Negroes." His third
was, " An Historical Account of Guinea, with an Enquiry
into the Rise and Progress of the Slave Trade, its Nature
and Calamitous Effects." " The last of these," says
Thomas Clarkson, " became instrumental, beyond any
other book ever before published, in disseminating a
proper knowledge and detestation of this trade."
Anthony Benezet was untiring in his efforts for the
benefit of the oppressed slave. His correspondence on
the subject was very extensive, and his pathetic addresses
to his brethren did much to awaken them to a just sense
of the iniquity of slavery.
Anthony Benezet kept up a correspondence with
Granville Sharp during the earliest stages of the abolition
movement, and the abridgment he had made of that
philanthropist's work against slavery arrived (as Granville
Sharp himself said) at an opportune moment, during
the famous trial respecting the negro Somerset, as it
enabled copies to be distributed in quarters that were
thought highly influential in eliciting from Lord Mans
field, as the result of this litigation, the famous decision
" that as soon as any slave sets his foot on English

ANTHONY BENEZET. yj
territory he becomes free," from which moment the poor
slave that might have fled to England for refuge ceased
to be hunted through its streets as a beast of prey.
It was the result of this memorable trial (the favour
able issue of which Benezet had incidentally assisted)
that drew from Cowper his fervid lines : —
" Slaves cannot breathe in England : if their lungs
Imbibe our air, that moment they are free.
They touch our country, and their shackles fall,
That's noble and bespeaks a nation proud
And jealous of the blessing. Spread it, then,
And let it circulate through every vein
Of all your empire. That where Britain's power
Is felt, mankind may feel her mercy too."
Between John Woolman and Anthony Benezet a
strong friendship existed. Being equally earnest to pro
mote philanthropy and right conduct, they laboured
together to awaken a conscience against all war, and the
impropriety of holding property in slaves. They were
also alike distinguished for the strictness of their practice
in avoiding the use of complimentary terms or indulging
in any superfluity of dress, being in the latter respect
conspicuous even as members of the Society for their
great simplicity and plainness of attire. It is remem
bered of Anthony Benezet, that whilst earnest, as a
guardian of youth, to inculcate these sentiments in his
pupils, he knew how to convey any feelings of dis
approbation their conduct might occasion in a courteous
manner, of which his biographer gives the following
illustration in what passed between him and a former
pupil soon after her marriage. He had called on a
benevolent errand ; and though his young friend was
in full dress for a ball, he was admitted. When he
beheld her gay attire he drew himself into an attitude
of surprise, and with regret marked on his unsophisticated

78 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
countenance, exclaimed plaintively, "My dear S  ,
I should not have recognised my amiable pupil, but that
thy well-known features and excellent qualities are not
to be hidden by so grotesque and lamentable a disguise.
Thy kind and compliant temper has yielded, at some ex
pense to thy heart, to the opinions of others. I love thee
for the motive, though I cannot admire the evidence of it."
As regards Benezet's personal appearance, he was
small ; his countenance composed of strong and interest
ing features ; and though his face beamed with benignant
animation, it was far from being handsome. Of this he
was himself sensible ; for a friend once expressing a
desire to possess his portrait, he did not assign the
strongest objection he probably entertained on the sub
ject, but replied, " Oh, no, no ! my ugly face shall not go
down to posterity."
The sympathies of Benezet's nature extended to every
thing that was susceptible of feeling, so much so that he
avoided the use of animal food during several of the last
years of his life.
He often indulged an inherent facetiousness of mind,
though the sallies of his wit were always controlled by the
predominance of goodwill, and were intended to convey
lessons of instruction. Seeing one of his friends in the
street, who was remarkable for a hurrying habit he had
acquired, Benezet called to him to stop. " I am now in
haste," said the gentleman, " and will speak with you
when we next see each other ; " but, resolved on his
purpose, he retained him an instant, with this impressive
question : " Dost thou think thou wilt ever find time to
die ? " They then parted, and the person who received
this laconic interrogation, was afterwards heard to say,
that " he felt infinitely indebted to Mr. Benezet for his
kind admonition."

ANTHONY BENEZET. 79
Anthony Benezet held the station of an appointed
Elder in our religious Society. His remarkably useful
and self-denying career terminated the 3rd of 5th month,
1784, at the age of 71 years.
When it was announced that death had numbered him
among his victims, the expression of regret was universal.
It was a day of sorrow. The afflicted widow, the un
protected orphan, and the poor of every class, had lost the
sympathetic mind of Benezet. Society lamented the loss
of the brilliant light of his philanthropy. The friendless
tribes who wandered in the American wilderness, and the
oppressed Africans, were indeed bereft ; for his willing
pen and tongue had ceased for ever to portray their
injuries, or to plead for the establishment of their rights.
At his interment, in the Friends' burial ground, the
greatest concourse of people that had ever been witnessed
on such an occasion in Philadelphia was present, composed
of all ranks and of all religious professions, manifesting
the universal esteem in which he was held. It might justly
be said that " the mourners went about the streets," and
that his death was embalmed with tears. Among others
who paid this last tribute of respect were many hundreds
of black people, who also testified, by their tears, the
grateful sense they entertained of his pious efforts in
their behalf.
An officer, who had served in the American army
during the revolutionary war, in returning from the
funeral, pronounced a striking eulogium upon him. It
contained, but a few words : " I would rather," said he,
"be Anthony Benezet in that coffin, than General
Washington, with all his fame ! "
A list of Anthony Benezet's publications will be found in J. Smith's
"Catalogue." The foregoing is chiefly extracted from Wilson
Armistead's edition of Benezet's Memoir, 1859.

BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

JOSEPH GURNEY BEVAN.
Born 1753 — Died 18 14 — Aged Sixty-one Years.
No Portrait.
Joseph Gurney Bevan, an Elder, was the son of
Timothy and Hannah Bevan of London, members of
the religious Society of Friends ; and was born in that
city the 18th of the 2nd month, 1753.
In his youth he discovered a lively, affectionate dis
position, and by his kind and sprightly behaviour gained
the love of those under whose care he was placed to receive
a part of his education ; and being possessed of a quick
intelligent mind, he readily acquired a knowledge of the
different branches of useful learning. He derived much
information from the society of an uncle, who was both a
naturalist and an artist. His literary studies were for
some years pursued under a physician, a classical scholar,
who had a taste for poetry, and under whose tuition he
became familiarly acquainted with some of the Latin
poets. In the year 1776 J. G. Bevan married Mary Plumstead(i
a young woman of genuine piety and circumspect conduct.
About this time his father gave him a share in his own
business, that of a chemist and druggist, in Plough Court,
Lombard Street (a house in which Alexander Pope is said
to have been born).
In his dealings in trade he endeavoured to maintain an
unblemished character for integrity of conduct. He had
an undeviating regard for truth, and an utter abhorrence
of deceit under any shape.
During his residence in London, he was chosen to act
as constable in the ward in which he lived. As he felt

JOSEPH GURNEY BEVAN. 8 I
restrained from hiring a substitute, because, by so doing
he would be the means of another person's taking an
oath, he served the office himself ; and, so far as his
religious principles would admit, fulfilled the duties of it
with scrupulous attention. During the year of its con
tinuance he was in the practice of attending every fifth
night to take his rounds, and see that order was preserved
in the streets, and to preside in the watch-house, as he was
required to do, until four or five o'clock in the morning.
And he did not flinch from the performance of other
painful and humiliating duties.
In the year 1794 he retired from business, not, as is
often the case, with an increase of property, but with some
considerable diminution of it. This, in part, arose from
his conscientious scruples, which operated in a variety of
ways against the acquisition of wealth ; they prevented him
from supplying armed vessels with drugs, and from em
ploying any one to take an oath for him, in order to the
obtaining of drawbacks ; and when persons abroad became
considerably indebted to him, he scrupled to employ the
usual means for doing himself justice. His mind was
fixed upon higher objects than the things of time and
sense, even upon durable riches and righteousness. When
the circumstances just alluded to, the habits of his early
life, and the circle of friends amongst whom he moved,
are fully taken into consideration, it may be said that his
income was not at that time, nor for many years after
wards, an ample one. ' He was liberal to the poor, and to
those of limited pecuniary means, but he carefully avoided
making any display of benevolence. Although his asso^
ciates in early life had been amongst those who might be
considered as above mediocrity in worldly possessions, he
was prompt to acknowledge and encourage piety and
virtue in persons in obscure stations or low circumstances 6

82 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
in life. His outward demeanour was at times reserved ;
but those who knew him best loved him most. He pos
sessed a strong mind and quick perception, so that his
conclusions on subjects that came before him seemed
almost intuitive.
His time and talents were for many years so devoted
to the service of the Society of which he was a member,
that he allowed himself but little relaxation in the literary
pursuits of his early life.
In the year 1796 J. G. Bevan removed to Stoke
Newington. The remainder of his life was much devoted
to our Society. His pen was often judiciously em
ployed in support of its religious principles, and in
other ways in its service. He felt a warm interest in
its concerns, and was much and usefully engaged on its
behalf in and about London ; and occasionally absent
from home, under appointment of the Yearly Meeting,
on visits of a religious nature, in more distant parts of
the country.
He manifested a peculiar interest in the welfare of
young persons, often conveying much instruction in few
words ; and his cheerful manner in their company pre
vented any appearance of gloom calculated to induce a
distaste for religion. As an Elder, he was vigilant in
the maintenance of sound doctrine, and was conspicuous
in securing the Society's vindication of it, as against the
Unitarian ministry of Hannah Barnard.
Joseph Gurney Bevan was the author of a " Life of the
Apostle Paul," a "Life of James Nayler," a "Life of
Robert Barclay," a "Life of Isaac Pennington," and
several other works, for which see Joseph Smith's " Cata
logue of Friends' Books." The latter years of his life
were marked by a failure of eyesight, and the great
trial of his wife's prolonged state of infirmity ; but the

MARY BEVAN. 83
following lines, found in his pocket-book, are indicative
of his spirit of hope and resignation :
"How sweet is the prospect of rest
When the trials of time are no more :
Oh ! the peace that must flow in the breast
When we land on the heavenly shore.
" And e'en on the tempest-toss'd way,
Secure in His powerful word,
Whom the winds and the billows obey,
Our praise may ascend to the Lord."
He passed quietly away the 12th of the 9th month,
1 8 14, aged 61 years, and his remains were interred in
Friends' burial ground, Bunhill Fields, London.

MARY BEVAN.
Born 175 i— -Died 18 13 — Aged Sixty-two Years.
No Portrait.
MARY Bevan, wife of J. G. Bevan, a Minister. She
was the daughter of Robert and Hannah Plumstead,
and borri in London the 26th of the 6th month, 175 1.
Her father, who had been for some time an acknow
ledged Minister, died when she was about nine years
old. The care of her education, as well as that of the
yoUnger sister, of course devolved on her surviving parent,
who devoted her time and attention to her children in
a mariner seldom surpassed, and not often equalled.
The effects of this care were very early visible in the
subject of these remarks, and she was recognised as one
of the most exemplary and consistent young women in
her station in life. Her mother lived to an advanced

84 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
age, and this parental care was afterwards repaid by a
full share of filial love and attention.
In the year 1784 she appeared as a Minister in
meetings for worship, in which service she was very
acceptably engaged. She was humble and self-denying,
very watchful over her words and actions, and sincerely
desirous of being found in the way of duty. Her bodily
and mental faculties gradually declined in the latter years
of her life, but the sweetness and innocence of her spirit
remained, and the general covering of her mind seemed
to be that of supplication.
She died the 23rd of the 5 th month, 18 13.
The above account of Joseph Gurney and his wife, Mary Bevan, is
chiefly taken from " Letters and Memoir of J. G. Bevan," by Josiah
Forster.

WILLIAM BINGLEY.
Born 1650 — Died 17 14 — Aged Sixty-four Years.
Print of " The Quakers' Synod"
William Bingley became a Minister among Friends
while residing in Yorkshire, and from this country visited
Ireland in 1675 ; he was also there again in 1682. He
settled in London as a stuff merchant when in the
meridian of life, and in 1684 accompanied Samuel
Waldenfield on an apostolic journey in Holland and the
Netherlands. He was one of the Friends who preached
at the funeral of George Fox in 1690 ; and he appears
to have paid religious visits to different parts of Great
Britain at various periods. He died in London in
17 1 4, aged 64 years.
This Friend is shown sitting by the side of George Whitehead in
Francis Bagg's print of " The Quakers' Synod."

THOMAS BINNS. 85

THOMAS BINNS.
Born 1798 — Died 1872— Aged Seventy-four Years.
Oil Painting 11x9 in.
Thomas Binns, born 1798, died 1872, aged. 74, of
Rockleys, near Bristol, formerly of Tottenham. As a
scholar, an instructor of youth, a Christian philanthropist,
and a Gospel Minister, the name of Thomas Binns is
well worthy of remembrance here.
On the establishment of the Friends' School at Grove
House, Tottenham, in 1828, he was elected the first
Superintendent or Head Master by the proprietors : and
for many years he conducted the education of the pupils
with no small degree of vigour, integrity, and con
scientiousness. He was a sound, if not brilliant, classical
scholar of his time, and endeavoured to impart to those
under his tuition an intelligent interest in the authors
they read, leading them to appreciate their excellencies of
thought or style. His Christian regard to the individual
welfare of the pupils was remarkable, and induced an
incessant watchfulness over them — a watchfulness which,
in the opinion of some, was carried almost to an extreme.
So diligent, nay laborious, was he in the exercise of his
duties, that he could not be said to allow himself a due
portion of rest at night ; and this was carried to such an
extent as no doubt injured his constitution, and probably
shortened his life. He cultivated among his pupils
a laudable sense of honourable and truthful conduct,
always accepting their word as true, and often throwing
upon them the responsibility of what they said, by such a
reminder as this : " Thou hast told me so and so ; I go

86 biographical .catalogue.
no further to prove it. I must believe what thou sayest."
The result was (as is also recorded of the eminent Dr.
Arnold at Rugby), the boys felt themselves bound to
speak the truth ; it was generally admitted and looked
upon as a shame to deceive him, for he always believed
them. With a similar good design, he aimed entirely to
discard emulation from the schoolroom, looking upon the
wish to have the highest place as a low and unchristian
motive. This absence of rivalry, or we may perhaps more
fitly say, of a competitive trial of intellectual strength,
imparted perhaps some amount of languor to the studies
of the school, — a want of that ready stimulus in the
literary education, which the natural impulses of youth
upon the playground abundantly supply in their physical
development. It certainly must have increased the labour
of those engaged in teaching ; but whatever may have
been its results, its cause was a deep and conscientious
conviction in his own mind. Another peculiarity of the
Grove House management was a weekly examination
into the individual reading or leisure pursuits of the boys.
Each one had his private record of " voluntary work," as
it was termed ; the merit and demerit of each or all being
sometimes made the subject of comment before the
assembled school.
When Thomas Binns at length withdrew from this
arduous field of labour, he did not retire to the enjoyment
of personal ease and indulgence. On the contrary, his
time and talents were devoted in a variety of ways, and
often amid a good deal of bodily infirmity, to the benefit
of his fellow-creatures, and to the promotion of the
Redeemer's Kingdom upon earth. In addition to the
interest he took in several local institutions, he became a
very useful member of the Anti-Slavery Committee.
In the work of the British and Foreign Bible Society

THOMAS BINNS. 87
his long-tested ability and willing service were especially
valuable. "Having been for some years associated
with him in the Committee of that Society," writes an
intimate friend, "I have been often impressed by the
judicious character of his remarks, and the influence
which they exercised on our conclusions. But it was as
the Chairman of the Editorial Sub-Committee, — a position
for which his intimate knowledge of the Scriptures, com
bined with a sound understanding, peculiarly qualified
him, — that his services were most highly appreciated."
This is confirmed by a memorial note in the Society's
Monthly Reporter, in which he is spoken of as " a most
intelligent and earnest Member of the Committee for
sixteen years, from 1852 to 1868."
Soon after his retirement from Tottenham School, he
was drawn out in the ministry of the Gospel : and, in a
watchful oversight of the flock, acted the part of a faithful
pastor. To those who were in trouble or perplexity he
was a wise counsellor,— -a comforter to the poor, the sick,
and the afflicted, a faithful watchman to those who
were in danger of making shipwreck, — and to the young
an affectionate and judicious friend. Such is the testimony
of advanced experience. Nor is the acknowledgment of
one in earlier life at variance with it, who dwells upon
this period of Thomas Binns's career, as that of " the kind,
sympathising, elder brother of young men, the receiver of
our doubts and difficulties, and often the solver of them."
To such his appearances in the ministry were very
refreshing ; given forth with such deep earnestness, and
generally so brief, that it arrested and engrossed their
attention. His discourses were marked by a sound, clear
exposition of Scripture and Gospel Truth, — a gift rather
of teaching than of preaching, but always with a strong
practical application and appeal to his hearers, and

88 biographical catalogue
with very great earnestness of voice and manner. In
prayer also he was particularly solemn and impressive.
By his own especial desire, Friends were restrained from
recording his name as a Minister.
Towards the end he removed, under impaired health, to
the neighbourhood of Bristol, and closed a life of active
usefulness in a large degree of privacy.
He died the 2nd of 12th month, 1872, aged 74 years.
See Annual Monitor , 1874.

THOMAS BIRCH, D.D., F.R.S.
Born 17.05 — Died 1766 — Aged Sixty-one Years.
Mezzotint Engraving 12 x 10 in.
THOMAS Birch, an historical and biographical writer,
was born in the parish of Clerkenwell, London, November
23rd, 1705. His parents were members of the Society
of Friends, and his father carried on the trade of a coffee-
mill maker, for which business the son was designed ;
but the strong desire which he displayed for reading
and study overruled this intention. For several years he
acted as teacher in different schools, and in all of these
he sedulously applied himself to the pursuit of knowledge,
stealing many hours from sleep for this purpose. His
efforts were not without success, and in his twenty-fourth
year, being qualified to take orders, he was ordained
in the Established Church without having attended
either of the Universities, a circumstance at that time
much less frequent than at present.
He owed all his advancement in the Church to the
patronage of Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, to whom he

THOMAS BIRCH, D.D., F.R.S. 89
had been recommended early in life, and who never
afterwards lost sight of him. In 1734 Birch was
elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and in 1752 he
became one of its secretaries. In 1753 the University
of Aberdeen conferred upon him the distinction of Doctor
in Divinity ; and he received a similar honour in the
same year from Herring, Archbishop of Canterbury. Dr.
Birch was most active and indefatigable in his literary
pursuits. Distinguished by unwearied industry, rather
than by acuteness and discrimination, he accumulated
in the course of his life a vast mass of materials of
great value to those who possess a superior under
standing without the doctor's spirit of laborious research.
The first work of importance in which he was engaged
was the " General Dictionary, Historical and Critical."
It consisted of 10 volumes in folio, and included a
new translation of Bayle, besides a vast quantity of new
matter. The first volume appeared in 1734, and the
last in 1741. In 1742 he published " Thurloe's State
Papers," in seven volumes, folio. He published Lives
of Archbishop Tillotson and the Hon. Robert Boyle
in a separate form, and edited new editions of their
works ; also a new edition of Milton's prose works,
and the miscellaneous works of Sir Walter Raleigh.
In 1744 he commenced a series of biographical memoirs
of illustrious persons of Great Britain for a work pub
lished in folio by Mr. Hanbraken and Mr. Vertue, two
artists. Each memoir was accompanied by an engraving
of the individual to whom it related. The work was
published in numbers. The first volume was completed
in 1747, and the second in 1752. In the list of
his historical works are, " An Inquiry into the Share
which King Charles I. had in the Transactions of the
Earl of Glamorgan ; " "A View of the Negotiations

go BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
between the Courts of England, France, and Brussels,
from 1592 to 16 1 7, from Original Documents." The
same volume contained a " Relation of the State of
France with the Character of Henry IV." In 1753 he
published " Memoirs of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth,
from 1581 to her Death ;" in 1760 a "Life of Henry
Prince of Wales, Eldest Son of King James I." His
last biographical work was " Letters, Speeches, Charges,
and Advices of Lord Chancellor Bacon." A sermon,
which was preached before the College of Physicians
in 1749, appears to be the only one of his discourses
which has been printed. Besides his multifarious labours
for the press, he transcribed a great number of volumes
in the Lambeth library. He also maintained an exten
sive correspondence. His biographer remarks, that Dr.
Birch's habit of early rising alone enabled him to get
through so much work. He found time, in addition,
for the enjoyments of society. Dr. Birch was killed
by a fall from his horse between London and Hamp-
stead, 9th January, 1766. He bequeathed his library
and manuscripts to the British Museum, of which he
was a trustee. The remainder of his property, amount*-
ing only to about £500, he left to be invested in
Government securities, the interest to be applied in
increasing the stipends of the three assistant librarians
at the British Museum.

Taken from Knight's " English' Cyclopasdia.'' In reference to
Dr. Birch's heavy style of composition, Dr. Johnson is reported
to have said that " Tom Birch is as brisk as a bee in conversa
tion (more anecdotes than any man), but no sooner does he take a
pen in his hand, than it becomes a torpedo to him, and numbs all
his faculties." Walpole quizzically styles the doctor as a worthy
good-natured soul, full of industry and activity, and running about
like a young setter dog in quest of anything new or old, and with
no parts, taste, or judgment.

GEORGE BIRKBECK, M.D. 9 1
GEORGE BIRKBECK, M.D.
Born 1776 — Died 1841 — Aged Sixty-five Years.
Engravings 18 x 14 in., 4x3 in.
George Birkbeck, M.D., was bom January 10th, 1776,
at Settle, in Yorkshire, where his father was a merchant
and banker, and his mother was a daughter of George
Braithwaite, of Kendal. They gave their children a
high-class education, and early instilled into their minds
the religious principles of the Society of Friends, of which
they were attached members. The Birkbecks are an old
established family of distinction. The ancestor of this
branch was William Birkbeck who, after migrating to
Settle, embraced the views of Friends in 1700, and is
said to have been disinherited in consequence ; but he
prospered as a tradesman, and by his shrewdness and
integrity became the Banker of the district. George was
the second son, and early displayed predilection for
mechanical and scientific subjects. He commenced his
medical studies at Leeds, and at the age of eighteen
repaired to Edinburgh, where he took his degree. His
reputation in the university was already considerable,
and he had formed a friendship with Brougham Jeffrey,
Sidney Smith, F. Horner, and others who afterwards
attained eminence. While at Edinburgh he was elected
to the professorship of the Andersonian Institution at
Glasgow, and in November 1799 commenced his first
course of lectures there on Natural and Experimental
Philosophy. There was at that time no maker of
philosophical instruments at Glasgow, and he was obliged
to have his philosophical apparatus made by ordinary
workmen. He had employed a tinman to construct a

92 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
model of a centrifugal pump, and it was in the cellar which
formed the workshop, while surrounded by the workmen
who had made it, but were ignorant of its use, that he
was first struck with the idea of giving a gratuitous course
of lectures for the scientific instruction of the mechanics
of Glasgow. In March 1800 he communicated his
wishes on this subject to the trustees of the Andersonian
Institution, who regarded the proposal as visionary, and
nothing was done during the session. At its close Dr.
Birkbeck returned to Yorkshire, and in preparing the
prospectus of his courses for the ensuing session, he an
nounced his intention of establishing a class solely for
persons engaged in the practical exercise of the me
chanical arts, men whose education in early life had
precluded even the possibility of acquiring the smallest
portion of scientific knowledge. In the style of these
lectures he promised that he would study " simplicity of
expression and familiarity of illustration." On his return
to Glasgow a printed invitation was circulated in the
different manufactories, which contained an offer of
tickets for the admission of the most intelligent workman
in each manufactory into the mechanics' class at the
Andersonian Institution. The number who accepted
this offer was not large, and the first lecture was
attended by only 75 persons ; but it gave so much
satisfaction, and excited such general interest, that at the
second lecture the number was increased to 200 ; at the
third lecture above 300 mechanics were present, and at
the fourth above 500 ; and as the theatre of the institu
tion would not accommodate many more persons, it
became necessary to limit the number of tickets. At the
close of the course his class of mechanics presented him
with a silver cup. Dr. Birkbeck continued his lectures
to them for the two succeeding seasons. In 1804

GEORGE BIRKBECK, M.D. 93
he relinquished the professorship, and was succeeded by
Dr. Ure.
In 1806 Dr. Birkbeck settled in London, where he soon
obtained a good practice as a physician in Finsbury
Square, afterwards in Cateaton Street, and ultimately
in Old Broad Street, where he became a near neighbour
and an intimate associate of Grote the Banker and
Historian, and of the circle of leading minds in politics
and literature that were wont to gather around that
hospitable table. In connection with some of these,
and especially Lord Brougham, Dr. Birkbeck originated,
founded, and fostered the system of Mechanics Institutes
that will ever be associated with his name. It became
the great Educational movement of the day, affecting
those in a time of life for which schools were no longer
available ; and whilst it had its commencement in London
under Dr. Birkbeck's special supervision, it spread through
the suburbs, then to the provincial towns, until it became
general throughout the country. It inaugurated a system
of adult classes for the acquisition of knowledge, of
delivery of lectures treating scientific subjects in a
popular manner, and formation of libraries, and opening
reading-rooms for study. New aims and aspirations were
awakened in the mechanics' minds by "these temples of
science reared in every corner of the land." One of the
class thus benefited sounded the Doctor's praises in verse,
and ended his eulogium as follows : —
" Distant ages hear
The glory of his doings, and rejoice
That once the earth was blest by his sojourn.
Thus, Birkbeck, guided by the public voice,
The Muse predicts thy name shall not return
To earth forgotten ; for thy generous mind
Hath brought fair Science forth to all mankind."
This success was only attained amid contempt and

94 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
also opposition from those jealous of the power knowledge
might confer on the lower classes, and the newspaper
press was much divided on the question, few except those
on the Liberal and Radical side giving any support.
Dr. Birkbeck's energies were far from being absorbed
by any one movement. He was an earnest supporter of
University College from its commencement, was an
original founder of the London Institution, a member of
many societies for promoting social improvements, among
them, that for dispensing with climbing boys to sweep
chimneys, and was an earnest supporter of the cause of
Parliamentary Reform, and the Repeal of the Taxes on
Newspapers as a hindrance to the spread of knowledge;
He has been described " as a National Reformer, the
first of his rank and station to make a serious and
sustained effort to educate the lower classes, or condescend
voluntary to give instruction to the English mechanic."
He lived to see the opposition excited changed to general
eulogiums, and large numbers of workmen and sympa
thising friends attended the interment of his remains in
Kensal Green cemetery.
It was said of him in an obituary notice in the
Gentleman 's Magazine : — " He was mild and equable in
his temper and disposition, benevolent in spirit, and
possessing great suavity of manners. Whenever he
appeared among the mechanics he was welcomed as a
father ; he was highly appreciated by a very large circle
of private friends, and was held in great esteem by the
most eminent public literary and scientific men of the
day. He possessed a reflective, beneficent countenance,
a venerable and very unpretending aspect." As a public
speaker, his diction was clear and expressive, his sentences
rhythmical, his language well sustained, and he had a
musical voice. As a professional man he enjoyed a large

MORRIS BIRKBECK. 95
practice, much more so than is generally bestowed on those
given to scientific or literary pursuits. He was twice
married ; firstly, in 1805, to Catherine, youngest daughter
of Sampson Lloyd, of " The Farm," near Birmingham,
who deceased in 1807 in giving birth to a son. Ten
years afterwards he married again, and to Anna Margaret,
youngest daughter of Mr. Henry Gardner, of Liverpool,
who survived him, and by whom also he left a family.
He maintained a reverent acquiescence in the funda
mental truths of religion, but did not attach himself to
any one Communion in particular, and was strongly in
favour of complete toleration for all religious beliefs.
He bore the acute sufferings of his last illness with
remarkable patience. He lived till within six weeks of
the sixty-sixth anniversary of his birth, his usual serenity
remaining undisturbed, and his intellect unclouded to
the last.
This is adapted from extracts from a Memoir of the Doctor by
John George Goddard, 1884.

MORRIS BIRKBECK,
Born 1764 — Died 1825 — Aged Sixty-one Years.
Lithograph 4X3 in.
MORRIS Birkbeck was descended from the family of
that name at Settle, in Yorkshire, being the son of
Morris and Hannah Birkbeck, who subsequently lived
at Wanborough, Surrey. He emigrated early in the
present century to America, and became one of the
pioneers in the colonisation of the far West. He pur
chased sixteen thousand acres of land in Illinois, where
he founded the town of New Albion, and became known

96 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
as the Emperor of the Prairies. He published three
volumes of travels, and opposed the introduction of
slavery into his adopted home, when the State was
organised in 1 8 1 8 ; and an eminent career was un
timely terminated by his death in 1825 from drowning,
as he was swimming his horse across the Wabash, on
returning from a visit to Robert Owen.

SAMUEL BOWLY.
Born 1802 — Died 1884 — Aged Eighty-two Years.
Carbon Enlargement 1 4 x 11 in.
Samuel Bowly was the third in age of the four sons
that formed the family of Samuel and Sarah Bowly {ne'e
Crotch). The branch of the Bowly family from which
Samuel Bowly was descended joined the Society of
Friends from its commencement, and the meeting house
at Cirencester was built on land that had been purchased
for the purpose by one of his ancestors.
Samuel Bowly was born at Cirencester on the 23rd
of 3rd month, 1802, where his father was in business
as a miller, and after a short period of school-life at
Nailsworth he entered his father's business, where, owing
to his parents' ill-health, much share of its active
management soon rested upon him, as regarded the mill
at Bibury, some little distance from Cirencester.
Throughout early life, high spirits with great energy
and a love of frolic and fun prevailed, but accompanying
this were deep conscientious feelings, which he attributed
to the loving care of his parents, especially his mother,
for whom he ever entertained a reverential love. She was

SAMUEL BOWLY. 97
of a superior cast of mind, was the daughter of a much
esteemed Minister in the Society, and a Minister herself.
Samuel Bowly married, in 1827, Jane Dearman Shipley,
daughter of John Shipley, of Shaftesbury, and in 1829
he moved to Gloucester, where he carried on business as
a cheese-factor, and he resided in this city or its near
neighbourhood for the succeeding years of his prolonged
life. His aptitude in the management of affairs led to
his position as chairman or director in various local
banking, gas, railway, and other companies. As a Liberal
in politics, he was an early advocate for the abolition of
the Corn Laws, and for the extension of education among
the lower classes ; and it is noteworthy of him, that at
a time when such efforts were rare, and he himself quite
young, he had opened a school on his father's premises
for the benefit of the lads in the village.
His zealous opposition to negro slavery first brought
out his power as a public speaker. He had studied the
subject in all its bearings, and become so convinced of
its cruelty and injustice, as to speak from the deepest
emotions of his heart. He has been known (ere the
years of manhood had scarce been reached) to hold large
audiences in close attention for three or even four hours
at a time, and with such persuasiveness as to carry
resolutions in favour of emancipation against Peter
Borthwick, the most practised champion of the West India
planters, who found his specious arguments and polished
rhetoric of no avail before the masterly manner in which
this youthful philanthropist pleaded a slave's right as a
man and a brother to his freedom.
Samuel Bowly early joined the temperance cause, and
was one of the first few who perceived that nothing
short of total abstinence, to which he pledged himself,
7

98 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
would be likely to prove successful against the evils of
intemperance. It was a bold step for one circumstanced as he was
to take, and it brought him at first unpopularity
and misunderstanding, but he had the courage of his
principles, and held it " to be the duty of every
one to carry out, as far as God shall give power, the
convictions of our own mind," which he did with great
power and perseverance, yet so as " to respect the
convictions of other people, and deal with courtesy and
charity to all around."
At first he went no further than his own relinquishment
of alcoholic beverages, but soon declined to place any on
his table, or continue the customary practice of offering
such to customers at the warehouse on market days ; and
this change cost him more effort than that in his own
habits, which those who knew his hospitable disposition
could well understand.
Henceforth, he never ceased an earnest advocacy of
total abstinence, and though anxieties of business were
upon him, and responsibilities of a large young family,
with the tender care of a loving wife (who was often
much out of health), he managed to devote much of his
time to the cause and he must have travelled on its behalf
through nearly all parts of the United Kingdom, coming
into contact and addressing people of all sorts and con
ditions, until as years gathered thickly on his venerable
but energetic form, he become more than ever recognised
as a prominent leader in the cause. He was President
of the National Temperance League up to his death, and
he was also President of the London Temperance Hospital
from its foundation, and was a director of the United
Kingdom Temperance and General Provident Institution.
He was remarkably successful in drawing-room

SAMUEL BOWLY. 99
meetings, which would often be attended by the upper
classes of the district, and by leading ministers of religion.
In this he was so diligent, that even in the last year of his
life he attended more than a hundred of these gatherings
in widely different parts of the country.
His practical sagacity had shown him the importance
of winning the upper classes of society to the principle
and practice of the total abstinence cause, if more permanent
results were to be obtained among the humbler ranks,
and to few more than his personal influence thus exerted
is due the great change observable in these respects.
CanonFleming has owned himself as becoming a convert
to the cause through Samuel Bowly's persuasiveness, and
Bishop Temple, who when at Exeter had had one of these
meetings in his own drawing-room, said in the course
of an address (when he succeeded Samuel Bowly as
President of the National Temperance League) : " I do not
know that I have ever listened to any one who spoke so
plainly, so sweetly, so tolerantly, or so very eloquently
(because it was from the heart), with no uplifting of voice,
and with not much gesture or speciality of manner ; but,
as Homer said of Ulysses, ' his words fell upon ears like
snow falls upon the ground.' There was a gentle flow
of soft eloquence, which did not cease to affect the heart,
long after the voice had ceased to reach the ear." " I
think," said another dignitary of the Church (Prebendary
Grier), " he was the most persuasive speaker I ever heard
I have listened to men more impassioned in their address
I do not think that I ever listened to one who appealed
with such effect to the judgment of those whom he
addressed. His persuasiveness was marvellous."
Amidst these varied and continual labours was observable
a watchfulness over his own spirit, due to a deep and
abiding sense of the responsibility attached to any gift

IOO BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
he might find himself possessed of, in thus swaying and
influencing the feelings and judgments of others. It
contributed to that humility and Christian cheerfulness which
marked his life, and to his freedom from undue depression
under difficulties and opposition, or from self-exaltation
at manifold success.
Doubtless he had great natural gifts as a speaker, and
among them was his deep sonorous voice, which he managed
with a skill that made him audible, without apparent effort,
in the largest assemblies, and allowed his message to fall
"soft as snowflakes" when in presence of smaller gatherings.
He had also the faculty of presenting his subject in
original and unexpected lights, and without indulging in
flights of imagination, or making use of rhetorical language,
he would secure close attention, and often deeply affect
his audiences with varying emotions. " Holding his own
beliefs very strongly, and with a moral courage which
sustained him in proclaiming them, he ever respected the
feelings and beliefs of those who differed from him. In
argument he was not only temperate but generous ; if
he said plain things he never said hard things."
He " deeply appreciated, in the temperance cause, its
bringing together men of diversity of view as to doctrines
or forms of worship, but whose hearts were warmed by
the love of Jesus Christ. Thus mingling in one common
effort to raise our fellow-creatures, we draw nearer to God,
and nearer to one another."
Samuel Bowly was an attached and life-long member
of the Society, and for twenty years held the position of
one of its recorded Ministers. His religious convictions
deepened greatly during some severe domestic sorrows
and bereavements, and his chastened spirit having tasted
of the exceeding love of God in Christ Jesus, felt constrained
to testify of the wells of salvation at which his own

SAMUEL BOWLY. IOI
spirit had been quickened. His discourses were never
long, and were generally on the joy and peace of believing
in Christ. They were marked by his usual felicity of
illustration, in which he was " especially favoured when
fresh on some fine Sabbath morning from secret com
munings in field or garden ; for he seemed to bring with
him the brightness of the sunbeams, and the fragrance and
beauty of the flowers." During one part of his life, when
living at too great a distance from meeting to attend it
twice in the day, he had readings from Scripture in his
house, which, being open to any who inclined to attend,
many of his neighbours would avail themselves of the
privilege, and they much appreciated his exposition of
Scripture and the seasons of worship and prayer that
succeeded. This was at a time when such gatherings were
not so common as they have since become.
Samuel Bowly's fondness for the primeval pursuit of
garden cultivation, which has been alluded to, showed
itself in the transformation he effected in various places
where he resided, which though at first apparently un
promising, became, through his taste and skill, bright with
flowers, and very attractive, so that his advice was often
sought by his friends in laying out their grounds. The
constructive skill shown by him in the arrangements or
alterations effected in the premises he had taken, and his
various contrivances in assistance of household needs, were
much admired.
His life had its various vicissitudes and trials, for he
experienced fluctuations in commercial prosperity, and
kne,w the anxieties and sorrows attendant on sickness
and bereavement. His beloved wife's long-continued state
of feeble health terminated with her decease in 1868,
and most of his family being settled in homes of their
own, it left him in prospect of much domestic loneliness ;

102 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
but after some years his marriage, in 1873, to Louisa
Cotterell, widow of Jacob Henry Cotterell, of Bath, gave
him for a companion one whose loving care and ability
to travel with him in his various engagements added
greatly to the comfort of his advancing years.
Few public men have ever lived to see more of the
fruit of their labours than Samuel Bowly, and when his
eightieth birthday had arrived, it was greeted with testi
monials and addresses from all quarters, which in his own
city culminated in an ovation, and offerings of valuable
presents, addresses, and testimonials, among which none
pleased him more than two armchairs, the fruit of a
subscription among working men, 5,000 of whom had
contributed to it, and mostly in pennies.
His own health and strength were sustained in an
unusual degree ; but the end came suddenly, when on
the morning of his eighty-second birthday a few hours of
severe illness lost Gloucester its foremost citizen, full of
years, and honours of a self-sacrificing life. The towns
people came by hundreds to his dwelling to pass silently
around the remains, grand in their death repose, and the
funeral was, by general desire, a public one.
Samuel Bowly's decease occurred on the 23rd of the
3rd month, 1884, and the interment was in the Gloucester
cemetery, on the 27th of the same.
A dignitary of the Church has borne this emphatic
testimony to Samuel Bowly's worth, . that he was an
" utterly unspoiled public man."
" The poor blessed his footsteps, loved his voice,
The voice that spake to them of Christ-like love ;
Of sympathy that met their every need,
The rough paths making smooth, and dark days bright,
Forgetting self, remembering all beside."
Adapted from Annual Monitor and various other sources.

THOMAS BRADLEY, M.D.— GEORGE BRADSHAW. 103
THOMAS BRADLEY, M.D.
Born 1751 — Died 18 13 — Aged Sixty-two Years.
For Portrait, see the engraving of " The Medical Society'.'
THOMAS BRADLEY, M.D., physician, was a native of
Worcester, where for some time he conducted a school
in which mathematics formed a prominent study. About
1786 he withdrew from education, and, devoting himself
to medical studies, went to Edinburgh, where he graduated
M.D. in 1 79 1, his dissertation, which was published, being
" De Epispasticorum Usu in variis morbis tractandis."
He settled in London, and on 22nd December, 1791, was
admitted Licentiate of the College of Physicians. From
1 794 to 1 8 1 1 he was physician to the Westminster
Hospital. For many years he acted as editor of the
Medical and Physical Journal. He published a revised
and enlarged edition of Fox's " Medical Dictionary," 1803,
and also a " Treatise on Worms and Other Animals which
infest the Human Body," 181 3. In the practice of his
profession he was not very successful. He died in St.
George's Fields at the close of 181 3.
" Dictionary of National Biography," vol. vi.
Smith's " Catalogue of Friends' Books."

GEORGE BRADSHAW.
Born 1801 — Died 1853 — Aged Fifty-two Years.
Photograph 9x7 in.
George Bradshaw, bom 1801, died 1853, aged 52
years, originator of railway guides, only son of Thomas
.Bradshaw, by his wife, Mary Rogers, was born at Windsor

104 - BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
Bridge, Pendleton, Salford, on 29th July, 1801. His
parents taxed their limited means to give a good education
to their only child by placing him under the care of
Mr. Coward, a Swedenborgian minister ; thence he removed
to a school kept by Mr. Scott at Overton, Lancashire.
On leaving school he was apprenticed to Mr. J. Beale,
an engraver, who had acquired some reputation by the
execution of the plates of " The Art of Penmanship
Improved," by Duncan Smith, 18 17. In 1820 he
accompanied his parents to Belfast, and there established
himself as an engraver and printer, but, not finding
adequate occupation, returned to Manchester in the
following year. His attention had been for some time
directed to the engraving of maps, and in 1827 he
determined to devote himself more especially to that
branch of art. The first map projected and published by
him was one of Lancashire, his native county. This was
followed in 1830 by his map of the canals of Lancashire,
Yorkshire, etc. This map eventually became one of a
set of three known as " Bradshaw's Maps of Inland
Navigation." Soon after the commencement of the railway
system Bradshaw, the originator of railway guides, pro
duced " Bradshaw's Railway Time Tables" in 1839, a small
1 8 mo book, bound in cloth, price sixpence. In 1840
the name was changed to " Bradshaw's Railway Com
panion," which contained more matter, with sectional
maps, and was sold at one shilling. It was not published
periodically, but appeared occasionally, and was supple
mented by a monthly time sheet. The agent in London
for the sale of this work was Mr. William Jones Adams,
who, it would appear, was the first to suggest the idea of
a regular monthly book at a lower price, as an improve
ment on the " Companion." This idea was taken up by
Bradshaw, and the result was the appearance, in December

GEORGE BRADSHAW. 105
1 84 1, of No. 1 of " Bradshaw's Monthly Railway Guide,"
in the well-known yellow wrapper, a work which has gained
for itself a world-wide fame. Another undertaking was
" Bradshaw's Railway Map," produced in 1838. Among
his other publications may be mentioned " Bradshaw's
Continental Railway Guide," printed in Manchester, but of
which the first number was published in Paris in June
1847; and "Bradshaw's General Railway Directory and
Shareholders' Guide," which first appeared in 1849.
Bradshaw, when a young man, joined the Society of
Friends, and was an active coadjutor of Cobden, Pease,
Sturge, Scoble, Elihu Burritt, and others in holding peace
conferences, in the attempts to establish an ocean penny
postage, and other philanthropic labours. Part of his
time he devoted to the establishment of schools for the
poorer classes. Bradshaw joined the Institution of Civil
Engineers as an associate in February 1842. In August
1853 he went to Norway on a tour combining business
and recreation, and on 6th September, while on a visit
to a friend in the neighbourhood of Christiania, he was
seized by Asiatic cholera, and died in a few hours. He
was buried in the cemetery belonging to the cathedral of
Christiania. He married, on 16th May, 1839, Martha, daughter of
William Darbyshire, of Stretton, near Warrington, and
left a son, Christopher.
" Dictionary of National Biography," vol. vi.

106 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
ISAAC BRAITHWAITE.
Born 1781 — Died 1861 — Aged Eighty-one Years.
Photograph 4x3 in.
Isaac Braithwaite was the last surviving member of
the family of George and Deborah Braithwaite, of Kendal,
and was born there on the 3rd of ist month, 1781. He
received his education at Friends' School in that place,
then under the care of Jonathan Dalton, who was occa
sionally assisted by his brother, afterwards the well-known
Dr. Dalton. Here was acquired and fostered a taste
for science which distinguished him through life, and
materially added to his usefulness and pleasure. He was
married in his twenty-eighth year. In 1825, and again in
1827, he accompanied his wife throughout her second and
third visits to America, proving himself a judicious and
sympathising counsellor in times of peculiar difficulty
and conflict. His watchfulness and discretion, joined
to a uniform sweetness of temper, rendered him an in
valuable companion. Accustomed to say but little of
himself, or of his own religious experience, his consistent
deportment gave instructive testimony of his habitual
endeavour to walk humbly with his God.
The removal in the 12th month, 1859, of his beloved
wife, after a union of more than fifty years, followed within
a few weeks by that of his eldest daughter, left him
bereaved and sorrowful ; yet there was no sadness in his
grief ; it was sorrow chastened with the faith and hope of
the Christian. His love for his friends and for all who
loved the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, shone forth with
mellowed brightness.
He attended a meeting at Kendal on the First day before

ANNA BRAITHWAITE.

107

his decease, and in an impressive manner gave notice of a
meeting appointed for the next day on the occasion of
the funeral of the Prince Consort.
He died on the 27th of the 12th month, 1861, aged
81 years (an Elder).
" Devoted from thy youth to service high
In Christ's own cause with loyal heart and true ;
And ready, at His bidding, to deny
All other claim, and yield the offering due.
" At home to serve the Gospel, or abroad,
Bound with thine other self across the main
To spread it there ; thus ye together trod
A path not always straight, and oft of pain.
" How prompt to meet with aid and sympathy,
All ills that man wherever suffering proved !
It cheer' d thy large and loving heart to be,
In recompense, so well and widely loved.
" Science and letters, and the echo warm
Of minstrel's lay so often on thy tongue,
Made thine a choice companionship to charm
The buoyant and the grave, the old and young."
William Ball.

ANNA BRAITHWAITE.
Born 1788 — Died 1859 — Aged Seventy-one Years.
Photograph 4x3 in.
Anna Braithwaite was the daughter of Charles and
Mary Lloyd, of Birmingham, and was born there on the
27th of 1 2th month, 1788. As she grew up she was
introduced, through family associations, to a widely ex
tended circle, in which the fascinations of genius or
learning were too often held in higher estimation than

108 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
the fruits of humble faith in Christ. ..." But it pleased
the Lord, after much conflict of spirit, to open my under
standing in an unexpected hour to see His beloved Son
to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life."
About the fifteenth or sixteenth year of her age she was
much in London, where, from peculiar circumstances, her
religious convictions were often closely proved, but her
gracious Lord was pleased to confirm her in the rectitude
of the views held by our religious Society. She highly
prized association with her valued relatives, Joseph Gurney
Bevan and his wife, and others whose Christian counsel
and example tended to the strengthening of her faith.
By her marriage, in 1 808, to Isaac Braithwaite, of
Kendal, she became a member of Kendal Monthly
Meeting, to which she continued to belong during the
remainder of her life.
In the 1 2th month, 18 15, she was recorded as a
Minister of the Gospel, and at the same time received
the sanction of the meeting to unite with her aunt,
Margaret Bragg, in a visit to the families of Friends
at Birmingham.
Between the years 1823 and 1829 she was extensively
engaged in the service of her Lord in the United States
of America, for the performance of which she was con
strained three times to cross the Atlantic, the first time
alone. The period of her mission to America was one
of peculiar difficulty and trial in that land, but she was
strengthened to proclaim with authority the unchangeable
message of life and salvation through our crucified Saviour,
testifying that the operation of the Spirit is to lead to
repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus
Christ. She died the 18th of 12th month, 1859, and her
remains were interred in Friends' burial ground, Kendal.

ANNA BRAITHWAITE. IO9
Taken from the Testimony of Kendal Monthly Meeting ; and of
this Friend there appeared in the Kendal Mercury the following
Obituary notice : —
" Mrs. Isaac Braithwaite was a lady of so remarkable a
character, and so well known in this town and neighbour
hood, that we should be wanting in our duty as public
journalists, were we to omit a passing tribute to her
memory. She was a member of the Society of Friends,
and was the daughter of Charles Lloyd, Esq., of Birming
ham. In 1808 she was married to Isaac Braithwaite,
Esq., of this town.
" Most of our readers are aware that the Society of
Friends consider that the ministerial office is conferred
by Christ without distinction of sex. Early in life Mrs.
Braithwaite believed herself called to this high office, and
being filled with a holy earnestness of purpose, and
possessing superior abilities, she became an eminent and
persuasive preacher in the body to which she belonged.
" Notwithstanding the cares of a young family which
was fast rising around her, she devoted much time to
visiting the Friends in various parts of the kingdom,
holding many meetings also for those of other persuasions.
In 1823 she believed herself to be divinely directed to
the United States of America. The voyage from Liver
pool to New York (ocean steamers being then unknown)
occupied six weeks. She returned to England in 1824,
but conceiving that her mission had not been accomplished;
she, in company with her husband, revisited America in
1825, and again in 1827.
" In those days, before the existence of railways, the
traveller in the Western and Southern States of America
had to encounter difficulties and hardships which to the
present generation seem almost fabulous. On her return in
1829, Mrs. Braithwaite considered that she had fulfilled the

HO BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
commission of her Divine Master in that country, and
henceforth devoted her energies to the discharge of her
duties at home and amongst the Friends of her native land.
" In pursuance of this she paid religious visits at different
times, and till within a few years of her death was a
constant and assiduous attender of the Friends' Yearly
Meeting in London, in the proceedings of whose female
members she took a prominent part. All these labours
were undertaken amidst great bodily infirmities, occasioned
by an injury to the spine, from which she suffered to the
end of her life. In the fulfilment of her various engage
ments Mrs. Braithwaite's vigour of character was con
spicuous. Possessing the .happy art of throwing herself
into the interests of others, she made every one feel at
home who shared her society. Though warmly attached
to the religious principles of the body to which she
belonged, she had a truly catholic spirit, and visitors at
her husband's hospitable dwelling of all classes and
persuasions, found in her one who could enter into their
views. In this way Mrs. Braithwaite endeavoured, as she
had opportunity, to drop a word of counsel to the young,
to encourage the faint-hearted, and to minister consolation
to the wounded spirit.
" Though often in pain, Mrs. Braithwaite's cheerfulness
and patience were a constant theme of admiration, and
showed in a remarkable manner how a mind sustained by
faith and prayer can rise superior to bodily infirmities.
Her society was sought by the educated and literary,
before whom she never hesitated to confess her Saviour ;
but, though thus resorted to by a large circle of ac
quaintance, she never neglected the minute domestic
duties of her station. The poor around her always had a
large share of her sympathy, and she delighted in quietly
and unostentatiously relieving their wants.

ANNA BRAITHWAITE. Ill
"Mrs. Braithwaite's religious views were eminently
evangelical and practical. Deeply convinced of the
sinfulness of man by nature, she delighted in directing
her fellow-creatures to the power and the grace of the
Holy Spirit to convince them of sin and lead them to
Christ. " She unhesitatingly set forth the doctrine of justifica
tion by faith, and strenuously maintained the inspiration of
the Holy Scriptures. To the last the powers of her mind
were unimpaired. Her removal was unexpected by her
friends. She was much overdone by a short journey
about ten days before her death, but on the Saturday
previous her family hoped that the cessation of pain which
then took place betokened a restoration to her ordinary
health, but it was otherwise ordered ; she gradually sank,
and peacefully expired on the morning of Sunday, the
1 8th instant, in the seventy-first year of her age.
" Mrs. Braithwaite leaves a numerous family to deplore
her loss." " Nothing reserved ! Time, talents, health,
Subservient to her Lord's employ,
Who made her ' rich in faith,' in wealth
Of flowing peace and holy joy.
" Large powers were on the altar laid !
Large love ! and large alike we know,
The heart of sympathy that made
Its own concern another's woe.
" Bound to the Truth ; jealous for God,
And true to Christ, at His command
She could ' leave all' to spread abroad
His glorious name in foreign land.
" Who honoureth Him, He honoureth still ;
From youth to age the faith she kept ;
Fulfill'd her brightening course, until
She died in honour, loved, and wept !"
William Ball.

112 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
HENRY PERRONET BRIGGS.
Born 1793 — Died 1844 — Aged Fifty-one Years.
No Portrait.
Henry Perronet Briggs, subject and portrait
painter, was born at Walworth in 1793. He was of
a Norfolk family, and related to Opie the artist. While
still at school at Epping he sent two well-executed
engravings to the Gentleman's Magazine, and in 1 8 1 1
entered as a student at the Royal Academy, where he
began to exhibit in 18 14. From that time onwards
until his death he was a constant exhibitor at the
annual exhibitions of the Academy, his paintings being
for the most part historical in subject, though after
his election as an academician in 1832, he devoted
his attention almost exclusively to portraiture. Two
of his historical pictures, first exhibited at the Academy
in 1826 and 1827, are now in the National Gallery —
No. 375, the "First Conference between the Spaniards
and Peruvians, 1 53 1," and No. 376, "Juliet and the
Nurse." His large painting of "George III. presenting
the Sword to Lord Howe on board the Queen Charlotte,
1794," was purchased of him by the British Institution,
and presented to Greenwich Hospital. Among the
more successful of the various Shakespearean scenes
delineated by him may be mentioned his " Othello re
lating his Adventures to Desdemona." Of his numerous
portraits, the best perhaps was that of Lord Eldon.
The pictures painted by Briggs, though not without
merits of construction, cannot be said to belong to
the highest class of art, his colouring and flesh-tints
especially being unpleasing. He died in London on
18th January, 1844.
From the " Dictionary of National Biography."

THE RIGHT HON. JOHN BRIGHT, M.P. u3
The Right Hon. JOHN BRIGHT, M.P.
Bust, Height 30 in. Lithograph 10x8 in.
John Bright, eldest surviving son and heir, head of the
large and prosperous firm of " John Bright and Brothers,"
cotton-spinners and manufacturers, was born 16th of nth
month, 181 1, at Greenbank, near Rochdale, a house
adjacent to the manufactory with which his father was
connected, and a view of both of which is given in a wood
cut accompanying the portrait of our subject (supplied by
the proprietors of the Illustrated Times, as one of the
series of portraits of eminent public characters which they
were then issuing). This excellent portrait, on steel, repre
sents our " Tribune of the People " in the prime of life ;
it was " engraved by D. J. Pound, from a photograph by
J. Whittock, of Birmingham ; later photographs of the
hon. gentleman in more advanced life are familiar to all.
His early years were accompanied by extreme delicacy of
health, which constituted a source of great anxiety to his
parents. After education in two or three schools, one of
these being Ackworth, and another the old-fashioned
Friends' School at Newton, in Bolland (Craven, Yorks),
he entered into his father's business, and soon took an
active part therein. During the great reform agitation,
1830-2, the young man, taking the people's side, gave his
earliest public address on this burning question, but most
of his earliest speeches were made in support of the grow
ing Temperance movement. Whilst still young, and
scarcely known beyond his native district, a public meet
ing was held in Rochdale in connection with an educational
or other philanthropic cause, at which the late and well-
known James Silk Buckingham, of London, and late M.P.
for Sheffield, was the " great gun." John Bright, being
8

114 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
present, subsequently addressed the audience, and upon
his concluding a short but able and effective speech,
Mr. Buckingham, turning to his friend James Ecroyd, thus
expressed himself, ' Mark my words, if that young man
lives, he will become one of the greatest orators in
England.' "
John Bright was a member of the original Committee
of the Manchester Anti-Corn Law Association, formed in
1838, and thenceforward to the repeal of these obnoxious
statutes his life is thoroughly blended with that of the
ever-memorable League. He first entered the House of
Commons as M.P. for the clerical city of Durham, July
1843, holding the seat till 1847 ! represented the city of
Manchester from July 1847 to April 1857 ; and that of
Birmingham since August of the last-named year. Upon
the formation of the Gladstone Ministry in December
1868, he very reluctantly accepted the Presidency of the
Board of Trade, and became a member of the Privy
Council, but was compelled, by severe indisposition, to
retire from office. He subsequently re-entered the Cabinet
as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, but only held
the post from October 1873 to February 1874, when
Parliament was dissolved.
John Bright married, firstly, at Newcastle-on-Tyne, 27th
of 1 ith month, 1839, Elizabeth Priestman, eldest daughter
of Jonathan Priestman, of Benwell House, near that town,
by his wife Rachael Bragg, sister of Charles Bragg, of
Newcastle ; she was sister to Jonathan Priestman, J. P., of
Shotley Bridge, and was born at Summerhill, Northum
berland, 2 3rd of 6th month, 1 8 1 5 ; died at Leamington,
10th of 9th month, 1841, leaving an only daughter,
Helen Priestman Bright, who married William Stephens
Clark, of Street, Somersetshire, and has issue, John Bright
Clark and Roger Clark.

MOSES BROWN. H5
John Bright married, secondly, in 1847, Margaret
Elizabeth Leatham, eldest daugher of the late William
and Margaret Leatham, of Heath, Wakefield, and sister
to Mary Leatham, Barclay ; he has had issue by her
several sons and daughters, of whom a favourite son died
young at Llandudno, North Wales, and was buried in the
picturesque but lonely churchyard of St. Tudno, on the
Great Orme's Head.
Annals by Henry Ecroyd Smith.

MOSES BROWN.
Born 1738 — Died 1836 — Aged nearly Ninety-
eight Years.
Engraving 7x5 in.
MOSES BROWN, of Rhode Island, North America, was
the youngest son of James and Hope Brown, and
was born in Providence, September 23rd, 1738. He
long survived his three elder brothers, Nicholas, Joseph,
and John, the first having died in 1791, the second in
1784, and the third in 1 803. At the early age of thirteen
he left school, and his father being deceased, he passed
his early years in the family of his. paternal uncle Obadiah
Brown, at that time an eminent merchant of Providence,
who from the first extended to him the care and affection
of a father. In the year 1764 he married his cousin
Anna Brown, and subsequently inherited, by will, a
portion of his uncle's large estate. Thus was strengthened,
by an intimate alliance in manhood, the friendship which
had brightened his early years. This marriage was
blessed by the birth of three children, a son and two

116 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
daughters. One of the latter died in infancy — the other,
Sarah Almy, a truly estimable woman, and wife of the
late William Almy, in 1794.
In the course of his life's long journey Mr. Brown was
three times married, but he was companionless many
years before he reached its end. In the year 1763
Mr. Brown engaged in commercial pursuits, in partnership
with his three brothers. He continued in active business
for about ten years, when he withdrew from the bustle of
trade to that retirement to which his feeble health invited,
and which was so much more congenial to his early
formed taste for intellectual pursuits. With others he
founded an institution for liberal education in the colony
of Rhode Island.
Moses Brown was originally a Baptist, and he con
tinued a Baptist till 1773, when, at the age of thirty-five,
he became a Friend. From that time to the close of his
protracted life, he exerted a predominating influence in all
the concerns of the Society, both secular and religious.
He sustained many of its most important offices with
Christian dignity and acknowledged usefulness.
Moses Brown was among the founders and munificent
patrons of the Yearly Meeting Boarding School in this
city. He was its first Treasurer, and continued, for about
fifty-three successive years, to discharge the duties of that
office. From the commencement of the school he watched
over its various concerns with paternal solicitude, manifest
ing the deepest interest in the moral, literary, and religious
improvement of its pupils. He presented to the institu
tion, in the year 1 8 1 7, the land on which the edifices are
erected, and, as a final evidence of his desire to promote
its welfare, he bequeathed to it a house and lot, and the
sum of 15,000 dollars.
Consistently with the principles of the religious Society

MOSES BROWN.

117

to which he belonged, Moses Brown was opposed to
slavery in all forms. Convinced that he could not
rightfully hold any of his fellow-men in bondage, he,
in the year 1773, manumitted all his slaves; and he
subsequently exercised over them the care of a benevolent
guardian and friend. He was among the founders, and
for' many years an efficient member of the Abolition
Society of Rhode Island ; and when it was proposed to
erect in this city a house of worship for the exclusive
accommodation of people of colour, he presented to them
the land on which it now stands. He was an earnest
friend to the cause of Universal peace, and assisted in
the establishment of the Rhode Island Peace Society ;
contributing liberally to its funds ; and of the Rhode
Island Bible Society he was an early and influential
member. In early life he made several journeys on business,
and, at a later period, a few on objects of philanthropy.
During his advanced years he remained quietly at home,
devoting his time to the care of his property, to his
favourite and intellectual pursuits, and to the services
and society of his friends. Of chemistry and natural
philosophy he was particularly fond, and he often
interested himself and the younger class of his visitors
with experimental illustrations of these subjects.
He lived and died in the primitive doctrines of the
Society of Friends. He was indeed the patriarch of
the Society.
Notwithstanding his undeviating adherence to the
peculiarities of his sect, so expansive was his charity, that
he cordially united with individuals of every religious
profession in furthering plans of general benevolence, and
in promoting the best interests of the community.
He died of the cholera the 5th of 9th month, 1836,

118 biographical catalogue.
aged nearly 98 years. He was at the time of his death
the oldest man in Providence.
From the Providence Journal, as published in the Irish Friend,
vol. ii., 1839.

WILLIAM BROWN.
Born 1769 — Died 1846 — Aged Seventy-seven
Years.
For Portrait see Picture of Earith Meeting.
William Brown, the son of John and Sarah Brown,
was born at Earith, Huntingdonshire, on the 20th of
3rd month, 1769, and came of a Puritan stock, long
settled in those parts. His ancestor in the fourth generation
had associated himself with the early Friends through
William Dewsbury's influence, who, when a guest at his
house, had so powerfully enforced their views of Christian
truth as to gain the adhesion of his host, who became
himself a Friend, and transmitted his faith to his
descendants, who mostly emigrated to America on the
settlement of Pennsylvania. William Brown lived a life
of usefulness in his native village, married an Elizabeth
Hicks, and had a large family, most of whom, as seemed
usual in those days, died young ; but one of them, Potto
Brown, became a very prosperous man, with so much zeal
and generosity in promoting the cause of moral and
religious improvement, as made him widely known and
greatly esteemed. He may be said to have carried on his
father's work, who in his day had been a pioneer in the
cause of promoting the study of Scripture through the
Bible Society, and of general education by the British
Schools. In a shed he had had put up on his own premises

ELIHU BURRITT. 119
the first Sabbath School in the district was commenced.
William Brown's personal peculiarities have not escaped the
artist's eye, — his countenance indicative of strong feelings,
the broad-brimmed hat, high black boots, and the yellow
silk handkerchief, ever in his hand, with the stout oak
sapling, on which in his days of blindness and feebleness
he came greatly to depend. He was one of whom amid
his peculiarities and eventual lack of business success it
might be said (as of his more eminent and successful son
Potto Brown), that he had lived
" For the cause that needs assistance,
For the wrongs that need resistance,
For the future in the distance,
For the good that I can do."
He died at Houghton, Hunts, on the 12th of 4th
month, 1846, aged 77 years, and his remains were
interred in the Friends' burial ground at Earith,

ELIHU BURRITT.
Born 1810 — Died 1879 — Aged Sixty-eight Years.
Woodcut 7x5 in-
ELIHU BURRITT was born at New Britain, Connecticut,
in December 18 10. Though not a Friend, either by
descent or acquired membership, he was one so much in
" association with Friends, and in accord with their views
both on religious subjects, and those relative to great
moral questions, especially that of peace, as to claim
some biographical notice in any collection of such
referring to Friends." He was a remarkable instance
of self-culture, especially in the department of languages,

120 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
having acquired a grammatical knowledge of almost
every European language. His original occupation was
at the forge, and in his ardour to acquire knowledge
he learnt much even whilst engaged in forging and
casting, and earned money as a son of Vulcan, that he
might set himself free to become possessed of the linguistic
stores in the temple of knowledge. From lowly beginnings,
it is said, " Elihu Burritt ascended to the mastery, more
or less complete, of nearly fifty languages."
Though of humble origin, his parents were of a
superior order of mind, and bore a high character,
and the son's tribute to his mother was, " She was
the best friend her children had on this side of Jesus
Christ." Elihu Burritt, in middle life, after he had left
the forge and the furnace, came to England, where he
made many and warm friendships. He was an earnest
advocate for extending the benefits of cheap postage to
the letters for foreign countries, and hoped to have seen
the days of an Ocean Penny Post. He was a prolific
writer, and much in the style of Emerson. He was also
esteemed as an orator on public platforms, when his fiery
energy, throwing itself into voice and manner, would in
voke enthusiastic response from his audience. He had
a fine intellectual face, a large and striking figure, and
eyes keen with "penetrating power." His personal
habits continued of the simplest kind, and with his
bag on his shoulder he has walked through most
parts of England, and everywhere among Friends he
was sure of some hospitable quarters. During the
latter years of his life he held an American consulship
at Birmingham. He died on the 7th of the 3rd month,
1879. His well-known work, " Sparks from the Anvil,"
gives both a good idea of his style of writing and
manner of speaking in public.

SIR THOMAS FOWELL BUXTON, BART. 12 1
Sir THOMAS FOWELL BUXTON, Bart.
Born 1786— Died 1845 — Aged Fifty-nine Years.
Engraving 4x3 in.
Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Bart, was born on the
ist April, 1786, at Castle Hedingham, in Essex.
For his early education he was sent to the school of
Dr. Charles Burney, of Greenwich ; he was afterwards
intrusted to the private tuition of a clergyman at
Donnybrook, in Ireland, and subsequently became an
undergraduate at Trinity College, Dublin, where he
highly distinguished himself. On the 13th May,
1807, he married Hannah, the fifth daughter of John
Gurney, of Earlham Hall, near Norwich, by whom he
had several children.
In 1808 Mr. Buxton entered the brewing establishment
of Truman, Hanbury, and Co., in which his uncles,
Sampson and Osgood Hanbury, were partners. In 1 8 1 1
Buxton himself became a partner, and soon after obtained
the principal management of the brewery, to the duties
of which he closely and successfully applied himself for
several years.
Mr. Buxton's first appearance in public affairs was at
a meeting of the Norfolk and Norwich Auxiliary Bible
Society, in September 1812. In 1816 he took a promi
nent part at a large meeting held at the Mansion House,
London, to inquire into the best means of relieving the
extreme distress of the population of Spitalfields. As the
result of this meeting, a sum of about .£44,000 was
collected for the Spitalfields' weavers. His attention was
also directed to the state #of prison discipline. He in
spected many prisons, and published an " Inquiry " into

122 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
the subject, illustrated by descriptions of several gaols, and
an account of the proceedings of the Ladies' Committee
in Newgate, the most active of whom was Mrs. Elizabeth
Fry, his sister-in-law.
In 1 8 1 8 Mr. Buxton was elected Member of Parliament
for the borough of Weymouth after a severe contest ; and
in 1 8 19 he took a prominent part in the debates of the
House of Commons on prison discipline, the amelioration
of the criminal law, the suppression of lotteries, and the
abolition of the practice of burning widows in India. He
continued to represent the borough of Weymouth for
nearly twenty years, during which period he was assiduous
in the performance of his parliamentary duties (few
members so frequently addressed the House), nor did he
ever slacken or deviate in the assertion and working out
of those benevolent principles with which he started in
public life.
But it is with the Anti- Slavery cause that Fowell Bux
ton's name is most closely and honourably associated. An
earnest coadjutor of Mr. Wilberforce in his efforts on
behalf of the oppressed negroes, Mr. Buxton succeeded
to that philanthropist's place in the House of Commons
as the acknowledged leader of the emancipationists. On
the 15th May, 1823, Mr. Buxton brought forward a
resolution to the effect "that the state of slavery is
repugnant to the principles of the British constitution
and of the Christian religion, and that it ought to be
gradually abolished throughout the British colonies,
with as much expedition as may be found consistent
with a due regard to the well-being of the parties
concerned." In opposition to this motion, Mr. Canning,
on the part of the Government, moved and carried cer
tain amendments, one of which asserted the anxiety of
the House for the emancipation of the slaves " at the

SIR THOMAS FOWELL BUXTON, BART. 1 23
earliest period that shall be compatible with the well-
being of the slaves themselves, with the safety of the
colonies, and with a fair and equitable consideration of
the rights of private property." During the struggles
and agitations, both at home and in the colonies, for
the ensuing ten or twelve years, Mr. Buxton was steadily
engaged in the prosecution of the cause of freedom,
encouraged and supported by the moral feeling of the
country, and in Parliament by Brougham, Lushington,
Macaulay, and a few other earnest opponents of slavery.
At length, when in 1833 the Secretary for the Colonies,
Mr. Stanley (now Earl of Derby), brought forward his
plan for the abolition of slavery, Mr. Buxton, although
dissatisfied with the apprenticeship and compensation
clauses, gladly accepted the measure, and he had very
soon the additional satisfaction of finding the apprentice
ship abandoned by the slaveholders themselves.
In 1837 ne l°st ms election for Weymouth, and from
that time refused to be again put in nomination for that
or any other borough. In 1838 he was chiefly occupied
with the preparation of a work on the best means of
extirpating the African slave trade. In 1839-40 the
state of his health caused him to seek relaxation in a
continental tour. At Rome he visited the prisons, and
suggested improvements. On his return in 1 840 the
Crown conferred on him the dignity of a baronet. On
the 1st of June a public meeting in behalf of African
civilisation was held in Exeter Hall, at which Prince
Albert presided, and the first resolution was moved by
Sir T. F. Buxton. The result of this movement was
the well-meant but disastrous expedition to the Niger,
in 1841. During 1843 and 1844 Sir Thomas Fowell
Buxton found his health declining, and his death took
place on the 19th February, 1845, at his residence,

I24 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Northrepps Hall, near Aylsham, in Norfolk, at the age
of fifty-nine. Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton was a man of singularly
commanding person ; he was more than six feet four
inches in height, and of a fine expression of countenance.
As a speaker he was somewhat heavy, both in style and
delivery, but the influence arising from his high character
always secured him a respectful attention. He had no
great reach of intellect or imagination, and except when
roused on exciting occasions, he had little of the fervour
of an orator ; but in collecting facts his industry was
untiring, and in exhibiting and commenting upon them
he was zealous and persevering, reiterating his attacks
till his object was attained or found to be unattainable.
He gave a liberal support to many benevolent and
philanthropic institutions, particularly to those in the
vicinity of his residence, and in Spitalfields, the locality1
of his brewery.
"Memoirs of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Bart.," edited by his
son, Charles Buxton, Esq., was published in 1848.
This account is taken from Knight's " English Cyclopaedia
Biography," 1866.

SAMUEL CAPPER.
Born 1782 — Died 1852 — Aged Seventy Years.
Carte de Visite.
Samuel Capper was the son of Jasper and Anne
Capper, and was born in Gracechurch Street, London, on
the 2nd of 3rd month, 1782.
Few particulars are preserved of his early life, but it
appears that, during his childhood, he gave his parents

SAMUEL CAPPER. 1 25
much uneasiness, especially from his disposition to hide
his faults by untruths.
About the thirteenth year of his age, however, it pleased
his heavenly Father so powerfully to visit him by the
Holy Spirit, that he became convinced of his sinful
condition, and of his need of deliverance ; and at this
period of life, when scarcely emerged from childhood, he
was made willing to take upon him the yoke of the Lord
Jesus, and to learn of Him, and it thenceforward became
his principal aim to be His faithful disciple.
Instead of being, as before, impatient of the restraints
laid upon him by his parents, he now was submissive to
their wishes, and in many ways helpful to them ; and it
was one of his enjoyments to visit and relieve the wants
of the poor, by whom he was much beloved.
His parents were induced, at his request, to seek a
situation for him in the country ; and, in his fourteenth
year, he was apprenticed to Joseph Naish, of Congresburv
(near Bristol), under whose roof he enjoyed the benefit of
a careful and Christian guardianship.
At the age of twenty-one he married Elizabeth, daughter
of Joseph Naish, and settled in Bristol, where he com
menced business as a linen-draper. His prospects were
encouraging, but the occupation was not adapted to his
habit of mind ; and becoming uneasy with the showy and
fashionable character of his business, in about seven years
he relinquished the concern. The next eleven years were
spent in farming, at Potterne, in Wiltshire. On leaving
this place he again settled in Bristol, and continued to
reside there till the close of his life.
He first appeared as a minister in 1S13, and was
acknowledged in that character by Wiltshire Monthly
Meeting in 1S17. In the year 1S24 he accompanied
Robert Fowler in a journey to Paris and the south of

126 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
France ; and during the remainder of his life he continued
to be engaged in the service of the Gospel, both at home,
and occasionally amongst his friends in various parts of
this country and in Ireland.
By far the larger portion of his Gospel labours was
bestowed on those beyond the pale of our Society. His
mind had long been impressed with deep religious concern
for the lowest and most neglected classes of the com
munity, especially such as were not in the habit of
attending any place of worship. Endeavours were at
first made to give effect to his wishes, by inviting these
classes to meetings held in meeting houses and other
buildings ; but as it was found that their attendance could
not in this way be generally obtained, he was induced to
propose to his friends the holding of meetings' in a tent.
The proposition met their approval, and a commodious
tent was accordingly provided. By this means he obtained
access, both among our town and country population, to
large numbers of those classes which had been the especial
objects of his solicitude. During each summer, for
seventeen or eighteen years of his life, he was diligent in
prosecuting this work of faith and labour of love ; and it
is believed that within this period he held upwards of four
hundred meetings, in many of the larger towns as well as
the rural districts of our country, most of them being
numerously attended.
It was not alone in the capacity of a minister of the
Gospel that Samuel Capper manifested his allegiance to
his Lord and Saviour, and his willingness to confess Him
before men. Often did he appear as the fearless opposer
of evil practices among his fellow-citizens, and the earnest
supporter of measures which he considered calculated to
promote their highest interests. On several occasions he
was zealously engaged in suppressing demoralising public

SAMUEL CAPPER.

127

amusements in this city (Bristol), such as were characterised
by coarse brutality, as well as those which allured into sin
by means less revolting, though equally vicious. He felt
a lively interest in promoting the spread of Temperance,
and in the circulation of the Holy Scriptures.
It appears that his two last communications in Bristol
meeting were very striking.. In one, he spoke of their
stripped condition, and added that they might become still
more so ; but concluded by quoting the words —
" But, while the dear Redeemer lives,
We have a boundless store,
And shall be fed with what He gives,
Who lives for evermore ! "
He died suddenly, the 29th of 8th month, 1852, in the
seventy-first year of his age, a Minister about thirty-nine
years ; and his remains were interred at the Friars', Bristol.
Taken from the "Memoir" of him and Testimony of Bristol
Monthly Meeting concerning him.
The tent thus alluded to, with all its apparatus of
movable forms and gallery, lay unused for many years,
stored under the large meeting house in Houndsditch.
But in 1864 its use was revived by our friends, the late
Edward Curtis May and Henry Binns, when engaged by
minute from their monthly meetings in joint labour
among the London poor ; and for their meetings Samuel
Capper's tent was brought out of its long seclusion, and
set up in the closed burial ground, Whitechapel, being
thus again used for the service for which it was originally
intended. The meetings held in it during the summer were
largely attended, and in the following year the secretary
to a society for promoting such Gospel labour made
application to Friends for its loan, which, being granted,
it was again erected in the same place. This led to the

128 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
commencement of General Booth's London work, as he
was engaged to conduct the services there. He was then
a young preacher fresh from Wales, who had come to
London seeking some opening for work on freer lines,
than a definite connection with the Methodist Society
permitted, and when the summer was over other places
were engaged by him more suitable to the winter season ;
and thus was it that this now famous organiser of the
Salvation Army had his first footing as a London
evangelist in a Friends' disused burial ground and
Samuel Capper's tent.
Subsequently the canvas was erected for several
summers by Friends themselves both in Whitechapel
and Bunhill Fields burial grounds, when Henry Binns
and W. S. Lean had a succession of meetings under its
shelter. It was a strong one to stand such long service,
but an unusually inclement summer wrecked it at last.
Another tent succeeded, but that was a hired one. Then
came the iron room, with its service of several years, until
permanent quarters were furnished for Friends' mission
work there by the present " Memorial Buildings."

ROBERT CHARLETON.
Born 1809 — Died 1872 — Aged Sixty-three Years.
Enlarged Photograph 20 x 16 in.
Robert Charleton, of Ashley Down, Bristol, a minis
ter, was the son of James and Elizabeth Charleton, of
Bristol, and was born in the year 1809. He was
from childhood trained in " the nurture and admonition
of the Lord," and was doubtless largely indebted to his

ROBERT CHARLETON. 1 29
mother's watchful care and love for the formation of the
principles which marked his after life. His natural dis
position appears to have been peculiarly amiable and
guileless, straightforwardness and transparency of cha
racter being early manifested.
His mother was removed by death in 1826, at
Penzance, where the family had chiefly resided for the
benefit of her health for the two or three preceding years.
The reverence and affection with which he cherished her
memory evinced his strong appreciation of her maternal
character and influence.
After a time spent, at Bath with Henry Fowler
Cotterell's family in acquiring a knowledge of land-
surveying, he entered upon business as a pin manufacturer
in the neighbourhood of Bristol, in which he continued
until the year 1853; ar>d m this sphere soon exhibited
those qualifications for philanthropic and religious effort
which characterised him during the remainder of life.
His concern for the well-being of those in his employ,
and of the population around them in the district of
Kingswood, was great, and shown by the schools he
built and sustained, and an open-handed liberality in
assisting their needs and promoting their interests. He
was, in its early stages, convinced of the great importance
of the Temperance movement, and became one of the
pioneers in the cause of Total Abstinence, advocating
its adoption with much fervour and judgment.
About the year 1830 his religious views appear to
have been deepened and enlarged by the perusal of the
works of Archbishop Leighton and other contemporary
writers. Next to the sacred volume, which he had
been accustomed from his youth reverently to read and
study, and which became more and more precious to
him as life advanced, these were amongst his favourite
9

130 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
authors ; whilst he prized the perusal especially of the
later biographies of members of the Society of Friends.
At several intervals in the years 1 841-1843 he accom
panied Samuel Capper in his religious visits to Ireland,
to aid in the arrangements for his tent meetings ; and on
subsequent occasions he was his ready and efficient helper.
His father's second marriage was a union fraught with
blessing, and Robert Charleton ever cherished an affec
tionate regard for his stepmother, with whom he con
tinued to reside after his father's decease until his own
marriage, in 1 849, to Catherine Brewster, eldest daughter
of Thomas Fox (brother of his stepmother).
After this event his philanthropic engagements were
scarcely diminished, whilst, with characteristic faithfulness
to duty and feeling, he fulfilled the family and social
claims which his change of position brought with it.
The cause of peace had long enlisted both his warm
interest and active effort, as well as that of education,
which he liberally supported, especially in his own city
and its neighbourhood, and to which he gave largely
of his time and attention. In the formation and progress
of the Friends' Foreign Missionary Association he took
a warm interest, and had a large share in overcoming
some practical difficulties connected with its commence
ment. He encouraged its devoted labourers on their
going out, and maintained a cheering correspondence
with them in their distant fields of service.
In the winter of 1854 Robert Charleton accompanied
Joseph Sturge and Henry Pease on their noble and
pacific mission to the Emperor Nicholas of Russia, in
hopes of preventing the outbreak of the Crimean War.
Although their mission failed to effect its immediate object,
it nevertheless attracted much public attention to the
cause of peace, and has done so ever since. It is said

ROBERT CHARLETON.

131

that this expedition which these Friends undertook on
their own responsibility necessitated relays of horses in
passing over the snows to the number of no less than
three hundred. In the summer of 1858, Robert Forster
and himself, accompanied by Francis James Fry, visited
Petersburg, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, as a deputa
tion to present a " Plea for Liberty of Conscience," ad
dressed to the Governments of Europe, which was adopted
by the Yearly Meeting in London two years previously.
Besides performing these distant journeys, he visited some
of the continental cities on the occasion of Peace Con*
gresses, etc. His engagements in the more direct service
of the Gospel, after he was recorded a Minister, were
confined chiefly to different portions of England and
Ireland, as one of the Yearly Meeting's Visiting Committee,
when his services, both in public and in private, were very
acceptable to his friends. Concerning his service as a
Minister of Christ, it was characterised by love and tender
ness, combined with authority and power, as of one who
had himself, in a spiritual sense, heard and seen, felt and
handled, those things he pressed upon the attention of his
hearers ; and the theme on which he most delighted to
dwell was the exceeding love of God in Christ to our
fallen race, and very much of fervour and unction at
tended his public approaches to the Throne of Grace.
He held, in the fullest and truest sense, " the faith once
(for all) delivered to the saints," endeavouring both to
bring men to Christ and to bring them up in Him.
Though warmly attached to that section of Christ's
Church with which he was immediately connected, he
was emphatically Catholic, being one who could heartily
adopt the Apostle's words, " Grace be with all them that
love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity."
This breadth of view also characterised Robert

132

BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

Charieton's unstinted but judicious liberality, for every
good cause that he could assist shared in his benevolence ;
and it was observed that the occupation of some of his
closing hours was drawing cheques for their support. He
felt deeply the stewardship of the means committed to him,
and allowed no pecuniary success in business or invest
ments either to accumulate or be spent in enlargement
of personal expenses, which, though he lived with
open-handed hospitality, were restricted within bounds
of great simplicity.
About eight years previous to his decease he had
to submit to surgical assistance in reference to a local
affection of a very serious nature, and although pro
fessional skill prolonged life, the malady proved too
deeply seated for its entire removal.
Gradually the end drew on, but Robert Charleton was
able to keep up his usual occupations, and was in the city
and at meeting within a few days of his decease, which
occurred on the 5th of the 12th month, 1872, closing a
life that had remarkably exemplified the true connection
between faith and works.
There is a memoir published, also an account in the Annual
Monitor for 1874 and the British Workman, also a Testimony
issued in 1873.

THOMAS CLARKSON.
Born 1760 — Died 1846 — Aged Eighty-six Years.
Lithograph 10x7 in.
Thomas Clarkson was born 26th March, 1760, at
Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, where his father, who was a

THOMAS CLARKSON. -13 3
clergyman, was master of the free grammar school. He
was at first educated under his father, and after that
was sent to St. Paul's School, London, and thence to
St. John's College, Cambridge, where he gained the first
prize for a Latin dissertation proposed for the middle
bachelors. In the following year, 1785, the Vice-
Chancellor of the University announced as the subject
of a Latin dissertation for the senior bachelors "Anne
liceat invitos in servitutem dare ? " (" Is it right to make
slaves of others against their will ? ") The prize was
awarded to Clarkson for his essay, which was read with
great applause in the Senate House in June 1786. He
had used much industry in collecting materials for this
dissertation, and had become greatly excited by what
he had read of the miseries to which the slaves were
subjected in the carrying on of the trade. - He resolved
to use all his efforts to get it suppressed, and in order
to do so relinquished his chances of advancement in the
Church, for which he had been intended, and in which
he had taken deacon's orders. He translated his essay
into English, and its publication brought him into con
nection with a small body of Quakers, who had for
several years formed an association for the suppression
of the slave trade, and he was afterwards introduced to
Mr. Wilberforce, and other persons of influence. William
Penn, in 1668, had denounced the trade as cruel, im
politic, and unchristian; in 1727, at a General Yearly
Meeting of the Quakers in London, it was declared
" that the importing of negroes is cruel and unjust,
and is severely censured by the meeting ; " and in
1760 a similar meeting passed a resolution to exclude
from their Society all who "participated in any way
in that guilty traffic." While Mr. Wilberforce, seconded
by a party which gradually increased, repeatedly brought

134

BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

the question before the House of Commons, Mr. Clark-
son was labouring without the walls of Parliament,
collecting evidence, writing letters and pamphlets, and
attending meetings at Liverpool and Bristol, then the
chief centres of the trade, and at Plymouth, Bridgewater,
and other places. He even went to Paris, and remained
there six months in the greatest heat of the French
Revolution, furnishing Mirabeau with materials for
speeches against the trade, which were delivered before
the French Convention, but without producing the desired
effect. In England, however, after more than twenty
years of incessant exertion, the cause was won. A law
for the entire abolition of the trade in slaves was passed
25th March, 1807, Mr. Wilberforce having first brought
the subject before Parliament in 1787.
But the exertions of Clarkson and his supporters,
who had now become numerous, did not terminate with
the suppression of the trade in slaves. The struggle
was afterwards continued during another twenty years,
for the total abolition of slavery in the British West
India islands. In 1833 their efforts were again crowned
with success, by the passing of the Emancipation Act,
which liberated nearly a million of slaves, and awarded
twenty millions of pounds sterling as compensation to
their late owners. Declining health had prevented
Clarkson from appearing in public during the latter
years of the movement. Cataract had formed in both
his eyes, and for a short time he was quite blind. He
underwent an operation, which completely restored his
sight, and in 1840 he made his last public appearance
as President of the Anti- Slavery Convention held at
Freemasons' Hall (of which scene Haydon painted a
picture now in the National Portrait Gallery). His talents
and untiring energy were unanimously acknowledged, and

•liiOMAS CLARKSON.

135

he was enthusiastically greeted as the patriarch of the
cause. He died at his residence, Playford Hall, Sussex,
26th September, 1846, at the age of 86.
Besides several pamphlets and other small works, all
bearing more or less directly on the one great object
to which he had devoted his life, Mr. Clarkson published,
in 1806, "A Portraiture of Quakerism," 3 vols., 8vo ; in
1808, " The History of the Abolition of the Slave Trade,"
2 vols., 8vo ; in 1 8 1 3, " Memoirs of the Public and
Private Life of William Penn," 2 vols., 8vo ; and
in 1836, "Researches: Antediluvian, Patriarchal, and
Historical," 8vo.
The foregoing is taken from Thomas Taylor's " Biographical
Sketch of Thomas Clarkson," Gentleman's Magazine, also
Knight's "English Cyclopaedia Biography."
Haydon being commissioned to paint a picture of the
1840 Convention, thus describes in his Journal (vol. iii.,
p. 140) the impression made on his mind when the aged
philanthropist opened its proceedings. " Aided by Joseph
Sturge and his daughter, Clarkson mounted to the chair,
and sat in it as if to rest, and then in a tender, feeble
voice appealed to the assembly for a few minutes' medita
tion before he opened the Convention. After solemnly
urging the members to proceed to the last, till slavery
was extinct, lifting his arm, and pointing to heaven (his
face quivering with emotion), he ended by saying, ' May
the Supreme Ruler of all human events, at whose dis
posal are not only the hearts, but the intellects of men,
may He, in His abundant mercy, guide your counsels, and
give His blessing upon your labours.' There was a pause
of a moment, and then, without an interchange of thought
or even of look, the whole of this vast meeting, men and
women, said in a tone of subdued and deep feeling,
Amen, Amen.

1 36 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
" I was so affected and astonished that it was many
minutes before I recovered sufficiently to perceive the
moment of interest I had longed for had come to pass,
and this was the moment I immediately chose for the
picture." In this the venerable figure of Thomas Clarkson
stands prominent as addressing the large assembly, with
his left arm raised in the attitude the painter has
described.

RICHARD COCKIN.
Born 1753 — Died 1845 — Aged Ninety-two Years.
For Portrait see Oil Painting of London Yearly Meeting.
Richard Cockin was born at Armthorpe, near Doncaster,
the 26th of the 3rd month, 1753. His parents, who
were members of the Episcopal Church, appear to have
been duly sensible of the importance of training up their
children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and
he retained a grateful remembrance of their pious care.
On the termination of his apprenticeship, in Doncaster, in
1773, being then in his twentieth year, he travelled as far
north as Edinburgh, working at his business in different
places on his route. In Edinburgh he was taken ill of a
fever, and continued in the infirmary there about five
weeks. In 1776 he went to reside in London, where he
continued till 1779. The continued solicitude of his
father for his best welfare was evinced by several letters,
which he addressed to his son about this time, full
of wisdom and Christian counsel. During this period
Richard Cockin became convinced of the principles of
the Society of Friends, of which he gives the following
account in a letter to a near relative, dated 7th

RICHARD COCKIN. 1 37
month, 29th, 1778 : — " Apprehending it may contribute
a degree of satisfaction to give thee some information
respecting my joining Friends, I may premise, that when
I left Yorkshire it was very foreign to my intention to
change my religious profession, taking it for granted that
the principles of the Church of England were the most
consonant with Scripture of any visible Church ; but I had
not been long in London before the sandy foundation of
my faith began to be shaken, it being only founded on
the traditions of men, implicitly received, without searching
into the validity or rather purity thereof. I was not able
to gainsay the cogent truths demonstrated by the writings
of those professing the holy principle of light and grace
manifested in the soul ; and seeing divers in this
metropolis whose deportment appeared correspondent
therewith, I was excited with a desire to go to a meeting
appointed for Isaac Sharpies and Thomas Rutter ; during
the time of whose testimonies I thought I had never
heard such preaching as that before, their words being
accompanied with that life and power which is the only
certain evidence of Gospel ministry. I frequented the
assemblies of several different societies, being willing, if
possible, to evade the cross that I foresaw the profession
of Quakerism would subject me to, and which appeared
insurmountable in my view ; besides, the prospect of being
exposed to the ridicule of my acquaintance, and, for
aught I knew, to the entire disregard of my parents and
relatives, went near to my very life."
During these exercises our friends Thomas Shillitoe and
John Sanderson (afterwards of the Old Jewry, London) were
his close companions. They all lodged together, and ap
pear to have joined the Society at nearly the same time.
On returning from London Richard Cockin commenced
business in Doncaster, where he resided the remainder

138 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
of his days ; and in 1 7 8 1 he was married to Deborah
Tunston, of Whitechapel Road, London.
He was a most diligent attender of all our meetings ;
and in a memorandum, made in his eighty-third year, he
remarks, that the consideration of his having been favoured
with health and ability regularly to attend his monthly,
quarterly, and nearly forty yearly meetings, claimed his
heartfelt gratitude. During many years of his residence
in Doncaster no meeting was held there, the meetings
being held in the villages of Warmsworth and Balby.
In 1792 he was appointed an Elder in Balby Monthly
Meeting. In 1799 he was a second time married, to Ellen
Abraham, daughter of John Abraham, of Whitehaven, in
Cumberland, who was a descendant of Judge Fell, and
his wife Margaret Fell. She was a valuable Minister
many years, and died in 184 1, aged about 83 years.
In 1 8 16 Richard Cockin accompanied Isaac Stephen
son on a religious visit to the meetings of Friends in
Wales, and also to several counties in the West of England,
visiting families and holding public meetings.
In 182 1 he accompanied his wife to Scotland, visiting
all meetings, and subsequently those in Ireland. He was
several times engaged in travelling with other friends
concerned in the work of the ministry ; in which service
he was not only a sympathising companion, labouring to
strengthen their hands in the work, but was not un-
frequently concerned to offer the word of exhortation
himself. In 1833 he was attacked with paralysis, which, with
little exception, confined him to the house for the last
twelve years of his life.
His continued solicitude for the best welfare of those
around him was evidenced by the republication, in his

PETER C0LLINS0N. 1 39
ninety-second year, of " An Address to the Inhabitants of
Doncaster, chiefly the Labouring Classes," which he had
published thirty years before.
He was one given to hospitality, " though his means
and manner of life were bounded by strict moderation."
He was remarkably liberal to the poor ; and whether the
circulation of the Holy Scriptures, the release of the
slave, the extension of education, or any other good work,
claimed his attention, he gave it in the genuine spirit of
Christian charity.
He peacefully departed this life the 1 6th of 8th month,
1845, in the ninety-third year of his age, and his remains
were interred in Friends' burial ground, Doncaster. His
second wife, Ellen, was also buried there. Deborah, his
first wife, was buried at Warnsworth.
Taken from the Annual Monitor of 1846, etc.
RICHARD COCKIN.
" His reverend head and patriarch form,
Long known and well remembered still ;
His heart so loving, large, and warm,—
Not even wintry age could chill !
" The cause of Christ to him so dear, —
To read of mission work gave birth,
With him, to joyfulness and prayer,
That it might reach the ends of earth."
William Ball.

PETER COLLINSON.
Born 1693— Died 1768 — Aged Seventy-five Years.
Engraving 3X2 in.
Peter Collinson, an ingenious botanist, was a great-
grandson of Peter Collinson, of Hugal Hall, near Winder
mere Lake, about ten miles from Kendal, in Westmore-

140 BIOGRAPHICAL. CATALOGUE.
land. " My friend" (says Dr. John Fothergill), " whilst a
youth, discovered his attachment to natural history ;'
insects, and their several metamorphoses, employed many
of those hours, which at his time of life are mostly spent
by others in very different pursuits. Plants likewise
engaged his attention ; he began early to make a
collection of dried specimens, and had access to the
best gardens at that time in the neighbourhood of
London." He had a brother James Collinson, with whom he
was in partnership, in a business that did not always
require their presence together. They lived in great
harmony, and reciprocally afforded to each other op
portunities for their respective pursuits. Both, however,
had a strong relish for horticulture and planting.
He became early acquainted with the first-rate naturalists
of that age ; the Drs. Derham, Woodward, Dale, Lloyd,
and, to name all in one, the great, Sir Hans Sloane, were
amongst his friends.
Peter Collinson was elected a Fellow of the Royal
Society on the 12th December, 1728, and perhaps
was one of the most diligent and useful members of
that respectable body, not only in supplying them with
many curious observations himself, but in promoting
and preserving a most extensive correspondence with
learned and ingenious foreigners in all countries, and
on every useful subject.
Besides his attention to natural history, he suffered
nothing useful in either art or science to escape him ;
he minuted every striking hint that occurred either in
reading or conversation.
He had an extensive correspondence with the ingenious
Cadwallader Colden, of New York, and the justly cele
brated Dr. Benjamin Franklin, of Philadelphia, who

PETER COLLINSON. 141
communicated his first " Essays on Electricity " to Collin
son " in a series of letters," which were published.
The great Linnaeus, at the time of his residence
in England, contracted an intimate friendship with Peter
Collinson ; which was reciprocally increased by a multi
tude of good offices, and continued to the last without
any diminution.
It was not, however, to Britain only that his benevolent
views were confined. As he took much pains to excite
a taste in the Americans for natural history, so he like
wise often prompted them to pursue improvements, alike
beneficial to themselves and to their mother country. He
often urged upon such of them as visited him the benefit,
nay necessity, of cultivating flax, hemp, wine, silk, and other
products. He would press the Virginians to bethink
themselves in time of a more permanent staple than a
plant whose consumption only depends on custom and
caprice. He was a member of the Society of Antiquarians
from its first institution, and supplied them often with
many curious articles of intelligence and observation,
respecting both our own and other countries. It was
a matter of wonder to many of his acquaintance that
he was not elected one of the Curators of the British
Museum. He was the first who introduced a variety of trees and
shrubs into gardens ; and he also procured valuable in
formation respecting the management of Spanish sheep.
Amidst these engagements he carried on the business
of a mercer in Gracechurch Street, London.
His person was rather short than tall ; he had a
pleasing and social aspect; of a temper open and
communicative, capable of feeling for distress, and ready
to relieve and sympathise. He rose very early, and

142 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
whilst in the country his time was almost continually
employed in his garden, observing and assisting the
operations of nature, or in the study of other parts
of physical knowledge, which contributed to his health
and his pleasure.
In general he enjoyed perfect health and great equality
of spirits, bearing those trials which are incident to man
with fortitude and resignation.
In such a course he arrived at his seventy- fifth year,
when, being on a visit to Lord Petre in Essex, for whom
he had a singular regard, he was seized with a complaint
which proved fatal on the nth of 8th month, 1768.
This account is taken from Dr. Fothergill's " Life of Collinson "
and other sources. For a list of P. Collinson' s papers, see the
Gentleman's Magazine and Smith's "Catalogue of Friends'
Books." One of the papers is an "Account of the Life of Dr.
William Stukeley, 1765."

WILLIAM COOKWORTHY.
Born 1705 — Died 1780 — Aged Seventy-five Years.
Photograph 6x4 in. from a Picture by Opie.
William Cookworthy was the son of William and
Edith Cookworthy, and was born at Kingsbridge, in
Devonshire, in the year 1705. His parents were
members of the Religious Society of Friends. The
father was a weaver and an industrious man, but left a
slender provision for his family when he died in 1 7 1 8.
On that event, his widow, with the help of her daughters,
betook herself to dressmaking for a maintenance.
At the age of fourteen William Cookworthy was bound
an apprentice to a chemist and druggist in London. His

WILLIAM COOKWORTHY.

143

means, however, were so scanty, that he made his way
to the metropolis on foot. He afterwards established
himself as a wholesale chemist and druggist in Nut Street,
Plymouth, under the firm of " Bevans and Cookworthy,"
and he continued to avail himself of every opportunity for
enriching his mind with the stores of science and polite
literature. The earlier part of his life, though within the bounds
of morality*, was spent at an apparent distance from the
principles in which he had been educated ; yet his
judgment seemed to have been early convinced of their
propriety and consistency with the Scriptures, as he was
often at this period called upon in various companies to
defend them.
In 1735 he was married to Sarah Berry, the youngest
of a large and respectable Somersetshire family. He
was a recorded Minister of the Society of Friends, though
his views were somewhat in accord with those of Emanuel
Swedenborg, between whom and himself there was a
personal friendship, especially on scientific subjects.
About 1755 William Cookworthy was the discoverer
of the Cornish china clay and stone, and thus became
the founder of the British Porcelain Manufacture about
1 760. China clay has become used to such an extent, that
it is calculated 85,000 tons of it are annually exported
from the pits in the hillsides of Cornwall, and more than
7,000 persons are employed in its production and
exportation. It is a soft adhesive substance, due to the
decomposition, in geologic ages, of granitic rocks, and when
properly purified resembles the kaolin of China, and is
admirably adapted for the manufacture of the best kinds
of pottery. It is said that the value of what is thus raised
each year amounts now to ^260,000.
William Cookworthy's attention was first drawn to the

144 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
existence of kaolin in other parts of the world besides
China by an American Friend, who had brought samples
of that material he had found, and was about to work, in
Virginia. The information thus given him aroused his
curiosity to see whether it could not also be found in his
own neighbourhood, and thus examining the country as
he rode through Cornwall, he found it in several parts,
especially on the property of Lord Camelford, who entered
so warmly into its use, that a China factory became
established for working it under a patent, and eventually
the manufacture was transferred to the potteries of
Staffordshire. William Cookworthy had the affliction to lose his wife
when the youngest of his five daughters was but a few
months old ; subsequently one of his elder daughters kept
her father's house, and by good management greatly
abated the cloud that this close bereavement had occa
sioned. The firm in which William Cookworthy was a
partner was originally " Bevans and Cookworthy," but
became in later years William Cookworthy and Co. ; for a
younger brother joined him whose business habits were of
the greatest service to the financial prosperity of the con
cern, for William Cookworthy's tastes were more towards
the scientific than the practical aspect of his business.
William Cookworthy took a lively interest in the work
of the Eddystone Lighthouse, and John Smeaton, its
engineer, was an inmate of his house during its progress.
He also entertained Captain Cook and his naturalist
companions, Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Solander, on their
embarkation on one of their voyages from Plymouth.
In an obituary notice in a provincial newspaper
William Cookworthy's character is thus described : —
" With strong natural talents, sanctified by the religion of
his Divine Master, full of love and goodwill to all mankind,

WILLIAM DILLWORTH CREWDSON.

145

he practically recommended the universal principle which
influenced his whole conduct. Simplicity and wisdom
were happily united in his character. The goodness of his
heart, the greatness of his understanding, the vivacity of
his manners, and his universal knowledge, rendered his
company and conversation useful, interesting, and pleasing."
A philosopher without pride, a Christian without
bigotry, he lived beloved by all who were favoured with
his friendship ; and after a life dedicated to the service
of Christianity, with an unshaken confidence in his
approaching felicity, having fought the good fight of faith,
he laid hold on eternal life, through Jesus Christ his
Saviour ; being favoured, whilst here, with an undoubted
evidence that he should be admitted into that kingdom
in which the saints in light rejoice for evermore.
In personal appearance William Cookworthy was a tall
and venerable figure, and wore, according to the custom of
the day, a bushy curly wig and three-cornered hat. His
countenance was mild, but intellectual, and he possessed
considerable conversational powers.
The foregoing account of William Cookworthy is taken from
" Relics of William Cookworthy, 1853," and from the " Memoir," by
his grandson, George Harrison, 1854, and other sources.

WILLIAM DILLWORTH CREWDSON,
THE ELDER.
Born 1774 — Died 185 1 — Aged Seventy-six Years.
No Portrait.
William Dillworth Crewdson was the son of Thomas
and Cicely Crewdson, and was born at Kendal, 26th of
1 2th month, 1774. 10

146 biographical catalogue.
He had his education at Jonathan Dalton's school.
He was possessed of superior abilities and much influence,
occupying a prominent position for many years in the
Society, and from the year 1815 to 1819 inclusive he was
clerk of the Yearly Meeting. His religious convictions
led him to regard the ordinances as of an obligatory
character, and he resigned his membership in the Society
the 23rd of 4th month, 1840. (See "Memorandum of
the Proceedings in Kendal Monthly Meeting.")
He died the 2nd of 4th month, 185 1, in the seventy-
seventh year of his age.

WILLIAM DILLWORTH CREWDSON,
THE YOUNGER.
Born 1799 — Died 1878 — Aged Seventy-nine Years.
Photograph 6x4 in.
William Dillworth Crewdson, of Helme Lodge,
Kendal, was the son of William Dillworth Crewdson, and
was born 12th of 9th month, in the year 1799. He was
educated by Josiah Forster at his establishment at South-
gate.and although in early life he withdrew from membership
in our Religious Society, he, to the last, cherished a warm
interest in its welfare. He entertained views at variance
with ours, more especially as regarded the ordinances of
Baptism and the Lord's Supper, yet he always maintained
the broadest evangelical views, and a communion of faith,
and a union of feeling with the members of every orthodox
denomination. " With all his deep sense of religion he
had the singularly powerful charm of social cheerfulness ;
he delighted to spread the rippling sunlight of happy

JAMES CROPPER. 147
pleasantry around him ; he knew nothing of the gloomy
austerity, assumed as religion, that would exclude the
brightness and beauty of God's gifts from man's enjoy
ments ; the ' be joyful ' of the Psalmist was to him a
precept and a privilege, and he made others feel the
same." To the poor and the infirm he was always a
welcome visitor, he sympathised deeply with them in
their trials and sufferings, ever feeling it a joy and a
privilege to assist and relieve them. ..." Though con
stantly remembering that with him ' the silver cord ' was
steadily loosening, the spirit of confidence and resignation
enabled him to say, ' He doeth all things well ; ' and
when the end came, he was found quite ready for the
great change, and bright in the hope and assurance of an
entrance being permitted into one of those glorious man
sions which our Saviour has prepared for all who love
Him." He died the 2nd of 12th month, 1878, in the eightieth
year of his age.
Taken chiefly from the British Friend, ist month, 1879.
For further particulars, see "A Short Memorial of William Dili-
worth Crewdson, from Memoranda written by his Wife and Others."

JAMES CROPPER.
Born 1763 — Died -1840 — Aged Sixty-seven Years.
Engraving 4x3 in. Silhouette 4x3 in.
JAMES CROPPER, of the Dingle, near Liverpool, was
well known throughout the Society of Friends, and
much beyond it, for his great benevolence and phi
lanthropy. Having retired, whilst still in the meridian

I48 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
and vigour of life, from the pursuits of commerce, in
which he had been actively engaged, he dedicated the
residue of his day to the service of his Creator, and
to the promotion of the good of his fellow-creatures.
His great exertions for the abolition of the slave trade
and slavery are well known ; he travelled extensively
in England and Ireland in this engagement. The amelio
ration of the condition of the poor, and the promotion of
education, were objects in which he also laboured much.
Amongst other plans for promoting education, he esta
blished and carried on, at his own expense, and also
under his immediate superintendence, a school in which
a number of orphan boys were brought up and educated,
and where labour was combined with instruction — thus
endeavouring, by practical demonstration, to show the
advantages of this system, and encourage its adoption in
other places. He was one of the original and most active
promoters and directors of the Liverpool and Manchester
Railway, and Smiles, in his " Life of George Stephenson,"
has told how the engineer felt the influence he exerted
on the energetic prosecution of the work amidst that
novel and arduous undertaking. His mind was one of
unusual vigour, and he possessed such power of rapid
calculation, that made his conclusions, even in intricate
mercantile transactions, seem to others as intuitive. In
his character, simple, single-hearted, and straightforward,
he lost self in the objects he had in view, and thus would
be perfectly unembarrassed as with spontaneous courtesy
he pressed their claims upon those high in authority, yet
withal there was great sensitiveness of feeling whether
sympathy for the sufferer or scorn for the wrong, and he
was a great lover of nature.
James Cropper was often engaged in recommending to
Friends the perusal and study of the journals and other

JAMES CROPPER. 1 49
works of the writers of the Society, and frequently ex
pressed the comfort and refreshment which he derived
from this practice. He was also earnestly concerned
that the views and practices of early Friends, with re
spect to moderation and simplicity, should be faith
fully maintained, and was, himself, even in the midst of
large possessions, a striking example thereof. He was
a man given to hospitality, and expended large sums in
charity, and assisting the poor in various ways. His only
daughter Eliza was married in 1834 to Joseph Sturge, of
Birmingham. He died at his house, at Fearnhead, near Warrington,
the 26th of 2nd month, 1840, aged 67 years.
This account is chiefly taken from the Irish Friend. For an
account of his publications see Joseph Smith's " Catalogue of
Friends' Books." " The friend of human kind !
And most of all, friend of the slave
That in his fetters pined :
The slave whose cause so long employ' d
His pen, his heart, his mind !
" Not e'en his railway triumph * him
Delighted like success,
Of any effort for the slave
Or prospect of redress ;
Well might the negro's ear that heard
His name, so honour'd bless !
" Nor to the negro were confined
His cares. In England, too,
The public mind he sought to reach
By pattern, in its view,
Of school industrial, that might move
The example to pursue." William Ball.
* The Liverpool and Manchester Railway.

150 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
PAUL CUFFE\
Born 1759 — Died 1817 — Aged Fifty-eight Years.
Silhouette 3x2 in.
PAUL Cuffe was the youngest son of John Cuffe, a
native of Africa, who, by his great intelligence and in
dustry, succeeded in acquiring his freedom. Paul was the
youngest of his ten children, and was born on Cutter-
hunker, one of the Elizabeth Islands, near New Bedford,
in the year 1759 ; so that when his father died he was
about fourteen years of age, at which time he had learnt
but little more than the letters of the alphabet. The land
which his father had left behind him proving unproductive,
afforded but little provision for the numerous family, so
that the care of supporting his mother and sisters devolved
jointly on himself and his brothers. Thus he laboured
under great disadvantages, being deprived of the means
and opportunity for acquiring even the rudiments of good
education. He was not, however, easily to be dis
couraged, and found opportunities of improving himself
in various ways, and cultivating his mind. Having never
received the benefits of an education, the knowledge he
possessed was obtained entirely by his own indefatigable
exertions and the little assistance which he occasionally
received from persons who were friendly disposed towards
him. Aided by these means, he soon learned to read and
write, and he also attained to a considerable proficiency
in arithmetic and skill in navigation ; and we may form
some estimate of the natural talent with which he was
endowed for the speedy reception of learning, from the
fact, that with the assistance of a friend, he acquired
such a knowledge of the latter science in the short space

PAUL CUFFE.

ISl

of two weeks, as enabled him to command the vessel
in the voyages which he subsequently made to this
country, to Russia, to Africa, and to the West Indies, as
well as to several different ports in the southern section
of the United States.
He had three brothers, who were respectable farmers
in the neighbourhood ofWestport, United States, America,
The mind of Paul, however, was early inclined to the
pursuits of commerce, conceiving that they furnished to
industry more ample rewards than agriculture, and con
scious that he. possessed qualities which, under proper
culture, would enable him to pursue commercial employ
ments with prospects of success. He entered, at the
age of sixteen, as a sailor on board a vessel destined
to the Bay of Mexico, on a whaling expedition. His
second voyage was to the West Indies ; but on his third,
which was during the American War, about the year
1776, he was captured by a British ship. After three
months' detention as a prisoner at New York, he was
permitted to return home to Westport, where, owing to
the unfortunate continuance of hostilities, he spent about
two years in agricultural pursuits. During this interval,
Paul and his brother, John Cuffe, were called on by the
collector of the district in which they resided for the
payment of a personal tax. It appeared to them, that
by the laws of the constitution of Massachusetts, taxation
and the whole rights of citizenship were united. If the
laws demanded of them the payment of personal taxes,
the same laws must necessarily and constitutionally invest
them with the rights of representing, and being repre
sented, in the State legislature. But they had never
been considered as entitled to the privilege of voting
at elections, or of being elected to places of trust and
honour. Under these circumstances, they refused to

152 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
comply. The collector resorted to the force of the
laws ; and after many delays and vexations, Paul and
his brother deemed it most prudent to silence the suit
by payment of the demands, which were only small ;
but they resolved, if it were possible, to obtain the
rights which they believed to be connected with taxa
tion. In pursuance of this resolution, they presented
a respectful petition to the State legislature, which met
with a warm and almost indignant opposition from
some in authority. A considerable majority, however,
perceiving the propriety and justice of the petition
were favourable to the object, and, with an honourable
magnanimity, in defiance of the prejudice of the times,
a law was enacted by them rendering all free persons
of colour liable to taxation according to the ratio
established for white men, and granting them all the
privileges belonging to other citizens. This was a day
equally honourable to the petitioners and to the legisla
ture, a day in which justice and humanity triumphed
over prejudice and oppression, and a day which ought
to be gratefully remembered by every person of colour
within the boundaries of Massachusetts ; and the names
of John and Paul Cuffe" should always be united with its
recollection. Paul, when about twenty years of age, laid before
his brother David a plan for opening a commercial
intercourse with the state of Connecticut. His brother
was pleased with the prospect, and they built an open
boat and proceeded to sea. David, having fears, resolved
to return. This disappointment was a trial to a young
man of Paul's adventurous spirit, but he was affectionate,
and therefore submitted, and returned to his farm. He
again made another effort, went to sea, and lost all the
little treasure he had gathered. The necessity of aiding

PAUL CUFFE. 153
his mother and family renewed his efforts, and with his
own hands he formed and completed a boat. He launched
his boat, and as he was steering for one of the Elizabeth
islands he was discovered by refugee pirates, who seized
both him and his vessel. Robbed of everything, he
returned home penniless.
He afterwards, by judicious plans, and diligence in
their execution, gradually increased his property. In
1806 he owned a ship, two brigs, and several small
vessels, besides considerable property in houses and lands.
He joined the Society of Friends, and became a
Minister amongst them.
Paul Cuffif, with his brig Traveller, navigated by
eight men of colour, came to England. He arrived at
Liverpool in the 8th month, 181 1, and the crew, during
their stay, " were remarkable for their good conduct
and proper behaviour ; and the greatest cordiality ap
peared to prevail amongst them." His object in thus
coming to England was to open a trade between that
country and Sierra Leone, which he deemed might lead
persons of colour in America coming over to settle
there, and thus promote the civilisation of the native
population. He was warmly seconded in these views
by the friends of Africa in this country, and was William
Allen's guest at Plough Court whilst he was in London.
He often attended our meetings for worship, and his
vocal offerings there were acceptable to his friends, from
whom he parted with affectionate farewells, having, in
his desire thus to aid his brethren, left a wife and eight
children, and a profitable business, and this at the risk
of his person and property.
Paul Cuffe for the ensuing six years pursued this great
object of his life with much energy, amid various difficulties
and discouragements.

154 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
In 1 8 17 he was seized with a complaint which proved
fatal. During his illness, which continued half a year,
the subject of ameliorating the condition of his race
continued deeply impressed on his mind.
He died in 1 8 1 7, in the fifty-ninth year of his age.
Extracted from Armistead's "Tribute for the Negro," and other
sources. The following extract from an American paper affords
an additional testimony to the character of this excellent
man : —
" Died, at Westport, on the 1 7th inst, PAUL CUFFE,
a very respectable man of colour, in the fifty-ninth
year of his age. A descendant of Africa, he over
came, by native strength of mind, and firm adherence
to principle, the prejudices with which her descendants
are too generally viewed. Industrious, temperate, and
prudent, his means of acquiring property, small at first,
were gradually increased, and the strict integrity of his
conduct gained him more numerous friends, to whom he
never gave occasion to regret the confidence they had
placed in him. His mercantile pursuits were generally
successful ; and blessed with competence, if not with
wealth, the enlarged benevolence of his mind was mani
fested not only in acts of charity to individuals, and
in the promotion of objects of general utility, but more
particularly in the deep, interest which he felt for the
welfare of his brethren of the African race. He was
concerned not only to set them a good example by
his own correct conduct ; to admonish and counsel
them against the vices and habits to which he found
them most prone, but more extensively to promote
their welfare ; and at considerable sacrifice of property
he three times visited the colony of Sierra Leone, and

PAUL CUFFE. 155
after the voyage thither went to England, where he
was much noticed by the members of the African In
stitution, who conferred with him on the best means
of extending the benefits of civilisation to the people
of Africa, and some of whom have since expressed their
satisfaction in his pious labours in the colony, believing
them to have been productive of much usefulness to
that settlement.
" Grave, humble, and unassuming in his deportment, he
was remarkable for great civility and sound discretion.
Through several months of severe affliction he was
preserved in much Christian patience, fortitude, and
resignation ; feeling entire confidence in that grace
which had been vouchsafed to him in life, and by which,
through faith and obedience, he felt a comfortable hope
of admittance into peace and rest. He has left a widow
and several children to lament the loss of an affectionate
husband and parent.
" Many of his neighbours and friends evinced their re
spect for his memory by attending his funeral (which was
conducted agreeably to the usage of the Society of
Friends, of which he was a member) ; and at which
several lively testimonies were borne to the truth, that the
Almighty Parent has ' made of one blood all the nations
of .men, and that in every nation he that feareth Him, and
worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him.' "
Paul Cuffd's personal appearance was thus described in
a newspaper of the time : —
" Captain Cuffe" is of a very pleasing countenance, and
his physiognomy truly interesting ; he is both tall and
stout, speaks English well, and dresses in the Quaker
style, in a drab-coloured suit, and wears a large flapped
white hat."

156 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
WILLIAM CURTIS, F.L.S.
Born 1746 — Died 1799 — Aged Fifty- three Years.
Engraving 5x4 in.
William Curtis, an eminent botanist, was born at Alton,
in Hampshire, in 1746. At the age of fourteen he was
bound apprentice to his grandfather, an apothecary at Alton,
and appears to have first acquired a particular taste for
botany from an acquaintance in humble life, the ostler of
an adjoining inn, who had studied various popular
herbals. Some more systematic works falling in his way
soon after, instilled into his apt and ardent mind principles
of method and of Linnsean philosophy, which neither his
original preceptor, nor the books he studied, could ever
have taught. At the age of twenty Mr. Curtis came to
London in order to finish his medical education, and to
seek an establishment in the profession to which he was
destined. He was associated with Joseph Talwin, of
Gracechurch Street (a member of the Society of Friends,
and at that time in considerable medical practice), to
whose business he at length succeeded ; but not without
having from time to time received many reproofs and
warnings respecting the interference of his botanical
pursuits with the more obviously advantageous ones of
his profession. Nor were these warnings without cause.
The street-walking duties of a city practitioner but ill
accorded with the wild excursions of a naturalist ; the
apothecary was soon swallowed up in the botanist, and
the shop exchanged for a garden. Mr. Curtis, therefore,
became a lecturer on the principles of natural science, and
a demonstrator of practical botany. His pupils frequented
his garden, studied in his library, and followed him into

WILLIAM CURTIS, F.L.S. 1 57
the fields in his herborising excursions. His first garden
was situated at Bermondsey ; afterwards he occupied a
more extensive one at Lambeth Marsh, which he finally
exchanged for a more salubrious and commodious spot
at Brompton. This last garden he continued to cultivate
till his death.
Mr. Curtis was very early led to combine the study of
insects and their metamorphoses with that of plants, and
his various gardens were furnished with accommodations
for this pursuit. Hence he became an author, his first
publication being a pamphlet, entitled " Instructions for
Collecting and Preserving Insects, particularly Moths and
Butterflies ; Illustrated with a Copper-plate," printed in
1 77 1. In the following year he published a translation
of the " Fundamental Entomologiae " of Linnaeus, entitled
" An Introduction to the Knowledge of Insects," many
valuable additions being subjoined to the original treatise.
These two pamphlets have contributed, more than any
similar works, to diffuse a knowledge of scientific ento
mology in England, and to engraft on the illiterate,
illiberal stock of mere collectors, a race of enlightened
and communicative observers of nature, who no longer
hoard up unique specimens and selfish acquisitions, but
contribute their discoveries and their experience for the
benefit of the agriculturist, the manufacturer, or the
physician. The celebrity which these publications procured for
their author was soon altogether eclipsed by what arose
from his botanical labours, which have placed him in
the very first rank of English writers in that department
of science. In 1777 appeared the first number of his
Flora Londinensis, containing six folio plates, with a page
or more of letterpress, consisting of a description in Latin
and English, with synonyms of each plant, and copious

158 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
remarks on its history, uses, qualities, and the insects it
nourishes. Each -number was sold at half-a-crown plain,
five shillings coloured ; and some copies, finished with
extraordinary care, were sold at seven shillings and
sixpence. The first artist employed in making the draw
ings for this work was Mr. Kilburn, who used a camera
obscura for the purpose ; his sketches were shaded with
Indian ink before the colours were laid on. The per
formances of this artist have not been excelled in any
similar work. When, from other engagements, Mr. Kilburn
was obliged to relinquish his task, Mr. Sowerby was em
ployed, and maintained undiminished the perfection of the
figures. After him, Mr. Sydenham Edwards was engaged
by Mr. Curtis, with no less credit, both in this publication
and the Botanical Magazine, hereafter mentioned. Of the
plates of the Flora Londinensis too much cannot be said ;
their beauty and botanical accuracy are alike eminent,
and it is only to be regretted that the manufactory of
paper, as well as the typographical art, were in so de
graded a state when this book first appeared. For this
its author cannot be responsible, nor are these defects of
any moment in the eyes of learned or scientific readers,
to whom the work in question, independent of its excellent
figures, ranks next to Ray's " Synopsis " in original merit
and authority upon English plants. It may be added,
that the works of Curtis have tended, more than any other
publications of their day, to give that tone of urbanity and
liberality to the science, which every subsequent writer of
good character has observed. Wherever their author
swerved in any degree from this candour, which was
very seldom, and not perhaps without provocation, it was
always to his own loss ; and he was thus led into some of
the very few mistakes that he has committed.
The Flora Londinensis was extended to six fasciculi, of

WILLIAM CURTIS, F.L.S. 1 59
seventy-two plates each, and ten years after the beginning
of it Mr. Curtis undertook a new publication, the Botanical
Magazine, a work whose sale has been extensive beyond
all former examples, and which is in every respect worthy
of its author. No book has more diffused a taste for un
sophisticated nature and science. It rewarded its con
triver with pecuniary emolument as well as with merited
celebrity, and is still continued with unabated utility. It
is designed to be a general repository of garden plants,
whether previously figured or not in other works ; but it
has often had the advantage of giving entire novelties to
the public.
In 1782 Mr. Curtis published a history of the brown-
tailed moth, an insect confounded by Linnaeus under his
Phalcena Chrysorrhoea. The design of this pamphlet was
to allay the alarm which had been excited in the country
round the metropolis by an extraordinary abundance of
the caterpillars of this moth, and which was so great, that
the parish officers offered rewards for collecting these
caterpillars, and attended in form to see them burnt by
bushels at a time. It was one of those popular alarms
which every now and then arise among the ignorant
multitude, and which vanish before the first ray of common
sense. When the natural history of the insect was in
quired into, and compared with that of others, no cause
for any great apprehension could be discerned ; and,
indeed, the subsequent years were not more abundant
in this species than usual.
Besides the above works, Mr. Curtis published " Practical
Observations on the British Grasses," in 8vo ; his truly
praiseworthy aim being to direct the farmer to a know
ledge and discrimination of the species, and their qualities.
He also from time to time printed catalogues of his
garden. He was induced, by the unfortunate alarm

l6o BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
which he conceived at the publication of " English
Botany," an apparently rival work, to put forth dimi
nished figures in 8vo of his great flora ; but these met
with no approbation nor success, and were soon discon
tinued. His " Lectures on Botany," rendered needlessly
expensive by superfluous coloured plates, have appeared
since his death ; but for this publication he is not respon
sible. Two admirable entomological papers of Mr. Curtis
are found in the " Transactions of the Linnasan Society,"
of which society he was one of the original fellows. The
first of these is an account of the Silpha Grisea and Cur-
culio Lapathi, two coleopterous insects very destructive to
willows. The other paper is intended to show that the
Aphides, or lice of plants, are " the sole cause of the honey-
dew," a new theory on the subject, and perfectly just, as
far as concerns the most common kind of honey-dew.
This paper was digested by the president from the un
finished materials of its author, and communicated to the
society after his death, which happened on the 7th of
July, 1799, after he had for near a twelvemonth laboured
under a disease in the chest, supposed to be of a dropsical
nature, but which was rather, perhaps, an organic affection
of the heart, or of the great vessels immediately connected
with it. His remains were interred at Battersea Church.
He left behind him the character of an honest, friendly
man, a lively and entertaining companion, and a good
master. He was ever ready to encourage and assist
beginners in his favourite science, and always endeavoured
to render that science as attractive as possible.
Chalmer's " Biographical Dictionary," vol. xi., 1813, 8vo.

JOHN DALTON, D.C.L., LL.D. • I5I
JOHN DALTON, D.C.L., LL.D., Edin.; F.R.S.
Born 1766 — Died 1844 — Aged Seventy-eight Years.
Engraving 10x8 in.
JOHN DALTON was born at Eaglesfield, in Cumberland,
on the 5th of the 9th month, 1766. His father, Joseph
Dalton, lived there on a small patrimonial inheritance,
and had but limited means to employ in the education
of his children ; and beyond the attendance at a school,
until he was twelve years of age, kept by a Friend in the
neighbourhood, of the name of Fletcher, he appears to
have had but little assistance in his early studies. Very
soon after leaving school, before he was thirteen years of
age, he commenced keeping a school on his own account,
and at intervals assisted his father on the farm. He may
be said to have been a self-educated man, for at this time
he pursued, with great perseverance, and under no common
difficulties, several branches of learning, especially mathe
matics. In 1 78 1 he removed to Kendal, and was engaged
as a teacher in a Friends' school there, which had been
for a considerable time distinguished for mathematical
instruction. The ancient and several modern languages,
as well as natural philosophy, formed a part of the course
of instruction in this school. John Gough, who, though
blind from his infancy, was become an eminent mathe
matician, had been educated in it, and resided at Kendal ;
and John Dalton had the advantage of his acquaintance.
After some time he united with his elder brother
Jonathan, who was also a schoolmaster, in conducting a
seminary at Kendal, and he continued engaged in it till
the year 1793, when, through the assistance of his friend
Gough, he procured the situation of Professor of Mathe-
1 1

1 62 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
matics and Natural Philosophy in the New College at
Manchester. Here, no doubt, he pursued, under favour
able circumstances, those investigations into the laws of
matter, which led to his future eminence as a philosopher,
and in particular to the discovery of what is called the
Atomic theory, which has proved of such essential service
to natural science, and especially in the practical applica
tion of chemistry to the useful arts. This discovery first
presented itself to his mind in the year 1803 or 1804,
and in 1807 he developed his views in lectures before
the two Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and at
the Royal Institution, in London, in 1804 and 18 10.
After the publication of his new system, 1 808, his
scientific reputation may be said to have been established.
He visited, in the succeeding years, most of the large
towns of England, in which, by public lectures and other
wise, he explained his views. In 1 8 1 7 he was elected
President of the Literary and Philosophical Society of
Manchester, which office he filled to his death. Learned
Societies at home and abroad appeared to vie with each
other in expressions of respect for his knowledge and
talents ; and the disposition to honour him was no doubt
encouraged by the unaffected simplicity of his character.
His services to science were acknowledged by Govern
ment by a pension of .£150 per annum, which was
afterwards raised to £300, on which well-deserved ac
knowledgment, and on the fruit of his intellectual labours,
he lived in affluence and contentment.
John Dalton was distinguished throughout life by great
industry and regularity. He was a most exact observer
of meteorological facts. His record of observations was
commenced in the year 1788, and was continued, on an
average, at least three times a day, for the remainder
of his life, during which it is said he recorded 200,000 of

JOHN DALTON, D.C.L., LL.D. 1 63
these observations. The last entry was made by his
tremulous hand on the evening preceding his death.
The subject of this memoir was, in a remarkable
degree, a plain, simple man; his dress, deportment,
manner of life, and his mode of pursuing investigations,
were all distinguished by these characteristics. His
pecuniary resources, in the earlier and middle part of
his life, were very limited, but his outlay was always
conformed to them. He was equally free from a
mercenary spirit, and the desire for indulgence and
display. Those experiments which led to such important
results were made with the most simple apparatus, often
at the cost of a few shillings, where many others would
have expended pounds. His proceedings in the investiga
tion of nature were in accordance with her own great
laws ; he attained the greatest ends by the simplest
means. Of his discoveries he made no ostentatious
display, and never attempted to secure to himself any
patent privilege or benefit. The advancement of science,
not the accumulation of wealth, he kept steadily before
him, and whatever he knew he communicated. He often
made experiments for his friends, of the greatest im
portance to the economy or perfection of chemical pro
cesses connected with the arts and manufactures at the
most trifling charge, when the knowledge communicated
was of large pecuniary value to the parties. It is,
however, right to add, that these not unfrequently dis
charged the small demand by a manifold sum. This
absence of sordid feeling was united to a great love
of truth in morals as well as science, which was pro
bably the basis of his simplicity, and of the beautiful
harmony and consistency of his character through life.
A student is said to have applied to him for a certificate
of attendance at his course of lectures, who had been

164 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
absent from one of them : " No," said Dalton, " I
cannot give thee a certificate, as thou hast not attended
the whole course ; but if thou wilt come in the morning,
I will give thee the lecture thou hast missed."
John Dalton was never married ; he lived the greatest
part of his time in lodgings, much valued and esteemed
by those who ministered to him, as well as by a con
siderable circle of friends, who honoured him not only
for his talents, but also for his high integrity, disinterested
ness, and genuine kindness. Though his religious feelings
and sentiments were not prominent, there is reason to
believe that they exercised an important influence on
his conduct, and were, to a considerable degree, the
groundwork of his high moral character. His attend
ance at Friends' meetings for religious worship was
regular to the close of his life. Assisted by two of his
friends, on account of his weakness, he took his seat
on the First-day preceding his death ; this was from
paralysis, and occurred in 1844, after several previous
attacks, and when he was 78 years of age.

On the information of his decease being circulated
great interest was excited. The question appeared to
be how the greatest honour could be paid to the de
parted man as a philosopher, and how the occasion
could be made most to stimulate the pursuits of science,
by the high homage which should be paid to the remains
of its successful cultivator. Surely it was a time when
the comparative littleness of art and science might have
been taught, when the highest ends of human life might
have been learned at the simple grave of the Christian
philosopher. It was,, however, concluded, to the regret of many of

JOHN DALTON, D.C.L., LL.D. 165
his friends, to make the funeral a public one. " It was
the funeral of the man whom Manchester delighted to
honour. In the solemn pomp of the lying-in-state in the
town hall, in the imposing procession to the Ardwick
cemetery, and the ceremonial of the interment of the
remains, the characteristic plainness of the departed, and
that simplicity which springs from the Christian principles
which he had professed throughout his long life, appear
to us to have been violated ; the arts of human pride
were made conspicuous, where, in reality, all the loftiness
of man was laid low. His funeral, conducted after the
simple but solemn order of his own people, would, we
think, have presented a scene far more touching as well
as more teaching ; and, we venture to add, that to our
view of the grandeur of moral and Christian truth, it
would have been far more sublime."
By his will John Dalton has bequeathed to Eaglesfield
and Bethel School £50, to Friends' School at Wigton
£300, and to Ackworth, the general meetings of which,
he states, he had attended with much interest for twenty
years, £500.
This account is from the Annual Monitor for 1845. A Memoir of
Dr. Dalton was published by W. C. Henry, M.D., London, 1854.
There is also one by Dr. Angus Smith, 1856.
Dr. R. Angus Smith thus describes Dalton's mode of
life while living with the family of the Rev. W. Johns, of
George Street, Manchester, with whom Dalton continued
to reside for twenty-six years. " He rose at about eight
o'clock in the morning ; if in winter, went with his
lantern in his hand to his laboratory, lighted the fire, and
came over to breakfast when the family had nearly done.
Went to the laboratory and stayed till dinner-time, coming
in a hurry when it was" n earl y over, eating moderately and
drinking water only. Went out again, and returned about

1 66 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
five o'clock to tea, still in a hurry, when the rest were
finishing. Again to his laboratory till nine o'clock, when
he returned to supper, after which he and Mr. Johns smoked
a pipe, and the whole family seems much to have enjoyed
this time of conversation and recreation after the busy day."
John Dalton was of middle stature, of vigorous muscular
frame, inclined to much bodily exercise, and was almost
unrivalled as a pedestrian. His portrait was several
times painted, and is to be seen in one or two of the
public institutions of Manchester. There was also a bust
executed by Chantrey, now in the Royal Institution of
that city, from which the likeness for his statue in front of
the infirmary is taken. The form of the forehead and the
upper part of the face have been considered by good
judges of physiognomy to present great resemblance to
that of Sir Isaac Newton. In John Griscom's " Year in
Europe," 1818, vol. i., p. 44, occurs a notice of the Man
chester philosopher : — " We were conducted to the rooms
of John Dalton, so well known for his acute and extensive
researches in chemical science. We found the philosopher
at his desk, surrounded by his books, his boxes, and his
apparatus, chemical and philosophical, all in 'delightful
confusion.' He is a member of the Society of Friends ;
of plain unaffected manners, and highly esteemed in social
life. His apparatus is very simple, and chiefly employed
in experiments of research. So profound have been his
investigations, and so high is his reputation as a chemist
and mathematician, that the Literary and Philosophical
Society have elected him their President ; and he has
been chosen an honorary member of the Academy of
Science of Moscow and of the Royal Institute of France."

JOAN DANT. 167
JOAN DANT.
Born 1631 — Died 171 5 — Aged Eighty-four Years.
No Portrait.
THE husband of Joan Dant was a working weaver, living
in Spitalfields, and died many years before his wife,
leaving but little provision for her support. She appears to
have been a person of great resolution and independence
of mind, as well as strong and active in body. On be
coming a widow she determined to use her best exertions
to provide for herself, without being burthensome to others.
After some deliberation, she concluded to take up the
occupation of a pedlar or hawker ; and with this object in
view she provided herself with a well-selected assortment
of mercery, hosiery, and haberdashery, and other small
wares, and set off on her travels with her merchandise at
her back. Her conduct as a Friend appears to have been
consistent and her manners agreeable ; and being furnished
with recommendations to many persons in London and its
vicinity, she met with much encouragement in the disposal
of her goods. Good shops, particularly in country places,
were but few, and far between, so that her periodical visits
were generally welcomed, especially by the female members
of those families which she called upon ; and she not only
disposed of her goods to advantage, but to the houses and
tables of many Friends she was a welcome guest.
Her agreeable demeanour, and her well-assorted stock
of goods, increased her recommendations, until she might
be seen with her pack traversing a circuit of many miles
round the metropolis, principally calling at the houses of
the affluent, as those who could best afford to pay a good
price. She followed this laborious occupation for some

1 68 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
years, not only with satisfaction to her customers, but to
her own pecuniary advantage. It appears that afterwards
she engaged more in a wholesale trade, if not as a manu
facturer, of Spitalfields goods ; and her mercantile transac
tions were not confined to a home trade, but even extended
to places on the continent, as some debts due from her
correspondents at Paris and at Brussels appear in her
executors' account. It is believed that she continued to
follow business for the greater part of her latter years, and
she lived in the same frugal manner, if not in the same
house as she had occupied with her husband in his life
time. Her expenses being very small, and her savings
invested from time to time in profitable securities of
different kinds, her property in course of years accumulated
to a considerable amount, without the world being at all
aware of her prosperity.
When far advanced in life, Joan applied to a Friend
whom she knew to come and assist her in making her
will. To this request the Friend very readily consented,
thinking that Joan might have, perhaps, a few hundred
pounds to bequeath. When, however, he learned the
amount of her funds, he shrunk from the responsibility
of the task, and recommended her to call in three or four
Friends of greater experience than himself. When the
Friends met they inquired of Joan how she wished to
dispose of her property, to which she replied, " I got it by
the rich, and I mean to leave it to the poor." This was
probably a year and a half before her death. She died
on the 29th of 9th month, 171 5, at the age of 84 years,
and was buried in Friends' burial ground, Bunhill Fields.
The will is dated in 1 7 1 4, and a codicil is added in
the following year. By these documents she appoints
John Freame, Samuel Waldenfield, and Silvanus Grove,
and afterwards (on the death of Samuel Waldenfield)

JOAN DANT. j69
Peter Briggins and William Wragg, as her executors,
besides the following Friends, " overseers " of her will ;
viz., George Whitehead, Thomas Cooper, Thomas Pitstowe,
Thomas Gould, and Thomas (?) Eccleston. Some of these
were conspicuous characters in the Society of Friends at
that time.
Her whole property was somewhat above £9,000.
She bequeathed various sums to relations, executors, and
to intimate friends, also to the poor of several parishes ;
viz., Shoreditch, Spitalfields, Bethnal Green, and White-
chapel. She then leaves certain sums to her " living
friends" — her executors and overseers — to be disposed of
to the Six Weeks, Monthly, and other Meetings in London,
etc. She then directs that the remainder of her estate (about
half), after payment of these legacies, should be laid out
for a yearly income, to be disposed of by her executors
and overseers to such poor Friends, in London and else
where, as they, or the major part of them, shall see meet,
'' without being accountable to any meeting of Friends, or
any person or persons whatsoever, for the same ; and that,
when any of the executors or overseers shall die, the major
part of the survivors shall, from time to time, choose others
in their room."
The overplus and remainder thus left was invested in
different securities, some of which have been, in course of
years, advantageously changed for others, and the income
so arising (which is about ^500) is distributed by nine
trustees, as successors of those originally appointed, in
sums not exceeding £2 per annum to one poor Friend or
family ; and the trustees meet in London once or twice a
year to check each other's distribution.
Extracted from British Friend, vol. ii., 1844.
In the letter which Joan Dant addressed to her executors, she

170 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
observes: " It is the Lord that creates true industry in His people,
and that blesseth their endeavours in obtaining things necessary and
convenient for them which are to be used in moderation by all His
flock and family everywhere. The Lord is also rich and open-handed
to all that love the truth ; and we are called of God, not unto speech
only and profession of the truth, but also unto good works, that as
God has abounded in His providence unto us-ward both spiritually
and temporally, we also might evidence our thankfulness unto Him
in our liberality to those that want," etc., etc.

GEORGE DILLWYN.
Born 1738 — Died 1821 — Aged Eighty-one Years.
Engraving 7x4 in.
George Dillwyn was of Burlington, New Jersey, and
born in Philadelphia on the 26th of 2nd month, 1738
(U.S.). His parents were members of the Society of
Friends. He was at an early period of life deprived of his father,
but the loss was supplied in the qualification of his
surviving parent, who, judiciously retaining her affectionate
influence upon his youthful mind, watched over him with
maternal tenderness.
George Dillwyn was engaged for some years in mercan
tile pursuits, but these ended in disappointment and loss.
These outward trials were productive of a blessed effect
upon him, and after many preparatory conflicts, he was
called to the ministry of the Word about the twenty-eighth
year of his age.
On the 1 6th of the 1 oth month, 1759, George Dillwyn
was married to Sarah, the daughter of Richard and
Deborah Hill. In her early years her parents had quitted
America, and settled in Madeira, leaving her behind in
her native land. Her union with George Dillwyn was a

GEORGE DILLWYN.

171

remarkably happy one, exhibiting, until old age, one con
tinuous interchange of affectionate attentions. Their
residence after marriage was at Green Bank, Burlington,
New Jersey, and in the year 1770 an excellent sister,
Margaret Morris, a sorrowful widow and her four children,
became the joint occupants of their house. In the year
1776, George Dillwyn being some hundred miles from
home, and engaged in the service of the Gospel, the
closely attached sisters were placed in perilous circum
stances by the Revolutionary War. Their lonely situation,
without a male protector, made no small appeal upon
their courage, and their confidence in the support of the
unfailing arm. The frequent alarms, uncertainty even as
to personal safety, and great outward privations, were, as
usual in such awful times, the marked features of the day.
On the 28th of 12th month, 1776, the weather,
which had been unfavourable, clearing up in the after
noon, several boats were observed with soldiers and their
baggage making up to the wharf. As she looked at them,
Margaret Morris thought she saw one who was not strange
to her, and taking a nearer view, found it was the well-
known face of her beloved brother George Dillwyn. Her
kindred heart bade him welcome, though the joy at meeting
him was checked by the prospect before and around them.
In 1784 the sisters separated, George Dillwyn going to
England and taking his wife with him.
On the 25 th of 4th month George and Sarah
Dillwyn embarked at Newcastle in the ship Commerce,
the former having a concern to make a religious visit to
Great Britain, Ireland, and other parts of Europe. They
landed at Gravesend the 28 th of the 5 th month, in time
to attend part of the Yearly Meeting.
In the year 1788 George Dillwyn, Sarah Grubb, and
Mary Dudley were united in religious service on the con-

172 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE
tinent of Europe, Sarah Dillwyn and Robert Grubb being
their companions. This visit, of which account is given in
Sarah Grubb's letters, was the means of gathering the
little companies of German friends at Minden, Pyrmont,
etc. After visiting many other places in Great Britain,
Ireland, and the continent of Europe, George Dillwyn and
his wife and Samuel Smith returned to America. Rebecca
Jones notes, respecting them, under date 14th of the 10th
month, 1 79 1, that she, with others, met them on the
wharf at Philadelphia, and that it was a " joyously melting
season ; " adding, that for this favour she was truly
thankful to the Father of Mercies.
It may be as well now to give a summary reference
to his extensive labours in the Gospel, not only in his
own country, but also in Great Britain, Ireland, Holland,
Germany, and the south of France. His first visit to
Europe occupied about seven years. He then returned to
his native land for two years, and in the spring of 1793,
being accompanied by his wife, he again proceeded to
Great Britain (crossing the ocean without a single storm),
where he continued for nine years, labouring, as he was
favoured with ability, for the good of the churches, until,
in 1802, he finally quitted Europe, and again settled at
Burlington in New Jersey, North America, remaining
there until the close of his long and devoted life, the
latter part of which was passed in much retirement,
seldom going from home, except on short journeys.
He died 23rd of 6th month, 1820, in the eighty-second
year of his age ; and his remains were interred in Friends'
burial ground in Burlington.
For an account of his writings see Joseph Smith's " Catalogue,"
vol. i.
For further interesting particulars concerning this Friend, see

GEORGE DILLWYN.

173

"Gathered Fragments," briefly illustrative of the life of George
Dillwyn, 1858. Edited by Ann Alexander, of Ipswich.
TO THE MEMORY OF THE LATE GEORGE DILLWYN,
OF BURLINGTON, U.S.
" Fully ripe, like the ear of the reaper,
He met the pale messenger's word ;
Oh ! sweet is the sleep of the sleeper
That rests in the name of the Lord.
" He slumbers at length with his fathers,
Secure from the tempests of time ;
For the storm that on earth often gathers
Is unknown in the heavenly clime.
" They have placed the cold earth oh his ashes, —
They have given him up to the tomb ;
But the light of his virtues still flashes,
The pathway of truth to illume.
" He is dead, but his memory still liveth ;
He is gone, — his example is here ;
And the lustre and fragrance it giveth
Shall linger for many a year.
" He stood in the strength of his weakness,
With the snows of long years on his head ;
And sublime, with a patriarch's meekness,
The Gospel of Jesus he spread.
" The path of the faithful he noted ;
In the way of the humble he trod ;
And his life was with ardour devoted
To the cause of religion and God."
M. O.
"Miscellaneous Extracts." By David Holt. Second edition,
Manchester, 1839, p. 207.

174 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
WILLIAM DILLWYN.
Born 1743 — Died 1824 — Aged Eighty-one Years.
No Portrait.
William Dillwyn was born in America, and was a
pupil of Anthony Benezet, who took pains very early
to interest his feelings on the subject of slavery and
the slave trade. Benezet employed him occasionally,
in a friendly manner, as his amanuensis, to copy his
manuscripts for publication, as well as several of his
letters written in behalf of the cause. This gave his
scholar an insight into the subject, who, living besides
in the land where both the slave trade and slavery were
established, obtained an additional knowledge of them,
so as to be able to refute many of those objections to
which others, for want of local observation, could never
have replied.
In the year 1772 Anthony Benezet introduced William
Dillwyn, by letter, to several of the principal people of
Carolina, with whom he had himself before corresponded
on the sufferings of the poor Africans, and desired him
to have interviews with them on the subject. He charged
him also to be very particular in making observations
as to what he should see there. This journey was of
great use to the latter in fixing him as the friend of
these oppressed people, for he saw so much of their
cruel treatment in the course of it, that he felt an anxiety
ever afterwards, amounting to a duty, to do everything
in his power for their relief.
In the year 1773, William Dillwyn, in conjunction
with Richard Smith and Daniel Wells, two of his own
Society, wrote a pamphlet in answer to arguments then

WILLIAM DILLWYN. 1 75
prevailing, that the manumission of slaves would be
injurious. This pamphlet — which was entitled, " Brief
Considerations on Slavery, and the Expediency of its
Abolition ; with some Hints on the Means whereby it
may be gradually effected " — proved that in lieu of the
usual security required, certain sums paid at the several
periods of manumission would amply secure the public,
as well as the owners of the slaves, from any future
burdens. In the same year also, when the Society,
joined by several hundreds of others in New Jersey,
presented a petition to the Legislature to obtain an Act of
Assembly for the more equitable manumission of slaves
in that province, William Dillwyn was one of a deputation
which was heard at the bar of the Assembly for that purpose.
In 1774 he came to England, but his attention was
still kept alive to the subject, for he was the person
by whom Anthony Benezet sent his letter to the Countess
of Huntingdon. He was also the person to whom the
same venerable defender of the African race sent his
letter, to be forwarded to the Queen.
William Dillwyn and those of his own class in England
acted upon the constitutional principles of their own
Society, as incorporated into its discipline, which prin
ciples would always have incited them to the subversion
of slavery, as far as they themselves were concerned,
whether any other persons had abolished it or not.
In the year 1775 William Dillwyn went back to
America, but, on his return to England, he settled at
Higham Lodge, Walthamstow, and had his town lodgings
in the Poultry.
William Dillwyn was also much interested in the
Indians of North America, and wrote some letters on
their behalf in the " Monthly Repository of Theology and
General Literature," in 1808, towards their civilisation.

176 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
He died at Walthamstow, the 28th of 9th month,
1824, aged 81 years, and his remains were interred in
Friends' burial ground, at Tottenham, on the 4th of the
1 Oth month.
Abridged from Clarkson's " History of the Slave Trade."

LEWIS WESTON DILLWYN, F.R.S., F.L.S.
Born 1778 — Died 1855 — Aged Seventy-seven Years.
Print 6 x 5 in.
Lewis Weston Dillwyn, F.R.S., died at his residence,
Sketty Hall, near Swansea. He was a magistrate and
deputy-lieutenant of Glamorganshire, President of the
Royal Institution of South Wales, F.R.S., F.L.S., and
honorary member of many foreign societies.
Mr. Dillwyn was descended from an old Breconshire
family. He was born at Ipswich in 1778, the son of
William Dillwyn, of Higham Lodge, Walthamstow, a
member of the Society of Friends, and fellow-labourer
of Clarkson in the abolition of the slave trade, and a
native of America, whither his immediate ancestors had
emigrated in the company of William Penn. His
mother was Sarah, daughter and heiress of Lewis
Weston, Esq., of Highhall, Essex, whose cousin, Thomas
Weston, of Clay Hill, Middlesex, made an unsuccessful
claim to the Earldom of Portland.
William Dillwyn first visited Swansea about the first
year of this century, and purchased of George Haynes
the Cambrian Pottery, at the head of which he placed his
son, the subject of this memoir, in 1801. George Haynes

LEWIS WESTON DILLWYN, F.R.S., F.L.S. 177
had introduced a superior kind of earthenware, called
" the Opaque China," in the year 1 790. In the course
of a few years, under the care of Mr. Dillwyn and his
enamel painter, Mr. Young, this ware attained a con
siderable degree of celebrity. It bore the impress of
Mr. Dillwyn's taste for natural history, and became re
markable for its beautiful, and no less faithful, paintings
of birds, butterflies, shells, and flowers. The finest kind
of " Swansea China," however, was not brought to per
fection until the year 18 14, when Mr. Dillwyn received
into his pottery two persons named Walker and Beely,
who had been carrying on a small manufactory at Nant-
garw (ten or twelve miles north of Cardiff), but who were
shortly after recalled as workmen who had clandestinely
left the employ of Messrs. Flight & Barr, at Worcester.
The manufacture of porcelain was finally laid aside by
Mr. Dillwyn about the year 18 17, and earthenware again
became, as it still is, the sole product of the Cambrian
Pottery. Mr. Dillwyn had attached himself to the study of
natural history from an early age. In 1802 he published
the first part of his work on the British Coniferae, which
was completed, making a handsome 4to volume (the
plates by Mr. Young already mentioned), in 1809. The
minute vegetations, of which this work is the history,
were investigated by means of common and compound
Coddrington lenses, the achromatic microscopic lens not
being then in use among naturalists. In 1804, at the
age of twenty-five, Mr. Dillwyn was elected a Fellow of
the Royal Society, to which he made at various times
valuable communications. In 1805, in conjunction with
Mr. Dawson Turner, of Yarmouth, he produced "The
Botanist's Guide." It gives a complete catalogue of
British plants under the heads of the several counties
12

178 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
of England and Wales. The preface was written by
Mr. Dawson Turner, who states that the work owed its
origin entirely to Mr. Dillwyn.
In 1 8 17 Mr. Dillwyn printed, in two thick octavo
volumes, "A Descriptive Catalogue of Recent Shells,
arranged according to the Linnaean Method." This work
was dedicated to Sir Joseph Banks, with whom he was
on intimate terms, and of whose library he had made
great use in its compilation. It contains five thousand
names, synonyms of shells, and fifteen thousand references
to the labours of English and continental authors.
In public life Mr. Dillwyn made it a matter of duty to
discharge punctually his functions as a magistrate, and
he occasionally acted as Chairman of the Quarter Sessions
for Glamorgan. It was through his exertions, in conjunc
tion with Lord Cawdor, that the Welsh judicature was at
length assimilated to* that of England. He filled the
office of Sheriff of Glamorganshire in 18 18, and was
elected Alderman of the borough of Swansea in 1835,
and Mayor of that town in 1839.
In 1832 he was returned without a contest to the first
Reformed Parliament as the second member for the county
of Glamorgan, and continued to sit until 1841. . . .
In 1 848, when the British Association for the Promo
tion of Science held its meeting at Swansea, Mr. Dillwyn
was elected one of its Vice Presidents, and President of the
Section of Zoology and Natural History. He welcomed
the Association by dedicating a work on the " Flora and
Fauna of Swansea " to the Marquess of Northampton
and the Council, which issued from the local press on the
first day of the meeting. . . . Around his table at Sketty
Hall, on this occasion, there clustered such men as the
Bishop of St. David's, Professors Forbes and Ramsey,
Oldham, his old friend Dr. Buckland, and other spirits

THOMAS (BARON) DIMSDALE, M.D., F.R.S. 179
of like character. In earlier days, whilst he resided at
Penllergaer during the minority of his son, he had enter
tained both Davy and Wollaston ; and, among other distin
guished botanists, Robert Browne was his frequent guest.
As a host he excelled in the highest degree — hospitable
and always hearty, he was equally at home with the farmer
and the philosopher ; with the former jovial and with the
latter wise.
Mr. Dillwyn married, July 13th, 1807, Mary, daughter
of John Llewelyn, Esq., of Penllergaer, and Ynisygerwn,
county Glamorgan, by whom he had two sons and two
daughters. . . . Few fathers have succeeded further than
Mr. Dillwyn in awakening in the minds of their children
an interest in those pursuits to which their own lives have
been dedicated.
The body of Mr. Dillwyn was deposited on the 6th
September in the family vault at Penllergaer church, the
funeral being strictly private.
This account is taken from the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. xliv.
(new series), 1855, p. 542.

THOMAS (BARON) DIMSDALE, M.D., F.R.S.
Born 171 i — Died 1800 — Aged Eighty-nine Years.
Engravings 12x10 in., and 3X3 in.
The Honourable Thomas (Baron) Dimsdale was of
very respectable origin, being descended from John
Dimsdale, of Theydon Garnon, near Epping, in Essex,
and Susan, daughter of Thomas Bowyer, of Albury Hall,
near Hertford. His grandfather, Robert, accompanied
William Penn to America in 1684 (?), and took with

I So biographical catalogue.
him his two sons, John and William. In a few years
they returned, and the parent settled in his native village,
and was there succeeded by his eldest son John in the
practice of medicine, which his other son William pursued
at Bishop Stortford. John had eight children, four of
whom died young ; Susan and Robert lived to a more
advanced age ; Thomas, the sixth, and Joseph, the
seventh, to a late period.
Thomas, the subject of this present biographical sketch,
was educated under his father, and after attending St.
Thomas's Hospital, settled, in 17 14, at Hertford, as a
surgeon. Soon after this period he married the only
daughter of Nathaniel Brassey, of Roxford, near that
town, an eminent banker in London, and representative
of Hertford in four successive Parliaments ; she died in
1 7 14, and left no children. In 1746 he married Ann
Ives, a relative of his first wife, and by her fortune, and
that which he acquired by the death of the widow of Sir
John Dimsdale, he was enabled to retire from practice.
He afterwards resumed the practice of medicine in the
character of a physician.
About this period the Suttons, so celebrated in the
science of inoculating the small-pox, astonished the public
by their boldness and success. Dr. Dimsdale turned
his attention to this subject, and after a clear discrimina
tion of its principles, published " The Present Method of
Inoculating for the Small-Pox." The public received and
read this production with avidity. It was translated into
the Russian, as well as other European languages.
At this time a princess governed Russia, who possessed
magnanimity of mind, and who, not having had the small
pox, turned her attention towards the practitioners in
England, with a view of submitting to the process of
inoculation. She accordingly gave directions to her

THOMAS (BARON) DIMSDALE, M.D., F.R.S. I8l
ambassador, in 1768, to engage one of the Suttons, or
some able inoculator, to visit Russia, in order to inoculate
her and her son with the small-pox. This order he
communicated to the Russian agent or consul, who was
then under the care of the celebrated Dr. Fothergill ; the
doctor immediately mentioned his friend Dr. Dimsdale.
That Dr. Dimsdale did not seek his preferment, but
that the preferment sought him, was confirmed by Dr.
Fothergill, who at length, with difficulty, influenced him
to accept the offer, which the ambassador himself even
urged upon him with earnestness.
That he supported the high character thus intruded
upon him with honour to himself and dignity to the
English nation, is authenticated by his reception at the
Court of Petersburgh, and by marks of favour from his
Imperial patients. He was appointed actual counsellor
of State, and physician to her Imperial Majesty, with an
annuity of £500, the rank of a baron of the Russian
empire, to be borne by his eldest lawful descendant in
succession, and a black wing of the Russian Eagle, in
a gold . shield, in the middle of his Arms, with the cus
tomary helmet, adorned with the baron's coronet over
the shield ; to receive immediately £10,000, and £2,000
for travelling charges ; miniature pictures of the Empress
and her son, and the same title of baron to his son
Nathaniel, who accompanied him, to whom also the
Grand Duke gave a snuff-box richly set with diamonds.
Earnest were the entreaties of the Empress to induce
the Baron to continue longer in Russia, but he determined
to return to England. If he were not the first Quaker
who ever visited Russia, he was probably the first ever
known to the Empress ; and no doubt her curiosity and
powers of mind would lead her to make various inquiries
respecting a Society of which she must have acquired

1 82 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
some knowledge from the writings of Voltaire, etc. In
her conversation she once inquired in what manner
preachers in this Society were qualified to act as such.
The Baron might naturally answer, that as more freedom
existed in this Society than in any other under Christen
dom, any accepted virtuous character, of either sex, was
at liberty to preach. " I suppose, then," observed the
Empress, " that you sometimes preach." The Baron
replied that he did not find that he had received that
influence or inspiration of the Divine Spirit which called
him to perform the ministerial duties.
Soon after Baron Dimsdale's return to England he
became a banker, under the firm of Dimsdale, Archer,
and Byde. Some time afterwards, a change taking place
among the parties, he became the head of a banking
house in Cornhill.
The Baron having lost his second wife in 1779, who
left him children, he married about two years after this
event, Elizabeth, daughter of William Dimsdale, of Bishop
Stortford. In 1780 he was elected one of the representatives in
Parliament for Hertford, and was re-elected in the sub
sequent session; but in 1790 he declined the honour
proposed him, and his son Baron Nathaniel was chosen.
In 1 78 1 he again visited Russia to inoculate the
Emperor. He died at Hertford, the 30th of 12th month, 1800,
aged eighty-nine years. His remains were interred in
Friends' burying ground, Bishop- Stortford.
European Magazine, 1802, vol. xlii.
For an account of his works, chiefly on inoculation, see Smith's
" Catalogue of Friends' Books."

GEORGE DIXON.

183

GEORGE DIXON.
Born 1671 — Died 1752 — Aged Eighty-one Years.
Photograph 6x4 in.
GEORGE DIXON, the Quaker house steward of Raby
Castle. This scrupulously conscientious member of the
Society of Friends was the son of George and Barbara
Dixon, and he was born in 1671. For a great number
of years at Raby Castle he was house steward and butler
to Gilbert Vane, second Baron Barnard, great-grandfather
to the first Duke of Cleveland. In fulfilment of con
scientious duty, when George thought the guests at Raby
had taken sufficient wine, he would refuse to send up more
from the cellar, and though at the time annoyance was
shown by both master and guests, Lord Barnard never
failed to thank Dixon next morning.
On one occasion, Lord Barnard, amused at the perfect
incredulity of his guests as to George's plainness of speech
to himself, the discussion resulted in a bet of £200, which,
being promptly secured, was expended upon an oil paint
ing, depicting this highly valued servant in the wine
cellar, and wearing his ordinary simple costume. The
portrait is surmounted by the inscription, *' An Israelite
indeed, in whom is no guile," with the following two lines
from the seventh Satire of Horace, lib. ii. : " Responsare
cupidinibus contemnere honores. Fortis, et in seipso
totus teres atque rotundus," which may be rendered thus :
" Strong to restrain immoderate desires, lightly esteeming
public honours, a self-reliant and courteous man." This
picture, handsomely framed, retained an honourable posi
tion in the " Baron's Hall," until it was removed by the
Dowager Duchess of Cleveland, who gave the portrait to
one of her maids, from whom it was purchased by the
late James Hutchinson, of Cowley Manor, near Chelten-

1 84 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
ham, a great-great-grandson of the " Israelite ; " and it is
now in possession of his eldest nephew, William Robson,
Junior, of Darlington, one of the very numerous descend
ants of the original. A photograph of the picture was
taken by Captain Todd, of Cheltenham, and reproduced
by the auto-type process.
Two of George Dixon's sons, Jeremiah and George,
were men of considerable ability, and the former was
connected with the observation of the transit of Venus,
6th June, 1761, ordered by the British Government at the
instance of the Royal Society, which appointed as chief
of the expedition Nevil Maskelyne (afterwards Astronomer
Royal), Charles Mason (Assistant Observer at Green
wich), and Jeremiah Dixon, of Cockfield, in the county
of Durham. Dixon, when recommended to the Royal
Military Academy at Woolwich, underwent an examina
tion there to test his qualifications, and was asked, " Did
you study mathematics at Oxford or at Cambridge ? "
" At neither place." " Then at what public school did you
get your rudiments ? " " At no public school." " Then
at what particular seat of learning did you acquire it ? "
" In a pit cabin on Cockfield Fell," said the humble
scholar. Entrusted to Mason and Dixon, in after years,
was the task to define the limits of the provinces of
Maryland and Pennsylvania ; and known by the name
of "the Mason and Dixon's line." By the negroes, the
country north of that line is called " Dixie's land."
George Dixon, a brother of Jeremiah, was also a re
markable instance of native genius, a self-taught man, a
good mathematician, skilled in chemistry, hydraulics, and
pneumatics. He lived a retired life compared with that
of his brother, and was extensively employed in various
coal works and other mining adventures.
Adapted from an account accompanying a Photo of the Portrait.

JOSEPH DONBAVAND. 185

JOSEPH DONBAVAND.
Born 1757 — Died 1831 — Aged Seventy-four
Years.
Engraving 12 x 10 in.
THIS Friend, who was a native of Frandley, in Cheshire,
became well known in our Society, having occupied the
station of a schoolmaster in the Institution at Ackworth
for about forty-three years, to which he was introduced by
Dr. Fothergill, at the commencement of the Institution in
1779, being the first teacher that was engaged, and then
about twenty-two years old. He was esteemed one of
the best penmen of the age, and published two sets of
copper-plate copies, which have been for many years
extensively used in schools. By the kindness of his
disposition, and his considerate manner of treating his
pupils, he was generally beloved by them.
When he was about twenty-eight years old, he was
married to Lydia Waring, by whom he had nine children,
all of whom attained to maturity ; but only five of them
survived their father. Of three of those who died, John,
William, and Sarah, there are interesting memoirs in
Nos. 10, 14, and 15 of the Annual Monitor.
His wife died in the year 1821. By this event he was
deeply affected ; and from that time his mind perhaps
never recovered its wonted energy. In the early part of
the year 1822, increasing age rendering him unequal to
the duties of his important station, he retired from the
service of the Institution, and for a short period instructed
a few children in the village of Ackworth in the rudiments
of common school learning ; but his spirits becoming
much depressed, he soon entirely gave up all attempts at

1 86 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
teaching. In the year 1828 he was seized with a
paralytic affection, which deprived him of the use of his
left side. This stroke was succeeded by several others,
each tending still more to destroy the bodily powers ; but
from the time of having the first, his mind became
evidently relieved ; and he was favoured with ability
to look up with hope unto his Almighty Father, and
earnestly to crave for patience to endure unto the end.
For a long time he was quite unable to stand without
assistance, and was sometimes supported in an upright
position in his bed, and at others in his chair. His
close was preceded by a gradual advance of weakness,
and he was thus quietly released from the shackles of
mortality. The late Thomas Firth, of Huddersfield, describes
Joseph Donbavand as a very genial man, " kind almost to
a fault," severe only when bad writing was concerned,
quick to forget a quarrel, fond of a joke, and of snuff!
This report of Thomas Firth is in harmony with that
penned by William Howitt, who describes " Master
Joseph" about the same period (1809-18 10) as a "tall,
slender man, with a long, thin countenance, and dark hair,
combed backward," and says, in reference to him, " What
scholar does not remember his snuff-box, opened with its
three systematic raps ; and the peculiar jerk of his elbow
when he found himself bound to refuse some petition ? He
was a mostperfect master of penmanship; and in our opinion,
not less so of the ars natandi, which he often told us he had
been taught by a frog, having one end of a string tied to
its leg, the other end in his mouth, and thus pursuing it
and imitating its movements. It was his favourite
humour to do a kind act with an air of severity. " Get
away with thee ! " he exclaimed, with an emphatic elbow
jerk, to a very little boy sent to him to be caned ; " why,

henry doubleday. 187
thou art a coward — thou art afraid to go into the bath !
Get away with thee ! "
Well might a delicate little fellow shrink from that
cold plunge which, winter or summer, was then obligatory,
and not even a towel allowed wherewith to dry himself.
Compiled from biographical accounts in the "History of Ackworth
School," 1879, and. Annual Monitor, 1833 and 1876.

HENRY DOUBLEDAY.
Born 1808 — Died 1875 — Aged nearly Sixty-seven
Years.
No Portrait.
Henry Doubleday, son of Benjamin and Mary
Doubleday, was born at Epping on the 1st of the
7th month, 1808. The greater part of his life was
spent at Epping, where, surrounded by the then wild
nature of Epping Forest, he became an ardent naturalist
of the Gilbert White class — a careful, conscientious
observer rather than a scientific zoologist. As a British
Lepidopterist, the name of Henry Doubleday has become
among entomologists a household word. What was
probably his first printed note was published in the
Entomologist in 1 841, detailing his wonderful success in
capturing noctuse at the blossoms of sallows, at that time
a novel procedure. Very soon afterwards he introduced
the now familiar plan of " sugaring ; " the result being
that many night-flying insects, formerly reputed rare,
became comparatively common.
In 1843 occurred what maybe considered the great
event of his life, one that had a great influence upon
Lepidopterology in this country. He then visited Paris,

1 88 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
and it was probably the only time he ever quitted
England. He found that the nomenclature in use here
and on the Continent of Europe was utterly different,
and he at once set to work to compile and publish a
synonymic list of British Lepidoptera, with a nomen
clature which should enable British and Continental
entomologists to understand one another. " Doubleday's
List " afterwards went through several editions. It
hecame the standard of nomenclature, and proved of
the greatest possible service.
Except for the " Synonymichist," Henry Doubleday
published no separate work. His communications to
natural history periodicals were, however, numerous,
principally on points of habit. But nevertheless his
correspondence with Lepidopterists, both at home and
on the Continent, was very extensive. His liberality in
supplying both specimens and information was un
bounded ; and no better tribute to his memory can exist
than the few words used by Guenee, in the introduction
to his " Uranides et Phalenites," who, in thanking those
entomologists who had aided him, says : " Lastly, I
cannot resist the pleasure of closing this list by a name
that I know not how to repeat too often, that of my
excellent and useful friend, Henry Doubleday, of Epping,
who seems to have devoted to my work, and even to the
enriching of my collection, a more active zeal than that
used by many others in their own interests."
Although Henry Doubleday was known chiefly as an
entomologist, it would not be just to pass unnoticed his
attainments as a general naturalist, and especially as an
ornithologist. He had a thorough knowledge of British
birds, and his name constantly occurs in the works of
Yarrell and others in connection with habits, migration,
nesting, etc.

EDWARD DOUBLEDAY. 1 89
His personal habits were marked by extreme simplicity,
and his secluded life was only varied by the visit to
Epping of brother entomologists attracted by the fame
of his wonderful collection, and a desire to make the
personal acquaintance of a man of whom so much was
said, and who was so widely known by correspondence.
His valuable collection of butterflies and moths has
been, by the wish of many collectors, and with the
consent of the trustees, placed in the Bethnal Green
Museum. A room has been specially provided, and a
curator is in readiness to show the " Doubleday Collection "
to all who apply for permission to inspect it.
This notice is taken chiefly from the Entomologist monthly
magazine.

EDWARD DOUBLEDAY.
Born 1810 — Died 1849 — Aged Thirty-nine Years.
Engraving 10 x 8 in.
Edward Doubleday, a naturalist of eminence, was born
at Epping in 18 10, and died December 14th, 1849. The
family of Doubleday are honourably distinguished for their
devotion to natural history pursuits, and the subject of this
notice early distinguished himself by his contributions to
the literature of ornithology and entomology. His first
papers were devoted to the subject of entomology, of
which many were published in the volumes of the
Entomological Magazine. In the early part of his life
he made a tour through the United States of America,
and made many important observations on the animals of
that country. These he published in a paper "On the
Natural History of America," in the fifth volume of the

190 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Entomological Magazine. On his return from America
he was appointed one of the curators of the British
Museum. The large collections in this institution afforded
him abundant materials for increasing his knowledge
and developing his views of the structure of insects.
The results he made known in a variety of papers, but
more especially in his work " On the Genera of Diurnal
Lepidoptera." This work, which was published in parts,
and left unfinished at the author's death, consisted of
descriptions, with coloured illustrations of great beauty
and accuracy by Mr. Hewitson, of all the genera of butter
flies. This family of insects was studied by Mr. Doubleday
with the greatest industry, and his contributions to our
knowledge of their forms are the most valuable of his
labours. He devoted also considerable attention to
ornithology, and assisted his brother Henry in publishing
a work on this subject. He also contributed a paper
" On the Occurrence of Alligators in East Florida " to
the Zoologist. A list of his papers will be found in the
second volume of Agassiz's " Bibliographia Zoologia,"
published by the Ray Society.
Knight's "Cyclopaedia Biography."

JONATHAN DYMOND.
Born 1796 — Died 1828 — Aged Thirty-one Years.
Engraving 9x7 in.
Jonathan Dymond was born in the year 1796 at
Exeter, in which city he generally resided, and was
engaged in the business of a linen-draper until the
close of his life in 1828. His parents, John and Olive
Dymond, were highly esteemed members and recognised

JONATHAN DYMOND. jgx
Ministers of the Society of Friends, and were careful
to instil into his mind religious and moral principles.
At an early age he manifested that disposition to
reflection, and that interest in the progress of mankind
towards just and enlightened views, by which his after
life was distinguished. His brothers, who, as well as
himself, were fond of literary pursuits, and of discussion
on general subjects, used sometimes to rally him on
his disposition to quiet reverie, which they regarded
merely as a peculiarity. From his contemplative habits,
and the sagacious observations frequently made by him,
they playfully designated him " the philosopher." For
conversation, particularly for the argumentative branch
of it, he had a great talent.
In person he was slight, and in stature tall, his height
having been somewhat above six feet. His countenance,
which was pale, was distinguished by an intellectual and
interesting expression. His manners were unassuming,
his habits simple and inexpensive, and his dealings with
his fellow-men were remarkable for integrity. In cases
of dispute he was sometimes appealed to by his fellow-
citizens, who had great respect for his judgment as an
arbitrator. It was at the conclusion of a tedious and
harassing case of this kind, which had occupied him early
and late for a considerable time, that the disease which
eventually proved fatal to him first made its appearance,
in the spring of 1826.
He married in 1822 a lady of Plymouth, who was,
like himself, a member of the Society of Friends. Their
family consisted of a daughter and a son. The latter was
remarkable for his intellectual precocity, and, like many
children so distinguished, died early, being only about
seven years old at his decease.
Jonathan Dymond's first work, an " Enquiry into the

192 biographical catalogue.
Accordancy of War with the Principles of Christianity," was
in print before any of his nearest relatives were aware that
he had been engaged in writing it, with the exception of
his wife and his brother William, the former of whom
assisted him in correcting the proof-sheets. The origin of
this work is interesting. The author was a member of an
essay society, consisting of himself, his brothers, and a few
other young persons, whose contributions were styled the
" Iscan Budget " (from Isca, the ancient Roman name of
Exeter). The meetings of this society were held once a
month, when the essays of the members were read and
discussed. Among others, some papers on the subject of
war were contributed by Jonathan Dymond, and these,
when the essay society had ceased to exist, were thought
worthy of being preserved from oblivion. The author
therefore set himself to remodel and improve them, and,
in 1823, gave them to the world under the title above
quoted. During the time occupied in printing and publishing
this work, Jonathan Dymond had been often engaged
in laying the foundation of another (the " Essays on
Morality "), which he hoped would prove more generally
useful ; and after the publication of the " Enquiry on War,"
he became more fully devoted to the furtherance of his
grand object, that of exhibiting in the essays a true and
authoritative standard of rectitude, and of estimating the
moral character of human actions by an appeal to that
standard. Jonathan Dymond, though in the habit of visiting
London periodically on affairs of business, never travelled
extensively. During the progress of the malady of which
he died, he sought, by the advice of his medical attendant,
change of air and scene at several places in Devonshire,
recommended for their salubrity; and early in 1827 he

JONATHAN DYMOND.

193

went to London for the purpose of consulting some of the
most eminent medical men there. After his return from
London, he passed thirteen weeks at a farmhouse in the
neighbourhood of Exeter. This house is situated in a
retired and picturesque position near the elevated village
of Whitestone. Here the author of the " Essays on the
Principles of Morality " was diligently employed in pre-
garing for the press his admirable treatise ; and in the
shady lanes of the neighbourhood he was accustomed to
seek relaxation from the toils of composition, a quiet
hackney conveying him from one rural scene to another.
When on these rambles he usually carried in his pocket
a copy of that sacred volume whose precepts he so highly
valued, and to whose inspired pages he was in the habit
of constantly referring. . . .
The malady which brought him to an early grave, and
under which he lingered for two years, was a complaint in
the throat, terminating in pulmonary consumption. For
a considerable time he was forbidden by his medical attend
ants, and was, indeed, almost unable, to sound his voice ;
and during twenty months he conversed by means of a
slate and pencil which he carried about with him. This
was a great deprivation to one so fond of conversation. . . .
To the close of his useful life Jonathan Dymond bore
with remarkable patience and serenity the sufferings and
privations attending his disorder. He displayed an entire
resignation and perfect trust in Divine Providence, and
was by no means a stranger to that spiritual communion
and peace with God which is the sacred privilege of the
true Christian. He thought humbly of himself, having
no confidence in his own religious attainments, and evi
denced on his death-bed his deep conviction of that great
truth referred to in the concluding words of his essays,
namely, that the only foundation of our hope for eternity
13

I94 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
is the mercy of God " through the redemption that is in
Jesus Christ."
He died 6th of 5th month, 1828, aged 31.
This account is taken from the New York edition of his Essays.
DYMOND'S GRAVE.
" Standing by Exeter's cathedral tower
My thoughts went back to that small grassy mound
Which I had lately left ;— the grassy mound
Where Dymond sleeps ; and felt how small the power
Of time-worn walls to waken thoughts profound,
Compared with that green spot of sacred ground.
Dymond ! death stricken in thy manhood's flower —
Thy brows with deathless amaranths are crowned :
Thou saw'st the world from thy sequester' d bower
In old hereditary errors bound ;
And such a truthful trumpet didst thou sound,
As shall ring in man's ear till Time devour
The vestiges of nations ; — yet thy name
Finds but the tribute of slow gathering fame."
The above tribute to Dymond' s character appeared in Tail's
Magazine some years ago, and was afterwards published in The
Non- Slaveholder, vol. iv., p. 161.

JOSEPH EATON.
Born 1792 — Died 1858 — Aged Sixty-five Years.
Bust, Height 30 in.
Joseph Eaton was born in Bristol in 1792. His
father, George Eaton, was a wholesale ironmonger, to
which business the sons, George and Joseph, succeeded.
In December 1835 they relinquished the pursuit of
commerce. The leisure which he thus obtained from
business was, to a large extent, devoted by Joseph Eaton
to various efforts calculated to improve the condition of

JOSEPH EATON. 195
his fellow-men. The circulation of the Holy Scriptures,
the establishment of schools, and the erection of places of
worship, were largely aided by him. But it was to the
promotion of temperance, by means of total abstinence
from all intoxicating drinks, that he devoted the larger
portion of his time and energies. In 1836 he com
menced the publication of the Bristol Temperance Herald.
The sums of money required for the large gratuitous
circulation which has been given to this periodical were,
to a great extent, contributed by him. He took a par
ticular and most active interest in the slavery question,
and, after he left his counting-house, would sit up the
greater part of the night corresponding or writing
pamphlets or papers in favour of the enfranchisement of
the poor African. He distributed freely, in coach, rail
way carriage, or by the roadside, tracts on the temperance
question, and questions of sanitary or moral improvement
or education. On one occasion he had Cardinal Wiseman
for a travelling companion, and, at his eminence's request,
gave him a little stock of railway literature. Like not a
few philanthropists, Joseph Eaton was a bachelor, and
lived in a frugal, quiet manner, his charities being the
result rather of personal economy than of large accumu
lations. What he did give was the result of principle and
not of impulse ; he knew the value of money, for which
he worked hard, and parted with it always when he was
convinced that the object was a good one.
He died at Redcliffe Parade, Bristol, the 26th of 5 th
month, 1858, in the sixty-sixth year of his age.
From the Bristol Times.

196 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
THOMAS EDDY.
Born 1758 — Died 1827 — Aged Sixty-nine Years.
Engraving 6x3 in.
Thomas Eddy, philanthropist, born in Philadelphia, Sep
tember 5th, 1758 ; died in New York, September 16th,
1827. His parents were Quakers. He began to trade in
New York in 1779, and afterwards became an insurance
broker in that city, and was successful. He was active
in originating the " Penitentiary System " of New York,
and, in 1801, published his celebrated work on the State
Prison of New York. The New York Hospital, of
which he was long a governor, the Insane Asylum at
Bloomingdale, the great Erie Canal, the New York
Savings Institution, and the New York Bible Society,
were fostered or originated by him, and his labours
earned for him the title of the American Howard.
See "Memoir," by Samuel L. Knapp, 1834, 8vo.
Drake's "Dictionary of American Biography," 1872.

JOHN ELLIS.
Born 1789 — Died 1862 — Aged Seventy-
three Years.
Engraving 27 X 17 in.
JOHN ELLIS, of Belgrave, Leicester, son of Joseph Ellis
and Rebecca {ne'e Burgess).
John Ellis came of a goodly stock ; his forefathers
were honest Yorkshire yeomen. His father, Joseph Ellis,

JOHN ELLIS.

197

removed into Leicestershire in 1784, where he occupied,
until his death in 18 10, a farm (Beaumont Leys), which
required in its management unusual skill and industry to
work it successfully. Left at the age of twenty-one with
the care of his brothers and a sister, John Ellis succeeded
to a small patrimony, and the good name of his father,
which, he was wont to say, was his best inheritance. He
followed his father's calling, and in early life, at Beaumont
Leys, near Leicester, he could plough and sow, reap and
mow with any man. In the harvest-field it is said that
he did not know his equal, and even when rising to
eminence in various commercial enterprises he did not
abandon these homelier employments. He milked his
cows until he went to Parliament,
Meanwhile, through the late James Cropper of Liver
pool, he had become acquainted with George Stephenson,
and hence the circumstances arose that led to the connec
tion of both of them with the Leicester and Swannington
Railway, and to the great enterprise of John Ellis's life,
his association with the Midland Railway, of which he may
be said to have been the originator, for the beginning of
that vast railway system was on a very humble scale —
having for its object the effecting, by means of a short
railway, better communication from the coal-fields of
Leicestershire to the markets of the surrounding district.
This the Stockton and Darlington Railway had effected
for the coal owners in the north, and as George
Stephenson, its engineer, was constructing the Liverpool
and Manchester Line, John Ellis, who was acquainted
with him, undertook to see whether he could induce this
new genius to come over and report on the Leicestershire
project. He used to tell the story of how he found " old
George " (as he was familiarly called) all miry and dirty,
superintending the workmen, and far too cross to listen to

198 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
any such proposal, but patiently awaiting the dinner hour.
A suggestion from John Ellis to adjourn for refreshment to
an adjoining inn gave the desired opportunity for introduc
ing the object of his visit ; and as good humour had now
returned, George agreed to come over to Leicester and
give his opinion, which, proving favourable, he was further
asked to act as its engineer. This he refused, saying, one
line at a time was enough for him (how differently he
thought in after years !) ; but if they would let his son
Robert, then a lad just come home from South America,
act for them, he would himself be responsible that the
work should be well done — and so it was ; and this short
line from the coal pits at Swannington to Leicester proved
incidentally the parent of the whole Midland system.
He early identified himself with the policy of Free
Trade ; and before a Parliamentary Committee expressed
the opinion that the English farmer should prepare to
grow wheat at £2 10s. a quarter, and, he added, he can
afford to do so ; "a bold thing," it has been remarked,
" for a farmer to say in those days."
In 1847 ne was sent to Parliament for the borough of
Leicester. " He entered into his new duties," says a local
writer of discrimination, " with characteristic earnestness.
His sagacious judgment and practical knowledge on all
questions which he pretended to understand, soon gave
him a position in the House, and his opinion on such
subjects was not unfrequently asked by some of our
leading statesmen."
John Ellis was from the first a director of the Leicester
and Swannington Railway, and for some years of the
Midland Counties Railway. On the amalgamation of the
latter with the North Midland and Birmingham and
Derby Companies, he was placed on the joint board, and
appointed deputy chairman.

JOHN ELLIS. 199
John Ellis bore an important part in the memorable
contest known as the." Battle of the Gauges," for on him
rested the negotiations which determined the critical
question between the prevalence of the broad and narrow
systems. He was at that time deputy chairman of the
Midland Railway, which, having extended its lines to
Birmingham, was anxious to push on thence to Bristol,
and for this purpose entered into treaty for purchase of
the Bristol and Birmingham Railway, and to John Ellis
was entrusted by his colleagues on the directorate, full
powers to act as its purchaser. The Great Western,
however, were equally anxious to secure this line for
themselves, and according to which competitor succeeded
would be the ultimate predominance of the Broad or the
Narrow Gauge System.
Family traditions preserve in remembrance the weight
of responsibility John Ellis felt when thus opposed, on
a question affecting the whole railway interest, to the
Great Western Secretary, who was one of the ablest
railway men of the day. But he, on behalf of his com
pany, though very liberal, made his offer to the Bristol
and Birmingham in Stock. John Ellis resolved on a
different basis, and in a critical stage of the negotiations,
when there was no time to consult his colleagues, boldly
offered a guaranteed dividend of 6 per cent, in perpetuity,
which being at once accepted made the Midland the
successful purchaser, and ultimately established the supre
macy of the Narrow over the Broad Gauge.
It was (as George Hudson, the chairman of the Midland,
told the shareholders) a bold move, but one he heartily
supported, and gave his friend John Ellis all the credit of
the successful negotiation ; and thus John Ellis, farmer and
coal- owner, whose interview with George Stephenson over
a beefsteak repast led incidentally to the construction of

200 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
the Midland Railway, was in after years also the means
of settling the question of the railway gauge for England,
by establishing that extraordinary predominance of the
narrow system which has compelled even the Great
Western itself to add it to their broader gauge. The
wisdom of the policy has been amply justified, but its
boldness is the more appreciable, when it is remembered
that it was years before the line thus purchased earned
the dividend John Ellis committed the Midland to
guarantee. In 1849 he was elected chairman of the Midland
Railway. On resigning this office in 1858, the directors
gave expression to the " deep pain " which they experi
enced at the event ; but remembering, they said, the
express conditions upon which he consented to withdraw
a previous resignation, they felt precluded from further
pressing upon him the duties and responsibilities of the
chair. They rightly recalled the fact that John Ellis had
undertaken his office at a period of unusual difficulty
and mistrust, when embarrassment and ruin hung over so
many undertakings of a similar kind ; but that he had
encountered the perils of the crisis with a determination
which rose superior to the danger, with a confidence
which cheered his colleagues, and with a practical sagacity
which was of immediate and decisive value.
The gratitude of the shareholders was expressed by
a vote of a Thousand Guineas. Part of this sum was
expended in a service of plate, and the remainder in a full-
length portrait by Lucas, in the background of which is
a view of the works and tunnel entrance of the Leicester
and Swannington Railway. The portrait hangs in the
shareholders' room at the Derby Station. It is an
engraving from this picture that is placed in the Institute
Gallery. Though a good likeness, it scarcely does justice to

EDWARD SHIPLEY ELLIS. 201
the massiveness of John Ellis' form. In the background
is a representation of the railway he was the means of
originating. " He will be greatly missed " (said a local writer) " by his
associates in public life and in works of charity. We
shall miss his well-known face and figure in our public
meetings, and in our streets ; we shall miss his wise
counsel, and his genial, warm-hearted converse. He has
won the respect of all who knew him. His name will be
a household word amongst us, and there will long be a
kind thought and a good word for John Ellis."
"History of the Midland Railway," by Williams, p. 166, etc.,
has furnished most of these particulars, also The Leicester Journal,
October 31st, 1862.
John Ellis was twice married : firstly, to Martha Shipley,
of Uttoxeter, the 8th of 1 ith month, 18 16, by whom he
had an only son, Edward Shipley Ellis, who eventually
succeeded his father in the Chairmanship of the Midland
Counties Railway Company ; secondly, to Priscilla Evans,
cousin to the " Very Rev." John Saul Howson, D.D.,
Dean of Chester, by whom he had a numerous family.

EDWARD SHIPLEY ELLIS.
Born 18 17— Died 1879— Aged Sixty-two Years.
Photograph 19 x 15 k
Edward Shipley Ellis was the eldest son of the late
John Ellis, by his first wife. He was born on the
7th January, 18 17, and was at the time of his death
in his sixty-third year. He commenced public life as a
member of the Board of Guardians, and quickly rose in

202 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
thi estimation of the people. He passed the chair of the
Local Poor-Law Board, and in 1842 was elected a member
of the Town Council. In August 1861 he was chosen
Alderman, and was unanimously elected Mayor of the
borough for i860. In all these public offices Mr. Ellis
brought to bear singular integrity and ability, an amount
of intelligence and business aptitude, which made him a
valuable member of the Council. About 1862 Mr. Ellis
was appointed a Magistrate for the borough, and later
his name was added to the Commission of the Peace for
the county. He followed his father in taking an im
portant part in the management of the affairs of the
Midland Railway Company, being appointed to the vice-
chairmanship of that body, and eventually chairman,
which honourable and responsible post he filled with
acceptance to the shareholders generally. During his
term of office many reforms have been made in connection
with the Midland system, of which the travelling public
are well aware, and which they have not been slow to
recognise. The abolition of 2nd class carriages was an
alteration which he strongly advocated, and there have
been other improvements with which his name will ever
be linked. But the great labours attendant on such a
position did not wean Mr. Ellis's attention or devotion
from what may almost be called his native town. He
took a lively interest in all its public works. His interest
in educational movements is shown by the liberal gift
he made to the School Board for children's prizes, and by
his munificent contribution to the new School of Art, also by
his handsome subscription to liquidate the debt on the Free
Library. His open-handed liberality was not restrained
by sectarian or political differences. As a philanthropist
his name will always be associated with the movement to
emancipate the chimney climbing boys, who suffered such

EDWARD SHIPLEY ELLIS.

203

great hardships in their thankless and laborious task.
When the law was passed prohibiting boys to climb
chimneys to clean them, Mrr Ellis took great pains to
have it carried out in this locality, supplying, we believe,
at his own cost, patent whalebone brushes to all the
chimney-sweeps in the town. A staunch total abstainer
of many years' standing, his heart was thoroughly in
harmony with the work of the Temperance Society and
all kindred institutions, and he took a warm interest in the
establishment of the Coffee House Company. A member
of the Society of Friends, his sympathies were with Non
conformists in all the struggles they have had, and are still
engaged in, to secure religious equality and freedom, but the
genuine respect ever shown him by professors of all creeds
was evidence sufficient of his liberal-minded and tolerant
spirit. As a politician he was a thorough Liberal. . . .
Up till within the last week or two Mr. Ellis had enjoyed
wonderfully good health, considering his advanced years,
and the great work he has been called upon to perform in
his many public capacities. But a severe cold seriously
affected him internally, and though its primary symptoms
yielded to the remedial measures his physicians adopted,
unfavourable symptoms became developed, and after this
short but severe illness he passed peacefully away.
He was buried in Leicester cemetery, and the funeral
was a public one. Joseph B. Braithwaite and Samuel
Bowly were present on the solemn occasion.
See Leicester Chronicle and Leicestershire Mercury, December
6th and December 13th, 1879, for further particulars.

204 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
SARAH (STICKNEY) ELLIS.
Born 1799 — Died 1872 — Aged Seventy-three
Years.
Engraving 4x3 in.
Sarah Stickney, of Beverley, was the daughter of
William Stickney, a farmer of Ridgmont, near Hull, in
Yorkshire, and a member of the Holderness Agricultural
Society. She was born in the year 1799. The latter
end of 1813 she entered Ackworth School, where she
had her education. Becoming impressed in early life
with a keen desire to see the state of education among
her own sex improved, and the training of girls for after
life raised by nobler aims than she thought prevalent,
she resolved to aid, through the press, the development of
the floating aspirations, nascent among some ranks of
society, towards a higher life amongst the women of our
country. Her first efforts were embodied in her "Pictures
of Private Life," — a series of wholesome stories intended,
probably, to replace some of the objectionable fiction
then in vogue amongst young ladies, without taxing too
severely their powers of self-sacrifice in the reading tastes
already formed, but supplying lessons in life of great
practical value compared with much that was presented
in the mass of the current literature. She speedily rose to
higher flights, however, and it would probably be difficult
to over-estimate the influence exercised upon our country
women of forty years ago by her " Women of England,"
and its sequels, " The Daughters," " The Wives," and
" The Mothers of England." Her " Sons of the Soil "
also obtained a very wide popularity, as did also, in a
somewhat less degree, her " Education of Character."

SAMUEL EMLEN. 205
Sarah Ellis is the authoress of several other well-known
works* all of which are inspired by the same noble
desire to serve her generation by attracting it to a useful
and lovable life. She was married in 1 8 3 7 to the Rev.
William Ellis (his first wife, Mary Ellis, ne'e Mercy, dying
in 1835), of the London Missionary Society, after which
she ceased to be a member of the Society of Friends.
The latter part of her life she resided at Rose Hill,
Hoddesdon, in Hertfordshire, where she long conducted
an educational establishment for females, and where she
died the 16th of the 6th month, 1872, aged 73 years.
This account is taken from Thompson's "History of Ackworth
School, 1879," Knight's " English Encyclopaedia," and Smith's
" Catalogue."

SAMUEL EMLEN.
Born 1730 — Died 1799 — Aged Sixty-nine Years.
For Portrait see Picture of Gracechurch Street Meeting.
SAMUEL EMLEN was a Friend of Philadelphia who paid
as many as seven visits in the course of his life (of about
seventy years) to this country. Not being in any busi
ness, and possessed of an independent income, his time
was largely occupied in Gospel service. His company
was much prized from his agreeable manners and remark
ably well-stored mind, and his powers of sympathy
rendered his visits to those under misfortune or affliction
peculiarly acceptable. On the first occasion of his cross
ing the Atlantic, on a religious visit to England, it was
in company with John Woolman. He was twice married,
and during his first married life resided for a time in the
* See "Joseph Smith's Catalogue," vol. ii., pp. 626-630.

206 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
neighbourhood of Bath for the sake of their health. In
his public service he was very fervent, particularly in
endeavouring to arouse the careless professors of a religion
which does not allow all the indulgences which they seem
to think themselves at liberty to use. With all this, and
crowning all this, he was a humble man. His decease
occurred in America the 30th of the 12th month, 1799.
A memoir of him will be found in "Piety Promoted," Part X.,
p. 121 ; he is supposed to be one of the figures represented in the
picture of Gracechurch Street Meeting.

JOHN FORD.
Born 1801 — Died 1875 — Aged Seventy-four
Years.
Photograph 8x6 in.
John Ford was born at Worcester on the 21st of 3rd
month, 1 801, the second of the five sons of Joseph and
Elizabeth Ford, his father being a baker in that city.
The family for several generations had been members
of the Society of Friends. When little more than six
years old, his home connection was severed by his being
sent to a boarding-school near Banbury. Before he was
nine years old death deprived him of his mother. Re
moved to Ackworth School, he was associated with
companions who became dear and cherished friends in
his after life. Amongst these may be named Thomas
Pumphrey, Joseph Thorp, and Samuel Priestman. On
leaving Ackworth he was placed as pupil-teacher in a
private school at Rochester kept by Robert Styles, a
Friend. Here, as apprentice and assistant-master, he
remained about fourteen years.

JOHN FORD.

207

In the latter part of 1828 Yorkshire Quarterly Meet
ing established its Boys' School at York, and John Ford
was appointed Superintendent. The affectionate manner
in which the boys at Rochester took leave of him augured
well for his future success. He occupied this position at
York thirty-seven years, retiring from it at the end of
1865. During this period six hundred and seventy boys
passed under his care. None could fail to notice his intense
delight in the society of the young, and his power of
sympathy with them in their joys and trials. Few
things gave him so much pleasure as ministering to their
welfare and gratification. The sense of responsibility and
the source whence he sought help is shown in one of his
early memoranda in changing from Rochester to York.
" A new era has opened in my life. A situation of great
and awful responsibility has been exchanged for one still
more so. Yet I cannot but believe in my best moments
that my post is of Divine appointment, disqualified as I
feel for it. May faith be granted me to believe that the
Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him in truth — that
those who come unto Christ, He will in no wise cast out."
In 1837 John Ford was united in marriage to Rachel
Robson, daughter of Nathan and Rachel Robson, of
Darlington. She was a true help-meet to him in every
sense. Their union was terminated by her death in 1859.
John Ford began to speak as a Minister in 1855, and
was recorded by his Monthly Meeting four years after
wards. His communications were earnest, often brief,
and delivered with much feeling.
In the work of the ministry beyond his own Quarterly
Meeting, he visited, in company with his cousin William
Tanner, the meetings of London and its neighbourhood,
and those of Durham Quarterly Meeting. He also visited,
along with Isaac Brown, the Friends' Schools in Ireland.

208 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
On withdrawing from his position of Superintendent
of York School, John Ford found abundant occupation
for his increased leisure. He took a warm and active
interest in the York Blue-coat School and in the School
for the Blind, as well as in the Castle Howard Reforma
tory. His services on the Ackworth and other Committees
were highly valued. For several years previously he had
spent much time in the preparation of papers and reviews
illustrative of Scripture and ecclesiastical history, and
these were read by him at numerous meetings held for
the purpose in most parts of the country.
The united influence exerted by John and Rachel Ford
over the large Educational Establishment at York is not
easy adequately to estimate. So different in character,
they were truly one another's complement and stay. Of
Rachel Ford the Committee wrote thus as to her share in
this influence for good : " Gentle and unobtrusive as was
her character, we apprehend that it is not easy to over
rate the value of the influence she exercised on the three
hundred and fifty boys who passed through the school
during the term of her administration. In an extended
variety of ways, but with great singleness of purpose, did
Rachel Ford seek to promote the welfare of the household
in which she moved. In the painstaking selection and
training of suitable domestic servants ; in ministering to
the comfort of the teachers, and in furthering the harmoni
ous working of the family, by the silent influence of her
meek, unselfish spirit, she was peculiarly blessed. So
long as health permitted, Rachel Ford cultivated a per
sonal acquaintance — more or less intimate — with each
boy passing through the school ; her delicate attentions
to them in times of indisposition, whether of a trivial or
of a more serious character, not seldom won their affec
tions ; and seasons of trouble, arising from misconduct,

JOHN FORD.

209

from domestic bereavement, or from other causes, were
often embraced by her as opportunities for gently intro
ducing the word of counsel, or of comfort, and of
extending the invitation of a Saviour's love. Whilst the
Committee would wish to abstain from eulogising their
departed friend, the remembrance of her example, and
of the service she was enabled to render, has deepened
their estimate of the value of the quiet, persistent,
Christian influence which, in the home circle, or in the
public institution, may be exerted in the work of
education by the female head of a household."
John Ford allowed private memoranda as to his feelings
and spiritual life, made with more or less regularity
throughout his educational career, to survive the general
destruction carefully made by him of all that related to
details of the school life ; and of these his attached friend
Silvanus Thompson has, in a biography, made very
considerable use, and remarks : " If there is one point
more prominent than another in John Ford's practice as
exhibited in his diary, it is his prayerfulness. Page after
page reads almost like a practical commentary on the
injunction, ' In everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto
God.' " The following extract from his letter to the
Committee on his final retirement shows the spirit that
had animated him in the discharge of his arduous respon
sibilities : " Well aware of many imperfections, mistakes,
and failures in the past, I can acknowledge that they have
met with the kind and charitable construction of my
friends ; and that I have been enabled, from time to time,
to take them to the foot of the Cross, for the pardoning
mercy and sustaining grace of a compassionate Saviour,
and thus to find my strength and trust renewed. To the
Committee, among whom I have numbered some of my
14

210 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
dearest personal friends, I have been largely indebted for
their kind, most efficient, and constant support and
counsel. Nor am I less bound gratefully to acknowledge
the hearty co-operation, as well as the kind recognition
of service, of numerous parents, and the continued
attachment of young men once under my care. In con
clusion, I may say that the interests of the school will be
ever dear to me. My prayers will be for its prosperity,
and that the blessing of the Most High may richly rest
upon the labours of the Committee, the Superintendent,
and the various officers, that so by their joint efforts the
scholars may ever be trained, not only in sound learning,
but above all, in the knowledge, and fear, and love of
their heavenly Father and their Redeemer."
Not long after John Ford's retirement, his old scholars,
anxious to show their respect, presented him with a cheque
for six hundred pounds, the result of a subscription
amongst themselves, and accompanied it with a silver ink
stand and an affectionate address, also a folding glazed
screen, containing two hundred and fifty-seven of their
portraits. The presentation took place at a dinner, to
which fifty of them invited him, which proved an occasion
of interesting intercourse between the master and his
former pupils. One of these, who knew him well, wrote
from his then residence in Australia. " He had, in a most
wonderful way, the faculty of exciting enthusiasm in boys,
and giving them a healthy, honest, and manly tone,
teaching them to look at life as a place in which there
was something to do, and that that something had to be
done well and courageously. It would be hard to estimate
the depth of his influence in forming the minds of the
present generation."
See Annual Monitor, also "Memorials of John Ford," edited
by Silvanus Thompson, from which these particulars are extracted.

josiah forster. 211

JOSIAH FORSTER.
Born 1782 — Died 1870 — Aged Eighty-eight
Years.
Enlarged Photograph 22 x 17 in.
Josiah Forster was born at Tottenham on the 2nd of
the 7th month, 1782. He was the eldest of eleven
children, of whom nine grew up to mature age. His
parents, William and Elizabeth Forster, were valued
members of our Religious Society, and anxiously con
cerned to train up their children in the fear and love of
their heavenly father.
" Our dear brother," writes one of his sisters, " gave
proof, when quite a boy, of an intelligent mind, and a
facility for acquiring foreign languages. He was sent at
an early age, as a day scholar, to the school established
about the year 1750 by our grandfather, and never left
the paternal home except for short periods, until he
entered upon his engagements at Southgate. In his
disposition he was lively and affectionate, but I think the
playground was never so attractive to him as to his
brother William, who was next in age to him ; and to
whom, notwithstanding the difference of their dispositions,
he was very closely attached."
He early showed a preference for the occupation of a
teacher, and was engaged for some years as an assistant
in his uncle Thomas Coar's school at Tottenham ; during
which period he was in the habit of attending in London
the lectures of Dr. Friend and Dr. Walker, and other
eminent professors.
About the year 1805, he opened a boarding-school at
Southgate, near Winchmore Hill, for the sons of the

212 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
wealthier members of our Religious Society, which he
continued to carry on there, and afterwards at Tottenham,
until the year 1826.
His teaching was of a superior order. His kindliness of
disposition may have occasionally led to an undue relaxa
tion of discipline ; but if the labours of a teacher are to
be judged by the general result, Josiah Forster had the
privilege of seeing not a few of his pupils, many of whom
he survived, become, under the Divine blessing, useful and
honourable men, and some of them distinguished orna
ments, in both civil and religious society.
Having early submitted to the yoke of Christ, his active
and intelligent mind appeared peculiarly susceptible to the
work of Divine grace, and he derived much profit from
intercourse with many highly esteemed Friends of that
day, amongst whom he would often refer to David Barclay
(the grandson of Robert Barclay, the author of the
"Apology"), and esoecially to Joseph Gurney Bevan, and the
late Mary Stacey, in whom, as he describes them, " bright
mental endowments " were happily blended with large
" Christian experience." Their counsel and example,
their judicious care, their confidence and friendship, were
greatly blessed to him. Nor should another dear and
valued friend, who, like Joseph Gurney Bevan, has passed
away without any direct descendants, be forgotten in this
connection. " With what esteem do I think of John Eliot,"
to quote a memorandum written in his eighty-eighth year,
" whose sterling, retiring character, whose sound judgment
and experience I love to call to mind." Of J. G. Bevan
and John Eliot, as well as of Lindley Murray, Richard
Reynolds, William Grover, and Sarah Hustler, and many
others with whom he became at a later period more or
less associated in Christian friendship, Josiah Forster has
left loving and instructive memorials in the eleventh part

JOSIAH FORSTER. &i£
o/ " Piety Promoted," a book the perusal of which we
would warmly recommend to our youthful readers.
In the year 1808 he was united in marriage to Rachel,
the daughter of John Wilson of Kendal, who was the only
son of Isaac and Rachel Wilson of that place ; a union
which continued to the close of his life, and was crowned
by a large measure of the blessing of the Lord.
He was in his twenty-ninth year when he first became
a member of the " Meeting for Sufferings," and he was
appointed a few years later to the station of Elder. This
may not be the place to enlarge upon his manifold labours
in connection with these and other responsible appoint
ments, as well as in other ways for the good of his fellow-
members in religious profession. His frequent visits to
the various meetings of Friends in Great Britain and
Ireland, and on the continent of Europe, and on two
separate occasions in the United States in his sixty-fourth
and seventy-second years, his " care for all the churches "
under our name through a long course of years, are well
known, and cannot soon be forgotten.
But it may not be equally remembered, that besides
the important services which he was accustomed to
render in connection with more public documents, he
printed in his own name several books and small treatises,
which, from their unadorned piety and sterling worth,
may still be read with profit. Amongst these may
be noticed " A Memoir of Joseph Gurney Bevan ; " "A
Memoir of William Grover," with selections from his
letters ; a volume of " Biographical Notices of Deceased
Friends," issued as the eleventh part of "Piety Promoted ;"
a small volume containing " An Account of the Christian
Principles of Friends," which is interesting as the last
volume that obtained the sanction of the "Morning
Meeting ; " " Letters to Young Friends ; " " An Address

214 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
to Friends in America ; " and several other smaller
papers. His early interest in the cause of education never
flagged. He was one of the founders of the Grove House
School at Tottenham, established in 1828 to supply the
want occasioned by his own retirement ; and, within a few
days of his decease, he took his wonted part in attending
the Committee of Management, and at the close spent a
considerable time in what proved a final interview with
the Principal. From 1837 to 1845 he was a working
member of the Friends' Educational Society. Our public
schools long claimed a large share of his time and atten
tion. He was one of the early advocates, and to the last
the faithful supporter, of the cause of Scriptural instruction.
His connection with Ackworth School extended over the
long period of forty years, and was the means of affording
him opportunities which he highly prized, and much
personal communication with those whom he loved.
Josiah Forster all through his life took a prominent part
in the work and labour of London Yearly Meeting, and
for twelve years successively was chosen as its Clerk. As
a young man he had listened with interest to its proceed
ings, in 1802, in the case of Hannah Barnard, and as its
Clerk, in 1 829, he signed the memorable declaration issued
in that year, on the occasion of the Hicksite Secession in
America. And the prominent part which he was called
to take in an important case between the years 1 8 1 2 and
1 8 14 seems to justify and require more than a merely
passing allusion.
A Friend belonging to Ratcliff Monthly Meeting, a
man of intelligence and influence, though not in any
official station, had become a member of the Unitarian
Book Society, and had "distributed papers calling in
question the omnipotence of our Lord and. Saviour Jesus

JOSIAH FORSTER. 215
Qirist, and the propriety of applying to Him in secret
supplication." On these grounds he was disowned by
his Monthly Meeting in the year 1 8 1 2, and this decision
was afterwards confirmed by the Quarterly Meeting of
London and Middlesex. The Friend then appealed to
the Yearly Meeting of 18 14, and Luke Howard, John
Eliot, Josiah Forster, and William Allen were, with
another Friend, appointed Respondents in behalf of
the Quarterly Meeting. The Committee of Appeal,
twenty-seven in number, to whom it was in the first
instance referred by the Yearly Meeting, unanimously
re-affirmed the judgment ; our late Friend Jonathan
Hutchinson expressing his concurrence in a few pointed
words : "I do not know what may have been the
experience of my brethren, but for myself I can truly
say, that without Christ I should be of all men most
miserable." The case was then brought for final determination
before the Yearly Meeting at large, and after an opening
address from the appellant, the statement of the re
spondents was read to the Yearly Meeting by Josiah
Forster. Its closing sentences are to the following
effect : " The appellant has repeatedly alleged, that he
has never denied the Eternal Divinity of that Power,
which dwelt in and acted by or through the Man Christ
Jesus. But in this we can discover no acknowledgment
of the Divinity of our Lord, which would imply that He
differs (except in the degree or measure of the power
conferred) from eminently gifted servants, from the
Prophets; and the Apostles. How remote from this is
the manner in which our ancient Friends, the instruments
under Providence in gathering and establishing our
Society, understood those passages in Scripture, which
speak of Christ as the Word which was in the beginning

2l6 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
with God, and was God ; which make mention of tjje
glory that He had with the Father before the world was ;
of the creation by Him of all things that are in heaven
and that are in earth, visible and invisible ; which affirm
that all things were created by Him and for Him, that
He is before all things, and that by Him all things
consist ; which speak of His coming down from heaven ;
of His being in the form of God, thinking it not robbery
to be equal with God, yet making Himself of no reputa
tion, and taking on Him the form of a servant ; which
designate Him as the Son, Whom God hath appointed
heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds ;
Who, being the brightness of His glory, and the express
image of His person (or substance), and upholding all
things by the word of His power, when He had by
Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high, — as the Lamb that was slain, to
Whom, jointly with Him that sitteth on the throne, is
ascribed blessing and honour, and glory, and power, for
ever and ever ! We may," continued the respondents,
" in conclusion, express our firm persuasion that it will
appear clear to the Yearly Meeting, that the appellant
has imbibed, and aided in propagating, opinions contrary
to those of our Society ; and that having made no
concession of being in error, it became the Monthly
Meeting, on this occasion of vital importance in regard
to our Christian faith, to testify its disunity with him as
a member of our Society, and that it was incumbent
on the Quarterly Meeting to confirm such judgment."
After a reply from the appellant the parties withdrew ;
and the subsequent' proceedings cannot be better described
than in the words of an eyewitness : " A solemn silence
overspread the whole meeting, and continued for a
considerable time uninterrupted. At length William

JOSIAH FORSTER.

217

grover arose. In a single expressive sentence he pro
nounced his judgment against the appellant. After him
our elder Friends rose, one after another, all with the same
sentiment, and then the young. I never heard so many,
or so various Friends speak to any point in our Annual
Assembly ; and blessed be the name of Him Whom
alone we acknowledge to be our Saviour and our Head,
all were of one accord." *
The final judgment of the Yearly Meeting was in the
following terms : " This meeting having deliberately
considered the case of [the appellant] on his appeal
from the Quarterly Meeting of London and Middlesex,
also the report of the Committee of this meeting
appointed to hear and judge of the said appeal, is (with
much unanimity) of the judgment, that the report of the
said Committee should be confirmed ; and it is hereby
confirmed accordingly."
There are Friends now living upon whom the pro-
ceeedings of 'that General Meeting made a deep and
lasting impression, and who well remember the important
service which Josiah Forster was enabled to render as one
of the respondents.
But the labours of Josiah Forster were not limited to
his own Religious Society. He joined the Anti-Slavery
Society at an early period, and was for many years one
of the most zealous and active members of the Com
mittee. He accompanied his brother, William Forster, in
the year 1845, as a deputation to present the appeal of
the Yearly Meeting against slavery to the Governments
of Prussia and Austria, and was with him on his last
journey for this object in the United States in 1853-54.
Another object in which he was deeply interested was
the great and important work of the British and Foreign
* See Joseph J. Gurney's " Memoirs," vol. i.

2l8 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Bible Society ; and having been elected a member of its
Committee in 1826, he continued constant in the duties
it involved until his decease.
Josiah Forster was a bright example of the blessing
that rests upon early dedication. He loved the Lord
from his youth. Retiring early from business upon a
moderate competency, he was enabled to devote a
lengthened life to the cause of Christ and the good of
his fellow-men. Simple both in his personal habits and
in his style and manner of living, he was conscientiously
liberal according to his means, and loved to encourage
generosity in others. Those who visited him will re
member the kindly welcome, the Christian courtesy, the
conversation, cheerful without frivolity, marked at once
by intelligence and love.
Josiah Forster's mental and bodily activity were so
remarkably preserved, that although he had reached an
unusually advanced period of life, he seemed still fresh
and vigorous when its close came. The illness was but
brief, and early on the 27th of the 6th month, 1870, he
quietly breathed his last, and his remains were interred
in Friends' burial ground, Winchmore Hill, on the 2nd of
the 7th month, the day on which he would have com
pleted his eighty-eighth year. It was largely attended by
his friends from various parts, including a deputation from
the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society.
He was for upwards of fifty years the contemporary of
Rowland Hill and of William Wilberforce, and for many
years the friend and associate of Thomas Clarkson,
Zachary Macaulay, and others no less earnest in the
struggle against slavery. Though not himself present at
the formation of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery
Society, he would often recur with pleasure to his distinct
recollection of it, and as a young man well acquainted

ROBERT FORSTER. 219
with the three Friends who formed part of the original
Committee — Wilson Birkbeck, the brother-in-law of his
early friend Joseph Gurney Bevan ; Robert Howard, the
father of Luke Howard ; and Joseph Smith, whose wife
was the sister of his valued friend Mary Stacey. Older
by several years than the late Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton
and Joseph John Gurney, he esteemed his intercourse
with them, and with William Allen, Joseph Sturge, Peter
Bedford, and others like-minded, one of his greatest
privileges. Taken from The Annual Monitor, 1871.

ROBERT FORSTER,
Born 1791 — Died 1873 — Aged nearly Eighty-two
Years.
For Portrait see Photograph Yearly Meeting's Committee,
Ireland, 1868.
Robert Forster, son of William and Elizabeth Forster,
of Tottenham, was born there the 1 3th of 1 2th month,
1 79 1. He was engaged in his father's profession of
a Land Agent and Surveyor. He had the management
of several properties, especially the Earl of Darnley's
estate near Rochester, an appointment which he held
during the long minority of the heir to those large estates.
In the year 1 8 1 2 his mind was much impressed with
the noble and pious exertions of many of his countrymen
in support of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and
" earnestly do I crave " (he writes) "of Almighty God His
blessing on their endeavours. Should any opportunity offer
for my assisting in any way this noble work, I hope to spare
no pains, but readily do what I can, be it ever so small."

220 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
While, however, his brother Josiah was led to throw his
energies for many years into the executive work of the
Bible Society, Robert Forster, with like industry and
perseverance, enlisted himself in the work of the British
and Foreign School Society. At the age of twenty, he
writes from the schoolroom, Tottenham, on the first opening
of the Boys' Lancasterian School, which he had taken
a great part in establishing : " I record with pleasure the
satisfaction I have this morning felt in registering the
boys for school. We have received eighty. The parents
express great thankfulness ; and I hope both they and
their children will have cause to bless the day on which
so good a work was begun, and that the Lord may regard
it for good, into whose hands I desire to commit the
work." . . .
His untiring industry in the cause of popular education
is very cordially acknowledged by the committee of the
British and Foreign School Society on the occasion of
his death. They say, in The Educational Record of
January ist, 1874: "Mr. Robert Forster joined the
Committee in the year 1 8 1 7, and from the very first took
a most unusual interest in the work of this Society. He
soon became distinguished above others by the regularity
of his attendance at the meetings, both of general and
sub-committees, being scarcely ever absent from either ;
by his incessant labours on behalf of the Institution, and
by the almost enthusiastic attachment he manifested to
the great principle it embodied, freedom of conscience in
connection with Scriptural education for all. During the
fifty-six years that Mr. Forster's name remained on the
list of the Committee he was, until laid aside by illness,
unsparing in the dedication of his time and strength to
the service of the Society, a service which was to him not
a toil, but a joy. At home or abroad its interests were

ROBERT FORSTER. 221
constantly on his mind, and his advocacy of it, both per
sonally and by correspondence, was unwearied. For
many years, in times of depression and trial, he seemed
to be essential to the Institution. He was the referee in
every difficulty, and always ready to take his full share,
both of labour and responsibility, in accomplishing what
the occasion required.
And in their " Sixty-ninth Annual Report " they add :
" The promotion of Scriptural and unsectarian education
among the poor, whether in England or elsewhere, was,
with Mr. Forster, a passion ; and it is worth notice, as
a coincidence, that, just as he was withdrawn from active
effort on its behalf, his nephew, the Right Hon. William
Edward Forster, became Vice-President of the Committee
of Council on Education, and in that capacity introduced
a measure which approaches as near to the principles of
the Society as the circumstances of the country permit,
andone which, in future years, when party feeling shall
have died away, will be recognised by the historian as
a noble monument to the memory of the statesman who,
with great ability and patience, and amid much opposition,
carried it through Parliament."
To the above remarkable testimony may be added,
that Robert Forster was a hearty and diligent fellow-
labourer in the work of the Anti -Slavery Society, and
faithful to the many calls upon his time and energy in
connection with the Society of Friends. He was for
many years an elder and a member of the Meeting for
Sufferings ; and was especially distinguished by his feeling
and kind encouragement to all in trouble, and particularly
to young men. Yet, by wisely redeeming the time, his
active philanthropy had full play, while fully engaged in
his ordinary business. . . .
For the last several years of his life Robert Forster

„ „ BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
222
was much withdrawn from public life, under a gradual
decline of the mental powers, and great physical weakness,
which was considerably increased by an injury in the
back. All this was very affecting to behold ; but it was
instructive and comforting to witness his great patience
and cheerful submission. . . .
He died the nth of the ioth month, 1873, in the
eighty-first year of his age, and his sister Anne Forster
died three days after, and both were interred in one
grave, in Friends' burial ground, at Winchmore Hill.
Taken from The Annual Monitor, The Educational Record, and '
the " Sixty-ninth Report of the British and Foreign School Society."

WILLIAM FORSTER.
Born 1784 — Died 1854 — Aged Seventy Years.
For Portrait see Oil Painting of London Yearly Meeting.
William Forster was born at Tottenham, near London,
on the 23rd of 3rd month, 1784. He was the second of
a family of eleven, four sons and seven daughters. His
parents, William and Elizabeth Forster, were of good
standing in the world, and highly esteemed members of
the Society of Friends. His father, by profession a land-
agent and surveyor, was a man of great uprightness and
Christian integrity, and of a large and intelligent mind,
his mother a bright example of Christian humility, gentle
ness, and love. Great was their desire for their children
to become impressed with a healthy feeling of reverence
for sacred things, and a sincere love for the truths of the
Bible. William Forster was trained in his father's pro
fession, but so early manifested gifts in the ministry lead
ing to frequent and long-continued absence in that service,

WILLIAM FORSTER.

223

that he never followed it for a maintenance, and his
marriage with Anna Buxton (sister of Sir Thomas Fowell
Buxton), in 18 16, gave him a sufficient competence for
his small requirements, and rendered any professional
engagement unnecessary. His time was thus given to
the promotion of the cause of truth and uprightness in
the earth. His mental endowments were of an unusual
excellence, and a feeling of deep piety characterised his
conduct from earliest life, so that he could say of himself,
he was unable to remember the time when he had not
been sensible of the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart,
showing him his natural corruption, convincing him of sin,
and gently drawing him to the Saviour, so that, through
repentance and faith in the Son of God, he might receive
forgiveness, obtain reconciliation and peace with his al
mighty and merciful Father in heaven, and be enabled
to walk in holiness before Him all the days of his life.
Seeing that his last journey, which in its fatigues in a far-
distant land cost him his life, was on behalf of the sons of
Africa, it is interesting, as foreshadowing his devotion to
their cause, to find among some of his earliest memoranda
how " For months past my mind has been deeply exercised
on account of the slavery of the Africans, and I have at
times felt it my bounden duty to refrain from the con
sumption of any articles, either of food or clothing, that
we receive through such ' defiled channels.' " Before
William Forster was twenty years old he had become
known as a Minister in the Society of Friends, and was
recorded as such a few months after attaining his majority.
He commenced, almost immediately afterwards, those en
gagements which from time to time took him in the
service of the Gospel amongst his Friends in all parts
of the kingdom, and many a valued member has owned
that the power attending this youthful minister and his

224 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
example of early and full dedication had been the means,
under Divine blessing, of leading them also to their field
of service. To be thus so continually away from home
at a time when his father had hoped for some relief
through his assistance, occasioned deep thoughtfulness
both with himself and his family, that it might be clear
such was really required of him ; but so conscious did they
become as to this as to give a general assent — encourag
ing the young disciple to faithfulness in the service of his
Divine Master ; and there was a rejoicing together in
aiding this beautiful example of Christian dedication in
a beloved son and brother, constrained (as he so evidently
was) to live not to himself, but to Him Who died for us and
rose again. William Forster's abilities were of that high
order as would have ensured him success in whatever
profession he might have adopted, and it was the more
striking to hear him remark in old age (as some have
done) that he had been so entirely set free from any out
ward calling as never to have earned a guinea in his life ;
and yet whilst his ministry brought him no income, he had
never wanted for any reasonable comfort. " No easy
thing " (his biographer remarks) " for a young man of
twenty-two to do as he did, to count all these things but
dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
his Lord, freely to devote himself to Him, to spend and
be spent in His service. But he had counted the cost ;
he hesitated not to give himself up to the disposal of his
God." Possibly there are but few preachers who have
excelled in their gift, that have left less record, either in
their own memoranda or those of others, of their dis
courses ; but with William Forster it was as much the
man as the message, the manner as the matter ; he seemed
to put himself into what he had to deliver, and to forget
himself in the fervour of his affectionate appeals ; his head

WILLIAM FORSTER.

225

and hands and whole unwieldy frame would quiver with
emotion, and his voice deepen with indescribable pathos,
so that an impression was made beyond and almost to an
eclipse of the excellent and powerful language in which
the subject of his communication was clothed. His was
a converting rather than a convincing power, his utterance
as of an apostle " in the demonstration of the Spirit and
of power," one who had seen Jesus in "the Spirit and
could bring others to their measure of the same blessed
experience." " The work is His," he wrote ; " nothing,
no, nothing at all, belongs to us, and all that I want is
sufficiently to feel that after all I am indeed an unprofit
able servant." And again : " Of all other things I love to
be driven to the Saviour, and to have my need of Him
brought home to my soul." Amongst those who felt this
influence was no less a person than Joseph John Gurney,
who wrote : "His ministry and example powerfully im
pressed me, and I soon found that beneath the veil of his
modesty there lay a rich treasure of intellectual power."
The following extract from a letter of William Forster to
his friend shows the marrow of the bond between them : —
" The doctrine of the eternal divinity of the Lord Jesus . . .
I feel to be one of infinite importance. . . . Take that away,
and the grand combination of truth in the mystery of
redemption will soon fall into confusion. Oh, how I love
to dwell upon the mercies of God in Christ Jesus ! How
it humbles the pride of man into the very dust of his
unworthiness ; and when applied under the animating
influence of the Spirit, how it raises the soul in hope of
an inheritance incorruptible in the heavens ! No room
for the creature — its own works, its own merits, or its own
excellencies. There every crown is cast down at the
footstool of the Redeemer, and Christ within and Christ
without become our hope of glory — not the one without
IS

226 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
the other, but both in blessed unison exalting His own
praise." Eleven years of early manhood were thus spent by
William Forster in almost continuous travelling over
Great Britain to proclaim " the unsearchable riches of
Christ," both among his own community and the people
at large, and then came a period of rest, for, as his
biographer writes, a happy matrimonial union . . . was
about to place him in the midst of the sweets of domestic
life, and to afford him " a brief period of rest from labour."
Anna Buxton, who thus became his wife in 1 8 1 6, was
a sister of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, and one who had
moved in the upper ranks of society, distinguished by
" remarkably refined and elegant manners ; " but counting
all worldly distinctions as but loss, had left its blandish
ments and allurements to enlist under the banner of
Christ, in whose name, amid various other services, she
was often, with Elizabeth Fry, a visitor to the prisoners
at Newgate. Thus husband and wife were kindred spirits
in the love and hope of the Gospel. Their first home
was a cottage in Dorsetshire, " a green, flowery sequestered
nest amongst the hills " (as Amelia Opie called it), and
their only son, the future eminent statesman, William
Edward, was born there. It was not long after his birth,
and in less than three years after this happy settlement,
William Forster, at the call of duty, left all for an arduous
journey to America, which he felt was (as to his affections)
" a bitter cup " thus to leave " my beloved and most loving
and helpful wife, and our sweet little boy." Twenty of
his nearest and dearest friends and relations gathered in
the ship's cabin at Bristol, in devotion and prayer, on his
departure, when the one most to be felt for in the coming
separation was able to kneel in an offering of pious
resignation and thanksgiving.

WILLIAM FORSTER

227

William Forster, like so many another man of large
frame, was but a poor sailor, and the five weeks' voyage
involved him in much physical suffering, especially as the
ship became greatly tossed by the waves. Landed at
length, he made his way almost direct to a meeting at
New York, where, all unknown, he mingled with the
worshippers, till on bended knee the stranger led them
in thrilling tones to the Throne of Grace, and they learnt
for the first time what sort of man had come amongst
them. He was five years prosecuting his service, and at
a time when no railways (much less Pullman's) were
available, penetrated to the then far and wild West, search
ing out the gatherings of his friends wherever settled, with
the one object of promoting their entrance or their con
tinuance into the true fold of faith and trust in the Lord
Jesus, and in Him alone. It was a labour of love, per
severed in amid physical weakness and oft-recurrent
opposition, through a speculative spirit then much
prevalent among Friends in the Eastern States, even
to the denial of the Lord that bought them. " My
simple, plain preaching does not suit the speculative
disposition of many in these parts. But whilst, through
the mercy of the Lord, I am preserved in the doctrine of
the apostles, I trust I shall not be forsaken of Him Who
was their shield." And again : " Many are departed from
the faith, and there seems no entrance for a word, even
when the love and power is felt most sensibly to prevail.
But what can we expect whilst they continue to treat
with lightness the sufferings of the Redeemer, and the
purpose for which He delivered Himself up to death ? "
This was the spirit that some few years after led off
so large a proportion of American Friends into avowed
and open separation through their Unitarian sentiments.
William Forster laboured all these years and toilsome

228 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
journeys through, not to promote Quakerism as a sect
but for vital Christianity ; and amid all that differed or
opposed he sought, and, seeking, succeeded in maintaining
" a loving, humble, watchful spirit towards Friends in
every . place." On his return at length to England, a
period of comparative retirement in his Dorsetshire home
followed the completion of this arduous American service,
and in the course of these years his residence was shifted
to the neighbourhood of Norwich. Again, in 1844, the
missionary was on his travels seeking to promote Gospel
faith and life on the continent of France. Then came
another visit to America's Far West, in conjunction with
other brethren, on an appointment to heal, if possible, some
dissentient views on the Anti-Slavery question. In 1846
Ireland was the scene of his labours in consequence of the
potato famine, when William Forster and those united
with him visited the distressed with most efficient and
judicious help. Succeeding to this was a fresh continental
visit, that by interviews with sovereigns and those in
authority moral indignation might be aroused to promote
the abolition of all traffic in slaves throughout the world
as one of the foulest blots upon their common profession
of Christianity. It took him to Denmark, Norway,
Sweden, Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, Bavaria, Italy, Spain, and in nearly all cases
William Forster had personal interviews with kings and
emperors, statesmen and officials of all kinds and degree
as way opened, and copies of the Society's Address he
carried were largely circulated. Thus four years were
spent and lengthened journeys accomplished, in which,
though helped by a succession of fellow-labourers from
home, he himself, with extraordinary, persistent, and calm
energetic effort, went through this great undertaking,
which proved the closing concern of his life ; for when

WILLIAM FORSTER. 229
all this European service was over, he, in 1853, went on
the same cause to interview the President and State
governors throughout all America, and had largely accom
plished this labour of Christian love for Afric's sons when
the summons came for him to quit his earthly tabernacle.
In far-distant Tennessee, but in great peace, resignation,
and tranquillity, " he breathed out " (as those who watched
the calm close could say) " his soul unto God." Who can
tell what effect these devoted services may not have had
on the minds of those American statesmen who, a few
years later, made that resolute stand against slavery,
which occasioned the war that " blotted it out for ever " ?
William Forster's three companions (one of them his
elder brother Josiah) attended the remains of their beloved
one to the Friends' graveyard at Friendsville, Tennessee ;
and a simple stone in this bright tree-shaded enclosure
marks the spot where rests from his lifelong labours of
Christian love this great missionary and philanthropist.
His age had just reached threescore and ten at the time
of his death in the far-distant land.
" He sought not glory, but he found
A glorious death at last ;
When on the slaver's blighted ground
He sank beneath the blast.
" He sought not — he — the martyr's crown,
But God the boon bestowed ;
When meet to die he laid him down
Where wild the torrents flowed."
Anna Gurney.
" Confessor ! Pilgrim ! Martyr ! of the Cross !—
Fathers a Brother mourn ; their sons a sire !
Humanity her Helper ! at such loss
I on the willow hung the silenced lyre."
W. Ball.
"William Forster's Memoirs," edited by Benjamin Seebohm,
were published in 1865, 2 vols., 8vo, from which source much of the

230 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
foregoing particulars are derived. The following poetical tribute is
from the muse of J. G. Whittier : —
" Wherever Duty's pathway lay
His reverent steps have passed,
The poor to feed, the lost to seek,
To proffer life to death ;
Hope to the erring, — to the weak
The strength of his own faith.
" To plead the captive's right, remove
The sting of hate from Law,
And soften in the fire of love
The hardened steel of war.
" He walked the dark world in the mild,
Still guidance of the Light ;
In tearful tenderness a child,
A strong man in the right.
" From what great perils, on his way,
He found in prayer release ;
Through what abysmal shadows lay
His pathway unto peace,
" God knoweth ; we could only see
The tranquil strength he gained ;
The bondage lost in liberty,
The fear in love unfeigned.

' Methinks the mound which marks thy bed
Might bless our land and save,
As rose, of old, to life the dead
Who touched the prophet's grave ! "

RIGHT HON. WILLIAM EDWARD FORSTER. 23 1

RIGHT HON. WILLIAM EDWARD
FORSTER.
Born 1818 — Died 1886 — Aged Sixty-seven Years.
Woodcut 11x8 in.
His father was William Forster, a land agent, who
settled at Bradpole, in Dorsetshire, and married Anna
Buxton. Their son was born at that place on July 1 ith,
1 8 1 8, and received his education at Friends' School, Grove
House, Tottenham. The father was a member of the
Society of Friends, who travelled on errands of mercy all
over the United Kingdom, the continent of Europe, and
America. In the winter of the dreadful Irish famine,
1846-7, the son assisted the father in a visit to
Mayo, Donegal, and Connemara, to distribute the relief
provided by the Society of Friends. He wrote and
printed a very vivid account of what he saw during this
engagement. He became partner of Mr. William Fison,
and owner of a great worsted and alpaca factory at Burley-
in-Wharfedale, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. He
married, in 1850, Jane Martha, the eldest daughter of the
Rev. Dr. Arnold, Head Master of Rugby, and became a
member of the Established Church. About that time he
began to take an active part in public affairs. In 1859
he was an unsuccessful candidate for the representation
of Leeds. He was returned for Bradford unopposed in
February 1861, and has since been re-elected upon every
occasion, though his seat was contested in 1868, in 1874,
in 1880, and last year (1885). His first Government
office was in 1865, as Under Secretary for the Colonies.
In Mr. Gladstone's Ministry of 1868, the post of Vice-
President of the Council, with the charge of the Education

232 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Department, was given to Mr. Forster ; and he framed
and passed, in 1870, the Act by which School Boards,
with powers of rating and management, have been created
all over England. He brought in and passed the Ballot
Act in 1871. In the Government of 1880 he was a
Cabinet Minister, with the office of Chief Secretary for
Ireland. Earl Cowper, the Lord Lieutenant, not being in
the Cabinet, Mr. Forster was therefore chiefly responsible
for the Irish policy of the Government until the end of
April 1882.
Mr. Forster had no children of his own, but adopted
the two sons and two daughters of Mr. W. D. Arnold, his
wife's brother, Director of Public Instruction in the
Punjaub, who died in 1859. One son is Mr. H. 0.
Arnold Forster.
Mr. Forster died, after an illness of some duration, at
his house in Eccleston Square, in the sixty-eighth year
of his age, worn out by labours in the service of his
country. Taken from The Illustrated London News of April 10th, 1886,
in which paper was also the following estimate of W. E. Forster's
character as a statesman.
"By the death of Mr. Forster England has lost a
statesman of inflexible rectitude, of unswerving courage,
a true lover of his country, and a sincere Liberal. Neither
patriotism nor party interfered with his sense of justice
and his ardour for truth. His strongest opponents will
allow that in all he did he was guided by the sense of
duty, and that his public acts were never swayed by
personal motives. It is remarkable that Mr. Forster should
have passed away at a time when the thoughts of all men
are turned to Ireland. As Chief Secretary at a critical
period he incurred much obloquy, but 'steered right
onward ' in spite of it, saying that he was never more

RIGHT HON. WILLIAM EDWARD FORSTER. 233
clear in his life as to the necessity of a duty. This is not
the time fully to estimate Mr. Forster's virtues or his
faults, but every one must feel that his sound sagacity and
high integrity were never more needed, and that his death
at the present moment is a serious loss to the country he
loved so well."
In the Educational Record (a publication connected with the
British and Foreign School Society) was inserted the following
tribute paid to W. E. Forster's memory, at a meeting of the
Committee of that Society.
" That the Committee of the British and Foreign School
Society desires to take the earliest opportunity of joining
in the expressions of profound regret which are uttered on
all sides at the loss which the country has sustained in
the death of the Right Hon. William Edward Forster on
the 5th inst. The name of so thoroughly conscientious,
courageous, and enlightened statesman will never be for
gotten by the friends of education at large ; and the
supporters of the Society especially will cherish the memory
of one who took so much interest in, and was so ready
to help forward its work. Members of Mr. Forster's
family were prominent in the management of the Society's
affairs for sixty-one years, and he himself became one of
its officers in 1874, and filled the President's chair for
the years 1884 and 1885."
Mr. Forster's funeral service at Westminster Abbey, on
the 9th, was attended by the President of the year, Sir J.
W. Pease, Bart., M.P., and Evan Spicer, Esq., as Chairman
of the Society's General Committee, and the interment
at Wharfedale by J. Bevan Braithwaite, Esq., one of the
oldest members of the General Committee.
The Educational Record, April 1886.

234 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
JOHN FOSTER,
Born 178 i — Died 1864 — Aged Eighty-two Years.
For Portrait see Oil Painting of London Yearly Meeting.
John Foster, a Minister of Luton, Beds, the subject.
of this memoir, was born at Newton Morrell, near
Bicester, the nth of the 4th month, 1781. His parents
were members of the Established Church. His early train
ing devolved on his mother, who was left a widow with
a young family. She appears to have been a serious,
thoughtful woman. He was afterwards placed as an
apprentice to a chemist and druggist at Basingstoke,
where his steady conduct and diligent attention to business
gained him the confidence of his employer.
During his apprenticeship he attended the marriage of
his brother Oswald, who had previously joined our Society,
and he was there so powerfully impressed by the ministry
of Thomas Shillitoe, that from that period he regularly
attended the small meeting of Friends then held at
Basingstoke. This change was far from being agreeable, either to his
surviving parent or to his master, but he was strengthened
faithfully to pursue the path of apprehended duty, although
some pecuniary loss was sustained in consequence of the
prejudices imbibed by a near relation.
After the expiration of his apprenticeship, in 1802, he
passed some time as an assistant at Plough Court, and
also with Thomas Shillitoe, jun., chemist, at Tottenham,
in which situations his religious principles were doubtless
nurtured by the kind care of his " elders in the truth."
About the year 1805 he settled in business at Luton as
a grocer and chemist and druggist, where he continued

JOHN FOSTER, 235
to reside for the remainder of his life. It is believed he
manifested a care to pursue, according to the measure of
Divine Grace bestowed, " the one thing needful." He
was received into membership with Friends in 1806.
In 181 2 he was married to Hannah, daughter of James
and Hannah Wallis, of Basingstoke. The health of his
wife soon became delicate, and in the 3rd month, 181 5,
he was left a widower with an infant daughter.
He was recorded as a Minister by St. Albans Monthly
Meeting in 1822. The period of his first appearance in
the ministry is not known, but he experienced an enlarge
ment of his gift, which was often exercised in his own
particular meeting, of which he was a regular attender, as
well as in those for discipline, and in many, parts of
Great Britain which he visited with the concurrence of
his Friends. It is believed his ministry was acceptable,
and tended to the comfort and edification of many.
About the year 1830 he retired from business on a
small competency, living with his daughter in a retired
way. In the year 1847 the death of his only daughter, the
wife of Joseph Green, took place after a short illness,
leaving two infant sons. This deep affliction he was
enabled to bear with Christian resignation.
A few winters preceding his decease he was liable to
attacks of bronchitis, during which the goodness and
mercy of his heavenly Father were often the theme of his
life. His closing illness was short, although his declining
powers had long been evident. He was only confined to
his bed rather more than a week, during which time a
sweetly sustaining confidence that his Saviour was near
was often expressed. Though his breathing was difficult,
yet at intervals he was enabled to speak words of counsel
and instruction to those near and dear to him. He was

236 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
favoured with a peaceful and quiet dismission from the
conflicts of time on the 8th of 3rd month, 1864, aged
nearly 83 years.
He left behind him a work which he calls "Memo
randum of Christian Experience, etc.," from 18 10 to 1830.
The manuscript, in six parts, small 4to size, is the
property of his relative John D. Appleton.
Taken from The Annual Monitor, 1865, and from a manuscript
written by Lydia Brown, which is in the possession of John David
Appleton, who kindly lent it for the purpose.

JOHN FOTHERGILL, M.D., F.R.S.
Born 1712 — Died 1780 — Aged nearly Sixty-nine
Years.
Bust Height 30 in. Mezzotint Engraving, with
Autograph, 13 x 10 in.
John Fothergill, an eminent physician, son of John
and Margaret Fothergill, Quakers, was born ist month,
called March 8th, 17 12, at Carr End, Wensley-Dale,
Yorkshire, where his father, who had been a brewer
at Knaresborough (after having travelled from one end
of America to the other), lived retired on a small
estate which he cultivated. The eldest son Alexander,
who studied the law, inherited that estate ; John was
the second son. Joseph, the third son, was an iron
monger at Stockport, in Cheshire ; Samuel, the fourth
son, went to America, and became a celebrated preacher
among the Quakers. There was also a sister, Ann, who
lived with the doctor, and survived him.
John received his education under the kind care of
his grandfather, Thomas Hough, a person of fortune in

JOHN FOTHERGILL, M.D., F.R.S. 237
Cheshire (which gave him a predilection for that county),
and at Sedbergh, in Yorkshire. About 1 7 1 8 he was put
apprentice to Benjamin Bartlett, apothecary, at Bradford,
whence he removed to London, October 20th, 1736, and
studied two years as a pupil of Doctor (after Sir Edward)
Wilmot, at St. Thomas's Hospital. He then went to the
University of Edinburgh to study physic, and there took
his doctor's degree. His Thesis was entitled, " De emeti-
corum Usu in variis morbis tractandis." From Edinburgh
he went to Leyden, whence, after a short stay, he travelled
through some parts of France and Germany, and, return
ing to England, began his practice in London about 1740
in a house in White Hart Court, Lombard Street (where
he resided till his removal to Harper Street in 1767), and
acquired both reputation and fortune. He was admitted
a Licentiate of the College of Physicians of London 1746,
and in 1754 Fellow of that of Edinburgh, to which he was
a considerable benefactor. In 1753 he became a member
both of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies, and was at
his death a member of the Royal Medical Society at
Paris. He continued his practice with uninterrupted
success till within the last two years of his life, when
an illness, which he had brought on himself by his
unremitting attention, obliged him greatly to contract it.
Besides his occupation in medical science, he had imbibed
an early taste for natural history, improved by his friend,
Peter Collinson, and employed himself particularly on the
study of shells, and of botany. He was for many years
a valuable contributor to the Gentleman's Magazine, which
in return considerably assisted his rising fame. His obser
vations on the weather were begun there in April 1751.
and discontinued in the beginning of 1756, as he was
disappointed in his views of inciting other experienced
physicians in different parts to imitate the example.

238 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Though his practice was very extensive, he did not add
to his art any great or varied improvements. His
pamphlet on the ulcerous sore throat is, on every
account, the best of his publications. In 1762 Dr.
Fothergill purchased an estate at Upton, in Essex,
Ham House, subsequently the residence of Samuel
Gurney, and now a public park. Here he formed an
excellent botanic garden, with hot-houses and green
houses, to the extent of 260 feet. In 1766 he began
regularly to withdraw, from Midsummer to Michaelmas,
from the excessive fatigue of his profession, to Lee Hall,
near Middlewich, in Cheshire ; which, though he only
rented it by the year, he had spared no -expense to
improve. During this recess he took no fees, but at
tended to prescribe gratis at an inn at Middlewich once
a week. Some time before his death he had been in
dustrious to contrive a method of generating and pre
serving ice in the West Indies. He was the patron of
Sidney Parkinson, and drew up the preface to his account
of the voyage to the South Seas. At his expense
also was made and printed an entire new transla
tion of the whole Bible from the Hebrew and Greek
originals, by Anthony Purver, a Quaker, in two volumes,
1764, folio; and also, in 1780, an edition of Bishop
Percy's " Key to the New Testament," adapted to the
use of a seminary of young Quakers at Ackworth, which
the doctor first projected, and afterwards endowed hand
somely by his will. It now contains above three hundred
children of both sexes, who are clothed and instructed.
Among the other beneficent schemes suggested by Dr.
Fothergill was that of bringing fish to London by land
carriage, which, though it did not in every respect succeed,
was supposed to defeat a monopoly ; and that of render
ing bread much cheaper, though equally wholesome, by

JOHN FOTHERGILL, M.D., F.R.S. 239
making it with one part of potatoes, and three parts of
household flour. But his public benefactions, his en
couragements of science, the instances of his attention to
the health, the police, the convenience of the metropolis,
etc., are too numerous to specify. The fortune which
Dr. Fothergill acquired was computed at £80,000. His
business, when he was in full practice, was calculated at
near £7,000 per annum. In the Influenza of 1775 and
1776 he is said to have had sixty patients on his list
daily, and his profits were then estimated at £8,000. . . .
His generosity was extreme, and numberless were the
instances in which he not only refused fees, but gave
large sums -to patients whom he thought needing help,
and he never would accept remuneration from any clergy
man who might consult him. Worn out by hard servitude
in his practice, and by having had to suffer much in body
and mind, his last illness was brief, yet the mind clear
amid intensity of pain, and hope firm to the end. He died
at his house in Harper Street, December 26th, 1780, and
his remains weie interred, January 5th. 1781, in the
Quakers' burying ground at Winchmore Hill. The execu
tors, who were his sister and Mr. Chorley, linen draper
in Gracechurch Street, who married one of his nieces,
intended the burial to be private ; but the desire of the
Quakers to attend the funeral rendered it impossible.
Only ten coaches were ordered to convey his relations
and friends, but there were more than seventy coaches
and post-chaises attending ; and many of the Friends
came above a hundred miles to pay their last tribute
of respect. The doctor, by his will, appointed that his
shells, and other pieces of natural history, should be
offered to the late Dr. Hunter at £500 under the
valuation he ordered to be taken of them. Accordingly
Dr. Hunter bought them for £1,200. The drawings and

24O BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
collections in natural history, which he had spared no
expense to augment, were also to be offered to Sir Joseph
Banks at a valuation. His English portraits and prints,
which had been collected by Mr. John Nicholls, of Ware,
and purchased by him for eighty guineas, were bought
for two hundred guineas by Mr. Thane. His books
were sold by auction April 30th, 1781, and the eigh
following days. His house and garden at Upton were
valued at £10,000.
The person of Dr. Fothergill was of a delicate rather
than an extenuated make. His features were all ex
pressive, and his eye had a peculiar brilliancy. His
understanding was comprehensive and quick, and rarely
embarrassed on the most sudden occasions. There was
a charm in his conversation and address that conciliated
the regard and confidence of all who employed him ; and
so discreet and uniform was his conduct, that he was not
apt to forfeit the esteem which he had once acquired. At
his meals he was uncommonly abstemious both in his
eating and drinking, and by this uniform and steady
temperance preserved his mind vigorous and active, and
his constitution equal to all his engagements.
Taken from " Chalmers' Biographical Dictionary," vol. xiv.,
1814. For a full account of his writings, see Smith's "Catalogue of
Friends' Books," vol. i. Also " Life of Fothergill," by James Hack
Tuke, for further particulars, interesting anecdotes, etc., etc.
" I should think myself guilty," said Dr. Hurd, " of a
neglect injurious to the memory of my deceased friend
did I not observe that he abhorred the prevalent
infidelity of the age and gloried in the name of Christian."
" He valued the Scriptures," wrote Samuel Scott, " as
the repository of Divine truths, and was never ashamed
of those grand fundamental doctrines, salvation through

JOHN FOTHERGILL, M.D., F R.S. 24 1
the influences of His Spirit; and thus by believing in God,
our worthy friend was unremittingly careful to main
tain good works. His steady adherence to some peculiar
testimonies to the simplicity of the Gospel held forth by
the Christian Society called Quakers, was also peculiarly
exemplary, they being despised by too many of his
fellow-professors under the picture of more liberal and
extensive ideas, who are themselves greatly his inferiors
in that real liberality of heart and sentiment of which
he was so eminent a professor."
S. Scott's " Diary," p. 26.
Benjamin Franklin, who made the acquaintance of
Dr. Fothergill when in London, said of. him that he
was among the best men he had known, and a great
promoter of useful projects.
Dr. Franklin's " Memoirs,'- vol. i., p. 302.
During his lifetime Dr. Fothergill was often requested,
but as often refused, to sit for his portrait. After his
death it was very happily painted from memory by
Gilbert Stuart, who was' a favourite pupil of Benjamin
West, and rose to eminence in his profession, especially
in America. He painted the portraits of three of the
kings of Europe, and of six of the American presidents.
From this portrait of Dr. Fothergill, which was exhibited in
the Royal Academy of 1781, an engraving in mezzotint
has been published by Mr. Green. The following is a
description of him by a great-nephew, John Fothergill,
of York : — "Rather above. the middle height, very delicate
and slender, of a sanguine temperament, his forehead
finely proportioned, his eyes light coloured, brilliant,
acute, and deeply penetrating, his nose rather aquiline ;
his mouth betokened delicacy of feeling, his whole
countenance expressed liability to irritation, great sen-
16

242 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
sibility, clear understanding, and exalted virtue. He
usually wore a large, low, three-cornered hat, a white
medical wig, with rows of small curls descending one
under another from near the crown to his shoulders,
a coat, waistcoat, and breeches of nearly white superfine
cloth, the coat without any collar, large cuffs, and two of
t'le buttons buttoned over his breast, the waistcoat with
long flaps; the ends of his cravat were buttoned within his
waistcoat, the stockings he wore were silk and the colour
of his clothes ; his buckles were small. His coach was
dark green. . . . The horses, tall black ones, with
short-docked tails. His coachman, a large man, who
weighed at least sixteen stone. . . , Dr. Fothergill
had a little stiffness in his address ; when he walked
along the street he leaned forward a good deal."
Ann Fothergill, who had been her brother's life-long
companion, moved, after his decease, to 68, Great Russell
Street, where she died in 1802, aged 84, the last of her
generation. " And now," says J. H. Tuke, " side by side in
the peaceful suburban burial ground of Winchmore Hill,
two small headstones may be seen, which record the
names of the devoted loving brother and sister, linked
together in the last outward bond, as he so often had
united their names when writing to various members of
the family as 'J. and A. Fothergill.' A few feet only
divide these graves from another, the resting-place of
their friend David Barclay, close to which is another
whereon is inscribed, ' David Barclay, of Cheapside, the
son of the Apologist.'"

GEORGE FOX

243

GEORGE FOX.
Born 1624 — Died 1690 — Aged Sixty-six Years.
Engraving 1 1 X 9 in.
GEORGE Fox, the founder of the " Society of Friends "
or "Quakers," was born at Drayton, Leicestershire, in
July 1624. His father, Christopher Fox, called by the
neighbours " Righteous Christer," was a weaver by occupa
tion ; and his mother, Mary Lago, an upright woman, and
accomplished above most of her degree, " came of a family
that had suffered much in former days of religious persecu
tion." Both were members of the Church of England, and
took great pains in the training of their children. George,
from his childhood, " appeared of another frame than the
rest of his brethren, being more religious, inward, still,
solid, and observing beyond his years;" and he himself
declares, " When I came to eleven years of age, I knew
pureness and righteousness ; for while a child I was
taught how to walk to be kept pure." Some of his
relations wished that he should be educated for the
Church ; but his father, after he had barely learned to
read and write, lost no time in apprenticing him to a
certain shoemaker, who also dealt in wool and cattle. In
this service he remained till his nineteenth year, and
acquired some proficiency in all the branches of his
master's somewhat miscellaneous business. According to
Penn, "he took most delight in sheep," but he himself
simply says, " A good deal went through my hands. . . .
People had generally a love to me for my innocency and
honesty." In 1643, being upon business at a fair, and
having accompanied some friends to the village public-
house, he was deeply scandalised by a proposal to " drink

244 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
healths," and abruptly withdrew in great grief of spirit.
" When I had done what business I had to do I returned
home, but did not go to bed that night, nor could I sleep,
but sometimes walked up and down, and sometimes
prayed and cried to the Lord, Who said unto me, ' Thou
seest how young people go together into vanity, and old
people into the earth ; thou must forsake all, both young
and old, and keep out of all, and be a stranger unto all.'
Then, at the command of God, on the 9th day of the
7th month, 1643, I left my relations, and broke off all
familiarity or fellowship with old or young." Thus
briefly he describes what appears to have been the
greatest moral crisis in his life. Of the four years which
followed, the " times of the first workings of the Lord in
him," he has left but a confused account. They were,
on the whole, years of great perplexity and distress, though
sometimes " I had intermissions, and was sometimes
brought into such a heavenly joy that I thought I had
been in Abraham's bosom." He did not continue for
many months to adhere to the letter of the command he
believed himself to have received ; he soon began to have
some misgivings as to the propriety of his action in
having forsaken his relations ; and, apparently without
waiting for any new revelation, he ultimately conceded so
much to the claims of natural affection as occasionally to
visit those whom he had formerly thought it his duty to
leave. Still, throughout this period his wanderings were
very numerous, and covered a very wide area. He would
go from town to town, " travelling up and down, as a
stranger in the earth, which way the Lord inclined my
heart ; taking a chamber to myself in the town where ' I
came, and tarrying sometimes a month, more or less, in
a place ; " and the reason he gives for this migrating
habit is that he was " afraid both of professors and profane

GEORGE FOX. 245
lest, being a tender young man, he should be hurt by
conversing much with either." The same fear often led
him to shun all society for days at a time ; but frequently
he would apply to " professors " for spiritual direction and
consolation. These applications, however, never proved
successful; he invariably found that his advisers "possessed
not what they professed." Some recommended marriage,
others enlistment as a soldier in the civil wars ; one
" ancient priest " bade him take tobacco ,and sing psalms ;
another of the same fraternity, " in high account," advised
physic and blood-letting. About the beginning of 1646
his thoughts began to take more definite shape ; or, as he
himself expresses it, he began to receive more revelations.
For example, as he was one day approaching the gate of
Coventry, " the Lord opened to him " that none were true
believers but such as were born of God, and had passed
from death unto life ; and this was soon followed by other
" openings," to the effect that " being bred at Oxford or
Cambridge was not enough to fit and qualify men to be
ministers of Christ," and that " God, Who made the world,
did not dwell in temples made with hands." " I had also
great openings concerning the things written in the
Revelation." He also experienced deeper manifestations
of Christ within his own soul.
" When I myself was in the deep, shut up under all
(the burden of corruptions), I could not believe that I
should ever overcome ; my troubles, my sorrows, and my
temptations were so great that I thought many times I
should have despaired, I was so tempted. But when
Christ opened to me how He was tempted by the same
devil, and overcame him and bruised his head, and that
through Him, and His power, light, grace, and spirit, I
should overcome also, I had confidence in Him ; so He
it was that opened to me, when I was shut up and had

246 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
no hope nor faith. Christ, Who had enlightened me, gave
me His light to believe in ; He gave me hope which He
Himself revealed in me ; and He gave me His Spirit and
grace, which I found sufficient in the deeps and in weak
ness." With the knowledge he had thus received, Fox,
towards the end of the year 1647, felt himself constrained
to begin the work of his life as an itinerant preacher, the
positive element in his teaching being to the effect that
men ought to give sincere and earnest heed to the inner
light — the light of Christ — which God had placed in
every human heart. The scenes of his early labours and
early successes were in the neighbourhood of Dukinfield
and Mansetter, where he had great " openings and
prophecies," and succeeded in establishing his influence
over a considerable number of followers. From this date
his creed grew rapidly in point of explicitness, especially
on its negative and practical sides. For example . . .
that he was not to take off his hat to any person, high
or low, that he was to use in addressing any single
individual of whatever rank no other pronouns than the
simple " thou " and " thee ; " that he was not to bid
people " good-morning " or " good-evening ; " and that he
was not to " bow or scrape with his leg to any one."
Increasingly persuaded of the truth and importance of
his message, he daily became bolder in the delivery of it.
In the year 1 649, as he was walking towards Nottingham
©n a First day morning, accompanied by some of his
friends, he heard the bell of the " steeple-house " of the
city, and was admonished by an inward voice to go
forward and cry against the great temple and the wor
shippers in it. Entering the church, he found the preacher
engaged in expounding the words, " We have also a more
sure word of prophecy," from which the ordinary Pro
testant doctrine of the supreme authority of Scripture was

GEORGE FOX. 247
being enforced in a manner which appeared to Fox so
defective or erroneous as to call for his immediate and
most energetic protest. Lifting up his voice against the
preacher's doctrine, he declared that it is not by the
Scriptures alone, but by the Divine light by which the
Scriptures were given, that doctrines ought to be judged.
The result of the disturbance, which not unnaturally
ensued, was that he was seized by the constables and
carried off to prison, where he was detained for some
time, and from which he was released only by the favour
of the sheriff, whose sympathies he had succeeded in
enlisting. A similar adventure at Derby ended less
favourably. For raising a discussion, which seemed not
unlikely to end in a breach of the peace in the church
there, he was brought before the magistrates, and after
examination, committed, along with one of his comrades,
to the house of correction as a blasphemer ; and not till
the beginning of 1 6 5 1 , after he had been a prisoner for
almost a year, did he succeed in regaining his freedom.
It would be out of place to follow with any minuteness
the details of his subsequent imprisonments, such as that
at Carlisle in 1653, at London in 1654, at Launceston
in 1656, at Lancaster in 1660, and again in 1663, at
Scarborough in 1666, and at Worcester in 1674. They
are related with a certain monotony, which is yet far from
being tedious or uninteresting, in the Journal, fortunately
an easily-accessible book. Suffice it to say, that during
these terms of imprisonment his pen was not idle, as is
amply shown by the very numerous letters, pastorals, and
exhortations which have been preserved by his followers ;
while during his intervals of liberty he was unwearied in
the work of preaching and making disciples. While his
labours were, for the most part, confined to the midland
and northern counties of England, he found time in 1657

248 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
for a tour through Scotland, which, in his opinion, was
not altogether without result.
In 1669 he married the widow of a Welsh judge,
Margaret Fell, who, with her family, had been among
his earliest converts ; but almost immediately afterwards
his proselytising ardour impelled him to proceed alone
to Barbadoes,. Jamaica, and the American continent.
In all places visited by him there he met with a good
reception, and was successful in making many con
verts. Shortly after his return, in 1673, he was, as
has been already noted, apprehended in Worcestershire
for attending meetings that were forbidden by the law.
He was ultimately set at liberty on account of errors
in the indictment which had been drawn up against
him, but this was not until after he had suffered a
captivity of nearly fourteen months. In 1677 he visited
Holland along with his followers Barclay and Penn ;
and this visit he renewed in 1684, extending his tour
through a considerable part of North Germany. The
later years of his life were spent mostly in London, where
he continued to give public addresses, comparatively
unmolested, until within a few days of his death, which
took place November 13th, 1690.
In personal appearance Fox was tall and strongly
built, " graceful in countenance, manly in personage, grave*
in gesture ; " in manner he was courteous and unaffected,
" civil beyond all forms of breeding," and " tender, com
passionate, and pitiful ; " essentially, he was " a heavenly
minded man, zealous for the name of the Lord, and
preferred the honour of God before all things ; " "a man
that God endued with a clear and wonderful depth, a
discerner of others' spirits, and very much a master of his
own." These and similar characterisations by his friendly
contemporaries, who, for the rest, do not pretend that he

GEORGE FOX. 249
was in any way remarkable either for grasp of intellect
or for profundity in learning, surely deserve some weight
as against the somewhat prevalent opinion that Fox was
nothing more than a charlatan, whom we have no " reason
for placing morally or intellectually above Ludowick
Muggleton or Joanna Southcote " {Macaulay). The mere
fact that he was able to attract to himself so considerable
a body of respectable followers, including such men as
Ellwood, Barclay, and Penn, is sufficient to prove that
he possessed, in a very eminent degree, the power of
conviction, persuasion, and moral ascendency ; while of
his personal uprightness, single-mindedness, and sincerity
there ought to be no question.
Taken from the Encyclopedia Britannica, 9th ed., vol. ix., 1879.
(This sketch of George Fox's life, though failing in a full apprecia
tion of his character and ministry, is given us from a source that
may be regarded as wholly impartial.) The writings of George Fox
are numerous. For full particulars see Joseph Smith's " Catalogue
of Friends' Books."
" Fox (George). Portrait on Stone by Fairland," about 1835, an
artist who was one of the earliest that successfully practised the art
of lithography. This copy is the gift to the Institute collection by
James Boorne, and is the more to be valued because he is only
aware of one other copy of it being extant, as is mentioned by him
in his review of the various likenesses of George Fox in the Friends'
Quarterly Examiner of 1879. "My library No. 5." This other copy
was in the possession of a clergyman, who was of the opinion that
the foundation of the likeness was a sketch taken when George Fox
was in Holland, and could " quite believe in it as fairly representing
the combination of manly resolution and feminine tenderness which
the study of his Journal has enabled us to find in his character."

250 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

ROBERT WERE FOX, THE ELDER.
Born 1754 — Died 181 8 — Aged Sixty-four Years.
No Portrait.
Robert Were Fox (father of Robert Were Fox, Charles
Fox, and Alfred Fox) was the son of George Croker and
Mary Fox, of Fowey, in Cornwall, and was born there the
5th of 7th month, 1754. He was a merchant of Falmouth,
and his residence there is thus alluded to by an American
traveller* : — " This town consists mainly of one long street,
which is so narrow that two carriages can scarcely pass
each other. There is not a house in the whole street
in which a comfortable Philadelphian would wish to live,
excepting that of R. W. Fox, the American consul, which
commands a fine prospect of land and water. With this
gentleman we dined. He received his commission, as
consul, from General Washington ; and is, if I mistake
not, the only remaining consul in England who is not an
American. He is a member of the Society of Friends,
intelligent, and greatly respected, and though advanced
in years, is still very active. He has a large and in
teresting family."
* Griscom's " Year in Europe," vol. i., p. 202.

ROBERT WERE FOX, F.R.S. 25 1

ROBERT WERE FOX, F.R.S,
THE YOUNGER.
Born 1789 — Died 1877 — Aged Eighty-eight Years.
Photograph 9x7 in.
ROBERT WERE Fox, the venerable Friend whose death
we have now to record, combined in himself a variety of
qualities not often found together. A cautious and suc
cessful merchant, an earnest, laborious, and original student
of physical science, and an enthusiastic admirer of the
picturesque in nature, he was also, beneath an exterior
of much reserve on religious matters, a devout and firm
believer in the revelation of God through Jesus Christ.
The death of his father when little past middle age
brought him early forward into the work of active life.
He was the eldest of a large family, and his widowed
mother soon learned to lean much on his calm strength of
judgment in ordering the affairs of her household, and
training up her younger children. . . .
The bent of his own genius and the influence of his
tutors, for his education had been conducted at home,
determined his intellectual energies to the study of
physical science, less popular then than now, though the
brilliant discoveries of hisfellow-Cornishman, Sir Humphrey
Davy, and the great inductive triumphs of his fellow-
Quaker, John Dalton, were powerfully influencing many
minds at the time when his own was hardening in the
mould. The original researches which obtained for him,
in 1848, the distinction of a fellowship of the Royal
Society, were chiefly made between the years 1812 and
1840, and their results are recorded in the Transactions

252 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
of the Royal, the Geological, and other Societies. His
favourite subjects appear to have been at first the nature
of high-pressure steam, and the temperature of mines.
Then, as the distribution of the mineral treasures of his
native county more and more attracted his attention, he
was led through Geology to Magnetism. The two points
by which he is most likely to be permanently remembered
as a man of science, are, his improvements in the dipping
needle, which led to more accurate observations at sea,
and his theory of the connection between magnetic currents
and the deposit of minerals in the earth's crust.
Minute and laborious investigations of this kind some
times have a tendency to narrow the intellectual range of
the observer, and to deaden his sympathies with his fellow-
men. It may safely be said that this was not the case
with Robert W. Fox. He took a hearty interest in
every movement for the relief of human suffering or the
increase of human happiness that came within his ken.
The Bible Society and the British Union Schools had his
steady support. As an old man, his kindly, genial manner
with the young was especially marked ; he spoke to them
out of the fullness of his gathered stores of knowledge,
and yet never seemed to lecture, and never patronised.
Next to the love of God and his family affections,
nothing more powerfully tended to keep his life fresh and
happy than his intense and loyal love for nature. It was
a love which did not find utterance in words, but in deeds.
He probably never wrote a line of poetry, but the green
glade of Penjerrick, sloping downwards to the sea, was the
poem of his life, at which he wrought with loving labour,
planting, felling, pruning; sometimes, as it were, adding
a few lines to his poem, then patiently polishing them into
fairer form, till he left it, in its simple and unostentatious
way, one of the loveliest gardens in England. . . .

ROBERT WERE FOX, F.R.S. 253
Robert W. Fox was in the station of Elder more than
fifty years. He accompanied his wife, who was a Minister,
on her visit to the Friends in the South of France. His
visits to Portugal in the anti -slavery cause, and to Spain,
with other delegates, for the promotion of religious liberty,
and in order to procure the liberation of Matamoros and
his companions, who were imprisoned for conscience' sake,
he always looked back upon with the deepest interest.
In 1 8 1 4 he married Maria, daughter of Robert Barclay,
of Bury Hill (near Dorking), a descendant of the author of
the " Apology." He was abundantly happy in his family
relations till the days of bereavement came. In 1855
he lost his only son, Robert Barclay Fox, who was married
to a daughter of Jonathan and Hannah C. Backhouse,
and died in the prime of life and in the midst of a career
of usefulness, when far away from his family and friends,
on a visit to Egypt, whither he had gone for the benefit
of his health.
In 1859, his wife, who had been for forty-five years his
wise and gentle companion, was taken from him ; and in
1 87 1 his youngest daughter, Caroline, the last but one of
his children, followed. He bore these repeated chasten-
ings unmurmuringly, not with the apathy of the stoic, but
with the resignation of the Christian. He strove to help
others to bear the burden of sorrow, and in doing so was
helped himself, and found it better to be with God under
the shadow, than in the sunshine without Him.
Robert W. Fox's health, which had been delicate in
middle life, seemed to improve as old age approached, and
at eighty both body and mind appeared as fresh and
vigorous as ever, and it was not until his eighty-fifth year
that the bodily weakness commenced which, by its increase,
brought on the end.
He commemorated his eighty-sixth birthday by the

254 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
distribution of " Paragraph Bibles " to some of his new
relations and his servants. And in the course of a
beautiful and impressive address to the latter (as by his
express invitation they sat around his couch) he earnestly
exhorted them (after passing in review the leading
incidents of the Gospel narrative) to come to that
Saviour with childlike faith, and make Him their portion.
He prepared also presents of Testaments for every house
in the neighbouring village, in which he specially marked
many texts on Redemption and Regeneration, as he felt
it so important all should be sure of the grounds of their
hope, and desired thus to show in a parting gift his love
for the Saviour.
The last few weeks of his life were passed in much
weakness and weariness. He longed for the time of
deliverance ; and after a few hours of unconsciousness he
was heard to whisper, " Jesus, Jesus, let me come ! " and
soon passed quietly away on the morning of the 25th of
7th month, 1877.
Annual Monitor, 1878.

JOSHUA FOX.
Born 1792 — Died 1877 — Aged nearly Eighty-five
Years.
Woodcut 7x5 in.
JOSHUA Fox, a brother of Robert Were and Charles Fox,
of whom it is stated that for the last forty years of his
life he scarcely ever left his native place, yet was he
known far beyond the limits of his own county for his
love of beasts and birds, and his power, especially over the

JOSHUA FOX.

255

latter, in taming them. They were his constant com
panions in his beautiful grounds ; and it is said would on
First day morning form an aerial escort around him as
he walked to meeting, and wait to accompany him when
it was over. He regularly fed them, and whilst all would
gather close around, some of the bolder and more dex
terous would take the crumbs from between his lips " like
a humming bird taking honey from a deep flower-bell
without alighting." Such kindness was influential, as he
sought to awaken, especially in the young, a love for
studying the habits rather than seeking the destruction
of the birds of the air. His grounds were full of trees,
shrubs, and flowering plants, and it is said he had planted in
them a hundred thousand varieties of rose trees. " Truly,"
wrote Elihu Burritt, " the grounds of the two brothers make
an earthly paradise of flowers, birds, and bright water.
Pools, fountains, and cascades interspersed where carp
and other fish are seen sporting and springing out for
insects as much at home as in 'a mountain stream,' and
Joshua Fox would say as he walked beneath his trees,
' I cannot look upon that pine with the crown of roses
on the top but I think of the tree of life in the midst of
Eden.' " He had a great love for Scripture, and would in
the latter years of his life visit the homes of his poor
neighbours and read to them from the Bible. He was
a warm advocate for peace principles, was kind and
courteous to all, and loved to communicate from his stores
of varied knowledge, especially on subjects connected
with his favourite pursuit of natural history.
*' He knows the tones that fill the breeze ;
He knows the language of the trees ;
He knows the crystal cascade's sound,
The rose leaf psalms that tremble round ;
The silent sighs from rush and reed
All find an echo in his deed.

256 biographical catalogue.
Go, hear the wonders of his voice,
And let your bounding heart rejoice.
Go, mark his generous aspect bold,
And think of England's sons of old;
Go, ask yourself, if ask you can,
Does nature hold a nobler man ? " Harris.
On a pleasant day at the end of March 1877, when his
favourite wild flowers were in bloom, he was laid to rest
in a quiet spot of the Friends' burial ground at Burdock,
where many of his nearest relatives repose. It was a
fitting time and place for the interment of such a man,
whose life as well as his death was peace.
These particulars have been gleaned from an obituary notice in
The Weekly Welcome of October 13th, 1877.

ALFRED FOX.
Born 1794 — Died 1874 — Aged Eighty Years.
Photograph 15 x 12 in.
Alfred Fox, of Woodlane, Falmouth, was the fifth son
of the late Robert Were Fox, of Falmouth, and one of a
family of twelve children. Born and brought up amidst
the shipping interests of Falmouth, the mining interests of
his native country, and the fisheries of the beautiful Cornish
coast, of which he was always so fond, his pursuits and
character were developed under these influences. He was
blessed with a naturally strong and muscular constitution,
and with mental powers much above the average. In
early life he evinced much aptitude for the study of
mathematics, and in later days his memory for dates and
circumstances, and his skill in the use of figures, were of
essential service to him.
His knowledge of the minerals of Cornwall was very
extensive. That science was his favourite pastime. His

ALFRED FOX. 257
collection contained many curious and unique specimens.
For a long time he used to point with pardonable loyalty
to a vacant place in his cabinet. He had presented the
specimens, drawer and all, to his Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, then a boy,
accompanying Her Majesty in a yachting expedition
around the Cornish coast.
But you saw Alfred Fox to the greatest advantage
when his attention was turned to Cornish fish — fisheries
and fishermen. As a member of his firm, he had
given constant attention to this interesting subject. To
the Exhibition in London, in 185 1, he made a very
interesting contribution of fishing apparatus and nets,
receiving the bronze medal for his services. He made
similar contributions to the Dutch fishery exhibition at the
Hague, and to the French exhibition at Boulogne, and to
other places where interest was excited in this important
industry. His long connection with fisheries, and his
periodical visits to different parts of the coast, coupled
with his cordial greeting to the hardy sons of toil, endeared
him much to the fishermen. When at Whitby, during
one of his visits to the north of England, the Cornishmen
engaged in the herring fishery, seeing his well-known
figure on the pier, swarmed out of their boats to shake
hands heartily with their well-known friend.
Throughout his active business life Cornwall and its
local matters received much of his attention. In the early
railway era he was anxious to see Cornwall developed by
a good railway system, and latterly was one of the
auditors appointed by the shareholders of the Cornwall
Railway. The Falmouth Docks received his hearty help,
and he held the position of Chairman from their com
mencement until his death.
In politics Alfred Fox was a decided and thorough-

258 biographical catalogue.
going Liberal. He never intruded his own views on either
politics or religion. It has been said that he never lost
his temper in his life, much less did he do so in an
argument on these subjects when controversy is apt to
wax warm. Yet he could hold his own with a clearness
and distinctness which showed that he had views, and they
were real matters of conviction.
Alfred Fox was a conscientious member of the Society
of Friends. Twice each Sunday, and once during the
week, he might be seen, accompanied by his wife and
family, wending his way to join that quiet worship in
which he found his own comfort and true happiness con
sisted. All human life requires seasons for repose, and
few men require them more than those whose brains are
hard at work in the busy scenes of commercial life. In
early life he found charms in his horse and gun. In later
life his enjoyment was with his wife and children, at his
well-known beautiful cottage at Glendurgan. There,
until within a few weeks of his death, he had the real
pleasure of his life. The beautiful trees in the woods,
the specimens on the lawn, the out-door camellias, azaleas,
and rhododendrons, every one of which he had planted,
were a source of constant pleasure to him. In the
autumn his pears and fruit garden, with its citron grown
out of doors, though carefully cared for in the winter,
afforded never-ceasing objects of interest.
Up to the time of his death he was Consul for the
United States of America, an office which had been con
ferred on his father by General George Washington ; he
was also Consul for Belgium. During his life he had held
the position of Consul or Vice-Consul for Russia, Italy,
Austria, Denmark, Hanover, Mecklenburg, the Hanse
Towns, Greece, Brazil, the Agentine Confederation, and
Mexico. For services rendered their respective Govern-

ALFRED FOX. 259
ments, Alfred Fox received the following acknowledg
ments. In Rogers's " American Representatives Abroad "
he is spoken of as follows : — " Mr. Fox is one of the oldest,
if not the oldest, both in years and time of service, of
our consular representatives. His duties have frequently
called him to protect the interests of our country, and to
render aid and advice to its citizens. His efficiency and
faithfulness during the late war won him the highest
commendation from the Government, who treated him, to
use his own expression, ' in a most handsome and liberal
spirit.' From the Emperor of Russia he received a
diamond ring of great value. From Louis Philippe, when
King of the French, a gold medal. From the late King
Leopold, of Belgium, a gold snuff-box inlaid with jewels,
in addition to which he conferred upon Alfred Fox a
knighthood of his own order. The King of Italy last
year (1873) made him a cavalier of his own order, that
of Corona DTtalia — for having first for many years faith
fully represented the kingdom of Sardinia, and then that
of Italy."
But, far beyond these honours, Alfred Fox's happiness
in life was that it belonged to the golden medium where
want does not enter, and where the temptations always
arising from riches are unknown. In business he possessed
an unsullied reputation, and had the happiness of being
highly honoured and esteemed. But yet more, he was
happy in his own family and friends, and beloved by his
neighbours, and these feelings grew and strengthened even
whilst his sun sunk down towards that horizon which
bounds the view of our finite vision.
In 1828 he was married to Sarah Lloyd, daughter
of Samuel and Rachel Lloyd, of " The Farm," near Bir
mingham, and they had twelve children, ten of whom
survived their father.

260 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
In his declining years, Alfred Fox not only had the
retrospect of a well-spent life, but he had great domestic
comforts and joys. The wife of his youth was still his
daily and hourly companion ; a large family of sons and
daughters, and sons-in-law* and daughters-in-law, sur
rounded him ; whilst literally, in the words of the
poet — " Children's children climbed his knee,
To hear his great watch tick."
But in addition to these, whilst Alfred Fox was not a man
who made a great show or profession of a religious faith,
those who knew him best knew that each act of his life
was done in the fear of God. His profound religious
convictions were at the bottom of all his commercial and
social life. Supported by faith he walked through life ;
and in like faith, when entering the dark valley, " he
feared no evil." Few memories in Cornwall will be more
cherished by a wide circle of rich and poor than that of
Alfred Fox.
Alfred Fox died the 20th of 5 th month, 1874, and
would in a few months have completed his eightieth year.
His funeral took place the 26th of 5th month, 1874, at
the Friends' burial ground, Burdock, and was attended
by a large number of Friends and others.
Taken from The Falmouth and Penryn Weekly Times, May
23rd and 30th, 1874, with some adaptations.
5 Among these were, Sir Joseph W. Pease, Bart., Alderman Sir
Robert N. Fowler, Bart., Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, LL.D., etc:, etc.

CHARLES FOX. 26 1
CHARLES FOX.
Born 1797 — Died 1878 — Aged Eighty Years.
Photogra phg X 7 in.
CHARLES FOX was the seventh son of Robert Were and
Elizabeth Fox, and was born at Falmouth in 1797.
At the Bank Hqnse (so called from its position above
the sea), and at another pleasant home a few miles away,
his education, with that of his brothers, was carried on
by tutors, under the superintendence of their mother.
Charles Fox's early love of knowledge, and his strong
sense of the value and right use of time, he always
attributed to her influence ; and he gratefully acknow
ledged how deeply he had been favoured in the watchful,
tender care of both his parents, whose teaching laid the
foundation of his firm attachment to the Society of
Friends, and his deep conviction of the truth of its
principles. In the year 1825 he married Sarah, the only daughter
of William Hustler, of Undercliffe, near Bradford,
Yorkshire, and he was wont to speak of their union of
more than fifty years with rejoicing thankfulness.
It was said of him, " There are many to whom the
name of Charles Fox will at once recall imperishable
recollections of the Christian scholar and gentleman ; of
the never-failing gracious courtesy, the condescension to
the more ignorant, so perfect that it never seemed to
condescend, which made his great stores of knowledge
accessible to all who approached him." . . .
His subjects of interest were of varied kinds. All that
had to do with the vital needs and the improvement of
his fellow-men physically, morally, or religiously, was of

262 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
the deepest importance to him, and he laboured in his
own quiet way with unceasing zeal in furtherance of these
objects. The cause of the Bible Society he had closely at
heart. From early years he had diligently assisted in
its work. . . . He missed no opportunity of circulating
the Scriptures, and when abroad he obtained permission
from the Government authorities to supply the convicts
in some of the larger prisons with portions of the Bible.
On one occasion he gave with his own hands a New
Testament to each man of two regiments of French
soldiers on their embarkation for the Crimea. The
improvement of prison discipline was a subject of his
anxious consideration and unremitting labour in corre
spondence with those in authority ; and from time to
time he visited the principal prisons in France, Germany,
and Switzerland, as well as in England.
He was unwearied in his efforts for the promotion of
education, and was the means of establishing and sup
porting several schools for the working classes, and he
continued to watch over and promote the welfare of the
pupils in after life. He was indefatigable in supplying
them and his neighbours generally with instructive books,
and in furthering their mental improvement. He was a
warm supporter of the Temperance cause, and in the
later years of his life distributed hundreds of Temperance
tracts, and was always a faithful advocate of Bands of
Hope, and of all societies for the reclamation of the
intemperate. He heartily joined in efforts to improve
the condition of the working miner. As early as 1833
one of the committees of the Royal Cornwall Poly
technic Institution (of which he was an active member)
offered, at his suggestion, three prizes for improved
methods of descending and ascending mines, then

CHARLES FOX. 263
accomplished by fathoms of perpendicular ladders. In
1839 Charles Fox offered £100 to any mine owners
who would undertake the trial of the " man engine " as
it was called ; and accordingly in Tresavean mine this
machinery was first brought into practical working in
1842, and in 1843 the Polytechnic Society awarded the
full prize. At their meeting the President read a letter
signed by 391 men working in these mines, expressing
their gratitude for a " discovery which has been the
means of adding many years to the average life of a
Cornish miner." In alluding to Charles Fox, the
President said, " How must that man rejoice who first
conceived the idea of the project now happily ac
complished ! He has a rich reward in this simple vote
of thanks." It was long remembered how a formidable
riot, caused by the introduction of the New Poor Law in
a time of distress, which broke out near his residence,
vas checked by the influence of himself and his wife.
His words of sympathy and clear explanation prevented
further disturbance, or the employment of the military,
who had already been called out.
Charles Fox, in his station as an Elder of our Society,
of which he was ever a faithful and consistent member,
travelled on several occasions on the Continent of Europe
as the companion and helper of some of our Ministers.
His journeys abroad and in England were frequent, and
the varied interest thus afforded to his mind, whether in
the beauties of nature or of art which were brought
before him, were a source of ever-fresh enjoyment. But
no journey could stir his heart like that which he took to
the Holy Land in 1855. It began under very touching
circumstances, for on reaching Alexandria he heard of
the death of his beloved and gifted nephew, R. Barclay
Fox, who had previously gone to Egypt on account of

264 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
his health, and to join whom he went to the East. It
was thus, with sad and solemn thoughts as his companions,
that he visited the scenes unutterably dear in their
sacred associations to a mind and soul like his. Beside
the Sea of Galilee, he writes : " What a day to be
remembered ! My heart cheered by tidings from home —
the early morning sunshine on the clear waters, to which
the Holy Voice had once said, ' Peace, be still,' as it
was now speaking to the hearts of many mourners,
who could also say that there was a great calm. . .
" Most gladly could I have lingered for days in these
scenes. Often, whilst ascending the lofty hillside to Cana.l
did I turn to gaze on the mountains of the East, on that/
blue lake which will be for ever of all the most in
teresting to the human race, and take one more look at
that shore which our Lord visited once again after Hi
had drunk the bitter cup, and had ' seen of the travail
Of His soul, and been satisfied.' There, in the earlr
dawn and in the quiet morning air, the sacred voice was
once more heard, the tender name of ' children ' given to
those who had so lately denied or forsaken Him. Oil
that shore, endeared to Him by all human sympathies,
He asked, ' Lovest thou Me ? ' and then, mindful of thb
countless multitudes who, as without a shepherd, had
hung on His lips, He added, ' Feed My sheep, feed M}
lambs.'" Reference has been made to his strong attachment tc
his own religious profession. Equally conspicuous was1
his catholicity of spirit. To use his own words in a
discussion at the Sailors' Home at Falmouth : " It isi
vain to attempt to fetter with the iron bands of an
exclusive system the souls of men ; for himself he
confessed if he were on a bed of languishing, he should
enjoy the visits and the prayers of a St. Augustine or a

CHARLES FOX. 265
Thomas a Kempis ; he should welcome the presence of
a Jeremy Taylor, a Leighton, or a Rutherford, or the
present Archbishop of Canterbury [Tait], believing they
would all come in the freeness of the Gospel. . . . The
fulness and blessedness of the truth as it is in Jesus was
the ground of his confidence, and was unwaveringly
manifested. "...
In one of the great trials of his life (a threatened loss
of eyesight) he was enabled to manifest a remarkable
submission to the Divine will, and after many years of
suspense was favoured to obtain considerable alleviation
from what was especially trying to one of his independent
habits and literary pursuits.
His constitution bore up well through advancing years,
and he was become fourscore before the final close made
itself evident. Then a short illness, and his mortal life
so gently passed away, that it was more like a translation
than like death ; and those nearest and dearest to him,
who watched with him to the end, felt as if they could
almost see him pass into immortal blessedness.
He died 18th of 4th month, 1878, aged 80 years.
Annual Monitor, 1879. CHARLES FOX.
" Honour'd, belov'd, and wept ! no more for me
Fraternal bonds, of equal date, remain !
Such faithful friendship mine no more may be —
A power to cheer, enliven, guide, sustain !
All modes of thought and culture meet in thee ;
Science with letters, wit with varied lore,
Commanding powers, with power of sympathy,
Wise judgment with fresh fancy — these and more,
More than all these, thy steadfast loyalty
To Christ ! well may His Church thy loss deplore '
Mourns with the wife and child, the social band
In wide lament : yet all is peace, methought
The last faint whisper breath'd — ' Hinder me not,
For I am bound to my Immanuel's land ! ' "
William Ball.

266 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE

SAMUEL FOX.
Born 1794— Died 1874 — Aged Eighty Years.
Enlarged Photograph coloured, 15 x 12 in.
Samuel Fox, of Falmouth, formerly of Tottenham, was
born in 1794 at Wellington, in Somersetshire, and was
the eleventh of Thomas and Sarah Fox's fifteen children.
He passed his childhood in a large united family, under
Christian training, in habits of self-denial and regard for
the happiness of others.
Simultaneously with his being recorded as an approved
Minister in 1827, he received a certificate of the unity of
his Friends, for paying a visit to the Yearly Meeting of
Dublin, and the Half Year's Meeting of South Wales. The
same year, at the age of thirty-three, he was married to
Maria Middleton, daughter of Benjamin and Tabitha
Middleton, of Wellingborough, with whom he was closely
united in many Gospel labours for a period of seventeen
years. On removing to the neighbourhood of London in
1837, and in the following year settling at Tottenham,
they were especially desirous to seek counsel of God ;
and waiting for His guidance, it is believed He did indeed
lead him into their right allotment.
Samuel Fox was so well known in connection with the
philanthropic movements in which Friends have been
interested during the last fifty years, that it seems un
necessary to mention all the Societies that had his support
and assistance, but the cause of Total Abstinence from all
intoxicating liquors should be specified as being very near
his heart. Uniting himself, as he did, with the early
promoters of the movement, at a period when it was
looked upon as Utopian even by the majority of Friends,

SAMUEL FOX. 267
he said, near the close of his life, that in looking back he
felt that his labours in this cause gave him " unqualified
satisfaction." His privileges as a member for some years of the Com
mittee of the British and Foreign Bible Society were
highly prized by him, and his being placed in the office of
a Trustee to that invaluable institution was a tribute to the
evident integrity of his character. He was Treasurer to
the Friends' Tract Association, and a careful reviser of its
tracts, both printed and in manuscript.
Samuel Fox was ever a promoter of peace, both in its
more extended bearing as affecting the interests of nations,
as well as in the daily affairs of life, not unfrequently
taking to himself the blessed office of peacemaker. He
was one of a deputation of Friends who waited on Lord
Aberdeen and Sir Robert Peel at the time that the Oregon
question threatened a war between England and America,
with an earnest appeal in favour of an amicable settlement.
To the end of his life he diligently and reverently
studied the Holy Scriptures, which were his delight and
refreshment ; and he enjoyed uniting with his friends in
social evening gatherings for this purpose. ... He drank
deeply of the cup of sorrow in the loss of his first beloved
wife in 1 844, and of his eldest son, and ten years later
that of his second son ; and therefore was the more
fitted, as he was always ready, to go to those who needed
sympathy, and to tell them that he experienced, when the
waves of sorrow rose highest, that the waters had not
been permitted to overwhelm, but that the voice of Jesus
saying, " It is I, be not afraid," might be heard by the
patient and submissive sufferer. ... In 1849 his
domestic happiness was renewed by his marriage to
Charlotte Fox, of Falmouth, a union fraught with blessing
to both.

268 biographical catalogue.
He retired from business in 1857, considering that,
having attained a moderate competence, it was right for
him to devote much of his time to religious and philan
thropic objects.
Samuel Fox was for thirty years prominent in the
leading counsels of the Society, and much confidence was
placed in his patient investigation and preparation of
documents for issue from the press, and twice during his
lifetime was this given, in conjunction with others, to the
arduous and responsible work of revising the printed
extracts from the Yearly Meeting's Epistles. His judg
ment, always well considered and influential, was expressed
with weight and dignity, yet with great liberality and
catholicity of spirit. He was one of the first of the lead
ing Friends to recognise the value of Home Mission work
when it arose among the younger members ; and above
all. was he anxious, both by his ministry and living
example, to encourage that coming to and abiding in
Christ, which leads to a growth in grace and a walk with
God. The last eight years of his life were spent at Falmouth
in a course of quiet usefulness, until his bodily powers
gradually yielded to the weight of prolonged years. He
died the 28th of 12th month, 1874, aged 80 years.
See Annual Monitor for 1876, and Testimonies for 1875.

ELIZABETH FRY. 269
ELIZABETH FRY.
Born 1780 — Died 1845 — Aged Sixty-five Years.
Engraving 26 x 16 in.
Elizabeth Fry, an eminent philanthropist, and, after
Howard, the chief promoter of prison reform in Europe,
was born in Norwich on the 21st May, 1780. Her
father, John Gurney, afterwards of Earlham Hall, a
wealthy merchant and banker, represented an old family
which for some generations had belonged to the Society
of Friends ; and her mother, Catherine Bell, was a great-
granddaughter of Robert Barclay, the Apologist. Elizabeth
was the third daughter in a large family, which included
Joseph John Gurney, whose name is intimately associated
with those of Buxton, Wilberforce, and other promoters
of the anti-slavery cause. While still a girl, she gave
many indications of the benevolence of disposition, clear
ness and independence of judgment, and strength of
purpose, for which she was afterwards so distinguished ;
but it was not until after she had entered her eighteenth
year that her religion assumed a decided character, and
that she was induced, under the preaching of an
American Friend, William Savery, to become an earnest
and enthusiastic, though never fanatical " Friend." In
August 1800 she became the wife of Joseph Fry, a
London merchant, and had her home for some years in
St. Mildred's Court, City, and afterwards at Plashet
House, Essex. Amid increasing family cares she was
unwearied in her attention to the poor and the neglected
of her neighbourhood ; and in 1 8 1 1 she was acknow
ledged as a Minister of the Society of Friends, an honour
and responsibility for which she was undoubtedly

270 biographical catalogue.
qualified, not only by vigour of intelligence and warmth
of heart, but also by an altogether unusual faculty of
clear, fluent,, and persuasive speech. Although she had
made several visits to Newgate Prison as early as Feb
ruary 1813, it was not until nearly four years afterwards
that the great public work of her life may be said to
have begun. The " Association for the Improvement
of the Female Prisoners in Newgate " was formed in
April 1817. Its aim was the much-needed establishment
of some of what are now regarded as the first principles
of prison discipline, such as entire separation of the
sexes, classification of criminals, female supervision for
the women, and adequate provision for their religious and
secular instruction, as also for their useful employment.
The amelioration effected by this Association, and largely
by the personal exertions of Elizabeth Fry, soon became
obvious, and led to a rapid extension of similar methods
to other places. In 1 8 1 8 she, along with her brother,
visited the prisons of Scotland and the north of England ;
and the publication (18 19) of the notes of this tour, as
also the cordial recognition of the value of her work by
the House of Common's Committee on the prisons of the
metropolis, led to a great increase of her correspondence,
which now extended to Italy, Denmark, and Russia, as
well as to all parts of the United Kingdom. Through
a visit to Ireland, which she made in 1827, she was led
to direct her attention to other houses of detention besides
prisons ; and her observations resulted in many important
improvements in the British hospital system, and in the
treatment of the insane. In 1838 she visited France,
and besides conferring with many of the leading prison
officials, she personally visited most of the houses of
detention in Paris, as well as in Rouen, Caen, and some
other places. In the following year she obtained an

ELIZABETH FRY.

271

official permission to visit all the prisons in that country ;
and her tour, which extended from Boulogne and Abbe
ville to Toulouse and Marseilles, resulted in a report
which was presented to the Minister of the Interior and
the Prefect of Police. Before returning to England she
had included Geneva, Zurich, Stuttgart, and Frankfort
in her inspection. The summer of 1840 found her
travelling through Belgium, Holland, and Prussia on the
same mission; and in 1841 she also visited Copenhagen.
In i 842 through failing health, Mrs. Fry was compelled
to forego her plans for a still more widely extended
activity, but had the satisfaction of hearing from almost
every quarter of Europe that the authorities were giving
increased practical effect to her suggestions. In 1844
she was seized with a lingering illness, of which she
died on the 13th October, 1845. She was survived
by a numerous family, the youngest of whom was born
in 1822. Two interesting volumes of " Memoirs, with
Extracts from her Journals and Letters," edited by two
of her daughters, were published in 1847, which were
reprinted in 1848.
Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. ix., p. 804.
Her remains were interred in Friends' burial ground,
Barking, Essex, on the 20th day of the 10th month,
1845. Her age was 65 years, a Minister 35 years.
Great as was Elizabeth Fry's influence on the Christian
and philanthropic mind of the country, exerted in the
community of which she was so valued a member,
it is impossible to describe, exaggerate, or even to
convey an impression of, the depth of that piety and
fervent love for her Saviour which prompted and guided
her in all her ways, and sustained her amid some of the
keenest trials and closest domestic bereavements to which

272 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
our human nature is exposed. To few has it been ever
given more to adorn the doctrine of God her Saviour.
The Established Church of her country has so seen this
as to dedicate to her memory one of its places of worship,
" for it was felt " (said Church dignitaries on the occasion
of the Princess Louise laying the foundation stone of a
church in memorial of Elizabeth Fry, which was on a
part of what had " once been her garden ") " that that
Church in her national character might fittingly com
memorate one of the greatest female servants of England ;
one who was the first to lead the way in the noble work
of woman which was so effectual in rescuing the outcast
and in seeking the lost"
From an article in Blackwood' s Magazine, given in The Friends'
Review, p. 741, No. 47, vol. xl.
" Wide is the wail when low her head is laid !
Heart-stricken mourners see death fold his wings
To seal that fount of love and pity, fed
From God's own fulness — source of all her springs !
Train'd by her suffering Lord to sympathy,
She ' succoured many ' for His sake Who said
Of mercy's deeds, ' Ye did them unto Me,
Sick and in prison, Me ye visited ! '
Her power to stay and solace, now, we prove
Who, reft of her sweet counsel, walk this wild ;
Lovely, and loved, she led, by sway of love,
The wise, the great, still humble as a child !
Foundation deep on Zion's stone she laid ;
The gentleness of Christ her greatness made ! "
William Ball.
" Thy name now writ in heaven will live on earth,
So long as human hearts are left to prize
That sterling virtue, whose deep source supplies
Each Christian grace, a woman's highest worth !
And Heaven forbid we e'er should dread a dearth
Of these in England, where-the good and wise
Have, by their reverence of such sanctities,
Honoured the country which had given them birth.

FRANCIS FRY, F.S.A. 273
True gospel preacher of that law of love
By Jesus taught ; not for thyself would I
Indite this simple, brief obituary !
May thy example kindred spirits move
To follow thee ; and thus themselves approve
Number' d with them whose record is on high ! "
Bernard Barton.

FRANCIS FRY, F.S.A.
Born 1803 — Died 1886 — Aged Eighty-three
Years.
Photograph Cabinet Size.
FRANCIS Fry was the second son of Joseph Storrs Fry,
and born at Westbury-on-Trym, near Bristol, on the 28th
of 10th month, 1803. His father was a man of clear
intellect and of a genial disposition, devoted to his family,
and taking also a deep interest in the welfare of his
poorer neighbours. His mother's maiden name was
Allen. She was a Minister in the Society of Friends,
and did much to promote the religious welfare of the
inhabitants in the neighbouring collieries — the scene of
Wesley's labours. Francis Fry's grandfather — Joseph
Fry — was a medical practitioner in large practice in
Bristol amongst the highest class of his fellow-citizens.
Possessing uncommon energy and activity, he was led to take
an active share in many undertakings, and was engaged in
the porcelain manufacture, in type founding, and also in
the preparation of chocolate. It was the latter manufac
tory, conducted by the now so well-known firm of J. S. Fry
and Sons, in which Francis Fry was partner. Through
out his prolonged life Francis Fry was activcalso in various
important public undertakings, especially the waterworks 18

274 biographical catalogue.
for the city of Bristol, and several of the Railway Com
panies in the west of England secured his seat on their
direction. His leisure hours had for many years been
given to a study of the early editions of the English
Bible ; and as towards the latter portion of his life a
retirement from the active management of his business
concerns placed more time at his command, this study
was followed with unremitting ardour, and with an
accuracy of research that placed him as an unrivalled
authority on the subject. He made it a chief object in
his frequent journeys to the Continent, and every impor
tant library, both there or in this country, was visited by
him to settle the intricate questions involved in determin
ing the dates and manner of issue of these early editions
of the English Bible, and his researches are embodied in
several bibliographical books published by him, that will
ever remain as standards of full and minute information.
Francis Fry was married to Matilda Penrose in 1833,
and enjoyed the privilege of the domestic comfort thus
brought to him for over fifty-three years. He proved a kind
and wise father to his family, a firm friend, and a helper
of many in time of need. He was warmly attached to
the principles of the Society of Friends in which he had
been educated, and to which he gave his adhesion through
sincere conviction. His personal wants were of a simple
character. Home and family were his great attractions
after business hours, but when he could take a holiday he
was fond of travel both in England and on the Continent.
The Bible which he loved so well was not merely a
bibliographic pursuit, but it was his daily companion
from early life in a far higher sense. His belief in it as
a revealed will and love of God to man in Christ Jesus,
was bright and strong. He lived and died in the faith
and hope of the Gospel. His death took place on 1 2th

RICHARD FRY.

?75

of nth month, 1886, soon after the completion of his
eighty-third year. He was buried in the Friends' grave
yard at King's Weston, near Bristol.
Francis Fry's chief works were " A Description of the
Great Bible," 1539, and of other succeeding editions;
also "A Bibliographical Description of Tyndale's New
Testaments."

RICHARD FRY.

Born 1807 — Died 1878 — Aged Seventy-one
Years.
Photograph Cabinet Size. See also Photograph "Yearly
Meeting's Committee, Ireland, 1868."
Richard Fry, an Elder, was the son of Joseph Storrs
and Ann Fry, and was born at the village of Westbury-
on-Trym in the year 1807.
He was a Friend from heartfelt conviction as well as by
birth and education, and although his Christian sympa
thies were not limited to one section of the Church, yet
from an early period he gave his hearty support and help
to all that seemed conducive to the welfare of the religious
Society to which he belonged.
He had a great value for the Scriptures, manifested not
only by his diligence in private reading and meditation,
but by the cordial sympathy which he gave to meetings
for united scriptural study among his fellow-members.
He was also an active supporter of the British and Foreign
Bible Society, and a member of the Bristol Auxiliary from
1840 till his death.
He took a warm interest in the prosperity of Sidcot
School, and laboured earnestly in its service, being

276 biographical catalogue.
frequently a member of the Committee of Management,
and latterly the Treasurer of the Institution.
In 1864 he visited Ireland, in company with several
Friends, as a member of a Yearly Meeting's Committee,
and in his more immediate neighbourhood he was often
similarly engaged on behalf of the Quarterly Meeting to
which he belonged.
His health had been failing for some time, and he had
gradually lost much of his natural activity and cheerful
ness, when, in the autumn of 1878, he had an attack of
illness with symptoms of a threatening kind, soon after
which he quietly passed away.
Richard Fry was twice married : firstly, to Rachel,
daughter of Edward Pease ; and secondly, to Margaret
Dymond, of Exeter.
He died at his residence, Cotham Lawn, Bristol, on the
1st of 1 2th month, 1878, in the seventy-second year of
his age.
Testimonies, 1879.

CLAUDE GAY.

Born 1707 — Died 1786 — Aged nearly
Seventy-nine Years.
No Portrait.
Claude Gay was a native of Lyons, in France, and was
educated by his parents in the Catholic faith. He
became dissatisfied early in life with the Romish tenets
of transubstantiation, through meeting with and buying
the New Testament ; forsook that communion, and settled
in the island of Jersey, in order to live among Protestants.
He here met with a copy of Barclay's "Apology," the

CLAUDE GAY.

277

perusal of which convinced him of the truth of Friends
principles, and determined him to embrace their pro
fession. For this change in his views he suffered
persecution, and for nine years was kept in confinement,
and was at length banished from the island, and for
bidden to return, under pain of corporal punishment. He
removed to England in 1745, and lived chiefly in London,
and died at Barking, in Essex, the 19th of the 2nd month,
1786, aged nearly eighty years, having been a Minister
about forty years. His private character was amiable,
inoffensive, and unassuming. He became an approved
Minister in the Society, and paid several religious visits
to various parts of England, the islands in the British
Channel, Holland, France, Germany, and Switzerland.
He was remarkable for his industry and humility, and often
travelled on foot in the performance of his religious duties.
His public ministry was sound, fervent, and tender, and
pertinent to the states of the people ; he frequently
engaged in fervent prayer, and his petitions were usually
preferred in the appropriate term, "for the merits of
Christ." He was the author and translator of several
works* His translations possess no great literary merits,
and are written with a strong English idiom. But
although Claude Gay was no scholar, he was an upright,
simple-hearted Christian. He lived an unblemished life,
endured a lingering disease with great patience, and
declared to those who conversed with him in his last
illness, that all fear of death was removed. How great is
the contrast between the useful life, the humble labours,
the triumphant death of Claude Gay, and the splendid,
though mischievous career — the false glory, and the real
demerit of his celebrated countryman Voltaire. Two
* See Joseph Smith's " Catalogue," vol. i., pp. 834-836.

278 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
characters more opposite in all points cannot well be
imagined ; and the interview which is recorded to have
taken place between them is curious and interesting. It
was in one of the visits to Switzerland which has been
alluded to, that Claude remained for some time at Geneva.
He was noted there for his good sense, moderation, and
simplicity. The arch infidel (Voltaire) heard of him ; his
curiosity was excited, and he desired to see hirn. The
remainder of the narrative is given in the language of
Simond.* " The Quaker felt great reluctance, but suffered
himself at last to be carried to Ferney, Voltaire having
promised beforehand to his friends that he would say
nothing that could give offence. At first he was delighted
with .the tall, straight, handsome Quaker, his broad-
brimmed hat, and plain drab suit of clothes, and the mild
and serene expression of his countenance, and the dinner
promised to go off very well ; yet he soon took notice of
the great sobriety of his guest, and made jokes, to which
he received grave and modest answers. The patriarchs
and the first inhabitants of the earth were next alluded
to ; by-and-by, he began to sneer at the historical proofs
of revelation ; but Claude was not to be driven away from
his ground, and while examining these proofs and arguing
upon them rationally, he overlooked the light attacks of
his adversary when not to the point, appeared insensible
to his sarcasm and his wit, and remained always cool and
serious. Voltaire's vivacity at last turned to downright
anger ; his eyes flashed fire whenever they met the benign
and placid countenance of the Quaker, and the dispute
at last went so far that the latter, getting up, said, ' Friend
Voltaire, perhaps thou may'st come to understand these
matters rightly ; in the meantime, finding I can do thee no
* " Travels in Switzerland," vol. i., p. 396.

CHARLES GILPIN, M.P. 279
good, I leave thee, and so fare thee well ! ' So saying, he
went away on foot back again to Geneva, leaving the
whole company in consternation. Voltaire retired im
mediately to his own room." Huber (the father of the
celebrated author on Bees) was present at this scene, and
made a drawing of it, in which the two principal actors are
most happily characterised.
Taken from The Friend (Philadelphia), vol. i., 1828, p. 11, and
other sources.
"Piety Promoted," part ix., p. 149, gives a few more particulars
of his travels and religious experience. Claude Gay left a journal,
which was placed, after his death, among the Society's Archives at
Gracechurch Street Meeting House, and with them was lost in the
fire that consumed the premises in 182 1.

CHARLES GILPIN, M.P.
Born 1815 — Died 1874 — Aged Fifty-nine Years.
Engraving 20 X 15 in. Photograph 6x4 in.
He is thus described in the Obituary Notice in the
Illustrated London News of September 12 th, 1874:—
"Mr Charles Gilpin, M.P., died on Tuesday afternoon,
after a lingering illness, at his residence in Bedford Square.
He was born in 181 5, and, in 1840, married Anna,
daughter of Mr. W. Crouch, of Falmouth. He was for
many years engaged in the publishing trade in Bishops-
gate Street. As a member of the Court of Common
Council, he was instrumental in abolishing street tolls.
He was a Director of the South Eastern, Metropolitan,
and Smyrna and Cassaba Railway Companies, as well
as of the British Land Company, the National Provident
Institution, and the National Freehol'd Land Company,

280 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
of which latter he was Chairman. In May 1 852 he
unsuccessfully contested Perth; but in 1857 he was
elected for Northampton. At the four succeeding General
Elections he was re-elected for Northampton, for which
borough he sat till his death. He filled the office of
Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law Board from
July 1859 till February 1865. In politics he was a
thorough Liberal ; was in favour of the modification
or repeal of the income tax, of greater economy in the
public expenditure, and was opposed to all State endow
ments of religion. He was an advocate for the abolition
of capital punishment, and a determined enemy to slavery.
Mr. Gilpin was a member of the Society of Friends."
A week later (September 19th, 1874) the same
paper published with his portrait this further biographical
account : — " The death of Mr. C. Gilpin, M.P. for North
ampton, which took place on Tuesday week, found
mention in our last. He was formerly an active member
of the Liberal party, a follower of Mr. Bright and
Mr. Cobden. He was born at Bristol in 181 5. His
father was Mr. James Gilpin, a tradesman of Bristol,
one of a Shropshire family ; his mother was a sister of
the late Mr. Joseph Sturge, of Birmingham, well known
as a politician and practical philanthropist. Their son
Charles, having received his early education at a school
(Sidcot) of the Society of Friends, began life as a traveller
for a Manchester warehouse. In the year 1842 Mr. Gilpin
settled in London, having then married Anna, daughter
of Mr. William Crouch, of Falmouth, who survives him.
He opened a bookseller's and publisher's business in
Bishopsgate Street, where he made for himself a large
connection. In course of time he was elected a Common
Councilman of London. He became a frequent speaker,
at Exeter Hall and other places of public meeting, on

CHARLES GILPIN, M.P. 28l
behalf of the Peace Society and of other charitable and
benevolent associations. About this time a movement
was set on foot which drew the attention of Mr. Gilpin.
It was that of the freehold Land Societies commenced
in Birmingham by Mr. James Taylor. Mr. Gilpin saw
the advantages that such societies would bring to the
industrious working classes. With Mr. Cobden he
became connected with the National Freehold Land
Company in Moorgate Street. As it became a great
success, he withdrew from his own business in order
to carry out its management and that of a kindred in
stitution, the National Provident Life Assurance Company.
He had been an unsuccessful candidate for the repre
sentation of Perth in 1853, against the Honourable
A. Kinnaird. But at the General Election of 1857 he
was returned to Parliament as one of the members of
Northampton, a borough in which the dominant interest
is that of the leathersellers and boot and shoe makers.
In 1858 he assisted, both by speech and vote, in throwing
out the Conspiracy Bill, by which the Administration
of Lord Palmerston was brought to an end ; yet in 1859
he was offered the Secretaryship of the Poor Law Board
by Lord Palmerston. He accepted the post, reserving to
himself the right of still advocating his own opinions on
the abolition of Capital Punishment, and other questions
which he had studied as a philanthropist. He retired
from office in 1865, and did not subsequently enter upon
any ministerial duties."

282 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

RICKMAN GODLEE.
Born 1804 — Died 1871 — Aged Sixty-seven
Years.
Engraving 12x9 in.
RlCKMAN Godlee, the son of John and Mary Godlee
{ne'e Rickman), was born in Lewes the 13th of ist month,
1804, where for some years of his early life he was
employed in commercial pursuits. Rickman Godlee was
a man of genuine religious feeling, sound in Christian
faith, and sincere in his attachment to the main and dis
tinguishing testimonies of the Society of Friends, though
guarded and almost reserved in expression on religious
subjects. This reserve, however, manifestly did not pro
ceed from doubt, but rather from a conscientious fear of
ever appearing more than he was. His words were few,
and they expressed with remarkable accuracy the very
thing intended, whether it were fact, opinion, or feeling.
He was a man of strict and unswerving integrity, and
of a truly humble walk before his God. And we believe
it may be said of him that, built on the one foundation
that God has laid in Zion, even Jesus Christ, and Him
crucified, he was one of those hidden stones in the Church
which contribute not a little to the strength and usefulness
of the building.
He was a sound and able lawyer, and in practice at the
bar for more than a quarter of a century, principally as a
Chamber Counsel. Whilst his own knowledge, especially
in the department of real property law, was profound, he
was also very successful in communicating that knowledge
to others, his pupil room having contributed many useful
and some eminent members to the profession.

STEPHEN GRELLET. 283
Rickman Godlee was for many years a member of the
Meeting of Sufferings, and for eight years the Clerk of it,
to which important office he was appointed within less
than four years after his introduction into the Meeting.
His value for, and accurate knowledge of, the doctrine,
practice, and discipline of our Religious Society, his
acquaintance with all questions connected with the bear
ings of the law upon our testimonies, and his attention to
matters of the latter description that were claiming the
attention of Parliament, were of great service, though often
not very generally known, even to our own small public.
He was correspondent for three Quarterly Meetings
and for two Yearly Meetings ; and was always ready to
place his abilities, both natural and acquired, at the service
of his Friends. He was also very useful in our Meetings
for Discipline, and diligent in attending them.
His health had been declining for some time, yet his
end was sudden, but it was one of peace.
His decease occurred on the 12th of nth month, 1 871,
and his remains were interred in Friends burial ground,
Stoke Newington, on the 1 6th of the same.
Annual Monitor , 1873.

STEPHEN GRELLET.
Born 1773 — Died 1855 — Aged Eighty-two Years.
Engraving 4x3 in-
Etienne de Grellet du Mabillier was born on the
2nd of nth month, 1773, in France, in the city of
Limoges, capital of the modern department of Haute-
Vienne, and situated in the beautiful district of Limosin.

284 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
He was the fifth child of Gabriel Marc Antoine de Grellet
and Susanne de Senamaud. His parents were wealthy,
and being of the household of Louis XVI., he was brought
up in the Catholic faith, and educated at the Military
College of Lyons. At the age of seventeen he became
one of the bodyguard of the king, made his escape from
the horrors of the Revolution, and in 1795 came to New
York. He shortly after joined the Quakers, removed to
Philadelphia, and, during the prevalence of the yellow
fever in 1798, was indefatigable in ministering to the
sick, the dying, and the afflicted. During this trying
season he became impressed with the idea that it was his
duty to go abroad, and publish the Gospel ; for which
purpose, in 1800, he made an extensive tour through the
Southern States, as far as Georgia, and in 1801 New
England and Canada. In 1799 he returned to New
York, where he established himself in business ; and in
1804 married Rebecca, daughter of Isaac Collins, pub
lisher. Continuing his ministrations, Grellet, in 1807,
went to the south of France, in 18 12 to England and
Germany, in 1 8 1 6 to Hayti, and in 1 8 1 8 on a tour
through Europe. At Rome he stood before Pius VII,
who listened to the exhortations of Grellet with the
greatest respect and courtesy. The same occurred at
St. Petersburg when he and William Allen were closeted
for hours at a time with Alexander of Russia. He re
turned home in August 1820. In 183 1-4 he made
another missionary excursion through Europe. His
Memoirs, by Benjamin Seebohm, were published in two
volumes, i860, 8vo.
He died at Burlington, New Jersey, November 16th,
1855, aged 82 years.
Drake's " Dictionary of American Biography," Boston, 1872.
His Memoirs were also published in one volume, 8vo,

STEPHEN GRELLET. 285
in 1870, by Robert and Christine R. Alsop, and his life
forms also one of the popular series of "Men Worth
Remembering," and was written by William Guest, F.G.S.
No adequate idea of the extent and value of Stephen
Grellet's ministry and travels, or of the Christian excel
lence of his character, can be obtained without the perusal
of one or other of these works. He realised, in his own
person, to an extent few others have done, the character
of an apostolic preacher and messenger to the Lord's
people everywhere. His love was emphatically with all
those " who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity," and
his being " a Friend " enabled him the better to be known
as a Friend to all thus minded.
In reference to Stephen Grellet's zeal in visiting
prisons in every country he went through, Mr. Guest says
that the eloquent language used by Burke in reference to
Howard is fitly applicable to Grellet, that his aim was
to dive into the depths of dungeons, " to plunge into the
infection of hospitals, to survey the mansions of sorrow
and pain ; to take the gauge and dimensions of misery,
depression, and contempt ; to remember the forgotten, to
attend to the neglected, to visit the forsaken, and to com
pare and collate the distresses of all men in all countries."
It must never be forgotten that "it was his visit to the
gaol of Newgate, and . the wretchedness and disorder he
found there, that stimulated Elizabeth Fry to commence
the work that really led to Modern Prison Reform."
An Acrostic {Stephen Grellet).
" Such sweet persuasive eloquence is thine,
To point the wanderer to the gift Divine ;
Earnest to rouse the careless, and declare
Peace to the soul o'erwhelmed with doubt and care.
How thy lov'd accents sound in memory's ear,
Eager to soothe and dry the falling tear.
Near is thy dwelling to the source of Light !

286 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Grace flows from thence, and clothes thee with its might,
Ready to teach the inexperienced mind
Early to choose the path of the resign'd !
Lo ! thou obey'st the call to distant lands,
Like Gabriel, flying at the Lord's commands !
Eternal truth be with thee to direct,
To guide, support thee, strengthen, and protect.
Armistead'S " Miscellanies," vol. ii., p. 9.
" Grellet, apostle as we knew
He was devoted to his Lord,
Shrank from a stereotyped and hard
Defining, e'en of doctrine true —
' Justification ' (once he cried)
' Sanctification doth include,
And those distinctions are not good
One from the other that divide.'
These words to me (I mark'd them well)
' Wherefore the two, define, contrast !
Why say which first or which the last
Of two, so indivisible ?
Know thou the thing — and he that knows
By living faith in Him that died,
Wash'd, sanctified, and justified,
Shall in his Saviour's arms repose.' "
William Ball.
" I was present," wrote James Backhouse, " with a
small number of Friends, whom Stephen Grellet addressed,
telling them that if faithful to the Lord there were
those present who would be sent as to Tarshish, Pul, and
Lud, that draw the bow to Tubal and Iavan, to the isles
afar off, to declare the glory of the Lord ; and it is
remarkable, that out of the small number of com
paratively young persons then present no less than six
became in after years conspicuous for their missionary
labours, such as Isaac Stephenson, John Pease, Jonathan,
William, John, and James Backhouse."
Isaac Stephenson, whose Gospel labours had been very extensive,
died suddenly in Ireland whilst engaged in a religious visit to
Friends in that country; andj to that event William Ball thus
alludes : —

SARAH (TUKE) GRUBB. 287
" The world applauds the warrior's death,
That darkly falls the vengeful strife.
But thine, how blest ! — with latest breath,
Thy lips proclaim'd the words of life."

SARAH (TUKE) GRUBB.
Born 1756 — Died 1790 — Aged Thirty-four
Years.
No Portrait.
Sarah Grubb was the daughter of William and Eliza
beth Tuke, of York, and was born there on the 20th
of 6th month, 1756. When she was very young she was
deprived of her mother ; but about the tenth year of her
age she became the object of the very judicious care of
her father's second wife, Esther Tuke (daughter of Timothy
and Ann Maud, of Halifax). About the age of sixteen,
she had the privilege of attending on John Woolman in
his last illness, who expressed his assurance she would
have her reward of the Lord. In the twenty-third year
of her age she first appeared as a Minister, and travelled
much on religious service, the most extensive journey
being on the continent in company with her husband,
John Grubb (to whom she was married in 1782),
George Dillwyn, and others. This visit was the means of
drawing together the little company that has ever since
existed in Germany of those professing with Friends, of
which the Seebohms, the Rasches, and Peitzmeyers have
been prominent members, and those interested in their
history will find how great was the influence exerted by
the ministry of Sarah Grubb amongst them. She was
one who was unwearied in promoting the cause of truth

288 biographical catalogue.
and righteousness, and so willing to spend and be spent
for the great Name's sake, that she was seldom for a
month together at her own home, and her husband was
only occasionally able to be with her in these varied and
extended services.
It was a time of revival in the Society when increased
attention became directed to a walk in life consistent
with Divine precepts and the maintenance of a Christian
discipline, in which concern Sarah Grubb took an earnest
share, and she was one of the earliest clerks to the
Women Friends' Yearly Meeting then recently settled.
Her account of Ackworth School is one of the first
and most interesting of that Institution ; and in the settle
ment of its rules and regulations, as also those for the
Girls' School at the Mount, York, she took a lively
interest, that makes her remarks as to the spirit in which
these should be framed the more interesting. " As
religious concerns cannot, any more than those of a civil
nature, be rightly carried forward without order and
method, it becomes a very important inquiry what rules
and adjustments of things pertaining thereto are consistent
with the spirituality of their origin, and when these are
found they call for great care in officers and their super
intendents, to keep them in their proper places, lest that
which is begun in the spirit should be sought to be made
perfect in the flesh."
Two Testimonies were issued concerning Sarah Grubb,
whose decease at the early age of 34 was greatly
lamented. One of these was by Friends in Ireland, and
the other by the Quarterly Meeting of York. The Irish
Friends speak of her as a woman of extraordinary natural
abilities, strength of judgment, and clearness of discern
ment, and her York friends allude to her great dedication,
as having been an example of true humility and abased-

SARAH (LYNES) GRUBB. 289
ness of self, feeling that all her springs were in the Lord,
and that though the creature may at times be honoured,
yet every good and perfect gift came from above, and
called for grateful acknowledgment. They also mention
her superior abilities, sanctified by the humbling opera
tions of the Holy Spirit, as having qualified her for ex
tensive service in the administration of the discipline of
the Church, wherein she was concerned to act, under a
degree of that covering which ought to influence every
religious movement.
It was in the midst of these abundant labours that the
sharp attack of illness occurred which terminated Sarah
Grubb's life on 8th of 12th month, 1790, and her friends,
whilst deeply sorrowing, could yet acknowledge " that her
day's work appears to have been complete, and, with
respect to herself, every measure worth living for, filled up."
For fuller particulars see " Some Account of the Life and
Religious Labours of Sarah Grubb," etc., Dublin, 1792. Also
"Piety Promoted," 10th part.

SARAH (LYNES) GRUBB.
Born 1773— Died 1842— Aged Sixty-nine Years.
For Portrait see Painting of Earith Meeting.
Sarah Grubb, the daughter of Mason and Hannah
Lynes, was born at Lower Shadwell, London, on the
13th of 4th month, 1773, and received her education at
Islington Road School, to which she was sent when only
about eight years old. About the fourteenth year of her
age, she removed to reside with Sarah Grubb, at Anner
Mills, within the compass of the Monthly Meeting of the
county of Tipperary, and being under the influence of
19

290 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
the humbling and tendering power of truth, was an in
structive example in the family, and after passing through
much conflict and baptism of spirit, came forth in the
ministry, at first in the family where she was residing,
and afterwards in meetings for worship ; being thus
acceptably engaged as early as her seventeenth year.
Her communications, to her surprise, became extended
beyond what had been her anticipations at their com
mencement, and by yielding obedience to the gradual
unfoldings of the Divine Will, she became an able Minister
of the Gospel of Life and Salvation, and an extensive
and faithful labourer in the Lord's vineyard, being re
markably qualified for service therein. She was acknow
ledged a Minister in her twenty-first year, and soon
afterwards returned to reside in London, becoming much
engaged in religious service, and that of a somewhat
unusual character, for she felt constrained to appear at
markets and places of public resort in various parts of
the country to proclaim her Gospel message, which,
although it occasioned her great mental conflict in having
to submit to so unusual a method, gave her (as she
remarked) " brave opportunities to invite the people to
the Lord Jesus, who manifests Himself in the conscience
as a light," and brought to herself " consoling proofs of
the sufficiency of Divine grace to sustain her therein."*
In the thirtieth year of her age she was united in
marriage to John Grubb ; and thereafter they resided first
in Ireland, amidst a large circle of endeared relations and
friends, then, after fifteen years, they moved, under a sense
of religious duty, to Bury in Suffolk, afterwards to
* It is in allusion to this line of service that Wilkinson, the
Cumberland poet, in his account of Friends at London Yearly
Meeting, says he " saw powerful Grubb, that sounds her Master's
praise in Streets, in Markets, Prisons, and Highways."

SARAH (LYNES) GRUBB. 29 1
Chelmsford, thence for some years to Stoke Newington,
in the neighbourhood of London, and, subsequently, to
the close of her life at Sudbury in Suffolk ; having been
made, as she said, in reference to these frequent changes,
" from time to time to know our rest in this respect
broken up, which is no pleasant thing to that part that
would like to be able to say ' Take thine ease.' " During
all this time she continued to be extensively engaged
in the exercise of her gift in the ministry amongst Friends
in England. Her husband's death occurred in 1841 ;
they had been one another's true helpmates in the service
of the Gospel, he being himself a Minister in much esteem,
having, like herself, in early life yielded to the call to this
engagement, in the exercise of which his communications
were sound, weighty, and edifying.
Sarah Grubb possessed a mind of unusual strength
' and vigour, and, being actuated by the desire to yield
in simple obedience, would often appear clothed in a
remarkable manner with Gospel authority and power,
the more evident as her care was perceived to move
only under the renewed influence of the Holy Spirit.
Thus her discourse not unfrequently partook of a pro
phetic, searching character, and exerted very great in
fluence on those whom she addressed. Her delivery was
remarkably emphatic and deliberate, conveying the sense
as of being led on, sentence by sentence, as her subject
was unfolded before her.
The seemingly low state of our Religious Society often
caused her, towards the close of her life, to mourn how
few there seemed to be who preferred Jerusalem above
their " chief joy ; " yet over this dull horizon, and more
of shaking and overturning that she foresaw would come,
there was hope to her of a brighter day. " Ah ! " she
exclaimed in her last illness, " creeds and forms, and a

292 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
literal faith will do nothing for us ; we must give up our
own wills entirely, and become like little children ; it is
the only way we can enter the Kingdom. I have known
no other religion all my life long, and now, whether I live
or die, I shall be with my dear Saviour ! "
This dignified servant of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ entered into rest the 16th of 3rd month, 1842,
when 69 years of age.
The above particulars are chiefly taken from a Testimony of
Munster Quarterly Meeting, as given in the Annual Monitor
of 1844.

WILLIAM GUNDRY.
Born 1777 — Died 185 i — Aged Seventy-four
Years.
For Portrait see Oil Painting of London Yearly Meeting.
William Gundry was born at Calne, in Wiltshire, in
the year 1777 ; and from early youth appears to have
been of serious deportment, and watchful and guarded in
his conduct and conversation. By submitting to the
restraining and sanctifying influence of the Spirit of Truth,
he became prepared and qualified for the service to
which his Divine Master saw meet to call him.
He was acknowledged as a Minister in the year 181 1,
and he visited in this capacity nearly all the meetings of
Friends in Great Britain. He was a diligent attender of
our meetings for worship and discipline, and often
weightily engaged therein. He was ready for every good
work in which he could conscientiously unite, took a
lively interest in the circulation of the Holy Scriptures,
and afforded much help to many benevolent Associations
in his native town.

house of gurney, as connected WITH friends. 293
William Gundry possessed a firm and abiding trust in
our Lord Jesus Christ, and in it he lived and died. He
was a most catholic-spirited man ; and there are abundant
evidences of his love and sympathy for all who loved God
and man, let them be known by what name they might.
He had no greater joy than to endeavour to lead others
into what he knew was sure ground for the soul's trust,
especially when appealed to by anxious inquirers.
He had a beautiful expression of countenance. His
old gardener (William Cole — see Annual Monitor, 1888),
who lived with him in faithful and loving service for fifty
years, was wont to attribute his first serious impressions
as a lad to the attendance at a meeting, and to William
Gundry's appearance and manner as he quoted in his
ministry the beautiful passage from Isaiah, " They that
wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength," and he
used to say this had become to him as his motto during
a long life of humble usefulness.
William Gundry died on the 27th of 4th month, 1851,
aged 74 years, and his remains were interred in
Friends' burial ground at Calne.
He was a Minister about forty years.
Abridged from Testimony of Wiltshire Monthly Meeting, 1852.

HOUSE OF GURNEY AS CONNECTED
WITH FRIENDS.
WHEN Richard Hubberthorn and George Whitehead in
1678 first visited Norwich to publish Friends' views of
the Gospel, John Gurney, then a young man of twenty-
three, was one of their converts, and shared in the

294 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
persecutions that ensued. Though connected by descent
with the ancient family of the Gournays, he appears to
have commenced life in Norwich in somewhat straitened
circumstances, but subsequently prospered in his temporal
concerns. He was married in 1687 to Elizabeth Swanton,
and, according to the testimony of those who knew him,
took particular care in the religious education of all his
children, and continued faithful unto the end to the
cause he had embraced in early manhood. He died
in 1721.
Of two of his sons — John and Joseph — memoirs are
given at pages 294 and 298. John the elder was
grandfather of Martha Birkbeck, whose daughter Jane
became the first wife of Joseph John Gurney. Joseph,
the younger of the two, was the ancestor of the present
branch of the Gurney family remaining with Friends,
being the great-grandfather of Joseph John, and Samuel
Gurney and Elizabeth Fry.

JOHN GURNEY.
Born 1688 — Died 1740 — Aged Fifty-two Years.
Print 7 x 5 in.
John Gurney, eldest son of John and Elizabeth
Gurney {nee Swanton), was born in St. Gregory's parish,
Norwich, the 16th July, 1688. He married, the 9th of
August, 1709, Elizabeth, daughter and co-heiress of
Joseph Hadduck. His marriage certificate is signed by
two of the Branthwaites, who were connections of the
Gurneys of West Barsham. He resided in St. Augustine's
parish, Norwich, in a house purchased for him by his father.

JOHN GURNEY.

295

John Gurney was eminent as a commercial man, and
possessed considerable eloquence as a public speaker.
In April and May 1720 he was examined before the
House of Lords, upon the question which arose at that
time upon the subject of the prohibition of the import of
calico and cotton manufactures ; and stated the case of
the woollen manufacturers with so much eloquence and
clearness, that the successful termination of the business
was mainly attributed to his exertions. An account of
this affair is in The Norwich Gazette, or The Loyal Packet,
from Saturday, April 20th, to Saturday, May 7th, 1720
In a summary, at the end of his speech, is the following
sentence : " This day the Lords heard the famous
advocate of the weavers, Mr. Gurney, who spoke on the
subject with such energy and force that the Lords were
much surprised thereat."
John Gurney's efforts were fully successful, as the
Act 7 Geo. I., c. 7, s. 1, passed.
Upon the return of John Gurney to Norwich from this
mission, the people had resolved to meet him twenty
miles from the city, and escort him in his progress home ;
but, hearing of their intention, he determined to avoid
this civic triumph by arriving early in the morning,
and preventing his fellow-citizens from starting. For this
service, however, his portrait was engraved, and he ob
tained a high degree of personal and political popularity
in the city.
Modern political economists will be of opinion that
John Gurney's views on this question were fallacious,
however much he may have distinguished himself on the
occasion. He was, in consequence of the talent he
displayed, offered a seat in Parliament by Sir Robert
Walpole, with whom and with his brother, Horace
Walpole, of Woolterton, he lived on terms of friendship ;

296 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
but John Gurney declined the offer, as being incompatible
with his religious opinions.
He died January 19th (O. S.), 1740, aged 52 years,
and his wife, Elizabeth Hadduck, January 4th (N. S.),
1757, aged 66 years.
Taken from " The Record of the House of Gournay, 1848."
In connection with John Gurney's efforts on behalf of
the woollen trade an engraving of the following descrip
tion was published : —
" The Woollen Manufacturers Glory, Inscribed
to the immortal Praise of JOHN GURNEY of Norwich,
Factor, who by his celebrated extempore Speeches Februy.
20th, 1 7 19, before f Honourable House of Commons,
turn'd the Scale of the Contention between the WOOLLEN
and Linnen MANUFACTURERS."
{Portrait here in an oval, not a circle?)
" On the Norwich Quaker."
Underneath are twenty-one lines of verse.
This portrait and verses were printed on a broadside from a copper
plate, which has the imprint : —
" Sold at Spittle Fields Coffee-House, by I. 6° W. Groves,
Weavers, in Angel- Alley, near y Weaver's Arms in Bishops-
gate- street, &• by the Print- Sellers, etc. Price $d."
Taken from the original, which has no date, but there is another
with the date 1720, the imprint of which is : —
" Sold by T. Witham, Frame maker in Long Lane, and the
Booksellers." Note. — The above are the only two copies of the portrait which I
have seen. The first was once in my possession, but it was
purchased of me a few years ago by John Henry Gurney, son
of Joseph John Gurney ; the second I had seen in Ham House, the
residence of Samuel Gurney, the elder. (J. Smith.)
He was descended of worthy parents, who received the
truth in the love of it, soon after the first appearance of
Friends in the city of Norwich. His father had no

JOHN GURNEY. 297
small share in suffering, being a prisoner in Norwich
city jail for bearing testimony to the truth, in the most
severe persecutions which Friends underwent in those
early times.
His parents took particular care in the religious
education of their children, and had the satisfaction to
find the blessed effects thereof.
John Gurney, having seen through the follies and
vanities of youth, did set his heart to seek the Lord in
his young and tender years. About the twenty-second
year of his age his mouth was opened as a Minister,
much to the edification and comfort of Friends, and as
he advanced in years that excellent gift was more
plentifully bestowed upon him, being an eloquent man
and mighty in the Scriptures ; his ministry having often
the demonstration of the spirit and power of life attending
it, being delivered with much plainness, and so suitably
adapted as generally reached the meanest capacities and
answered to the witness of God in the auditors ; which
made him very acceptable to many, who for the most
part delighted to sit under the same ; though it may be
said he endeavoured rather to be hid, than to appear to
gratify the curious, or only to satisfy their itching ears,
being careful in attending to the immediate pressures on
his own mind before he entered thereupon.
His life and conversation well corresponded with his
doctrine ; he lived in the fear of God, and was a pattern
of sobriety, chastity, moderation, and temperance, as well
as of other Christian virtues. He often travelled to visit
the churches in this nation.
These virtues, mixed with a free and affable disposition,
could not but draw great love and respect from all sorts
of people towards him, but neither the temptation of
prosperity nor the kindness and esteem of great men of

298 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
this world being permitted to separate him from that
truth which the Lord had eminently convinced him of,
he finished his course in unfeigned love and unity with
his brethren, and we doubt not, in perfect charity with all
men. His body was attended to the grave by some thousands,
as were supposed, of his friends and fellow-citizens ; and
a very solemn meeting was held, his death being univer
sally regretted.
Taken from a Testimony from Norfolk Quarterly concerning him.
See also a Testimony of Norwich Monthly Meeting, both in Collec
tion of Testimonies, 1760.
Two of his sermons were published (see Joseph Smith's
" Catalogue "). Besides numerous other descendants
he was grandfather of Martha Birkbeck, wife of John
Birkbeck, of Lynn, whose daughter Jane became the first
wife of Joseph John Gurney. Thomas Story, in his
" Journal " (folio p. 6 1 7), speaks of John Gurney, junior,
as taking a prominent part in the Yearly Meeting of 1 7 1 8
on the Affirmation question, and describes him as " a
young man of good natural parts and distinction."

JOSEPH GURNEY.
Born 1692 — Died 1750 — Aged Fifty-eight Years.
Mezzotint, "A Quaker?
Joseph Gurney, of Keswick, near Norwich, second son
of John Gurney, of St. Gregory's parish, and younger
brother to John Gurney, Junr., of St Augustine's Parish,
was born 24th March, 1692.
He married at Norwich, the 21st July, 17 13, Hannah

JOSEPH GURNEY. 299
Middleton, the daughter of Joshua Middleton, of New
castle-upon-Tyne, an early Friend, who was descended
from a younger branch of the very ancient family of the
Middletons of Belsay Castle, in Northumberland. She
resided at Norwich with her brother-in-law, Peregrine
Tizack. Amongst those who were present at this
marriage were Henry Davy and Miles Branthwaite, both
connections of the West Barsham Gurneys.
She was a person of extraordinary beauty ; and engrav
ings of her and her husband were published. They had
issue, ten children, of whom six died in their infancy.
The four who lived to grow up were John, Samuel, Joseph,
and Hannah.
In 1747 Joseph Gurney purchased Keswick Old Hall
from Stackhouse Tompson.
This estate was afterwards added to by his grandson,
Richard Gurney, who bought a great part of the property
that had belonged to the Hobarts of Intwood.
Although Joseph Gurney had not the distinguished
talents of his elder brother, John Gurney, of St. Augustine's
parish, he was a man of excellent abilities and of high
character. He was a devout Christian, and in his last
illness, which was one of great suffering, he declared that
it had been the business of his whole life to prepare for
that time. He died in great peace in 1750.
" Record of the House of Gournay," by Daniel Gurney, 1848-58.
In a Testimony issued by Norwich Monthly Meeting,
it is stated that Joseph Gurney was descended of religious
parents, who were great sufferers for their principles in the
city of Norwich, and in the twenty-first year of his age
he himself received a gift in the Ministry, and travelled
in several parts of England, Ireland, and Wales, also that
he suffered much illness during the last eighteen years of

300 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
his life. He was a Minister about thirty-eight years. It
is from this Joseph Gurney that the present family that
are Friends derive their descent, as mentioned in Life
of J. J. Gurney, by J. B. Braithwaite.
A mezzotint, entitled " A Quaker," is considered to be
a portrait of this Joseph Gurney, and it has at its foot
the following lines : —
" Virtue unfeigned, simplicity, and truth,
These are the pride of age, the grace of youth.
'Tis not the hat or coat, the wise will scan
What dwells within. This recommends the man."
A companion print to this, entitled " The Fair Quaker,"
is believed to be of Hannah Gurney, ne'e Middleton, the
wife of Joseph Gurney. It is of the same date as the other,
and underneath are the following stanza : —
" Nor Gold, nor Gems are wanting to the Maid,
In neat Simplicity, like this Array' d;
Plain native Beauty, more delights the heart,
Than all the Glittering Ornaments of Art."
N.B. — Joseph Gurney Bevan, of Plough Court, of whom a memoir
is given, page 80, was a grandson of these parents, on his mother's
side.

JOHN GURNEY.
Born 17 15 — Died 1770 — Aged Fifty-four Years.
No Portrait.
John Gurney, the son of Joseph Gurney, of Keswick,
grandson of the one who first joined Friends, and the
grandfather of Joseph John, and Samuel Gurney, and
Elizabeth Fry, was born at Augustine's parish, Norwich,
8th of ist month, 171 5-16. "He was," remarks J. B.

JOHN GURNEY. 301
Braithwaite in Memoir of J. J. Gurney, " a man of great
activity and energy, and notwithstanding his extensive
engagements in business, devoted much of his time to the
interests of his own religious Society, to the principles of
which he was warmly attached. He acted as Clerk to
the Yearly Meeting on five occasions between 1745 and
1765. In the midst of a course of remarkable temporal
prosperity, his private memoranda show much desire lest
his increasing opulence should lead away his children from
those religious habits and associations in which they had
been educated."
He married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard and
Rachel Kett, and left three sons, all of whom married and
settled near Norwich, viz., Richard, who inherited the
Keswick property; John, the occupier of Earlham, and
father of Joseph John Gurney ; Joseph, who settled at
Lakenham Grove, and became the father of Hannah
Chapman Backhouse.

JOHN GURNEY.
Born 1749 — Died 1809 — Aged Sixty Years.
No Portrait.
John Gurney, of Earlham, Norwich, was the second son
of the preceding, and father of Joseph John Gurney. He
hired the Earlham estate of the Bacon family. It is
situate about two miles from Norwich. He is described
in J. B. Braithwaite's Life of J. J. Gurney as generous,
ardent, and warm-hearted, "abounding in kindness
to all, uniting remarkable activity, both in public and
private business, with an acute intellect and extensive
information. Though he did not, in all respects, strictly

302 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
maintain the habits of a Friend, he was accustomed to
treat Friends with the warmest respect. His house was
ever open to receive their Ministers, and he entertained
through life a decided preference for their religious
principles. His grand-daughters, in their Memoir of
Elizabeth Fry, mention "his pursuits as leading to inter
course with persons of various denominations ; this, with
a naturally social disposition, induced unusual liberality
of sentiment towards others. He was a man of ready
talent, of bright discerning mind, singularly warm-hearted
and affectionate, very benevolent, and in manners courteous
and popular." His business engagements were enterprising,
and successful. On 26th of 5th month, 1775, he was
married at Tottenham to Catherine Bell, daughter of
Daniel Bell, a London merchant, then resident at Stamford
Hill, whose wife was a grand-daughter of Robert Barclay,
the Apologist, and Priscilla Wakefield was also one of his
daughters. Catherine Gurney {ne'e Bell) was a woman
of great ability as well as piety, and this was shown by
the manner in which she educated her children. It was
natural that in giving religious instruction she should lean
towards her own peculiar views, but she was too liberal
and Christian in principle to endeavour to bias them in
favour of any particular section of the Church of Christ.
The following are some of the regulations she laid down
to be adopted in her plan of education : — " As our endea
vours in education (as in every other pursuit) should be
regulated by the ultimate design, it would be certainly
wise in those engaged in the important office of instructing
youth, to consider what would render the objects of their
care estimable men or women, rather than what will
render them pleasing as children. These reflections have
led me to decide upon what I most covet for my daughters,
as the result of our daily pursuits. As piety is undoubtedly

JOHN GURNEY. 303
the shortest and securest way to all moral rectitude, young
women should be virtuous and good, on the broad, firm
basis of Christianity ; therefore, it is not the opinions of
any man or sect whatever, that are to be inculcated in
preference to those rigid but Divine truths contained in the
New Testament.
" As it appears to be our reasonable duty to improve
our faculties, and by that means to render ourselves useful,
it is necessary, and very agreeable to be well informed of
our language and the Latin, as being the most permanent,
and the French as being the most in general request.
" The simple beauties of mathematics appear to be so
excellent an exercise to the understanding, that they
ought on no account to be omitted, and are perhaps
scarcely less essential than a competent knowledge of
ancient and modern history, geography, and chronology ;
to which may be added, a knowledge of the most approved
branches of natural history, and a capacity for drawing
from nature, in order to promote that knowledge, and
facilitate the pursuit of it. As a great portion of a
woman's life ought to be passed in at least regulating the
subordinate affairs of a family, she should work neatly
herself, understand the cutting out . of linen ; also, she
should not be ignorant of the common proprieties of
a table, or deficient in the economy of any of the most
minute affairs of a family. It should be here observed,
that gentleness of manner is indispensably necessary in
women, to say nothing of that polished behaviour which
adds a charm to every qualification ; to both of which it
appears pretty certain children may be led, without vanity
or affectation, by amiable and judicious instruction."
The wisdom of the above plans for instruction was
made manifest in the after conduct of the family.
Mrs. Gurney, at her death in 1 792, left eleven children to

304 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
deplore her loss, seven girls and four boys. Elizabeth, after
wards Mrs. Fry, is best known to the world on account of the
prominent part she took in reforming prisons, and in other
labours of benevolence. But all her sisters were highly
intellectual and amiable women ; and some of them exerted
a singularly beneficial influence on society. The eldest
daughter (Catherine, who remained unmarried) encouraged
her sisters in every good work, assisting them with her
valuable counsel ; and on her devolved the principal
management of her father's house. She lived till 1850,
Rachel, the next in age, died unmarried in 1827. Hannah
was married early in life to Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton.
Priscilla appears to have been a woman of extra
ordinary power of mind, as well as eminent piety. She
gave up the pleasures of that elegant society she at one
time adorned to devote herself to God. She became
a Minister in the Society of Friends ; and her brother-in-
law, Sir F. Buxton, speaks of her eloquence as being
almost unparalleled, and of her character as a combination
of illustrious virtues. Her heart was deeply interested in
the abolition of the slave trade, and when lying on her
dying bed, she sent repeatedly for Sir Fowell, and urged
him to make the cause and condition of the slave the first
object of his life. Almost her last act was to reiterate this
solemn charge, but she could then only utter a few broken
words, and nearly expired in the effort. Her brother-
in-law never lost the impression of her earnestness, and
he often referred to it as having prepared his mind for
his future exertions in that important work. Her decease
occurred in 1821. Of the other sisters, Richenda was
married to the Rev. F. Cunningham, and Louisa to
Samuel Hoare.
Mrs. Gurney's sons were, we believe, all philanthropic
and useful members of society ; we frequently read of

JOHN GURNEY. 305
them as co-operators with Mrs. Fry in her labours. Some
of them accompanied her on her journeys abroad. Joseph
John is the most distinguished, as it was he who laid
before the public a work on the " State of Prisons in
England and Scotland," drawn from personal inspection,
which led to very considerable reforms.
This, so far as relates to Catherine Gurney, is taken from "A Book
for Mothers ; or, Biographic Sketches of the Mothers of Great and
Good Men." By Charlotte Eliza Sargeant, 1850. The notice of
John Gurney is from various sources. His decease followed a
surgical operation to which he had submitted, and occurred 28th
of 1 oth month, 1809. It was at his grave side that his daughter,
Elizabeth Fry, knelt in a few words of supplication, which proved
the commencement of her appearance as a Minister.
The following portraiture of Joseph Gurney, the father
of Hannah C. Backhouse, and brother to John Gurney, of
Earlham, is from the pen of his nephew J. J. Gurney, and
is given in a note to H. C. Backhouse's Life, p. 94.
" His image is in a very lively manner presented to my
mind this afternoon. Truly he was a man in good liking,
of a handsome build, both of body and mind, a right
agreeable companion, fraught with amiable tempers, sound
intellectual powers, playful good humour, and above all,
deep humble piety. He was withal no man's copy. A
man of striking integrity and independence of mind, who
always thought for himself, and when any proposition or
sentiment was uttered by his companions, he was sure
enough to examine the other side of the question, and
picked out the weakness of many a plausible notion.
He generally wore a smile, and knew how to laugh ; his
cheerfulness did credit to his religion, and was the happy
ornament of that settled seriousness which ever dwelt
within. He had read considerably, and observed largely
and acutely, so that his conversation seldom failed to
be informing. .His ministry was delivered in great
20

306 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
brokenness. It was lively and refreshing, original,
frequently presenting some new train of thought for the
instruction of his hearers. I often think of the tenderness
and love which so peculiarly marked his demeanour, and
shone upon his features during the last few weeks of his
mortal existence. Truly he was gathered, I reverently
believe, as a shock of corn fully ripe into the Lord's
garner. Many were they who loved him dearly and
honoured him faithfully, and his memory will not perish."
Joseph Gurney died very suddenly on the 25 th of the
1 2th month, 1830. His influence on his nephews and
nieces at Earlham in determining them to seek to be
devoted to the cause of Christ, has been warmly ac
knowledged by several of them, and has been made
manifest to the world in their lives.

JOSEPH JOHN GURNEY.
Born 1788 — Died 1847 — Aged Fifty-eight Years.
Engraving 18 x 14 in.
Joseph John Gurney, the third son, and tenth child in
the family of eleven, of John and Catherine Gurney,*
was born in Earlham Hall, near Norwich, on the 2nd
of 8th month, 1788. His father, an extensive dealer
in hand-spun yarn, became subsequently a partner in the
banking business, which had been established in Pitt
Street, Norwich, in 1775. He was a man of peculiarly
active mind and habits, public-spirited and benevolent,
and his house at Earlham, to which he removed from
* Catherine Gurney was the daughter of Daniel Bell, of Stamford
Hill, London ; her mother, a granddaughter of Robert Barclay, the
Apologist ; and Priscilla Wakefield was one of her sisters.

JOSEPH JOHN GURNEY. : 307
Brammerton, in 1786, was the scene of sumptuous
hospitality. The superintendence and care of a family
of eleven children devolved, however, almost entirely
upon his wife, who was a woman of varied and superior
excellencies, possessing an enlarged and well cultivated
mind, with a refined taste, and high-toned conscientious
ness. As she died in 1792, her son Joseph was soon
deprived of maternal care, and his yet infant years were
committed to the intelligent and affectionate training
of his three elder sisters, one of whom (Catherine)*
supplied, as far as a sister could supply, a mother's place ;
and another of whom, the late Elizabeth Fry, had pro
bably no small degree of influence in inspiring his mind
with those principles which she herself afterwards so
nobly carried out into beneficent practice. During the
earlier years of this interesting family, true religion had
not the controlling and sanctifying power over their
minds which it had subsequently. They had not yet
perceived the " vanity," nor experienced the " vexations,"
of the world ; their path was sunshine, and their atmo
sphere perfume ; and their literary tastes, their elegant
accomplishments, and the rich hospitality of " the good
man of the house," rendered Earlham Hall the attractive
centre in the midst of an extensive circle, to which gentry
and nobility repaired, and where the late Duke of Glou
cester was a welcome and a delighted visitor.
J. J. Gurney's education (when not conducted at home)
was intrusted to J. H. Browne, a clergyman at Higham,
in Norfolk, and it was subsequently matured at Oxford,
where he attended the lectures of the professors, and
* J. B. Braithwaite, in his Memoir of J. J. G., says of her:
"Though scarcely seventeen at her mother's death, her capacities
ripened into an early maturity, which admirably fitted her for the
necessities of the occasion, etc., etc. She was never married, and
died in 1850."

308 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
enjoyed many of the valuable privileges of the Univer
sity, without becoming a member of it, and without
subscribing to the Thirty-nine Articles. He had an
extensive acquaintance with the Hebrew and Syriac
languages, as well as with classics, mathematics, and
general science. Attached, even in early life, to Biblical
studies, he had critically read the Old and New Testa
ments in the original languages, in the Syriac Peschito,
and in the Latin Vulgate, before he was twenty-two years
of age ; and he was well acquainted with Rabbinical
and Patristic writings, which are often referred to in the
learned and skilful criticisms which abound in his
" Biblical Notes and Dissertations."
His early studies were not only pursued and perfected
in after life, but all the intellectual wealth and power
which they afforded were consecrated to the advance
ment of truth and piety in himself and others. Those
who have been accustomed to observe his tall, erect, and
manly form, and his countenance, which seemed the
bright abode of combined intelligence and goodness, may
easily conceive what must have been the attractive love
liness of his youth.
It is not surprising that the clerical tutorship by which
he was trained, and the ecclesiastical attractions of
Oxford, should have produced in his mind some question
ing respecting the system of Quakerism, and some bias
towards the Established Church. This state of hesita
tion, however, did not long continue. " Although I
enjoyed a birthright in the Society," he says, in his
" Observations," etc., " my situation, after I had arrived
at years of discretion, was of that nature which rendered
it, in rather an unusual degree, incumbent upon me to
make my own choice of a particular religious course.
Under these circumstances, I was led, partly by research,

JOSEPH JOHN GURNEY. 309
but chiefly, I trust, by a better guidance, to a settled
preference on my own account of the religious profession
of Friends."
This was in his twenty-fourth year ; and he was enabled
to make a full surrender as to prospects of honour and
gratification of ambition, and identify himself closely with
Friends, believing that they held the doctrine of Christ in
more of original purity than most ; yet he desired to be
found catholic in spirit, and in a humbled and dependent
state of mind. His closer adhesion to the Society soon
bore fruit in the influence he exerted, and within a year
he is found taking an important share in the decision of
an Appeal on Faith and Doctrine that had come before
the Yearly Meeting, his own clearly expressed evangelical
views proving of great assistance to his friends. He was
very diligent in the attendance of meetings, and would
arrange his business engagements so as not to prevent
his being at those held during the week. It was, however,
not without having passed through some close mental
exercise (which he describes as some of the deepest con
flicts he had ever gone through) that he yielded to take
part in their vocal service. He first spoke as a Minister
in 18 16, and was recorded as such two years later (18 18).
In 1 8 1 7 he married Jane Birkbeck, the daughter of
John and Martha Birkbeck, of Lynn, who was the mother
of his two children ; but this union, productive of much
comfort during its continuance, was terminated by the
unexpected death of his wife, in 1822.
Although J. J. Gurney retained to the last his engage
ment in the business of the bank, his time became greatly
occupied in religious labours both at home and abroad.
In the autumn of 1 8 1 8 a Minute was granted him to
attend the General and other Meetings in Scotland, in
company with his sister, Elizabeth Fry. During this

310 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
journey, considering it a part of his Christian duty, he
also visited most of the prisons in Scotland and the
North of England, and published the result of his exami
nations, which, we believe, produced a great effect in
promoting much of that reform which took place about
this time, in the construction and management of these
abodes of wretchedness and crime.
In the year 1827 he visited Ireland, in company with
his sister, Elizabeth Fry, and her husband's sister, Eliza
beth Fry. We believe this visit was attended with great
benefit and satisfaction, and the cause of benevolence
was not forgotten.
In the 7th month, 1827, he was married to Mary
Fowler, the daughter of Robert and Rachel Fowler, of
Melksham, in whom he found an affectionate and sympa
thising helpmeet.
Very many were the visits paid by him in sundry parts
of England during the three following years, and one in
particular to the school at Ackworth, an establishment
for the prosperity of which he was deeply concerned,
which always partook largely of his solicitude, and which
he frequently visited.
He was again visited by domestic affliction, in the loss
* When Joseph John Gurney visited Ackworth in 1816, he found
not a little ignorance on examining the children as to their know
ledge of the Holy Scriptures. " They are remarkably sheltered from
evil," he wrote afterwards to the superintendent, " but do not appear
to me to be positively led to good." He suggested that the Bible,
till then reserved for a parting, should become an entering gift, and
offered the next year to examine into what use had been made of them.
" Well thumbed were those copies," he says at the year's end, "and
when I visited them at the close of twelve months the whole aspect
of affairs was changed." (See John Ford's " Memoir of Thomas
Pumphrey," p. 5.) Joseph John Gurney was also the means of
bringing outward light into the long darkness of their winter evenings,
for when gasworks were suggested he said, " It must be done," and
himself and his brother Samuel bore the cost. lb., p. 120.

JOSEPH JOHN GURNEY. 3H
of his beloved wife, who died, after a short illness, in the
year 1835.
He was occupied for three years in religious service on
the American continent, and visited most of the settle
ments of Friends, including those in Canada. Towards
the close of this visit he sailed for the West Indies, where
he had religious service in the Danish, and in some of the
British Islands. This visit to the West Indies afforded
him an opportunity of witnessing the happy results which
had attended the emancipation of the negroes in the
English Colonies.
In the 6th month, 1841, he was liberated for religious
service in some parts of the north of Europe, including
The Hague, Copenhagen, and Berlin, and for visiting the
meetings of Friends at Pyrmont and Minden, and for
holding public meetings beyond their limits. In this
journey he had the company of his sister, Elizabeth Fry.
In the 1 oth month of the same year (1841) he was
united in marriage to Eliza Paul Kirkbride, daughter of
Joseph and Mary Kirkbride of Philadelphia, who was as
sociated with him in all his religious engagements, and with
whom he lived in close and affectionate union until his death.
In 1843 his mind was again drawn in Gospel love
towards the continent of Europe, and one of the special
objects he had in view was that of mingling in sympathy
with those who, not being satisfied with a mere formal
profession, were seeking better things for themselves.
After having visited Paris, the South of France, including
all the meetings of those professing with Friends there,
and most of the large towns in Switzerland, with Stras-
burg, Stuttgart, and Brussels, he returned home, and
renewed the engagement in the spring of the following year.
A fall from his horse appeared to be the exciting
cause of his sudden removal. He died on the 4th of the

312

BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

ist month, 1847, and his remains were interred in the
Friends' burial ground at Norwich. There was an un
usually large attendance, both of Friends and others, on
this solemn occasion, his fellow-citizens, of every class,
appearing deeply to sympathise with his sorrowing rela
tives and friends. He was in the^fifty-ninth year of his
age, and had been a Minister nearly thirty years.
For a fuller account of his life than can be given here, see
the " Memoirs," by Joseph Bevan Braithwaite, in two vols ; Annual
Monitor, 1848; "Testimonies concerning Deceased Ministers,"
1847; The Friend, vol. v., 1847; "Memoir," by John Alexander,
1847. For an account of his numerous publications, see Joseph
Smith's " Catalogue of Friends' Books."
Perhaps it has been given to no member of the Society
to exert a greater influence upon its doctrinal views than
to Joseph John Gurney since the great Apologist, Robert
Barclay, expounded its views in contradistinction to the
high Calvinism of his day ; whilst Joseph John Gurney's
mission was to restore the Scriptures to their right
position, and infuse a spirit of deep evangelical fervour
and doctrine amid the Quietism of the pious Friend, or
the speculative tendencies of those inclining to the Uni
tarian sentiments that largely marked the educated classes
of his time. His intimate association and friendships with
leaders of religious thought, such as Wilberforce, Chalmers,
and various eminent clergymen, tended to bring the
Society into closer association with the good and ex
cellent of all classes, and to remove barriers which mis
apprehension and prejudice had raised.
" Talents from Nature's store,
And wealth of varied lore,
Subserved (as Paul's of yore)
Gifts of the Spirit free,
To set forth, far and wide,
Jesus, the Crucified,
As Saviour, Shepherd, Guide,
And Governor to be ! " William Ball.

SAMUEL GURNEY, THE ELDER. 313

SAMUEL GURNEY, THE ELDER.
Born 1786 — Died 1856 — Aged Seventy Years.
Oil Painting 30 X 24 in. Engraving 18 X 13 in.
Samuel Gurney, of Ham House, Upton, near Plaistow,
Essex, was born at Earlham Hall, near Norwich, the 18th
of 1 oth month, 1786, but early settled in London as a
bill-broker, in which business he remained until the close
of life. By his uprightness in pecuniary transactions,
and his Christian consistency as a Friend, combined with
frank and affable manners and a generous disposition,
he rose to a position of considerable influence among
his fellow-citizens ; yet through life he rather shunned
than desired those appointments in civil society which
were placed within his reach. His mind was early
brought under the power of Divine grace, and he became,
from conviction, conscientiously attached to the Christian
principles and testimonies which distinguish our religious
Society. He valued our Christian discipline, and was
a very useful member in the exercise and maintenance
of it, willingly yielding his time and his talents to the
service of the Church. His judgment on questions of
importance was sound — the result of independent con
sideration. He endeavoured with kindness, faithfulness,
and impartiality, to discharge the duty of an Overseer,
an office which he held in his own Monthly Meeting for
many years. He was also in the station of an Elder in
the Church ; and whilst often, to his own humiliation,
apprehending that he was little qualified for such an
appointment, he was desirous to be helped of the Lord to
occupy the post aright. He extended sympathy, en
couragement, or counsel towards those engaged in the

314 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
ministry of the Gospel, often treating with tenderness and
respect those of this class amongst us who had but little
of this world's goods, or but few advantages as to literary
education. And we believe it is not unsuitable on this occa
sion to add that he manifested strong Christian sympathy
as an Elder, and was a true helper to his sister Elizabeth
Fry, and his brother Joseph John Gurney, highly honouring
their gifts and calling, not as of themselves, or in which any
could glory, but as freely conferred by Him Who qualifieth
for service according to the purposes of His own wilL
Samuel Gurney partook largely of worldly prosperity.
His wife was Elizabeth Sheppard, and they were married
in Friends' Meeting House, at Barking, in 1808. They
had a numerous family, and sought to train them in
the fear of the Lord ; and whilst enjoying life it was an
earnest desire that this might be with a continual refer
ence to the Author of all his blessings. He became a
rich man, and we believe that it may be said he sought
to fulfil the injunction of the Psalmist, " If riches increase,
set not your heart upon them." He was given to hospi
tality, and liberal to the poor. He had a pleasure in
giving, and did it privately and unostentatiously to many
in straitened circumstances, to whom he thought such gifts
would be peculiarly acceptable. His kindness in this
respect was often exercised to his fellow-members, and it
would be an omission not to acknowledge his liberality to
Ackworth School, to which Institution he held the office
of Treasurer for upwards of forty years, and in the moral
and religious welfare of which he ever cherished a warm
Christian interest. But his benevolence was by no means
confined within the limits of our own Society. Being
blessed with a largeness of heart in no small degree com
mensurate with his ample means, his mind was ever open
to sympathise with the distressed of every name, and to

SAMUEL GURNEY, THE ELDER. 315
the wretched and the outcasts of society he often proved
a kind and liberal helper. Writing to a friend, expressing
his willingness to assist a young man who was about to
be released from the term of punishment which his mis
conduct had brought upon him, he characteristically says :
"My feelings yesterday were a good deal touched by the
case of  . I cannot but have a good hope about him,
if a favourable position be found for him. I am afraid
of sending him abroad into the wide world, but should
much prefer a guarded situation in England in which he
might have an opportunity of re-establishing his character.
And why should he not ? If such a soul can be saved
from ruin, what a blessed result ! / sometimes think what
many of us would have been under similar temptations ! "
Such was the disposition which, through Divine grace, had
become, it may be said, habitual with our beloved friend.
Large were the allowances which he was accustomed to
make for others, " considering '' himself, according to the
apostolic precept, " that he also was tempted." And
whilst firm against the transgression, he was ever ready
to make the way open for the returning prodigal. It was
not, however, only with money that he helped others. His
extensive knowledge of commercial matters, the integrity
of his principles, and his readiness to sympathise with
those in trouble, led others to consult him in their diffi
culties. He patiently listened to them, and willingly
assisted them by his counsel and experience.
With others of a generation now passing away, and of
whom but few survive, he took a warm interest in the
termination of the African slave trade, and of British
colonial slavery — indeed, of slavery everywhere — uniting
in measures for the carrying out of these objects by his
money, his judgment, and his personal exertions with
those in power.

316 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Brief and imperfect as the present sketch must neces
sarily be, it would not be right here to omit notice of his
habitual reverence in regard to Divine things. He never
permitted himself to talk of them lightly. The words
of the Lord were to him precious, and very seriously did
he feel their sacred obligation. His manner of reading
the Holy Scriptures in his family circle was peculiarly
impressive ; and not less so, the often deep solemnity
of the lengthened period of silence afterwards, as well as
of the pause for silent waiting both before and after meals,
giving striking evidence that what he sought for was
something beyond the mere practice of that which is
approved — not merely silence, but worship, — even the
worship of the Father, "in Spirit and in Truth." He
loved the simplicity, freedom, and spirituality of the
manner of worship which distinguishes Friends, often
saying that nothing was to him like " a good meeting."
But he was strongly impressed with the conviction of the
necessity of an earnest exercise of the soul in this im
portant duty. "The worship of God," to use his own
words in conversation with a friend, " is not, in my view,
to be found in a state of indolence. I look upon it as
man's highest privilege, and as demanding for its right
performance the diligent exercise, in deep submission to
the work of the Holy Spirit, of the very highest faculties
of the soul."
Before he had much withdrawn from public life, his
beloved wife, who had for forty-six years been the faithful
sharer in his cares and duties, became seriously ill. Her
illness was protracted. His anxious care and affectionate
watching over her affected his own health. This was
further enfeebled by the cares of business, necessarily
connected with the house of which he was a partner.
In the autumn of the year 1855 he went with some

SAMUEL GURNEY, THE ELDER. $iy
of his family to Nice, on the shores of the Mediterranean.
It was hoped that the genial climate of that latitude
would be restorative of his health. This, however, he
never fully calculated upon. He spent several months
there. The retreat was grateful to him. He often said
that the words of the publican were those he could appro
priate to himself with the most comfort: "God, be merciful
to me a sinner." Thus humble, he was preserved in much
peace amid the sinkings of nature, and the trials arising
from physical depression and from bodily suffering. His
trust had long been in Christ as his Saviour ; and this
trust remained with him to the end. His humility was
strikingly characteristic, not liking to appropriate a word
to himself which was beyond his own experience ; at the
same time the atmosphere around him was that of peace
and love, and it was evident that his mind was centred in
the Lord.
They tarried at Nice until the spring had made some
advance, and then left for England, hoping that they
should be favoured to return home. But He, Who is
perfect in wisdom and in love, saw meet to order other
wise. They arrived in Paris in the early part of the
6th month. Our beloved Friend was much more unwell
the latter part of the journey thither; he became seriously
ill soon after they reached the hotel ; and in the course
of a very few days peacefully expired, the 5 th of the
6th month, 1856, in the seventieth year of his age.
His remains were brought to England and interred at
Barking. He left nine children, and upwards of forty grand
children ; but his eldest son, John Gurney, of Earlham
Hall, near Norwich, did not long survive him. He died
On the 23rd of 9th month, aged 47 years.
¦ Taken from the Annual Monitor for 1857.

318 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Samuel Gurney's business training commenced at an
early age, as he came to London when but fourteen, and
served an apprenticeship of seven years to his brother-in-
law, Joseph Fry, of St. Mildred's Court, banker and tea
dealer, and almost as soon as his majority was reached
became partner in the firm of Overend and Co., then
commencing business as bill-brokers. John Overend and
Thomas Richardson (who had been clerks in the firm of
Smith, Wright, and Gray) were the original projectors
of the modern system of bill discounting, by which the
charge for commission was laid on those only whose bills
were discounted, and not (as had been the previous
practice with bankers) on those also who supplied the
capital. Samuel Gurney's father, approving of this plan,
determined to associate his son Samuel with them, where
he soon took no inconsiderable share in the concern, and
how much of its safety and great success was due to his
firm, clear, bold business talent not a few merchants and
bankers in London can testify.
"A noble heart ! an able head !
He bore the Saviour's yoke in youth,
And spurn'd the baits a world could spread,
Alien from Christ and from His truth ;
He served his age, the faith he kept,
And closed his course, revered and wept ! "
William Ball.

ELIZABETH GURNEY.
Born 1785— Died 1855— Aged Seventy Years.
Photograph 6x4 in.
Elizabeth Gurney was the daughter of James and
Sarah Sheppard, of Ham House, Upton, near Plaistow,

SAMUEL GURNEY, THE YOUNGER. 319
Essex, the property in former times of the celebrated Dr.
Fothergill. She was married in 1808 to Samuel Gurney,
the wedding was conducted at Barking Meeting, and, the
little tour to the Isle of Wight being over, the newly
married pair entered on possession of their apartments at
Ham House, still the residence of the parents of the
bride. She died the 14th of 2nd month, 1855, and her
remains were interred at Friends' burial ground, Barking.

SAMUEL GURNEY, THE YOUNGER.
Born 1816 — Died 1882 — Aged Sixty-six Years.
Woodcut 5x5 in.
Samuel Gurney was the second son of the late Samuel
Gurney, of Upton, Essex, by Elizabeth, daughter of
James Sheppard, and was nephew of Elizabeth Fry, and
Joseph John Gurney, of Earlham, Norwich, and of their
sister, the wife of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton. From his
earliest days he was associated with the works of
benevolence promoted by these and other active members
of his large family connection. He received his education
at the Friends' School, Rochester, and at Grove House,
Tottenham. He went to business in his eighteenth
year, and having formed an early attachment to
Ellen, the daughter of William Foster Reynolds, of
Carshalton, he married, in 1837, in his twenty-first year,
and from that time he devoted himself chiefly to pursuits
in which his love of nature, his humane regard for the
brute creation, his concern for the sick and suffering, his
interest in the progress of science, and in the development
of the resources of civilisation, found unrestrained ex-

320

BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

pression. He resided at this time and for many years at
The Culvers, Carshalton. One who was a frequent visitor
there says : — " It was a truly beautiful home with pleasant
grounds, through which ran a branch of the Wandle,
separating into two streams, so as to form an island
approached by rustic bridges. The trees were full of
singing birds, which were never molested ; the water
abounded with various species of aquatic fowl. Here
were the famous black swans from Australia, which won
for their owner the medal of the Soci/te' d' Acclimation,
and of which so many descendants are now seen in the
Zoological Gardens, and in the lake in Battersea Park.
The house and all its surroundings gave evidence of the
taste of the owners, and the condition of the horses,
cattle, and sheep in the park bore evidence to their
humanity." During Samuel Gurney's residence there The
Culvers was constantly open to the representatives of the
leading religious and philanthropic institutions of the
country ; and the children of the local schools and of
ragged schools in the metropolis were again and again
invited there, and treated with a cordial and generous
hospitality. Here, too, he delighted to welcome and to
encourage, by expressions of personal kindness, the re
presentatives of the various philanthropic and religious
institutions to which he attached himself, and here many
a scheme of public benevolence was matured.
But Samuel Gurney was not a mere spectator or
patron of the good works of other men. Whatever
engaged his sympathy ensured his help, and the business
activities of his former associates in Lombard Street
found their counterpart in the diligence with which he
gave himself to the promotion of the well-being of his
fellow-creatures. He never designed, nor discovered, nor
invented anything himself; he had no one special or

SAMUEL GURNEY, THE YOUNGER. 32 1
peculiar taste ; he cultivated no one study ; but he had
his work — his own peculiar work — in which none ever
excelled, if any in this generation have equalled him — the
work of helping others to help themselves ; of assisting
rising but scantily endowed genius ; of promoting schemes
of public utility which might otherwise have remained
untried or undeveloped ; and by timely and generous
co-operation, giving scope and impetus to good designs
and purposes which would not otherwise have found
effect. Very early in his career he was brought into association
with the first great effort to open up the interior of the
African continent to the influences of religion and civilisa
tion. His uncle, the late Sir T. Fowell Buxton, and
other members of the British, and Foreign Anti-Slavery
Society, had in 1841 induced the Government to equip
an expedition for the survey of the river Niger, and for
establishing such intercourse with the chiefs of that region
as might lead to their co-operation in the suppression of
the slave trade. This was then at its height, and was
producing horrors of cruelty and suffering which created
the greatest distress in the public mind. In this move
ment Samuel Gurney, as a member of the Committee of
the Anti-Slavery Society, took deep interest. It led to
the formation of friendships with the promoters of this
expedition which survived the disasters and disappoint
ments of the enterprise itself, and laid the foundation of
other and more effective arrangements, by means of which
the once terrible slave traffic of the Gold Coast has become
a thing of the past. The interest in Africa thus quickened
never died. It bore its first fruit in the attention which
Samuel Gurney devoted to the experimental colony of
free blacks from the United States, calling itself the
Republic of Liberia, and the promotion of the work of
21

322 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
education there ; and among the latest objects of his
concern was the development of the rich resources of
that fertile country, of which it has been said, " Tickle
the soil, and it laughs a harvest." He cultivated the
acquaintance of all who thereafter showed themselves the
friends of Africa, and the explorers Speke and Grant,
the great missionary-geographer Livingstone, and Moffat
the patriarch of African missionary enterprise, were
among his most honoured friends.
As President of the Aborigines' Protection Society, he
followed with the closest attention all that bore upon the
rights, or might contribute to the well-being, of the races
of men who had suffered, or were likely to suffer, from the
advance of white men in regions where commerce and not
Christianity has been the pioneer of civilisation. Hence
his interest in the proceedings of the Royal Geographical
Society, of which, and of the Linnaean and Zoological
Societies, he was a Fellow for many years. Samuel
Gurney was also Treasurer of the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. A writer in the
monthly organ of this Society says : — " During twenty-
two years we spent many hours together, on matters
relating to the well-being of animals ; for he was a
devoted animal's friend, as well as a ' Friend ' in the
religious meaning of that word. He inherited from his
parents a high sense of the claims of the lower animals
on the justice , and compassion of mankind ; and his
unwearied exertions to protect them from unnecessary
pain form an imperishable record in the proceedings of
the Society in Jermyn Street." Nothing in regard to
animals escaped his notice, and he employed servants
whose special duty (and whose delight, too) it was to
see how much could be done by care to advance not
only the comfort of the creatures, but their greater service

SAMUEL GURNEY, THE YOUNGER. 323
to mankind ; for Samuel Gurney's humanity had always
a utilitarian side. This found interesting expression in
his concern for the much-maligned and once much-
maltreated race of donkeys. He knew their powers
of endurance and of work, and he knew that much of
their reputed obstinacy was caused by the cruelties
inflicted on them. He wisely determined to make it the
interest of donkey owners to care for these poor brutes.
He first offered prizes at the Surrey Agricultural Show
for the best donkeys. This produced an immediate
improvement in the care of these animals, which was
recognised in the county papers ; and Samuel Gurney's
example was followed at other donkey shows, and has
been continued with most gratifying results. The benefit
did not stop here. The people who began to care for
their donkeys began to care for themselves, and many a
costermonger has cause to bless the day when these prizes
were first awarded.
Out of his love of, and concern about, the brute crea
tion, arose that which was, perhaps, the mOst useful of his
public labours. An early promoter of the Temperance
movement, he was in the habit of hearing men urged to
abstain from beer who had no suitable drinking water
wherewith to slake their thirst. He saw that weary
travellers and labouring men were driven to public-houses
for refreshment, not necessarily for indulgence ; and that
little children in our streets were exposed to suffering, and
often to disease, for lack of good and pure water. He
knew, also, that the sufferings which men could ill bear
were intensified when, from the same cause, they fell upon
our beasts of burden, and the ill-fed dogs and over-driven
cattle constantly moving to and fro in the hot crowded
thoroughfares of London. Some experiments made by
Mr. Melly, of Liverpool, attracted his attention, and after

324 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
careful investigation he became founder and chairman of
the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough
Association. He erected the first drinking-fountain
beside St. Sepulchre's Church on Snow Hill ; since then
the erections have been numerous in all parts of London
and the provinces.
Much of the credit which has been awarded to the late
Frank Buckland for his experiments in the artificial breed
ing of fish may be claimed for Samuel Gurney, who was
the first to call Mr. Buckland's attention to the subject,
and who afforded him facilities for observation and ex
periment in the river which passed through his grounds
at Carshalton. This, again, was not a mere matter of
scientific experiment. Samuel Gurney was earnestly
concerned in the supply of ample and good food for
the people.
Samuel Gurney served as High Sheriff for the county
of Surrey, and from 1857 to 1868 represented the boroughs
of Penrhyn and Falmouth in the House of Commons.
After the failure of the earlier attempts to lay the Atlantic
telegraph cable, and when some were despairing of
success, Samuel Gurney assembled the leaders of the
movement, brought them in contact with the great
capitalists of London, and afforded help and encourage
ment which largely contributed to the magnificent success
which was eventually achieved.
He was a liberal and judicious patron of art, and was
a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was an active worker
on Relief Committees during the great distress in Lanca
shire, known as the Cotton Famine. He was on the
Council of the London Hospital, and was founder of
the Poplar Hospital for Dock Accidents, an institution
which he continued to superintend till his death ; and
he also, with the aid of Mr. Startin, founded the hos-

SAMUEL GURNEY, THE YOUNGER. 325
pital in Blackfriars for the special treatment of cutaneous
disorders. Reformatories, refuges, and ragged schools of course
shared his regards.
He was a Friend — a Quaker ; and he felt the import
ance of the position and the value of the testimony of his
own community in relation to the general mission of the
Christian Church. He loved for Christ's sake all who
loved the great Master ; and he knew the value of the
position and testimony of other Churches. In the British
and Foreign Bible Society, the Evangelical Alliance, the
Young Men's Christian Association, and the British and
Foreign School Society, his evangelistic and educational
bias found free scope. Samuel Gurney never travelled
abroad without interesting himself in the affairs of these
institutions. In connection with the Aborigines' Protec
tion Society, he once formed part of a deputation to the
Emperor Napoleon III., which secured from that saga
cious ruler the restoration of property and privileges to the
native Arab population in Algeria. In the interests of
religious freedom he visited Madrid, with another depu
tation, to intercede with the Spanish Government for the
release of Matamoros and other persecuted Protestants.
He was always held in great esteem in the city of
London, and was a director of several commercial
companies. Early in the year 1882, Samuel Gurney had spent some
weeks in Brighton, and had entered with pleasure into
Christian society and work there, and appeared to be in
tolerable health. But he had long suffered from a disorder
which preyed much on his strength, and symptoms arising
which seemed serious, he went to Tunbridge Wells, in the
hope that the change would refresh and reinvigorate him.
This was not to be. A carbuncle developed itself soon

326 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
after his arrival. He rapidly grew worse, until his
death on the 4th of 4th month, 1882, aged 66 years.
He was laid to his rest in the quiet graveyard be
longing to Friends adjoining the Meeting House at
Wanstead, Essex. There stood around his grave, as his
remains were deposited in solemn silence, his kinsmen
of the Barclay, Bunsen, Buxton, Fry, Gurney, Hoare,
Reynolds, and Sheppard families — so many of them as
could be gathered at such a time on so short a summons —
and deputations from many public bodies with which he
had connection.
Abridged from The Record, 1882.

HUDSON GURNEY, F.R.S.
Born 1775 — Died 1864 — Aged Nearly Ninety
Years.
Engraving 4x3 in.
Hudson Gurney was the head of the present family
of the Gurneys of Norfolk, who are a younger branch
of the Gurneys or Gournays of West Barsham in that
county (originally of Norman descent, from Gournai, in
the Pays de Brai in Normandy), but whose ancient estates
have passed away, and they are now, for the most part, a
commercial family.
Hudson Gurney was born in the city of Norwich on
January 19th, 1775. He was the eldest son of Richard
Gurney, Esq., of Keswick (who died in 1 8 1 1 ), by his first
wife, Agatha, daughter and heiress of David Barclay, Esq.,
of Youngsbury, Hertfordshire. He inherited a consider
able fortune from his father and grandfather, and this was

HUDSON GURNEY, F.R.S. 327
largely increased by the shares which he held in the great
brewery of Barclay, Perkins, and Co.
Mr. Gurney was privately educated under the care of
his grandfather, David Barclay, of Youngsbury, Hertford
shire, and he had for a companion in his studies Thomas
Young, who became so well known from having discovered
the reading of Egyptian hieroglyphics. In early life he
travelled on the continent of Europe with his friend
" The learned thane, Athenian Aberdeen,"
and he always lived in cordial intimacy with that eminent
nobleman and statesman.
In early life Mr. Hudson Gurney wrote a beautiful
translation, or rather imitation, in English verse, of
" Cupid and Psyche," a mythological tale, from " The
Golden Ass " of Apuleius. It was printed in 4to, and
in royal 8vo, 1799, and in a third edition, 1801. It
is embellished with two engravings, one from the cele
brated Marlborough gem, and the other from one of
Raffaele's designs of the same subject. This poem has
also been republished in Mr. Davenport's " Poetical Regis
ter," and in the volume of the works of Apuleius in
Bohn's Classical Library.
Subsequently, in 1843, Mr. Hudson Gurney printed,
for private distribution, a translation into English verse
of the " Orlando Furioso " of Ludovico Ariosto.
Mr. Gurney was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
on January 15 th, 1818, and of the Society of Antiquaries
on the 12th of March following. In 1822 he was
nominated one of the Vice-Presidents of the latter by
his friend, Lord Aberdeen, and he continued to hold that
office until 1 846. He made several valuable communica
tions to that learned body.
To all his fellow-labourers in the archaeological field

328 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Hudson Gurney ever gave the most generous encourage
ment. Mr. Gurney sat in the House of Commons for
Newtown, in the Isle of Wight, during six successive
Parliaments. He was first returned for Shaftesbury
at the General Election of 1812, but unseated on
petition by the other candidates — one of whom was
afterwards Sir Charles Wetherell, the Attorney-General.
In his senatorial conduct his politics were neutral,
without party bias. He delighted in London life, and
his house in St. James's Square was for many years the
resort of the ilile of parliamentary and literary society,
to which his handsome person, and the superiority of his
acquirements and conversation, gave a peculiar zest.
Indeed, his discernment and sagacity as to men and
things were very great, and his memory was quite extra
ordinary on all subjects. These powers of mind continued
unimpaired to advanced age.
Mr. Gurney served the office of High Sheriff of Nor
folk in the year 1835.
He married, in 1809, Margaret, daughter of Robert
Barclay, Esq., of Ury, Kincardineshire, M.P. for that
county, by Sarah, his wife, daughter of James Allardice,
Esq., of Allardice, and heiress of line to the Earls of Airth
and Monteith. By that lady, who died December 16th,
1855 (aged seventy- five), he left no issue. The Earl
dom of Airth was claimed by Mr. Barclay Allardice
{i.e., Captain Barclay the pedestrian), Mr. Gurney's
brother-in-law, and Mr. Gurney took great interest in
the question, but the claim was not allowed by the
House of Lords.
Mr. Hudson Gurney died at his seat, Keswick Hall,
near Norwich, November 9th, 1864, in his ninetieth year.
His funeral took place on the 15th of the same month,

THOMAS HANCOCK, M.D. 329
in the churchyard of Intwood, near Norwich, and was
attended by the Members of the Corporation of Norwich
and many others.
Taken from Gentleman's Magazine, January 1865, third series,
-vol. xviii.,'p. 108.

THOMAS HANCOCK, M.D.
Born 1783 — Died 1849 — Aged Sixty-six Years.
Engraving 3x2 in.
Thomas Hancock was born at Lisburn, in Ireland, on
the 26th of the 3rd month, 1783. He was brought
up to the medical profession, studied in Dublin and
Edinburgh, and took his degree in the latter University
in 1806, soon after which he settled in London.
After the discouragements usual to young practitioners,
he obtained considerable practice and a degree of celebrity
from his medical works. His natural tastes and inclina
tion led him to indulge in vanity under its varied and
specious forms ; but the convictions of the Spirit of Truth
severely condemned this pursuit of the world and its false
pleasures, — strove with him in different ways, and he
obtained no rest until he was favoured (in a good1 degree)
to submit to its requirements, and heartily to embrace the
principles of which he had been merely a nominal pro
fessor. Of the mental conflicts attending this change, and
his adoption, by conviction, of the manners and address
of a plain Friend, the extracts from his Diary in the
Annual Monitor give full evidence.
In 1 8 10 he was happily married to Hannah, eldest
•daughter of the late Thomas H. Strangman, of Waterford ;
and in 1828 that tender tie was severed by the death of

330 biographical catalogue.
his devoted wife. Previous and subsequent to this event,
he had to endure domestic bereavements of no small
keenness ; but under all he manifested much Christian
submission and cheerful resignation to the behests of an
all-wise Providence.
In 1829 he removed to Liverpool, where he remained
during six years, his time chiefly engrossed with the
active duties of his profession. About this period
symptoms appeared of those trying maladies, from which
he was so great a sufferer during the rest of his life. His
health became so much affected that he was glad to
relinquish his practice, and return to his native place in
Lisburn. Here, amid rural pursuits, social enjoyment
with his friends, and much devoted to the interests of all
connected with our Society in the small section where his
lot was now cast, and occasionally exercising his pro
fessional skill amongst his poor neighbours, his health in
a degree recovered. Yet the relapses were frequent; and
in 1 841 a change to Harrogate was deemed advisable.
He spent several months there with his beloved daughter
Emma, who was his faithful nurse, and most intimate
friend and companion. In little more than two years
this precious child was removed after a suffering illness,
crowned by a most peaceful end. To use her father's
emphatic words, " She departed filled with the precious
hopes of the Gospel."
Dr. Hancock was an earnest advocate for the abolition
of Capital Punishment, as his contributions to the
Herald of Peace and other periodicals bear witness.
He took much interest in the subjects of peace and war,
the prevention of pestilence and sanitary matters, lunatics,
instinct in animals, etc.
The heart disease, from the symptoms of which he had
been long a sufferer, increased with a severity that caused

SMITH HARRISON. 33 1
him to pass through a season of much physical trial ; but
it was accompanied with a patience that to those who
knew his nervous temperament evidenced the unfailing
support accorded him to the end, which occurred on the
6th of the 4th month, 1849.
Abridged from The Annual Monitor for 1850, etc. For an
account of his books and writings, see Smith's "Catalogue of
Friends' Books."

SMITH HARRISON.
Born 1818 — Died 1883 — Aged Sixty-five Years.
Photograph, Enlarged and Tinted, 24 x 18 in.
Smith Harrison, of Elmhurst, Woodford, Essex, was
the son of Reuben and Margaret Harrison, of Oldham,
in Lancashire, and was born the 24th of the 7th month,
1818. He entered Ackworth School the early part of
the year 1829, where he had his education. On leaving
there in 1832 he was put apprentice to Binyons, tea
dealers, Manchester. After some years he came to reside
in London, and jointly with his brother, Daniel Harrison,
and Joseph Crosfield, carried on an extensive business of
wholesale tea merchants in Great Tower Street.
He married Sarah Mason in 1841, but became a
widower through her decease soon after giving birth to
a son. He subsequently married, in 1858, Jane Lister,
youngest daughter of Joseph Jackson Lister, of Upton,
Essex, and became a member of Ratcliff and Barking
Monthly Meeting, and so continued until his decease.
Smith Harrison gave to the Society the benefit of his
business aptitude, personal influence, and unusual energy.
In 1862 he became specially interested in the social

332 biographical catalogue.
welfare of the very numerous young men whose stay ,
in London through business engagements obliged the
exchange of home comforts for residence in lodgings,
and he sought to promote their rational means of recrea
tion, their mutual association, and improvement. With
this object in view he heartily embraced the opportunity
of some premises becoming vacant adjoining the Bishops-
gate meeting-houses to secure for them and Friends
generally an Institute, and as zealously set himself to
raise funds for the adaptation and furnishing they re
quired. Here the work previously commenced many
years before by the late John Pryor and others found, by
its removal to these large premises, an opportunity for
expansion impossible in its former location at Gracechurch
Street meeting-house, and Smith Harrison had the satis
faction of seeing the great success attendant on the change
he had been so instrumental in effecting. Similarly, his
energy was felt in various other ways on London Friends'
affairs. He succeeded in promoting the erection of the
large Devonshire House Hotel and premises, as also those
of the Bunhill Fields Memorial Buildings, and for many
years was prime mover in instigating and carrying out
these and various other undertakings having for their
object the benefit of his friends or of the many trusts
with which he was connected. His neighbours also, at
Woodford, held his energies and judgment in great
esteem, and he was one of the justices of the peace for
many years.
He died the 2nd of the 8th month, 1883, aged 65
years, and his remains were interred in Friends' new
burial ground at Wanstead.

JENNY HARRY. 333
JENNY HARRY.
No Portrait.
THIS young person was the daughter of a West Indian
planter, and had joined Friends, much to Dr. Johnson's
displeasure, between whom and Mary Knowles occurred
the conversation which this letter from Anna Seward to
James Boswell describes.
" You ask me for the minutes I once made of a certain
conversation which passed at Mr. Dilly's in a literary
party, in which Dr. Johnson and Mrs. Knowles disputed
so warmly ; as you seem to have an idea of inserting
this dispute in your future meditated work (the Life of
Dr. Johnson), it is necessary that something should be
known concerning the young person who is the subject
of it.
" Miss Jenny Harry was (for she is now no more) the
daughter of a rich planter in the West Indies. He sent
her over to England to receive her education in the house
of his friend, Mr. Spry, where an ingenuous Quaker lady,
Mrs. Knowles, was a visitor. He affected wit, and was
perpetually rallying Mrs. Knowles on the subject of her
Quaker principles, in the presence of this young, gentle,
and ingenuous Miss Harry, who, at the age of eighteen,
had received what is called a proper polite education.
Without being much instructed in the nature and grounds
of her religious belief, Mrs. Knowles was often led into
a serious defence of her devotional opinions upon these
visits at B  . You know with what clear and graceful
eloquence she speaks upon every subject ; her antagonists
were shallow theologists, and opposed only pointless
raillery to duty and long-studied reasoning on the precepts

334 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
of Scripture, delivered in persuasive accents and har
monious language. Without any design of making a
proselyte she gained one. Miss Harry grew very serious,
and meditated perpetually on all that had dropped from
the lips of her Quaker friend, till it appeared to her that
Quakerism was true Christianity. Believing this, she
thought it her duty to join, at every hazard, that class
of worshippers. On declaring these sentiments, several
ingenious clergymen were employed to talk and reason
with her ; but we all know the force of first impressions
in theology, and Mrs. Knowles' arguments were the first
she had listened to on this important theme. This young
lady was reasoned with and threatened in vain ; she per
sisted in resigning her splendid expectations for what
appeared to her the path of duty. Her father, on being
informed of her changing principles, informed her that
she might choose between ,£100,000 and his favour
if she continued a church woman, or £2,000 and his
renunciation if she embraced the Quaker tenets. She
lamented her father's displeasure, but thanked him for
the pecuniary alternative, assuring him that it included
all her wishes in point of fortune.
" She soon after left her guardian's house and boarded
in that of Mrs. Knowles, to whom she often observed
that Dr. Johnson's displeasure (whom she had often seen
at her guardian's, and who had always been fond of her)
was amongst the greatest mortifications of her then situa
tion ; and once she came home in tears, and told her
friend she had met Dr. Johnson in the street, and had
ventured to ask him how he did, but that he would not
deign to speak to her, but passed scornfully by; she
added, ' You and he are to meet soon in a literary party ;
plead for me.'
" Ycu remember our all dining together at Mr. Dilly's,

.IKNNY HARRY. 335
and the conversation after dinner, which began by Mrs.
Knowles saying, ' I am to entreat thy indulgence, doctor,
towards a gentle female to whom thou used to be kind,
and who is unhappy at the loss of that kindness ;
Jenny J Tarry weeps at the consciousness that thou wilt
not speak to her.' ' Madam, I hate the odious wench,
and desire you will not talk to me about her.' ' Yet
what is her crime, doctor?' ' Apostacy, madam.
Aposlacy from the community in which she was edu
cated.' 'Surely quitting one community for another can
not be a crime in itself, if it be done from a motive of
conscience. I ladst thou been educated in the Romish
Church, I must suppose thou wouklst have abjured its
errors, and that there must have been merit in the
abjuration.' 'Madam, if 1 had been educated in the
Romish Church, I believe I should have questioned my
right to quit the religion of my forefathers well ; therefore
may I hate the arrogance of a young wench that sets
herself up for a judge of theological points, and deserts
the religion in whose bosom she was nurtured.' ' I hope
she has not done so — I hope the name of Christian is not
denied to sectaries.' ' If the name is not, madam, the
common sense is.' ' I will not dispute that point with
thee, it would carry us too far ; suppose it granted, that in
the eyes of the simple girl, the weaker arguments appeared
the strongest, her want of better judgment deserves thy
pity not thy anger! ' Madam, it has my anger, and ever
shall have it.' ' Consider, doctor, what a noble fortune
she has sacrificed — she must be sincere! 'Madam, I have
ever taught myself to consider that the association of folly
cannot extenuate guilt.' ' Ah, doctor, can we suppose the
Deity will not pardon a defect of judgment (if such it
should prove) in the breast, where the desire of serving
Him according to its ideas, in spirit and in truth, has

336 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
been a preferable consideration to that of worldly in
terest ? ' 'I pretend not to set bounds to the mercies
of the Deity, but I hate the wench, and shall ever hate
her ; I hate all impudence, but the impudence of a chit's
apostacy I nauseate! 'Alas, doctor! Jenny Harry is
the most timid creature breathing ; she trembles to have
offended her parent, though far removed from his presence ;
she grieves to have offended her guardian, and perhaps
she grieves still more to have offended Dr. Johnson, whom
she loved, admired, and honoured.' ' Why then, madam,
did she not consult the man she pretends to love, admire,
and honour, upon her new-fangled scruples ? If she
looked up to that man with any part of that respect she
professes, she would have supposed his ability to judge of
fit and right at least equal to that of a raw wench just
out of her primer.' ' Ah, doctor, remember it was not
from the learned and witty that Christ selected His
disciples. Jenny thinks Dr. Johnson great and good,
but she also thinks the Gospel demands a simpler form
of worship than that of the Established Church, and that
it is not wit and eloquence that is to supersede the
force of what appears to her a plain and regular system
which cancels all typical and mysterious ceremonies as
fruitless, and even idolatrous, and asks only simple
obedience and the homage of a devout heart.' ' The
homage of a fool's head you should have said, madam, if
you will pester me about the ridiculous wench! ' Suppose
her ridiculous, she has been religious and sincere ; will the
gates of heaven be shut to ardent and well-meaning folly,
whose first consideration has been that of apprehended
duty ? ' ' Pho, pho ! who says it will, madam ? ' ' Then
if heaven does not shut its gates, shall man shut his heart ?
If the Deity accepts the homage of such as sincerely
serve him under every form of worship, Dr. Johnson and

THOMAS HARVEY.

337

this simple girl will, it is to be hoped, meet in a blessed
eternity, whither earthly animosities must not be carried.'
' Madam, I am not fond of meeting fools anywhere ; they
are detestable company; and while- it is in my power to
avoid conversing with them, I shall certainly exert that
power ; and so you may tell the odious wench, whom you
have persuaded to believe herself a saint, and whom soon,
I suppose, you will convert into a preacher, but I will take
care she does not preach to me.' "
11 The loud and angry manner in which he thundered
out these replies to the calm but able antagonist, affrighted
us all but herself, who gently, not sarcastically, smiled at
his injustice. I remember you whispered me, ' I never
saw the mighty lion so chafed before.' "
The Friend (Philadelphia), vol. i. , 1827, p. 163.
Another version of this Dialogue is given under Mary
Knowles.

THOMAS HARVEY.
Born 1812 — Died 1884 — Aged nearly Seventy-
three Years.
Portrait in Crayon 17 X 12 in.
Thomas Harvey, of Headingley Hill, Leeds, was born
at Barnsley in 1 8 1 2, his parents being members of the
Society of Friends. His three brothers were long and
successfully engaged in the linen manufacture, one of the
leading industries of that town. Thomas Harvey had
his early education at a grammar school in his native
town, but in 1822 he entered the large public school at
Ackworth, where he remained for three years. During a
portion of this time John Bright was one of his school-
22

338 biographical catalogue.
fellows. When this great school celebrated its centenary
on June 26th, 1879, it was Thomas Harvey who was
called on to preside over the proceedings. After leaving
Ackworth, he went for a time to York school, where he
formed many friendships. On quitting York he adopted
pharmacy as a calling, and served the usual long
apprenticeship of those days to a leading firm of chemists
and druggists- (W. and T. Southall) in Birmingham. It
was here that he became acquainted with one of the
strong and noble spirits of a now past generation, Joseph
Sturge. In 1836 the two Friends set out for the West
Indies on a mission, having for its object the collection
of information on the condition of the negroes in those
colonies. The result was a volume entitled " The West
Indies in 1837." The condition of the negro labourers
presented at this time considerable variations, owing to
the differences of view upon emancipation held by the
respective legislatures of the various islands. In some,
the system of apprenticeship, devised as a gradual pre
paration of the negro for freedom, was still in force ;
whilst the greater foresight of the rulers of other islands
had caused them to grant to the labourers immediate and
unconditional freedom. Where the former condition
existed, many of the cruel evils of slavery were continued
with this difference : that instead of compulsory power
being wielded by the master at his own will, the appren
ticeship system exercised similar coercion through officers
of the government for his supposed benefit. The usual
punishment was to take away from the negro the Saturday
holiday covenanted to him by Imperial legislation, for
the purpose of tilling his own patch of ground. It was a
common thing to bring before the magistrate gangs of
male and female apprentices, and for them to be fined as
many as six Saturdays for the benefit of the estate. For

THOMAS HARVEY. 339
alleged deficiency in industry, of the most trifling nature,
labour on the treadmill was imposed.
During the first two years of this system, 60,000
apprentices were flogged in Jamaica alone. Whilst en
gaged on their philanthropic mission, J. Sturge and T.
Harvey were brought into intimate relations with many
excellent men stationed as missionaries in the West
Indies, most of whom were labouring under the auspices
of the Baptist Missionary Society. Many life-long friend
ships resulted from this association. One of the worst
evils of the colonial system was clearly introducing new
evils ; and the gross abuses of its administration were
producing an alienation of feeling between employers and
employed, worse than anything that could have followed
complete and immediate emancipation, had it been pro
claimed on August ist, 1834. The truthful and abso
lutely unimpeachable narrative of the social condition of
the West Indies in 1837 stirred all the old anti-slavery
feeling of England, and the appeal for early and complete
abolition of the system of apprenticeship, gave rise to a
renewal of fierce struggles in the British Parliament.
Happily, the rulers of the various West Indian islands
were keep observers of the drift of public feeling, and in
1838 the Legislatures of eight islands (Jamaica being the
last) passed Acts declaring apprenticeship to be ended,
and the slaves free on August ist, 1838. By this act of
justice 800,000 human beings entered upon the rights
of manhood. Soon after their return to England Thomas
Harvey engaged in business in Leeds, where he fixed his
home for the rest of his life.
In the autumn of 1856 Thomas Harvey was once
more the faithful companion of Joseph Sturge on a foreign
mission. The Crimean war with Russia had just ended,
and fuller information of its incidents had impressed

340

biographical catalogue.

Joseph Sturge with the bitter sufferings and undeserved
wrongs that had fallen upon the inoffensive inhabitants
of parts of Finland. Whilst the British fleet was stationed
in the Baltic, great havoc and loss were caused to the
natives on some parts of the Finnish coast Whilst un
connected with armaments of any kind, their houses,
vessels, and stores of timber were destroyed, in spite of
the disapproval of Admirals Napier and Dundas. The
deputation investigated the facts, and placed themselves
in communication with a committee of leading merchants,
through whose agency the funds supplied by sympathising
friends in England were administered. The sum dis
tributed amongst the poorer sufferers by the war was
£9,000, and this was largely used for seed-corn, fishing-
nets, and in similar ways, so as to be reproductive. The
Czar conveyed to Joseph Sturge his grateful sense of his
action, and that of his associates.
At a later date, Thomas Harvey made a visit to the
south of Russia, where there are colonies of an industrious
people called Mennonites, whose religious tenets on the
subject of war are similar to those of the Friends. Their
refusal to bear arms has subjected them to punishment
from the Government, and many have emigrated to
Canada, where the welfare of their little communities has
been a subject in which Thomas Harvey took much
interest In 1867 Thomas Harvey retired from his position as
senior partner in the firm of Harvey and Reynolds,
pharmaceutical chemists, and passed the evening of his
days in the business of good works. The charitable in
stitutions of Leeds found no more reliable supporter, both
in counsel and pecuniary aid ; the death of two of Thomas
Harvey's brothers, unmarried, enabling him largely to
extend that use of his income for the good of others

THOMAS HARVEY. 34 1
which he had commenced with smaller means. The In
stitution for the Blind and Deaf Mutes, engaged Thomas
Harvey's especial interest, and he was for many years
its untiring honorary secretary.
It has already been seen how great were his services
in the anti-slavery cause. They were equally decided and
earnest in aid of the claims of Peace (especially inter
national arbitration) and Temperance. Amongst his own
religious body Thomas Harvey was held in the highest
esteem, and his counsel carried a weight with it enjoyed
by few others. So recently as last May (1SS4) the
Yearly Meeting of Friends in England appointed him,
with two colleagues, a deputation to the congregations of
the same faith in Canada, amongst whom some questions
of doctrine were causing difficulties that required the aid
of wise Christian advisers. This mission and its anxieties
proved a great strain on Thomas Harvey's health ; but
his friends rejoiced to see some recuperative effects from
the rest of a few weeks at home.
In merely party politics Thomas Harvey took little
part. He served the town with much zeal as a member
of the School Board during its early years, when extensive
operations were necessary. Not being re-elected at the next
general election, and an early vacancy occurring, the Con
servative majority of the Board handsomely invited Thomas
Harvey to accept the vacant seat, although aware that his
views differed widely from their own.
When Henry Richard, M.P., edited the " Memoirs of
Joseph Sturge," he acknowledged his especial indebtedness
to Thomas Harvey as follows : — " I cannot express here
half of what I feel as to the extent of my obligations to
this dear friend, not for material help only, although that
has been ample and most important, but for the warm
interest, the wise counsel, the delicate sympathy, the

342 biographical catalogue.
generous encouragement, with which he has sustained and
cheered me through the whole undertaking." As Henry
Richard summarised Joseph Sturge's character, " He
lived not unto himself," so might it be said of Thomas
Harvey. His Christian earnestness and devotion to every
good work was with a catholicity of spirit that made him
the friend of all good men, and will long cause his memory
to be revered in Leeds.
Thomas Harvey leaves a widow, who throughout his
life faithfully seconded his philanthropic labours, and an
only surviving son, Councillor William Harvey.
He was interred in Friends' burial ground, Adel, near
Leeds, the 29th December, 1884, a numerous company
of Friends and others attending his funeral.
Taken from the Leeds Mercury, December 26th, 1884.
Thomas Harvey's marriage in 1845, to Sarah Grace,
the third daughter of the late Joseph Fryer, of Toothill,
near Huddersfield, introduced him into a large family
circle. He felt the value of this intercourse, and was
beloved by all. He writes : " It has proved a blessed
union, though chastened from time to time by sorrows
and bereavements." Especially was there this experience
when by that sudden ice fracture in Regent's Park one of
his sons, who was amongst the skaters, became submerged
and lost his life. IN MEMORIAM
Of our late beloved Friend, Thomas Harvey,
Who died 2$th 12th month, 1884.
" How shall we speak our grief ? No words suffice
To tell our loss irreparable ; so wont
On him to lean, to whom our hearts were bound
Through years of work and love. Now he is gone !
No more shall we behold that face so calm,
Speaking the peace of Christ ; nor hear wise words

THOMAS HARVEY. 343
From his instructed lips, with judgment filled
And earnest love and truth. His lengthened life
Seemed one unwearied hymn of humble praise.
In business serving God, nor slothful found ;
Yet watchful, marking season to retire,
And faithful holding all as steward for Him.
Begun with him* who strove with noble zeal
To burst the bonds that still marred freedom's gift ;
Faithful till death, thy service ended not
Till life's last pulse had throbbed. What distant lands
Have seen thy labours ! The West Indian slave,
The Mennonite, the famine-stricken Finn,
With Friends at home, and those in Erin's isle,
And last on far Ontario's fruitful shores, —
These all have shared thy love, and grieve thy loss.
But whilst we mourn, let no distrustful thoughts
Possess our hearts. Thy Lord Who raised thee up,
And fitted thee for work, remains unchanged :
Still living, loving, caring for His Church.
Brother beloved ! how humble was thy walk,
How mean thy view of self ; thy only hope
In Him Who died, and bought thee for His own.
Thy evening service o'er, a sacrifice
Accepted of thy Lord, we fondly hoped
For years of usefulness, with strength renewed.
But He Who called saw meet to crown thy life
And bid thee ' Welcome home ' — oh, blest exchange !
For in that rest all tears are wiped away,
And nought remains but endless peace and joy.
Rest on, loved brother, drinking of the streams
Fresh from the Throne of God and of the Lamb,
That satisfy all thirst. Let it be ours,
Still held amongst earth's mists, in joyful faith
To wait not idly, but fulfil with love
The daily task, as servants of the King,
In Whom alone the Church on earth is one
In hallowed commune with the Church above,
To watch, to work, to worship, and to praise."
J. B. Braithwaite.
312, Camden Road,
1st month, I'jth, 1885. * Joseph Sturge.

344

biographical catalogue.

ELIAS HICKS.
Born 1748 — Died 1830 — Aged Eighty-two Years.
Pencil Drawing 4x3 in. Engraving 4x3 in.
Elias Hicks, son of John and Martha Hicks, was born
on the 19th of the 3rd month, 1748, in the township of
Hempstead, in Queen's County, on Long Island, North
America. His parents were descended from reputable
families, and sustained a good character among their
friends and those who knew them. His father was a
grandson of Thomas Hicks, of whom Samuel Bownas
makes honourable mention in his Journal, and by whom
he was much comforted and strengthened when im
prisoned, through the envy of George Keith, at Jamaica,
on Long Island. Neither of his parents were members
in strict fellowship with any religious society, until some
little time before his birth. His father was at that period
united in fellowship with Friends ; but as his residence
was mostly at some distance from meeting, and in a neigh
bourhood where very few Friends lived, E. Hicks' associates,
when young, were chiefly among those of other religions
persuasions, or, what was still worse for him, among those
who made no profession of religion at all. This exposed
him to much temptation, but he early felt the operation
of Divine grace, checking and reproving him for lightness
and vanity. When about eleven years of age his mother
was removed by death.
About the seventeenth year of his age he was appren
ticed to learn the trade of a house carpenter and joiner.
His master, though considered an orderly man, and who
attended Friends' meetings, was yet in an eager pursuit
after temporal riches, and was but little use to him for

elias hicks. 345
religious improvement. During this period his leisure
hours were occupied in reading the Scriptures, in which
he took considerable delight, and which tended to real
profit and religious improvement. At the expiration of
his apprenticeship he became more acquainted with Friends,
and more regular in his attendance at meetings.
About the twenty-third year of his age he married
Jemima, daughter of Jonathan and Elizabeth Seaman, of
Jericho, where he resided the remainder of his life.
He first appeared in the Ministry about the twenty-
seventh year of his age, and from this period his time and
talents were devoted to the cause of his Divine Master,
labouring diligently for its advancement, not only at home
and in his own neighbourhood, but in most parts of North
America, where there are settlements of Friends, and also
in many places amongst those not of our Society. In
declaring what he believed to be the counsel of God, he
was bold and fearless, and his ministry, though unadorned
with the embellishment of human learning, was clear and
powerful. In argument he was strong and convincing,
and his appeals to the experience and convictions of his
hearers were striking and appropriate. He saw, and
deeply lamented, the great departure of many in the
Society of Friends from that plainness and simplicity,
and that godly sincerity, which characterised it in the
beginning. Hence he felt himself called upon, under the
influence of the love of the Gospel, to admonish his
brethren in religious profession to rally to the ancient
standard ; the light of truth manifested in the heart, and
to follow no man any farther than he should be found a
follower of Christ. He assailed the strongholds of super
stition and bigotry with great boldness, which sometimes
alarmed the timid, and roused the prejudice of others.
Yet to the candid inquirer and sincere seeker after truth,

346 biographical catalogue.
he breathed the language of encouragement, of consolation,
and of comfort. His great and primary concern was to
draw the minds of the people to practical righteousness —
from all outward dependence to the sure Foundation, the
Rock of Ages, the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter, "Christ
within, the hope of glory."
When his meetings were attended by a large concourse
of persons of various denominations, the solemnity and
stillness that prevailed were often very remarkable, re
minding us of the testimony of primitive Friends, that
the power accompanying their Gospel labours so over-
¦ shadowed the assemblies, that truth reigned over all.
Being deeply sensible of his own inability to promote
the cause of truth and righteousness without Divine aid,
he was engaged to dwell near the fountain of light and
life, and to minister as this opened and gave ability. He
was indeed an example of Christian humility, and emi
nently preserved from being elated by the applause of
men, or depressed by their censure. Many were the
exercises which he felt on account of the evils which
abound in the world, and the oppressed condition of the
African race excited his tenderest sympathy. Their
cause engaged his earnest solicitude for the greater part
of his life, and he was often led feelingly and powerfully
to advocate it. We believe that many were convinced,
through his labours, of the cruelty and injustice of holding
slaves in bondage. He bore for many years a faithful
testimony against slavery by carefully abstaining from
the use of articles which he believed to be produced by
the labour of slaves. When at home, and not engaged in
services more strictly of a religious character, he laboured
diligently with his own hands, believing it the duty of all
to be usefully employed in obtaining the necessaries of
life ; and when acquired he acted as a steward under the

elias hicks.

347

direction of the bountiful Giver, being restrained from
using them for selfish gratification. In the various relations
of life he was a bright example worthy of imitation ; he
was an affectionate husband ; and as a father and guardian
his concern for the moral and religious education of his
children, and those placed under his care, was very great,
that they might be brought up in the fear and admonition
of the Lord. His tender sympathy was excited for the
poor, to whom he was a kind and liberal friend, often
supplying their necessities. It may be truly said of him,
that he was a man fearing God and hating covetousness.
He was a peace-maker, endeavouring; both by precept
and example, to promote harmony in his neighbourhood ;
and in this respect he was very useful, his Christian de
portment having gained the confidence and affection of
his neighbours.
At a very advanced age he continued to labour in the
Lord's vineyard, with the same fervent zeal, the same
dedication of heart, for which he had been so eminently
distinguished in the earlier stages of his life. Having
been long taught in the school of Christ, and being deeply
experienced in the things which concern our eternal well-
being, he was well qualified to administer counsel and
encouragement to others.
His dedication to the law of the spirit of life in Christ
Jesus, his firmness in the support of those testimonies
which he felt himself called upon to maintain, and his
plainness in reproving unfaithfulness in others, and bearing
testimony against every appearance of evil, gave offence
to some ; yet none of these things moved him, neither
counted he his life dear to himself, so that he might finish
his course with joy.
He was favoured with a good constitution, and in the
decline of life was still actively engaged in the concerns

biographical catalogue.
of society, and industriously employed in his temporal
avocations. His mental powers continued strong and vigorous to
the end of his labours. During his last illness, however,
his mental faculties were occasionally obscured, yet he
was at times enabled to give satisfactory evidence to
those around him that all was well, and that he felt
nothing in the way.
He quietly passed from the trials of time, we doubt
not, to receive the reward of righteousness, on the 27th
of the 2nd month, 1830, at his residence in Jericho, Long
Island, North America, in the eighty-second year of his
age. Taken from the "Journal of Elias Hicks," published in 1832,
and from the "Memorial of Jericho Monthly Meeting, 1830."
Emanuel Howitt (a brother of the late William Howitt),
travelling through the United States in the year 18 19,
attended a meeting at which Elias Hicks was expected
to be present, and thus speaks of him in his book, " A
Tour through the United States : " —
" His appearance is simple, old-fashioned, and patriar
chal, and he pours forth in his public discourses, in an
astonishing and animated flow of plain, but powerful and
penetrating language, a train of argument that lightens,
and sentiment that warms, upon whatever it touches."
A writer in the Century Magazine (February 1887) says :
" Elias Hicks is described as having been one of tall and
most shapely form, with black eyes that blazed at times
like meteors, . . . with an inner, apparently inexhaustible
fund of volcanic passion ; . . . tenderness blended with a
curious remorseless primness, as of some surgeon operating
on a beloved patient. Hearing such men sends to the
winds all the books and formulas, and polished speaking
and rules of oratory."

ELIAS HICKS. 340,
It is obvious that the foregoing accounts have been
written by persons whose religious sentiments were in
accord with those of Elias Hicks, but his ministry and
personal influence had grievous results on the Unity of
the Society of Friends in America, to which the following
extract makes allusion : —
" The contemporaries of Elias Hicks speak of him as a
man of prepossessing appearance, good natural abilities,
and an ardent temperament, with a considerable command
of language and fluency of speech ; yet more conspicuous
for boldness of assertion than for solid information and
depth of knowledge. For many years he had occupied
the station of a Minister in his own meeting, and travelled,
in that capacity, in different parts. Having acquired a
good deal of popularity as a preacher, his position had
become one of no small influence, and for a time that
influence appeared to be for good. But by degrees, and
under the specious guise of high spirituality, the doctrines
he preached in public, and sought to disseminate in private,
became less and less scriptural, and, in the same propor
tion, more and more opposed to the recognised tenets of
the Society of Friends. Heedless of the Christian care
and judicious counsel of some of his friends, who watched
over him with tenderness and love, he persisted in his
divergent course, till at last the distinguishing facts and
fundamental truths of Christianity — the deity and incar
nation, the atonement and intercession of Christ, together
with some other points — were either ignored in his ministry,
or distorted and rejected. He gradually obtained many
adherents, yet it was not till seven years afterwards (1827)
that he and his followers effected a separation and distinct
organisation, by which the religious community to which
they had belonged lost nearly a third of its members." *
* B. Seebohm in " William Forster's Life," vol. i., p. 270.

350 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
THE HOARE FAMILY
AS
CONNECTED WITH FRIENDS.
THE founder of that branch of the ancient and very
large Hoare family, which became associated with Friends,
went over to Ireland from the ancestral home in Devon
shire, during the Commonwealth, as an officer in Crom
well's army, and in reward for distinguished service
obtained large grants of land in county Cork. His second
son, Joseph, became convinced of Friends' principles.
He was engaged in business as a merchant and banker
in the city of Cork. His Uncle James held a Govern
ment appointment at the Mint, and established a bank
at the sign of the Golden Bottle, Cheapside, — now the
well-known bank of Messrs. Hoare, in Fleet Street,
to which it was subsequently removed, and this James
Hoare, its founder, was banker to Oliver Cromwell.
Joseph Hoare (the nephew who joined Friends)
prospered greatly in his outward circumstances, and
amassed considerable wealth. He was four times
married. He died 14th of the 10th month, 1729, and
with his four wives lies buried in Friends' burial ground,
Roche's Road, Evergreen Road, Cork. By his third wife
Margaret, who was a daughter of Edward Satterthwaite,
a merchant resident at Townend, in Colthouse, Lancashire,
Joseph Hoare had two sons, the elder of whom died
young. The younger, whose name was Samuel, removed
from Cork to London, and is the subject of the succeeding
notice.

SAMUEL HOARE.

351

SAMUEL HOARE.
Born 17 16 — Died 1796 — Aged Eighty Years.
For Portrait see Picture of Gracechurch Street Meeting.
Samuel Hoare, second son of Joseph and Margaret
Hoare {ne'e Satterthwaite), was born in Cork the 20th
of the 9th month, 17 16. He removed from Cork to
London, and became a very eminent merchant of that
city, having his place of business firstly in Cateaton
Street, and afterwards in Frederick's Place, Old Jewry.
He was married on the 19th of the 2nd month, 1744, to
Grizell Gurnell, daughter of Jonathan Gurnell, of Ealing,
and Grizell, his wife, who was a daughter of John Wilmer.
Samuel Hoare was in partnership with his father-in-law
Jonathan Gurnell ; and their mercantile transactions in
connection with the Portuguese trade are understood to
have suffered severely in consequence of the earthquake
at Lisbon in 1755. But they afterwards extended their
business connections all over Europe, and prospered so,
that Samuel Hoare, who was highly esteemed as a good
and honourable man, made a large fortune. In 1748
(four years after his marriage) he went to reside at a
house in Paradise Row, Stoke Newington. He continued
throughout life a member of the Society of Friends, and
is one of those represented in the picture of Gracechurch
Street Meeting, sitting on the side seat nearest the gallery.
His wife Grizell is the woman Friend in the dark plain
dress, on their side seat, and below her, dressed alike, are
their three daughters : Margaret, who married Joseph
Woods, merchant of White Hart Court, and became the
mother of a large family circle, and was the authoress of
the Journal that bears her name ; Sarah, who married

352 biographical catalogue.
Thomas Bradshaw, linen manufacturer, of county Antrim,
Ireland, and has left many descendants ; Grizell, who
married Wilson Birkbeck, of Norwich and London, as his
second wife, and subsequently to his decease became the
third wife of William Allen.
Margaret Hoare (the mother) died the 7th of the
1 2th month, 1802, and was buried at Winchmore Hill.
Her husband, Samuel Hoare, had died at his residence at
Stoke Newington six years previously, viz., on the 30th
of the 8th month, 1796, and both are buried at Winch
more Hill. The following tribute to S. Hoare's memory
was inserted in the Gentleman's Magazine of that year :
" Always uniform and consistent in his conduct ; strict and
steady, but neither bigoted nor troublesome, with his strict
adherence to the principles of his sect ; of the most
irreproachable integrity ; always ready to assist and serve
the poor, without regarding their religious sentiments ;
plain, unassuming, and unostentatious, always more in
clined to withdraw from, than to push himself into, public
notice ; a man whom nobody had anything to say
against."

SAMUEL HOARE.
Born 175 i — Died 1825 — Aged Seventy-four
Years.
Photograph 6x4 in-
Samuel Hoare, of Hampstead, second son of Samuel
Hoare, of Stoke Newington, was born 27th of the
5th month, 175 1. He was long known as exercising
great hospitality at his residence at Hampstead. He
encouraged literary pursuits, and was often visited by

SAMUEL HOARE. 353
Crabbe the poet, also Coleridge, Campbell, Joanna Baillie,
Bowles, and others. He married, 15 th of the 5 th month,
1776, Sarah Gurney, daughter of Samuel Gurney, of
Norwich and London, who was a son of Joseph Gurney,
of Keswick, Norwich. She died 31 st of the 1 st month, 1783,
aged 26. He married, secondly, 17th of the 6th month,
1788, Hannah, daughter of Henry Sterry.of Hatton Garden,
London, who died 21st of the ist month, 1856, aged 86
years. Samuel Hoare became a partner in the banking
firm of Barnett, Hill, Barnett, and Hoare, of Lombard
Street. After being for some time in an invalid state
of health, he died 13 th of the 7th month, 1825,
and was, like his father, buried at Friends' burial ground,
Winchmore Hill.
Samuel Hoare had a younger brother Jonathan (born 4th
of the nth month, 1752, died 14th of the 7th month, 1825,
aged 73 years). He married 19th of the 6th month, 1783,
Sarah, daughter of Thomas Beswick. They had only one
daughter, who died unmarried at the age of twenty- two years.
He succeeded his father as a merchant in London, and had
John Harman, grandson of Jonathan Gurnell, as a partner.
He resided at Stoke Newington, where, about 1 801, he
built himself a large house, called Newington Park House,
but now known as Clissold Park House.. It was designed
for him by a nephew, Joseph Woods, who was an archi
tect of some eminence. This mansion stands beautifully
situate in large grounds, of more than fifty acres in extent,
through which the New River flows in a winding course.
Jonathan Hoare sold the property during his lifetime to
Thomas Gudgeon, and after his decease his widow retired
to live at a house in Paradise Row. Subsequently the
property became, by purchase, in 18 14, the property of
the Crawshay family, into which the Rev. Augustus
Clissold had married, and their residence in the mansion
23

354 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
for many years gave to it the present name of Clissold
House and Park, which Property the Ecclesiastical
Commissioners now (1888) possess, but it is hoped it
may become by purchase from them a " public park for
the use of the people for ever." It is remarkable for its
fine growths of forest trees, that testify to the taste in
planting of Jonathan Hoare its original owner ; and some
fine specimens of weeping thorns in the Grounds are con
sidered as remnants of the time when Stoke Newington
was a wood, as its name Stoke implies.

SAMUEL HOARE.
Born 1783 — Died 1847 — Aged Sixty-four Years.
No Portrait.
Samuel Hoare, of Hamptead Heath House, and of
Cromer, in Norfolk, was son of Samuel and Sarah Hoare
{ne'e Gurney), and was born 16th of 1st month, 1783.
He was partner in the banking firm of Barnett, Hoare's,
62, Lombard Street. He was married 24th of the 12th
month, 1806, in Tasborough Meeting to Louisa Gurney
(his cousin), a daughter of John Gurney, and sister of
Elizabeth Fry, who thus alludes to the wedding as " a very
serious and interesting time to us all, my father, all of us
eleven, my husband, and Samuel Hoare. The meeting
was very solemn, and did to me sweetly license them in
their solemn engagement ; it was like a seal to it. There
was testimony upon testimony and blessing upon blessing,
from the ministers present ; and, what was better than all
to me, a sweet covering over the meeting. All appeared
unity and love, rather remarkable to see so large a family

THOMAS HODGKIN, M.D. 355
all so nearly sympathising and closely united." Samuel
Hoare, in the course of his life, took a very active and
important part in the subject of prison discipline. His
decease occurred on the 26th of the 12th month, 1847,
and he was buried at Hendon churchyard, where his wife,
Louisa Hoare, who died after a rather lingering illness,
the 6th of the 9th month, 1836, had also been interred.
Their eldest son, Samuel Hoare, who was born 1st of the
1 2th month, 1807, had died before his parents, on 27th
of 1 oth month, 1833. He had married Catherine Edwards
Hankinson, daughter of Archdeacon Hankinson, of
Norwich, who after his decease became the wife of the
Arctic navigator, the celebrated Captain Parry.
Most of these particulars have been taken from an elaborate work
on the " Early History and Genealogy of the Families of Hore and
Hoare," compiled and published by Edward Hoare, 1883, which
has been kindly lent for the purpose by Samuel Woods.

THOMAS HODGKIN, M.D.
Born 1798 — Died 1866 — Aged Sixty-seven Years.
Portrait in Crayon 10X8 in.
THOMAS HODGKIN was born on the 17th August, 7798,
at Pentonville, London. His parents were members of
the Society of Friends, of which body he himself remained
through life an earnest and consistent member, whilst
remarkably free from all trace of sectarian narrowness.
After completing his classical and mathematical educa
tion (wholly under private tuition) he studied chemistry,
both practically and theoretically, under William Allen,
F.R.S., the well-known philanthropist and natural philoso
pher. From an early age he took great interest in

356 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
natural science and in medicine — the latter not for
its own sake only, but because he regarded it as the
best passport for a traveller in all nations, and with
all races of civilised, and uncivilised man. He after
wards studied anatomy, surgery, and medicine — firstly,
at Guy's Hospital ; secondly, at the University of Edin
burgh, and afterwards at the medical schools of Paris,
Rome, and Vienna. He graduated at Edinburgh in
1823, and having completed his foreign medical studies,
commenced practice in London in or about 1824. Whilst
this private practice was forming, he (from strong attach
ment to his first medical school and from zeal in patho
logical discovery) connected himself with the clinical
courses of Guy's Hospital and with its Museum, of the
pathological department of which he may be considered
as virtually the founder. He was appointed Official
Curator of this Museum, and Demonstrator of Morbid
Anatomy. Whilst holding these offices he delivered an
important course of lectures on " Morbid Anatomy,"
which he afterwards published. Various original dis
coveries of his own marked this period of his labour ;
and he was the chief auxiliary of Dr. Bright in those
researches which resulted in the discovery of the disease
which is generally known as the Morbus Brighti. He
was an earnest medical reformer, and took a very active
part in the endeavours used to obtain the throwing open
of the Faculty of Medicine in London to the graduates
of other universities than those at Oxford, Cambridge, and
Dublin ; in fact, to make the path to professional eminence
in the Metropolis as accessible to the Dissenter as the
Churchman. Whilst thus engaged, the College of
Physicians offered him, as a personal tribute to his talent
and zeal, the then extremely rare honour of a fellowship,
although he possessed only an Edinburgh degree. A

THOMAS HODGKIN, M.D. 357
sensitiveness, perhaps an over-sensitiveness of mind, in
duced him to decline this honour, lest its acceptance
should be regarded as a betrayal of his less fortunate
coadjutors in the movement, who would have still re
mained outside.
On the establishment of the University of London in
1836, his was amongst the first names selected for, and
included in, the original charter as members' of the Senate,
a nomination made by the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, entirely unsolicited by himself or his
friends ; and he continued to occupy this post till death.
He possessed considerable facility and elegance in Latin
prose composition, both on scientific and on general
subjects ; a circumstance which, added to his accurate
knowledge of French, and fluency in its use, greatly
facilitated his intercourse with men of science on the
continent. Indeed, it was often remarked that his medical
reputation was even more European than English. We
have mentioned that his early taste for medicine was
connected with the qualifications which it confers upon the
traveller in foreign lands. But this very interest in foreign
travel sprang originally from the desire (the passion, we
might also say) to afford aid as well as sympathy to the
uncivilised and the oppressed races of his fellow-men.
Before he was ten years of age the recitals which he
heard and the narratives which he read of the exertions
of the Society of Friends to civilise the red men of the
American wilderness (whom civilised man had driven
back gradually from the Atlantic seaboard to the centre,
as he has since done to the extreme west of that vast
continent), stirred within him an unquenchable sense of
wrong, and an undying thirst to resist and redress it. He
watched the progress of the simple, yet unwearied efforts
of his fellow-members in favour of many Indian tribes

358 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
with great interest, and continued through life to be well
" posted up " (to use an American phrase) with all the
facts of this arduous but disappointing work. He joined
with Sir T. F. Buxton in forming the Aborigines' Protection
Society in 1838 ; and when, in the first instance, the
Niger expedition withdrew a considerable portion of Sir
T. F. Buxton's special attention from the general question
of the protection of the Aborigines, and when subsequently
his declining strength, and eventually his death, deprived
them altogether of the benefit of his labours, Dr.
Hodgkin became, and continued thenceforward until his
death, the chief support of this very interesting Society.
His labour was ceaseless in attending its committees
and general meetings — in keeping up a world-wide corre
spondence both with the oppressed themselves, with those
who were capable of affording information or relief, in
the preparation of memorials to our own and other
Governments on their behalf, in personal interviews with
the Colonial Secretary for the time being, and the various
officials of his department, and with governors going
out to colonies including or bordering on Aboriginal
tribes. Nor must his connection with the Royal
Geographical and the Ethnological Societies be for
gotten ; although upon his labours in these departments
of scientific research it is not in our power to dwell.
(He was, in conjunction with Dr. Pritchard, the founder
of the Ethnological Society.)
He undertook two journeys to Palestine with Sir
Moses Montefiore as his attendant physician, and also
with the view of assisting in various schemes of benevo
lence, more especially designed for the benefit of the
Jewish people. He also repeatedly accompanied that
generous and philanthropic Israelite in other journeys,
including an arduous one to Morocco in 1864, for the

THOMAS HODGKIN, M.D. 359
purpose of an interview with the Emperor, which was
crowned with remarkable success, in procuring the release
of several Jewish prisoners, and establishing liberty of
conscience, both for Jews, and indirectly for Gentiles also,
in that Mahommedan empire. It was on the second
of the above-mentioned journeys to Palestine that his
lamented decease took place. No sketch of his character
would be complete which omitted to notice his widely
diffused and genial, though simple, hospitality. His
house was a rendezvous for representatives from almost
every nation under heaven ; and though this was oc
casionally taken advantage of by men who were unworthy
to share his friendship, we have reason to know that
in many other instances it was the means both of bringing
unappreciated merit into notice, and of promoting a kindly
feeling towards England in the hearts of foreigners.
In 1850 he married Sarah Frances Scaife, who sur
vived him about nine years.
Though a loyal and true-hearted Englishman, Dr.
Hodgkin was a warm friend of America and the Americans ;
and he shared the interest of their genuine philanthropists
not only in the red but in the black inhabitants of their
country. He was from the first a warm supporter of the
infant Republic of Liberia, and of the scheme for facili
tating its colonisation by liberated negroes from the
United States. This brought him at times into collision
with some of the abolitionists of the Northern States,
by whom the project was at that time opposed. But
when the conflict between slavery and freedom finally
culminated in the civil war, all minor differences of opinion
ceased, and the whole sympathy of his ardent nature was
given to the North, and to the extinction of slavery from
the American soil ; followed by its appropriate result, a
liberal co-operation in the work of the Freedmen's Aid

360 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Societies on both sides of the Atlantic. Indeed, some
of the earliest meetings of the English Freedmen's Aid
Society were held in his house, and that important move
ment may be said to have been founded under his roof.
Sanitary questions occupied a large place in his
researches and labour, and the last night which was spent
in his own dwelling before starting for the East was in
part devoted to the preparation of a long and thoughtful
letter on the dwellings of the poor in and about London,
which afterwards appeared in the Morning Star, 4th April,
1866. A list of his medical and scientific works and
minor publications would claim a place in a medical or
scientific journal rather than in the columns of a news
paper. They were, however, very numerous.
In addition to the foregoing, it may be stated that
he was for many years the trusted physician of the family
of the late ex-king of the French, by whom he was much
esteemed and valued. His love of justice to all, his
courageous championship of any who had causelessly
suffered wrong, or were the objects of popular odium,
formed a striking feature in his character.
For some time previous to his decease Dr. Hodgkin
occupied the position of an Elder in his own Monthly
Meeting. It was with difficulty that he was prevailed
upon to accept the appointment, his humble views of
himself leading him to shrink from any position which
might seem to imply an assumption of more than he
believed to belong to him. His diligence and consistency
as a member of a Christian Church were blended with
a uniform charity, which ever disposed him to put the
most favourable construction upon the conduct of others.
Notwithstanding his multiplied engagements, he fulfilled
for many years the duties of Clerk to his own Monthly
Meeting; and unless prevented by sickness or absence from

THOMAS HODGKIN, M.D. 361
home, it was rare indeed for his accustomed place to be
vacant at our religious meetings, either on First days, or
in the middle of the week. Very sweet and instructive is
the impression left amongst his fellow-members, and
many more who knew and loved him, of his simple and
unaffected piety, bearing its own evidence of the source
from whence it came, and of his constant desire to ascribe
all to the unmerited kindness and love of God in Christ
Jesus our Lord ; with an ever-deepening sense of the
meaning of the words, " Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He
saved us."
Taken from the Morning Star, and The Friend, 1866.
He died at Jaffa, the 4th of the 4th month, 1866, aged
nearly 68 years, and it is a satisfaction to know that,
although so far from home, his last days were spent under
the roof of Assaad Y. Kayat, the British Consul at Jaffa,
a Syrian Christian.
He was buried in the suburbs of that city, in a burial
ground from which, as also from the reputed residence
of Simon the Tanner, there is a wide view of the
Mediterranean, and the place of the interment is marked
by a memorial obelisk of polished red granite, which
has been erected to his memory by his friend, Sir Moses
Montefiore, bearing an inscription in testimony to the
philanthropic character of this eminent physician, with a
Latin motto, adapted from the well-known line in
Terence : —
" Homo sum humani, nihil a me alienum puto,"
which has been rendered, " I am a man, and nought that
human is, to me can be indifferent."

362 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

JOHN HODGKIN.
Born 1800 — Died 1875 — Aged Seventy-five
Years.
Portrait in Crayon, 20 X 15 in.
John Hodgkin, son of John and Elizabeth Hodgkin,
was born at Pentonville (London) in the year 1800.
He and his brother Thomas, afterwards so well known
as Dr. Hodgkin, were brought up at home. Both were
bright and intelligent boys, and well repaid the labour
bestowed on their education by their father (himself
engaged in private teaching), and by other instructors.
But though the intellectual result of home education
was so satisfactory in their case, John Hodgkin's own
judgment in after life was decidedly in favour of at
least some years of school training, and he was often
heard to say that he thought it mistaken kindness to
send a full-grown man to take his share in the conflict
of life, untaught to endure hardness in the bracing
atmosphere of a school.
He chose the law for his profession, and studied for
some years in the chambers of George Harrison, an
eminent conveyancer, himself a member of the Society
of Friends.
Here the thoroughness of his previous work, joined
to his clear and accurate habits of thought, caused him
to take a high place, and he was soon spoken of as
" Harrison's most promising pupil." It may be remarked
here, that throughout his professional life he was con
spicuous for the pains which he took in teaching the
science, as well as practising the art, of law. His list
of pupils was generally a long one. Often he had to

JOHN HODGKIN. 363
turn away applications for admission to which he felt
that he could not do justice ; and when his own work
was pressing most heavily upon him, he generally con
trived to spend an hour daily in reading and discussing
some legal text-book with his pupils. He was called
to the bar of Lincoln's Inn in the year 1825, and sprang
almost at once into a large conveyancing practice.
In the twenty-ninth year of his age he married
Elizabeth Howard (daughter of Luke and Mariabella
Howard), and settled at Bruce Grove, Tottenham, where
he lived for the next twenty-eight years, — years of many
•changes, and some of deep sorrows.
He was one of whom it may be said that the
development of the Divine life in his soul was as of
the seed springing and growing up thou knowest not
how ; but undoubtedly the clear powerful ministry of
William Forster, and the conversation and writings of
Joseph John Gurney, were of great use in moulding
his religious convictions.
The six years which followed his marriage were years
of almost unclouded happiness and increasing outward
prosperity. Probably almost the only trouble of this
period came to him from the so-called "Beacon Contro
versy," arising from the publication, by Isaac Crewdson,
of his " Beacon," to warn modern Friends against what
he considered the deficiencies on some doctrinal points
of the writings of the early Friends.
The result of this controversy was to carry off into
¦other religious communities a large number of John
Hodgkin's oldest friends and family connections. He
¦did not, we believe, approve of all the measures adopted
towards the dissentients, and his affection for those who
were his near relatives was never interrupted by their
increasing divergence of views ; but his own line of

364 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
duty seemed clearly marked out for him, to remain in
the Society in which he had been born, and to serve
Christ there.
We believe that it was early in the year 1836 that
he first spoke in one of our meetings.
He felt at the time that he was making his choice
between two modes of life. On this side, professional
advancement and renown, possibly political distinction ;.
on that, the being " accounted a fool for Christ's sake."
He made the choice of Moses, and never regretted his
decision. Only a few weeks before he yielded to his conviction
of duty his wife had died, after an illness of three days,.
leaving him with five little motherless children, the
youngest of whom was soon laid in its mother's grave.
After an interval of about two years his gift in the
Ministry was officially recognised by his fellow-members,.
and he was recorded by Tottenham Monthly Meeting.
In the thirty- seven years of his ministerial life he
travelled much in the exercise of his gift. His first visit
was to the Quarterly Meeting of Lincolnshire. After
wards the Eastern Counties, Lancashire, Yorkshire,
Warwickshire, and many other English meetings were
visited by him. In 1845 he travelled among the
Friends in the south of France ; in 1 847 he visited
Ireland; in 1861 America.
His ministry was remarkable for its union of intel
lectual force and richness, with what we do not shrink
from calling its baptising power.
It may, perhaps, be mentioned here, for the sake of
those who never heard him in his vigour, that till the
last few years of his life he had a voice of singular
strength and clearness ; and that under the pressure of
religious feeling he generally exerted almost its full

JOHN HODGKIN. 365
power. The result was sometimes an apparent waste
of vocal energy ; but on the other hand, deaf persons
{of whom there is often a larger number in the congre
gation than we are aware of), not unfrequently said to
him, " We thank thee for speaking so loud ; thou art the
only Minister in the meeting whom we always hear."
His discourses were each one an organic whole,
coherent in all its parts, and capable of being remem
bered long after by the hearers. But, on the other
hand, they were very far from being mere appeals to
the intellectual faculties. The following entry in his
diary on the 20th of nth month, 1864 (enumerating
the heads of his morning sermon), is typical of his
Christian teaching, — " The duty of praise is obvious, yet
how little fulfilled. Easy to praise for the power, the
wisdom, and goodness of God ; but we are to give
thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. How can
we do so, whilst that holiness stands in array against
us ? Only by experiencing His pardon, through Christ.
Then we can use the language of the 103rd Psalm,
' Bless the Lord, O my soul,' etc. But we are not
only to offer praise, but to ' order our conversation
aright,' to know Christ's righteousness, both imputed and
imparted, — to know Him as an Almighty Saviour. A
consistent life to follow, but again and again the need
of ' Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.' "
The pressure of religious, combined with professional
work, was very heavy during the five years which
followed his acknowledgment as a Minister ; and his
friends watched, with anxiety, the constant state of ten
sion in which his mind was kept thereby. In 1843
he had a severe attack of brain fever, accompanied by
other alarming symptoms, and for several days his life
was despaired of by his physicians. He himself had a

^6 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
conviction that he should recover ; and closely con
nected with this conviction was the belief, that the life
thus given back to him was to be spent more exclu
sively in the service of Christ than had as yet been
the case. His wife (he had a few months previously
married Ann Backhouse, of Darlington) heartily en
couraged him to make the sacrifice, which he believed
to be called for at his hands ; and thus, at the early age
of forty-three, and in the full tide of professional success,
he retired from practice at the bar, and gave himself
up to preaching the Gospel.
His time, however, was not wholly occupied with
directly religious work. Much — some of his friends
thought too much — of the semi-secular work connected
with the Meeting for Sufferings was laid upon his willing
shoulders ; and at the time of the great Irish famine he
engaged with characteristic thoroughness in two projects
for the good of Ireland — the improvement of the fisheries
on the west coast, and the introduction of new forms of
process for the sale of heavily encumbered estates.
In the first of these enterprises he and his coadjutors
were defeated by the ignorance and obstinancy of those
whom they wished to benefit. The second was more
successful. He had the satisfaction of seeing the Encum
bered Estates Bill, which he had had some share in pre
paring, and much in advocating, passed by Parliament,
and become the means of removing many of the worst
features in the economic condition of the sister island.
A religious visit which he paid to Friends in Ireland in
the year 1847 deepened his interest in the welfare of that
jeountry, and was, we believe, made a means of blessing
to the hearts of many there who had not before fully ap
preciated the freedom and happiness of the Christian life.
In the London Yearly Meeting he occupied a position

JOHN HODGKIN. 367
somewhat resembling that of his older and much-honoured
friend Samuel Tuke. Like him he was, by the natural
constitution of his mind, much less of an advocate than
a judge. He seldom spoke early in a discussion, but
when a subject had been well debated, and the clerk was
beginning to get anxious as to how " the sense of the
meeting " would emerge from the apparent chaos of pro
positions and counter-propositions, he would rise, and in
a few weighty and well-considered words would frequently
guide the meeting to the right decision. During two
years in succession of the Yearly Meeting, 1850 and 185 1,
he occupied, by the desire of his friends, the important
position of its Clerk, which proved, however, too severe a
strain on his nervous temperament to be repeated another
year. In 1845 he was left a second time a widower, and in
1850 he married a third time, Elizabeth Haughton, of
Carlow. He removed in 1858 from the neighbourhood
of London, and took up his abode at Lewes, at his
mother's (Elizabeth Rickman's) old home, where many of
her relations (his chief companions in early life) still
resided. It was to him almost an awful sacrifice which he had
to make when, at the age of sixty-one, he believed himself
called upon to leave his wife and children and happy
home and preach the Gospel in America. Though not
an especially bad sailor, he had a peculiar aversion to
travelling by sea ; so much so that when he had once
crossed the Atlantic he was heard to say that nothing
but the fact that his wife and children were in England
would ever have induced him to re-cross it.
He was enabled to minister acceptably to the wants of
his brethren, then sorely distressed and perplexed by the
outbreak of the great civil war.

368 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
His especial gift of sympathy with the young was, we
believe, much appreciated by his American friends.
He was permitted to return to his family in peace, and
thirteen years more of quiet happiness and usefulness
were granted to him at home and among his friends.
He continued to be greatly blessed in the diligent exercise
of his gifts as a Minister, and no one in that station was
better known or more appreciated throughout the whole
Society. In the 1 2th month of 1874 he went to Bournemouth,
where he had fixed to spend the winter. He had only
been there a week, and on account of the inclemency of
the weather had had no opportunity of enjoying the
beauty of the place, when, on the morning of the 1 6th of
the 1 2th month, he was seized with paralysis.
All through his illness, prolonged during many months,
whenever his bodily condition allowed somewhat of the
brightness of his mind to appear, there was abundant
expression of his perfect faith and hope, and entire sub
mission to the will of God.
In the midst of his distress — partly mental and partly
bodily — he could say, " It is not the soul's distress, my
soul is at rest ; no distress there — all peace, quietness,
confidence. I know whom I have believed, and that He
is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him
against that day."
He died at Bournemouth on the 3rd of 7th month,
1875, in the seventy-sixth year of his age, a recorded
Minister about thirty-seven years. The funeral took place
at Winchmore Hill on the 8 th of the same month.
Taken from the Annual Monitor for 1876, with some variations.
See also Testimonies for same year.
An interesting incident connected with the accidental

JOHN HODGKIN. 369
meeting of John Hodgkin and D'Aubigne during one of
his journeys to Switzerland shows how our friend's culti
vated mind, his Christian affection, and fervent piety,
had made its impress on the celebrated historian of the
Reformation, who himself has thus described what occurred
as they took leave of one another at the parting of the
ways : — " In 1 846, after the Evangelical Alliance had
closed its sittings in London, I left the baths of Allisbrum
and went into the Grisons to see some friends. On the
steamboat of the Lake of Zurich I found myself in the
midst of strangers, but I soon noticed two persons whom
I took to be Quakers. I believed there would be doubtless
between them and me some points of friendly relation.
I addressed them, and soon found in them two Christians
— sincere, enlightened, lively. We travelled together two
or three days, and we enjoyed, all that time, true Christian
union. I remember well the time of our parting ; we
were on the mountain, not far from the beautiful convent
of Pfeffers. To the right the path descended to the
Grisons and the Via Mala ; to the left a road opened
towards the Tyrol. My course was along the first, my
friends were to take the other. We were in the deep
gully of a ravine ; a mountain stream falling behind us
crossed our road, and then made a second fall immediately
below. Some boulders of rock, rolled together without
order, formed a sort of bridge. We were seated on these
stones. One of the Friends, who had been an advocate,
and who was a Minister in his community, grasped my
hand at the moment when we were about to part, and,
without saying a word, knelt down on one of the large
fragments of rock. I knelt down beside him. After
some moments of profound silence, during which no sound
was heard but the calm and majestic fall of the waters,
my friend began to pour forth his soul unto God. He
24

370 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
prayed for me as if he had been one of my oldest friends
or my own brother. I had unfolded to him some of the
wounds of my own heart ; he asked the Lord to heal
them. I have seldom enjoyed an hour of such entire
Christian union. We rose and parted. I passed rapidly
down the mountain on the side of Crettignon, following
the guide who carried my bag. ' Strange,' I said, ' these
Friends, these brothers, with whom I have had such sweet
union, could not have shared in the Evangelical Alliance
of London.' From that moment the desire, which I have
ever cherished, that the Alliance should enlarge its basis,
became stronger with me."
" Evangelical Christendom."
John Hodgkin's own account of this will be found in
the succeeding number of the British Friend to that from
which this is taken (viz., 12th month, 1887, p. 302).
There can be no doubt but that the Christian intercourse,
so lively, yet so brief, between these two representative
men, occurring so soon after a meeting of the Evangelical
Alliance, aided in the ultimate admission of Friends to
that Association, from which their non-use of the Ordi
nances had excluded them ; for, notwithstanding this,
their principles were seen to be those of evangelical
Christians.

DAVID HOLT. 37 T

DAVID HOLT.
Born 1766 — Died 1846 — Aged Eighty Years.
Engraving 6x4 in.
IN the " Records of Manchester " it appears that David
Holt was at one time largely engaged in the manufacture
of sewing cotton, for which he was justly celebrated.
He was a surveyor of the highways, one of the com
missioners for widening Market Street, and took an active
part in the founding of the Lancasterian Schools, and in
the management of these and other benevolent institutions.
In a tract published by him (" Incidents in the Life of
David Holt, including a sketch of some of the Philan
thropic Institutions of Manchester during a period of forty
years," written by himself, and printed by John Harrison,
Market Street, Manchester, 1843), he gives an account
of his own connection with various charitable and useful
undertakings, but furnishes no information as to his
parentage or place of education.
He died at his residence in York Street, Stretford New
Road, Manchester, the 30th of the 5th month, 1846, at
the age of 80 years, and was interred in Friends' burial
ground, Mount Street, Manchester, on the 4th of the 6th
month, 1846.

372 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
ISAAC TATEM HOPPER.
Born 1771 — Died 1852 — Aged Eighty-one Years
Engravings 4x3 in-S and 5x4 in.
ISAAC TATEM HOPPER was born in Deptford Township
West, New Jersey, America, on the 3rd of the 12th month,
1 77 1, of parents who were descended from Friends, and
he himself joined the Society on his marriage with Sarah
Tatum in 1795, who was already a member. He was
of strong physique and most determined character, with
extreme hatred of wrong, and profound sympathy for the
oppressed, of which qualities the fugitive slaves had for
many years full benefit, his memorials being filled with
accounts of exciting adventures on their behalf, in reading
which it is difficult to say whether they cause more sur
prise at the sagacity, originality, and judgment displayed,
or the intrepidity and courage with which his well-laid
plans were carried into execution. When Elias Hicks
began to denounce the system of slavery and upbraid the
lukewarm amongst Friends, he had an earnest coadjutor
in Isaac T. Hopper, who also took a very active part in
the lamentable separation that ensued, so that his philan
thropy was more conspicuous than his adhesion to any
evangelical basis of belief. He had a large family, and
never found his business engagements in Philadelphia to
place him other than in a situation where all had to seek
employment to sustain the household. The elder daughters
kept a school. Isaac T. Hopper had the affliction of losing
the wife of his youth in her forty-seventh year, leaving him
a widower, with a family of nine children ; and a second
marriage, which followed some years after, made him
eventually the father of four more. Some family matters

ISAAC TATEM HOPPER.

373

connected with property in Ireland, on which his second
wife had claims, brought him, through a four months' visit
there, into some acquaintance with Friends both in that
country and England ; and the transparent sincerity of his
character appeared to dispel, in some degree, unfavourable
impressions his religious views had raised of him before
hand. He visited Jordan's meeting-house with feelings
of veneration, and records plucking grass and moss from
the graves of Penn, Ellwood, and Pennington as memorials
of his visit. His strong Quaker feelings against any
removal of his hat baffled the vergers in Westminster
Abbey and other places, and with his republican boldness,
he insisted, when being shown over the House of Lords,
in seating himself on the royal throne, and as he asked
of the embroidered hall-keeper whether he looked any
thing like majesty, was told he certainly filled the throne
very respectably ! Isaac T. Hopper was all his life a
well-conditioned, comely man, extremely neat in his habits
and dress, which latter was to the last that of a Friend
of the early period, either in a suit of drab or brown. He
was lively in conversation, and wherever he lived or wher
ever he went was sure to be noted for his manner and
appearance. Many saw in his finely chiselled yet firmly
set features a strong resemblance to Napoleon, which
Joseph Buonaparte, then living in America, had him
self remarked. He was a great reader, especially of
Friends' books, of which he had made a large collection.
He considered discussions on theology undesirable, and
greatly commended practical righteousness as, in his view,
the sum and substance of religion. Eventually, Isaac T.
Hopper's zeal against slavery led to a rupture between
him and the Hicksite Yearly Meeting of New York. Yet
he continued, though disowned, to occupy his accustomed
seat in the meeting. His strength of constitution was

374 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
such, that at eighty he could say his eye was not dim nor
his natural force abated ; neither had that advanced age
made little or any change in the glossy darkness of his
abundant hair. He oft reflected on the marvellous
dangers and hair-breadth escapes he had known, and
could say, " Mercy and kindness have followed me thus
far," and he had faith they would continue with him to
the end. So it was, for, without a cloud, he passed away
on the 7th of the 5th month, 1852.
On a plain block of granite at Greenwood cemetery is
inscribed, underneath the name and age, —
"Thou henceforth shalt have a good man's calm,
A great man's happiness ; thy zeal shall find
Repose at length, firm friend of human kind."

LUKE HOWARD, F.R.S.
Born 1772 — Died 1864 — Aged Ninety-one Years.
Photograph 12 x 10 in.
Luke Howard, son of Robert and Elizabeth Howard,
was born in London, in the year 1772. He was sent,
for seven years, to Thomas Huntley's school at Burford,
in Oxfordshire, where, according to his own opinion
expressed in later life, he learnt too much Latin grammar,
and too little of anything else. Already the bent of his
own natural inclination was towards science. His observ
ing eye had begun to be attracted by the varying beauties
of the cloud-streaked sky, and something doubtless of the
same pleasure was thus ministered to him amid the low
land landscapes of Middlesex and Oxfordshire, which the
child of the mountaineer derives from his daily friendship

LUKE HOWARD, F.R.S. 375
with the rocks and waterfalls of his home. He himself
specified the Great Fog of 1783 (alluded to in Cowper's
" Timepiece "), the marvellous meteoric appearances of
that year, and its frequent magnificent displays of the
Aurora Borealis, as having powerfully assisted in turning
the energies of his boyish intellect towards meteorology.
On leaving school, he was bound apprentice to Olive
Sims, a chemist at Stockport. This place was then a
dull little country town, with no manufactures and little
trade, waking up to a hectic sort of animation on market
days, and then relapsing into a six days' slumber. But
the young apprentice went steadily forward with his quiet
work of self-improvement, picking up for himself, after
the hours of business, that knowledge of French, of
botany, and of scientific chemistry which the all-absorbing
Latin grammar had not allowed him previously to acquire.
In the latter department he especially particularised the
great effect produced upon him (and many of his con
temporaries) by the works of Lavoisier, which came to
them, he said, " like sunrise after morning moonlight."
With one of these contemporaries, a man in many
respects like-minded with himself, the far-famed William
Allen, he entered into partnership, in the year 1798, as a
wholesale and retail chemist. To enable us to dispense
with further reference to his business life, we may here
state that after some years this partnership was amicably
dissolved, W. Allen continuing to carry on the retail
business at Plough Court, while the laboratory at Plaistow,
which had always been under Luke Howard's especial
care, fell to his portion. Both businesses still remain in
the families of the respective partners.
In the year 1796 he married Mariabella Eliot, whose
father and brother, each named John Eliot, were both of
them, in their_. respective generations, well known and

376 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE
useful members of the Society of Friends. For fifty-six
years they trod the path of life together, and an invaluable
helpmeet he found in her. A reserved and diffident
nature, and a childhood of singular loneliness, combined
to render her somewhat inaccessible to ordinary acquaint
ance ; but she loved with great depth and great constancy,
and in her whole character there was an amount of quiet
strength, a steady balance in her judgment of men and
things, which peculiarly fitted her to be the life-long stay
and counsellor of such a nature as his, in which a bright
and vivid intellect was joined to a somewhat impulsive
temperament. They settled in London, but in the course of a few
years removed to Plaistow, and from thence again to
Tottenham, which place he continued to regard, more or
less, as a home for the greater part of the remainder of
his life. They had seven children, three sons and four
daughters, all of whom, except the two eldest sons, were
survived by both their parents.
During his residence at Plaistow, he published the
paper on the " Modifications of Clouds," upon which his
reputation as a man of science chiefly rests. It was the
result of these early boyish musings, enriched, as he him
self tells us, by the observations of many a walk or ride,
morning and evening, to or from his day's work at the
laboratory, and finally thrown into the form of a paper in
order to meet the requirements of the Askesian Society, a
little philosophical club to which both W. Allen and he
belonged, and which, at its fortnightly meetings, demanded
from each of its members, in turn, an essay on some
scientific subject, or else the payment of a fine. Luke
Howard's paper was read in the session 1802-3, and,
being deemed worthy of a wide audience, was published
in the latter year. In the year 1818 he published his

LUKE HOWARD, F.R.S. 377
" Climate of London," which had previously appeared
monthly in the Athenaum. It contains the collected
records of his meteorological observations, commencing
with the year 1806. In later life he published his
J' Lectures on Meteorology," the " Barometrographia," and
the " Cycle of the Seasons," but these works are hardly
equal in value to his earlier performances. It has been
well said of him, " He was a pioneer in meteorology, and
kept public attention directed to it as a science, by always
himself treating it as such." The mere mechanical ap
pliances which have been introduced since his day, by
rendering observation more exact, have deprived some of
his more elaborate theories of their value ; but the simple
work of classification of the clouds, depending chiefly on
a quick eye for form and colour, and on the possession of
the philosophic habit of mind, still remains ; and all over
the globe, wherever scientific observers are to be found,
•the clouds are still known by the names whereby he
named them. His meteorological labours procured for
him the position of F.R.S., and the friendship and corre
spondence of some of the most eminent savans of Europe ;
yet never, probably, was science wooed more entirely for
her own sake — never was there a more thorough "labour
of love " than that which he thus bestowed. A beautiful
sunset was a real and intense delight to him ; he would
stand at the window, change his position, go out of doors,
¦and watch it to the last lingering ray. It was a gratifi
cation to him to find a sympathising admirer. Long after
.he ceased, from failing memory, to name the " cirrus "
•or " cumulus," he would derive a mental feast from
the gaze, and seemed to recognise old friends in their
•outlines. Acting under the influence of religious convictions, he
began, in middle life, to speak as a Minister in the meet-

378 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
ings of Friends, and in the year 1 8 1 5 he was recognised
in that capacity.
He was deeply interested in many of the religious and
philanthropic enterprises commenced by that generation
which founded the Bible Society and abolished the slave
trade. He entered with especial ardour into a movement
for raising subscriptions in England to alleviate the
sufferings of the Germans in the two last campaigns of
Napoleon which preceded his first abdication ; and his
exertions on this behalf were gratefully acknowledged by
several of the sovereign princes and free cities of
Germany. Ackworth School was also a favourite object of interest
with him ; and partly in order to be near to the scene of
its operations, partly in order to retire from the pressure
of London life and the fatigues of business, he purchased,.
in the year 1823, the Ackworth Villa estate, which was,
for nearly the whole remainder of his life, his residence
during the summer, as Tottenham generally was for the
winter. Shortly after he had passed his sixtieth year, heavy and
repeated afflictions befell him and his wife, in the loss of
their youngest son and their only two remaining
daughters. About this time (1836) also he underwent the grief
(for such in his case it certainly was) of separation from that
body of Christian believers with whom, up to this time,
he had been in fellowship. It would serve no good
purpose to recall here the many unhappy events connected
with what was called the " Beacon Controversy."
He died at Bruce Grove, Tottenham, the 21st of 3rd
month, 1864, in his ninety-second year, and his remains
were interred in Winchmore Hill burial ground on the
26th of the same month, many of his old friends joining

LUKE HOWARD, F.R.S. 379
with his children and descendants in following them to
the grave.
The Friend, 5th month, 1864. For an account of his works,
religious, scientific, and philanthropic, see Smith's " Catalogue of
Friends' Books."
Of Luke Howard's life at home, the following is from
an American author: —
" I returned to-day from a visit to two of my friends,
H. {i.e., Luke Howard) and P. {i.e., William Phillips) at
Tottenham, a very pleasant village five miles from
London, where, by the facilities of stage coaches, which
pass to and from the city almost every half hour, and
the pleasures of an agreeable neighbourhood, they enjoy
all the advantages of the " rus in urbe." H. is a chemist
and meteorologist. His practical observations in this last
branch of physics are more judicious and important than
those of any other observer whose registers I have seen.
His remarks are regularly published in one of the scientific
journals. Science is indebted to him for the best, and,
indeed, the only nomenclature of the clouds, adapted to
practical use. He is publishing a work on the climate
of London, that will throw much light on this important,
but still obscure, department of knowledge. Among his
instruments is a clock of a curious construction. Besides
keeping the time of day, it carries round, once in a year,
a large circular plate, upon which is fixed a broad paper
circle, accurately ruled for every day of the year, and
against this paper a lead pencil is constantly pressed,
marking out a line, which shows at any time, during the
portion of the year that is elapsed, the exact state of the
barometer for every day and hour ; hence it is a very
accurate self-registering weather-glass. The pencil moves
only by the rise and fall of the mercury in the barometer,
the plate being entirely moved by the clock machinery.

380 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Only two of these clocks were made by the inventor ; one
for the king, and that which I now allude to."
Griscom's " Year in Europe," vol. i., p. 96.
Note. — It used to require the mechanical skill of Ebenezer L.
Simmons (of whom see Memoir in this collection) to properly clean
and repair Luke Howard's clock.

WILLIAM HOWITT.
Born 1792 — Died 1879 — Aged Eighty-six
Years.
Portrait in Crayon 12 x 10 in.

MARY HOWITT.
Born 1799 — Died 1888 — Aged nearly Eighty-
nine Years.
Portrait in Crayon 12 x 10 in.
William Howitt, a popular writer and poet, was born
in 1795 at Heanor, Derbyshire, where the Howitts had
long been settled. His mother and father being members
of the Society of Friends, William was brought up, with
his brothers, in the faith of that sect, and educated at the
local school of the Society [Ackworth School]. What
he thus learned was supplemented by studies in natural
science and modern literature and. languages ; and his
leisure, spent in the woods and by the brook, fostered that
love of nature which brightened every page he wrote, and
won his reader's sympathy. A poem, published in 1 8 14, on
the Influence of Nature and Poetry on National Spirit, was,
so far as we know, his first printed work. He married, in
1 82 1, a Quaker lady, Mary Botham, of Uttoxeter, who,

WILLIAM AND MARY HOWITT. 381
as poetess and prose-writer, occupies a place in literature
no less distinguished than her husband's. Their first joint
book appeared in the year of their marriage under the
title, The Forest Minstrel, and other Poems.
After a pedestrian excursion to Scotland, they took up
their residence at Nottingham, Howitt engaging in the
business of an apothecary. In 1824 he printed A Poets
Thoughts at the Interment of Lord Byron. We now find
that both he and his wife had become known by their
contributions, chiefly in Rustic verse, to The Literary
Souvenir, The Amulet, and other serial volumes of the
day. These were collectively issued, with additions, in
1827, as The Desolation of Eyam (founded on the plague),
The Emigrant, and other Poems. In 1 8 3 1 Howitt pro
duced a work of the class especially his own, " The Book
of the Seasons ; or, the Calendar of Nature," in which he
drew a picture, from his own observations, of the appear
ance of mother earth in the garden, in the field, and by
the stream during each of the twelve months. Of quite a
different character was " A Popular History of Priestcraft "
(1833), which ran through several editions, and gained him
the favour of the active Liberals of his time, and the office
of Alderman of Nottingham. It was followed, in 1835,
by a cognate work in 2 vols., entitled, " Pantika ; or,
Traditions of the Most Ancient Times." Having removed
in 1837 to Esher, to be near the literary circles of the
Metropolis, Howitt there wrote in succession "The Rural
Life of England," 2 vols., 1838; " Colonisation and Chris
tianity," 1838 ; " The Boy's Country Book," 1839 ; and the
first series (afterwards extended) of " Visits to Remarkable
Places, Old Halls, Battlefields, and Scenes Illustrative of
Striking Passages in English History and Poetry," 1 840-42 ;
in which he recorded impressions derived on the spot, and
pictured each place with its inhabitants — freed, as he

382 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
says, from the heaviness of the antiquarian rubbish piled
upon them. Visiting Heidelberg in 1840, primarily for
the education of their children, the Howitts remained in
Germany two years, studying their neighbours, and
busying their pens in descriptions of their new sur
roundings. This account, which is from the Encyclopedia
Britannica, is further occupied with giving the titles of
the remainder of his works, nearly all of which are fully
described in Smith's " Catalogue of Friends' Books." He,
however, subsequently published a few others which are
interesting, such as " The Northern Heights of London," an
antiquarian and topographical description of Hampstead,
Highgate, etc., 1869; The Mad War-Planet, and other
Poems, 1 87 1 ; "The Religion of Rome," 1873.
In June 1852, Howitt, with two sons and some friends,
set sail for Australia, where he spent two of the most
trying years of his life, working in the gold diggings, and
visiting Melbourne, Sydney, and other towns. Some
account of the novel situations in which he was himself
placed is given in " A Boy's Adventures in the Wilds of
Australia " (1854). Shortly afterwards he returned to the
suburbs of London, on this occasion Highgate, and nar
rated more elaborately his experiences in " Land, Labour,
and Gold ; or, Two Years in Victoria, with Visits to Sydney
and Van Diemen's Land," 2 vols., 1855, a work which
speedily became popular, the condition of the Australian
colonies being then almost totally unknown in England.
A further account of Australian life was given in 1857 in
" Tallengetta, the Squatter's Home," 3 vols.
Of literary characters so eminent, there may be an
interest in presenting also the following account, as given
in " Thompson's History of Ackworth School [1879]."
William Howitt was born at Heanor, in Derbyshire,

WILLIAM AND MARY HOWITT. 383
in an old ancestral home, happily made familiar to the
youth of two generations in that happiest piece of all
juvenile literature, " The Boy's Country Book." His
birth took place on the 18th of the 12th month, 1792.
He entered Ackworth School in 1802, and remained there
about four years. If his literary career did not commence
at Ackworth it was not from any deficiency in his
imaginative activity. Like the elder Wiffen, he delighted
his school-fellows by the recitation of charming stories
coined in the mint of his own brain ; and he had barely
left school when, in 1808, he began to publish his own
verses. His literary bent was emphasised, if not determined,
by his marriage, in his twenty-ninth year, to Mary Botham,
of Uttoxeter, the lady who, as Mary Howitt, has since
become equally well known with her husband in the world
of literature. Mary Botham was born at Coleford, Glouces
tershire, on the 1 2th of 3rd month, 1799, and was the
daughter of Samuel and Ann Botham. There is something
very charming in the double yet united literary career of
these two writers. With all the wide variety of independent
minds, we yet speak of them as if they were one inseparable
essence. The works of William and Mary Howitt are
linked by a sympathetic bond of lofty aspiration for the weal
of the public which they addressed, and by a common
appreciation of the beauty of simplicity which render them
as much of one spirit as joint authorship could do. Their
first work was, indeed, probably intended to announce
to the world that they were about to tread one literary
as one conjugal path. In the Forest Minstrel they
published, in 1823, a mixed collection of their own
verses, and, in the following years, they were much
associated together in providing popular articles for the
Annuals, a type of periodical which had a fashionable
run at that time, and towards the success of which their

384 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
works materially contributed. They also wrote extensively
for some of the magazines of the day, and, through this
medium, became powerful agents in spreading a taste for
pure and wholesome reading. In after life, William
Howitt associated himself more decidedly in the manage
ment and ownership of periodicals of this class — in 1846
with the People's Journal, and, in the following year,
with Howitt 's Journal ; but these works were, unhappily,
not successful as business enterprises.
William Howitt's first important work of any magnitude
was the " Book of the Seasons," for which, although it
had ultimately a marked success, and became very
popular, the author had a singularly arduous search for
a publisher. The Athenosum avers that so many had
refused it, William Howitt resolved, if "Colburn and Bentley
also rejected it, to tie a stone round the manuscript and
fling it over London Bridge." This work was produced
in 1 8 3 1 , and was followed, three years afterwards, by one
which produced some hostile commentators, "The History
of Priestcraft in all Ages."
About 1837 he removed from Nottingham to Esher,
where he wrote several important works— the chief being
a romance entitled " Pantika," " Rural Life in England,"
and "Visits to Remarkable Places and Scenes Illustrative of
Striking Passages in English History and Poetry." His
next three important works were inspired by a residence
in Germany, in which country he settled for the purpose of
affording to his children facilities for learning the language
and otherwise advancing their special culture. "The Student
Life of Germany " appeared in 1841 ; the year following,
" The Rural and Domestic Life in Germany ; " and, in
1 844, his " German Experiences."
But perhaps nothing came from his pen for many years
which so much attracted and charmed a large public

WILLIAM AND MARY HOWITT. 385
as his next work, " Homes and Haunts of the British
Poets," published in 1847.
That his interest in Friends did not abate with years,
may be supposed from the fact that the last work upon
which he was engaged, and upon which he had thought
for ten years, but which he was unfortunately not
destined to finish, was a " Life of George Fox and his
Friends." A marked feature of William Howitt's life was the
retention of a clear and active intellect to the last.
His interest in all that helped to promote the moral
welfare of his fellow-men increased with his years, and
the vigour and effectiveness with which, up to a few
months of his death, he addressed himself to questions
which he thought of consequence to humanity, may be
seen by reference to Special Notes of the year 1878,
in which he attacks some practices associated with vivi
section in one article, the kindred evil of cruelty to
animals in another, and in a third deals with the evils
of smoking, especially amongst the young, in a most
lucid and convincing manner. Of these three articles,
a writer in the Art Journal says, " They have all the
fire of his manhood and the enthusiasm of his youth ;
it was difficult, in reading them, to believe they had
emanated from the mind and pen of a writer past
fourscore." For many years William and Mary Howitt were
resident in Rome. In the autumn of last year (1878),
the former was attacked by senile bronchitis, which
greatly prostrated him physically, though it robbed him
of none of his mental clearness. No serious issue was
apprehended from this disorder, but on the 3rd of 3rd
month, 1879, he passed calmly away from a life which
had been full of a large amount of personal happiness
25

386 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
and one which had brightened and benefited thousands
of his fellow-men.
He was interred in the Protestant cemetery of Rome,
on the 5th of 3rd month. Large crowds of people,
native and foreign, gathered round his grave to pay
the last testimony of affection to one whose life had
been so lovable, and whose death was so much lamented.
If anything were needed to testify to the attachment
William Howitt ever retained for many of the principles
of the Society in which he was born and educated, it
would be supplied in a few words dictated to his
daughter the day preceding his death, with which we
shall conclude this brief sketch of this good man's life : —
" My father says that, in looking back upon his life,
nothing gives him more satisfaction than the recollection
that in all his writings he has sought to carry out the
principles of the Society of Friends, and he has sought
to carry out always their principles in life as well as
in his writings, believing them to be the complete ex
pression of the pure Christianity of the Gospels."
After William Howitt's death, Mary Howitt (as stated
in an obituary notice in the Daily News to her memory)
returned from Rome to a favourite locality in the Tyrol
(of which she has given an interesting account in her
" Reminiscences," published in Good Words), where,
enjoying a pension from the Civil List, granted in con
sideration of her services to literature, and not without
the solace of friends, she passed her days tranquilly in
the society of her younger daughter Margaret. Many
years ago husband and wife had withdrawn from the
membership of the Society of Friends, though retaining
an attachment to the spirit of the writings of the fathers
of the sect. About the year 1873 they became con
verts to Spiritualism. After the, death of her husband,

JONATHAN HUTCHINSON. 387
Mrs. Howitt followed the example of her daughter, and
joined the Roman Catholic Church. Her presence in
Rome at the date of her death (30th January, 1888)
is explained by the Papal Jubilee celebrations. She is
said to have been the first of the Jubilee pilgrims
presented to the Pope (Leo XIII.).
Daily News, 3rd February, 1888.
Of the first walk together of the future husband and
wife during courtship days, Mary Howitt thus made
mention in her " Reminiscences," published in Good
Words (1885): — "Crossing pleasant pastures, where
we had gathered in the spring the meadow fritillary, a
peculiar and beautiful flower, which this accomplished
botanist told us he himself had never found, we went
by the banks of the placid Dove to the old mill, where
all around was peaceful and picturesque. It is nearly
sixty-seven years since that walk, which comes back to
me with such fresh fragrant memories as I write.
Thanks be to the blessed Lord, the great Botanist, for
the simple, natural tastes, which He hath given me ! It
was the first link in the golden chain of His providence
which united my life with that of one of the best and
purest of men."

JONATHAN HUTCHINSON.
Born 1760 — Died 1835 — Aged Seventy-five Years.
For Portrait see Oil Painting of London Yearly Meeting.
Jonathan Hutchinson was the son of John and Lydia
Hutchinson, of Gedney, in Lincolnshire ; and on or near
the spot which his ancestors had occupied for more than
three centuries, he was born in the 2nd month, 1760.

388 biographical catalogue.
He was an only son, and had but one sister, between
whom and himself a tender attachment was maintained.
He possessed, in his youth, a lively disposition, somewhat
impatient of control, but early cultivated a taste for
intellectual pleasures, which laid the foundation of a correct
and delicate taste, for which he was afterwards remarkable.
At first the pursuit of knowledge led him into meta
physical researches to the considerable unsettlement of his
religious opinions, and the distress he felt whilst stumbling,
as upon the dark mountains, made him in after life a
tender and judicious councillor to youthful inquiring
minds. In his case, a great affliction through the loss by death
of one to whom he was engaged in marriage, became
blessed as the means of leading him, in the depths of his
anguish, to lay hold on the mercies of God, revealed to
him in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and on this
firm foundation all his future mental and spiritual life
rested and expanded ; but it was not until he was nearly
fifty years of age that his services as a Minister com
menced. His communications are recorded as having been
seldom continued for more than a few minutes ; but remark
ably full of matter, evangelical in substance, simple in
manner, and lively through the power of the Holy Spirit.
His prayers were fervent, humble, simple, and emphatic.
His personal appearance combined the simplicity of the
English yeoman with the courtesy of a Christian gentle
man ; and though not much given to general conversation,
he was found by those who were intimate with him to
possess a mind of deep thought and culture, which no one
more appreciated or availed himself of than Joseph John
Gurney, who has said, " One hour of tite-a-tite with him
never failed to be a source of pure pleasure, for the re
sources of his mind were rich, and the glow of religion

SYBIL JONES. 389
was over them all." A man of quiet tastes, he acquired
an elegant style of composition ; and in this way his
published letters have shown somewhat of the influence
he exerted on his numerous correspondents, especially on
some in younger life ; and thus did this Friend pursue the
even tenor of his way in the locality of his birth — remark
ably diligent in his attendance of meetings, and enjoying
good health and family blessings until his end, at the age
of threescore and fifteen years. His wife, Rachel Proctor,
of Selby, by whom he had several children, had been
deceased twenty-seven years previously.
Taken from S. Corde^s "Memorials of Friends." Preface to
" Published Letters," etc.

SYBIL JONES.
Born 1808 — Died 1873 — Aged Sixty-five Years.
Engraving 13 x 10 in.
Sybil Jones was born at Brunswick, Maine, in 1808.
The early years of her life were spent at Augusta, and
there her first deep religious impressions were formed.
For eight years she taught in the public schools. This
experience as a teacher was in harmony with the very
great interest always shown by her in the welfare, and
especially the salvation, of children.
In 1833 she was married to Eli Jones, and, not long
afterwards, was acknowledged as a Minister of the Gospel
among Friends. In 1845-6 she visited, with her husband,
all the Yearly Meetings in the United States. About the
same period, also, she travelled in the ministry in Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick.

390 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Feeling deep sympathy for the African race, after
several journeys in the Southern States, Eli and Sybil
Jones, in 1 8 5 I , visited Liberia, on an errand of Gospel
love. At the outset of this voyage her faith was severely
tried. Her health was so feeble while at Baltimore, that
the captain of the vessel in which her passage was en
gaged endeavoured to induce her to abandon her prospect
of crossing the ocean, fearing that she would not live
many days. Confident in the power that led Paul
through perils and tempests to stand before Caesar, she
replied that, even on the ocean, death to her were
but the portals of glory. The Liberian mission was
eminently blessed. President Roberts bade them cordial
welcome, and made them his own guests. The Stan
dard of the Cross was unfurled with abundant evidence
that Ethiopia was ready to " stretch forth her hands to
God." In 1852 Sybil Jones crossed the Atlantic, with her
husband, on a religious visit to Europe. On their arrival
in Ireland, she was confined to bed by an illness which
continued for nine months. On recovering so far as to
be conveyed to Liverpool, she was advised by physicians
to return home, or travel in a southern climate.
Nevertheless, impelled by a higher call and guidance, she
visited, soon after this, Norway, Denmark, Germany,
Switzerland, and the South of France. Returning to
America in 1854, their vessel had a narrow escape from
destruction by icebergs.
When the war of the Rebellion broke out, she entered
upon a very arduous service amongst the wounded in the
hospitals of Washington and Philadelphia.
Her private memoranda show that she preached the
Gospel to nearly 30,000 soldiers.
Whether to the lowly cottage or the executive man-

SYBIL JONES. 391
sion, she was faithful to her Lord's mission. Seated by
the bedside of the widow of the beloved martyr President,
she directed her in her bereavement to the only " Com
forter of the widow and fatherless." Twice afterwards
she was received by President Johnson, and delivered to
him a faithful admonition in regard to the responsibilities
of his exalted position.
In 1867 Eli and Sybil Jones began their last mis
sionary voyage, starting from Boston. Amongst those
assembled at the leave-taking was Governor Andrew. " A
strange contrast to the scene of two hundred years ago,
when Governor Endicott and Secretary Rawson sought
out on this beach ship-masters willing to carry away and
sell into bondage, in Barbadoes or Virginia, those noble
advocates of the freedom of conscience, the Quakers of
the seventeenth century, four of whom, upon Boston
Common, sealed their testimony, and satiated Endicott's
wrath by their martyrs' death on the gallows." After a
brief sojourn in Great Britain, and a visit to southern
France, they took passage in a steamer for the Mediter
ranean. At Athens they had considerable service with
the Cretan refugees escaping from the Turkish massacre
upon their native island. Reaching Beyrout, in Syria, the
winter was spent in labours in connection with schools
and missions in the city and among the mountains.
" Deeply enshrined in the hearts of the faithful mission
aries and pupils of these schools, will long remain the
memory of their loving and faithful friend, Sybil Jones.
During her sickness in the mountain districts, these little
ones — with whom her heart loved to linger till life's close
— brought offerings of flowers daily to cheer her lonely
hours, and evince their childish affection ; and no brighter
spot cheered her memory than the subsequent greeting
of these children, when she re-visited them, ' We thank

392 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
you for telling us about Jesus ! ' " * Access was granted
her to some of the Eastern harems, to whose inmates
she bore the Gospel with a sister's love ; glad tidings
which they had never heard until proclaimed by her lips.
In the spring they went into Egypt, where they held a
number of religious meetings, and enjoyed sweet com
munion with American and other missionaries. Thence,
returning to England for a time, another visit to Palestine
followed. After an absence of two and a half years, Eli
and Sybil Jones returned to their home in Maine.
In the series of general meetings occurring at Augusta,
Winthrop, China, Brooks, Vassalboro', Albion, Durham,
and in other places, Sybil Jones took part, with her whole
heart, in the work. Less than three weeks before her
decease she wrote home, " Blessed meetings ; many turn
to the Lord." After the last of these gatherings which
she attended, she was prostrated by what proved to be a
fatal illness.
We may close this brief sketch with words taken from
the account from which our materials have been drawn :
" In conclusion, it may with truth be said of this woman,
that her leading aim on earth was the winning of souls to
Jesus of Nazareth ; the staff on which she leaned, the
faith of Abraham ; and prayer her ' vital breath.' "
Friends' Review, vol. xxvii., pp. 348-9. Taken from a late number
of the Kennebee Journal, of Augusta, Maine.
She died at China, Maine, the 4th of 12 th month,
i873» aged 65 years, a member of China Monthly Meet
ing, and a Minister of the Gospel for about forty years.
* During this visit Eli and Sybil Jones met with Theophilus Wald-
meier, and consequently may be said to have laid the foundation of
what has become English and American Friends' Mission on Mount
Lebanon.

GROVER KEMP. 393
To the influence Sybil Jones had on his mind, Theophilus Wald-
meier bears in his autobiography this interesting testimony : — " In the
year 1869, the British Syrian schools were visited by Eli and Sybil
Jones. . . . I was told that they were Quakers or Friends, who were
good people on the whole, though wrong in rejecting the outward
ordinances. This interested me much ; and as I had never become
acquainted with such people before, I the more desired to see them,
and learn their religious principles. Their addresses, especially
those of Sybil Jones, were so powerful and edifying, that our hearts
were touched, and I began to think that their religious principles
must be of a superior nature. I went to the hotel where they lodged,
and made their acquaintance, and from that time I have believed
that the Quaker principles are the right basis for a true spiritual
Church. When these dear Friends left the country, their blessed in
fluence remained upon my heart, though they had not the slightest
idea of it, nor had I any hope of seeing them again." (P. 178.)

GROVER KEMP.
Born 1792 — Died 1869 — Aged Seventy-seven
Years.
Photograph 7x5 *»¦
Grover Kemp was the eldest son of John and Benjamina
Kemp, and was born at Bermondsey, London, on the 1 oth
of the 9th month, 1792. In early life he was timid and
thoughtful, and when scarcely seven years old lost his
mother ; but at that early age had received from her
affectionate lips lessons of heavenly wisdom from the
pages of Holy Scripture, which he often gratefully alluded
to, when himself the father of a family.
After his mother's death, the father going abroad, he
was, with his sister Benjamina, received into the family
of his maternal grandfather, Joseph Rickman, of Staines.
Here the two orphans experienced the watchful care of
their aunt, Mary Rickman, who sought to imbue their

394 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
young minds with the fear of the Lord and the love of
Jesus. While very young Grover Kemp was sent to a large
school at Earl's Colne, in Essex, conducted by the late
John Kirkham, where his sensitive nature had much
to contend with, from being thrown among companions
considerably older and more robust than himself. His
education was afterwards carried on at Hitchin and
Epping. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to
John Glaisyer, chemist and druggist at Brighton, with
whom he subsequently became a partner. He continued
his connection with the same business until his retirement,
about six years before his decease ; combining through
life the character of an upright and active tradesman, with
that of a devoted and ready Christian. Being fond of
study, and feeling the disadvantage of having left school
so young, he endeavoured, during his apprenticeship, by
early rising, to find time for acquiring a knowledge of
chemistry, so necessary in his business ; also to improve
himself in French, and gain some acquaintance with the
Greek language. He practised essay-writing when quite
young ; and some of these juvenile productions evinced
much serious thoughtfulness.
He was married, in 1816, to Susannah, eldest daughter
of Robert and Elizabeth Home, of Arundel, and their
union proved a happy one for a lengthened period of fifty-
three years. As a parent, he manifested a most loving and
tender affection. He was ever anxious to promote the
highest interests of his children, and to instruct them in
those views of Christian truth which he had himself em
braced, and to which he was so closely attached. On
returning from his long journeys in the service of the
Gospel, he would enliven the, family circle by graphic
details, combining interesting information and amusing

GROVER KEMP. 395
incidents of travel with instruction on subjects of higher
moment. At the time when he was closely engaged in
business behind a retail counter, it was his custom to
withdraw for a short time in the course of the day for
religious retirement, which doubtless contributed to his
spiritual help and strength. And his punctual attend
ance through life of week-day meetings and those for
discipline tended to the same end.
It is believed his voice was first heard in the ministry
in his nineteenth year in a Preparative Meeting, and from
that time occasionally in the family circle. In his twenty-
seventh year he spoke as a Minister in a meeting for
worship, and was recorded as such by Lewes and
•Chichester Monthly Meeting in 1823.
He entered upon this solemn engagement with a deep
•conviction of its responsibility, and the necessity of being
himself baptized of the Holy Spirit before he could speak
.baptizingly to others. His Gospel labours were varied
and extensive, and continued over a term of nearly fifty
years, during the whole of which time he was a member
of Brighton Meeting.
In the changing conditions of society there are, in the
¦county of Sussex, as in other parts of England, various
old meeting-houses that have been closed, in consequence
of Friends no longer residing near ; and it was a prominent
engagement with our dear friend to hold meetings in
these deserted buildings with the inhabitants of the
neighbourhood. Grover Kemp often held meetings in the villages round
Brighton in barns and store-houses ; and during the
formation of the London and Brighton, as well as of the
Lewes and Hastings railways, he had several meetings
with the men employed on the lines. He visited at times
-all the meetings of Friends in England, except those of

396 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
two Quarterly Meetings in the west, and very frequently,.
during these visits, embraced opportunities for religious
labour among the poorer classes of the population ; as, for
instance, at one time in the Potteries, at another among
the pitmen in some colliery districts ; at others with the
artizans of Birmingham, and some in the densely popu
lated districts of Ratcliff and Wapping. «
It is believed that his plain and simple manner of
setting religious truth before the people was often blessed
to them ; and the Gospel preached was felt to be the
power of God unto salvation.
In 1832 he visited the Friends in the south of France,
and five years later spent many weeks, accompanied by
his kind friend and fellow-townsman, Isaac Bass, in a visit
to the meetings of Friends in Ireland. In 1 839 he visited
the families of Friends in Dublin ; and a similar mission
took him, in 1843, to Manchester, Liverpool, and Bir
mingham. These engagements were undertaken in-
dependence on heavenly aid, and the gracious Master Who
called him to the work gave ability "rightly to divide
the word ; " and in many a home the message of en
couragement, or even warning, found a willing reception.
His friend, John Marsh, of Dorking, accompanied him to
the Isle of Man in 185 5, and the year following he visited
the Scilly Islands. In a visit to the Channel Islands he
held many public meetings, not omitting the smaller
islands, as well as Jersey and Guernsey.
The winter of 1857-58 was spent in some of the West
Indian Islands, in company with his youngest son, Caleb
Rickman Kemp, and his valued friend, William Holmes,
of Alton. The object particularly in view was to hold
meetings with the free black population ; and in this he
was very cordially and efficiently assisted by the mission
aries residing in the islands, who freely offered him the

GROVER KEMP. 397
use of their chapels. The large gatherings, sometimes
comprising seven or eight hundred and upwards of negroes,
were often seasons of Divine favour. With many of the
missionaries Grover Kemp felt united in much Christian
fellowship. The last certificate granted to our dear friend was in
1862, for religious service in the Eastern counties,
embracing family visits to Friends in Ipswich. In the
early part of 1863 he formed one of the Yearly Meeting's
Committee to visit the Quarterly Meetings ; and while
uniting with other Friends in Bedfordshire and Hertford
shire, his health gave way, and on his return home a serious
illness of several months ensued.
The time for extended labour was now over. His health
was, however, again restored ; and being relieved from
the cares of business, and from the wide field of religious
service over which he had travelled, he still employed
himself in attending to many objects in his own locality,
which had claimed a share of his attention for many years.
He was one of the first and most earnest supporters of
a Savings Bank in Brighton at its establishment in 18 17,
and continued his periodical attendance while ability
lasted. He was, with other well-wishers to his country, a friend
and supporter of the Temperance cause, and some years ago
wrote an earnest appeal, called " A Tract for the Season,"
in reference to the revelling and license that many indulge
in at the time called Christmas.
A few years before his death he was reduced by illness
to so low a condition as to be apparently near the
borders of the grave ; yet he revived for a time, and
continued to labour in the ministry, often with a mental
power and a doctrinal clearness fully equal to the days
of his meridian strength.

398 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
His final illness was attended with much weakness and
suffering, and he was confined by it to the house for many
weeks. It was borne with exemplary patience, and often
with striking cheerfulness.
In the last evening which he spent on earth he said,
" I am peaceful and happy, trusting in the Lord and in
the dear Saviour." Nearly the last words he uttered were,
" Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for
mine eyes have seen Thy salvation."
He died at Brighton, on the 21st of the 12th month,
1869, and was buried in Friends' burial ground at
Blackrock, near Brighton, on the 27th of the same, aged
77 years.
Annual Monitor, 1871.
Testimonies concerning deceased Friends, 1870.

HANNAH KILHAM.
Born 1774 — Died 1832 — Aged Fifty- eight Years.
Silhouette 3x2 in.
Hannah Kilham, the daughter of Peter and Hannah
Spurr, was born in Sheffield on the 1 2th of the 8th month,
1 774. Her father was a native of Whittington, in Derby
shire; and her mother, whose maiden name was Brittlebank,
was born at Glossop, in Yorkshire. After their marriage
they resided in Sheffield. When about twelve years of age
her mother died, and after the death of her father, who
survived his wife but a short time, she was sent to a
boarding school in Chesterfield, where she conducted
herself to much satisfaction, and made so much progress
in the study of grammar as to displease her master, who,

HANNAH KILHAM.

399

in those days, when that science was not taught to girls,
thought her overstepping the bounds of the female province.
At sixteen she returned home, and, from changes in the
family, was thrown into gay life ; but its vanities never
were agreeable to her, and she entered into its follies
principally to satisfy her relations and friends.
Her father, a strict adherent to episcopacy, required
her attendance regularly with the congregation of the
Establishment; but her mother allowed her to go, at early
morn, to hear John Wesley, and afterwards others of the
Society bearing his name. It will thus be seen that she
was not a member of our Society by birthright, and that
her near relatives were desirous of her attaining some of
those acquirements which are deemed conducive to the
polite and refined enjoyment of pleasure. With this view
she was prevailed on to attend a few lectures, or rather
lessons, on music ; but her teacher being in the Methodist
Connexion, and his pupil inclining more to religious con
versation that occurred after them, than to the previous
lessons on music, was, it seems, thereby brought into
increasing seriousness and concern of mind ; and, inclining
to join that Society, she also became acquainted with
Alexander Kilham, a preacher of the Methodist persuasion,
and who is well known as the founder of a distinct
communion, who were, in consequence, called Kilhamites,
or the " New Connexion."
Alexander Kilham was born at Epworth. His parents
were Methodists, and he had been much engaged as an
itinerant preacher, and had been left a widower previous
to this secession, which was effected in the year 1796 and
1797. His marriage with Hannah Spurr took place in
the following year.
Not long after this second marriage he was, by the
Sheffield conference of the New Connexion, stationed at

400 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Nottingham, and removed to that place with his wife.
Their union was a mutual comfort and consolation, but
it was speedily dissolved. Her husband died the 20th of
the 1 2th month, 1798.
It appears that Hannah Kilham's mind had become
dissatisfied with her connection with the Methodist
Society during her husband's lifetime, from an apprehen
sion of their too great activity in the performance of
religious duties, without waiting to feel that sanctifying
influence which alone can rightly season any sacrifice in
the Divine sight. Under these impressions her mind
turned towards the Society of Friends ; but it does not,
however, appear that she was hasty in making a change ;
for it was not till the summer of 1800 that she decided
upon leaving the Methodist Connexion ; and it was not
till the spring of 1803 that she was received into member
ship with our Society at Sheffield.
About this period she assisted in conducting a school
there for females, and subsequently opened a seminary on
her own account in Sheffield.
This employment she continued for many years.
Objects of benevolence of different kinds occupied no
small portion of her attention, notwithstanding the arduous
duty in which she was engaged. She was the original
suggester of an institution for bettering the condition of
the poor in Sheffield, by holding out encouragement to
them in different ways, to improve their condition, BY
MEANS OF THEIR OWN EXERTIONS.
Whilst assiduously endeavouring to cultivate the minds
of females of our own nation, she met with two African
youths, respecting whom she very much interested herself,
and was the means of their being placed at a boys' school
in Sheffield. The interest she took in these youths, and
the opportunity which they afforded her of getting some

HANNAH KILHAM. 401
insight into their language, induced her at length to
compose an elementary book, which was probably the first
attempt to reduce their native tongue to the regulations
of descriptive characters for representing its sounds, or for
constituting it what may be termed a written language.
She partially relinquished her school in order to turn
her attention to this object ; and her efforts to accomplish
it, and the success which attended them, were ultimately
accompanied by a persuasion that it was her duty to go
to Sierra Leone, and labour for the instruction of African
children. This prospect of duty had so far ripened on her
mind in the year 1 8 1 9, as to induce her to prepare for
going to Sierra Leone ; and she informed the parents
of the children under her care, that such was her intention
as soon as way could be made for it. And it was entirely
on this ground that she wholly abandoned the less arduous
task of affording instruction in her own native language
and country, by giving up her schools altogether in 182 1.
Obstacles of a very serious nature, arising from the
difficulties she must necessarily have to encounter from
the climate of Sierra Leone, and from the delicacy of her
own health, added to those of a different kind which must
attend such an undertaking, formed a barrier that seemed,
for a time, to be almost insurmountable. But Hannah
Kilham, though not of that ardent temperament that
would rush unadvisedly into danger, and prematurely
encounter difficulties of so formidable a kind as those which
opposed themselves to the accomplishment of her object,
was, however, prompted by an unremitting ardour in the
pursuit of it, tempered with patience, and supported by
a perseverance which no difficulties could appal or repress,
nor dangers induce to relinquish ; and at length this
prudent and well-tempered zeal, the product of a right
exercise and concern, was blessed effectually by that
26

402 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Divine power, Who, she believed, had imposed this duty
upon her ; and Who, in His own time, prepared her way
to proceed in its fulfilment. . . . (Of her labours in Africa
an account is given in her Memoirs. Of the circumstances
attendant on her decease the following is from a letter,
addressed to Peter Bedford by two Wesleyan missionaries,
dated, "Free-Town, Sierra Leone, May 7th, 1832.") We
find that " Hannah Kilham left Liberia in good health to
return to Sierra Leone. When very near, within two
days' sail, the vessel was struck with lightning, . and put
back to Liberia. She was taken ill the day following,
complaining only of sea-sickness ; whether country fever or
some other disease followed we have no intimation further
than this : On the third day, 31st March, 1832, she died
quite insensible. Her grave is the boundless deep."
From the Annual Monitor of 1833, the account further
states " that a Church missionary recently arrived from
Sierra Leone, reports very favourably of the schools
established by our departed Friend, and of the benefit
resulting from them to the liberated African children in
the colony."
" Thy light, dear saint, put out in darkness, sleeps
Beneath the gulf o'er which the negro weeps
When borne to bondage ; from the ship of slaves
His tears are wafted homeward on the waves.
"Hidden, but not extinct, below the dark
Deep-bed ocean. When the latest spark
Of nature's conflagration shall expire,
Thy light shall shine above the sinking pyre —
A ray among the innumerable rays
Which from the ransom'd round their Saviour blaze,
When He makes up His jewels, and no gem
Is wanting in His glorious diadem! "
James Montgomery.
February yd, 1835.
For further particulars concerning Hannah Kilham, see the
Memoir of her edited by her daughter-in-law, Sarah Biller, of
St. Petersburg, published in 1837.

JOHN KITCHING. 403
JOHN KITCHING.
Born 1771 — Died 1864 — Aged Ninety-two Years.
Photograph 1 8 x 14 in.
JOHN Kitching, of Stamford Hill, London, was an
Elder, and a very active and useful member of Devon
shire House Monthly Meeting.
He was born the 10th of 12 th month, 1771, and died
the 26th of 8th month, 1864, in the ninety-third year
of his age, and his remains were interred in Friends' burial
ground, Stoke Newington.
John Kitching was an intimate friend of Peter Bedford,
and William Tallack thus speaks of him in his " Life
of Peter Bedford " : — " He was very useful in rendering
steadily sustained and ever punctual attention to the
purely business portion of the philanthropic efforts of
Mr. Bedford and others. While the latter were planning
their schemes of mercy, or paying visits of sympathy,
Mr. Kitching would keep a vigilant eye on the regula
tion and state of the requisite pecuniary funds ; if
Institutions for useful and beneficent objects were being
built, he was the man to come, day after day, and
superintend the workmen and tradesmen engaged,
Nothing escaped his sharp, shrewd eye. Any one
intending to take undue advantage of the arrangements
or interests committed to the management of this
gentleman had need possess extraordinary powers. Mr.
Kitching was originally a draper in Whitechapel, and
finding that business not a sufficiently ample sphere for
his capacities, engaged extensively in underwriting, in
partnership with William Janson, John Kitching keeping
the books of the firm ; and here he acquired a comfortable

404 biographical catalogue.
fortune. In early and middle life his mental vigour
and activity communicated itself habitually to his body,
so that when moving along the streets he was ' always
on the run,' — to use the expression of a venerable man
who retains a lively remembrance of his sprightly move
ments at that period. In common with his friend
Bedford, he possessed a keen appreciation of the ludicrous,
and his twinkling eyes and constantly recurring chuckles
of good humour indicated the pleasant terms on which
he stood with persons and circumstances. Like Mr.
Bedford, too, his was the pen of a ready writer. His
business talents were abundantly called into operation
after his retirement from city life, by the numerous
executorships and trusts which devolved upon him ; and
his attention to these matters was most regular and
efficient. He was a clever correspondent, and his pen
manship, even at the end of his long life, was distin
guished by neatness and elegance. His old friend
Bedford repeatedly came to see him during his last
illness, and finally attended his funeral in the same
year in which occurred the deaths of Barry and of
himself." James Backhouse, in his "Life" (see p. 140), says : —
" That after an absence of nine years and five months
from my native land, I landed at London Bridge, and
made my way to the house of my friends, John and
Isabel Kitching, where I was soon joined by one of
my sisters" (15th of 2nd month, 1841). They lived at
this time, and to the rest of their lives, in a nice
detached house with pleasant garden grounds on Stam
ford Hill.
John Kitching was a member of the committee of
the Spitalfields Lancasterian School, opened 3rd of 2nd
month, 1 8 1 2, which was one of the earliest in London.

MARY KNOWLES. 405

MARY KNOWLES.
Born 1733 — Died 1807 — Aged nearly Seventy-
four Years.
Engraving 3x2 in.
MARY KNOWLES {ne'e Morris), a native of Staffordshire,
was born on the 5th of 6th month, 1733, and was in
1 803 a member of Peel Monthly Meeting, and the widow
of Dr. Knowles, a much-esteemed physician in London.
Her parents (Moses and Alice Morris) being members of
the Society of Friends, she was carefully brought up in
substantial and useful knowledge ; but this alone could
not satisfy her active mind ; for she became much dis
tinguished by various works in the polite arts of poetry,
painting, and more especially the imitation of nature in
needlework. Some specimens of this last having been
accidentally seen by their Majesties, they expressed a
wish to see her ; and she was accordingly presented in
the simplicity of her Quaker dress, and graciously received:
This and subsequent interviews led to her grand under
taking, a representation of the King in needlework, which
she completed to their entire satisfaction, though she had
never seen anything of the kind.
We next find her accompanying her husband on a
scientific tour through Holland, Germany, and France,
where they obtained introduction to the most distinguished
personages, such as the Prince and Princess of Orange ;
at Versailles, to the Messieurs and Mesdames of the
Royal Family ; and at last she was admitted to the
toilette of the late unfortunate Queen Antoinette by her
own desire. The appearance of Quakers was to that
Princess quite a phenomenon, concerning whose tenets

406 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
she was politely earnest for information, and acknowledged
these heretics to be philosophers at least.
Mary Knowles has written on various subjects, philo
sophical, theological, and poetical, some of which have
been published with her name, but more anonymous ;
and we are informed her modesty retained in manuscript
far more than has appeared to the public, which her
friends cannot but hope will some time come abroad to
the world. When urged on this subject, she would say,
" Even arts and sciences are but evanescent, and splendid
vanities, if unaccompanied by the Christian virtues ! "
We shall conclude this article with the dialogue between
her and Dr. Johnson, by which it will appear, at least,
that she was no contemptible advocate for the principles
of the respectable Society of Friends : —
Mrs. K. Thy friend, Jenny H  -, desires her kind
respects to thee, doctor.
Dr. J. To me ! tell me not of her ! I hate the odious
wench for her apostacy ; and it is you, madam, who have
seduced her from the Christian religion.
Mrs. K. This is a heavy charge, indeed. I must beg
leave to be heard in my own defence : and I entreat the
attention of the present learned and candid company,
desiring they will judge how far I am able to clear myself
of so cruel an accusation.
Dr. J. {much disturbed at this unexpected challenge) said :
You are a woman, and I give you quarter.
Mrs. K. I will not take quarter. There is no sex
in souls; and in the present cause I fear not even
Dr. Johnson himself.
(" Bravo ! " was repeated by the company, and silence
ensued!) Dr. J. Well then, madam, I persist in my charge, that
you have seduced Miss H  — from the Christian religion.

MARY KNOWLES. 407
Mrs. K. If thou really knewest what were the principles
of the Friends, thou wouldst not say she had departed
from Christianity. But, waiving that discussion for the
present, I will take the liberty to observe that she had
undoubted right to examine and to change her educational
tenets whenever she supposed she had found them erro
neous ; as an accountable creature, it was her duty so to
do. Dr. J. Pshaw ! pshaw ! — an accountable creature ! —
girls accountable creatures ! It was her duty to remain
with the Church wherein she was educated ; she had no
business to leave it.
Mrs. K. What ! not for that which she apprehended
to be better ? According to this rule, doctor, hadst
thou been born in Turkey, it had been thy duty to have
remained a Mahometan, notwithstanding Christian evidence
might have wrought in thy mind the clearest conviction ;
and, if so, then let me ask, how would thy conscience have
answered for such obstinacy at the great and last
tribunal ?
Dr. J. My conscience would not have been answerable.
Mrs. K. Whose then would ?
Dr. J. Why, the State, to be sure. In adhering to the
religion of the State as by law established, our implicit
obedience therein becomes our duty.
Mrs. K. A nation, or State, having a conscience, is a
doctrine entirely new to me, and, indeed, a very curious
piece of intelligence ; for I have always understood that
a Government, or State, is a creature of time only ; be
yond which it dissolves, and becomes a nonentity. Now,
gentlemen, can your imagination body forth this monstrous
individual, or being, called a State, composed of millions of
people ? Can you behold it stalking forth into the next
world, loaded with its' mighty conscience, there to be re-

408 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
warded or punished for the faith, opinions, and conduct
of its constituent machines called men ? Surely the
teeming brain of poetry never held up to the fancy so
wondrous a personage !
{When the laugh occasioned by the personification was
subsided, the Doctor very angrily replied ) : I regard not
what you say as to that matter. I hate the arrogance of
the wench, in supposing herself a more competent judge
of religion than those who educated her. She imitated
you, no doubt ; but she ought not to have presumed to
determine for herself in so important an affair.
Mrs. K. True, doctor, I grant it, if, as thou seemest
to imply, a wench of twenty years be not a moral agent.
Dr. J. I doubt it would be difficult to prove those
deserve that character who turn Quakers.
Mrs. K. This severe retort, Doctor, induces me. charit
ably to hope thou must be totally unacquainted with the
principles of the people against whom thou art so exceed
ingly prejudiced, and that thou supposest us a set of
Infidels or Deists.
Dr. J. Certainly, I do think you are little better than
Deists. Mrs. K. This is indeed strange ; 'tis passing strange,
that a man of such universal reading and research has not
thought it at least expedient to look into the cause of dis
sent of a society so long established and so conspicuously
singular !
Dr. J. Not I, indeed ! I have not read your Barclay's
" Apology ; " and for this plain reason — I never thought
it worth my while. You are upstart Sectaries, perhaps
the best subdued by a silent contempt.
Mrs. K. This reminds me of the language of the
Rabbis of old, when their Hierarchy was alarmed by the
increasing influence, force, and simplicity of dawning

MARY KNOWLES. 409
Truth, in their high day of worldly dominion. We
meekly trust our principles stand on the same solid
foundation of simple truth ; and we invite the acutest
investigation. The reason thou givest for not having read
Barclay's "Apology" is surely a very improper one for a
man whom the world looks up to as a Moral Philosopher of
the first rank ; a teacher from whom they think they have
a right to expect much information. To this expecting,
inquiring world, how can Dr. Johnson acquit himself for
remaining unacquainted with a book translated into five
or six different languages, and which has been admitted
into the libraries of almost every court and university in
Christendom !
{Here the Doctor grew very angry, still more so at the
space of time the gentlemen allowed his antagonist wherein
to make her defence, and his impatience excited Mr. Boswell
himself, in a whisper, to say, " I never saw this mighty
lion so chafed before ! ")
The Doctor again repeated, that he did not think the
Quakers deserved the name of Christians.
Mrs. K. Give me leave then to endeavour to convince
thee of thy error, which I will do by making before thee,
and this respectable company, a confession of our faith.
Creeds, or confessions of faith, are admitted by all to be
the standard whereby we judge of every denomination of
professions. {To this every one present agreed ; and even the Doctor
grumbled out his assent!)
Mrs. K. Well, then, I take upon me to declare, that the
people called Quakers do verily believe in the Holy
Scriptures, and rejoice with the most full and reverential
acceptance of the Divine history of facts, as recorded in
the New Testament. That we, consequently, fully believe
those historical articles summed up in what is called The

410 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Apostles' Creed, with these two exceptions only, to wit,
our Saviour's descent into hell, and the resurrection of
the body. These mysteries we humbly leave just as they
stand in the holy text, there being from that ground no
authority for such assertion as is drawn up in the creed.
And now, doctor, canst thou still deny to us the honourable
title of Christians ?
Dr. J. Well ! I must own I did not at all suppose you
had so much to say for yourselves. However, I cannot
forgive that little slut for presuming to take upon herself
as she has done.
Mrs. K. I hope, doctor, thou wilt not remain unfor
giving, and that you will renew your friendship, and joy
fully meet at last in those bright regions where pride and
prejudice can never enter !
Dr. J. Meet her ! I never desire to meet fools any
where. {This sarcastic turn of wit was so pleasantly received,
that the Doctor joined in the laugh ; his spleen was dissi
pated ; he took his coffee, and became, for the remainder of
the evening, very cheerful and entertaining!)
Ladies Monthly Museum, vol. xi., p. 289.
It is only right to add that this is Mary Knowles' own
account written down years after the occurrence, and
originally communicated to the Gentleman's Magazine.
By referring to Croker's edition of Boswell's Johnson, it
will be seen that Boswell would not admit the accuracy
of Mary Knowles' narrative nor of one given by Anna
Seward, as being each diverse, and both* very different to
what Boswell himself gives us from notes written at the
* For Anna Seward's account, see The Friend (Philadelphia),
vol. i., p. 163. It is given in this "Catalogue" also underthename
of Jenny Harry, to which refer.

MARY KNOWLES. 411
time, and Croker, on the whole, is inclined to support him.
The young lady in question was a Quadroon, her father
a West Indian planter of fortune, and she had been on
terms of intimate friendship with the doctor, who con
sidered Mary Knowles had exercised somewhat of an
underhand influence in inducing this change, and greatly
imperilled thereby the young woman's prospects as to her
father's bounty.
Boswell's account of this conversation is as follows —
Johnson began his part of it frowning very angrily —
" Madam, she is an odious wench ! She could not have
any proper conviction that it was her duty to change her
religion, which is the most important of all subjects, and
¦should be studied with all care, and with all the helps she
can get. She knew no more of the Church which she left
and that which she embraced, than she did of the differ-
•ence between the Copernican and Ptolemaic systems.
Mrs. Knowles. She had the New Testament before her.
Johnson. Madam, she could not understand the New
Testament, the most difficult book in the world, for which
the study of a life is required.
Mrs. Knowles. It is clear as to essentials.
Johnson. But not as to controversial points. The
heathen were easily converted, because they had
nothing to give up ; but we ought not, without very
strong conviction indeed, to desert the religion in which we
have been educated. That is the religion given you, the
religion in which it may be said Providence has placed
you. If you live conscientiously in that religion, you may
be safe. But error is dangerous indeed, if you err when
you choose a religion for yourself.
Mrs. Knowles. Must we then go by implicit faith ?
Johnson. Why, madam, the greatest part of our know
ledge is implicit faith ; and as to religion, have we heard

412 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
all that a disciple of Confucius, all that a Mahometan
can say for himself?
He then rose again into passion, and attacked the
young proselyte in the severest terms of reproach ; so
that both the ladies {i.e., Mrs. Seward and Mrs. Knowles)
seemed to be much shocked.
Readers of this collection will now have an opportunity of com
paring the three versions of this celebrated conversation, and can
make choice as to which seems the more likely to be correct. It is
difficult not to be impressed (even as Boswell gives it) with
Dr. Johnson's bigotry — a reflection of the spirit in which, during this
same after-dinner conversation, he had denounced the Americans as
rascals, robbers, pirates, exclaiming he'd burn and destroy them.
Mary Knowles' decease is thus mentioned in the
Monthly Repository of Theology, etc., vol. ii., for the year
1807, page 160 : —
" February 3rd, 1807, died in London, at an advanced
age, Mrs. Knowles, one of the Society of Quakers, widow
of Dr. Knowles, a physician, whom she survived several
years. This lady possessed a variety of talents. She was
not only known as a painter, but also for her portraits in
needlework, which were much admired, particularly one
of the present king. Her talents for conversation have
been recorded by Mr. Boswell, in his " Life of Dr. Johnson,"
where she appears to great advantage. Mrs. Knowles is
said to have died very rich, and during the latter years of
her life to have felt rather too much of that propensity
which riches so frequently encourage."
There is also this allusion to her in Pettigrew's
" Memoirs of J. C. Lettsom," vol. i., p. 18: —
"With Miss Mary Morris, who afterwards married
Dr. Knowles, and settled in London, he [Dr. Lettsom}
enjoyed an intimate friendship ; and they occasionally
interchanged pieces of poetry, in the construction of which
she was much the superior, She excelled also in episto-

JOSEPH LANCASTER. 413
lary correspondence ; and in her conversation there was a
sprightliness and poignancy which riveted and gratified
the attention of every hearer. Miss Morris was once
introduced to the King, and was rewarded by His Majesty
for her great ingenuity in needlework. She executed an
excellent likeness of the monarch in worsted, which is now
in one of the royal palaces. She was very careless in her
dress." Croker, in a note to his edition of Boswell, says : —
" Mary Knowles was described by her contemporaries as
having had a sharp masculine countenance with somewhat
of a puritan expression, and by no means attractive, — but
there seems an adverse animus in his various allusions
made to her in his notes to Boswell's Johnson."

JOSEPH LANCASTER.
Born 1771 — Died 1838 — Aged Sixty-seven Years.
Engraving 4x3 in.
JOSEPH LANCASTER was born in 1771. His father had
been a soldier in the Foot Guards. Moved by a benevo
lent feeling towards the neglected children that surrounded
his father's residence in the Borough Road, Southwark,
Joseph Lancaster opened a school for their benefit, and
obtaining a room without cost from his father, he fitted
it up at his own expense, and before he was eighteen
years of age had ninety children under his care. This
was in 1798, a period of scarcity, as well as of general
ignorance, and necessity prompted him to make experi
ments in education, with a view to economy in teaching,
which led him to the discovery and adoption of the now

414

BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

so well-known monitorial system. He early attracted
the attention of the Duke of Bedford, and in 1805 was
honoured by an audience on the part of George III.,
who on this occasion said, " I wish that every poor
child in my dominions may be able to read his Bible,"
— words which, being freely repeated, did much towards
facilitating the increase of schools throughout the whole
country. Joseph Lancaster was a member of the Society
of Friends, and as a conscientious Dissenter he declined
flattering overtures of worldly advantages which could
be enjoyed only by his joining the Established Church.
From 1807 to 181 1 he travelled in the kingdom nearly
7,000 miles, and lectured to nearly 50,000 persons;
and thus gave a great impulse to elementary education.
In 1812 he attempted to establish a school for children
of opulent parents, but he became insolvent, and in
1 8 1 3 emigrated to the United States, where he was
well received. In that country he rendered much ser
vice to education, but the effect of his labours was
lessened by his want of prudence. In 1829 he visited
Canada, and was honourably welcomed. The Parliament
of Lower Canada voted him several grants for educational
purposes. Again he experienced great pecuniary diffi
culties, but some of his old friends united to purchase
for him a small annuity. He contributed to the esta
blishment of the system of mutual or monitorial instruction
in most parts of the civilised world, under the name
at first generally adopted in England, of " Lancasterian
Schools," and under the patronage of the British and
Foreign School Society.
This is taken from Knight's " English Cyclopaedia Biography."
William Allen {vide " Life," vol. i., p. 94), in describing
his first acquaintance with Joseph Lancaster, says : " I

JOSEPH LANCASTER. 415
can never forget the impression which the scene made
upon me. Here I beheld a thousand children collected
from the streets (where they were learning nothing but
mischief, one bad boy corrupting another), all reduced
to the most perfect order, and training to habits of
subordination and usefulness, and learning the great
truths of the Gospel from the Bible." The Duke of
Bedford, who became one of Joseph Lancaster's earliest
and warmest patrons, was also a visitor at this school,
having gone there at the desire of Lord Somerville,
who, as one of the lords-in-waiting, was' the means of
Lancaster's introduction to George III. The Duke
wrote of this visit : " We passed the greatest part of the
morning there, and I was so well pleased with the
simplicity and utility of the system, that I instantly
became a subscriber, and have continued to give his
later and more enlarged sphere of education my humble
but earnest support." It was in this attempt to spread the
system — thus successfully commenced in Southwark —
over the country, that Joseph Lancaster's personal diffi
culties commenced, owing to imprudence on his part,
but also to the opposition his plan aroused in consequence
of his exclusion of the Church Catechism by the principle
that the Holy Scriptures should be the only religious
book taught in the school. He had, however, many firm
friends and supporters, and of these an influential com
mittee was formed, with the Duke of Bedford at its
head, and the now well-known British and Foreign
School System began, under this management, rapidly
to spread over the country, meeting everywhere among
Friends with hearty support. Joseph Lancaster had
involved himself in pecuniary responsibilities to the extent
of six thousand pounds. Joseph Fox, a surgeon-dentist,
of Lombard Street, and William Corston, then engaged

41 6 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
in the straw hat trade, stood in the breach, making
themselves personally responsible, and William Allen,
as secretary, worked indefatigably at the accounts, and
for many years wrote all the minutes with his own hand,
for, as he observes, " This engagement has taken great
hold of me, for I have distinctly seen the importance
of its bearings." None perhaps deserve more honour
in this great work of floating the Lancasterian system
than a worthy baker who lived close to Joseph Lancaster's
first school in Southwark, for when the committee that
thus took up his affairs expressed surprise at the debt
that was owing him, he replied, " The good which Mr.
Lancaster has done to the poor of this neighbourhood
is such, that as long as I have a loaf left, I will give
the half of it to enable him to continue such beneficial
exertion." At first this committee was formed to act
in private. " We desire," wrote .William Allen to him,
" as much as the nature of the concern will admit, to
labour with thee, and for thee, in private. We entered
into it merely from a sense of its importance, and to
assist a meritorious individual, and not from any little
feeling of vanity in being known to patronise a work
of general utility." Joseph Lancaster, though his ardent
and enthusiastic spirit had chafed under this manage
ment, eventually made the following acknowledgment
of the benefits it secured, both to himself, and the great
cause of popular education : — " Into the hands of a few
friends, now constituted my trustees, I have committed
my financial concerns for the last three years ; and
during that time they have conducted all my affairs
with the greatest good to the poor, by enabling me to
spread the knowledge and practice of the plan in the
country ; . . . and however inadequate I may be to
express my gratitude for the generous and disinterested

JOSEPH LANCASTER. 417
assistance I have received from them, in the maintaining
and prosecuting the arduous work in which I have been
engaged, I trust that a generous and enlightened British
public will grant them that co-operative assistance which
the benefits of a national education and their disinterested
philanthropy so richly merit."
The Royal favour bestowed upon Joseph Lancaster's
plan brought him into much notice with the nobility
and gentry, and sent him out into every populous part
of the kingdom, where, through the medium of his
lectures, he developed his plans, showing how, by the
aid of the children themselves, one master might super
intend the education of a thousand children, and at a
weekly expense not exceeding three halfpence each, the
practicability of which, however Utopian it might
appear, he so satisfactorily exhibited, as to remove all
doubt on the part of the most sceptical. The great
object of his heart was to draw together, in every place
that he came to, the children of the poor, that so the
Monarch's benevolent wish might be answered, — that
through this medium " every poor child in the kingdom
might be enabled to read his Bible." The schools thus
established soon excited the wonder and admiration of
those who visited them, at the progress made by the
children, and especially the quickness and accuracy at
tained by the boys in mental calculation, would astonish
even those proficient in the science of figures.
The decline of Lancaster's popularity mainly arose,
according to the statement of one of his friends, from
his attempting to carry his scheme of education into
the higher classes, and at great expense opening a
boarding school for young ladies, under his own superin
tendence, in which the success that had attended him
as a lecturer failed to follow him. Creditors became
27

41 8 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
exceedingly clamorous, and he had to submit to proceed
ings in bankruptcy for protection against their claims,
and retired, broken down by grief and misfortune, the
result of his imprudent confidence in his own abilities.
A royal duke said of him : " The smiles of flattery were
too bewitching for him, and he has unfortunately become
a slave of that seducer." Whilst in America, Joseph
Lancaster met with a fatal accident, to which William
Allen thus alludes : — " Poor Joseph Lancaster was knocked
down in the street in New York, by a frightened horse,
on the 22nd of 10th month, 1838 ; several of his ribs
were broken, and his head was much lacerated. He
was so much injured that he died the next day ; and
J. Gayler, an old pupil, who was with him, says, 'That
he had been for some time past ripening for heaven,
and that he died in a sweet state of mind.'"

BENJAMIN LAY.
Born 1677 — Died 1759 — Aged Eighty-two Years.
Sketch 10x8 in., and print 4x3 in.
Benjamin Lay was born at Colchester, in England, in the
year 1677, of parents who were consistent members of our
Society, and who carefully instructed him in the prin
ciples of it ; but from their slender pecuniary means his
education was only such as the lower order of schools
afforded. On attaining to manhood he pursued the leading
inclination of his mind, and engaged as a sailor, an
employment to which he did not seem by nature to
be much adapted, being only four feet seven inches in
height, his head large in proportion to his body, hunch-

BENJAMIN LAY. 419
backed, with a projecting chest, below which his body
became much contracted ; and his legs were so slender
as to appear almost unequal to support him. The
features of his face were remarkable, and boldly de
lineated, and the whole, with the addition of a habit
he had contracted, of standing in a twisted position,
with one hand resting on his left hip, rendered his
figure perfectly unique.
Whilst engaged in seafaring life he visited various
parts of the globe, and when in Syria sought out and
refreshed himself with water from Jacob's Well. On his
marriage, in 1 7 1 o, he changed his occupation, and settled
in his native town. Lay was a man of an active and ener
getic mind, and one who took a more than ordinary interest
in the public matters of the day, of which ecclesiastical
imposition appears to have been one. On this subject
he presented to George I. and George II. a copy of
Milton's essay, entitled, " Considerations touching the
likeliest means to remove hirelings out of the Church,"
and on the last occasion obtained a private audience
of the royal family, a favour which was certainly remark
able for a man whose station, a few years before, had
been only that of a sailor. It is believed that the part
which he took in public and exciting subjects, gave
uneasiness to Friends, and was the cause of his being
disunited from them in 1717.* In the following year
he settled in Barbadoes as a merchant, where his sensi
tive mind was greatly shocked at the cruelties he saw
inflicted on the enslaved Africans, and, with his natural
independence of character, he inveighed loudly against
such atrocities. His fearless philanthropy on the sub-
* Benjamin Lay was disowned by Devonshire House Monthly
Meeting on account of his repeated public opposition to approved
Ministers.

420 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
ject drew upon him the displeasure of the slave-holders,
and after a residence of thirteen years on the island,
he determined to remove to Philadelphia. Here he
proclaimed so vigorously against slavery, although exist
ing under its mildest form, as to elicit considerable
opposition from those whose views were less warm and
enlightened ; and disappointed at his reception, he re
solved to retire to the country, where he adopted habits
of the most rigid temperance and self-denial. In his
rural retreat, however, he did not relax his exertions
on behalf of the negro. He visited the governors of
the adjacent provinces, and pleaded with them, and
with other influential individuals, on the subject ; but
with none more unceasingly and zealously than with
Friends, whose principles he still professed. He once
went into the house of a friend in Philadelphia, and
found him seated at breakfast with his family around
him. Being asked by him to sit down and breakfast
with them, he said : " Dost thou keep slaves in thy
house ? " Upon being answered in the affirmative, he
said : " Then I will not partake with thee of the fruits
of thy unrighteousness."
He took great pains to convince a farmer and his
wife, in Chester county, of the iniquity of keeping negro
slaves ; but to no purpose. They not only kept their
slaves, but defended the practice. One day he went
into their house, and after a short discourse with them
upon the subject, and particularly on the inhumanity
of separating children from their parents, which was
involved in the slave trade, he seized the only child of
the family (a little girl about three years old), and
pretended to run away with her. The child cried
bitterly: "I will be good, I will be good;" and the
parents showed signs of being alarmed. Upon observing

BENJAMIN LAY. 42 1
this scene, Lay said very emphatically : " You see, and
feel now a little of the distress you occasion every
day, by the inhuman practice of slave-keeping."
In the decline of life he removed to Abington, and
boarded in a Friend's family, soon after which he was
deprived by death of his wife, who was an intelligent
woman, and a valuable Minister in our religious Society.
But his feelings on the subject of slavery did not
slacken with the advance of age ; and, without regard
to religious distinction, he visited all places of public
worship to declare against the evil, in pursuance of
which he became at times greatly excited, and conducted
himself with much eccentricity. But his motives were
truly good, and he was highly esteemed and respected.
Benjamin Rush, M.D., of Philadelphia, in his " Biogra
phical Anecdotes of Benjamin Lay," thus speaks of him : —
" There was a time when the name of this celebrated
Christian philosopher was familiar to every man, woman,
and to nearly every child, in Pennsylvania. His size,
which was not much above four feet ; his dress, which
was always the same, consisting of light-coloured plain
clothes, a white hat, and half boots ; his milk-white
beard, which hung upon his breast ; and, above all,
his peculiar principles and conduct, rendered him to
many an object of admiration, and to all a subject
of conversation. He was a severe enemy to idleness,
insomuch that when he could not employ himself out
of doors, or when he was tired of reading, he used to
spend his time in spinning. His common sitting-room
was hung with skeins of thread, spun entirely by him
self. All his clothes were of his own manufacture. He
was extremely temperate in his diet, living chiefly upon
vegetables. Turnip boiled, and afterwards roasted, was
his favourite dinner. His drink was pure water."

422 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
He was intimately acquainted with Ralph Sandiford,
Dr. Benjamin Franklin, and many other distinguished
persons. A short time previous to his death, which
took place in 1759, a Friend called upon him to inform
him that the Society had resolved to disown such of
their members as persisted in holding slaves ; on hearing
which he ejaculated, " Thanksgiving and praise be ren
dered unto the Lord God ! " adding, after a short pause,
"I can now die in peace."
He was fond of reading. In the print of him which
is to be seen in many houses in Philadelphia, he is
represented with " Tryon on Happiness " in his hand,
a book which he valued very much, and which he fre
quently carried with him in his excursions from home.
In the sort of cave where he dwelt he had a library of
two hundred volumes. His hatred of money accumulation
was extreme. " Oh," he wrote, " the blessed doctrine and
practice of the first Christians, which kept out luxury,
pride, and cursed covetousness."
He died on the 3rd of the 2nd month, 1759, aged
82 years, and his remains were interred in Friends'
burial ground, at Abington, Pennsylvania.
For an account of his writings, chiefly on Slavery, see Joseph
Smith's "Catalogue of Friends' Books." There is a portrait of
Benjamin Lay (full length) in the index to The Annual Monitor,
published in 1833.
Taken from "Life of Benjamin Lay," by Roberts Vaux. See
also Bowden's "History of Friends in America," vol. ii., and The
Annual Monitor , etc.
It was Benjamin Lay's wish, when living, that after death his
body should' be cremated, but Friends declined to carry it out.
Amongst his eccentric modes of endeavouring to awaken sympathy
for the negro race was his attendance at the doors of places of
worship with a drawn sword in his hand, with which he would pierce,
through and through, a skin held in the other, charged with
bullock's blood, thus practically representing the bleeding sufferers
from the slave-driver's lash, on whose behalf he thus appeared.

WILLIAM LEATHAM; JOHN C. LETTSOM, M.D., F.R.S. 423
WILLIAM LEATHAM.
Born 1784 — Died 1842 — Aged Fifty-eight Years.
Photograph 7x6 in.
William Leatham, a banker, of Wakefield, was en
dowed with good natural abilities, peculiarly adapted
to the successful pursuit of that branch of business
in which through life he was actively and laboriously
engaged. He was also much occupied in matters of a public
nature. He was sincerely attached to the principles of Friends.
He died at Leamington, where he had gone for the
benefit of his health, the 19th of 10th month, 1842, aged
58 years.
Annual Monitor, 1844. Irish Friend, 1842.

JOHN COAKLEY LETTSOM, M.D., F.R.S.
Born 1744 — Died 181 5 — Aged Seventy-one Years.
Engraving 4x3 in. Also see the engraving of " The
Medical Society."
John Coakley Lettsom was born in a small island in
the Atlantic, near Tortola, called Little Van Dyke, in
December 1744. His ancestors on the father's side
originated from Letsom, a small village in Cheshire ; on
the mother's side they were lineally descended from
Sir Caesar Coakley, an Irish baronet, whose family
uniformly possessed a seat in the Parliament of Ireland,

4 24 biographical catalogue.
the last of whom was Sir Vesey Coakley. Different
branches of these families, during the government of
Ireton in Ireland at the time of the Commonwealth, went
to Barbadoes, and settled afterwards in different islands
among that large cluster known to us by the name of the
Leeward and Windward Islands.
When only about six years of age he was sent to England
for his education. His future destiny seems to have been
determined by the accidental circumstance of his landing
at a seaport where Mr. Fothergill, then a celebrated
preacher among the Quakers, and brother to the dis
tinguished physician of that name, happened to be on a
visit ; and he was received into the very same house in which
the preacher was staying. By the advice of that excellent
man, who conceived a parental affection for him, young
Lettsom was sent to school to Mr. Thompson, uncle to
the physician of the same narne in London, who was then
assistant in the school, between whom and his pupil an
inviolable friendship commenced, and continued in ad
vanced life with unabated fervour. Mr. Thompson's
school was in the vicinity of Warrington, where Mr.
Fothergill lived, and, by this means, the superintendence
of his education was continued till the period when the
law admits of a youth choosing his own guardian, which,
in consequence of the death of his father some years
before, he did in the person of his friendly protector.
The amiable pastor accepted the important charge, and
placed him, with a view to his future profession, with
Dr. Sutcliffe, of Settle, in Yorkshire, intending, when of
proper age and experience, to recommend him to the
patronage of his brother, then in the highest line of
practice in the great theatre of London.
After leaving Dr. Sutcliffe young Lettsom came to
town, and assiduously attended St. Thomas's Hospital for

JOHN COAKLEY LETTSOM, M.D., F.R.S. 425
two years. He then returned to his native soil to take
possession of a property which came to him by the death
of his father and elder brother, the latter of whom, having
contrived to run through an ample fortune in a few years,
left very little of the family estate to be inherited by his
successor, except a number of negro slaves. These
degraded beings, with that admirable spirit of benevolence
which his conduct in maturer years uniformally displayed,
he emancipated ; and in the twenty-third year of his age,
as he often told his friends, found himself five hundred
pounds worse than nothing.
The fortune of Mr. Lettsom was henceforth, therefore,
solely to be made as a medical practitioner ; and so
strenuous were his endeavours, and so extensive was his
practice in Tortola, where he settled, that in a very short
time he was enabled to return to Europe, and to visit the
great medical schools of Paris, Edinburgh, and Leyden,
at the latter of which Universities he took his degree in
1769. To complete his education he visited, besides
Paris, most of the places of resort for the relief of invalids
abroad ; as Spa, in Westphalia, Aix-la-Chapelle, and
various others. When he visited Paris, among other
honourable recommendations, he carried one from Dr.
Franklin to Monsieur Dubourg. He was afterwards in
troduced to the celebrated Macquer, Le Roi, and other
characters conspicuous at that period, with whom he
corresponded till their decease.
After this circuit he repaired to London, where he
finally settled, with the undeviating friendship of his old
guardian, and the patronage of his brother, the physician
(whose life he afterwards published as a tribute of
gratitude and respect). About the year 1769 he was
admitted a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians ;
the year after he was elected F.S.A. ; and in the year

426 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
succeeding that F.R.S. Under such patronage, with a
mind richly stored with science, matured by reflection,
improved by early and dear-bought experience, success
was insured ; and its fruits were displayed, not in a
fastidious conduct and ostentatious parade, but in be
nevolent schemes for the relief of the distressed poor, and
numerous charitable institutions whose objects were to
mitigate pain and repel disease.
Many years ago, on Dr. Lettsom's return to town, he
was attacked by a highwayman on Finchley Common, with
whom his remonstrance and pecuniary assistance operated
so powerfully that, in the result, a public robber, impelled
to transgression by extremity of want, was converted into
a useful member of society.
The doctor's villa near Camberwell, called Grove Hill,
the place of his retirement in the short intervals of pro
fessional business, is situated on a spot, the beauty of
which, in early life, had attracted his attention, and which
he resolved to become master of, if his circumstances
should become sufficiently prosperous. _ His wishes were
gratified, and the natural beauties of the situation were
improved, and brought to the utmost perfection by his
taste and care.*
The late John Scott, of Amwell, has celebrated it, and
paid a just tribute to the character of its owner in one
of his poems. In this charming retreat Dr. Lettsom had
formed a museum of natural history, consisting of many
rare and valuable specimens, as well as a Botanic Garden,
enriched with the choicest plants brought at a great
expense from the four quarters of the globe, all arranged
according to the Linnaean system. The library was
ample, and contained such a collection of books in all
* Views of these grounds are, through the kindness of James
Boorne, now in the Institute Gallery.

JOHN COAKLEY LETTSOM, M.D., F.R.S. 427
languages, and on all sciences, as few private gentlemen
could boast of being possessed of; but in those that
relate to natural history, the Doctor's favourite study, it
more particularly abounded. The reader will partake of
our regret that the Doctor should have been compelled,
by a train of adverse circumstances at an advanced period
of life, to dispose of so valuable a library, and even of the
villa itself.
Amongst the most remarkable public services that
Dr. Lettsom rendered his country were his contest with,
and complete conquest of, the famous water-doctor
Mayersbach ; the share he took in forming the General
Dispensary in Aldersgate Street ; his early attention to
the Royal Humane Society ; and his founding the
Medical Society and the General Sea Bathing Infirmary
at Margate, planned wholly by himself.
With Dr. Lettsom, and his friends Dr. Warner and
Mr. Nichols, originated, in 1786, the idea of erecting a
¦statue in honour of Howard the Philanthropist. The
modesty of that excellent man checked the intentions of
his friends at that time; but the idea was carried into
effect after his death, and the monument was the first
introduced into St. Paul's Cathedral.
In 1 81 2 he associated himself with the Philosophical
Society of London, of which he was soon after chosen the
President. The many instances of his public exertion did not
•escape public notice ; and many literary societies in
various parts of Europe and America enrolled the name
of Dr. Lettsom among their members.
The doctor was of a cheerful disposition, and loved
society. His person was very tall, and he was always of
a spare habit. There was a want of grace in his manner
and features, but the absence of this was amply compen-

428 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
sated for by the benevolence of a worthy heart, and the
marks of a good understanding.
Dr. Lettsom's writings are very numerous, both moral
and medical, and all of them discover the philanthropist
and physician. For the titles see Joseph Smith's
" Catalogue of Friends' Books."
This account is taken from the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lxxxv.,
part 2.
Dr. Lettsom died at his house in Sambrook Court,
Basinghall Street, on the 7th of nth month, 181 5, aged
71 years, and was buried at the Friends' burial ground,.
Bunhill Fields.
William Allen, in his journal of this date, writes,
" Omitted lecture to attend funeral of Dr. Lettsom, at
Bunhill Fields ; very few Friends present."
Dr. Lettsom's portrait is introduced in an engraving
from a picture by Robert Smirke, of the recovery of
a young man from drowning by means which, if not
originated by himself, came into general use through his
influence. He is represented (says James Boorne) in a
neat wig with three tight rows of curls, a spotless drab
dress, and knee-breeches ; a countenance beaming with
intelligence and benevolence. . . . He is standing by the
bedside with the children and parents, who have been
just admitted to the room, the father throwing himself on
the foot of the bed ; whilst in the countenance of the aged
mother terror at seeing one raised from the dead strives
with joy at the restoration of her son. Dr. Lettsom is
saying as plainly as if we heard his voice, " I told you we
should bring him round."
"My Library," Friends' Quarterly Examiner, vol. ii.
Dr. Lettsom's portrait also appears in the picture of
Gracechurch Street Meeting, — a very neatly dressed Friend

JOHN COAKLEY LETTSOM, M.D., F.R.S. 429
in a drab suit sitting under the gallery and facing the
meeting. Holloway, a celebrated engraver of that day,
produced two likenesses of him, both good specimens of
the artist's skill, and evidently faithful to the original ;
and another eminent engraver of the name of Skelton has
perpetuated his appearance in older life. Several views
of his country residence at Camberwell exist, specimens
of which are also in the Institute collection. One, accord
ing to James Boorne's description, is " a south view of
the house and grounds, with a great variety of beautiful
shrubs, the doctor pointing out some of the beauties to
three ladies who are with him on the closely-mown lawn."
Another shows " a beautiful lake, with a very large and
tastefully constructed fountain in the centre ; at some few
yards from its margin a pretty Swiss cottage embosomed
among weeping willows and stately elms, all reflected in
the lake ; whilst rowed upon its surface in a canopied
boat is the doctor and some four or five of his friends."
The estimation in which Dr. Lettsom was held by his
fellow-practitioners is shown by his conspicuous position
in the engraving of " The Medical Society of London,"
where twenty-two of the most celebrated medical men of
the day are shown as listening in evident attention whilst
he is addressing them. "There is no doubt," James
Boorne remarks, " though in most points greatly in
advance of his day, he was what we should regard as
a very old-fashioned practitioner. I think one of his
works is on the virtue of blisters. Probably some of his
friends, rather than himself, should be credited with the
authorship of the well-known lines, said to be his own : —
" When any sick to me apply,
I physics, bleeds, and sweats 'em :
If, after that, they needs must die,
What's that to me ? I Lettsom

430 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
JOHN LILBURNE.
Born 1618 — Died 1657 — Aged 39 Years.
Print 5x4 in.
John Lilburne was the son of Richard Lilburne, and
was born at Thickny-Puncharden, in Darlington Ward,
county of Durham, in the year 1 6 1 8 ; and at the age of
twelve years was bound apprentice to a woollen-draper
in London, where he studied the writings of the Puritans.
In 1636 he became assistant to Dr. Bastwick, and was
employed by him in circulating his pamphlets, for which
Lilburne was whipped, pilloried, and imprisoned. In his
confinement he wrote several tracts against the Church,
but in 1640 he regained his liberty, and was rewarded by
Parliament with a grant of £2,000 out of the estates of
the Royalists. He then entered the army as a captain,
under the Earl of Essex, and was at the battle of Marston
Moor, near York ; after which he was advanced to the
station of lieutenant-colonel, under the Earl of Man
chester ; but publishing a libel against the Earl, he was
committed first to Newgate and afterwards to the Tower.
Lilburne was no doubt a man of a turbulent spirit ; so
much so, that it was sarcastically said of him, if he only
were left in the world, John would be against Lilburne,
and Lilburne against John. He, however, possessed an
honest independence of mind, with a consistent love of
liberty. In 1648 he was released and remunerated ; but
he still continued writing libels, particularly against
Parliament ; and in the year 165 1 he was heavily fined
in the sum of £7,000, and banished ; but before the Act
of Banishment could pass he withdrew privately to
Holland, where he joined the Royalists, and proposed

JOHN LILBURNE. 43 1
to restore the King for £10,000, which offer was treated
with contempt. He afterwards returned to England
without leave, in consequence of which he was again
arrested and imprisoned. Dover Castle was the place
of his confinement, and during his residence there in 1655
he was visited by Luke Howard, a Minister of our Society
in that town, and through his means he was convinced of
the principles of Friends ; and in the year 1656 he
published " The Resurrection of John Lilburne, now a
Prisoner in Dover Castle, declared and manifested," and
his mind became settled in a degree of calmness, to which
he had before been much a stranger. His wife, whose
name was Elizabeth, had manifested much affectionate
attachment to him in his sufferings, as he had also done
to her, and knowing of the alteration which had taken
place in her husband's mind, she endeavoured to
strengthen him with the following advice, in a letter
which she wrote to him.
" My Dear, — Retain a sober, patient spirit within thee,
which I am confident thou shalt see will be of more
force to recover thee than all thy keen metal hath been.
I hope God is doing a work upon thee and me too, as
shall make us study ourselves more than we have done."
This advice was so grateful to her husband, that in
replying to her, he repeated it, with these observations : —
" Oh, my dear love ! I am deeply entered into my part
of it. The mighty power of God enable thee to get in
too, and also to go through thine ; and effectually to go
cheerfully and willingly along, hand in hand with me ;
which would render thee much more amiable, lovely, and
pleasant in my eyes, although thou wert clothed in rags,
than thou couldst be to me in thy drawing back, or
standing still where thou wast when I last saw thee,
though therein thou wast clothed all over with rich and

432 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
outward glistening earthly diamonds, and in the greatest
of earthly prosperity.
" I am sorry thou art so straitly put to it for money;
but to live on God by faith, in the depth of straits, is
the lively condition of a Christian. Oh, that thy spirit
could attain to this, according to thy desire in thy letter,
and my own present frame of spirit. I now can con
tentedly feed upon bread and cheese, and small beer
alone, for saving of money.
" And for my liberty, about which thou so weariest and
spendest thyself, as thy letter acquaints me thou dost, I
can say to thee, that I am, in my present temper of spirit,
really ready with Peter, at the sight of the glorious trans
figuration of Christ, to say : ' It is good being here ; ' for
here in Dover Castle, through the lovingkindness of God,
I have met with a more clear, plain, and evident know
ledge of God and myself, and His gracious outgoings to
my soul, than ever I had in all my lifetime, not excepting
my glorying and rejoicing condition under the bishops.
And now submissively and heartily I can say, the will of
my heavenly Father be done in me, by me and for me ;
in Whose will I leave thee and thine, with all thy and my
friends, and rest thine in the strength of renewedness of
true love.
"John Lilburne."
" From Dover Castle, the place of the present, enjoyed delightful
dispensation of the eternal, everlasting love of God to my soul, the
4th of the 10th month, 1655."
Two years after this, R. Hubberthorne, writing to
George Fox, says, " I was twice with John Lilburne. He
is zealous and forward for the truth ; he hath a sight and
comprehension which is deep ; he sees that the truth
comprehends all, and he hath a love unto it, and a desire
to attain to it."

JOSEPH JACKSON LISTER, F.R.S. - 433
John Lilburne, after his release from Dover Castle,
settled at Eltham, in Kent, where it is said he passed the
remainder of his life in undisturbed tranquillity. At this
place he died the 28th of 6th month (August), 1657.
His body was removed to London, and was taken to the
Bull and Mouth Meeting House, St. Martin's-le-Grand,
from thence it was conveyed to the new graveyard, by
Bedlam, and interred on the 31st of the same month, a
numerous company of Friends and others attending his
funeral, said to be about 4,000 persons. The burial
ground here referred to was situated in Liverpool Street,
Bishopsgate, now the terminus of the North London
Railway. His works are very numerous, the titles of which (including a few
by others pro and con relating to him) occupy fourteen pages of
Smith's " Catalogue of Books," from which and other sources this
account is taken.

JOSEPH JACKSON LISTER, F.RS.
Born 1786 — Died 1869 — Aged Eighty-three Years.
Photograph 7x6 in.
Joseph Jackson Lister, F.R.S., was born in Lothbury
in the city of London, 11th of 1st month, 1786. His
parents were John and Mary Lister {ne'e Jackson). John
Lister was born in one of the houses on Old London
Bridge not long before they were removed ; he lived to
within two years of being a centenarian. His family had
long been one of but two daughters, Mary, who died
unmarried at an advanced age (the foundress of the
Invalid Asylum, Stoke Newington), and Elizabeth, who
was married to Thomas Barton Beck, of Dover, and
28

434 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
became ancestress of a large family circle. The younger
of these two daughters of John and Mary Lister had
almost risen into womanhood, when, after an interval of
seventeen years, the household hearth became enriched by
the advent of their brother, who received the name of Joseph
Jackson, in remembrance of his two grandparents. From
his youth upward he was marked by qualities which
command respect, for peculiar penetration and calm judg
ment ; yet such was the retiring modesty of his character,
that to an advanced period of life he retained that humility
and deference so pleasing in youthful natures. According
to the custom of that day, he was sent early to a school
at Hitchin, in Hertfordshire, and afterwards spent some
years at the one kept by Thomas Thompson at Compton,
in Dorsetshire, where not a few of the sons of the leading
families of Friends received their education. His business
life commenced when but fourteen years old in association
with his father in the wine trade, which, under his skilful
management, rapidly developed, and on the parents'
retirement to live at Stoke Newington, he was left its
sole proprietor.
At that time, when it was the custom for city merchants
and traders to reside at their places of business, there
were many whose intellectual tastes led to association for
mutual advancement in literary and scientific pursuits,
and of these Joseph Jackson Lister was a valued member,
and early manifested that faculty of not only acquiring
knowledge, but of using it with a sagacity and penetra
tion that amounted to originality. He was one of the
founders of the London Institution, and when it was
located in King's Arms Yard near his place of business, it
became greatly the resort of his leisure hours. He was
never absorbed in business, yet neglected nothing, even of
its minutest detail, and in all its arrangements were evi

JOSEPH JACKSON LISTER, F.RS. 435
dence of his contrivance and skill. He kept his books
on a system of his own devising, and when consulted on
the subject by others, would be found suggestive of
views adapted to their circumstances and free from the
complications that works on mercantile book-keeping
recommend. Self-discipline, self-improvement, early rising,
profitable use of all spare time were constant. Whatever
he did was as of his best, and in whatever he might be
engaged all the powers of his mind centred on it with
as much absolute abstraction from disturbing thoughts
as ever the greatest philosopher possessed. He never
allowed himself to pass a sentence in a book he was
reading without understanding it.
Eminently fitted by his naturally retiring nature for
quiet pursuits, he allowed the leisure increasing prosperity
in business gave him to become directed, when about forty
years of age, towards a closer examination of the structure
of organised life than the unassisted natural eye can
obtain ; and whilst some of his friends were using the
discoveries of Dolland with the telescope for a minuter
survey of the heavens, Joseph Jackson Lister desired the
same increased power of vision into objects otherwise
undistinguishable from their minuteness. He did not
find the little pyramidal miscroscope of that day, which
used to stand on so many a household sideboard, to be
much more than a magnifying glass, distortive in form
and iridescent in colour ; nor, although one of the leading
opticians was working on the improvement of its lenses,
did he find that which satisfied his desires for clear and
colourless definition. So he studied Optics for himself,
fitted up his own little workshop, calculated the varying
curves of convex and concave, in combination of glasses
of diverse qualities, flint and crown, and never ceased
until his labours were rewarded by a lens of his own

436 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
making, that not only magnified greatly but truly, and as
much without colour as those of any achromatic telescope.
Having now obtained perfectness of magnified vision,
he sought for improvement in its mechanical application,
so that objects under inspection might be held and ad
justed to varying focus, for which the stiff little instrument
then called a microscope gave few facilities. Here his
originality again showed itself, far more so than he could
find any London optician willing to work out ; but the
recommendation of one of them brought him into acquaint
ance with a James Smith, then a brass-worker for opticians
on his own account, in whom he found a most ingenious
and skilful workman, greatly pleased to work out prac
tically the ideas put before him, and there is still in the
family the first instrument thus produced. It looks cum
brous, as may be expected, beside its more compact
successors ; and whilst so large a share in its originating
is undoubtedly due to the patient and ingenious researches
and suggestions of Joseph Jackson Lister, the complete
ness that the microscope so rapidly attained was owing
to the way in which a little group of earnest men gave it
their practical attention, amongst whom none were more
zealous than Dr. Bowerbank, Professor Quekett, at the
College of Surgeons, and a surgeon of the name of Jackson
in Whitechapel, to the last of whom one of the most
important simplifications of the brass framework is due.
These and a few others formed the nucleus of the future
Microscopical Society, and besides James Smith other
makers came rapidly into the field ; but if the observer
traces back this stream to its source, one (if not the most
important) of its fountain heads was the room where the
solitary amateur glass-grinder was at work, and the con
sultations he had with his brass-worker in a little work
shop over a back kitchen of a small dwelling in Ironmonger

JOSEPH JACKSON LISTER, F.R.S. 437
Row, Clerkenwell, where James Smith then lived, and
from whence came successively the firm of Smith & Beck,
and R. & J. Beck, to say nothing of Ross, Powell &
Lelands, and other makers of these Instruments, without
which a medical student would now feel himself as much
at loss as a captain at sea without a compass.
With the subject of this notice the perfectedness of the
microscope was a means for an end ; and his reputation
among scientific men arose rather from the use he made of
the instrument than in the mode of its production. Here,
however, it would be difficult, without becoming unsuitably
exact, to trace his researches among seaweeds on the shore
or in the strata of the rocks, but it may suffice to say
that they revealed forms of life and beauty previously
almost unknown, which he drew with a delicacy of pencil
drawing (that was far from being the least of his acquire
ments), and described with the most truthful exactness.
His son, the present Sir Joseph Lister, in an obituary
notice printed in the Microscopical Journal, thus sums up
his father's character : — " The comprehensive grasp of his
intellect, and the extent and variety of his attainments,
were as remarkable as the accuracy and originality which
characterised his microscopical work. There were few
subjects in literature, science, or art with which he did
not show himself more or less familiar. His clear, calm
judgment and strict integrity made his opinion highly
valued among his friends in matters of difficulty or dispute.
He was most unselfish and scrupulously tender of hurting
the feelings of others, and extremely generous in the
pecuniary support of public philanthropic objects as well
as in secret acts of charity. Though warmly attached to
the religious Society of Friends, he was a man of very
liberal views and catholic sympathies. But the crowning
grace of this beautiful character (though it might veil his

438 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
rich gifts from those not intimate with him) was a most
rare modesty and Christian humility."
Joseph Jackson Lister was married at Ackworth in
1 8 1 8 to Isabella Harris, jun., who at that time occupied
a leading position in the educational department of
Ackworth,* of which her mother Isabella Harris was
matron superintendent.
They lived first in the business house at Tokenhouse
Yard, then at premises Joseph J. Lister built according to
his own plans in Paradise Row, Stoke Newington, from
whence they removed to Upton House at Upton.
These extensive premises were purchased of Henry
Aggs, and comprised a fine old red brick mansion with
large hall and stairs, and some exceptionally grand cedars
on the lawn.
Joseph J. Lister was left a widower in 1864 amid a
large circle of children and grandchildren. His own life
lasted until his eighty-fourth year, when his Nunc Dimittis
came in somewhat of suddenness but much peace.
He is buried with his wife in the Friends' ground at
Stoke Newington, where also rests his father, who died
in 1838, only two years short of a hundred.
s As such, she attained a position which has become historic in
the annals of the school. Those who were privileged to listen to her
reading have spoken of its grace and force, of its masterly rendering
of her author's meaning, and of the delicacy of the reader's intona
tion and emphasis, as excellences never approached in their ex
perience, and as affording an intellectual feast of the purest quality.
" History of Ackworth School," H. Thompson, p. 133.

JAMES LOGAN. 439
JAMES LOGAN.
Born 1674 — Died 173 i — Aged Fifty-seven Years.
Engraving 4x3 in.
JAMES LOGAN, a learned writer and statesman, born at
Lurgan, Ireland, October 20th, 1674 ; died October 173 1,
at Stanton, near Philadelphia ; of Scottish parentage. At
the age of thirteen he had acquired Latin, Greek, and
some Hebrew, and afterwards mastered mathematics, and
the French, Italian, and Spanish languages. While en
gaged in trade between Dublin and Bristol, William Penn
made proposals to him to accompany him to Pennsyl
vania as his secretary, which he accepted, and landed in
Philadelphia in the beginning of December 1 699. Upon
Penn's return to England in 1 701, he left his secretary
invested with many important offices, which he discharged
with fidelity and judgment. He filled the offices of Pro
vincial Secretary, Commissioner of Property, Chief Justice,
and upon the demise of Governor Gordon in October
1736, governed the province two years as President of
the Council. He was the friend of the Indians, possessed
uncommon abilities, and great wisdom and moderation.
His valuable library of 2,000 volumes he bequeathed to
the public. Author of " Experimenta Meletimata de Plan-
tanam Generatione," written in 1739 ; of two other Latin
treatises of a scientific character, published in Holland ;
of an English translation of Cicero's " De Senectute," pub
lished in 1 744, by Benjamin Franklin ; and of Cato's
" Distichs," the latter in verse ; and he left a variety of
papers on ethics and philology. Logan's charges as
Chief Justice were reprinted abroad, 4to, 1736. William,
his eldest son, many years in the .Governor's Council,

440 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
died June 1801. George, his grandson, was a distin
guished philanthropist.
Drake's " Dictionary of American Biography," 1872. Taken from
Armistead's "Memoirs of James Logan," and Fisher's " Sketches,"
Spark's " Franklin." See also Smith's " Catalogue of Friends'
Books," vol. ii.
James Logan was a valued correspondent of Linnaeus,
and by some accurate observations made by him on the
Indian corn-plant, and thus communicated to the great
Swede, remarkable proofs were shown of the justness of
the theory his system of botany advocated as to the
relative office of the stamens and pistils of flowers.

SAMUEL LUCAS.
Born 1805 — Died 1870 — Aged Sixty-four Years.
Portrait in Crayon 12x9 in.
As the name of this Friend is mentioned several times in
a description of subjects in the Institute Gallery, it is but
due to give some account of his parentage and life's
occupation. Samuel Lucas was the second surviving son of William
and Ann Lucas {nee Bowly), and was born in Hitchin,
Hertfordshire, where the family had been settled for some
generations. Samuel Lucas' education when away from his native
town was at the Friends' Committee School at Fish
ponds, near Bristol, which was then under the care of
Joel Lean, and his term of apprenticeship was served
partly on the sea coast at Southwick, and afterwards on
the banks of the Thames at Harris Wharf, Wapping, in

SAMUEL LUCAS. 44 1
both which places his natural powers of observation found
great delight in studying the sea in all its phases of calm
and storm, and the shipping vessels with the river craft,
which knowledge bore fruit in after life in vigorous and
truthful representations of vessels under sail, or the wild
sea wave breaking on rock or shore.
Drawing and colouring were to him the natural mode
of expressing the feelings nature awoke in his mind, and
had his life's bread-winning taken this direction he would
probably have risen to distinction in artistic circles, for,
.self-taught as he was, his canvases have at various times
been fairly well hung in the public exhibitions.
No career as an artist was in the days of Samuel Lucas'
youth thought desirable for their sons by consistent mem
bers of the Society of Friends, and his support came from
commercial pursuits, first as a partner in a provision house
in London, and afterwards throughout the rest of his life
in association with an elder brother and a cousin in the
family business at Hitchin of brewers and maltsters.
Notwithstanding his love of art, Samuel Lucas was
always diligent and exemplary in his attention to business,
and was a neat, ready, and accurate accountant, and a
good financier. He was for some time one of the Audi
tors of the Great Northern Railway, and in his native
town served many offices of trust, such as Guardian of
the Poor, Secretary to the Infirmary, Chairman of the
Burial Board, Treasurer of the Auxiliary Bible Society,
•etc., in all which his sound judgment, integrity, and
kindness were conspicuous. He was also a sincerely
attached member of our Society, and diligent in attend
ance of meetings. He for some years acted as Clerk to
his Quarterly Meeting, and came with great regularity to
the Meeting for Sufferings ; he was also very seldom
absent from a Yearly Meeting.

442 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
His disposition, though retiring, was most genial, and
his conversation, overflowing with humour, tempered with
Christian sweetness, made him, wherever he might be,.
most pleasant company to young or old.
In Nature herself he took a reverent delight, and with
Milton would often say, —
" Straight mine eye hath caught new pleasures
While the landscape round it measures ;
Russet lawns and fallows grey,
Where the nibbling flocks do stray."
His kindly eye, swift as a hawk's, was ever on the
watch for effects, which, being retained by his powers of
memory, would, through his faculty of graphic representa
tion, become a constant source of pleasure to himself and
his friends.
Artistic skill seemed intuitive with him. He but
rarely sketched from nature, and was seldom observed to
gaze longer than ordinary at an object, or in a way to
interrupt the flow of genial conversation ; yet when the
walk was over, or the day's excursion closed, the mind
began to play through the fingers in rapid sketches, and
his companions, as they read to or talked with' him,.
would see with pleased surprise scene after scene repro
duced from recollection with so little of conscious effort
or self-appreciation that the results were at the disposal
of those who chose to take them, and thus many a rela
tive has' various specimens of his artistic skill.
After any journey, whether abroad or in his own much-
loved England, whose scenery in coast or landscape he
knew so well, there would be fruit on many a canvas so
effectively painted in oil colours as to have become
treasured heirlooms in his family or much-prized gifts
to relatives or friends.
He was, however, at his best with water-colour, since it

SAMUEL LUCAS. 443
more suited the swiftness of his thought, and much of the
large collection he has thus left would bear comparison
with the works even of David Cox for their freshness and
truthfulness of effect.
Enough has now been said to show how such a picture as
that by him of the Yearly Meeting would result, not from
any undue attention to other than the subject before it, but
from that retentiveness of expression and character which
fixed the features of the prominent Friends as firmly in
his mind as their voices would in others ; and it was but
as the exercise of a pleasant recollection thus to pourtray
one after another of them in the quiet of his country
home, as a relative (who was then visiting him) read or
conversed at his side, and when finished that relative was
left at liberty to take home the canvas, at whose house
it remained, unseen by any but the family, until the death
of those represented made it a remembrance of general
value, and as such it has been given to the Institute
Gallery by a son of its former possessor.
Samuel Lucas was twice married : first, to Matilda,
daughter of John Holmes, of Tivetshall, who died in
1849, leaving him five children ; and his second wife was
Elizabeth, daughter of William Manser, of Hertford, who,
after some years of happy wedded life, was able to
minister greatly to his comfort during the gradually
declining strength, caused by an illness of considerable
duration, which was terminated by his decease on the
69th of 3rd month, 1870, in his sixty-fifth year. Very
large numbers of his neighbours and friends joined the
relatives at the grave-side, showing how much they
lamented the loss of this genial and talented Friend..

444 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
WILLIAM MILLER.
Born 1796— Died 1882 — Aged Eighty-five Years.
Photograph 5x4 in.
William Miller, of Millerfield House, Edinburgh, whose
name will go down to posterity as that of one of the
most successful engravers of England's greatest landscape
painter, was the son of George Miller (a cousin of the
late W. H. Miller, of Craigentinny,* who for some years
sat as M.P. for Newcastle-under-Lyne), and was born in
Edinburgh the 28th of the 5th month, 1796. Having
received a good education, he early devoted himself to the
branch of art in which he was destined to achieve dis
tinction. In the course of a long professional career, his
skill with the burin was from time to time called into
requisition to translate into black-and-white the works of
several artists ; but it was as an engraver of Turner that
he won his brightest laurels, and it is by the work he did
in that capacity that he will be chiefly remembered. The
great landscape painter, a rare judge of such work, seems
to have formed a high opinion of W. Miller's capabilities
as an interpreter of his own drawings.
While highly successful in the execution of large plates
after his favourite master, it was perhaps in the smaller
ones, forming part of such series as the Rogers' " Italy,"
" Illustrations to Scott,", " Rivers of France," and " England
and Wales," that the engraver's aptitude was shown to the
greatest advantage. Entering thoroughly into the spirit
of Turner's exquisite drawings, his manipulative dexterity
enabled him to reproduce their characteristics with an
elaboration of detail and subtle delicacy of effect which
* The great bibliophilist.

WILLIAM MILLER. 445
none excelled, if, indeed, any quite equalled. There was
an originality that looked like the inspiration of genius
in the laying of his lines ; and nothing could exceed the
refinement of touch with which he rendered all the mar
vellous drawing of the painter's skies, or suggested the
magical charm of his mountain distances. In dealing
with other artists he did not always find the same scope
for his powers ; but in nothing he ever did were his artistic
qualities more daintily displayed than in a tailpiece he
engraved in 186 1 for " Rob and his Friends," after a
design by the late Sir George Harvey. Withdrawn for
the last ten years of his life* from the practice of his more
arduous art, William Miller found a congenial occupation
in water-colour painting. Specimens of his work in this
kind have frequently been exhibited in the galleries of
the Royal Scottish Academy (of which he was an honorary
member) ; and no one with an eye for art could have
failed to note their fine quality of colour, and a certain
delicate subtlety, in the rendering alike of detail and
effect, which the artist seemed to have caught from his
long and intimate communion with Turner. William
Miller was a man of cultivated mind, and took great
interest in social questions. He had a large circle of ac
quaintance, who admired him for his talents and his
genial and kindly disposition.
A lover of all good works, William Miller's labours,
though unobtrusive, were unwearied in many a philan
thropic cause, such as the abrogation of slavery, the repeal
of the Corn Laws, and for peace. To the War Victims'
Fund he acted as Treasurer, and by the perspicacity of
his accounts, the economy of administration, and the
* William Miller's last plate, one of forty -four vignettes, engraved
by him after drawings by Birket Foster, to illustrate Hood's poems,
was finished in the summer of 187 1.

446 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
efficiency of collection, was of great service both in the
work done and the example set to those with whom he
was brought into association. Except during the periods
of his absence from home in youth, especially when from
i8i9to 1821 he was the pupil of the celebrated engraver
George Cooke, in Hackney, London, he resided on his own
property at Millerfield.
The above, which is taken from The Scotsman, treats
chiefly of William Miller in his capacity as a citizen, and
of his eminence as an artist in the line which he adopted,
but the notice would be incomplete were no reference made
to his character as a Friend. This was throughout that of
consistency with the Society's religious profession. About
the year 1841 he began to speak as a Minister, and his
communications having been felt acceptable, he was in
due time acknowledged as such, having previously , been
in the station of Elder. In his ministry he was more
remarkable for comprehensive brevity than lengthened
exposition. In general, his style of communication was
simple, solemn, and earnest, as also eminently practical.
Especially in prayer, much reverence and solemnity accom
panied his utterances, marked mostly by fewness of words,
conformably with Divine precept and example.
As a Minister, William Miller's labours were chiefly
within his particular Meeting and the General Meeting
for Scotland. He attended London Yearly Meeting a
considerable number of times, and on several occasions
accompanied James Backhouse in visiting Friends in the
north of Scotland, also holding public meetings in Inver
ness, Caithness, Sutherland, and Orkney, where no Friends
reside. It was observed that he was more frequent in the
exercise of his gift in his own Meeting towards the end
of his life, and that it was marked by an increase in power

JOHN MORLAND. 447
and volume, and on the last day of his attendance the
subject of his impressive discourse was on the uncertainty
of time.
For a long period William Miller acted as Clerk to his
Meeting, when his clearness of judgment, his quick appre
hension of the mind of the Meeting, and his facility in
recording it, made his services very valuable.
Though he had considerably overpassed his eightieth
year, William Miller enjoyed, almost up to the time of his
decease, a wonderful measure of health and spirits.
His last illness was short. He had gone to visit his
children in Sheffield, when he took cold, and after three
days' illness peacefully passed away on the 20th of the
1st month, 1882, in the eighty-sixth year of his age.
The interment took place in Edinburgh, on the 23rd
of the same month.
For further particulars, see The British Friend for the 2nd
month, 1882.

JOHN MORLAND.
Born 1794 — Died 1867 — Aged Seventy-two Years.
Photograph 5x4 inches.
JOHN MORLAND was the son of Thomas Morland,
builder and umbrella manufacturer, of Bridge House
Place, Newington, Surrey. His mother was Elizabeth
Pryor. He was born on the 19th of the 12th month,
1794, and had his education under Isaac Payne of
Epping ; he was afterwards placed as apprentice with
Ruthus and Pryors, on Holborn Hill. On leaving
them he commenced business as a wholesale and retail
umbrella manufacturer in the Minories, and after some

448 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
years he removed to more commodious premises in
Eastcheap, near the Monument.
He was twice married. His first wife was Eliza,
daughter of James Chalk, of Blackfriars Road. She was
taken from him by death in the year 1826. He married
again, in 1832, Hannah Coleby, of Ipswich, who survives
him. In the year 1844 he removed to Croydon, where he
continued to reside until his decease in 1867.
Both in Devonshire House and Kingston Monthly
Meetings he held the office of Overseer, and during the
latter part of his life that of Elder. Very many were
the claims upon his time and energies in connection with
these appointments, which he discharged as one who,
while diligent in business, was desirous to be found
fervent in spirit, serving the Lord in such ways as might
seem to open before him.
He took especial interest in Croydon School, and
served on the committee for a long course of years,
giving an ever-ready support and encouragement to
the superintendent during periods of much difficulty.
John Morland's active habits and business sagacity
brought him into association with the management of
various institutions and commercial undertakings ; and
his benevolent sympathies and Christian labours were
not by any means confined to his own religious de
nomination, but extended to the philanthropic movements
of the day. While living in London, the Spitalfields
Soup Society, and later, when at Croydon, the British
School, were objects of much interest to him. He was
also an active member of the first Board of Health
formed in Croydon. But perhaps the Peace Society
claimed a larger portion of his time and thought than
any other similar object.

JOHN MORLAND. 449
The following extract from the Herald of Peace,
written by his valued friend Henry Richard, shows the
esteem in which he was held : — " None but those who
have had the privilege of working with J. Morland
can understand what a tower of strength the presence
and help of such a man was to those associated in such
an enterprise as ours. Without pretence or assumption
of any kind, his sound judgment, his calm common
sense, his long-tried experience, and his genial and
cheerful spirit, were silently felt by all to be a some
thing on which you could lean with absolute trust. It
always seemed to us when he appeared in the Peace
Office as if a gleam of sunshine had entered and irradiated
the place, such was the effect of his frank, happy face, and
the hearty tones of his voice."
His sound constitution and regular habits preserved
his bodily and mental energies unimpaired to near the
end of his life, when a period of much physical weakness
became his portion, and was borne by him in the spirit
of true Christian resignation.
His closing hours were calm and peaceful, being
remarkably supported by the feeling of the Lord's
presence with him and of His goodness towards him.
" His peace is wonderful," he remarked a day or two
before the end.
His decease occurred on the 21st of the 10th month,
1867, in his seventy- third year ; and the funeral took
place in Friends' burial ground, Croydon, on the 26th
of the same month.

29

450 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.

LUCRETIA MOTT.
Born 1793 — Died 1880 — Aged Nearly Eighty-
eight Years.
Engraving 4x3 in.
LUCRETIA MOTT, the daughter of Thomas and Anna
Coffin, was born on the island of Nantucket, on the 3rd
of ist month, 1793. Her ancestors had lived on the
island since the first settlement by white men in 1659,
and had been people of standing in every generation.
Her parents were careful to preserve in their children
• the peculiarities of the religious Society to which they
belonged, training them to be careful in their daily
observances, and regular in their attendance at meeting,
where they learned to sit still without restlessness or
drowsiness, and to feel the value of silence. " Being
trained in the religious Society of Friends, I had no
faith," says Lucretia Mott, " in the generally received idea
of human depravity. My sympathy was early enlisted
for the poor slave by the class books read in our schools,
and the pictures of the slave-ships as presented by
Clarkson." In later years she often repeated a description
of the horrors of the " middle passage," which she had
learned from the school reading-book, " Mental Improve
ment," by Priscilla Wakefield. It was written by Clark
son, and ended with the words, " Humanity shudders at
your account." This made an indelible impression on
her young mind.
While James Mott and Lucretia Coffin were teachers
together in the school at Nine-Partners, a strong attach
ment grew up between them, which resulted in an
engagement of marriage. James was a tall, pleasant-

LUCRETIA MOTT. 45 1
looking youth, with sandy hair and kindly blue eyes. In
manner he was shy and grave. As can be inferred from
his letters, he took serious views of life, and was much
given to religious contemplation. Lucretia was a sprightly
girl of more than ordinary comeliness, and uncommon in
tellectual promise. In strong contrast with James Mott, she
was short of stature, quick in her movements, and, not
withstanding the repression of Ouaker training, impulsive
and vivacious in manner. On the 10th of 4th month,
181 1, in Pine Street Meeting-house, the marriage of
James Mott, jun., and Lucretia Coffin was accomplished
according to the order of Friends, " with a gravity and
weight becoming the occasion." James was almost
twenty- three years of age, Lucretia a little past eighteen.
In the year 1S18, when she was twenty-five years of
age, she spoke for the first time in public. This was in
the form of a prayer ; and sixty-one years later, when
asked if she could recall the event, she replied by writing
from memory, and without hesitation, the very words she
had then spoken. This memorandum, now so valued by
her family, reads as follows : —
A prayer offered in High Street Meeting, 1S1S. "As
all our efforts to resist temptation and overcome the
world prove fruitless unless aided by Thy Holy Spirit,
enable us to approach Thy throne, to ask of Thee the
blessing of Thy preservation from all evil, that we may
be wholly devoted to Thee and Thy glorious cause."
($th month, 1 oth, 1S79.)
In the year 1S40 James and Lucretia Mott visited
England, and attended the Anti-slavery Convention, and
after visiting many Friends in different parts of England
returned home in peace. She is one of those represented
in Haydon's picture of that great convention held ia Free
masons' Hall. Her opinions on various social and religious

452 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
questions were firmly held and strongly expressed, result
ing in various differences with her friends and others,
which, though painful at the time, have left no doubt as
to the sincerity of her motives and the ardour of her
philanthropy. She died the nth of I ith month, 1880, aged nearly
eighty-eight years, and was interred in Friends' burying
ground at Fairhill.
Notices of the death of Lucretia Mott were general
throughout the country, and, with but few exceptions,
were marked by reverential admiration of her life.
Taken from "James and Lucretia Mott, Life and Letters."
Edited by their grand-daughter, Anna Davis Hallowell. With
Portraits. Boston, America, printed 1884.

LINDLEY MURRAY.
Born 1745 — Died 1826 — Aged nearly Eighty-
one Years.
Engraving 5x4 in.
LlNDLEY MURRAY, the eldest of a family of twelve
children, was born at Swetara, near Lancaster, Pennsyl
vania, 7th of 6th month, 1745. His father was an
enterprising and successful merchant, and of his mother
he ever spoke with emotions of affection and gratitude.
Both parents — who belonged to the Society of Friends —
appear to have been earnest in relation to the moral and
religious interests of their children. Their eldest was in
early youth and manhood remarkable for activity and
muscular strength, in great contrast to his middle and
later life, when he became so enfeebled as to be capable

LINDLEY MURRAY.

453

of but little bodily exertion ; which state of muscular
weakness, it is thought, might have been induced by an
over-activity in his early life. He received a good educa
tion ; first at a school in Philadelphia, and subsequently
in New York, whither his parents had removed. Here he
had the advantage of a private tutor, with whom he pur
sued his studies so unremittingly as to endanger his
health. After this he entered his father's counting-house,
being intended for mercantile pursuits, but strong literary
tastes led him to seek the profession of the law, — a change
which at first his father strongly opposed, but ultimately
consented on reading a paper which the son had drawn
up reviewing his position and prospects, — and the subse
quent success which attended his professional career fully
justified his choice. His professional career was, however,
interrupted by the outbreak of the War for Independence,
during which all proceedings at law courts became sus
pended, and he turned again to mercantile pursuits for
the support of his family, in which he soon realised a
moderate competency. Not long afterward the physical
weakness of muscular tissue set in, which induced him, by
the advice of his physicians, to try the more equable
climate of Europe. Accordingly, he arrived in England
in 1784, accompanied by his wife, to whom his marriage,
when twenty-four years of age, proved the signal domestic
blessing of his future life. They do not appear to have
had any children. The intention in coming to England
was only to stay there one or two years, but its climate,
and the intimate friendships Lindley Murray formed, led
to his continuance there for the rest of his prolonged life.
It is said that on first entering York he was impressed
with the pleasant appearance of the house in Holgate
(then a village on its outskirts) which subsequently became
his residence, and stopped the carriage for its examination.

454 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
At this time, however, its owner had no intention of
parting with it ; but circumstances soon afterwards leading
him to a change of residence, Lindley Murray embraced
the opportunity to become its purchaser, and lived there
more than forty years, until his decease in 1826. It is
a pleasantly situated dwelling, with a room well suited
for literary pursuits, lighted by a window north and south
at each end. That towards the north faced the quiet road
way, with green fields beyond, through which a pathway
led to the city walls, and the southern one opened on to
the broad gravelled path of the flowery garden with a
summer-house at its end. In this room a fire was kept
burning all the year round for the sake- of a healthy cir
culation of air ; and on a sofa on the opposite side was
to be found the great grammarian, seated with his books
and papers around, and an ever-ready welcome for his
numerous visitors. His countenance betokened intel
lectual refinement. In manners he was mild and unpre
tentious, calm and dignified, with an affability that won
the hearts of little ones as they stood between his knees
to be heard a lesson in reading, and an evident power
which made those of riper years anxious to profit by his
judgment and literary acquirements. The first work he
published was in 1787, entitled, "The Power of Religion
on the Mind in Retirement, Sickness, and Death, exem
plified in the Testimonies and Experiences of Persons
Distinguished by their Greatness, Learning, or Virtue."
"'Tis immortality— 'tis that alone,
Amidst life's pains, abasements, emptiness,
The soul can comfort, elevate, and fill." — YOUNG.
This was at first published anonymously, and nicely bound
copies were distributed by him as gifts among his neigh
bours and acquaintance. But it quickly obtained a con
siderable sale, and has passed through twenty editions,

LINDLEY MURRAY. 455
and been translated into French. There was added to it
in some of these editions extracts from divers authors
showing the evil effects of stage plays, and other vain
amusements. Lindley Murray also edited an account of
the life and religious labours of Sarah Grubb, but his
reputation as an author rests on the " English Grammar,"
so intimately associated with his name, the origin of which
is in itself interesting. Much literary and philanthropic
activity prevailed at that time amongst the Friends in
York, in which their American Friend took an important
share, especially in the efforts that were being directed
towards an improved education among the daughters of
Friends. On behalf of these a school had been opened
under the management of members of William Tuke's
family, especially his daughters Ann and Mabel, whose
time was thus freely given to promote the desirable object
of sound English education. In the prosecution of this
they found how little help was then available for the
systematic teaching of our native tongue, and were brought,
consequently, into frequent consultation with their friend
in Holgate, whose literary acquirements, sound judg
ment, and analytical skill, made him as an oracle to
his young friends. The distance of a mile from the city
to his house was through a road then dark and rough,
yet these earnest disciples bravely undertook the journey,
trusting their servant man with his lanthorn to act as
their protector and guide. Soon, at their instigation, the
result of these interviews began to take shape in writing,
lest their value should be lost ; and thus commenced
what became eventually the so well-known and well-be-
thumbed English Grammar of Lindley Murray. It first
appeared in 1795, and met with such widespread appro
bation and use, that in one form or another it must have
passed through some two hundred editions, and become

456 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
until late years an acknowledged and almost sole authority
for the grammatical acquisition of English ; but its origin
was in the desire thus to promote and facilitate the gene
rous efforts of William Tuke's family and some others in
their free education of the daughters of their friends, and
it is interesting to note that the school thus commenced
became the nucleus of that now known as the Friends'
Girls' School in York, under the care of its Quarterly
Meeting. The Grammar was succeeded by his " English
Exercises and Key," intended to correspond with and
illustrate it, which also met with an extensive sale. Then
came his " English Reader," designed, as he described it,
" to assist young persons to read with propriety and
effect," which obtained long-continued and general use in
educational establishments, as also his " English Spelling-
Book." These various works proved so highly remunerative
that their author is said to have received, at various times,
as much as amounted to nearly three thousand pounds,
which he regarded as no accession to his means of living,
but spent in various ways on charitable or philanthropic
objects. He published, likewise, a selection from Bishop
Home's " Commentary on the Psalms," that went through
two editions, as also a biographical sketch of Henry Tuke.
He was, moreover, the author of a " Compendium of
Religious Faith and Practice," that reached its third
edition, and in 1 8 1 7 (nine years before his death) issued
the closing effort of his literary career in a work entitled
" The Duty and Benefit of a Daily Perusal of the Holy
Scriptures in Families." He was wont, in conversation, to
allude to an incident in early life that first awakened his
interest in their perusal, which was his being set to copy,
as a specimen of his best handwriting, the salutation of the
angels to the shepherds at Bethlehem, on a sheet of paper
so tastefully illuminated with an ornamental border, that,

LINDLEY MURRAY.

457

in his desire to make his writing worthy of such a frame
work, its words became deeply impressed on his youthful
mind, and thus, he would say, " a veneration for the Holy
.Scriptures, and a pleasure in perusing them, may be ex
cited [in childhood] by agreeable and interesting associa
tions." Lindley Murray, though for forty years a confirmed
invalid, was able thus to live a life of long-continued,
quiet usefulness, and in the midst of his physical
•weakness could say : " I had many enjoyments and
advantages yet left to me ; I was in general free from
pain ; I could take a little daily exercise. My appetite
was good, and my rest at nights commonly sound and
uninterrupted. I had the society of worthy and intelligent
friends, converse with books, and a regular correspondence
with my distant connections. I was able, too, to attend
public worship once or twice in the week, which I consider
an invaluable privilege." Lindley Murray's religious cha
racter made him a valuable acquisition to York Monthly
Meeting, and for eleven years he was one of its recorded
Ministers, until, finding his voice fail, he requested the
withdrawal of his name, but accepted the appointment
¦of Elder, and continued to fill that station to the satis
faction of his friends until the time of his decease. This
event occurred, after but a brief period of increased weak
ness, at the age of eighty-one, his friends feeling assured
that he realised what he had formerly expressed, " an
humble trust that through the mercy of God in Jesus
Christ I shall be made one of those happy beings who are
employed in His service in the realms of light and joy."
The date of his death was the 1 6th of the 2nd month, 1 826.
His widow survived him many years, and with her death
the association of the family with the old house at Hol-
gate survived only in the loving memory of their friends.

458 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
They were, indeed, " lovely and pleasant in their lives,'"
and in their " deaths " were scarce to be thought of as
"divided." Their mortal forms lie side by side near the
middle of the Old Friends' burial ground, Bishophill,
York ; next to them their old and tried friend William
Tuke, and not far off, wherever the exact place of his
grave may be, the dust of John Woolman.
The above is taken partly from a MSS. sketch of Lindley Murray's
life, by Henry Hipsley, whose mother was the Mabel Tuke who
formed one of those in conversation with whom the Grammar had its
origin, and is founded on personal reminiscences and the memoirs
published in 1826 by Elizabeth Frank.
Also from the " British Cyclopaedia of Biography." There is
an account of Lindley Murray in the Annual Monitor for 1827 ; a
" Memorial" of him was issued by York Monthly Meeting in 1826.
For an account of his books and their numerous editions, see Joseph
Smith's " Catalogue of Friends' Books."
In personal appearance Lindley Murray was tall and well-formed,.
somewhat stout, of dark complexion, and with a ruddy hue, that gave
little indications of his being so confirmed an invalid. His dress
was remarkable for its neatness, and though his manners and address
were in full accord with those of the Society of Friends, he was
distinguished in all his actions and ways by a peculiar courtesy of
demeanour. James Boorne thus alludes to the engraved portrait of Lindley
Murray, Westoby pinxit, Dean sculpsit, and published by Longman
and Co. : — "As might be expected, the proprietors of. his works had
requested him to allow them to have one taken by an eminent artist,
but he had declined. Several sketches were made by various persons-
who occasionally visited him ; but these were unsatisfactory, unless
we except a profile taken by a Mr. Sansom, of Philadelphia, in 1799.
But after his decease several persons went to view his remains, and
among them a miniature painter named Westoby. For his own
purpose, it is said, he made a sketch of the features of the deceased ;
it resulted, however, in a very satisfactory painting, from which
Longmans published the engraving. From every part, not excepting
the neat autograph, it is evident he was a very ' proper ' Friend ;
orderly, accurate, particular, justifying by his very appearance the
descriptions of his various biographers, as to his being a most esti
mable character and exemplary Friend."- — " My Library," Friends'-'
Quarterly Examiner, vol. xi., p. 222.

JAMES NAYLER. 459
JAMES NAYLER.
Born 1616 — Died 1660 — Aged Forty-four Years.
Print 8x6 in.
James Nayler, said to be the son of one Goodman
Nayler, was born in the parish of Ardsley, near Wakefield,
in Yorkshire, about the year 1616. His father was a
husbandman of good repute and property, and gave his
son a good English education. When the civil wars
broke out he entered into the Parliament's army, first
under Lord Fairfax, and afterwards as quarter-master
under Major-General Lambert. He continued in the
army about eight years, when, being disabled by sickness
in Scotland, he returned home about the year 1649.
In 1 6 5 1 , George Fox visited that part of Yorkshire
where James Nayler resided, and he with many others
attached themselves unto him. He appears to have been
one of those who had imbibed, previous to their acquaint
ance with George Fox, the same religious principles, and
therefore gladly received his testimony.
Soon after this, he apprehended himself called to leave
his family and devote himself to the service of God. Of
this he gives a particular account in his trial at Appleby,
of which this is the substance : " That when he was at
plough, meditating on the things of God, he heard a voice
bidding him go out from his kindred and his father's house,
having a promise given with it that the Lord would be
with him." At this he did exceedingly rejoice, that he
had heard the voice of God, Whom he had believed in
from a child, and whom he endeavoured to serve. When
he went home he made preparations for his journey.
It appears that he first travelled into Lancashire, where

460 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
we find him with George Fox in the island of Walney, a
fellow-sufferer in the cruelty of the barbarous inhabitants
of that place. James Nayler afterwards travelled into
Westmoreland, and at Kendal received some rude treat
ment from the priests and people ; but they were not
permitted to injure him or his companions.
At Orton, where he and several Friends designed to
hold a religious meeting, five priests and many people
assembled to make disturbance, and prevent the meeting
being held. The priests invited James and his friends to
hold the meeting in the town field, and they accepted the
offer, seeing that a private house was not sufficient to
accommodate the number collected. Here the priests began
to dispute on the impropriety of meeting there, and collect
ing so many people together to break the peace. Much
wrangling succeeded, after which James returned to the
house of one of his friends, where the meeting was held,
though with much disturbance from the rude people, who
were collected for the purpose of mischief. No material
injury was, however, sustained, and that evening James
left the place, and thus for the present escaped the fury
of his enemies. . . .
In the year 1654 or 5, James Nayler, travelling south
ward, came to London. Here began those temptations
of self-exaltation and spiritual pride, which for a time
separated him from his brethren, and subjected him to
severe bodily sufferings from those who were then in
power. Edward Burrough and Francis Howgil were at that
time in the city, and great success attended their ministry.
With them James Nayler united, and his gift being of a
very sublime and captivating kind, as well as deep and
sound, he became much admired and followed by many of
those who heard him, some of whom were so injudicious

JAMES NAYLER. 461
and weak as to draw invidious comparisons betwen him
and his brethren. This proceeded so far, that Edward
Burrough and Francis Howgil were sometimes interrupted
in their religious services by the pretended friends of James
Nayler. A woman of the name of Martha Simmons was
the principal in this improper conduct ; and when reproved
for it, she made her complaint to James Nayler in so
lamentable and moving a manner, that he was carried
away with her reflections on his best friends and fellow-
labourers in the same Gospel.
When his indiscreet followers had so far prevailed, as in
a great measure to separate him from his former friends,
they proceeded to greater lengths of wild and extravagant
conduct. Leaving London, he travelled as far as Exeter,
where it appears he was committed to prison, and during
his confinement here Martha Simmons, with other two
women alike reprehensible as herself, proceeded so far in
their extravagance as to bow and kneel before him, and
to kiss his feet. Nor did they stop here, but both he and
they became so darkened in their imaginations, that after
his release from Exeter prison, he permitted these women
and a man to act the most extravagant conduct towards
him. The man went bareheaded before him, a woman
led his horse, the three women, already noticed, spread
their scarves and handkerchiefs before him, while a number
of persons in company sang, " Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
God of Hosts ! Hosanna in the highest. Holy, holy,
holy is the Lord God of Israel ! "
When they came to Bristol, James Nayler and several
of his company were examined by the magistrates on
account of their extravagant conduct, and afterwards
committed to prison. From Bristol they were removed
to London, to be examined by the Parliament, or a
committee of the House. The attention of Parliament

462 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
was occupied many days on the subject, and much
diversity of sentiment prevailed on the punishment
proper to be inflicted.
On the 17th December, 1656, after a long debate, the
House came to the following resolution : " That James
Nayler be set on the pillory, with his head in the pillory
in the Palace Yard, Westminster, during the space of two
hours, on Thursday next, and be whipt by the hangman
through the streets, from Westminster to the Old Ex
change, London ; and there likewise be set on the pillory,
with his head in the pillory, for the space of two hours,
between the hours of eleven and one on Saturday next ;
in each place wearing a paper containing an inscription
of his crimes ; and that at the Old Exchange his tongue
be bored through with a hot iron, and he be there also
stigmatised in the forehead with the letter ' B.' And
that he be afterwards sent to Bristol, and be conveyed
through the said city on horseback, with his face back
ward, and there also be publicly whipt the next market-
day after he comes thither ; and that from thence he be
committed to prison in Bridewell, London, and restrained
from the society of all people, and there to labour hard
till he shall be released by Parliament, and during that
time be debarred the use of pen, ink, and paper, and shall
have no relief, but what he earns by his daily labour."
Many people thought that the sentence was a very
severe one to be executed upon a person whose crime
seemed to proceed more from a clouded understanding
than from any evil intention.
The day after the sentence was pronounced, the first
part of it was put in execution, and the flagellation borne
with so much patience and quietness, as was astonishing
to the beholders. His body was in a most pitiable state.
Many people, not Friends, were so affected with the

JAMES NAYLER. 463
severity of this punishment, that application was made
to Parliament for a postponement of the rest of the
sentence, which was to take place only two days after
the first part was executed. This request was granted,
and a week's respite obtained, which was employed in
further applications, first to the Parliament and afterwards
to the Protector, for a total remission of the rest of the
sentence. Notwithstanding the earnest applications which were
made, it was concluded to inflict the remaining part of
the sentence, with the intermission of only one week.
Accordingly, on the 27th, he was taken to the Exchange,
where he was put into the pillory, his tongue bored
through, and his forehead branded with a hot iron. It
was remarkable, that although many thousands of people
were supposed to be present, great quietness prevailed,
and very few were heard to revile him, or seen to throw
anything at him. One general sympathy appears to
have been excited by his cruel punishment, for admitting
the worst on his part, it may certainly be considered as
exhibiting a specimen of the harsh and unfeeling temper
which so generally marked those times.
After the execution of his sentence in London, he was
sent to Bristol, and the remainder was executed there.
He was then committed to Newgate in that city, and
thence returned to Bridewell, in London, where he was
kept a prisoner for about two years. During this
imprisonment he was favoured with a deep sense of
his transgressions, and also with a true repentance for
them ; and having obtained the use of pen and ink, he
wrote several books and papers, condemning his conduct
in very feeling terms, to which he added several more
after his release from Bridewell.
When liberated, he continued some time in London ;

464 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
but it appears went once as far as Bristol, where in a
public meeting he made confession of his' offence in so
powerful a manner, as drew tears from nearly all present ;
and many who were not so before, became reconciled to him.
In the year 1660, he left London with a view of
returning to his family in Yorkshire. In the course of
his journey, he was seen by a Friend of Hertford sitting
by the wayside in a very awful frame of mind. The
Friend invited him to his house, but he declined the
invitation, signifying his desire to press forward. He
proceeded into Huntingdonshire, travelling on foot, and
was observed by a Friend in that county passing through
a town with such a solemn countenance, as indicated his
being redeemed from the earth, and as a stranger or
pilgrim in it, who was seeking a better country and
inheritance. When he was a few miles north of Huntingdon he was
taken ill, and, it was said, robbed and left bound. Being
found by a countryman, he was taken to a Friend's house
at Holne, near King's Ripton. At the latter place lived
Thomas Parnel, a physician, who came to visit him.
After his friends had performed some kind offices to
him, he said : " You have refreshed my body, the Lord
refresh your souls." He did not live long after his removal
to this Friend's house, but departed this life in peace,
about the 8th month, 1660, in the forty -fourth year of
his age, and was buried on the 21st of 8th month, 1660,
in Thomas Parnel's burying ground at King's Ripton.
For further particulars concerning him, we must refer to his
works, edited by George Whitehead, and published in 1716, and to
his numerous controversial writings not included in that collection,
but the titles of which are fully described in Joseph Smith's "Cata
logue of Friends' Books," and the treatises themselves preserved in
the Society's reference library at Devonshire House, also to Joseph
Gurney Bevan' s and Henry Tuke's Lives of James Nayler. Many
others are antagonistic, and of doubtful authority.

JAMES NAYLER. 465
From a " Poetic Memorial to James Nayler," by
Bernard Barton, in which his last dying words are
paraphrased, the following stanzas are selected : —
" I know thy fall to some appears
Our sect's reproach and shame ;
That the dark clouds of distant years
Still hover round thy name ;
That not the sceptic's taunt alone,
And bigot's harsh, upbraiding tone,
Have been to thee unjust ;
But some who ought thy worth to feel,
Thy weakness gladly would conceal,
And view thee with distrust.
" Be it then known — though dire thy fall,
And dark thy errors' night,
Thy spirit rose from every thrall
To liberty and light ;
That through the Saviour's grace Divine,
A peaceful, hopeful end was thine,
His matchless power to tell ;
And Gospel precepts, undefiled,
From lips no more by doubt beguiled,
In dying accents fell.
" There is a spirit which I feel
That would avenge no wrong,
Whose calm endurance can reveal
The hope that maketh strong ;
That hope, which can all wrath outlive,
Contentious bitterness forgive,
The scoffs of pride endure ;
Can wear out cruelty ; subdue
Whatever is opposed unto
Its nature meek and pure.
" It sees to all temptation's end,
And while it suffers not
Aught evil with itself to blend,
No brother's name would blot :
Betrayed, it bears it, for its ground
And spring is mercy ! — it is crown' d
With meekness, love unfeign'd ;
It takes its kingdom but by prayer,
Not strife, and keeps with humble care
What lowliness has gain'd."
30

466 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
GEORGE NEIGHBOUR.
Born 1784 — Died 1865 — Aged Eighty-one Years.
Photograph 7x5 in-
George Neighbour was born at Pangbourne, Berks,
on the 26th of the 8th month, 1784. On coming to
London he was for some time in the employ of Francis
Joshua, tea dealer in one of the streets now absorbed
by Regent Street. He joined Friends through convince-
ment, being admitted into membership by Westminster
Monthly Meeting, and continued one of its members
throughout his prolonged life. He married Hannah,
second daughter of Richard and Jane Lynes, of Bromley,
Middlesex, and went into partnership with William Binns
in the oil and Italian trade, and afterwards founded a
similar business on his own account in High Holborn.
He became acquainted with Thomas Nutt, of Spalding,
Lincolnshire, the inventor of a bee-hive on an improved
method for taking the honey without destroying the
bees, for which he became an agent, and likewise made
several improvements of his own in the construction of
these hives. He was a much-valued member of the
Society. In allusion to this, his Monthly Meeting record
that, " during this lengthened period of more than fifty
years, it was his constant endeavour to promote the
best interests of our religious Society, and whilst diligent
in business, serving his Lord, he was exemplary in his
attendance of all our meetings both for worship and
discipline. He fulfilled for many years the duties of
Overseer, and was appointed to the station of Elder in
1844. His frequent and unobtrusive visits or calls upon
our members, the kindness of his manners, and the

EDWARD NEWMAN, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 467
counsel and encouragement which he often administered,
will be remembered by many who feel that they have
been blessed thereby. During the later years of his life
he chiefly resided at Dorking, but he was rarely absent
from our Monthly Meeting, and a few days before his
death he dictated from his bed of suffering a message
of love to the Friends of his Monthly Meeting, expressive
of the continued interest which he felt in their best
welfare." George Neighbour was married on the 31st of the
8th month, 181 5, a union which was dissolved by the
death of his wife on the 20th of the 5th month, 1857.
His own decease occurred at his residence at Dorking,
Surrey, on the 22 nd of the 5 th month, 1865.

EDWARD NEWMAN, F.L.S., F.Z.S.
Born 1801 — Died 1876 — Aged Seventy-five Years.
Coloured Photograph 7x5 in.
Edward Newman was born at Hampstead on the
13th May, 1 801. His ancestors became members of the
Society of Friends at its rise in 1646, and several of
them suffered imprisonment on account of their faith.
His parents, George and Ann Newman, had four children,
all sons, of whom Edward was the eldest. Both father
and mother had a taste for natural history, and early
inculcated it in their children. One of his brothers
writes : — " Edward's love for natural history was born
with him, and this natural taste was fostered by both
parents. Our father encouraged us by daily conversation
to observe all natural objects ; he knew the notes of all

468 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
the birds of the district, and imparted the knowledge
to his children. . . . Our mother taught us the names
of the wild plants as they came into blossom, and en
couraged us to collect and study them." He himself
writes : — " I had a very, very strong predilection for
butterflies ; I may say even from my nurse's arms."
And evidence of early work in natural history appears
in a minute memorandum-book, inscribed in large capitals
on the first page : " Botany. E. Newman," without date,
but written in pencil, and at so early an age that each
letter is formed separately, and occasional pages are
devoted to " pothooks and hangers."
In the year 1 8 1 2 he was sent to a boarding-school at
Painswick, in Gloucestershire, of which Oade Roberts, a
member of the Society of Friends, was master, where, in
addition to being initiated into classical studies, his love
for natural history was further developed.
On leaving school, in the year 1817, he went to
Godalming, in Surrey, — his mother's birthplace, — to
which his father, formerly in business in London as a
manufacturer of morocco-leather, had removed to a house
just outside the town, and entered into business as a wool
stapler. For ten years father and son continued in the
wool-trade ; but the study of Nature — for which the
neighbourhood of Godalming offered great opportunity —
proved a strong counter-attraction to the younger man,
to whom the routine of business was not congenial.
Nevertheless, he was far from idle, for idleness was foreign
to his nature, not only at this period, but throughout life.
He held that no man need ever be without work. He
knew scarcely any rest : if, when he came home, there
were an interval of only a few minutes before a meal, out
would come books, papers, and insect boxes, and he
would at once be deep in scientific work.

EDWARD NEWMAN, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 469
It was in this spirit of industry that he wandered away
from business at Godalming, and sought more congenial
pursuits in the lanes and fields, the woods and commons,
of the beautiful county of Surrey. Whether shooting
blackcock on Hindhead, climbing old hollow trees for
owlets, or wandering about the lanes with an insect-net,
the mere present pleasure of the occupation was not so
much the principal charm as obtaining knowledge. " When
the lengthening days give the first impulse to the feathered
tribes to bend their course northward for the breeding
season, it is here that I listen for the first notes of the
chiffchaff ; here I watch for the blackcap, the nightingale,
the willow-wrens, the garden warblers, the whitethroat ;
here, hour after hour, have I hunted for their nests, — my
object not being plunder, but information. Often have I
covered my hand with scratches, from the prickles of
briars and brambles, in my attempts to gain a satisfactory
view of a nest and its contents, without causing any
disarrangement, well knowing how great was the risk
of desertion if the parent birds should discover anything
amiss ; and, when deserted, if I knew not the builders, a
nest was valueless. How well was I repaid for bleeding
hands, if I discovered but one point in the history of a
species." In the year 1826 the wool trade at Godalming was
exchanged for a rope business at Deptford. Here he
made many friendships, that ceased only with life itself.
Francis Walker, Edward and Henry Doubleday, John and
William Christy, Samuel Hanson (father of the late Lord
Mayor), and Dr. Bowerbank, were perhaps the most intimate.
But also amongst the Friends he found congenial spirits.
His keen wit, acute perception, his knowledge and genial
manners, rendered him a general favourite ; yet he ap
peared all unconscious of the charm which he possessed.

470 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
He was active also in parish affairs, and by his pen lent
essential aid in overcoming the opposition which, strange
to say, at that time existed against lighting Deptford with
gas. Many were the excursions made with chosen friends,
often extending to long walking tours in different parts of
Great Britain and Ireland. In all these he was humbly
studying Nature, and carefully adding to his already vast
store of information. In 1826 his parents had removed
from Godalming to Leominster, in Herefordshire ; and
thus a fresh country was opened out. It was here that
his first fernery was formed, a graphic description of
which is given in the Introduction to the " History of
British Ferns."
Notwithstanding his incessant and unwearying work in
natural history, and that a great part of his life had been
spent in constant scientific study, there was no haste to
rush into print, for, as he himself says, " What is done
prematurely has most commonly to be done twice ; " and
it was not until the year 1831 that his first paper was
published. This appeared in the Magazine of Natural
History, then edited by J. C. Loudon. His attention at
this time and for some few years later — until 1837 — was
principally devoted to Entomology ; indeed, with the
exception of a few short letters on birds, the whole of his
published writings up to 1838 are upon entomological
subjects. His work on the " Ferns '' now commenced in earnest ;
not only writing the letter-press, but drawing the illustra
tions ; for the whole of the beautiful drawings which
illustrate it — figures, tailpieces, and landscapes — are the
product of his careful pencil. Especial attention should
be called to the fern scutcheon, with the motto, Elegantia
et Humilitate, on the title-page. The book was published

EDWARD NEWMAN, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 471
early in 1 840, and was soon out of print. It was printed
by George Luxford, the printer of the Magazine of Natural
History, and Edward Newman, who was about to be
married, and was in want of a business (having relinquished
that at Deptford some years previously), entered into a
partnership with him, under the firm of Luxford & Co.,
Printers, Rate! iff Highway, at the sign of the "Bouncing
B," which on the accession of an entomological partner
received an insect shape as a trade-mark. Next year,
however, Mr. Luxford was bought out of the business ;
and the printing office was removed to Devonshire Street,
Bishopsgate, where Edward Newman conducted it until
1870, when he retired from business.
After his marriage, Edward Newman resided for two
years in Wellclose Square, being then a near neighbour
of Mr. N. B. Ward, whose beautiful, "closely-glazed"
fernery, in one of the worst parts of London, was a
constant delight. The " stitching parties " at Mr. Ward's
brought together many botanists.
Edward Newman had now settled down to a business
more congenial than either of the former ones. But
although closely occupied, he was by no means debarred
from his scientific studies. In 1840 the Entomologist
was commenced, and in 1841 he published the " History
of Insects," and two years afterwards, on the discontinuance
of the Entomologist, commenced the issue of the Zoologist,
of which he lived to conduct an uninterrupted series of
thirty-three annual volumes, replete with articles from his
own pen on all branches of natural history. His Letters
of Rusticus have been collected and published separately.
In 1 844 a second edition of the " Ferns " made its
appearance, increased from 104 to 424 pages; and in
1854 there was a third edition of this valuable and
popular book.

472 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
The " Insect Hunters ; or, Entomology in Verse,"
appeared anonymously in 1858. It was written for
beginners, and gives an insight into the hidden mysteries
of the science in simple language, and his pen was ever
busy with articles on all branches of natural history for
publication in journals and periodicals.
He had a great affection for all living animals, and
could not bear to see anything suffer, even for its own
good. He frequently visited the Zoological Gardens,
always intent on gaining information ; and in his later
years was earnestly at work on a new classification of
birds. This account is abridged from that in the Zoologist of
1876, which journal regrets its want of space to do
justice to the memory of this great naturalist. He was a
member of many scientific Societies, and had had many
and flattering testimonials to his attainments ; but to him,
no doubt, far more than these formal acknowledgments,
was the general esteem and friendship of those whose
minds he had quickened to love Nature and study her
well. His own habits were quiet, retiring, and domestic.
Life towards its close brought a period of physical
suffering, but he viewed and met his end in peace. His
decease took place on the 12th of 6th month, 1876, and
the interment of the remains was in Nunhead cemetery.

AMELIA OPIE. 473
AMELIA OPIE.
Born 1769 — Died 1853 — Aged Eighty-four Years.
Engraving 8x5 in.
Amelia Opie was the only child of Dr. James Alderson,
a physician of some note in the old cathedral town of
Norwich, in which place she was born, November 1 2th,
1769. Her mother, Amelia, was the daughter of Joseph
Briggs, of Cossambaza, upon the Ganges,
It appears that Amelia Opie's mother was a woman
of good sense and judgment, and that she endeavoured
early to teach her child obedience and self-denial. " Her
word was law ; " and though fragile in health, she seems to
have been gifted with much natural strength of character.
She died when her daughter was yet a girl, but it was
perceptible, even to the latest period of Amelia Opie's life,
that the influence exerted by her mother never faded from
the daughter's memory, but left indelible traces there ; and
not unfrequently would she speak of her mother with
respect and veneration.
Deprived then of the care of her maternal parent,
Amelia was committed to the superintendence of a lady of
considerable ability, with whom she spent many years of
her early life, and by whom her love of literary pursuits
was anxiously fostered. It was not, however, till the age
of thirty-two, about three years after her marriage, that
she ventured to offer any of her literary compositions to
the world.
Amelia Alderson was placed by her mother's death
at the head of her father's household, and introduced
into the very gay society of the Norwich circles of that
day. Dr. Alderson naturally delighted in his daughter's

474 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
talents. He made her his constant companion, and to
his instructions she was in a great degree indebted for
the information and acquirements which qualified her to
take a part in entertaining the numerous and clever
guests whom he gathered round him. It was a perilous
situation for a young girl deprived of a mother's watchful
care, and without the loving influence and support of
other female relatives. There was plenty to delight her
lively, joyous temperament, but she needed the salutary
checks which maternal influence would have exerted, and
for the want of which even the devoted attachment of her
proud father could not compensate.
High spirits, uninterrupted health, a lively fancy, and
mental vigour, were natural advantages she possessed, and
fully enjoyed and exercised. To these she added great
musical talent, and excelled to a most remarkable degree
in that expressive style of ballad-singing which seems no
longer to be cultivated in these days of musical science.
She grew up a fine, intellectual, and even beautiful
woman, having amongst her friends the character of a
cheerful and fashionable, but noble-minded and benevolent
lady. During one of her London visits, she formed an
acquaintance which was destined to affect her future
history for life. In the house of a mutual friend she
was introduced to the painter, John Opie, then enjoying
a considerable degree of popular favour. He was charmed
and fascinated at first sight, and pursued with eager
earnestness the suit which he instantly commenced. At
first there seemed doubts of his success, but eventually she
inclined to accept his proposal, and in the month of May
I79&> John Opie and Amelia Alderson were married at
Marylebone church, she being the second wife of the
artist.

AMELIA OPIE.

475

John Opie was a native of St. Agnes, near Truro, in
Cornwall, where, while yet very young, he exhibited a
•considerable talent for art, insomuch that his genius
attracted the attention of Dr. Walcot (Peter Pindar), who
became his ardent patron, and who prophesied that his
young friend would turn out one of the greatest painters
the world had seen. In this, however, the worthy doctor
was mistaken. Opie was no mean artist, nevertheless,
and perhaps, when we consider the necessarily limited
experience which fell to his share, we may venture to
assert that the stride which he made towards eminence
Tvas enormous. He visited London in 1781, and acquired
•celebrity by some pictures in the Exhibition of the Royal
Academy, and by some which he painted for the Boydell
and Macklin galleries. In 1786 he was admitted an
Associate of the Royal Academy, and an Academician in
the following year. In the spring of the year 1807, just
nine years subsequent to his second marriage, John Opie,
after a few weeks' illness, sank and died. His wife did all
that was in her power to soothe and comfort him. After
his death his widow returned to her early home, and
-continued, during the remainder of Dr. Alderson's life,
to live with him.
Among the friends of her early days were the well-
known and much-honoured family of the Gurneys. Her
intercourse with them dated from a very early period, and
when Elizabeth Fry, on her marriage, settled in London,
Amelia Opie visited her there. After her return to
Norwich, on the death of her husband, she resumed her
former habits of intimacy with the family at Earlham, and
formed a warm friendship with Priscilla, the youngest
sister, whose lovely and Christian character especially
•endeared her to those around her, and whose influence on
Amelia Opie, combined with that of her brother, Joseph

476 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
John Gurney, appears to have been the principal means of
producing that gradual change of sentiment which eventu
ally led to her joining the Society of Friends. Amelia
Opie's sudden recall from her London visit was the death
of John Gurney, the elder brother of Joseph John Gurney.
He had been for some time in a declining state of health,.
but the end seems to have been unexpectedly rapid, and
happened at this period. To the memory of this lamented
Friend A. Opie dedicated the second of her " Lays for the
Dead," which was written after attending his funeral in
the Friends' burying ground at Norwich.
From this period Amelia Opie attended the meetings of
Friends ; and continued to do so until she was received
into membership, eleven years after. In 1814 she says
she left the Unitarians. It does not appear, indeed, that
she was ever in actual communion with that body. It
seems most likely that in her youth she had no settled
opinions on religious subjects, and that the mere circum
stances of her birth and education associated her with the
Unitarians. After uniting herself to Friends, she constantly attended
their meetings. In the Bible and Anti-Slavery Societies
she took a deep interest, which became increasingly warm,
and induced her, after a time, to engage actively in their
promotion. Amelia Opie's literary labours were now directed into a
different channel. In the place of novels, having a some
what indefinite morale, she devoted herself to the direct
injunction of Christian duties, and warned her fellow-
creatures against the vices into which all are in danger
of falling.
Of Amelia Opie's character, during the quarter of a cen
tury that she spent as a member of the Society of Friends,.
a writer in The Daily News observes : " She tended her

AMELIA OPIE. 477
father unremittingly in his decline ; she improved greatly
in balance of mind and evenness of spirits during her long
and close intimacy with the Gurneys ; and there never
was any doubt about her beneficent disposition, shown by
her family devotedness, no less than by her bounty to the
poor. Her majestic form moved through the narrowest
streets of the ancient city, and her bright face was seen
lighting up the most wretched abodes. The face never
lost its brightness, nor the heart its youthfulness and
gaiety. She was a merry laugher in her old age, and
even, if the truth be spoken, still a bit of a romp — ready
for Bo-peep and hide-and-seek in the midst of a morning
call, or at the end of a grave conversation. She enjoyed
showing prim young Quaker girls her ornaments, plumes,
and satins, and telling when she wore them ; and, when in
Paris, she ingenuously exhibited in her letters to her
Quaker friends the conflict in her feelings when Louis
Philippe, attended by his staff, stopped to converse with
her in the streets of Paris, and when the Queen of the
French requested her to appoint an evening for a party
at the Tuileries. She made a pleasant joke of the staring
of the Parisians at her little grey bonnet, and sighed and
prayed that she might not be puffed up by all the rest.
She was not really spoilable, and her later years were full
of grace and kindliness. She suffered much from rheu
matic lameness, but with great cheerfulness on the whole
— almost merrily.
She died with the love and respect of all who had the
advantage of an acquaintance with her many excellences,
and breathed her last at her residence, on the Castle
Meadow, on the 2nd of the 12th month, 1853, aged
84 years. She was interred on the 9th of the same
month in Friends' burial ground at the Gildencroft,
Norwich, in the same grave with her father. About two

478 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
hundred persons are supposed to have attended her funeral.
In the " Memoir " of her by Celia Lucy Brightwell, pub
lished by the Religious Tract Society, 1855 and 1857, is
a " view of her grave ; " the same work has also a
" Portrait " of her when young, and a " view of her residence
at Castle Meadow." The " Memorials," published in 1854,
8vo, has a portrait of her in the latter part of her life,
after she became a Friend.
For an account of her books and their various editions see Joseph
Smith's " Catalogue of Friends' Books."
The above is partly taken from her "Memoirs," by Brightwell,
and from Friends' Review, vol. vii., and other sources.
The following hymn, written in or about 1828, is very
illustrative of her feelings, and is a pleasing specimen of her
religious poetry. THANKSGIVING.
" There's not a leaf within the bower,
There's not a bird upon the tree,
There's not a dewdrop on the flower,
But bears the impress, Lord, of Thee.
" Thy hand the varied leaf designed,
And gave the bird its thrilling tone ;
Thy power the dewdrop's tints combined,
Till like a diamond's blaze they shone.
"Yes, dewdrops, leaves, and buds, and all,
The smallest, like the greatest things, —
The sea's vast space, the earth's wide ball,
Alike proclaim Thee King of kings.
" But man alone to bounteous heaven
Thanksgiving's conscious strains can raise ;
To favour'd man alone 'tis given
To join the angelic choir in praise."
Dr. Chalmers, when on a visit to Joseph John Gurney
at Earlham Hall, met with Amelia Opie, and after de
scribing some of the other guests thus alludes to her : —
" But last of all another lady, who dined and spent the
night, now aged, and in Quaker attire, which she had but

AMELIA OPIE.

479

recently put on, and who, in early life, was one of the
most distinguished of our literary women ; whose works
thirty years ago I read with great delight ; no less a
person than the celebrated Mrs. Opie, authoress of the
most exquisite feminine tales, for which I used to place
her by the side of Mrs. Edgeworth. It was curious to
myself that, though told by Mr. Gurney in the morning of
her coming to dine, I had forgot the circumstance, and the
idea of the accomplished novelfst and poet was never once
suggested by the image of this plain-looking Quakeress,
till it rushed upon me after dinner ; when it suddenly and
inconceivably augmented the interest I felt in her. We
had much conversation, and drew greatly together ; walk
ing and talking together with each other on the beautiful
lawn after dinner. She has had access into all kinds of
society, and her conversation is all the more rich and
interesting. ... I felt my new acquaintance with her to
be one of the great acquisitions of my present journey ;
and this union of rank, and opulence, and literature, and
polish of mind, with plainness of manners, forms one of
the great charms of the society in this house.*
AMELIA OPIE.
" Bright noontide crown'd her youthful bloom,
Warm was her eve of radiant life ;
Then the sick couch, the chamber's gloom,
The lingering pains of mortal strife.
" But Christ was there : He made her bed
In sickness, did the gloom dispel ;
Above the billows bore her head,
And whisper' d Peace ineffable.
" Gems of rare lustre, gems of price,
The living character inlay ;
Ne'er did devout self-sacrifice
So rule in one that seemed so gay !

* See " Life of Dr. Chalmers," vol. ii., pp. 398-4°°-

480 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
' ' Another's wants her own obscured,
Another's woes her own became :
Faithful her friendship, that endured
With cheering, bright, and constant flame."
William Ball.
Amelia Opie was aunt to the present Marchioness of
Salisbury, who was married as a Miss Alderson to the
present Marquis and now Prime Minister (1888), when, as
a younger son, he was known but as Lord R. Cecil.

JOHN OVEREND.
Born 1769 — Died 1832 — Aged Sixty-two Years.
A Coloured Sketch 9x7 in.
John Overend, son of John and Isabel Overend, was
born at Settle, Yorkshire, on 2nd of 6th month, 1769.
This Friend, who became alike one of the shrewdest and
wealthiest of London money-lenders, came originally from
the north, and, it is said, with so little means of his own,
as to have worked his way up to London by driving the
horses of the waggons while their waggoners slept inside.
He soon entered the service of Smith & Holt, woollen-
factors and bankers. Here his knowledge of the road,
and his trustworthiness, led to his being sent to and fro
to Norwich with valuable banker's parcels, which brought
him into acquaintance with John Gurney of that city.
To this Friend he communicated a plan that had occurred
to him of greatly simplifying the then existing system of
discount, which was to charge two commissions on all
transactions, one to the lender and the borrower.
John Overend thought a sufficient profit could be made
if but one commission were charged, and that on the party

JOHN OVEREND. 481
borrowing the money. It gained the approval of John
Gurney, and in consequence, through his support, John
Overend, leaving the banking-house, commenced business
as a discount and bill-broker on this one commission
system, in a small office upstairs in a house in Finch
Lane, Cornhill. He induced Thomas Richardson, who
was then a clerk at Smith, Wright, & Gray's, to become
associated with him in this enterprise, and the rapid
success that attended it induced John Gurney to allow
his son Samuel, then very young, to enter the concern,
which moved to larger premises, and became famous in
commercial circles as the firm of Overend, Gurney, & Co.
John Overend married Mary Kitching, a sister of John
Kitching, but left no family.
He lived, during his latter years, in a beautiful park
like estate, situate at Chitt's Hill, near Southgate, where
he died on 17th of 1st month, 1832, and where his
widow, who survived him more than thirty years, died at
the age of 79 years, on the 20th of 8th month, 1862.
Her delicate health had prevented her mixing much
in society ; but the suffering and afflicted often had
substantial proof of the good use she made of the
abundant means placed at her disposal.

31

482 biographical catalogue.
SYDNEY PARKINSON.
Date of Birth Unknown — Died 1771.
Engraving 6x5 *'«¦
Sydney Parkinson was the younger son of Joel Parkin
son, brewer, of Edinburgh, one of the people commonly
called Quakers, and, it is said, well known and esteemed
by men of all ranks in that city. His success in life,
however, was by no means equal to that probity of
mind and purity of manners for which he was eminently
distinguished, a generosity of disposition inducing him
to be improvidently remiss in prosecuting the recovery
of his just debts ; a circumstance which, aggravated
by other sinister accidents, rendered his family, on his
decease, dependent on their own talents and industry for
their future support. His son Sydney was put to the
business of a woollen-draper ; but, taking a particular
delight in drawing flowers, fruits, and other objects of
natural history, he became soon so great a proficient in
that style of painting, as to attract the notice of the most
celebrated botanists and connoisseurs in that study. In
consequence of this, he was, some time after his arrival in
London, recommended to Joseph Banks, Esq., whose very
numerous collection of elegant and highly finished draw
ings of that kind, executed by Sydney Parkinson, is a
sufficient testimony both of his talents and application.
His recommendation being so effectually confirmed by
these proofs of ingenuity and industry, Joseph Banks
made him the proposal of going in the capacity of bota
nical draughtsman on the then intended voyage to the
South Seas. An insatiable curiosity for such researches
prevailed over every consideration of danger that reason-

JAMES PARNEL. 483
ably suggested itself as the necessary attendant of so
long, so perilous, and, to my poor brother, so fatal a
voyage. He accordingly accepted Joseph Banks' offer,
though by no means an alluring one, if either views of
profit, or perhaps even prudence, had influenced his
determination. His appointment for executing such
drawings of singular botanical subjects and curious
objects of natural history as might occasionally be met
with on the voyage, was settled at £80 per annum. In
this capacity, and under this moderate encouragement,
Sydney Parkinson undertook to accompany Joseph
Banks to the South Seas.
Sydney Parkinson did not live to return from this voyage ; he died
during it on the 26th of ist month, 1771, and left a Journal, pub
lished by his brother in 1773, from the Preface to which these
particulars have been taken. It shows that the young draughtsman
took full advantage of the opportunities the voyage gave him for
studying the character and customs of the natives of those countries,
and he acquired a large collection of their implements and dresses,
and of other valuable curiosities, the possession of which unfor
tunately became a subject of contention between Sir Joseph Banks
and the executor, and needed the kind offices of Dr. Fothergill as
arbitrator to effect their adjustment.

JAMES PARNEL.
Born 1637 — Died 1656 — Aged Nineteen Years.
No Portrait.
JAMES PARNEL was born at Retford, in Nottinghamshire,
in 1637. It is not easy to ascertain the precise station
of life in which he moved. It is stated in the mittimus
by which he was committed to Colchester Castle, that he
was a " labourer." He says of himself that he was

484 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
engaged in his " outward calling " when he was not
occupied in the service of truth ; and that " he challenged
no property in the earth." Hence it is probable that
his circumstances were humble. William Sewel, in his
"History," informs us that he was "trained up in the
schools of literature : " a statement probably derived from
a remark of James Parnel, that he was " sent unto schools
of human learning for to learn human wisdom, for which
end the schools are profitable." His writings, however,
seem to indicate that, while he had received an education
beyond the medium of that day, it was but limited ; and
it certainly was not extended beyond his fourteenth year.
Henry Tuke supposes he might have received instruction
at the grammar school at Retford.
About 1653 he found his mind drawn to visit some
Friends in the north of England, " with whom," he says,
" I had union in spirit before I saw their faces." It was
in this journey that he visited George Fox in Carlisle
jail. George's account of him is : "J. Parnel, a little lad,
about sixteen years of age, came to see me, and was
convinced. The Lord quickly made him a powerful
Minister of the Word of Life, and many were turned to
Christ by him."
James Parnel returned home from the north, and for
a time pursued his outward calling. When about seven
teen or eighteen years of age, he was sent to a people
to whom the Lord was making known His truth. He
was afterwards moved to go to Cambridge, and from this
time he was apparently exclusively occupied in the Lord's
service, either by preaching, by writing epistles to confirm
those who were convinced, or books against the opponents
of truth, or by lying in prison for his testimony to the
cause of Christ.
He continued in Cambridgeshire about half a year, and

JAMES PARNEL. 485
then went into Essex. In both counties he met with much
opposition, but many were convinced by his ministry.
Among the rest was Stephen Crisp, of Colchester, who
was afterwards a very able Minister. In this town James
spent about ten days at this time, preaching in one day
first at his own lodgings, next, after the service, in one of
the public places of worship, and afterwards in a large
meeting appointed for him. Many thousands of people
were this day partakers of his Gospel labours.
From Colchester he went to Coggeshall. A fast was
appointed by the Independents, who were then the ruling
party in Church and State. The object of it was to pray
against the spreading of error, by which they meant the
doctrines of the Quakers. When the priest had finished
his sermon, James Parnel commenced a reply to the
reflections which had been cast upon his friends. In his
discourse he was interrupted, and some dispute ensued,
after which he left the place ; but he was followed by a
justice of the peace, who arrested him in the name of the
Protector, and committed him to Colchester Castle. In
the course of a few weeks he was removed to Chelmsford
to take his trial. A long indictment was read. The
judge did all he could, by a wrong interpretation to the
reply which he had written to the mittimus, to incense
the jury against him ; and even went so far as to tell
them, that if they did not find him guilty, the sin would
lie upon their own heads. Notwithstanding this unjust
conduct, the jury returned, and said they could charge
him with nothing but the paper he had written in reply
to his mittimus after he was imprisoned. But this did
not satisfy the judge. He was re-committed to prison,
and two fines, value ^40, imposed upon him.
Not feeling at liberty to pay the fines which had been
imposed, he was taken back to Colchester jail.

486 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
After some time of confinement here, he was put into
a hole in the wall of the castle, not so large as some
bakers' ovens. His ascent to this was by a ladder, which
was about six feet short of the hole he had to enter, and
a rope was fixed to remedy this inconvenience. By this
ladder and rope he had to ascend and descend on all
occasions, nor would his cruel keepers permit him to have
a cord and basket, with which to draw up his victuals.
One day, after he had ascended the ladder, and was
catching at the rope, he missed his aim, and fell down to
the ground on j^the stones. When first found he was
supposed to be dead ; but this did not prove the case.
He was, however, much bruised and wounded by his fall.
These sufferings, increased by cold and damp, were too
great for nature to support, and after ten or eleven months'
confinement, his youthful constitution sunk under them.
He died in 1656, and was interred in the castle-yard,
where the other prisoners were commonly buried, because
the jailer refused to give up the body without fees.
Gerard Croese says, " His body was tumbled away to the place
where malefactors are executed and interred."
We refer for further interesting particulars concerning this youth
ful martyr to George Fox's "Journal," Sewel's " History of Friends,"
"Piety Promoted," Tuke's "Life of James Parnel," Callaway's
" Life of James Parnel," the collection of his writings, etc., etc.
Gerard Croese speaks thus of James Parnel : "A youth of fifteen
years of age, well skilled in the tongues, and of no obscure birth or
condition. This young man, having so boldly adventured, in so
tender an age, on such an enterprise, was disowned, disinherited,
rejected, and shut out of doors by his parents, friends, and relations,
all upon this account."

EDWARD PEASE. 487
EDWARD PEASE.
Born 1767 — Died 1858 — Aged Ninety-one Years.
Engraving 1 2 x 1 1 in.
Edward Pease, of Darlington, — the father of British
railway enterprise, and the founder of the first passenger
railway in England, — was born there the 3 1 st of the 5 th
month, 1767, and died 3 1st of the 7th month, 1858. The
following is taken from an obituary notice in the Illustrated
London News of August 7th, 1858 : —
"Edward Pease, whose name will ever be associated with
this country's great railway system, as its originator and
fostering parent, was born in 1767. Having been brought
up to business, he occupied himself in trade, till he had
passed the usual prime of life, when he embarked in his
famous career of railway enterprise. The earliest' project
to which he gave his mind was the formation of a line of
rail from the Auckland coal-pits to the Tees' banks at
Stockton. In 1821 the Stockton and Darlington Bill
received the sanction of the Legislature, and the first rail
was laid at Stockton, 23rd May, 1822. The object of
the Company concerned, at the head of which stood
Mr. Pease, was the transport of coal for land sale. Horse
power was in the beginning employed ; but in 1823 the
Act was amended by the conferring of an entirely new
power, viz., that of using locomotive engines. At this
time Mr. Pease and George Stephenson laboured hand
in hand, and the gradual development of the former's
original idea was their united work. Immediately after
the passing of their amended Act, they started a locomotive
foundry at Newcastle, whence in due course, and in great
pomp, came forth the first engine of the Stockton and

488 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Darlington line — a remarkable specimen of engineering
skill, which now occupies a pedestal in front of the railway
station at Darlington. Horse and engine were alike used
at the outset, but it was not till the works were in progress
that any one ever thought of carrying passengers. In all
the labour attending a growth of things so novel and
increasingly complex Mr. Edward Pease took a large
and responsible share. Though sixty years of age, he
was seldom or never absent from his post ; and
though engaged, either personally or through his sons, in
various concerns, he gave to this railway occupation
unwearying and assiduous attention. Mr. Pease's mind
was thoughtful, shrewd, and ready in resource ; his
indomitable energy and perseverance, and his sound
judgment, eminently qualified him to be the founder
of a system which was to meet with giant opposition
only to yield to gigantic exertion. He was the very
man to lead a cause, the success of which was to alter,
as it has already done in some measure, the face of the
world. He stood manfully by the great railway innova
tion, upon which he had set his heart, when thousands
drew back, and most people called him schemer and
fool. He lived to see the tables turned. With intellect
unimpaired, at almost the utmost boundary of human life,
Mr. Pease, even under the weight of some ninety years,
loved to descant and joke on the prejudiced blindness
which so long had made him the subject of public ridicule.
His triumph was great indeed, for history cannot find its
equal ! Mr. Pease married Rachel, daughter of John and
Dorothy Whitwell, of Kendal and leaves three sons —
John, Joseph (M.P. for South Durham from 1832 to
1 84 1, and the first Quaker who ever sat in the House
of Commons), and Henry Pease (now M.P. for South
Durham), and one daughter, Mrs. Gibson, of Saffron

EDWARD PEASE. 489
Walden. Mr. Edward Pease died on the 31st ult., at
bis residence, Northgate, Darlington. In him the Society
of Friends loses its oldest and most consistent member ;
and the inhabitants of Darlington feel that a man has
gone from amongst them who was an honour to their
town, and whose like is not often to be looked on again."
Samuel Smiles, in his " Life of George Stephenson," has
paid a tribute to Edward Pease's character, " as a thought
ful, sagacious man, one of whom it was said, ' could see a
hundred years ahead ! ' ready in resources, possessed of
indomitable energy and perseverance," and describes him
as in his eighty-eighth year, " hale and hearty, possessing
the hopefulness and mental vigour of a man in his prime,
full of interesting reminiscences of the past, yet entering
with interest into the life of the present, with warm
sympathy for all current projects likely to render the
lives of men happier. Still sound in health, his eye had
not lost its brilliancy, nor his cheek its colour ; and
there was an elasticity in his step which younger men
might have envied."
There is an account given in this work of that first
meeting of George Stephenson and Edward Pease, which
was so pregnant in its consequences to the world's history,
but the following is communicated from one who heard
Edward Pease narrate (as he was fond of doing) the
circumstances of their first acquaintance. " I was that
morning rather specially engaged on some writing, when
I was informed that a man wished to speak with me, and
on going to the door, found my visitor to be a large
roughly dressed pitman as to his appearance, with a furry
¦cap on his head, who in very broad Northumbrian stated
his object in calling was to offer his help to make our
railway. My feelings of courtesy towards a stranger"
{said Edward Pease) '• were needed to prevent expressions

49O BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
of surprise at one like himself offering so abruptly to do
what some of the best engineers of the day we had
consulted had not been able to accomplish, but I
replied, that though little prospect could be entertained
of his being of any service to us, he was welcome to
come in and refresh himself after his long walk. So
whilst my visitor took his seat in the kitchen for this
purpose, I " (said Edward Pease) " went back to resume the
writing on which I had been engaged when thus in
terrupted ; but so strange a feeling came over my mind,
that I was quite unable to re-collect my thoughts, and an
impulse, as of a power greater than myself, led me to lay
down my pen and go to the kitchen for some further
conversation with my strange visitor, whom I found
heartily enjoying the good fare my domestics had placed
before him. Here, seating myself on the kitchen dresser, I
listened as he opened out to me his ideas as to how he
could make us a railway, and I soon felt that the man
was indeed before me who could do it ; so he did not
leave my house without an appointment to come again
and meet some of those who were associated with me in
the enterprise. When this took place, there were with them,
as there had been with myself, the same first feelings of
surprise succeeded by the same conviction, that in George
Stephenson, who at that time was but a colliery engineer,
we should have one who could solve the problem of an
iron road from our coal pits at Darlington to the ships*
wharves at the port of Stockton ; and that we were
right to an extent of which we then had no conception,.
the railway system has made manifest."
This is the recollection of a conversation had with Edward Pease-
in a railway train when he was near upon ninety years of age, and as-
he concluded, he drew from his pocket a valuable gold watch, on the
inner case of which was an inscription, showing it to be a gift

EDWARD PEASE.

491

by George Stephenson, testifying in most grateful terms as to what
he owed for his life's success to Edward Pease.
In a work published in 1852, called " Our Iron Roads," it
is stated, " To the success of the Stockton and Darlington
line may be traced the origin of all the others ; and to
Mr. Pease, its originator, may be ascribed the first
practical test of the capabilities of a system truly
characterised as a well-spring of intellectual, moral,
and political benefits, beyond all measurement and all
price — creating such a revolution in our internal trade
and resources as no thinking man can contemplate
without being lost in wonder. To be a leader in such an
enterprise is an eminently honourable position ; for when
the first difficulties had been overcome, and success was
proved, others followed with comparative ease and
security." Of Edward Pease's life as a member of the Society of
Friends the following particulars are taken chiefly from
the Annual Monitor of 1859. He was for two years a
pupil at Joseph Tatham's (the Elder's) school at Leeds, but
according to the method then approved for making good
tradesmen, he was in his fifteenth year placed in his father's
business, who purchased wool of the farmer, and made and
sold the finished goods. Here the son passed through all
the processes involved, took his place among the wool-
sorters, sat at the loom making it into fabrics, worked with
the dyers, and having become a proficient in all the stages
of manufacture, was by eighteen years of age engaged in
travelling on horseback from place to place buying and
selling with energy and prudence. During these active
business engagements his mind became seriously im
pressed, and by acts of self-denial showed the resolution
forming in his mind to live as in the world, and yet not
of the world. Thus it was observed how he laid aside

492 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
his gun, and relinquished various field sports that had been
sources of pleasure to him, also the reading of light
literature, of which, as a lad, he had been fond.
At twenty-nine years of age Rachel Whitwell became
his wife, and was one who thoroughly supported him in
these resolutions, being a person of sound judgment, refined
manners, and a deeply pious mind. Their happy union
terminated in 1833, after they had been married thirty-
seven years ; and many a time during the long period
that Edward Pease survived this bereavement would he
retire to stand in meditation over her grave, giving
expression to musings rich in pathetic affection and
Christian feeling.
Both husband and wife were firm in their attachment
to the principles of the Society of Friends, in which Edward
Pease was an Elder and his wife a recorded Minister.
Their outward engagements were always kept subservient,
and regulated by their religious duties. Even in the midst
of his most abounding labours in his own neighbourhood
and for the public, and all through his harassing railway
engagements, Edward Pease is never known to have
allowed them to omit his attendance at a week-day
meeting or a meeting for Discipline, so that when occupy
ing responsible public positions, his coadjutors knew it
was in vain to expect his presence during the hours set
apart for religious service, and they cheerfully yielded to
his Christian firmness in this respect. When about fifty
years of age, Edward Pease, thinking he had acquired
sufficient property, was much withdrawn from business in
favour of his sons. But his energies and wonderful faculties
found a new scope in that railway enterprise to which he
was led by an impulse as for general good rather than for
personal gain. He has been heard to say that he was
impelled towards these novel enterprises, and sustained,

EDWARD PEASE. 493
amid the cares and perplexities they involved, by a strong
sense of duty, and none who knew him but will admit
that he conducted them in an earnest, reverential spirit.
" Many a time," says George Stephenson, " would my heart
have failed me but for a look at your calm countenance,
that showed no sign of despair in the midst of opposition
and defeats." The world at large seems to know but little
of what it owes in the establishment of the first railway
to this firm Friend, who, with his feet as on a rock, looked
with a faith sustained by religious confidence over all the
party strife to the end. Its success and the success of the
engine factory that he and George Stephenson started,
brought him eventually wealth. " But this" (he would say)
" came to me ; my heart was not in it." And so free was he
from what is called money-making, that he is said never
to have sold a share in his life. At sixty- three he retired
from all direct management in railway affairs. A period of
prolonged and severe illness now brought him to the gates
of death. His final arrangements were made, and the family
awaited in hourly expectation the closing scene ; but as
from the grave, he was raised to a life of remarkably
sustained length and vigour, in which he could say (almost
to its close) as to fatigue, " That is something with which
I am very little acquainted." Of these extraordinary
energies no small share was given to the interests of
the Society, in which he became a pillar and tower of
strength for all that concerned its welfare. The members
of his own Meeting found him ever ready with the word
of warning in tenderness and love ; of counsel in debate,
or consolation to the mourner ; and in the general Assembly
his influence was as of a father in the faith. Often after a
protracted discussion, in which many conflicting views had
been set forth, his manly and venerable form uprising with
a few well-chosen sentences spoken in love, but with much

494 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
authority, would be accepted as a right decision by the
meeting, for he spake as one living in spirit near to the
source of true wisdom. Edward Pease, notwithstanding
his manifold engagements, travelled frequently as a member
of Committees or in association with Ministers, — amongst
the latter D. Sands, Stephen Grellet, his own son John
Pease, and Hannah C. Backhouse, — and on these occasions
his love and interest were warmly manifested in desires
that the flock might be watered. Long was the blessing
of such a patriarch continued to his friends ; and he had
passed into and beyond his ninetieth year before the
hour of parting came. It was marked by gentle, reverent
submission, calm, unabated hope, " A meek trust in the
mercies of my God and Saviour, and what they have done
for me ; " and when his breath had slowly left him, his
friends felt that it was " A Prince in their Israel," who
was no more.
In the Annual Monitor's account are various extracts
from a diary Edward Pease had kept of his later years.
One, in reference to the railway enterprise, confirms what
has been stated respecting the pious turn of his mind in
respect to that, in the origin of which, he had so great a share.
3rd month, 30th day, 1841. — "A day of great bustle
and unsettlement from the opening of the great North of
England Railway. Twenty years ago, these projects, or
rather that from the coal district, had much of interest to
my mind ; and its completion in 1825 may be said to
have given birth to all others in the world. For the cause
of humanity, at least, I believe them to be useful, and,
being in the permission of infinite wisdom, hope they may
not be wrong ; but I desire to acknowledge with thank
fulness that my mind is broken off, or weaned from all new
schemes, and is, above all things, desirous of union and
communion with God my Saviour in time and in eternity."

JOHN PEASE.

EDWARD PEASE.
" Patriarch of a lengthened line !
Many generations thou
Numberest as already thine
In thy widening circle now.

" Many works of many days,
Many projects thine have been ;
To thy prescience ' Iron ways,'
Present ere by others seen.
" But while thus to serve thine age
Was not deem'd a work in vain ;
Most it did thy thoughts engage
How to spread Immanuel's reign."

495

William Ball.

JOHN PEASE.
Born 1797 — Died 1868 — Aged Seventy-one Years.
Painting 10 x 8 inches.
JOHN PEASE was born at Darlington, and was the son
of Edward and Rachel Pease, the eldest of a family
of eight.
Many have listened to his own impressive account of
the effectual care of pious parents, co-operating with the
very early visitations of Divine grace to his soul. He
was blessed at home with the care of a pious governess,
until placed at the boarding-school of Joseph Tatham in
Leeds. The religious example and care of which he
there partook were very gratefully remembered by him ;
and in riper years, in the course of his service for the
Lord, his once kind master became his beloved travelling
companion. His education was completed under the like

496 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
loving attention and oversight by Josiah Forster, at his
establishment at Southgate. Here again were sown the
seeds of life-enduring Christian fellowship. Amid the
many temptations of a schoolboy's life his upright and
conscientious conduct were often noticed ; and it is
believed that even then the fear of the Lord was to
him as a fountain of life. In reference to a rather later
period, when necessarily associated with workpeople whose
conduct and conversation were in many cases corrupt and
sceptical, testimony is yet borne to the influence his
circumspect walk had in the mill or the warehouse ; and
the prayer that went up that he might be kept from the
evil was graciously answered. Separated, as he often
was, for weeks together from home and friends, as he
journeyed on horseback, and exposed to every variety
of intercourse and temptation incident to a commercial
traveller, the same simplicity of appearance, address, and
watchfulness were obvious ; and he received many marks
of approval and respect where such recognition of principle
could not have been expected. During these journeys,
whenever extra exertion rendered it practicable, his aim
was to be amongst Friends on First days and at their
week-day meetings ; and when this was not possible, the
appointed hours were attentively observed in retirement
before the Lord in his own room.
In the year 1823 he married Sophia, youngest daughter
of Joseph and Grace Jowitt, of Leeds, a union on which
the Divine blessing largely rested for about forty-five
years. When only about twenty-two years of age (in 18 19),
he first spoke as a Minister of the Gospel, and in the
1 2th month, 1822, was recorded as such by Darlington
Monthly Meeting. For nearly half a century he was
enabled, through Divine goodness, to "speak to others

JOHN PEASE.

497

edification, and exhortation, and comfort," to tell of that
redeeming love of which he had himself partaken, and to
" preach the unsearchable riches of Christ."
At various times he visited all the Quarterly and
nearly all the Monthly and particular meetings of Friends
in Great Britain and Ireland ; in addition to more ex
tended journeys on the continents of Europe and America.
No fewer than forty-six certificates were granted by his
Monthly Meeting, expressive of its cordial sympathy and
concurrence in these labours of love during the forty-six
years of his ministry, subsequent to his acknowledgment
by the Church. The first of these was addressed to the
Quarterly Meeting of Cumberland in 1825, when he was
accompanied by his beloved father. As a member of
various committees appointed by the Yearly Meeting
to visit its subordinate meetings, John Pease was several
times largely engaged, as well as on similar appointments
made by Durham Quarterly Meeting of a less extended
character. Before leaving to visit America, the path of duty was
very clearly revealed, although he was called to pass
through many inward baptisms ; and for several weeks
was entirely laid by, through a severe injury. This was
a compound fracture of the left leg, occasioned by a fall
at the Euston Square Railway Station, on arriving in
London on the 24th of the 12th month, 1842, where he
was going to attend the Morning Meeting. The peace
and calm permitted during this period were very remark
able, although the possibility of saving the limb and (as
he thought) life was once under discussion by the medical
men. The visit to America being decided upon in his own
mind, he spread the concern before the Monthly Meeting
in the 3rd month, 1843. He obtained the cordial
32

498 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
sympathy and unity of his friends ; and in the 8th month
of the same year embarked for Boston, in company with
Rachel Priestman and Isabel Casson, who were leaving
home on a similar mission. For nearly two years he was
diligently engaged in his Master's cause in that land,
visiting all the Yearly Meetings then established. The
kindness received from Friends there was often spoken of,
and many friendships were formed, which proved a source
of life-long pleasure and comfort.
In the accomplishment of this labour of love, very
earnest was his prayer that the seal upon it might be
Peace, Heavenly Peace, and this he was permitted to enjoy
in large measure.
From early life it had been his endeavour and prayer,
that all commercial pursuits, into which at one time he
ardently entered, might never in any way interfere with
religious duties or the call to Gospel labour, and before
he was forty years old had felt it right to relinquish all
active participation in the business concerns in which he
was a member. Possessed, however, in large measure of
a sound judgment and perception, combined with a
comprehensive grasp, of the various bearings of a question,
he continued to be largely consulted upon mercantile
arrangements, and time and ability were readily placed at
the disposal of his friends. As Chairman of the Board
of Health for many years, he obtained the universal
respect and love of his fellow-townsmen, who greatly
appreciated the able and Christian manner in which he
fulfilled a duty that often necessitated a calm and
judicious judgment on questions eliciting great diversity
of opinion. In the Stockton and Darlington Railway,
of which he was one of the original directors, he never
failed to take a warm interest, and after he ceased to
be a member of the committee was generally present by

JOHN PEASE. 499
invitation at its sittings. In the attendance of meetings,
both for worship and discipline, he was most regular, and,
like his father, was firm in purpose never to accept public
or private appointments, though earnestly pressed upon
him, which might interfere with these duties. In the
efforts of his younger friends in First Day Schools he
greatly rejoiced, and was always ready to assist by his
counsel, cheer by his presence, or animate by his sympathy.
In later years he thankfully recognised those efforts
which had more directly in view the religious welfare
of the poor. In the promotion of education, and es
pecially in the schools connected with the Society of
Friends, he was always glad to co-operate, and served
many times on the committee for Ackworth School.
In conjunction with the late Thomas Richardson, John
Pease was one of the founders of the North of England
Agricultural School at Great Ayton, in 1841, and ever
continued to take great interest in its welfare. As far
as practicable, he endeavoured to keep up an acquaintance
with those who left the Institution, and encouraged others
to extend a like kindly oversight.
In 1845 he was appointed one of the original Trustees
of the Flounders Institute at Ackworth for training
teachers ; and in the present and future well-being of
the students he evinced a deep solicitude.
A large portion of time was devoted to philanthropic
and religious efforts in Darlington ; and whenever he
could unite with Christians of other denominations in the
spread of the Gospel, it was a great pleasure to him to
do so. This was especially the case in the British and
Foreign Bible Society.
During the last three years of his life he was exten
sively engaged, as one of the Yearly Meeting's Committee,
in visiting several of the Quarterly Meetings. His last

500 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
engagement on that Committee was the attendance ot
the Dublin Yearly Meeting in 1868, and he was present
at the Yearly Meeting in London of that year, when his
mind was so earnestly engaged on the subject of the duty
and privilege of attending meetings for discipline, that
it was agreed to issue an epistle on the subject, in the
preparation of which he was largely engaged. Little did
his friends think that his voice was heard for the last time
within those walls.
Soon after, his health rapidly declined. He died on
the 29th of the 7th month, 1868, aged 71 years, with a
hope full of immortality.
For further particulars see Annual Monitor, 1869, from which
this account has been chiefly taken.

SOPHIA PEASE.
Born 1801 — Died 1870 — Aged Sixty-eight Years.
Painting 10x8 in.
Sophia Pease was the youngest child and fifth daughter
of Joseph and Grace Jowitt, of Leeds, and was born in
1 80 1. Her father dying when she was very young, the
care of a large family devolved upon her mother, whose
maiden name was Firth. Her Christian example and
interest for her children and others were often recurred
to by them with thankfulness. Several years of Sophia
Jowitt's youth were spent at boarding schools, and after
returning home she frequently paid long visits to a
married sister, to whom she was deeply attached.*
* When about eighteen years of age, the death of an infant
nephew whom she tenderly nursed was a means of deepening
religious impressions, and caused a fuller dedication to the Saviour,
whom from childhood she had loved.

SOPHIA PEASE.

501

In the year 1823 she was united in marriage to John
Pease, of Darlington, a union entered upon after earnestly
seeking for Heavenly guidance. During forty-five years
they were permitted largely to partake of the Divine
blessing, and were made eminently helpful to each other
in spiritual experience and service for their Lord.
In her new allotment she entered with affectionate
interest into the many demands upon her sympathy and
kindness, which a large circle of friends and relatives
could not fail to bring ; and having considerable leisure
she devoted it to the claims of the poor, and to those
who from sickness or trial appeared to need her visits
of Christian love.
In the year 1825 she first spoke as a Minister in our
meetings, and was recorded by Darlington Monthly
Meeting in 1834. During the earlier years of her
married life she accompanied her beloved husband on
several of his religious journeys, and in many cases
shared with him the labour and the reward of peace,
which was often granted. Amongst their visits of Gospel
love may be named a residence of several months in
Ireland in 1834. In 1849 she paid a visit to the families
in Manchester Meeting, accompanied by her valued father-
in-law Edward Pease. Her other engagements as a
Minister were chiefly confined to the members of her
own Quarterly Meeting.
Not unfrequently was she called to part with her
husband for religious service, and though often for pro
tracted periods, and at great personal sacrifice, the cheer
fulness with which she encouraged him to pursue the path
of duty was very instructive.
In the 7th month of the year 1868 she was unex
pectedly called to a final separation from her beloved
husband. Under this sore bereavement she was remark-

502 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
ably sustained by her Saviour's presence ; and during the
remainder of her life loved to meditate upon the happi
ness of which her loved one was a partaker, remarkably
realising in her sorrow the truth of the words, " My grace
is sufficient for thee."
During the two years which elapsed from the time of
her bereavement to the close of life, she felt called only
to services of a more private character, but it was instruc
tive to observe her cheerfulness, and earnest desire that
her sorrow should not prevent her from entering into the
pleasures and happiness of those around her. The claims
of the sick poor were not forgotten, and a cottage hospital,
in which she had taken an active part from its commence
ment, received a large share of attention.
A period, somewhat prolonged, of much bodily weak
ness, preceded the close, but accompanied with sustained
and brightening hope in reference " to the unseen, which
is eternal." " Farewell, all is peace, all is comfort, all is
joy." She died the 6th of 8th month, 1870, aged 68 years.
" Oh, call it not death ! it is life begun, —
For the waters are passed, the home is won ;
The ransomed spirit hath reached the shore
Where they weep and suffer and sin no more ;
She is safe in her Father's house above,
In the place prepared by her Saviour's love.
To depart from a world of sin and strife,
And to be with Jesus, — yes, this is life."
Abridged from the Annual Monitor of 1871.

JOSEPH PEASE. 503

JOSEPH PEASE
Born 1799 — Died 1872 — Aged Seventy-three
Years.
Engravings 23 x i$ in. ; and 9x7 in.
JOSEPH Pease, of Southend, Darlington, was born 22nd
of 6th month, 1799, and was educated, firstly, at the
seminary of the elder Joseph Tatham, of Leeds; and
secondly, at that of Josiah Forster, at Southgate, near
London ; thence transferred to his father's office at the
woollen manufactory (at this period the chief branch of
mercantile industry in his native town), where the ex
cellent business qualities of the parent soon developed
themselves in the son. Deeply interesting himself in the
new railway project, " in his nineteenth year he had
composed a first draft of the company's prospectus," a
copy of which is yet extant, as is also the " draft adver
tisement of the opening of the line " in his autograph,
the latter being preserved by the railway company. In
1829 the Great Middlesborough Estate Company was
formed, Joseph Pease being the founder and principal
shareholder, a venture in which he was associated with
Thomas Richardson, Henry Birkbeck, Francis Gibson,
Edward Pease, junr., and S. Martin. "At this period
Joseph Pease was unquestionably the most influential as
well as the most active and energetic member of the
Stockton and Darlington Railway Board, and he engaged
largely in individual enterprises, founded on faith in the
development of the railway which his father had founded."
The Reform Act had passed ; South Durham was entitled
to send, for the first time, two members to Parliament,
and Joseph Pease, accepting the general call of his party,

504 biographical catalogue.
became the popular candidate, and headed the poll,
becoming the first " Quaker Knight " of any shire, and
the usual ceremony of Oath-taking being dispensed with,
he took his seat, and became a rather silent, but very
earnest and useful member, whose portrait (the study
for which, taken in oils, remains in the possession of his
family) may easily be distinguished in Hayter's fine
painting of the first reformed Parliament (now in the
National Portrait Gallery), where he stands by the side
of William Ewart, of Free Public Library fame. In
conjunction with his Liberal colleague, John Bowes, Esq.,
he was again returned at the elections of 1835 and 1837,
and without any Tory opposition, so decisive had been
the first contest. He retired in 1841, devoting much of
his energies to the spread of education and philanthropic
work of all kinds, for a description of which and other
interesting details we must refer to a popular Memoir,
published in London and Darlington.
Joseph Pease married at Norwich, 20th of 3rd month,
1826, Emma Gurney, daughter and co-heiress of Joseph
Gurney, of that city. By his wife Emma Gurney, who
died 2nd of 4th month, i860, Joseph Pease had issue
eight sons and four daughters.
The following is a portraiture of Joseph Pease, to be
found in a work entitled " Random Recollections of the
House of Commons."
" Mr. Pease, the Quaker member for Durham, was one
of the most useful, though not one of the most shining
members in the House. In his attendance on his legis
lative duties he is the most punctual and close of any
man I ever saw. He even beats Mr. Hume himself.
From the beginning of the business until the adjournment,
no matter how late the hour, there he is, not indeed in
any particular seat, but in some part or other of the

JOSEPH PEASE. 505
House, all attention to what is going on. It is clear he
acts from principle. As to a party object, he knows not
what it is. A more conscientious or upright man never
sat in the House. His amazingly close attention to his
duties in Parliament has told visibly on his constitution.
He is much thinner and much more sallow in his com
plexion than when he entered the House.
" Mr. Pease speaks pretty often, but is chiefly in com
mittees, or on questions that do not call up the leading
members. His mode of address is of course different to
that of other members. He never uses the word ' sir '
in addressing the Speaker, which all other members do
at almost every fourth or fifth sentence ; nor does he call
any member, according to the invariable practice of all
other members when addressing the House, ' the honour
able member,' but simply says ' the member ' for such
a place. In short, agreeably to the principles of the
Society to which he belongs, he applies no honorary titles
to any one. He speaks with great rapidity, and is never
at a loss for words or ideas. His style is correct, but
plain. In his manner there is no action whatever. He
stands stock still. His voice is weak, which, with his
great rapidity of utterance, often renders him inaudible.
" He is about forty-five years of age. His stature is
of the middle size. His face is of an angular form, and
is expressive of the mildness and intelligence for which
he is distinguished. His complexion, as I have already
intimated, is somewhat sallow, and his hair is of a dark
grey colour. He is not a man of brilliant parts ; but his
judgment is remarkably sound, and he always takes the
common-sense view of a subject. He is not only a man
of great intelligence, but is always correct in the state
ments he brings to bear on any question. Taken all in
all, he is, as I observed in the outset, one of the most

506 biographical CATALOGUE.
useful members in the House. If he is a fair specimen
of the Society to which he belongs, the country would
have no reason for regret were the entire 658 members
selected from the Society of Friends."
There is a Memoir of Joseph Pease in the Annual
Monitor for 1872, in which his character is thus de
scribed : — -" Widely known as Joseph Pease was, not only
in the Society of Friends, but in many undertakings that
have proved to be of national importance, holding a con
spicuous and responsible place for nine years as the first
Friend admitted into Parliament under the Reform Act
of 1 8 3 1 , acknowledged as a benefactor to the population
of South Durham and Cleveland, by opening out with
remarkable foresight and energy new fields of industrial
employment and commercial prosperity, the record of
his life and its close is one of no ordinary consequence.
Gifted by an over-ruling Providence with remarkable
talents and advantages, his responsibilities were great.
But though his earthly career is ended, he has left behind
a bright example of the union of Christian principle with
public and private activity and usefulness, illustrating
afresh the truth that such principle when adhered to is
equal to every emergency and condition in life." His
various public and philanthropic engagements are then
alluded to, which were exceedingly numerous and varied.
His marriage in 1826 to Emma Gurney, daughter of
Joseph and Jane Gurney of Norwich, is alluded to "as
having been blessed in no ordinary degree." As heirs to
gether of the grace of life, they were strengthened under
many temptations and difficulties to sustain one another
in seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven and its righteous
ness, and in the endeavour to train their twelve children
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, whether at
home or school, his children were never allowed to forget,

HENRY PEASE. 507
that whilst watching to promote their welfare in every
respect, his most earnest desires were for their spiritual
well-being ; and no considerations of learning or pleasure
were allowed to interfere with their due attendance of
meetings for worship and discipline. He himself, towards
the latter period of his life, was frequently engaged in the
ministry, and was recorded a Minister in 1854. The
removal, with some suddenness, of his beloved partner, and
other family bereavements, attended also with impaired and
eventually entire loss of sight, were afflictions that called
into relief the Christian graces of his character. " I have
•endeavoured," he said, " for many years to trust the Lord
for my all. I lie in the arms of His mercy. I am
nothing ; Christ is all. Oh, to grace how great a debtor ! "
Those who watched his dying bed can never (says this
account) forget the beautiful repose in which, having
served his generation by the will of God, he fell asleep
in Jesus. His decease occurred on the 8th of 11th
month, 1872, when he was seventy-three years of age,
and the funeral took place in the Friends' burial ground
at Darlington.

HENRY PEASE.
Born 1807 — Died i88r — Aged Seventy-four Years.
Woodcut 7x5 in.
Henry PEASE was the youngest of the eight children of
Edward and Rachel Pease, of Darlington, and thus had
the privilege of a home where the principles of Friends
were strictly inculcated, but in a spirit of love and joyous-
ness that seemed to pervade that favoured household

508 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
There was no undue repression of natural talents and
vivacity, but a constant endeavour to keep all in subjection
to the higher purposes of our existence. Their beloved
mother was taken from them suddenly while absent on a
journey in 1833. The remembrance of her earnest
prayers in the family circle, and the holy watchfulness of
her life, was ever a stimulus and example to her children
in their Christian course.
In 1835 Henry Pease married Anna Fell, only daughter
of Richard Fell of Uxbridge ; but this union, which promised
so much happiness, was of but short duration, his beloved
wife being taken from him within four years of their
marriage, leaving him a widower with an infant son. The
prayer of his heart before this sorrow came, and to the
close of his life, was that he might be permitted to serve
God, and do a little good to his fellow-men, and he was
enabled to lend a helping hand to almost every scheme in
his own neighbourhood which had for its aim the benefit
of others ; while in his more public career his voice and
pen were always ready to take up the cause of right and
justice. He was one ever careful to seek for right
guidance, and would make it a practice to secure some
time each day for reading the Scriptures, meditation,,
and prayer. He became much occupied in helping
forward the extension of the railway system in his
neighbourhood. The personal planning and inspecting
of the new lines, over, in some cases, a difficult country,
suited his energetic and practical temperament. For
eight years from 1857 he was a member of Parliament,
and attended with much diligence and faithfulness to the
duties it involved, but eventually found the late hours and
life in town so prejudicial to his health and out of accord
with his inclination, that he was glad to retire in 1865,.
in the hope of being still enabled to serve his fellow-men,

HENRY PEASE. 509
though in a more private way. On thus leaving Parlia
ment Henry Pease was glad to have more time at his
disposal for attention to the affairs of the little section of
the Church to which he felt it a privilege to belong. He
attended its meetings regularly, including the Yearly
Meeting in London. His pertinent and practical remarks
in the meetings for business were much valued, his long
experience enabling him often to see the way out of a
difficulty, or give the needed word of encouragement or
warning. For many years he filled the station of Elder,
and deeply felt the serious responsibility of this position,
and endeavoured to watch over the flock as one that must
give an account.
In ist month, 1859, Henry Pease married Mary Lloyd,
daughter of Samuel Lloyd, of Wednesbury, a change in
his life which brought him great social and domestic
enjoyments. His heart was full of thankfulness for the
many blessings richly showered upon his path, and he
could say, " They almost oppress my heart with gratitude
to the great Giver." Life had many attractions for him,
and his health, in some respects, improved with advancing
age, so that it looked as if fulness of years might be his
portion, but it proved otherwise ; and successive attacks of
illness eventually brought his useful career to a close,
which event occurred whilst in London for the purpose
of attending the Yearly Meeting, and on the 31st of 5 th
month, 1 8 8 1 , in the seventy-fifth year of his age.
It must not be forgotten that Henry Pease was the
third, with Joseph Sturge and Robert Charleton, who
journeyed to Russia and interviewed the Emperor
Nicholas in St. Petersburg in the hope of preventing the
declaration of war in 1854, and though their efforts were
not successful, and brought much ridicule and opprobrium
upon them, Henry Pease always felt thankful he was

510 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
permitted the honour and privilege of thus publicly avowing
his detestation of war, and his willingness to make any
sacrifice in the interests of peace.
Abridged and adapted from the Annual Monitor of 1882.

JAMES PEMBERTON.
Born 1723 — Died 1809 — Aged Eighty-six Years.
Woodcut 3x3 in.
JAMES PEMBERTON is thus described in "Annals of Phila
delphia : " " This gentleman, born, educated, and reared
in Philadelphia, in the bosom of Friends, possesses in his
personal characteristic the beau ideal of a genuine Quaker
of the old school, and it is because we have had a favourable
opportunity of sketching the individual from the life, that
we here annex a portrait of himself, in propria persona —
such as he once was, as a walking figure in the streets of
Philadelphia. His whole figure, garb, and air are primitive,
and serve to show and perpetuate the Quaker character
istics, as shown down to the year 1800. When shall we
look upon his like again ? I have spoken a little about
the dress of Friends, under the head of " Friends," and
this portrait may serve to exemplify more fully what was
intended to be there described.
" He was born at Philadelphia the 26th August, 1723 —
son of Israel, and grandson of Phineas Pemberton, one of
the early and distinguished settlers of Pennsylvania.
" His education was conducted at the Friends' school.
From his youth he was distinguished for diligence, in
tegrity, and benevolence. In 1745 he travelled to Caro
lina, and in 1748 he visited Europe, and travelled much

JAMES PEMBERTON. 511
in England. On his return he engaged extensively in
commerce, in which he received successful returns, and
always by prescribed rules of the most punctilious probity
— some instances of which are remembered to his honour.
He was an ardent agent in all measures of decided good.
He was a liberal contributor and useful manager of the
Pennsylvania Hospital, an active member in the Friendly
Association for preserving peace with the Indians, and
one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society.
He was a leading member of his own Religious Society,
always loved and always respected. He was averse to
war, and to our revolutionary movements, because he was
a Friend ; and besides this, he did not suppose that differ
ences could only be settled by arms. The consequence
was, venerable and peace-loving as he looks in his portrait,
he was included in the sixteen or seventeen other citizens
of Philadelphia who were banished to Virginia in 1777,
' to keep the peace.' There he spent a couple of years,
and wrote out a journal, some of which has been published
in the Friends' Miscellany, vol. vii. He died, a patri
arch, at Philadelphia, February 1809, in his eighty-
seventh year — almost the last of the race of the ' cocked
hats,' and certainly one of the very best pictorial illustra
tions of bygone times and primitive men."
Brissot, in his "Travels in the United States" (1792)
says : — " I have seen James Pemberton, one of the most
wealthy Quakers, and one whose virtues have placed him
among the most respectable of their chiefs ; I have seen
him wear a thread-bare coat, but it was neat. He likes
better to clothe the poor, and to expend money in the
cause of the blacks, than to change often his coats."
There is no doubt James Pemberton was a man of
great intellectual powers and highly cultivated. He
cheerfully devoted his time, as well as his ample pecuniary

512 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
means, to promote the good of his fellow-creatures. To
the various benevolent Institutions of Philadelphia he was
a liberal benefactor, and in their management took an
active share. He was the friend and advocate of the
oppressed African and Indian tribes, and being a member
of the State legislature, possessed considerable influence,
which he exerted in favour of the latter. He died in
great peace in 1809, aged 85, looking forward with
joy to an entrance into those mansions of which our
Saviour said there were many in his Father's kingdom.
" What a blessed company " he exclaimed, " are already
.gone there before me ! "

ADMIRAL SIR WILLIAM PENN.
Born 162 1 — Died 1670 — Aged Forty-nine Years.
Print 5x3 in.
Sir William Penn followed the profession of his father,
and became a distinguished naval officer, both under Oliver
Cromwell and Charles II. He was commander under the
Duke of York in that great and terrible sea-fight with the
Dutch in 1665, where he contributed so much to the
victory that he was knighted. Besides the reputation of
a great and patriot officer, he acquired that of having
improved the naval service. On the monument erected
to his memory by his wife in Radcliffe Church, Bristol,
is given a list of his various naval honours ; it states also
that he was member of Parliament for Weymouth, and
held various other important civic appointments, which,
when he took leave of the sea, his old element, he con
tinued to hold till 1669. "At that time, through bodily

WILLIAM PENN.

513

infirmities contracted by the care and fatigue of public
affairs, he withdrew, prepared, and made for his last end ;
and with a gentle and even gale, in much peace, arrived
and anchored in his last and best port, at Wanstead, in
the county of Essex, the 16th September, 1670, being
then but forty-nine years and four months old." Admiral
Sir William Penn's mother was a Gilbert, of the county
of Somerset ; and his wife, the mother of the famous
William Penn, was Margaret Jasper, daughter of John
Jasper, a merchant of Rotterdam.

WILLIAM PENN.
Born 1644 — Died 1718 — Aged Seventy-three
Years.
Engraving 21 x id in. Carte de Visite.
William Penn, the only son of Admiral Sir William
Penn, was born in London, October 14th, 1644. He
was educated with much care at Chigwell, in Essex, and
then at a private academy in London. In 1660 he was
entered a gentleman commoner of Christ Church, Oxford.
His first bias towards the doctrines of the Society of
Friends, or Quakers, as they are commonly called, appears
to have been produced by the preaching of Thomas Loe ;
the effect of which was, that, while at Oxford, Penn,
together with some of his fellow-students, began to with
draw from attendance on the public worship of the
Established Church, and to hold private prayer-meetings.
They were fined by the college for nonconformity, but
this did not deter them ; for an order from the king-
having required that the ancient custom of wearing sur-
33

514 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
plices should be revived, Penn and his associates attempted
to tear them from the backs of those students who wore
them. For this display of intemperate zeal they were
expelled from the college.
Admiral Penn, who was high in favour with Charles II.
and the Duke of York, and ambitious for his son's
advancement at court, was much displeased with this
event, and still more with the change which had taken
place in his son's manners. He tried to turn him from
his religious observances and company, but in vain ; and
at length was so highly incensed as to have recourse to
blows, and finally turned him out of doors. The admiral
soon relented so far as to try another expedient. He
sent him, in 1662, on a tour to France. After remaining
a considerable time in Paris, Penn went to Saumur, and
studied under the popular preacher, Moses Amyrault.
He afterwards proceeded to Turin, whence he was recalled
by his father to England, in 1664, who, on his return,
was greatly pleased with the polish and courtliness of
manners which he had acquired. He was now admitted
a student of Lincoln's Inn, where he continued till 1666,
when his father sent him to Ireland, for the purpose of
managing his estates in that country. This duty he
performed to the entire satisfaction of his father ; but,
happening to attend a religious meeting at Cork, where
Thomas Loe delivered a discourse, beginning, " There is
a faith that overcomes the world, and there is a faith that
is overcome by the world," he was so deeply impressed,
that from this time he constantly attended the Quakers'
meetings. At one of these, held at Cork, in 1667, he and others
were apprehended by order of the mayor, who would
have set Penn at liberty on his giving bail for his good
behaviour, but he refused, and was sent to prison with the

WILLIAM PENN. 515
rest. He wrote, however, to the Earl of Orrery, then
Lord President of Munster, requiring the release of all, but
the earl contented himself with ordering Penn alone to be
set at liberty.
Admiral Penn, on being informed that William had
decidedly joined the Quakers, summoned him home, and
remonstrated with him, and threatened him ; but in vain.
The son was firm, but respectful. The admiral at last
restricted himself to the demand that he should take off
his hat in the presence of the king, the Duke of York,
and himself. But Penn refused to pay even this limited
degree of " hat worship ; " at which the admiral was so
much incensed that he again turned his son out of doors ;
but in a short time he allowed him to return home.
In 1668 Penn began to preach, and published his first
work, " Truth Exalted." In this year a preacher named
Vincent accused the Quakers of being opposed to the
doctrine of the Trinity. A public disputation took place,
from which both parties retired without being con
vinced. In prosecution of this controversy Penn wrote
"The Sandy Foundation Shaken," in which he professed
his belief in the doctrine of the Trinity, but objected to
the language in which it was expounded by the Church of
England ; and for this he was committed to the Tower.
During his imprisonment, which lasted nearly seven
months, he wrote " No Cross, no Crown," one of his most
popular works. In 1669, after his liberation, an entire
reconciliation took place between him and his father, and
he again went to Ireland, to look after his father's estates,
in which country he remained about twelve months.
In 1670 the Conventicle Act was passed, and Penn
was one of the first sufferers under it. He was committed
to Newgate for preaching to what was called " a riotous
and seditious assembly," which consisted of the Quakers,

516 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
who had been excluded from their meeting-house, and
who now met in the open street as near to it as they
could. The trial took place at the Old Bailey Sessions,
and is remarkable not only for the firmness and ability of
Penn's defence, but for the admirable courage and con
stancy with which the jury, in opposition to the direction
of the Bench, and in defiance of its threats, pronounced
a verdict of acquittal. The jury were fined, and ordered
to be imprisoned till the fines were paid ; but this pro
ceeding was declared illegal by the Court of Common
Pleas, on which occasion Chief Justice Vaughan delivered
an able speech in defence of the rights of juries. Soon
after this Admiral Penn died, perfectly reconciled to his
son, to whom he left estates worth £1,500 a year. In
February 1 670-1 Penn was again committed to Newgate
on a charge of preaching publicly, and he remained in
prison six months.
In 1672 Penn married Gulielma Maria, daughter of
Sir William Springett, who died during the civil wars at
the siege of Bramber. He now took up his abode at
Rickmansworth, in Hertfordshire, but afterwards settled
at Worminghurst, in Sussex.
In 1677, in company with George Fox and Robert
Barclay, he made a sort of religious tour in Holland and
Germany, and was received with marked distinction by
the Princess Elizabeth of the Rhine, daughter of the King
of Bohemia, and granddaughter of James I. of England.
After his return he was heard before a committee of the
House of Commons on behalf of the Quakers, who were
oppressed by Exchequer prosecutions under statutes which
had been enacted against the Roman Catholics. He was
also admitted to plead before a committee of the House,
that the solemn affirmation of Quakers should be admitted
in the place of an oath, and to this effect an enactment

WILLIAM PENN. 517
passed the Commons in 1678, but was lost, in consequence
of a prorogation before it had passed the Lords.
We now come to an important event in Penn's life,
namely, the establishment of the colony of Pennsylvania.
A tract of country on the west side of the Delaware was
granted, on petition, by Charles II. to Penn and his heirs, in
consideration of a sum of £16,000 due from the Crown
to Admiral Penn, for money advanced for the service of
the navy. To this the Duke of York added, by cession,
a contiguous portion of territory lower down on the
Delaware. The king's patent was dated March 4th,
1 680- 1, and in this document he named the province,
in honour of the founder and his father, Pennsylvania.*
Penn was constituted absolute proprietor and governor
of the province. He published " Some Account of
Pennsylvania," etc., and also " Certain Conditions or
Concessions," etc., in which he offered easy terms of
settlement to those who might be disposed to emigrate.
Three ships soon set sail with settlers, chiefly Quakers,
from England and Wales. In the beginning of 1682 he
published " The Frame of the Government of the Province
of Pennsylvania, in America, together with Certain Laws
agreed upon in England by the Governor and Divers Free
men of the aforesaid Province, to be further explained and
confirmed there by the first Provincial Council that shall be
held." Having previously opened a friendly intercourse
with the native Americans by presents and conciliatory
letters, he sailed for Pennsylvania in the autumn of 1682,
leaving his wife and children in England, and soon after
* William Penn (in a letter given at page 329 of Maria Webb's
" Penns and Penningtons ") says he wished it to have been called
New Wales Sylvania, but the officials, not liking this, substituted
Penn as the prefix, which (from fear of its being thought vanity on
his part) he tried to get changed, but in vain, as James II. said it
was passed, and he would not take on him to alter it.

518 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
his arrival summoned an assembly of the freemen of the
province, by whom the frame of government, as formed in
England, was accepted. He had sent out instructions,
before he left England, to negotiate a treaty of sale with
the Indian nations ; and tradition records that a great
meeting of the Indian nations and European settlers took
place under an enormous elm-tree near the site of Phila
delphia, where the treaty was ratified, and a league of
friendship established, — " A friendship," says Proud, the
historian of Pennsylvania, " which, for the space of more
than seventy years, was never interrupted, or so long as
the Quakers retained power in the government" The
exact date of this memorable assembly has not been
specified, the only treaty", it has been said, made without
an oath and yet never broken.
Having founded the city of Philadelphia, on the banks
of the Delaware, and spent about two years in the
province, adjusting its political constitution, and bringing
the colony into a state of prosperity and order, he
returned to England about midsummer 1684. Within
this short period no less than fifty sail arrived in the
province with settlers from England, Ireland, Wales,
Holland, and Germany.
In February 1685, soon after Penn's return to England,
Charles II. died, and the favour with which James II.,
when Duke of York, had regarded Admiral Penn^ was
transferred to his son. After the revolution in 1688, his
intimacy with James II. exposed him to suspicions, and
he was four times arrested on accusations of being a con
cealed Papist and a Jesuit ; but he always cleared himself
before the king and council, till one Fuller, who was after
wards declared to be an impostor, in 1690 accused him,
on oath, of being concerned in a plot to restore the late
king. Unwilling to expose himself to the risk of being

WILLIAM PENN. 519
convicted upon the oath of such a man, and the perjured
evidence which he might get up, he lived in great seclusion
in London till 1693, in which year, through the mediation
of his friends at court, he was admitted to plead his cause
before the king and council, and was honourably acquitted.
Soon after this his wife died. On 6th of 1st month, 1695,
he married Hannah, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah
Callowhill, a merchant of Bristol.
In 1699 he again sailed for Pennsylvania, with his wife
and family, with the intention of making it the place of
his future residence. He had been deprived of the govern
ment of Pennsylvania in 1692, and it had been annexed
to that of New York ; but it was restored to him in 1 694
by an instrument of William and Mary. An attempt was
afterwards made to take possession of the proprietary
governments in North America, and to convert them into
regal ones. A bill for this purpose was already before
the Lords, when it was delayed by petition of the friends
of Penn, who immediately embarked for England, where
he arrived in December 1701. After his return the bill
was dropped, and the accession of Queen Anne once
more restored him to favour at court. In the meantime,
Penn had become encumbered with debt. He had mort
gaged Pennsylvania in 1708 for £6,600. In 1712 he
agreed to sell his rights to the English Government for
£12,000, but was unable to complete the transaction by
reason of three apoplectic fits, which followed each other
in rapid succession, and considerably impaired both his
memory and understanding. He survived, however, in a
tranquil state, though with his bodily and mental vigour
gradually decaying, till the 30th July, 17 18, when he died
at his seat at Ruscombe, in Berkshire, and was buried at
Jordans. Penn left children by both of his wives, and to them he

520 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
bequeathed his property in Great Britain and America.
The government and quit-rents of Pennsylvania devolved
to the surviving sons of the second family, with the title
of Proprietaries, and by them were sold to the State of
Pennsylvania, after the American revolution, for £ 1 30,000.
This account is taken from the Penny Cyclopcsdia, vol. xvii., 1840.
For a full account of his books, and books relating to him, see Joseph
Smith's "Catalogue of Friends' Books."
The memory of William Penn acquires increasing honour in the
city of his foundation, and if the intention is carried out by its
inhabitants of placing a colossal statue of him on the summit of the
extremely lofty tower of their grand new State House in Philadelphia,
the hat that in reality was never lifted to any man will be raised in
this bronze memorial higher than the pyramids or St. Peter's at
Rome. The effort that was made by its citizens for consent to the
removal of his remains from their quiet resting-place beneath the
turf of Jordans burying-ground to a marble tomb in this magnificent
State House was, happily for those who revere the name of Penn
as a Friend, unsuccessful ; as the trustees of this burial-ground
courteously, but most firmly, declined to entertain the proposals
that were made for this translation.

RICHARD PHILLIPS.
Born 1756 — Died 1836 — Aged Eighty Years.
Engraving 4x4 in.
Richard Phillips was the son of John and Mary
Phillips, who, at the time of his birth, 3rd of 1st month,
1756, resided in Swansea, Glamorganshire. His paternal
grandfather, Richard Phillips, was of Cornish extraction,
and a member of the Society of Friends. John Phillips,
his father, quitted the Society and joined the Established
Church. Richard Phillips received his education at the school of
Solomon Harris, a Presbyterian minister, then the leading

RICHARD PHILLIPS. 52 1
member of that persuasion in Swansea. At the age of
fifteen he went to an establishment at Frenchay, a village
near Bristol, where he remained till the death of his father
in 1774. He removed to London the same year, where
he commenced the study of the law, under the care of one
•of his maternal uncles. He kept some of his terms among
the barristers at Lincoln's Inn, but discontinued the
practice — before the necessary number was completed
¦ — from a dislike to the dissipating associations which
it involved ; and he eventually took to the conveyancing
branch of the law, as the one which presented the fewest
-difficulties to his conscientious feelings, and the only one
which did not involve serious impediments to the religious
course which appeared to be his only safe path ; and into
which he was gradually, and through great mental provings,
conducted, until, in 1789, he was united to the Society of
Friends. Joseph Gurney Bevan, of Plough Court, was his cousin,
and had much influence with him. He also became con
nected with a family of strict Friends, by his marriage
with Sarah, daughter of Thomas Corbyn, the founder of
the firm of Corbyn and Co., wholesale druggists. Richard
Phillips possessed unusual abilities, combined with great
personal attractions, and these were freely used in efforts
to promote the religious, moral, and temporal well-being
of his fellow- men. He was, in early professional life, the
intimate associate and assistant of Thomas Clarkson in the
crusade against slavery. He became one of the first to
move for a mitigation of the Penal Code, and was, in its
very earliest stages, a member of the committee of the
British and Foreign Bible Society, originating several of
its most important regulations. He warmly espoused the
cause of popular education, being one of the early pro
moters of the British and Foreign School Society. He

522 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
was earnest in effective effort for the establishment of
local dispensaries and hospitals for fever. In his own
religious Society Richard Phillips was a highly useful
member and a much-esteemed Minister. The tones of a
fine melodious voice that often swelled into a chant added
great sweetness to his fervent and affectionate presentation
of a heavenly Father's love through the Lord Jesus the
Redeemer. He was very earnest in support of a belief in
the Divinity of our Lord when it was threatened by the
spread of Unitarian sentiments. He was one who reflected.
much, reasoned deeply, and drew correct conclusions from
sound premises. His manner in preaching was animated
and impassioned, his matter persuasive, and abounding
with joyous thanksgiving. Frequently would he introduce
during his discourses portions of hymns in a way peculiarly-
impressive, and his daughter (who published her father' s-
Memoirs) notes how this was especially the case when in
the midst of his discourse he once quoted the lines : —
" How are thy servants blest, O Lord !
How sure is their defence !
Eternal wisdom is their guide,
Their help, Omnipotence."
Richard Phillips' piety was of no ascetic character ; it
chastened whilst it left full play for his remarkable social
powers, which made him so delightful a companion to those
who could appreciate a flow of sparkling wit and humour,
devoid of levity or folly, and free from transgression of
the bounds of Christian moderation and propriety. He
had a very considerable legal practice, especially amongst
Friends. In 1813 he suffered a serious loss through a
fire, in which his office was burned to the ground, and
many valuable deeds and papers of his own and his-
clients consumed, or greatly injured.
Richard Phillips, generous himself, was considered one

RICHARD PHILLIPS. 523
of the most successful in promoting generosity in others,
of which this anecdote is an instance. " Richard Phillips,
a Minister of the Society of Friends, was remarkable for
his persevering exertions in objects of benevolence. He
once applied at the Pavilion at Brighton for relief for the
starving Scilly islanders. The Prince Regent, not knowing
him, naturally made inquiries respecting him, and was told
by his physician (who happened also to attend the Phillips'
family) that he might ' be safely trusted, though he was
the greatest beggar in the kingdom.' The result was £ 1 00,
transmitted to Richard Phillips through Sir Benjamin
Bloomfield." Gentleman's Magazine, 1842; and " Armistead's Miscellanies,"
vol. iii., p. 36. RICHARD PHILLIPS.
" How quick his humour — quick as thought,
How bright his fancy's ray !
For godliness destroyeth not
The spirit's native play.
" E'en in his age this healthful bloom
Of soul would re-appear,
As spring-like days in winter come
With April's smile and tear.
» * * « *
" How did his melted soul rejoice
In faith and feeling strong,
When Zion's themes inspired his voice
That burst into her song ! ' '
William Ball.

524 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS, F.RS.
Born 1773 — Died 1828 — Aged Fifty-five Years.
Engraving 9 x 7 in. ; Lithograph 1 o x 7 in-
William Phillips, an eminent geologist and mineralogist,
was born at London in 1773. He early applied himself
to science, and assisted in establishing the Askesian
Society. By his laborious observations and his writings,
he contributed to the progress and extended cultivation
of geology and mineralogy, and became a Fellow of the
Geological, and later of the Royal Society. He published
an " Elementary Introduction to the Knowledge of Miner
alogy," which passed through several editions, and was
especially rich in Crystallographic facts ; " Outlines of
Mineralogy and Geology ; " and, in conjunction with
Conybeare, " Outlines of the Geology of England and
Wales," which gave a powerful impulse to geological
studies.* Phillips communicated many valuable papers
to the Geological Society.
William L. R. Cate's " Dictionary of General Biography,'' 1867.
To the foregoing account it may be added that William
Phillips was the son of James Phillips, Friends' Bookseller
and Publisher, George Yard, Lombard Street, to which
business he afterwards succeeded, and that besides scien
tific attainments, he was a zealous philanthropist, and to
him the Soup Society largely owed its origin, of which
the following, extracted from The Christian Herald,
July 20th, 1887, gives an account.
* "His private cabinet is the neatest, and as regards species
and varieties, the richest I have yet seen. His publications on
Mineralogy and Geology are deservedly popular, both in England
and America." — Griscom's " Year in Europe," vol. i., p. 97.

WILLIAM PHILLIPS, F.R.S. 525
"The privations and distress of the poor, from 1799 to
1802, were most deplorable. The attention of two
Friends, William Allen and William Phillips, was
specially directed to the means of affording them relief,
and a meeting was called at the house of the latter, to
form a Society for supplying the poor with soup and
meat at one penny per quart. Such a Society was then
entirely novel, and created much discussion both as to its
propriety and advantages, among otherwise benevolent
persons, and it was with some anxiety the founders
entered on their operations. Eligible premises procured
in Brick Lane, Spitalfields, were soon adapted for the
purpose, and tickets printed and issued to the subscribers.
On the first day of delivery, the visitors attended under
no small anxiety as to the result of their experiment. It
succeeded, however, beyond their utmost wish. Every
member of the committee had to take his turn on duty,
and actually had to ladle out the soup at this new centre
of active benevolence. William Allen threw all his heart
into the scheme, and himself went round among the
applicants for soup, many of them wretchedly miserable
and destitute ; and was afterwards firmly of opinion that
the soup had saved the lives of many."
William Phillips died at Tottenham the 2nd of 4th
month, 1828, aged 55 years ; and was buried in Friends'
burial ground, Whitechapel.
For an account of his publications see J. Smith's " Catalogue of
Friends' Books.''

526 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
ROBERT POPE, M.D.
Born 1748 — Died 1827 — Aged Seventy-nine Years.
Engraving 4x3 in.
Robert Pope, M.D., of Staines, in the county of Middle
sex, was born in or about the year 1748. He was for
many years a surgeon in the High Street of that town,
and was an Elder in the Society of Friends.
Dr. Pope had a large and lucrative practice, being
greatly esteemed by the leading families of the neighbour
hood as their regular medical attendant, and in this
manner he was connected with various members of the
royal family of George III., especially the Princess
Amelia, and he possessed valuable memorials of the
regard in which he was held by them. His pleasing and
dignified manners no doubt combined with his medical
skill to account for the influence he exerted on his
patients. Through all he preserved his character of a
consistent Friend, and was remarkable for his punctual
attendance of meetings. An instance of his behaviour
under a highway robbery illustrates his conscientious turn
of mind. He was stopped whilst driving on Hounslow
Heath by an armed horseman who demanded his purse,
which the doctor gave. " And now, sir," he added, with
pistol in hand, " your watch." The doctor felt for it, and
not feeling it, said, " I have left it at home." " I believe you,
sir," replied the highwayman, and rode off. A few minutes
later the doctor felt again. It was there ! The chain and
seals, customarily hanging outside, had slipped down to
the bottom of the watch-pocket, and caused the impression
of its absence. The doctor pulled up his gig, and waited
to know whether he ought not to shout to the horseman

JOHN PRIESTMAN. 527
and explain the case. " No ! " said the shrewd young lady
who sat by his side, " thou told what thou thought was the
truth, and thank Providence thou hast thy watch," for it
was a gold one, and of much value.
He died the 18th of 12th month, 1827, aged 79 years.
Margaret, his widow, died at Staines the 9th of 1 2th
month, 1829, aged 77 years. His daughter and only
•child, Margaret Pope, was the inheritor of his fortune,
and throughout her prolonged life was an honoured
member of Staines Meeting, widely known for her boun
tiful and judicious liberality. During the latter years
she was a recorded Minister in the Society. Her decease
occurred on the 28th of 7th month, 1867, at the age of
Sg years.

JOHN PRIESTMAN.
Born 1805 — Died 1866 — Aged Sixty-one Years.
Photograph 8x6 in.
John Priestman, of Whitley Hill, Manningham, Brad
ford, was born in the year 1805, at the pretty village of
Thornton, in the vale of Pickering. His family had been
settled there for upwards of two hundred years, and were
people of respectability and influence. They belonged to
the Society of Friends, and our friend Mr. Priestman
enjoyed all the advantages which his relation to that
honourable body of Christians placed within his reach.
He had a good education, was early indoctrinated into
the principles of civil and religious liberty, and accepted
the traditions of his fathers, that fidelity to conscience ought
to be the ruling principle of life. The influence of his

528 biographical catalogue.
early training was strikingly manifest in the whole course
of his life, but especially in his later years. When a
youth, he spent some years with an uncle at York, learning
the business of a tanner, but he had no special liking for
that occupation, and at the age of nineteen he removed to
Bradford, and joined his brother-in-law, Mr. James Ellis,
in the occupation of the Qld Corn Mill. For the first
fourteen years of his residence in Bradford he was a flour-
miller, and every day he might be seen at the bottom of
Mill Bank, wearing his professional garments, and pursuing
his dusty avocations with as much diligence as a day-
labourer. In 1838 he commenced manufacturing, in an
upper room of the corn mill, and the same " power " that
turned the milling stones gave life and motion to the
weaver's shuttle. We believe that Mr. Priestman had no
idea, when his first looms were put up, of becoming " a
manufacturer." He was naturally of a thrifty disposition,
and it was under the influence of a desire to economise
space and power that were wasting themselves in the
conduct of the corn mill, that he was induced to engage
in manufacturing pursuits. He soon learnt, however, that
" the shuttle " is a more rapid generator of wealth than
" the grinding-stone." Additions were made to the old
mill, and by-and-by, in 1845, he removed to the premises
now occupied by John Priestman & Co., in Preston Place ;
and subsequently, as the business enlarged, to the mill
known as Cliff Mill, Great Horton. In the meantime, in
1855, his connection with the Old Corn Mill ceased ; but
he clung to the old place, and at a certain hour of most
days might be seen there by persons wishing to consult
him on public business.
Mr. Priestman had a natural inclination for public life.
He took a lively interest in politics. He was a staunch
Liberal, and an advocate of " popular rights " at a time

JOHN PRIESTMAN.

529

when their advocacy exposed a man in his position to
obloquy and reproach. He studiously declined to belong
to any " party," but he always heartily and actively
supported the Liberal candidates at election times. On
two occasions his friends wished him to offer himself as
representative for the borough, but he would not run the
risk of weakening the Liberal interest, and honourably
declined to occupy a position of which any man might be
proud. Mr. Priestman in early life accepted the principles of
Free Trade, and entered with intelligence, earnestness, and
liberality into the Anti-Corn Law agitation. When the
adherents of " The League " were few and feeble in
Bradford, Mr. Priestman was always at his post, and
assisted in keeping alive the agitation until the tide turned,
and everybody joined that memorable association. In
several of the conferences called by the League Mr.
Priestman represented Bradford.
Mr. Priestman held decided views on ecclesiastical
questions. This may generally be predicated of a
member of the Society of Friends. In that body the
principles of religious freedom are early and sedulously
instilled into the minds of their youth, and as they grow
into men they learn to hate and denounce " spiritual
despotism," in whatever form it may reveal itself. But
Mr. Priestman's convictions were deeper down in his
nature than these early prepossessions ; they had their
roots in his religious, spiritual life ; and it was not because
he was a Friend, but because he was a Christian, that he
advocated, with all the earnestness of his nature, the cause
of religious liberty. In 1835 Messrs. Ellis and Priestman
refused to pay the Church-rate, and on being summoned
before the magistrates justified themselves by proving that
the rate was illegally laid and collected. The information 34

530 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
was quashed, and from this time, and from this cause,
Church-rates were really abolished in that parish.
But it was not on political or ecclesiastical questions
that Mr. Priestman expended his energies. He saw
more clearly than most men that the evils that afflict
society are traceable to moral causes, and that amongst
them the most painful are war and intemperance. In
obedience, therefore, to his convictions, he devoted himself
heart and soul to the advocacy of peace and temperance
principles. On every occasion on which he was called
upon to speak in public he found an opportunity for
introducing his opinions on these points, and no doubt he
has done much towards forming a healthy public senti
ment in these parts in relation to them. He also con
tributed largely to the funds of the Peace Society and the
various institutions formed for the promotion of temperance.
He was himself a consistent teetotaler, and during the
illness which ended in his death, on being advised to
take wine he declined to do so, on the ground that,
having taken so conspicuous a part in the advocacy of
total abstinence, it would destroy whatever good he might
have done in this direction were he to resort to stimulants,
although in doing so he might save his life.
This bent of his mind, which led him to look to moral
rather than to political action as the means of elevating
and purifying society, was apparent at an earlier period of
his life, when he associated himself with other Friends in
the formation of what was at first called "'The Friends'
Provident Institution." Mr. Priestman was a member of
the board of directors at its formation, and continued
so till his death ; for the last nine years he had been
chairman of the board. The Society was founded in
1832, and its career has been uninterruptedly prosperous
till the present time.

JOHN PRIESTMAN. 53!
In conjunction with his brother-in-law and partner,
Mr. Ellis, Mr. Priestman founded the first ragged school
in Bradford, now over twenty years ago. They devoted
a room on their own premises to the purpose, fitted it
up, and for several years paid the master's salary.
This benevolent enterprise was sustained until the
premises passed into other hands, and the public were
prepared to continue it. The ragged school in Rebecca
Street is the outgrowth of this unostentatious effort to
do good.
Quite in harmony with the feature of his character
which prompted so many benevolent efforts was the
resolution, carried into effect for the first time at the end
of 1865, to give a portion of the profits of his business
to the superior workmen in his employ, — a phase of the
co-operative principle which we should be glad to see
more prominently exhibited.
The worth of a man of such varied and manifold
excellences could not fail to be recognised by his fellow-
townsmen. As we have already said, he was twice
solicited to offer himself as a candidate for the representa
tion of the borough, but he declined. He was elected
town-concillor on one occasion, but, as he could not
conscientiously make the affirmation necessary to qualify
him, he resigned without taking his seat. About three
years ago the Lord-Lieutenant placed Mr. Priestman's
name on the commission of the peace, but he could not
see his way clear to the discharge of all the duties of the
office, and on this account he never qualified.
To sum up this brief sketch in a few words, Mr. Priest
man was pre-eminently a good man, and his life was
spent in doing good ; he served his generation faithfully,
and went to the grave loved and respected by all the
community.

532 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
His remains were interred in Undercliffe cemetery.
Taken from the Bradford Observer of November ist, 1866.
An interesting sketch of John Priestman's life is also
to be found in the Friends' Quarterly Examiner, vol. i.,
p. 344, by Joseph Edmondson, who says, "Be it our pur
pose, then, in this brief sketch, not to magnify the man, but
simply to put on record some salient points in the life
and character of one, with whom a deep living religious
principle was so cherished and so grew that, becoming
the mainspring of action, it harmonised and ruled a life
that exerted a wide, though unostentatious, influence for
good on the thousands among whom he dwelt."
His death was very sudden. " He was in the act of
dressing, on the morning of the 29th of 10th month,
1866, when the unexpected summons came. He quietly
lay down, took an affectionate leave of those around him,
and his spirit departed in peace, to realise in all its
fulness the glory he had so loved to anticipate, of 'the
inheritance with the saints in light.' "

THOMAS PUMPHREY.
Born 1802 — Died 1862 — Aged Sixty Years.
Engraving 14 x 10 in.
Thomas PuMPHREY,the son of Stanley and Ann Pumphrey,
and Superintendent of Ackworth School, was born in the
city of Worcester on the 10th of the 6th month, 1802.
He had the especial blessing of pious parents. His
mother was a Minister, and died when her son Thomas
was but little more than three years old. He had the

THOMAS PUMPHREY.

533

privilege of an education at Ackworth School, on leaving
which he was for some time at Joel Lean's School at
Fishponds, near Bristol, where his literary attainments
were carried beyond the range of the Ackworth education
of that day. On leaving school he was employed in his
father's business, that of a glover, then the staple trade
of Worcester. About the year 1822, being then nearly
twenty-one years of age, his voice was first heard in our
meetings for worship, as a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. His friends acknowledged his gift, and he was
recorded as a Minister of the Gospel by the Monthly
Meeting of Worcester, in the 10th month, 1826, being
then in his twenty-fifth year. In the same year he was
united in marriage with Rachel Richardson, daughter of
George Richardson, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. In this, as
well as in the relationships already referred to, he was
peculiarly blest. His beloved wife was well qualified, and
was ever ready to sympathise with her husband in his
religious exercises.
By a long and painful illness he was deprived of his
beloved partner and wise counsellor in 1842. In the
12th month, 1845, Thomas Pumphrey was united in
marriage with Isabel Unthank, of North Shields. In her
he found a devoted and loving companion to his journey's
end. Thomas Pumphrey's engagements from home in
the service of the Gospel were not frequent. Ackworth
School, and all its multifarious interests, engrossed the
greater part of his time and toil as his life-object. In
1845, 1850, and 1856 he visited several meetings in
Yorkshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Wales.
After having been for several years engaged in busi
ness in Worcester, Thomas Pumphrey, on the retirement
of Robert Whitaker, offered himself, under a sense of
religious duty, as a candidate for the post of Superin-

534 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
tendent of Ackworth School. He entered upon the
duties of the office in 1834. From the very commence
ment of his administration he appeared to possess qualities
calculated to render him a leading man, and to inspire his
colleagues with confidence. He was bold, resolute, and
self-reliant, arrived rapidly at decisions, with a will, strong
to recommend or enforce them. Under the controlling
influence of Divine Grace, this self-reliance, prompt deci
sion, and strength of will, were of essential benefit to the
school, helping him in times of difficulty, and giving
assurance to those who were co-operating with him. His
mind was very suggestive ; nor was he less ready in com
prehending the plans and proposals of others. These
gifts, combined with a sound judgment, made him a
remarkably able counsellor, and he was interested and
helpful in all things in every department connected with
the efficient working of the establishment. During the
twenty-seven years of Thomas Pumphrey's superintend
ence great changes occurred in the premises from the
Ackworth of former days. One year the large reading-
room was formed ; another the new me.eting-house built,
the boys' wing raised, and their school and class-rooms
entirely remodelled ; the " light and airys," once the cells
of solitary punishment, gave place to a commodious
apartment for the superintendent. Then followed exten
sive enlargements and improvements in the girls' depart
ment, with very much else of the same progressive
character, in the furtherance of which the wise counsels
and the loving confidence reposed in the superintendent
had a large share, and he was equally earnest in pro
moting educational improvements and intellectual culture
by essays and lectures, in which he was a frequent con
tributor himself. In 1861, his health giving way, he
tendered his resignation to the committee of the school,

THOMAS PUMPHREY. 535
and early in the following year he finally gave up his
charge to his successor, George Satterthwaite. Many
incidents of touching interest were associated with his
retirement from office, manifesting the warm attachment
of the officers of the institution, of the children, and of
many, who, as parents and as children, had partaken of
the benefits of his wise, Christian administration. Amongst
these tokens of regard was the munificent gift of upwards
of £ 1 ,400, presented to him a few weeks before his death,
together with a collection of books, and several other
articles of domestic utility or enjoyment. In the spring
of 1862, after his retirement from office, he spent some
time with his family at Ilkley, and, returning to his cot
tage at Ackworth, a brief period of repose, a peaceful
autumnal evening of life, was permitted him, ere the fruit,
ripe, and ready to be gathered, passed into the heavenly
garner. It has been previously noticed that a gift in the
ministry of the Gospel had been conferred upon Thomas
Pumphrey in very early life. This gift grew in weight
and preciousness as years passed away. Sound, clear,
and edifying, it was marked by authority, and bore evi
dence of its spring and origin. Often would he be led
to unfold, in clear and impressive language, a deep
meaning and instruction from passages of Scripture
seldom quoted, and his close communion with his Lord
were evidenced in his fervency in prayer, and in the
utterance of thanksgiving and praise. How great is the
privilege to think of one thus gifted, having been for
twenty-seven years engaged in the superintendence of
the largest educational establishment of the Society of
Friends, and that more than two thousand four hundred
of its youth, both sexes includeds were more or less
brought under his influence.

536 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Thomas Pumphrey had considerable felicity in rhyth
mical composition, of which not a few specimens remain,
and in some lines written in a school-boy's album when
he was about to emigrate, occur the following allusions to
Ackworth : —
" I sail o'er the sea, a lone emigrant boy,
And leave this loved spot of my childhood's delight ;
But Ackworth will still be remembered with joy,
When far from my footsteps and hid from my sight.
* # # # #
" Now sketch out the building; the centre stands forth
In noble relief, like a palace for kings ;
Or as Zion of old, in the sides of the north,
Spreading eastward and westward its sheltering ' wings.'
" There the playgrounds expand ; both the gravel and green,
Active boys and fair damsels ; their garden and ' grove '
No fence intervening, the pathway between,
Which divides yet unites them, a pavement of love.
* # # # #
" But whence this emotion, this tendering thrill, —
As in lengthened procession the children appear,
All clothed in their best and impressively still,
And in order ascending, tier rising o'er tier ?
" 'Tis the Sabbath day evening, when manhood and youth,
Tutor, pupil, and servant together repair,
And solemnly read are the Scriptures of Truth,
And counsels imparted, or offered in prayer."
Much abridged from the Annual Monitor of 1863. See also an
interesting Memoir, edited by John Ford, 1864.

STANLEY PUMPHREY. 537
STANLEY PUMPHREY.
Born 1837 — Died 1881 — Aged Forty-three Years.
Woodcut 6x5 in-
Stanley Pumphrey was a nephew of Thomas Pumphrey,
of Ackworth, and a son of Stanley Pumphrey, of Wor
cester, his mother's maiden name being Lucy Westcombe.
He was born at Worcester, the 15th of 7th month, 1837.
He was one who from his early life upward sought to
know the Lord, and to be found fulfilling whatever might
be his allotted line of service. He had an ardent tempera
ment, held in balance by strong common-sense and high
principle. He was a great lover of nature, of flowers, and
fine scenery, and an enthusiastic admirer of poetical gifts.
Had his natural inclinations been followed, his energies
might have become directed to literary pursuits ; but,
acting under the wise advice of his uncle, he concluded, at
the close of a three years' business engagement in an Irish
firm, to become a partner in an ironmongery concern at
Cirencester, and was greatly stimulated in its successful
conduct by the hope of thus making a home for one on
whom his affections had long been centred. His marriage,
in 1 863, with Ellen Horsnaill, daughter of William Horsnaill,
of Rochester, was the happy issue of this long-cherished
prospect. The union, however, was not of long duration,
as her decease in 1868, after a season of declining health,
left him a deeply sorrowing survivor. Meanwhile, his gift
in the ministry, which was acknowledged in 1863, had
greatly increased, and the dissolution of his married life
was accepted by him as a call for more entire conse
cration to its exercise, and he consequently retired from
his partnership in the firm to a residence in Worcester,

538 biographical catalogue.
where some of his sisters came to live with him ; and thus,
with a home to which he could retire, he became frequent
in long absences on Gospel service.
Whilst in business, Stanley Pumphrey threw all the
energy of his nature into its management, and was on
remarkably pleasant terms with his workpeople and others
in his employ. He felt the experience thus gained in
commercial pursuits had been of much value in giving him
more knowledge of human life, and encouraging habits of
forethought and systematic attention to multifarious details.
" His career at Cirencester," says his biographer, " will long
be remembered as a time when he stood forth as a man,
mingling in the busy traffic of men, the conscientious
tradesman and kind-hearted employer, the active citizen
foremost in temperance and philanthropic effort, devoting
himself to the welbbeing of others, and at the same time
the sunshine of his own quiet home."
After leaving business, he went for some time amongst
Friends in the Eastern counties, in attending their
meetings, and then followed an extended visit of the
same character throughout Ireland, being warmly welcomed
everywhere. To this succeeded the great service of his
brief life in a prolonged visit to the meetings of Friends
on the American continent, which occupied him about
four years, in the midst of which was an interval, when he
returned to England, and was married, on the 1 7th of 7th
month, 1877, to Sarah, eldest daughter of Jonathan Grubb,
of Sudbury. Both husband and wife now became joint
labourers in the Gospel, and sailed for America on the
15th of 8th month, 1877. When the service was com
pleted, Stanley Pumphrey found he had travelled in its
prosecution some 60,000 miles, had attended 22 Yearly
Meetings, some of them twice and a few three times, — and
had been at almost all. their Quarterly Meetings, and visited

STANLEY PUMPHREY. 539
440 out of the 644 meetings of the Society on that great
continent. Stanley and Sarah Pumphrey, early in 1880,
sailed for England, and it is an interesting tribute, both to
the liberality of American Friends and the esteem in which
this devoted labourer was held by them, that the cost of
the journeyings, with the exception of the outpassages,
was entirely borne by American Friends. A large field
of service in England now seemed opening before him,
but it was ordered otherwise. He had had the joy of
becoming a father not long after his return ; and amidst
the warmly welcomed endearments of home life, was full of
engagements for Lectures and Addresses. On 8th January,
1 88 1, to fulfil one of these, he, though unwell, went to
Sheffield, hoping to be able to give his address on the
religious teaching of the Society of Friends, but there
was the experience of the sick-room instead, and all his
earthly labours closed on the 17th of 2nd month, 1881,
aged only 43 years. Friends on both sides of the Atlantic
felt a solemn awe at the announcement of Stanley
Pumphrey's death. As a true servant of the Lord he was
especially endeared to them. " He did understand us," is an
acknowledgment oft to be heard from an American Friend.
" In the cabin of the freedman,
In the Indian's shelter rude,
All unshrinking stood our brother,
Pure in heart, with soul subdued.
" In our colleges and churches,
With a practised eye and hand,
For the common good he laboured
Far throughout the wide-spread land."
In reviewing this, which is one of the latest of our
missionary lives, it is interesting to see how it had flowed
as a sequence from the devoted ministry of Stephen Grellet,
the one who drew William Allen to his side in Gospel
fellowship to far-distant lands. He was the one whom

540 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
James Backhouse has acknowledged, spoke prophetically to
him. It was this apostolic Frenchman who reached the
heart and sealed the conviction of the young lad of the
Seebohm family, who himself, when become a veteran in the
Lamb's warfare, was (as Stanley Pumphrey testified) one
means of encouraging him in devoting his life to the
service of Christ. " I feel," said Benjamin Seebohm, in
the course of this communication, " the springs of en
couragement flowing towards thee in an unusual way.
Thou must not regard too much what men say either as
to what thou ought to do or ought not to do. Thy eye
must be unto the Lord, and thou must strive to do His
will, not caring for the reproach of men, but fulfilling
every secret intimation of the Divine Will. Thus I believe
thou wilt be made to shine brightly, and be enabled to
advocate the cause so dear to thee, the cause of our God
and His Christ." . . .
The foregoing particulars have been chiefly taken from a Memoir
of Stanley Pumphrey by Henry S. Newman.

ANTHONY PURVER
Born 1702 — Died 1777 — Aged Seventy-five Years.
No Portrait.
Anthony Purver, one of the religious Society called
Quakers, was born at Up-Husborn, Hants, about the year
1702. When he was about ten years of age he was put
to school to learn to read and write, and to be instructed
in the rudiments of arithmetic. During the time allotted
for these acquisitions, he gave proof of extraordinary
genius ; and being prevented for about six weeks, by ill
ness, from attending the school, he still applied himself to

ANTHONY PURVER. 54 I
his learning, and on his return to the school had got so
far in arithmetic, as to be able to explain the square and
cube roots to his master, who himself was ignorant of
them. His memory at this time appears to have been
uncommonly vigorous, for he is said not only to have
asserted that he could commit to memory in twelve hours
as many of the longest chapters in the Bible, but to have
attempted it with success. Another account says, quoting
from Purver's own mouth, that he so delighted in reading
the Scriptures, as to commit six chapters to memory in
one hour.
He was apprenticed to a shoemaker, who, like the
master of George Fox, employed his apprentice in keeping
sheep. This gave our young student leisure for reading,
and he occupied it in the indiscriminate perusal of such
books as came into his hands ; but the Scriptures had the
preference in his mind. Among other books which came
in his way, was one written by Samuel Fisher, a Quaker,
entitled, " Rusticus ad Academicos," in which some inaccu
racies in the translation of the Bible being pointed out
Purver determined to examine for himself ; and, with the
assistance of a Jew, soon acquired a knowledge of the
Hebrew language. About the twentieth year of his age he
kept a school in his native county ; but afterwards, for
the sake of more easily acquiring the means of prosecuting
his studies, he came to London, where he probably resided,
when he published, in 1727, a book called "The Youth's
Delight." The same year he returned to his native place,
and a second time opened a school there ; but previous to
this, in London, he had embraced the principles and
adopted the profession of the Quakers. He is said to
have been convinced of the truth of their tenets at a
meeting held at the Bull and Mouth in Aldersgate Street ;
whether by means of the preaching of any of their

542 biographical catalogue.
Ministers we are not informed ; but on the day month
ensuing, he himself appeared as a Minister among them,
at the same meeting-house. On his second settling at
Husborn he began to translate the books of the Old
Testament, and applied himself also to the study of
medicine and botany ; but, believing it his duty to travel
in his ministerial function, he again quitted his school
and his native place, but not, probably, until after he
had resided there some years ; for his course was to
London, Essex, and through several counties to Bristol,
near which city, at Hunbrook, he was in the latter part
of 1738. At this place he took up his abode, at the
house of one Josiah Butcher, a maltster, whose son he in
structed in the classics, and there he translated some of
the minor prophets, having before completed the Book of
Esther and Solomon's Song. Here he became acquainted
with Rachel Cotterel, who, with a sister, kept a boarding
school for girls at Frenchay, Gloucestershire, and whom,
in 1738, he married, and soon after himself opened a
boarding-school for boys at Frenchay. During his resi
dence in Gloucestershire (which was not at Frenchay all
the time), he attempted to publish his translation of the
Old Testament in numbers at Bristol ; but he did not
meet with sufficient encouragement, and only two or three
numbers were published.
In 1758 he removed to Andover, in Hampshire; and
here, in 1764, he completed his translation of all the
books of the Old and New Testament, a work which has
not often been accomplished before by the labour of a
single individual. It consists of two volumes, folio, pub
lished in 1764, at the price of four guineas. It appears
that this work was originally intended to be printed in
occasional numbers ; for in 1 746, the late Dr. Fothergill
wrote a letter to the Gentleman's Magazine, in which he

ANTHONY PURVER. 543
strongly recommended the author of a work then under
publication, which was to be continued in numbers if it
should meet with encouragement. This was a translation
of the Scriptures, under the title of " Opus in Sacra Biblia
elaboratum." Purver is not named, but that he was in
tended is known by private testimony. After speaking in
high terms of his learning, Dr. Fothergill says, " As to his
personal character, he is a man of great simplicity of
manners, regular conduct, and a modest reserve ; he is
steadily attentive to truth, hates falsehood, and has an un
conquerable aversion to vice ; and to crown the portrait,
he is not only greatly benevolent to mankind, but has a
lively sense of the divine attributes, and a profound rever
ence of, and submission to the supreme Being." The mode
of publication in numbers was probably unsuccessful, and
soon dropped ; yet he went on with his translation, which
he completed after the labour of thirty years. He
was still unable to publish it, nor could he find a book
seller who would run the hazard of assisting him. At
length his friend Dr. Fothergill generously interfered,
gave him £1,000 for the copy, and published it at his
own expense. Purver afterwards revised the whole, and
made considerable alterations and corrections for a second
edition, which has not yet appeared ; but the MS. remains
in the hands of his grandson. Purver appears, in this
great work, a strenuous advocate for the antiquity, and
even the Divine authority, of the Hebrew vowel points.
He is also a warm asserter of the purity and integrity of
the Hebrew text, and treats those who hold the contrary
opinion with great contempt ; particularly Dr. Kennicott,
of whom, and his publication on the state of the Hebrew
text, he never speaks but with the greatest asperity. He
has taken very considerable pains with the scriptural
chronology, and furnishes his reader with a variety of

544 biographical catalogue.
chronological tables. He prefers the Hebrew chronology
in all cases to the Samaritan and Greek, and has through
out endeavoured to connect sacred and profane history.
His version is very literal, but does not always prove the
judgment or good taste of the author. Thus, he says,
that " The Spirit of God hovered . atop of the waters ; "
and instead of the majestic simplicity and unaffected
grandeur of " Let there be light, and there was light," he
gives us, " Let there be light, which tltere was accordingly!'
Thus his translation, though a prodigious work for an in
dividual, will rather be used for occasional consultation than
regular perusal ; and though it may afford many useful
hints, will not supply the place of the established translation.
It is to be recollected that Purver was a Quaker ; and
believing, as he did, in their leading principle of immediate
revelation, it was likely that his mind should be turned to
look for such assistance on places to which he found his
own knowledge inadequate. He is said, accordingly, when
he came to passages which were difficult to adapt to the
context, not unfrequently to retire into a room alone, and
there to wait for light upon the passage in question ; and
on these occasions he so far neglected the care of his body
as sometimes to sit alone two or three days and nights.
He lived to about the age of seventy-five, his decease
being in 1777, at Andover, where, in the burial ground of
the religious Society with which he had professed, his
remains were interred. His widow survived him, but a
son and a daughter died before their parents. Hannah,
the daughter, had been married to Isaac Bell, of London,
by whom she had a son. named John Purver Bell, who was
brought up by his grandfather.
Taken from "The General Biographical Dictionary." A new
edition, revised and enlarged by Alexander Chalmers, F.S.A.
vol. xxv., 1816, 8vo.

ROBERT RANSOME.

545

ROBERT RANSOME, THE ELDER.
Born 1753 — -Died 1830 — Aged Seventy- seven
Years.
Silhouette 3x2 in.
(This account is communicated by his grandson E. R. Ransome,
as also are those of the other members of the Ransome family.)
We come now to what may perhaps be appropriately
termed the Tubal-Cain portion of our Gallery, where we
find portraits of four members of the Ransome family,
men who made their mark as manufacturers of ploughs,
and other agricultural implements, as also of railway
appliances. They are descendants of Richard Ransome,
of North Walsham, who, in the early days of the Society
of Friends, became a member thereof, and who suffered
about fifteen years' imprisonment for conscience' sake.
As a Minister of the Gospel he travelled through most
parts of England, as also to Ireland and Holland. Whilst
thus travelling he was taken ill at Bristol, where he died
in 17 16, as shown by the Testimony issued concerning
him. Some of his sons were also Ministers or Elders,
concerning whom Testimonies were issued.
The subject of this sketch, Robert Ransome, was the
son of Richard Ransome, a schoolmaster at Wells,
Norfolk. Having served his apprenticeship as an iron
monger, he followed that trade at Norwich, adding to
it a small brass foundry, which gradually expanded to
an iron foundry, where he commenced making ploughs,
and rode about the country taking orders for them.
Being a man of great ingenuity, of an active turn of mind,
and possessing considerable skill as a workman, he made
improvements in ploughs, which increased their sale.
35

546 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Having in 1789 removed to Ipswich, he took out a
patent for chill-cast ploughshares, and thus laid the
foundation for the manufacture of ploughs destined to
all parts of the world. This improvement consisted in
casting the ploughshares in moulds made partly in iron
and partly in sand, so as to chill the under surface of the
share, to the depth of one-sixteenth or one-eighth of an
inch, thus acting in the same manner as a layer of
hardened metal, and producing the same effect as the
old process of welding steel on to the wrought-iron
shares. When at work on the plough, the upper surface,
not being hardened, suffered most from the abrasion of
the earth it turned up, whilst the case-hardened lower
surface, wearing away more slowly, retained a constant
sharp-cutting edge, which enabled a larger amount of
work to be accomplished, whilst the expense and loss
of time and labour, formerly attending the sharpening
and laying of the wrought-iron shares by the village
blacksmith was entirely avoided. Simple as this now
seems, it was new in those days, and the advantages
were quickly apparent to agriculturists. Since the
expiration of this patent, the same process of manu
facture has been adopted almost universally, both in this
country and in America. He little dreamt that his
children and grandchildren, following in his track, would
go on making and increasing the patterns of ploughs up
to some hundreds, from a pony plough to that of an
elephant, or a steam-engine, and for which his successors
have already been awarded upwards of 300 prize medals.
After he had been joined in business by his son James,
they were amongst the first to build bridges of cast-iron ;
the bridge at Ipswich, known as Stoke Bridge, having been
constructed by them in the year 18 19, this being also
the year in which his son Robert became a partner with

ROBERT RANSOME. 547
them. At that time they had the services of William
Cubitt, who afterwards became Sir William, and President
of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
As a master, Robert Ransome gained the confidence
and respect of his men, of whom, fifty-eight years after
his death, there are still two in the employ of the present
firm, and they are proud of having served under their old
master, and worked by his side (one commenced in 1820
the other in 1822).
For some years prior to his decease he had retired
from business, but not into idleness ; that would have been
uncongenial to a mind so active. With such a good
share of ability and resolution, he learnt copper-plate
engraving as an amusement, and after attaining his
" threescore and ten " years, engraved a set of maps
for a friend who was publishing a book on the " Philo
sophy of History." He also made for himself a telescope,
and ground the speculum for the same, which yielded
both amusement and instruction to himself and others.
Many specimens of stones and gems polished by him
are still treasured by members of the family.
His was an active life, benefiting others as well as
himself.

ROBERT RANSOME, THE YOUNGER.
Born 1795 — Died 1864 — Aged Sixty-nine Years.
Engraving 12 X 10 in.
Robert Ransome was a son of Robert Ransome, the
inventor of chill-cast ploughshares. At the age of
fourteen years he was apprenticed to his father and elder
brother James, who were then established as ironfounders

548 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
at Ipswich. During his apprenticeship he availed him
self of all opportunities for reading and storing his mind
with useful knowledge. In after life he frequently re
ferred to the value this had proved to him, and he
always endeavoured to encourage young men in such a
course. At one time both he and his elder brother had been
inclined somewhat to follow worldly pursuits and amuse
ments, but, yielding to the gentle visitation of the Holy
Spirit, which led them both to see the folly of such a
course, they jointly, on the same day, became followers
of their blessed Saviour. They at the same time again
adopted the straight-collared coat by which members of the
Society of Friends were then distinguished, and continued
consistent Friends to the end of their lives.
In 1 8 1 8 Robert Ransome became a partner in the
business, which then took the style of Ransome &
Sons. For many years he took the commercial manage
ment of the concern, and regularly travelled by horse and
gig through the eastern and southern counties, during
which time he contributed largely to the success which
crowned the efforts of their firm in securing a world-wide
reputation for their ploughs, etc. Whilst thus engaged
as a traveller, he availed himself of opportunities for
becoming acquainted with members of the Society of
Friends in the various localities visited by him, thus
forming friendships which lasted through life. Many
times has testimony been borne by some thus
visited to the value they felt such visits to be. The
practical experience gained by him during this portion of
his life enabled him to give sound and good advice to
young men who had to engage in travelling. One of the
latter class well remembers the value such advice
had proved to him, especially in regard to conduct

ROBERT RANSOME. 549
in the " Commerial room " at hotels. When there, " keep
thyself as quiet as possible," was his sage counsel.
Robert Ransome was married at Kelvedon, Essex, on
the 7th of 8th month, 1828, to Sarah Coleby, late of
Clay, in Norfolk, who died in 1863, after some years of
considerable bodily suffering borne in great Christian
patience. As a master Robert Ransome took great interest in
promoting the welfare and improvement of their workmen,
whether in the formation of a workman's library, sick-club,
or by other means, such as periodical " teas," etc., on which
occasions he felt a real pleasure in presiding, when his
remarks tended not only to interest the men, but also to
instil high motives and principles. It may be well
supposed, that with more than 1,000 employees, he
sometimes had occasion to reprove for misconduct, and
whilst his marked natural abilities and insight into
character enabled him to do this in a forcible manner, yet
they felt him to be a kind-hearted, sympathising master.
To the penitent offender wishing to amend, he could
display the tenderness of a woman, and in cases of sick
ness or sorrow his visits were long and gratefully
remembered. Well does the writer remember such cases,
once especially, when a poor woman remarked emphatically,
" We have had one of the excellent of the earth here to
day, sir."
In 1849, the business having grown to such an
extent as to turn out upwards of 300 tons of small cast
ings per week, the upper and the lower works were
united into one, henceforward known as the Orwell Works,
covering thirteen acres of ground. On this occasion the
firm invited all their men to a feast, when about 1,500 sat
down together to a hot dinner, at which were present a
goodly number of the leading inhabitants of the town and

550 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
neighbourhood. In the absence of his brother James,
through failing health, Robert Ransome presided. As soon
as the food was placed upon the tables he rose,, and in an
audible voice, which, from the attention paid, could be
heard over the assembly, said : " We shall now be glad of
a short time, that we may all have the opportunity of
gratefully turning our thoughts to the ' Great Giver of all
good ' for all His blessings." A short pause of very
impressive silence followed. After full justice had been
done to the provisions (which included 192 large hot plum
puddings) the president addressed the company in an
admirable speech, during which he referred to the im
portance of maintaining a feeling of goodwill between
employers and their men. Towards the close of his
address he said : " We have some peculiarities as
members of the Society of Friends, but none which we do
not think sound in principle. Among these, at entertain
ments like the present, we do not give toasts or drink
healths ; and we therefore hope that you will bear with us
on this occasion, in not offering any inducement of that
sort to the habit of drinking. On the other hand, we
know it is necessary for the entertainment of an intellec
tual company that we should have something to hang a
speech upon ; and with that view we have prepared a few
sentiments, not as toasts (if you will understand me), but
as pegs to hang a speech upon. You know we are men
of peace principles. I will therefore read to you one of
these sentiments, namely, ' That while so large a portion
of Europe has been, during the past year, disturbed by
revolution and internal discord, we gratefully appreciate
the blessings of peace which we enjoy in this kingdom,
and rejoice that our beloved Queen rests secure in the
loyalty and affection of her subjects. May He by whom
kings reign and princes decree justice enable her to

ROBERT RANSOME. 55 I
reign in wisdom over her free people, and long preserve
her in the enjoyment of His choicest blessings.' " A
burst of applause followed, showing the hearty response
elicited by his speech, and by the sentiments of the
resolution. In later years he had weaned himself from commercial
life, entering still more into Christian and philanthropic
efforts calculated to benefit mankind. As a citizen he
had won the respect of all classes. From one of the lead
ing county newspapers the following abbreviated extract
bears this testimony on referring to his death : " We turn
from Mr. Ransome's success in business to his character
as a citizen, and here we have an example worthy of
imitation in whatever sphere of usefulness you may choose
to indicate. The town in whose varied interests he had
spent an active, well-directed, and well-sustained life will
feel a blank not easy to fill up. Almost every tongue is
vocal with reminiscences of his past acts of kindness, of
the goodness of his heart, of the purity of his life. Warm
as are the encomiums passed upon the deceased gentle
man, they are no more than his fine, upright, and well-
sustained course justify. He was a large-hearted, liberal-
minded man, and fortunately for his own peace of mind,
his means were affluent, and thus he could make himself
and others happy by contributing to the wants of the
necessitous. He was a member of the Society of Friends,
was as gentle in demeanour as he was mild and serene in
temper, and he exercised a power, withal, unostentatious
as he was, which it would be difficult to estimate. There
was nothing of the sectary about him. He enjoyed his
own religious opinions, and left for others the same liberty
as he claimed for himself. If they agreed with him, there
was the right hand of friendship and a word of kindly
recognition — if they differed they met the same reception.

552 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Being consistent in himself he believed in everybody else's
conscientiousness. His large-hearted sympathy embraced
almost every religious and philanthropic object in Ipswich.
Scarcely a subscription list but bears his name. The
Bible Society found in him a warm-hearted and constant
friend. (The last public duty undertaken by him was to
preside at one of its annual meetings.) In the Ragged
School he took a deep and personal interest, the children
of which specially asked permission to attend his funeral.
Of the East Suffolk Hospital he was one of the committee
of management. Of the Temperance Society he was an
attached member ; and the Early Closing movement found
in him a ready advocate. He was Vice-president of the
Mechanics Institution, also of the working men's college ;
and the working men's club loses in him a sympathising
friend. The proposal to establish the Albert Middle
Class College at once elicited his support, and at his death
he was one of its Governors. When one of his nephews
established the Ipswich Museum he warmly encouraged
him in his efforts at thus interesting and instructing the
working classes. He was a member of the Dock Com
mission, this being the only public corporate body in which
he took part. Much more might be said of the merits of
our lamented fellow-townsman, but we may sum up in the
general remark, that whilst his private life exhibited the
simplicity and sincerity of the earnest Christian, his
outer life, which the world saw and took cognizance of,
was characterised by an unostentatious consistency and
gentle bearing, which made him a man of mark in our
town." Robert Ransome was a consistent member of the Society
of Friends, in which he successively filled the station of
Overseer and Elder. He felt a warm interest in all
that could promote its welfare and prosperity, whether in

ROBERT RANSOME. 553
Preparative; Monthly, or Quarterly Meetings. Many will
remember the practical, sound common sense which
characterised his remarks in such meetings, as also in the
Yearly Meeting. It was through his instrumentality that
a meeting-house was built at Hastings.
Being frequently consulted and confided in by Friends,
they found in him a wise counsellor. He took especial
interest in young men, whom he often invited to his house,
where they became impressed with the dignity of his
demeanour and speech. To young apprentices he gave
sage hints, in a manner which made an impression,
pointing out to them the need of faithfully fulfilling their
engagement, observing that he had rarely known a man
to turn out well in life if, he had broken this his first
contract or agreement. Those who knew him intimately
can bear testimony to his being a simple, humble-
minded follower in the footsteps of his Saviour. He
was a man of much prayer, his Bible a constant com
panion, whether at his desk in the counting-house, or
in his " study " at home, and active as was his Chris
tianity, he felt himself to be an unprofitable servant
when comparing himself with other members of the same
Society. In the autumn of 1864, accompanied by his nephew,
Stafford Allen, he went for a trip up the Rhine, greatly
enjoying the beautiful scenery, but he taking a chill, they
had to remain at an hotel at St. Goar. Paralysis ensued,
and ere there was time for one of his sons to be at his
side, his redeemed spirit had left its earthly tenement, to
enter, as could be reverently believed, into the joy and
peace of heaven, to be " for ever " with the Lord. The
body, having been brought to England, was interred in
the cemetery at Ipswich, amidst a concourse of not less
than 10,000 persons.

554 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
LINES ON ROBERT RANSOME.
By E. S., reprinted from the Suffolk Chronicle of
November 15th, 1864.
" Thou art silent in death, dearest friend of the poor,
But thy prayers and thine alms have gone upwards before ;
The angel of death, when he came to destroy,
Brought a message of mercy, a promise of joy.
" Thou art gone to thy home, and thy kindred will mourn
For that kind, noble form that will never return ;
But each sigh will be hushed when they read in the word
That the faithful shall enter the joy of their Lord.
" Thou'd the heart of a woman, so tender and true,
With the power of a giant, to will and to do ;
Thy tongue never faltered in aid of the weak,
And the soft tear of pity oft moistened thy cheek.
" Bright, bright are the gems that shall shine on the brow
Of the just man made perfect while waiting below ;
Thy pathway of light may we ever descry,
Till we join in thy glory, partake of thy joy."

JAMES RANSOME.
Born 1782 — Died 1849 — Aged Sixty-seven Years.
Bust height 3 3 in. Engraving 12 x 10 a.
James Ransome was the eldest son of Robert Ransome,
the inventor of chill-cast or hardened ploughshares. In
1795 he entered his father's business at Ipswich as an
apprentice, where, by close and intelligent application to
all the mechanical requirements of an iron foundry, he con
tributed greatly towards laying a good foundation for a
world-wide reputation. To accuracy of workmanship he
paid great attention — no slight matter in establishing the
system of manufacturing ploughs and other implements
— in such a manner that any portions bearing certain

JAMES RANSOME. 555
marks could be sent to any part of the world, however
distant, with the certainty of their being ready for im
mediate use without any manual adjustment.
Subsequently, as a partner in the business, he took the
practical management of it, watching with interest its
growth from a small concern with a pony and a mule to
drive the blast for the furnace, up to the employment of
one thousand four hundred men, with steam-engines at
work in all directions. Being a man of great bodily
power he could do as good a day's work as any one of
his men ; the latter were proud of having worked by the
side of so efficient a master.
Whilst the railway system was becoming established
throughout the land, the manufacture of railway chairs
formed an important item at the Orwell Works, James
Ransome having obtained a patent for chill-casting these,
and by a system of accurate moulding, their adoption was
secured on upwards of fifty railways. Wedges, keys, and
treenails, all made of compressed wood, for fastening the
rails to the chairs, also became a leading feature of manu
facture at these works, in which at this time the late
Charles May was a very efficient partner.
As a master he was greatly beloved and respected by
his men, in whom he took a fatherly interest, whether in
mental improvement or physical welfare. In later years,
when he could only occasionally visit the works, it was
quite striking to observe the kindly feeling evinced by
the workmen towards him. He had made himself one
with them in their interests whilst he was a fine hale man,
and in his old age they always received him with reverent
respect. This was notably the case on the occasion, in
1 845, of the celebration of his jubilee year in the business,
when all met in the park as a large family to enjoy the
entertainments provided. There, side by side, in the

55^ BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
midst of their men, stood these two brothers, James and
Robert, each fully six feet in height, the former conspicu
ous for the noble dignity of his manly, stalwart figure, the
latter also characterised by qualities above the average ;
a pair of brothers at once honoured and respected wherever
they went, the very type of masters of the olden time.
A year or two subsequently, the workmen wished to give
tangible expression of their respect for their masters, and
concluded to present the one with a large oil painting of
the other. They opened a subscription list amongst them
selves, which not only covered the cost of two large oil
portraits of the brothers, but also secured for each of the
subscribers a lithograph copy of each of those portraits.
The copies in our Portrait Gallery are some of the latter.
As a citizen he commanded universal respect, even
amongst those who differed from him politically. As an
Alderman he formed one of the procession to parade the
town on the proclamation of our Queen coming to the
throne. The prominent points of his character were,
urbanity of manner, combined with great firmness of
purpose, sound judgment, and undeviating integrity. In
his public position, as in the social circle, he was a bright
example of a Christian gentleman.
He was married on the nth of 6th month, 1805, to
Hannah, daughter of Samuel and Hannah Hunter, of
Southwold, Suffolk, by whom he had a large family.
As a " Friend " he was warmly and firmly attached to
the Society, and delighted in encouraging young men in
similar feelings, although more reticent than his brother
in expressing what he felt, yet in his early days he had
taken a firm stand by making an open profession of religion ;
a consistent example, rather than words, proclaimed in
whom he placed his trust. Many have remembered with
feelings of deep respect the reverent solemnity of the

JAMES RANSOME. 557
reading of the Scriptures on First-day evenings, as they
partook of his cheerful hospitality at his residence at
Rushmere. For a year or two prior to his decease he had ceased
from active participation in business, and his health
beginning to fail, he quietly enjoyed the pleasures of his
garden, welcoming his numerous friends and relatives,
who began to see the " beginning of the end." In his
times of weakness he could still steadfastly look to Jesus
as his Redeemer and Sanctifier, expressing himself as
" perfectly peaceful," adding, " feeling no dependence upon
anything of my own, but resting on the mercy of my
Redeemer." After lingering thus for some time the end
came so gently, so peacefully, that it seemed as if the
moment when the spirit took flight was not known. Those
who stood around the bed were permitted to realise the
force of the Psalmist's words, " Mark the perfect man, and
behold the upright : for the end of that man is peace."
When the notice of his death was posted up at the
Orwell Works a general feeling of gloom came over the
whole establishment. He whom all honoured and re
spected, he who, by kindly words and deeds, had won the
love and esteem of all, the honourable master, would be
seen amongst them no more ! The graveyard adjoining
the Friends' meeting-house being too small to contain all
the men who wished to show their respect for their master,
a selection was made of eight hundred of those who had
been longest in the employ of the firm. Eight of these,
whose average period of service under him was thirty-
seven years each, bore his body on their shoulders to the
grave amidst the solemn silence of a multitude feeling the
loss of a relative or friend, who had left behind him the
enviable character, so aptly expressed by the poet, " an
honest man is the noblest work of God."

558 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Lines on James Ransome, as published in the Suffolk
Chronicle : —
" The vital spark is fled, our master's gone,
And left all earthly cares to visit realms unknown.
His worth, when living, reached from pole to pole,'
His noble form enshrined a generous soul.
" His perseverance brought him great renown,
His trade increas'd and reached from town to town ;
His old domestics weep for him in vain,
And think his like they'll ne'er behold again.
" From far and near mechanics found their way
To his fam'd foundry, the wonder of the day,
There to display their genius, art, and skill ;
Their study was to please, and do their master's will.
" But now pale Death has seal'd him for his own ;
No more shall we behold his stately form ;
No more the Orwell Works his foot shall tread,
He's left us all, he's number'd with the dead !
" Farewell, kind master ! farewell, kind friend !
The race is run, thy journey's at an end ;
There rest till call'd to meet thy final doom,
And angels guard thee to thy happy home." Charles Baxter.
(The merit of this piece lies in its expression of the
feelings of a man towards his employer, the author having
been one of the workmen at the Orwell Works, and it was
considered at the time as embodying the feeling of the
men generally towards their deceased master.)

JAMES ALLEN RANSOME. 559

JAMES ALLEN RANSOME.
Born 1806 — Died 1875 — Aged Sixty-nine Years.
Engraving 12 x 10 in.
James Allen Ransome was the eldest son of James
and Hannah Ransome, of Ipswich, of whom a portrait
is to be found in our Gallery. After his education at
Colchester he was apprenticed to his grandfather, father,
and uncle ("Ransome & Sons"), and in 1829 he
became a partner in the firm thence known for some
years as " J. R. & A. Ransome." For about nine years
he resided at Yoxford, where the firm had a branch
establishment, and where, as elsewhere, he brought to
bear his good natural abilities and tact in promoting
the interests of this business, whether amongst railway
engineers and directors, or at the meetings of the Royal
Agricultural Society (established in 1838), of which he
was one of the earliest members. He was for many
years a constant attender of its annual shows, as also of
some of the other principal agricultural shows and meet
ings, at which, by his genial good-humour and sound
judgment, he won a foremost place. When in the prime
of life he had a constitution equal to his disposition,
strong, robust, and active, and was fitted for the bustle of
public life. He possessed, in a remarkable degree, the
strong common sense which led him to adopt the right
view of a subject, and the foresight and promptitude to
avail himself of first opportunities, his plans of action
being no sooner matured than instantly put into execution.
As a master he was respected and honoured by the large
number of men in the employ of his firm, and in dealing
with bodies of working men his tact and insight into

560 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
character enabled him to carry them en masse with him,
his addresses being filled with humour, pathos, and sound
sense, interspersed with apt quotations from poets or
authors. He took pleasure in promoting amongst their
men, and elsewhere, any movements calculated to raise
their self-respect or elevate their taste. On the occasion
of the jubilee gathering, when his father had been fifty
years engaged in the business, he addressed the mass of
men so feelingly as to draw tears from the multitude,
and quoted the following lines (which aptly describe some
of his own leading features) : —
" There is in every human heart
Some not completely barren part,
Where seeds of love and truth might grow,
And plants of generous virtue blow ;
To plant, to watch, to water there,
This be our duty, this our care."
A notable instance of his power over men occurred
during the great engineers' strike, about the year 1850.
Their London Central Committee had sent peremptory
orders to the operatives at Ipswich, in reference to restric
tions they wished put upon apprentices in the use of
certain machines. In obedience to this mandate the men
asked for an interview with their masters, who accordingly
met them. The men having stated their case, James
Allen Ransome thus addressed them : " Well, my men,
we are always ready to meet you when there is anything
to discuss which affects our mutual interests. I see
before me some who have been in our employ forty, thirty,
twenty years, and shorter periods; Whenever there have
been points of difference between us have we not always
been able to arrive at amicable conclusions without the
interference of strangers ? " (Tokens of assent from the
men.) "This is the plan upon which we have always

JAMES ALLEN RANSOME. 561
acted ; and we tell you plainly, once for all, that we are
not going to have other people come here to dictate to
us how we are to manage our own affairs. We shall be
sorry to part with any of you, if you mean to leave us,
but at the same time we wish you to understand clearly
that we can do without you. Therefore, if you intend to
be led by strangers, and do as they bid you, we offer you
your choice, either to have your wages and leave our
employ to-morrow, or you may all consider yourselves
under a week's notice to leave, whichever you prefer.'
The men promptly gave preference to the latter, and
having met by themselves, at once sent a deputation to
London to lay their case before the Central Committee,
requesting that they might, as heretofore, settle matters
themselves with their employers. They returned to
Ipswich with this permission, being told, that as their
works were somewhat out of the way, on one side of the
kingdom, and as they seemed to be on good terms with
their employers, an exception should be made in their
case. Accordingly things went on as before. Of the large
number of men employed only a few new-comers left,
some of whom the managers were glad to be rid of. In
the meantime the masters promptly dispatched a trusty
foreman to Scotland to engage as many fresh workmen
as might be needed.
During the early years of the Royal Agricultural
Society some differences of opinion arose as to the
methods of judging the agricultural implements and
machinery for the awarding of prizes. On one occasion,
when this matter was publicly discussed, J. A. Ransome
pointed out that unless due care were taken, and proper
tests adopted, there would be danger of misleading
agriculturists to purchase productions of inferior makers,
who might have " ridden into notoriety on the backs of
36

562 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
the judges." This was long remembered as one of his
"happy hits."
J. A. Ransome was married to Catherine, daughter of
James and Hannah Neave, of Fordingbridge, on the 4th
of 9th month, 1829.
As a citizen and philanthropist he threw his whole
energies into anything calculated to raise or improve the
working-classes, or to promote the interests of agriculture.
His " Implements of Agriculture " became a handbook to
farmers and others, and during his residence at Yoxford
he became mainly instrumental in establishing a
" Farmers' Club " on a principle but rarely tried pre
viously, namely, by discussions on questions of practical
agriculture, with the view of publishing reports as to
reliable results. Success quickly followed, and many
other such clubs were started elsewhere, including the
London Farmers' Club, which he was mainly instrumental
in establishing. He was also one of the, first to introduce
what is known as the " allotment system " for labourers,
a means which, however coolly received at the outset, has
since been largely adopted. In the Mechanics' Institute
he took active interest in the establishment of classes,
out of which arose a Working Men's College, of which he
was a generous patron. He took pleasure in endeavouring
to improve the position of young men who gave promise
of superior attainments in any direction. Possessing
strong intellectual power, he had the tact to use it to
advantage, whilst his kindness of heart led many a
troubled one to seek his aid.
He had mixed much with mankind ; and being endowed
with great discernment of men and manners, his natural
shrewdness led to a prompt perception of character.
Being elected on the Town Council, he soon occupied a
foremost place there, and was made Alderman in 1865.

JAMES ALLEN RANSOME. 563
He never sought civic honours, nor would he offer himself
as a candidate for Parliament, although many wished him
to do so.
During his earlier life he was under considerable
religious feeling, and seemed likely to become a gifted
Minister in the Society of Friends. In after years he
expressed regret at not having taken more heed to this
mode of serving his Divine Master. All through life he
attended the meetings of Friends, and felt glad to assist
in the Society's affairs in such ways as he could.
For some years prior to his decease his physical powers
began to decline, thus preventing him from taking part in
active life. This, to one of such active habits, was a great
trial, but he bore it patiently and uncomplainingly, and
could look forward to the future calmly and trustfully
unto the very end. When his death was announced there
were many who felt that the town had lost one of its most
valued citizens. The workmen from the Orwell Works,
with those from other establishments in the town, formed
a dense black line of about three thousand men to escort
his body to the cemetery, in which, and on the route to
it, fully ten thousand persons had assembled.
The Suffolk Chronicle, in its obituary notice, concluded
its article with the following stanza : —
" A mind replete with varied love,
Its simple joys retaining ;
And with its rich exhaustless store
All pedantry disdaining.
"A countenance that brightly shone
With genial smiles o'erflowing,
A heart that childhood's self might own,
With generous feelings glowing.''

564 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
RICHARD REYNOLDS.
Born 1735 — Died 18 16 — Aged Eighty-one Years.
Engraving 12 x 10 in.
Richard Reynolds, the philanthropist, of Bristol, was
the second son of Richard Reynolds, of Banbury, by Jane
Donne, of Bristol, his wife, and was born ist of 9th
month, 1735. In youth Richard Reynolds was an
apprentice to William Fry, grocer, in Bristol, but in early
manhood entered the iron trade. He married, 20th of
5th month, 1757, Hannah, only daughter of Abraham
Danby, of Coalbrookdale, and soon became one of the
leading partners in the well-known Coalbrookdale Iron
Company, and eventually its head. In this position, and
with untiring personal industry, he acquired great wealth,
but dealt it out again with the greatest generosity and
Christian philanthropy. Employing private almoners
in most parts of the kingdom, who were instructed to
take no account of colour, nation, or creed, his bounties
almost exceed belief, for it has been asserted that he
must have given away at least, if not more than,
£200,000, and that £10,000 a year was about the
average amount of his charitable disbursements, whilst
many future benefits were secured through the settlement
of estates upon several Bristol charities, more than one
of which he founded. Religious and philanthropic
societies, schools, and ministers of the Christian religion,
were also the especial objects of his care and bounty;
but the greater part of his private charities will never be
known, save to the Maker Whom he served throughout
life in humble trust, but ever-cheerful faith. Among his
most intimate friends and co-workers was William

RICHARD REYNOLDS. 565
Roscoe, the poet and historian. For over twenty years
he had, as inmate of his mansion, that admirable lady
Priscilla Hannah Gurney (born at Norwich in 1757),
cousin to the well-known brothers Joseph John, and
Samuel Gurney.
He died at Cheltenham, the 10th of the 9th month,
1 8 16, aged 81 years, and was interred in the Friends'
burial ground at the Friars, in Bristol.
For further particulars we refer to his " Letters and
Memoir of his Life," by his granddaughter, Hannah Mary
Rathbone, 1852, and for the titles of several pamphlets
relating to his memory and philanthropic labours, to
Smith's " Catalogue of Friends' Books," vol. ii.
James Boorne, in his articles " My Library," in the
Friends' Quarterly Examiner, vols. x. and xi., has
described the portraits of Richard Reynolds. The princi
pal one is by Hobday, a cotemporary painter of some
eminence, who settled at Bristol, and the engraver is
William Sharp, a line " engraver of the highest eminence."
Along the top of the plate run the words, "When the
eye saw him it blessed him." As a background is a
library, with the works of Barclay, Locke, Kempis,
Fenelon, Fox, Penn, Clarkson, and Howard conspicuous.
(The original painting is now in the possession of J. B.
Braithwaite.) The following is said on good authority to
have been the substance of a conversation that passed
between the great philanthropist and the artist, when he
had yielded to the importunities of his friends thus to sit
for his portrait. " How would you like to be painted ? "
" Sitting among books." " Any book in particular ? "
"The Bible." "Open at any particular part?" "At
the fifth chapter of the Romans, the first verse to be
legible : ' Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' "

566 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
RICHARD REYNOLDS.
" Dale ! * rife of ancient memories : in the past
So honoured by the presence and the work
Of excellence — and still our kindred's home !
Here Reynolds, brightening our ancestral name,
Fused the hard metal to a stream of wealth
That poured its bounteous tides throughout the land ;
Oh ! ne'er a heart so firm such pity drew
To send abroad availing sympathy,
And make the widow's heart to sing for joy !
A noble presence and a reverent head
Circled with massive ring of silver hair —
By Percy's t stealthy model still preserved,
My chamber almost hallowing, life-like, still,
In the same traits my early childhood knew.
He planned these sylvan walks that wind away
Through woods he planted, clothing ample slopes.
Of swelling range this dale that circles in —
Woods that expand in coppice, sink in dells,
Cluster in groves, and wave o'er ' Lincoln hill.'
He loved retirement of the woods, and loved
Their deep recess, not for its shade alone,
But as the cell of prayer, and nurse of praise ! "
William Ball's tribute to his great-uncle's memory.

THOMAS RICHARDSON.
Born 1771 — Died 1853 — Aged Eighty-two Years.
Coloured Sketch iO x 8 in.
Thomas Richardson was a native of Darlington, but
removed to London in early life, and was engaged as
clerk in the banking house of Smith, Wright, and Gray.
Leaving them, he associated himself in business with
John Overend, who had conceived the modern system of
discounting bills, in which commission is charged only
to the borrower, and they commenced this on their own
* Coalbrook Dale, Shropshire. f Allusive to a bust.

THOMAS RICHARDSON. 567
account as Richardson, Overend, & Co. John Gurney,
of Norwich, decided to place his son Samuel with them,
and the firm became known as Overend, Gurney, & Co.
Thomas Richardson, through his connection with this
concern, rapidly rose into comparatively high commercial
and social circles ; in which, painfully feeling the want of
superior early training, he became the firm and untiring
friend of a liberal education to all classes.
He had no family, and retired from business when not
much past middle life. He was the means of founding
the North of England Agricultural School at Great
Ayton, to which his time, attention, and purse appeared
to be primarily dedicated, and under the Divine favour
with much success. He also devoted much of his
income to educational purposes generally.
During the former part of his life he had a residence
in large grounds at Stamford Hill, with ponds of con
siderable extent. To these, when frozen over, he gave free
admission to several Friends' schools in the neighbour
hood, and during summer and autumn would show
frequent kindness to the scholars, whose remembrance
in after life of the games they had had in his fields, and
the freedom with which all the fruits of his large orchards
were placed at their service, became cherished memories
of their boyhood. After the close of his wife, Martha
Richardson's, long illness in 1841, at the age of 72,
Thomas Richardson removed to the north of England,
where his decease occurred on the 25th of 4th month,
1853, at his residence Cleveland Lodge, Great Ayton, in
the eighty- third year of his age. It had been preceded
by some years of gradual decline in both body and mind,
but he passed most quietly away, leaving behind him a
good example and an honourable name.
Taken from an obituary notice and other sources.

568 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.

THOMAS CLIO RICKMAN.
Born 1761 — Died 1834 — Aged Seventy-three
Years.
Print 10 x 8 in.
Thomas Clio Rickman was the son of John and
Elizabeth Rickman, and was born at the Cliff, near Lewes,
the 27th of the 7th month, 1761.
He was a bookseller in Upper Marylebone Street,
London, but at one time (about 1785) lived at No. 39,
Leadenhall Street.
This eccentric character avowed himself the complete
disciple of his friend, Thomas Paine, both in his religious
principles and his politics. He kept the table at which
that worthy personage scribbled his libels, and took those
draughts which inspired him with infidelity and repub
licanism. Mr. Rickman had been a liberal contributor
of poetical trifles to various magazines, and in a separate
form he published "Poetical Scraps," in 2 vols., 1803,
which contains " An Epitaph on William Penn," and his
first poem, A Fallen Cottage (published 1785), was
reprinted and included in the same work.
He died the 15th of 2nd month, 1834, in the seventy-
fourth year of his age, and was buried in Friends' burial
ground, Bunhill Fields.
See "Biographical Dictionary of Living Authors," 1816, and
Smith's " Catalogue."
He published an engraving of George Fox, from a
picture said to be painted by Honthorst in the year
1654, which was once in his possession. It afterwards
passed into the hands of a gentleman residing near

THOMAS CLIO RICKMAN. 569
Hammersmith, and is now the property of an American
gentleman resident in Kent, who has had the picture
cleaned, and the artist's name, Honthorst, is .said to
have thus become clearly visible. It is not known how
this picture was obtained by Thomas Clio Rickman, but,
being a bookseller, he was probably a dealer in pictures
also, and may have purchased it at a public auction of
some gentleman's effects, and notwithstanding his changed
principles on religion, no doubt he still felt a great interest
and regard for George Fox, the founder of the Society of
Friends, of which he was originally a birthright member.
George Fox is represented, at the age of thirty, in a
broad slouch-brimmed felt hat, white cravat, closely
buttoned coat and a cloak ; the hair long and just in
clined to curl ; mouth partly open ; his eyes and hands
upturned in a manner that will give most who see it the
appearance of its being a caricature rather than a portrait,
although the engraving, as such, is well executed, and the
artist, if it be really his work, was a painter of acknow
ledged merit and high character. To confirm its being
a genuine work needs the information yet wanting as to
how the picture came into the possession of one who
made no secret of his contempt for religion. The follow
ing is a portion of his epitaph on William Penn : —

¦'Here undistinguish'd lies the mortal part
Of him who boasted once the purest heart ;
Whom wisdom temper' d, and whom wit refm'd,
Whose head was clear, as spotless was his mind ;
Whose equal laws each principle display'd
That virtue could inspire, and genius aid.
Come, Christians, Pagans, Turks, whate'er your name,
Who plunder others' worlds to raise your fame,
Come, at the shrine of Penn with reverence kneel,
And whilst you read, with deep abasement feel,
What your rapacious madness never gain'd
This wondrous man by peaceful means obtain'd.

570 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
Go, if you doubt the assertion quite sincere,
To Pennsylvania go, . . . and feel it there ;
Be like its founder, wise, discreet, and good,
No longer deal in falsehood, war, and blood."
Thomas Clio Rickman published a print of himself
in out-of-door costume, called " A Citizen of the World."
Underneath it are the following lines : —
" Offhand and various, as occasion leads,
The bard's unstudied, devious theme proceeds :
He scorns the line, however smooth it flow,
' That tends to make one honest man his foe.'
" He travelling life's eventful road along,
Beguiles some moments with disportive song ;
Whistles and sings his ardent breast to cheer,
Thinks for himself, — dares laugh, — and be sincere."

THOMAS RICKMAN.
Born 1776 — Died 1841 — Aged Sixty-five Years.
Portrait in Crayon 10 X 8 in.
THOMAS RlCKMAN, architect and writer on the styles of
the Middle Ages, was born June 8th, 1776, at Maiden
head, Berkshire, where his father practised as a surgeon,
and he was brought up as a member of the Society of
Friends. In 1797 he was apprenticed to a London
druggist, as a step towards entering his father's pro
fession, but finding the work distasteful, he gave it up,
and for several years tried one employment after another,
with little success. He married early, and lost his wife,
who was his cousin, in 1808. At that time he was a
partner in a corn-factor's business in London, but he
afterwards went to live in Liverpool as assistant to an
insurance broker, and was soon led to take a very keen

THOMAS RICKMAN. 57 1
interest in the study of ancient buildings, especially
churches. All his spare time was spent in sketching and
making carefully measured drawings, till he gained a
knowledge which was very remarkable at a time when
but little taste existed for the beauties of the Gothic styles.
In this way Rickman was led to make designs of his own,
founded upon his study of old examples ; and, when a
large grant of money was made by the Government to
build new churches, he sent in a design which was suc
cessful in an open competition. Thus he was fairly
launched upon the profession of an architect, for which
his natural gifts strongly fitted him. Rickman then
moved to Birmingham, and at first worked at his new
profession, with Mr. H. Hutchinson as managing clerk ;
and when he died, in 1830, Rickman entered into partner
ship with Mr. Hussey, having become one of the most
successful architects of his time.
He built an immense number of churches, chapels,
and other buildings, among which some of the chief are
churches at Hampton Lucy, Ombersley, and Stretton-on-
Dunsmore, St. George's at Birmingham, St. Philip's and
St. Matthew's, both in Bristol, two in Carlisle, St. Peter's
and St. Paul's at Preston, St. David's in Glasgow, Grey
Friars' at Coventry, and many others. He also designed
the new court of St. John's College, Cambridge, a palace
for the Bishop of Carlisle, and several large country houses.
These are all in the Gothic style, but, though superior,
perhaps, to the buildings of his predecessors, they show
more knowledge of the outward form of the mediaeval
style, than any real acquaintance with its spirit, and are
little better than dull copies of old work, disfigured by
much poverty of detail. Rickman, nevertheless, was an
important stage in the revival of taste for medisevalism ;
perhaps, in that respect, only second to Pugin. Among

572 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
his more successful works are the Gothic bridge over the
Cam, at St. John's College, Cambridge, and the belfry
and spire of Saffron Walden church.
His book, entitled, " An Attempt to Discriminate the
Styles of Architecture in England," is a work which
deserves great credit for its painstaking research. A
great many editions of it were published, and it was
eventually much improved and enlarged. By Thomas
Rickman's second marriage he has left a son, Thomas
Miller Rickman, who follows his father's profession.
Rickman died January 4th, 1841, and was buried in
St. George's churchyard, Birmingham.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 9th edition, 1886.

WILLIAM RICKMAN.
Born 1745 — Died 1839 — Aged Ninety-three Years.
For Portrait see Oil Painting of London Yearly Meeting.
William Rickman was born in or near a small village
called Hellingly, in Sussex, the latter part of the year
1745. When fourteen years of age he was apprenticed
at New York. Little is known of the early part of his
life, he having passed twenty-six years of it in America.
He left America in 1785, in the year following came
to reside at Rochester, and was acknowledged as a Minister
in the year 1793. In 1788 he was married to Elizabeth
Alexander, the daughter of the Friend whom he suc
ceeded in the school at that place. In his frequent
religious visits she cheerfully gave him up to the service
of his great Master, and peacefully departed this life in
the year 1832, aged 7 3 years.

WILLIAM RICKMAN.

573

William Rickman was at various times engaged in the
service of visiting the families of Friends in his own
Quarterly Meeting. He' twice paid a religious visit to
Friends in Ireland ; in the year 1 8 1 5 visited some of the
western counties and the islands of Guernsey and Jersey,
and again in 1830; in the year 18 16 some of the
northern counties of England twice ; and on one of these
occasions the families of Friends in Scotland. Between
1 818 and 1820 he visited Friends in America ; in 1829,
Paris, and those professing with Friends in the south of
France ; and at other periods was engaged in visiting
Friends in various parts of this country. In these, his,
religious visits, our dear friend was enabled to discharge
his apprehended duty to the satisfaction of many among
whom he laboured, and was favoured to return with the
reward of peace to his own exercised mind.
Though not of a robust constitution, he was favoured
with good general health, and was remarkably preserved
from the pains and infirmities which are the common
attendants of the great age to which he attained. He was
kind and charitable to the poor, a sympathising friend and
counsellor. Towards the summer of 1839 his health began rapidly
to decline. He gently and calmly breathed his last on the
29th of the 7th month, 1839, in the ninety-fourth year
of his age, and his remains were interred at Rochester.
He was a Minister about forty-five years.
Taken from Testimony of Rochester Monthly Meeting, 1840,
and Corder's Memorials.

574 biographical catalogue.
GEORGE ROBINSON.
Born 1809 — Died 1874 — Aged Sixty-five Years.
Photograph 9x6 in.
George Robinson was a partner in the firm of Binyon,
Robinson, & Co., from about 1852 till just before his
death in 1874.
He married a sister of Alfred Binyon, whose wife was
a daughter of Thomas Hoyle, of Thomas Hoyle & Sons,
the famous calico printers.
Lucy Robinson's mother was a Burtt (a Lincolnshire
family)i Edward and Thomas Binyon (his partners) were cousins,
and George Robinson's position amongst Friends in
Manchester of later date was simply the result of being
connected with an old and wealthy concern. He long
occupied a prominent position in the Society of Man
chester meeting, without taking any conspicuous share in
its counsels, yet was a regular attendant on its meetings
for worship and discipline.

JOSEPH ROWNTREE.
Born 1801 — Died 1859 — Aged Fifty-eight Years.
Photograph 16 x 13 in.
Joseph Rowntree was born at Scarborough in the year
1 801. His parents, John and Elizabeth Rowntree,
endeavoured to rule their household in the fear of the
Lord, and exercised a judicious Christian care over their
children, and to his mother's influence he owed much in

JOSEPH ROWNTREE. 575
the formation of his character, though it was not (he
would say) that she talked on religious subjects, but so
linked his heart to her own by the silent influence of love,
that he feared wrongdoing lest so tender a parent should
be grieved.
Joseph Rowntree's school education was but limited,
ceasing altogether when he was thirteen years of age. This
deficiency was largely compensated for during the next
seven years of his life by intelligent researches into the
natural wonders of the sea-coast, and by diligent applica
tion to study in his brief hours of leisure, under the wise
and firm direction of his elder brother, the late John
Rowntree, of Scarborough ; and not unfrequently, in
succeeding years, did he gratefully acknowledge how
largely he was indebted to this fraternal influence.
Possessing an ardent temperament, and a somewhat
lively imagination, Joseph Rowntree keenly relished the
exercises and pleasures rightly pursued in the earlier
stages of life ; but he was no stranger to the visitations
of the Holy Spirit, and, yielding his heart to these, he at
times retired to his chamber for devotional purposes, and
in later life acknowledged the benefit he had derived
from this practice.
On attaining his majority, twelve months after the
death of a dear sister, he removed to York. In beginning
business on his own account, and entering on the respon
sibilities devolving on the master of a household, very
earnest were the breathings of his soul, that he might be
enabled to act in accordance with the will of God, and to
uphold sound views of Christian truth and practice. For
some years his attention to business was necessarily very
close, but this did not prevent the continued culture
of his intellectual powers, and the acquirement of much
critical knowledge of Holy Scripture.

576 biographical catalogue.
That decision of character which so distinguished the
subject of our narrative was tested on the occasion of his
admission as a member of the York " Merchants' Com
pany." In accordance with old usage, a wine , party was
arranged for celebrating this event. With some hesitation
he joined the company, but soon after taking a glass
of wine with his associates, the proceedings assumed a
character which distressed him ; and the thought, " What
would my mother think to see me under such circum
stances ? " thrilled through his heart, inducing him to take
up his hat and leave the room, to the surprise of his
companions. The temperance movement had not then
begun, but he never afterwards attended a party of like
character ; and he more than once acknowledged how
this decided step lessened his difficulties in future inter
course with his fellow- citizens.
At this period of his life, Joseph Rowntree formed the
acquaintance of the late Samuel Tuke, and derived per
manent benefit from intercourse with his powerful and
philosophic mind, regulated as it was by deep Christian
principle. The intimacy thus commenced ripened, as
years advanced, into a devoted friendship, and it was
cemented by long union in various services for the wel
fare of the religious Society, .to which they were both
so deeply attached, as well as for promoting the interests —
temporal and spiritual — of their fellow-citizens.
Throughout the course of his life education was a
subject in which our dear friend was especially interested.
Believing that the right training of children and young
persons was greatly influential in determining their future
career, and consequently a matter of the highest importance,
not merely to individuals, but to the Church, and to general
society, he gave his steady support to numerous efforts for
promoting the instruction of poor children in the city of

JOSEPH ROWNTREE. 577
York. For thirty years the British Schools were particularly
the objects of his efficient and persevering care. When
quite a young man he was appointed a member of the
Ackworth School Committee ; he also took an active
part in the establishment and management of the Boys'
and Girls' Schools at York, under the care of that
Quarterly Meeting. In 1829 he assisted in the investi
gations made, by the same body of Friends, into the
condition of education amongst those connected with
the Society, but not in membership ; and the facts then
elicited led to the establishment of Rawdon School. In
1845 he was chosen one of the original trustees of the
Flounders' Institute.
The soundness of his judgment, and the administrative
ability with which he was gifted, combining a minute
attention to details with great comprehensiveness of
thought and quick perception of ultimate results, emi
nently fitted him for usefulness in connection with these
various establishments. He possessed almost intuitive
sympathy with the difficulties of officers in public
institutions ; and to the superintendents of those before
enumerated he became, in many instances, not merely a wise
counsellor, but a beloved personal friend, and he secured
the esteem and attachment of a large number of young
persons training as teachers, or employed in our schools.
Assisted by Friends in every part of the Kingdom,
in the year 1843 Joseph Rowntree made a searching
investigation into the apparent results of education at
Ackworth School, as illustrated by the actual experience
of the boys who had passed through that Institution
within the present century. This information stimulated
his endeavours to enlarge the proportion of teachers to the
number of scholars, and by raising the teachers' office in
estimation, increase the scale of its remuneration. 37

578 biographical catalogue.
In conjunction with his friend, Samuel Tuke, and
others, he took part in promoting the establishment of
the Friends' Educational Society, and he valued that
Association as a practical means for advancing the ends
already referred to.
The increasing interest taken by Friends in Sabbath
Schools which he endeavoured to promote, greatly
comforted him. From his strong conviction that those
who, in the love of Christ, were concerned in watering
others, would themselves be watered, he looked on this
instrumentality as calculated to benefit the Church.
But whilst the amount of time and thought necessarily
given to these and many other undertakings for the benefit
of his fellow-men was large, our dear friend was careful
that they should not interfere with his more private duties
to his own family and household ; and next to his family
circle, nowhere was his interest in the young more
powerfully exerted, or more gratefully appreciated, than
on those who served him as apprentices, or assistants
in his business.
Gifted with large conversational powers, they were
turned to good account in his social intercourse ; and not
only could he check frivolous discourse without abruptness,
but would originate that which was useful and edifying,
and so maintain it by drawing out the mental stores of his
friends, that an evening spent in his company would prove
a time of enjoyment and instruction.
As closely connected with the formation of sound
religious habits, he highly valued the humble painstaking
culture of the understanding, in reference to religious
subjects. One of the later undertakings in which he
united with other Friends of York Particular Meeting,
was the establishment of a Library of Biblical and Eccle
siastical Literature. He was intimately acquainted with

JOSEPH ROWNTREE. 579
the literature of the Society of Friends, and the spiritual
views of Christianity upheld by it had been accepted by
him after the most serious and thoughtful investigation.
In 1 847 he was appointed to the office of Elder. His
large Christian experience, and his sound judgment,
combined with a clear perception of the excellence and
safety of a well-proportioned harmonious presentation of
Gospel truth, qualified him to exercise a watchful oversight
and a nursing care over the ministry, which was ever
marked by great sympathy and discernment, especially
towards the young and inexperienced.
In meetings for Discipline our dear friend endeavoured
to maintain a lively exercise of spirit, and on these
occasions he not unfrequently addressed his friends in a
lucid, and instructive manner on various subjects relating
to Church government, religious duties, and Christian
doctrine. Passing events were often referred to, and
made the subjects of lively illustration. The deep
religious interest that he felt in the question of marriage
in all its bearings, as affecting the interests of the Society
of Friends, and the best welfare of its individual members,
was a source of much-sustained thought and labour for a
number of years. The injurious effects, as he believed, of
past proceedings in relation to this subject, occasioned
him real sorrow, and induced him very earnestly to
promote an alteration of the then existing regulations,
which has proved of so much value to the Society.
Joseph Rowntree had a high estimate of the duties
devolving on the Christian citizen, and he endeavoured
rightly to discharge them. At different times he occupied
public offices connected with the Municipal Institutions
of the City, and successfully expended much thoughtful
labour in its sanitary improvement. In his conduct
as a public man, he sought uncompromisingly to act

580 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
up to what he believed was the Christian standard of
requirement. He bore an active testimony against
judicial swearing, and, on at least one occasion, main
tained single-handed in the council chamber his allegiance
to the principles of inviolable peace.
But the time came, with unexpected nearness, for the
man of strong mind, of active habits, of greatly diversified
pursuits, to be withdrawn from these busy occupations of
life. He had often spoken of feeling less power than he
had been wont to do, and was induced to relax his labours
considerably, as very serious apprehension was felt as to
the state of his health.
One of the last occasions on which he spoke in public
was at the annual meeting of the First-day School
Association at Ackworth, and not a few will remember
his closing words, in which he told the teachers, " that
inasmuch as times of depression and of weariness were
almost certain to occur to each of them, it was very
needful to remember, again and again, the example of
Him Who endured such contradiction of sinners against
Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."
He passed peacefully away on the 4th of 1 1 th month,
1859, in his fifty-ninth year.
For further interesting particulars concerning him,
chiefly towards the close of his life, and his heavenly
expressions in the end, see the Annual Monitor for i860.
" Better to wear out than to rust,"
Yet hard the labour to resign !
As now, when premature decline
Prostrates the useful, wise, and just.
* * * *
" And they who mourn his honour'd dust
Throughout this path, can, thankful trace,
The fruit of faith, the work of grace,—
Path of the useful, wise, and just."
William Ball.

SAMUEL RUNDELL. 58 1
SAMUEL RUNDELL.
Born 1763 — Died 1848 — Aged Eighty-five Years.
For Portrait see Oil Painting of London Yearly
Meeting.
Samuel Rundell was born at Liskeard, in Cornwall,
on the 26th of the 7th month, 1763. His parents, Samuel
and Mary Rundell, were members of our Religious Society,
and exercised a watchful care over him, giving him a
good education. He describes himself as having had,
in his early years, an unruly will, and other evil disposi
tions ; but says, in reference to this period of life, " The
Lord dealt very graciously with me, and was pleased,
when I was very young, to visit me with His light,
reproving me for evil in my words and actions when I did
amiss ; but I knew not then what it was that manifested
the evil, and strove with me against it. And when I was
come nearly to the age of manhood, though I was able
to talk about religion and various doctrines of men, yet I
felt that I wanted the power, I wanted the life, and some
thing more than the form. Under this feeling I was
engaged to pray earnestly to the Lord, that He would
be pleased to give me what I stood in need of, and
make me a partaker of the virtue and substance of
religion ; and blessed for ever be His name ! He dealt
graciously with me, and favoured my soul with a very
precious visitation of His Divine love, gradually effecting
the great work of spiritual baptism and regeneration."
The visitation thus alluded to made a lasting im
pression, and proved a means of preserving him from
evil, to which he was much exposed during his appren
ticeship.

582 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
In the year 1790 Samuel Rundell first yielded to an
impression of duty to speak publicly as a Minister in
a Quarterly Meeting at Kingsbridge, being then in the
station of an Elder. In that, and some subsequent
years, he occasionally accompanied his friend Jonathan
Binns, of Looe, and Sarah Tuckett, when engaged in
holding meetings in Cornwall and Devonshire among
persons not in profession with us.
In 1794, being recorded as a Minister by his Monthly
Meeting, he united with Sarah Harrison, from America,
and afterwards with Anne Alexander, of York, then Ann
Tuke, in holding many public meetings, chiefly in the
western parts of Cornwall. The latter, with himself and
other Friends, paid a religious visit to the Scilly Islands,
where they were received with openness. In the follow
ing year he was liberated by his Monthly Meeting to
visit Scotland, and some of the adjacent islands, accom
panied by two Friends from Cumberland. The service was
felt to be an arduous one, but the truths which he had to
declare met with a serious reception in many places, and
after some deep conflicts of spirit, he was favoured to
return in peace. In 1798 he visited some of the
northern counties of England.
A concern for the revival of the discipline and good
order of the Society, which had been too much let down,
early attended him ; and he was enabled, with others of
the same Quarterly Meeting, to promote a restoration.
He married in 1790 Martha Manning, of Exeter, but
in about two years she was taken from him by death.
In 1803 he was again married, being united to Sarah
James, of Falmouth ; a connection which was permitted
to continue through the remainder of life to his strength
and comfort. A few months afterwards he engaged in a
religious visit to Friends of Ireland, the prospect of which

SAMUEL RUNDELL. 583
had long impressed his mind, and he was enabled to per
form it with much satisfaction.
For many years he carried on the business of a wool-
stapler, and occupied a few acres of land ; but he did not
devote himself much to pursuits of a temporal nature.
Many labours of a religious nature in different parts, but
chiefly in the west of England, occupied him in after
years. The attendance of the Yearly Meeting was often
the means of the renewal of his faith and hope, while at
times he had to mourn over cases of defection, and the
low state of our Church. Earnest was his concern that
it might not slide from the ancient foundation, through
a dependence on the wisdom of man, and that our religious
principles might be faithfully upheld, under the influence
of that spirit from which they proceeded.
The education of the young, the promotion of temper
ance, the welfare of the descendants of Africa, and other
objects which did not infringe on his decided views as
a Friend, received a cordial and generous support.
In 1834 he wrote" Observations on the Redemption of
Man in Divine Worship, and on the partaking of the Flesh
and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ," which was reprinted
in 1838, under the title of "Observations on the Com
mencement and Progress of the Work of Vital Religion
in the Soul, on Divine Worship, and on the partaking
of the Flesh and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ." The
circulation of this valuable tract appeared to afford him
relief and satisfaction.
His final illness was marked by hope and consolation,
and was replete with much to instruct and impress
survivors. He was able to express but little near his end, but
still bore, by his patience and submission, a scarcely less
striking testimony to the sufficiency of Him in Whom

584 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
he had believed. One of his later remarks was in reply
to an expression of hope that he was • comfortable, when
he feebly said, " Depending on the mercy of God in
Christ Jesus." In this frame of mind he passed quietly
away, on the 4th of the 5th month, 1848, in the eighty-
fifth year of his age, a Minister about 58 years.
Taken from Testimonies, 1849, and the Annual Monitor, 1849.

ROBERT RUSTON.
Born 1779 — Died 1839 — Aged Sixty Years.
For Portrait see the Picture of Earith Meeting, and also
the Oil Painting of London Yearly Meeting.
This Friend's death was awfully sudden. He attended
meeting both morning and afternoon, and appeared as
well as usual. After taking tea he went into his orchard,
and on his return, whilst in the act of taking some apples
out of his pocket, he sunk down on the floor, and died
instantly. His remains were interred at Chatteris, on the
2nd of the 10th month, on which occasion there was an
attendance of a number of Friends and neighbours.
Annual Monitor, 1840.
In the coloured photo, from the picture by Samuel Lucas, of
Earith Meeting-House, this Friend is represented sitting on the
front seat, and in the Yearly Meeting picture he is shown resting his
head on his stick. There is a tradition that, constant as was his
attendance at Yearly Meeting, he never made but one observation,
and that was to object to the use of the term "our grand Ad
versary" in the draft of an Epistle then under consideration, " for,''
said Robert Ruston, "I never could see anything grand in the
Devil."

MARY ANNE SCHIMMELPENNINCK. 585
MARY ANNE SCHIMMELPENNINCK.
Born 1778 — Died 1856 — Aged Seventy-seven Years.
No Portrait.
Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck was by birth and
education a member of our Society. She was the daughter
of Samuel and Lucy Galton, and was born in Steel
House Lane, Birmingham, the 25th of 11th month,
1778, at her grandfather's house. Her mother was a
Barclay, a name endeared to many.
In the course of her lengthened experience, she passed
through many phases of outward religious belief. It is,
however, sufficiently clear from evidence, that in all
essentials, both of spirit and belief, a Friend she
remained throughout all her life ; and it is very curious,
and not a little instructive, to note the various outward
forms which at different times of her life were assumed,
according to the influences which were brought to
bear on her highly receptive and impressionable mind ;
while yet, like ocean vegetation, that seems to heave
and fall with every rippling wave, there is a living and
rooted, though ofttimes unconscious, grasp to the eternal
rock beneath.
" Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck was known to the
public chiefly as the authoress of the ' Port Royal
Memoirs,' a work which, partaking much of the tone
of what has been termed the mystic school, is yet ex
ceedingly characteristic of its writer. Throughout all her
writings, indeed, there is evident an almost morbid
tendency to self-analysis, which was doubtless in no
small measure the result of habitual suffering and
ill-health; for Mary Anne never had that vigorous

586 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
and sound health of body, which is almost, if not alto
gether, essential to the thoroughly vigorous and sound
exercise of the mental faculties."
In the year 1806 the subject of this memoir married
Lambert Schimmelpenninck, of Bristol. This gentleman
belonged to a branch of the noble Dutch family of that
name, the head of which, the late Count Schimmelpenninck,
was for many years Stadholder of Holland.
The year 1 8 1 8 was marked by her reception into the
Moravian Church, into which her scruples with regard to
the use of the " Lot " had hitherto prevented her from
being received as a member. In her letter to Dr. Okely
(pastor of the Moravian Church in Bristol), in which she
applies for fellowship, when tracing the course of her
mind on this subject, she thus expresses her ultimate con
viction : —
" I had, indeed, long believed in Jesus, but, like Martha, I had
too often been busied about many things, though all, as I thought,
relating to His service. I now began to feel that I most needed,
like Mary, to sit quietly at His feet, and my heart yearned after
companions who, in common with other Christian brethren, feed on
the Bread of Life, but eat it unmixed with the chaff of human
speculation. During this period, too, 1 had seen much of the
so-called religious world, and all I saw without, as well as all I had
experienced within, convinced me more and more of man's utter
emptiness, and of our Saviour's all-sufficient fulness, and made me
long to flee to some asylum among brethren who should have
experienced, like myself, that men are nothing, and that ' Christ is
all in all.' I resolved then to search the Scriptures on the subject
of the ' Lot,' and accordingly I found it was used under the old
covenant to fix the habitation of the children of Israel, and to
appoint the order in which the priests should offer incense in the
temple, and on various other occasions ; and I found that the very
earliest act of the Apostolic Christian Church was to establish an
appeal to ' the Lot ' in the choice of ministers under the new covenant,
and, lest we should imagine this a temporary privilege, the grounds
of its establishment are given, and these grounds are evidently of a
permanent nature. Prov. xviii. 18 : ' The lot causeth contentions to
cease, and parteth between the mighty.' And again, Prov. xvi.
33 : ' The lot is cast into the lap ; but the whole disposing thereof is

JOHN SCOTT. 587
of the. Lord..' Such were the steps by which our Saviour led me, and
I found myself a sister at heart before I was aware of it."
She died the 29th of 8th month, 1856, aged about
7 8 years, and was interred in the burying ground attached
to the Moravian Chapel, Bristol.
Abridged from the "Life of Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck,"
edited by Christiana C. Hankin.

JOHN SCOTT.
Born 1730 — Died 1783 — Aged Fifty-three Years.
Engraving 3x3 in.
JOHN SCOTT, of Amwell, was born in the year 1730. He
was the son of Samuel and Martha Scott, of Grange Walk,
Bermondsey, Southwark. His father was a draper and
citizen of London, and a Minister in the Society of Friends.
In the year 1740 his father withdrew himself wholly
from business in town, and retired with his family to
Amwell, in Hertfordshire, and for some time carried on
the malting trade.
The family being now settled, his father sent his son to
a private school near Ware, the master of which was an
admirable penman. He is said to have applied himself
to reading about the age of seventeen, when he gave evi
dent signs of a propensity to the study of poetry.
In 1767 he was married to Sarah Frogley, of Cheshunt,
his wife having previously been admitted into membership.
His father dying in 1768, in the eighty-fourth year of
his age, he had a most severe stroke soon after in the
death of his wife, who died the same year. He then retired
to the house of his friend, Joseph Cockfield, at Upton, near

588 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Plaistow, so that being removed from former scenes, his
mind might by degrees recover its tranquillity.
On the ist of the nth month, 1770, he was married at
the Meeting-House, Ratcliff, to his second wife, Mary De
Home, daughter of Abraham De Home, a Friend whose
qualities procured him many years of uninterrupted
happiness. John Scott's settled residence was at Amwell, but he
every year spent some time occasionally at a house which
he had at Ratcliff Cross, where he died the 1 2th day of
the 1 2th month, 1783, aged 54 years, and was buried in
Friends' burial ground at Ratcliff on the 18th of the same
month, his funeral being attended by a select number of
relations and friends.
These notes are taken from John Scott's life by Hoole,
who was himself a literary character of some eminence,
and the following notice occurs in Samuel Scott's (the
brother's) diary.
" I visited him 1 ith month, 18th, 1783, at his house at
Ratcliff a few days before his decease. To my great
satisfaction I beheld in him the pride and glory of all flesh
abased, and the Saviour Who was clothed in ' the seamless
robe,' whose hands and feet were pierced, and whose head
was crowned with thorns exalted as the only rock in the
valley of death."
"4th month, 25th, 1785. — I was visited by John
Hoole, the celebrated translator of Tasso, who read to me
some memoirs, which are intended to be prefixed to a
posthumous work of my deceased brother, John Scott, who
in his lifetime had the praise of men ; but in his latter
end, I humbly hope, his ' praise was of God.' "
That John Scott was considered a personage of some
reputation in the county of Hertford is evidenced by the
following reference.

JOHN SCOTT. 539
John Scott " was a man of considerable wealth, and of
refined taste and a poet. His house was a handsome
mansion on the south of Ware, surrounded by grounds
disposed in the most picturesque manner, ornamented with
a beautiful grotto, and with a study on an eminence, which
was his favourite retreat. He was in his neighbourhood
another Man of Ross, worshipped by the poor, and beloved
by all who knew him. The sentiments in his highly
finished poetry accord with his practice ; and, from their
benevolent spirit, deserve to be always popular. His
widow was living in 1823, and keeps up the house and
park in the state in which they were left by the poet."
A list of John Scott's work is given in Joseph Smith's "Cata
logue," and from his poems is here extracted the following well-
known Ode : —
"THE DRUM. An Ode.
" I hate that drum's discordant sound,
Parading round, and round, and round ;
To thoughtless youth it pleasure yields,
And lures from cities and from fields,
To sell their liberty for charms
Of tawdry lace and glittering arms ;
And when Ambition's voice commands,
To march, and fight, and fall, in foreign lands.
" I hate that drum's discordant sound,
Parading round, and round, and round ;
To me it talks of ravag'd plains,
And burning towns, and ruin'd swains,
And mangled limbs, and dying groans,
And widows' tears, and orphans' moans ;
And all that Misery's hand bestows,
To fill the catalogue of human woes."
Scott's Poems, 1786, p. 203.
John Scott's grounds at Amwell were tastefully laid out
and kept in excellent order. There was in them a grotto
much admired by his visitors, which he has thus described :
"Where, 'midst thick oaks, the subterraneous way
To the arch'd grot admits a feeble ray ;

590 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Where glossy pebbles pave the varied floors,
And rough flint-walls are deck'd with shells and ores,
And silvery pearls, spread o'er the roofs on high,
Glimmer like faint stars in a twilight sky ;
From noon's fierce glare, perhaps, he pleas'd retires,
Indulging musings which the place inspires."

BENJAMIN SEEBOHM.
Born 1798 — Died 1871 — Aged Seventy-three
Years.
Woodcut 7x5 in.
The connection of the Seebohm family with the Society
of Friends originated in the visit paid by Sarah Grubb
{ne'e Tuke) and George Dillwyn to Germany in 1790.
When the parents of Benjamin Seebohm and various
others of their near relatives and family circle, both at
Minden and Pyrmont, adopted by conviction the prin
ciples of Friends, the Seebohm family moved in a
somewhat superior position of life, and were possessed
alike of considerable talent and much literary culture.
Benjamin Seebohm's father Ludwig was master of various
languages, and held appointments of honour and trust in
the principality of Waldeck. His mother (Julia von
Borries) was the daughter of an honourable councillor, who
showed Sarah Grubb and her companions much kindness
and appreciative attention. It is interesting to know that
Esther Wheeler, to whom Benjamin Seebohm became
united in marriage, was a niece of Sarah Grubb, and
that thus his connection with the Society of Friends was
one of the results of the faithful labours of an aunt of
his future wife.
Benjamin Seebohm was born at Friedenthal, near

BENJAMIN seebohm. 591
Pyrmont, in Germany, on the 20th of 2nd month, 1798,
and was the third son in a family of nine children, who
(when he was but eight years old) were deprived by death
of the watchful care of their excellent mother, whose
superior mind and attainments had had a lasting influence
on her youthful charge. She was one who, though
brought up in fashionable life, had assumed and con
sistently maintained the character and demeanour of a
simple Friend. Her adornment was that of a meek and
quiet spirit, combined, nevertheless, with great firmness
of purpose and persistent effort to do what she believed
to be right.*
Benjamin Seebohm met with an accident at four
years of age which lamed him for life, and being thus
deprived of participating in the usual activities of youth,
it stimulated the cultivation of his mental powers. By this
accident (his sister has told in the Memoirs published of
him) it seemed as if little Ben, previously so strong and
active, would, through the dislocation of his hip, become
a confirmed invalid, for medical treatment was unavailing ;
but a shepherd, self-taught in the art of bone-setting,
gained the family confidence, and was allowed to try his
skill. There was a wrench, a twist, and a sudden cry as
of agony from the little sufferer, but the knowing eye and
strong arm of the shepherd had reseated the hip in its
socket, and little Ben's activities returned. He grew up
strong and hearty in health, but always dependent in
walking upon the support of his stick.
Although the Seebohm family had been drawn to the
* When her first child was born she declined its submission to
the rite of baptism. In those arbitrary days the authorities inter
fered, and a police officer was sent to compel its performance ;
hut quietly taking her babe she exclaimed : " Who will dare to take
this child out of its mother's arms ? " The officer, all abashed,
retired, and nothing more came of it.

592 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
principles of Friends by the visit of Sarah Grubb before-
mentioned, their isolation (during the long continental
wars) from others like-minded, together with various
other circumstances, made the visit paid them by Stephen
Grellet in the winter of 18 13-14 as a new birth to the
almost dissolved community, and to Benjamin Seebohm,
himself, who was a lad of about sixteen, it proved (as
he has said) " the turning-point of his life." Stephen
Grellet's attention was at once attracted to him, and in
the illness of his father, who usually acted as interpreter,
the youthful disciple went with this ardent missionary
in his visits to families, interpreted at his meetings, and
travelled with him to Minden and other parts of
Germany. Soon after Stephen Grellet had left, Benjamin See-
bohm's services as an interpreter were again called into
requisition to aid some Friends who came from England,
and he travelled with them for that purpose, hoping for
his father's recovery of health to make it but a brief
experience. It proved otherwise. His father was not able
to relieve him, and young as he was, he had frequently to
act as interpreter, not only in small gatherings such as
Stephen Grellet had held, but before large and miscel
laneous and fashionable audiences, from the company
gathered at the baths of Pyrmont. Here, as the little lad
of sixteen took his seat under the gallery, Sarah Hustler,
one of the chief of the Friends, in deep sympathy for his
position, leant over the rail, and gently whispered into
his ear, " Fear not, thou wilt be helped," and truly so
he found it, for with the first sentence he translated, all
fear of man vanished, and he went through the service
their meetings involved with unhoped-fQr ease. He at
tended on the party through their rather extensive mis
sionary journeys in Germany up the Rhine, and portions

BENJAMIN SEEBOHM. 593
of France, and eventually, at their request, and with
his father's assent, accompanied them to England, and
became a valued inmate in John Hustler's and his sister
Sarah Hustler's family at Undercliffe, Bradford. Here,
in this hospitable home, having much leisure, he greatly
improved his education, and devoted a large portion of
his time to the prayerful study of Holy Scripture, and
the reading of the early journals of Friends as well as
the history of the Society, and made a regular practice
of retiring, at seasons, to wait upon God in meditation
and prayer, to the resolute maintenance of which he
attributed, under the Divine blessing, much of his preser
vation and growth in grace and in the knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Sarah Hustler, who thus brought Benjamin Seebohm
to England, was a person of no ordinary character, and
her prote'ge'e has lovingly drawn the portrait of one to
whose care and counsel he owed so much. She would
listen for hours to his reading, and give him the benefit
of her intelligent and instructive remarks, for she had
a masculine understanding and a highly cultivated mind,
united with great discernment of character, and her fervent
piety was adorned with a degree of refinement and grace
seldom (he says) equalled. He never knew any one whose
power of sympathy and capacity for entering into the
feelings and circumstances of others, rich or poor, ex
ceeded those of her whom he styles " a thorough Christian
lady." When he was about twenty-three he first appeared as
a Minister, being strengthened, after a period of some
conflict, thus to bring his gift to the altar, the immediate
occasion being a sequel to a discourse delivered by Ann
Jones on " There is a lad here which hath five barley
loaves and a few small fishes." His naturally capacious
38

594 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
understanding, and well- cultivated mind, stored with
varied knowledge, made him an able advocate for the
truth as it is in Jesus. He had a quick natural perception
of character, with a remarkable gift of spiritual discern
ment that enabled him often, under the fresh anointing of
the Holy Spirit, to minister very pointedly to the states
of individuals among whom his Gospel labours were
exercised. In 183 1 he was married to Esther Wheeler, of Hitchin,
a granddaughter of William Tuke, of York, and a niece
of the Sarah Hustler for whom, as his father's substitute,
he had, when only a lad, acted as interpreter. Their union
was one both in heart and service, for both were recorded
Ministers, and fully conscious that obedience to their
varied line of service might involve many separations and
trials, even to the then distant prospect of the long
absence of Benjamin Seebohm in America. On their
marriage they settled at Horton Grange, a small farm
in the immediate neighbourhood of Bradford, where a
young family soon grew up around them; but much as
the father enjoyed his home life and its many pursuits
the one all-absorbing theme of the Gospel led him to
continual service in the ministry, and it has been said
that seldom was it the lot of any one more diligently
to labour in the ministry of the Gospel. There were few,
if any, meetings of Friends in the United Kingdom which
he did not visit at one time or another, and very fre
quently he had religious interviews with every one of the
numerous families composing them.
It was fifteen years after their marriage, and in 1846,
when the visit to America that had been seen in prospect
ere the union took place was commenced, and it involved
an absence of nearly five years. Robert Lindsay was his
companion, and the journey was prosecuted with a

BENJAMIN SEEBOHM. 595
thoroughness that made every meeting on that continent,
with very few exceptions, acquainted with Benjamin
Seebohm. During its performance there were many
close trials through a spirit of unsettlement prevailing
among Friends in that country, and it may be said that
frequent spiritual baptisms were his portion ; but these
and other trials which his absence from home involved
were doubtless all made subservient (under the over-ruling
of Him Who sent him forth) to the better fulfilment of
his mission, as by such means self is often kept down, and
the messenger better prepared to sympathise with those
to whom he is called to minister. This comprehensive
journey brought him into close Christian fellowship with
many dear Friends in that country, and there can be no
doubt his labours in the various Yearly Meetings of
America were greatly blessed. He advocated Friends'
principles as a healthy outgrowth of that living faith in
Christ which led them not only to love and adore Him as
their Saviour and their God, but to desire to follow Him
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit ; and he deprecated
any efforts at outward conformity, other than as from the
centre to the surface, the root to the branch, from faith
to works, and from love to holiness, arising from a hearty
reception of Christ Himself as our all in all, without
which foundation no superstructure could, he abundantly
testified, be secure. " Truly," he once wrote, " the self-
evidencing testimony of the Spirit and the Divine
authority of the Scriptures are the bulwarks of Chris
tianity, — the two pillars which, firmly resting upon Christ,
Himself the true foundation, and kept plumb, are able
to bear any weight that may be thrown upon them by
friend or foe."
On the termination of his visit to America Benjamin
Seebohm removed from Horton Grange to a house in the

596 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
town of Bradford, where, in addition to other engage
ments, he became occupied in some literary pursuits. He
was editor for several years to the Annual Monitor. He
arranged the materials for a Life of Stephen Grellet, which
he issued from the press, and also one of William Forster,
both of them instances of his excellent qualifications for
this kind of service. In the year 1864 his beloved wife,
who was one endowed with remarkable gifts, both natural
and spiritual, and who had so often willingly and faith
fully tarried by the stuff whilst he went forth to the battle,
was removed by death, as his beloved daughter (the wife
of Joseph Rowntree) had been a short time before. His
own health began, not long after, to fail, and for the
remaining years of his life he became an inmate in the
home of his youngest son at Luton, where, though long an
invalid, he was bright in spirit and pure in faith to the
last. His decease occurred on the 2nd of 6th month,
1 871, at the age of 73 years.
His sons have issued an interesting Memoir of their father and
mother, from which, and also from the Annual Monitor of 1873,
these fragmentary details have been compiled.
The following extract from one of Benjamin See-
bohm's American letters gives a vivid description of the
scenery of its woods in their autumn glory, and also
of his feelings when thus so far away from home, and
the source of his sustaining strength : —
" I took a solitary walk this morning through the orchard
to the uplands and woodlands beyond. A few frosty
nights and sunny days have brought out many beauties,
and clad the forest in its richest robes. The oak with
its dark brown and deep purple and crimson ; the hickory
with its dingy yellow ; the sugar maple, pride of autumn,
with its most delicate tints and shades of yellow and
greeny bright orange and resplendent scarlet all on fire;

BENJAMIN SEEBOHM. 59^
the beech with its emerald and amber ; the dogwood
all vermilion ; and the mixture and contrast of all these
and many more, is what warms the heart of the lover
of nature with gratitude to its Author. There is dis
tinctness without abruptness, there is blending without
confusion ; it is the concert and harmony and chorus of
all colours — all beautiful, beyond description beautiful.
I sat down on a log and read a little, and I knelt down
and poured out my heart in prayer to God, the Omnis
cient and Omnipresent One, with strong crying and many
tears. The Church, my own position, — known only to
the great Searcher of hearts, — my beloved wife and
precious children came before me. I presented all before
the Lord, and cast all upon Him, and He did not seem
to turn away my prayer nor His mercy from me ; and in
the midst of tribulation I blessed His name, and gave
thanks unto Him, through Christ my Saviour. Such a
time I wish to remember, and record with gratitude, as a
little renewal of strength and humble confidence in His
goodness and providential care ; and in a fresh sense of
the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus."
See Benjamin Seebohm's "Memoirs," p. 2ii7-
" I never heard any ministry," said J. G. Whittier to
Stanley Pumphrey, " characterised by so much power and
unction as that of Benjamin Seebohm. There was a
depth of thought in it that appealed especially to culti
vated men."

598 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
WILLIAM SEWEL.
Born 1654 — Died 1720 — Aged Sixty-six Years.
Engraving 4X3 in.
William Sewel was born at Amsterdam in 1654, and
was the son of Jacob Williamson Sdwel, citizen and
surgeon of that city, and Judith Zinspenning or Zins-
penninck, who were convinced of the truth as held by
Friends through the ministry of William Ames, and were,
with two or three other individuals, the first Friends
resident there.
William's father died in his son's early childhood, and
his pious mother, some time after this occurrence, came
forth in the work of the ministry, labouring extensively
therein. She died in 1664, aged 34 years, a woman
well beloved by her friends. " The night before she
departed she called me to her bedside," says SeVel, " and
exhorted me very fervently to depart from evil, and to
fear the Lord ; which by the mercy of God in time made
very deep impression on my mind ; so that still I find
reason to bless the name of the Lord for having been
pleased that I was the son of such an excellent mother."
While his mother's beautiful example was a blessing to
William Sewel in after life, yet her early death left a
void which time could alone fill up ; and though thus
early left to. shift for himself, "the religion of his educa
tion became the religion of his judgment." Blessed
indeed is the child who has been nurtured by a pious
mother. We may naturally suppose that his uncle Zinspenning
was his guardian, but whose care and tenderness are

WILLIAM SEWEL. 599
unrecorded — perhaps never known. He was allowed to
visit London, etc., in 1660, at the age of fourteen ; and
we find him attending the funeral of Josiah Cole, at
whose interment he informs us there were upwards of
one thousand Friends. This stay in England did not
exceed ten months, and he does not appear ever again
to have left his native shores, though invited over to
Bristol by William Penn and other Friends in 1696, who
were very desirous to secure his services as the master of
their school there ; but the intense love of his Dutch
home threw aside all the pecuniary consideration and
honourable distinction which he might have attained to
in this country, and where the materials for his future
" History " would have been lying in profusion around
him. It is believed Sewel did not receive much school
learning, and that his proficiency in the knowledge of
Latin, Greek, English; French, and German was made
principally whilst throwing the shuttle in the loom during
his apprenticeship to a stuff manufacturer in Amsterdam.
His powers of mind being strong and versatile, his
diligence spontaneous, his application unwearied, and
his habits strict and temperate, he soon attracted the
notice of most of the respectable booksellers in Holland.
The houses of Swart, Hulma, Mortier, Oosterwyk, and
Van de Gaete, of Amsterdam, Leyden, and Utrecht,
found him employment, and published his works. And
the translation of works of credit — chiefly from the
English and Latin — formed one of the principal sources
from which his moderate income was derived, in addition
to the assistance he rendered his brother authors at
different times in several approved publications. " His
modest, unassuming manners gained him the esteem of
several of that knot of literary men for which Amsterdam
was at that time distinguished, and there is reason to

600 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
believe their productions were not unfrequently revised
and prepared for the press by him."
In 1686 we find Sewel, Barent Van Tongeren, Jacob
Claus (the publisher of Barclay's Latin " Apology "),
Stephen Crisp, John Roelofs, John Claus (brother of
Jacob), and Peter Hendrickz, signing an answer sent forth
from Amsterdam to the magistrates of Embden, who,
being taught wisdom by experience, came to the resolu
tion to grant liberty of conscience, and invite Friends to
come again and settle among them ; for trade had
decayed so fast as to induce them to extend the invita
tion even to England. The answer sets forth the
thankfulness which is felt by them to Almighty God
for this ease and liberty, and while accepting the invita
tion, refuse to receive the grant under the corporate seal,.
deeming it safer to be left perfectly free, lest their
enemies take advantage of them through it.
Sewel is supposed to have died in 1720, aged 66
years. This account is abridged from particulars concerning him and his
famous " History of the Quakers," and other works in The British
Friend. See also Smith's " Catalogue of Friends' Books."

MARY SEWELL.
Born 1797 — Died 1884 — Aged Eighty-seven Years.
Carte de Visite.
MARY Sewell was a daughter of John and Ann Wright,
of Sutton, Suffolk, where she was born on the 6th of 4th
month, 1797. Her early life was spent at Felthorpe
and Great Yarmouth, in the county of Norfolk. In 18 19
she became the wife of Isaac Sewell, of Yarmouth.

MARY SEWELL. 601
They subsequently removed to the neighbourhood of
London, and resided in Stoke Newington Road till the
year 1835. During the next twenty years they lived at
Brighton, where they remained until 1867, when they
went to reside at Catton, Norfolk. Mary Sewell's connec
tion with literature began from a very early date, her first
efforts having relation to simple lessons for children.
Her publications were very numerous and popular. The
most successful of these were " Mother's Last Words,"
and " Our Father's Care." The former of these was issued
in i860, and attained a sale which its publishers have
stated to have amounted to more than a million copies
in twenty years, and a nearly similar success had attended
" Our Father's Care." These were expressions of her
own serious and philanthropic life, which was one of an
eminently practical character, a true comment, it has been
said, on the Apostle James' description, " Pure religion
and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit
the fatherless and the widows in their affliction."
Through her long life she knew and corresponded with
many of those who have been famous for their philan
thropic aims and enterprises. She was one of those who
left Friends during the time of the Beacon controversy,
and became eventually a member of the Church of
England, but ever maintained a Christian faith of the
broadest and most genuine character. Her life embraced
nearly fourscore years of active gentleness, kindness, and
Christian charity, and at the ripe age of 87 came to
a peaceful close. She died at her residence in Old
Catton, near Norwich, on the 17th of 6th month, 1884.
" And then aloft her hands she raised,
And heavenward gazed with beaming eyes,
' I see, I see the angel come,
I see him coming from the skies.'

602 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
" And higher, higher up she went
Until she saw the golden gate,
Where night and day, in shining bands,
The holy angels watch and wait.
"And she went in and saw the King,
And heard the gracious words He spoke
To her, who in this sinful world
Had meekly borne her daily yoke."
" Mother 's Last Words."

RICHARD SHACKLETON.
Born 1726 — Died 1792 — Aged Sixty-six Years.
No Portrait.
Richard Shackleton was the son of Abraham and
Margaret Shackleton, and was born in Ballitore in 1726.
He kept a boarding-school, which had been established in
that village by his father (and which was opened on the
ist of the 3rd month, 1726), who was a native of York
shire, and a member of the Society of Friends. Abraham
was a learned and good man, straightforward in all his
dealings, and sincere in his converse with God and man.
Such is the character handed down of the first of the
Shackletons who settled in Ireland. Richard equalled
him in wisdom, integrity, and learning, whilst his abilities
were more highly cultivated, every advantage having been
bestowed upon him which was attainable at that period.
Although the son of a strict Quaker, he completed his
education at Trinity College, Dublin, at that time a very
unusual step for one of that persuasion. His temper was
lively, he had a ready wit, and he wrote with facility in
several languages besides his own.
He married Elizabeth Fuller, an amiable and worthy

RICHARD SHACKLETON. 603
young woman, to whom he had long been attached, and
who left him at the age of twenty-eight, a sorrowful
widower with four young children ; the last of whom, a son,
was born shortly before the death of his mother, and sur
vived her only two years. Shortly after the death of this
child Richard Shackleton married Elizabeth Carleton.
She lived in Dublin with her mother and sister, and their
little property was managed with respectable economy.
In her youth she indulged in dress as far as she could. She
was musical, sang, and had an uncommon taste for draw
ing. Before the season of youth was past she renounced
all those delights, and was faithful and diligent in doing
what she believed to be her duty. The worthy pair were
desirous, above all things, to promote the cause of truth
and righteousness, and were anxiously concerned faithfully
to discharge the arduous occupation in which they were
engaged. Richard Shackleton's intimacy with Edmund Burke
commenced when Edmund was the pupil of old Abraham
Shackleton, from whose school he entered Trinity College
in the year 1 744. He came to Ballitore with his elder
brother Garrett and his younger brother Richard, on the
26th of 5th month, 1741. They had been, when very
young, at school with an old woman who was so cross, and
they resented her crossness so much, that one holiday the
three little fellows set out for her cabin with intent to kill
her. As her good genius would have it, she happened to
be from home, and their fit of fury evaporated before the
next opportunity. Garrett Burke, who had a great turn
for humour, was an eminent lawyer. His brother Richard
could not be excelled by him in the talent for drollery,
and it is well known that Edmund also had his share.
Burke's friendship with Richard Shackleton grew with
their growth and strengthened with their strength, and

604 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
lasted to the end of their lives, keeping up a most regular
and affectionate correspondence.
Richard Shackleton and his wife went once to visit
Edmund Burke at Dublin Castle, where he had apart
ments, and found him seated on the floor playing with his
two little boys. Edmund brought a painter with him at
one time, Richard Sesson, a man of talent, and prevailed
on Richard Shackleton to sit for his picture. He consented,
though it was against his judgment, as not consonant to
the practice of this Society. Probably for this reason an
expression of uneasiness appears on the portrait, although
it is otherwise a good likeness. The portrait of his old
master, Abraham Shackleton, was also longed for by his
illustrious pupil, but he durst not request it.
Being on a visit to the provincial school at Mount-
mellick, Richard Shackleton was taken ill at the house of
John Gatchell, which illness proved to be a fever, and it was
feared that the disease had been communicated to him by
the razor of the village barber, who had just before shaved
a man who had died of putrid fever. The barber impru
dently told him of his having shaved the corpse, and it
seemed to impress his mind.
He died the 28th of 8th month, 1792, and his remains
were conveyed to Ballitore, and interred after a solemn
meeting. Taken from " Memoirs and Letters of Richard and Elizabeth
Shackleton," and " TheAnnals of Ballitore," by Mary Leadbeater,
1862. For the interesting correspondence between Edmund Burke and
Richard Shackleton, see " The Leadbeater Papers,'' vol. ii.
" At this school [Ballitore] were educated many who
became afterwards of considerable public note ; Barry the
painter, the prote'ge' of Edmund Burke, being, as well as his
patron, among the number."
Joseph Gurney Bevan bore the following tribute to

RICHARD SHACKLETON. 605
Richard Shackleton's character as a Friend, and the assist
ance he gave to the Society : —
" A man devoted to the cause of truth, often apparently
much exercised in meetings for worship, and tendered into
many tears ; and in meetings for discipline an example of
few words, though well qualified for judgment. He seemed
remarkably qualified for a share in the epistolary corre
spondence which the Yearly Meeting of London keeps up
with others, and frequently had- a large share in compiling
the general Epistle. On these occasions I have been, of
late, several times united with him, and have observed
great willingness in him to give up his essays to correction.
His style had something in it which would bear retrench
ment, and also some singularities, which, though they
seemed obnoxious to criticism, were generally found to
carry a meaning which could not be spared. ... I esteem
his death, what is usually termed a loss to the Society,
which probably, much as the want of deeply gifted minis
ters is sometimes bewailed, has still fewer of those not
called to public service, who are willing to learn wisdom
by becoming fools."
J. G. Bevan's "Life and Letters,'' p. 23.
The following quaint verses from an old magazine bear
tribute to the acknowledged eminence of Ballitore School :
" I've read in foreign climes of Ballitore,
He said, and of its celebrated school,
Where Irish youths imbibed that classic lore
Which taught to win the field, or senates rule.
The days of Shackleton are days of yore,
To us who on life's stage now play the fool ;
But they shall bloom in story ever green,
Nor ever fade, till fades the earthly scene."

606 biographical catalogue.
GRANVILLE SHARP.
Born 1734 — Died 1813 — Aged Seventy-nine Years.
Profile 9x7 in.
Granville Sharp was the son of Dr. Thomas Sharp
(a son of the Archbishop of York), who held a prebend
in Durham Cathedral, and was archdeacon of Northum
berland. Dr. ThOmas Sharp was the author of several
works, philological, antiquarian, and religious, which were
collected and published in 6 vols., 8vo, London, 1763.
He was born about 1693, and died in 1758.
Granville Sharp was born in 1734. He was ap
prenticed to a linen-draper of the . name of Halsay, a
Quaker, who kept a shop on Tower Hill. When the
Quaker died, the indentures were transferred to a
Presbyterian of the same craft. When the Presbyterian
retired they were made over to an Irish Papist. When
the Papist quitted the trade they passed to a fourth
master, whom the apprentice reports to have had no
religion at all. At one time a Socinian took up his
abode at the draper's, and assaulted the faith of the
young apprentice on the mysteries of the Trinity and
the Atonement. Then a Jew came to lodge there, and
contested with him the truths of Christianity. But, blow
from what quarter it might, the storm of controversy did
but more endear him to the principles in which he had
been brought up by his parents. He studied Greek to
wrestle with the Socinian ; he acquired Hebrew to refute
the Israelite. He learned to love the Quaker, to be
kind to the Presbyterian, to pity the Atheist, and to
endure the Roman Catholic. Charity (as he judged) was
nurtured in his bosom by these early polemics, and the

GRANVILLE SHARP. 607
affectionate spirit which warmed the current of his
maturer thoughts grew up, as he believed, within, while
ultimately engaged behind his master's counter, and
defending the faith against infidels and heretics.
The cares of the mercer's shop engaged no less than
seven years of his life. He was subsequently educated for
the bar, but he never practised, and quitted the study of
the law for a situation in the Ordnance Office, and it was
during this period that Granville Sharp disclosed a nature
so singular and so lively, a burning indignation against
injustice and wrong, with pity and longsuffering towards
the individual oppressor.
Whilst a clerk in the Ordnance Office he found the
lineal descendant of the Willoughbys de Parham in
the person of a retired tradesman, and having searched
into pedigrees, feoffments, and sepulchral inscriptions, he
at length saw his friend enjoying his ancestral privileges
among the peers of Parliament. He combated, on more
than equal terms, the great Hebraist, Dr. Kennicott, in
defence of Ezra's catalogue of the sacred vessels, chiefs,
and families. He laboured long, and with good success,
to defeat an unjust grant made by the Treasury to Sir
James Lowther, of the forest of Inglewood, and the
manor and castle of Carlisle. He waged a less successful
war against the theatrical practice of either sex appearing
in the habiliments of the other. He resigned his post
in the Ordnance Office on the breaking out of the
American war, being opposed to those principles and
measures of the British Government which led to that
war. He then took chambers in the Temple, with the
intention of pursuing his studies as a private gentleman.
Granville Sharp, though a man of considerable literary
acquirements, and the author of several works on philology,
law, theology, and politics, is chiefly known for the bold-

608 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
ness, the ability, and the effect with which he stood
forward as the opponent of negro slavery. In 1769 he
published " A Representation of the Injustice and
Dangerous Tendency of Tolerating Slavery in England,
with Remarks on the Opinions given in 1729 by the
then Attorney and Solicitor-General," 8vo, London, with
an Appendix, 1772. His conduct, however, in cases of
individual oppression first brought him conspicuously
before the public. A negro had been brought to London,
and, falling ill, was turned out of doors by his master.
Sharp found him in the street in a state of the utmost
destitution, and took him to St. Bartholomew's Hospital,
where he was restored to health, and Sharp then procured
him a situation as a servant. About two years afterwards
he was arrested by his old master, and imprisoned in the
Poultry Compter as a runaway slave. The negro applied
to his former friend Sharp, who brought the case before
the Lord Mayor, by whom it was decided that the arrest
having been informal he should be set at liberty. The
captain of the vessel in which the negro was to be taken
back to slavery, in defiance of this decision, seized him
in the presence of the Lord Mayor and of Sharp, and
insisted upon his right to take this slave. Sharp then
brought an action against the ship-master for assault,
who forthwith released him. But another case of the
negro Somerset was still more important, being finally
referred as a question of law to the twelve judges. It was
argued at three sittings, in January, in February, and in
May 1772, and by a unanimous decision the law of
England was declared to be " that as soon as a slave
sets foot on English territory he becomes free."
Sharp continued to exert himself in behalf of the
negroes. He wrote four pamphlets against slavery in
1776. At length the Association for the Abolition of

GRANVILLE SHARP. 609
Negro Slavery was formed, the first meeting of which
was held in London on May 22nd, 1787, when Granville
Sharp was appointed chairman of the twelve persons of
whom it consisted, most of whom were London merchants,
and all but two were Quakers. In this great cause Sharp
continued to labour, as well as in others favourable to
popular rights and political freedom. He was opposed
to the impressment of seamen, and a citizen of London
having been seized and carried to the Nore, Sharp had
him brought back by a writ of habeas corpus from the
Court of King's Bench, and he was set at liberty. He
sent out a number of negroes, whom he found in the
streets of London, to Sierra Leone, at his own expense,
and also drew up a " Sketch of Temporary Resolutions
for the intended Settlement on the Grain Coast of Africa,
near Sierra Leone," and thus may be said to have been
the founder of the settlement there. He was an advocate
of parliamentary reform, having as early as 1778 pub
lished "A Declaration of the People's Natural Rights to
a share in the Legislature, which is the Fundamental
Principle of the British Constitution of State ; also a
Declaration of Defence of the same Doctrine when
applied particularly to the People of Ireland," 8vo,
London. Granville Sharp continued to pass his time
in these and similar benevolent labours till his death,
July 6th, 18 1 3, at the age of 79 years.
Sharp's writings were numerous, and had many readers
at the time when they appeared ; but as most of them
are pamphlets, and were written for temporary purposes,
they are not much referred to now. Among them
however, are some laborious and useful investigations
into the great principles of the English constitution,
particularly his " Account of the Ancient Divisions of
the English Nation into Hundreds and Tithings," 8vo,
39

6lO BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
London, 1784 ; and his "Account of the Polity of Con
gregational Courts, more particularly of the great Annual
Court of the People, called Frank Pledge," 8vo, London,
1786. He was a zealous member of the Established
Church, and had a great dislike to the Roman Catholic
religion, but was liberal to Protestant Dissenters of all
classes. He maintained a correspondence with Anthony
Benezet in America on the subject of slavery, to which
they were both so much opposed.
Taken chiefly from " Memoirs of Granville Sharp," composedfrom
his own MSS., and other authentic documents, 1820, 4to.
His father wrote several books against Friends, which were
answered principally by Joseph Besse. See Smith's " Bib. Anti-
quakeriana," 1873.

ISAAC SHARPLES.
Born 1702 — Died 1784 — Aged Eighty-two Years.
For Portrait see Painting of Gracechurch Street Meeting.
ISAAC SHARPLES, the son of William and Phebe Sharpies,
members of Prescot Meeting, in Lancashire, was born near
that town about the year 1702. His mother died about
three years after, leaving six children, who, by her removal,
were subjected to much hardship. His father, for some
reason, forfeited his unity with Friends, by which the family
became dispersed, and none of them continued in the
Society. When about twelve years of age, by the persuasion of
some of his father's relations, he was sprinkled at Orms-
kirk, from which time he continued to frequent the public
worship of the Established Church, until he joined Friends.
At about fourteen he was apprenticed to a tailor, where he

ISAAC SHARPLES. 6ll
suffered much ; but his master, not having sufficient em
ployment for him, when he had served about half his time,
turned him over to a Friend for the remainder of the term.
In this family they would often be speaking of his mother,
who was esteemed a valuable Friend.
Observing the regular lives and conversation of Friends
gave him a secret liking for them, but looking upon him
self to be a settled member of the Established Church, he
endeavoured to satisfy himself as long as he could, there
being more liberty for worldly indulgence ; " being often
(he says) strongly tempted by youthful lusts after the
common evils that are in the world, yet mercifully pre
served from the grosser part thereof."
When out of his apprenticeship, having but few friends
or relations who took much notice of him, he concluded to
travel in the way of his trade, and went to London, where
he worked some time. Afterwards he proceeded west
ward, by way of Oxford, Cirencester, and Bristol, meeting
with employment in the county of Somerset, and, being
convinced of Friends' principles, he continued in that part
for some years, when, about the year 1724, his mouth was
first opened in the work of the ministry, at a meeting at
Claverham. After staying there about twelve years he
married Esther Thurston, a widow, of Thornbury, in
Gloucestershire, where he then settled. After a lapse of
five years his wife died. During his residence there he
had a concern to pay a religious visit to Scotland, also
North and South Wales, which service he performed to
his own comfort and the satisfaction of his friends.
In 1743 he visited the principal towns in Devonshire,
where there were no Friends, which undertaking, though
arduous and difficult in prospect, was performed in good
degree of satisfaction, and met with no opposition except
in one place from an angry priest. Isaac Sharpies after-

6l2 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
wards went into Dorsetshire and Hampshire, and passed
over into the Isle of Jersey on similar religious service,
In 1744 he visited Ireland, and in 1745 several western
counties as far as Cornwall. In -1746 he was married, a
second time, to Mary, daughter of Joseph and Mary
Ransom, of Hitchin, in Hertfordshire, where he then
settled. After his marriage he visited most of the counties
of England and Wales.
These particulars are taken from a review of his own
life written in the eightieth year of his age, and he says of
his wife, " She has been a true helpmate to me, we having
now lived together in great unity about thirty-six years."
After his marriage, the narrative proceeds, " I visited most
of the counties of England and Wales at different times, . . .
through all of which I have to acknowledge I was wonder
fully preserved and supported, yet have nothing to glory
in but that arm that was made bare for my help, and have
done no more than it was my duty to do. I have had
many public services in barns and other places where
there were no Friends settled, and have attended many
marriages and burials ; and under an humbling sense of
the Lord's goodness can now look back with satisfaction
and thankfulness to Him Who has enabled me so far to do
my day's work in the daytime, and am now favoured in
my old age to drink of that rock out of which flows the
issues of life ; so that now I can set up my Ebenezer, and
say, ' Hitherto the Lord has helped me.'
" I was called into the vineyard young, and have ever
since found work enough to do, either in digging, watering,
or pruning. The Lord did not find me out amongst the
wise and prudent of this world, but He took me from the
stones of the street, where, in His wisdom and goodness, He
has often raised up children unto Abraham. I have now
to rejoice my day's work is so near a happy close, having

ISAAC SHARPLES. 613
only patiently to wait my appointed time until my change
come." His Friends' Testimony concerning him mentions that
when the infirmities of age had rendered distant service
no longer possible, he continued diligent to the last in
his attendance and service in his own meetings, frequently
appearing therein in short but lively exhortations, en
deavouring to stir up the minds of Friends to a faith
ful attention to their duty. He had a spirit of discerning
beyond many, and an excellent gift in the discipline
of the Church, having a clear sight of the insufficiency
of the outward form without the influence of the Divine
power to support it to edification. His ministry was
plain and powerful, often reaching the witness of truth in
the hearts of his hearers. In supplication he was inward
and weighty, an awful solemnity covering his spirit,
whereby he was frequently favoured with near access to
the throne of Divine grace.
An innocent cheerfulness, tempered with gravity,
adorned his conversation, and his conduct was a pattern
of meekness, moderation, and love, which gained him
general esteem. Thus persevering in true watchfulness,
the language of the Apostle (which he was known
frequently to repeat) may be truly adopted concerning
him, " Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience,
that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly
wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our con
versation in this world."
Old age's advance gradually weakened the bodily
powers of this valiant servant for the truth, and free
from any perceptible ailment but that of natural decay, he
quietly departed, without sigh or groan, the 8th day of the
5th month, 1784, about the eighty-second year of his age,
a Minister about sixty years. The remains were interred

614 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE. •
in Friends' burial ground at Hitchin on the 23rd of the.
same month ; and Samuel Scott, in his diary, after
expressing regret at having been prevented from being
present, refers to him as "a Prince in Israel, not seeking to
lord it over God's heritage ; but an ensample to the flock,
whose ministry was singularly distinguished with bright
ness ; his matter being evangelical, and his expressions
correct, nervous, and animated."

JOSEPH SHEWELL.
Born 1785— Died 1875 — Aged Ninety Years.
Photograph 7x5 in.
Joseph Shewell was the son of Thomas and Ann
Shewell, and was born at Bow, 10th of 8th month, 1785.
His early years were spent at Hitchin, to which place his
parents had then removed. On leaving school he was
apprenticed to a Friend at Ipswich, whose kind and
judicious care he believed conduced not only to his success
in life, but, to use his own expression, " I humbly hope,
to a settlement on the alone sure foundation."
In 1807 he entered into business at Deptford, where
he found opportunities of service in his Master's cause,
to the blessing of those with whom he came in contact.
His journal, which was continued for many years, evinces
a fervent longing for advancement in the Divine life,
especially so during that period when the cares and
anxieties of business and a large family engaged his
attention. He was recorded a Minister in 1 831, and subsequently,
at various intervals, visited in Gospel love nearly all the

JOSEPH SHEWELL. 615
meetings of Friends in England. Joseph Shewell retired
from business in middle life, and removed with his family
to Colchester, the leisure thus afforded enabling him to
devote his time more fully to the ministry of the Gospel,
as well as to various charitable and philanthropic institu
tions. Amongst these, the British and Foreign Bible
Society had from its foundation his earnest support and
interest, which continued unabated during his long life.
Such public duties did not, however, preclude his
giving much attention to private benevolence. It was
his great pleasure to comfort those in affliction, and his
ministrations of Christian love and sympathy, and
his visits to the sick and suffering were greatly valued,
extending as they did to the homes of the rich and the
poor. In his ministry he dwelt much on the atoning
sacrifice of the Son of God, and the convicting power of
the Holy Spirit, affectionately exhorting his hearers
to accept the offer of redeeming love and mercy. He
spoke in a clear and emphatic manner, and quoted largely
and accurately from the Holy Scriptures.
' Joseph Shewell was on cordial terms with persons of
all denominations, whilst his genial disposition, cheerful
conversation, and beaming countenance, endeared him to
his fellow-townsmen, and recommended the holy religion
he professed. At the same time a diffidence of his own
qualifications was shown by his frequently remarking
how humbling to himself was the too good opinion of his
friends. About twelve years before his decease he
experienced a severe bereavement in the death of his
beloved wife, thus severing a tie of nearly fifty years'
duration. Almost the last of his public services was
the holding of several meetings for worship in different .
parts of Colchester and its vicinity. Subsequently, for
the last year or two of his life, Joseph Shewell was with-

6l6 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
drawn from mingling much with his friends, through the
enfeebling effects of slight paralysis. These privations,
particularly his partial loss of sight, were borne with much
sweetness and patience. The goodness and mercy of
God, in Christ Jesus, and the many blessings bestowed
on himself, caused gratitude and praise to be his frequent
theme, when he would love to quote the language of the
Psalmist, " I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise
shall continually be in my mouth," and " What shall
I render unto the Lord for all His benefits towards me ? "
etc. His memory, which was remarkably retentive,
remained unimpaired, and he died, after a few days'
illness, on the 3rd of 9th month, 1875, at the age of
90 years. His interment took place at Colchester on
the 1 oth of the same month.

THOMAS SHILLITOE.
Born 1754 — Died 1836 — Aged Eighty-two Years.
Bust Height 26 in., and Silhouette 3x2 in.
To this Friend have been applied the words of the
wise man, " Seest thou a man diligent in his business ?
he shall stand before kings " (Prov. xxii. 29) ; for
Thomas Shillitoe, whilst careful to provide things
honest in the sight of all men, and labouring with his
own hands for his family's support, was so diligent in the
things that concern the kingdom everlasting, and so
careful to yield obedience to the calls for higher service,
that he was led to stand before monarchs, kings, and
dignitaries of this and various European kingdoms, where
he so acquitted himself of his Lord and Master's business
as to be received by them as if he had been one of the

THOMAS SHILLITOE.

617

old prophets revived. Such a life deserves careful study,
for which his own journal, published in two volumes, gives
opportunity ; and besides these and other smaller memoirs,
there is one by William Tallack that is cast in a form
well suited to interest general readers. Here it will not
be possible to give more than a bare outline of Thomas
Shillitoe's life and labours.
He was one of those remarkable characters who from
time to time have joined the Society, and by the force of
the convictions which thus led them contrary to the
training of their youth or the wishes of their relatives,
have been led to carry out the religious principles of their
adoption with a singleness of purpose less rarely seen in
those who have had but a birthright association with
them. He was born in Holborn in 2nd month, 1754.
His father, as Librarian to the Honourable Society of
Gray's Inn, was probably a person of some literary
attainments ; but though careful to train his son in
religious duties according to the Church ©f England, the
home life became singularly unfit for one of a naturally
vivacious disposition, as his father, having retired on a
pension, became the landlord of a suburban tavern, where
his son was employed in general attendance on his
customers, with the Sabbath as the busiest day in the
week. Happily, Thomas was one of those who, having
"received instruction young," was enabled to avoid the
snares to dissipation thus spread before him, and on the
father's withdrawal from the " Three Tuns " at Islington,
through its ill success, the son went as apprentice in a
grocery business, which seemed likely to prove a more
agreeable occupation ; but his master became unsatis
factory, and after some years of painful experience
the indentures were cancelled, with the result of Thomas

6l8 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
obtaining a situation in a similar establishment near his
father's residence, with one who proved a help to him in
his religious progress.
He now attended most of the popular preachers of
the day, until a friendship formed with a young Friend led
to his frequentment of their meetings, with little other
motive at first than the opportunity it gave for spending
the rest of the day with his new acquaintance, when
they were often in the afternoon at places of public
resort together, a very common practice in the middle
of the last century, even with those who made a religious
profession. Gradually the truth of Friends' principles deepened, and
with this conviction came a resolution to conform thoroughly
to their practice in language and attire, the cause, as it
proved, of much persecution from both father and employer,
so that he had to seek anew a home and also means of
sustenance. This, by the aid of an influential woman
Friend, whom he had informed of his distressful circum
stances, was eventually found for him in a banker's
establishment, where his fellow-clerks were members of
the Society, and in his lodgings were also William Cockin
and John Sanderson ; but here the difference between
outward conformity and inward conviction became pain
fully apparent, and both in the habits of young men at
the bank, and the mode of conducting the business,
especially as to an agency in lottery tickets, gave such
concern to the scrupulous youth, as to determine him to
relinquish the bright prospects of future advancement
thus opened, rather than lose peace of mind, which was to
him as the pearl of great price.
His employers showed reluctance to part with him,
and conflicting counsels among those of whom he sought
advice increased his troubles ; but Margaret Bell, who had

THOMAS SHILLITOE. 619
found him this promising situation, advised his following
his own convictions, and these led him to exchange the
genteel surroundings of a city banker for those of a
cordwainer's shop, a step that renewed the parental
displeasure which his banking prospects had somewhat
allayed. His means of living became now greatly restricted,
for little else but bread and cheese could he afford,
as half of his slender savings went as a premium to
learn the trade ; but he throve well on this slender diet,
and his friends said it was to him as a Daniel's pulse. He
was soon able to become a master shoemaker himself,
and by his activity and courtesy, and the esteem felt for
motives that had thus led him to labour with his own
hands at the last and the awl, he gained good custom.
This, however, became interrupted by continued ill health,
and a removal, under medical advice, to the suburban
village of Tottenham resulted. Here, with returning
health, came renewed prosperity in his trade, so that
several journeymen were employed ; and his marriage
on the 13th of 7th month, 1779, at Devonshire House,
to Mary Pace, of Spitalfields, gave him home comforts
in addition to business success.
The same economical habits continued, and no servant
being kept, it resulted that by the time Thomas Shillitoe
was become fifty years of age, he found he had
gained a small competency of a hundred a year ; and
listening with accustomed obedience to what he believed
was a Divine intimation, " Gather up thy wares into thy
house, for I have need of the residue of thy days," made
arrangements for an entire withdrawal from business,
assured that the same Power that had led him and pro
spered his ways would provide in all sufficiency for his
five children, This humble unquestioning trust in Divine

620 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
guidance, which was the source of his conduct hitherto,
became more conspicuous as he yielded obedience to what
he conceived his duty as a minister and evangelist.
Several times had he journeyed for months together,
visiting meetings and Friends in different parts of
England, where his acceptance by those amongst whom
he laboured and the care that prevented all injury to his
business concerns during these absences, encouraged both
himself and his friends in those fresh manifestations
of duty which now led him to devote the remainder of a
prolonged life to missionary efforts.
In all these engagements, which took him to far-distant
lands amidst contrasts of heat and cold, and the extremes
of social life as to rank and degradation, he was careful to
follow and not go beyond his Divine guide ; and nothing,
however unusual it might seem to be, was undertaken
unless, after consultation with his friends, he could have
their certificates of unity in his concern ; but they often
hesitated for a time through surprise at what he thus
submitted to their judgment, yet the evident sincerity of
purpose would eventually cause them to leave him free to
undertake that towards which he was being led.
His was a character of marked originality, that in its
highly strung nervous sensibility might, but for Divine
grace, have found development in ways far different.
As it was, his appearance even as a Friend was plain
in the extreme, and in diet he never allowed himself fish,
flesh, or fowl, nor any stimulant stronger than coffee.
His frame, though small and slight, was strong, and he
had a voice of thunder, with powers of enduring fatigue
in walking and hard travel to a surprising extent.
Between the age of fifty and seventy he not only trudged
on foot through the greater part of England and Ireland
on these missionary journeys, but at a time when con-

THOMAS SHILLITOE. 62 1
tinental travelling was hard and adventurous made his
way alone, and unacquainted with any foreign language,
to Holland, Norway, Denmark, Geneva, south of France,
Prussia, Hamburg, and St. Petersburg, where, after
enduring a Russian winter, he, when over seventy years
of age, further undertook a most arduous American
journey, where he went even to their " Wild West," and
preached to red Indian warriors as earnestly as to his
peace-loving friends.
Naturally nervous and timid as a hare, he would
stand, as his friends said, like a wall of brass when stirred
at duty's call ; and though all unconscious, through any
previous study of what he might have to say, would
trustfully meet an audience at an appointed meeting ;
and often his copious utterance was so directed to special
states and conditions of those present as to make it
difficult for them to believe, but that some one had been
giving him previous information, which is what he
especially avoided ; and through his care in this, and his
faithfulness and fearlessness in declaring what he believed
was given him to communicate, his words came often as
those of a prophet.
Manual labour was with him no degradation, but
considered as useful to one of his sensitive temperament ;
so in intervals of preaching would he at times seek
occupation whether in the harvest field or in the garden.
He was troubled when in Ireland or on the Continent to
see women carrying burdens whilst the men walked at their
leisure, and would try in a pleasant manner to rouse their
gallantry to a more equitable adjustment of life's toil.
In Norway, on rough mountain roads, when women
were set to lead the horses of their conveyance Thomas
Shillitoe would, to their surprise, insist on their riding
whilst he took his share in walking at the horse's head.

622 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
In reading his own account of these varied labours
the mind is impressed not only with the extent of his
travels, but the extremes of society into which a submission
to duty's call brought him. He is sometimes in the haunts
of the most lawless and depraved, and at others in the
cabinets of statesmen and the palaces of kings ; he passes
alike from scenes of brutality and vice, or prison cells of
hardened criminals, to the presence of dignitaries in
justice, magistracy, or religion. No miserable felon is
deemed by him as hopeless for good, nor any monarch
too exalted for him to approach undaunted with any
message he may have felt himself commissioned to
impart. Everywhere in all these engagements was there
an earnest simplicity which, amid his singularity of
appearance and behaviour, ensured respect, and often
gained him much acceptance ; and at times these feelings
deepened into affection for their strange visitor. There is
that about you," said a Danish professor, " that is a
sufficient introduction for you anywhere."
" He sought," says one of his biographers, " to have
his movements guided by the pointings of the Divine
finger and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, both as
to the direction he should take, the conveyance and
companionship he should employ in travelling, and the
individuals and companies he should visit, as well as
the messages he should deliver ; and the record is con
tinually occurring of his being thus brought into contact
with the individuals whose hearts were prepared to
appreciate his labours, and also with those who seemed
just the right persons to render him the help, as interpreter
and in other ways, upon which he was so greatly de
pendent. Thus guided, his word was a word of power.
Whether for rebuke, for counsel, or in loving exhortation,
its value met with acknowledgment even when hard

THOMAS SHILLITOE. 623
things had to be spoken. Its contriting power was wit
nessed by the tears that flowed down alike from a royal
countenance or gushed from the eyes of one whom
society had abandoned as hopeless. It is difficult to
imagine greater social contrasts than those thus dealt
with, or a more varied recognition of the purity of motive
and loving zeal that prompted his extensive and prolonged
labours." Of all such none were more original or arduous than
the personal visitation made by him of the public-houses,
drinking shops, and spirit stores in Dublin, Waterford,
and several other cities in Ireland, in order to lay before
the keepers of these places their responsibility for excess
in drinking or for scenes of disorder. He would thus visit
as many as twenty in the day, and in. the aggregate must
have had religious interviews with more than a thousand
of these tavern keepers at their drinking shops. His
manner was to enter them during the earlier portions of
the day, and either seek an interview with the proprietor
in his private apartment, or else sit down in the public
room with a request for silence from whoever might be
present ; and strange- as such a proceeding might appear,
the cases were few where even the roughest characters
were not respectful to their visitor, and at times made
remarks in warm appreciation of his conduct, occasionally
pressing on him the acceptance of some pecuniary recom
pense for what they said " no priest could have done
better." Closely allied with this labour in the cause of Temperance,
were efforts against Sabbath desecration in an age when
neither in England nor Ireland was the day kept as it is
now ; and on the Continent it had hardly any observance
at all, being mostly regarded as a time for social enjoyment
or amusement. His most notable exertions in this direction

624 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
were made at Hamburg, where, at great risk of displeasure
from the authorities, he succeeded in a general distribution
of an appeal he had prepared on this momentous subject.
He was similarly engaged both in Berlin, Copenhagen,
and other foreign cities, as well as in his own country,
and was unwearied in pressing the Divine injunction,
" Remember the Sabbath day," on the consciences of all
he could reach, whether Populace or Prince, Ecclesiastical
dignitary or Town Councillor.
Incidentally it was this service that brought him in
garments travel-worn and weather-stained to the presence
of potentates, pleading that their dominions might be
freed from this Sabbath desecration, and he also pleaded
for better treatment of prisoners by a system of classi
fication, seldom concluding his interview without lifting his
hat (hitherto kept on in their presence) for a religious
communication. In Hanover the Duke of Cambridge, its then Regent,
showed this indefatigable missionary courteous attention ;
in Prussia its Crown Prince exhibited much emotion ; at
Copenhagen the King of Denmark gave willing audience,
and with the Queen and her ladies he conversed on
cordial terms. At Berlin, when admitted to the palace
gardens, the king listened graciously to his Sabbath
expostulations, as well as to a case of suffering for
conscience' sake that he had met with on his travels in
St. Petersburg. The Secretary of State obtained him an
audience with the Czar, who was twice closeted with him
in serious conversation, and the mighty monarch of All
the Russias knelt beside the simple shoemaker, as he
addressed the King of kings in a closing scene of earnest
prayer. But of his interviews with royalties, those with
our own Sovereigns have their special interest.
The first of these was with George III., when Thomas

THOMAS SHILLITOE. 625
Shillitoe, then forty years of age, was still engaged as a
suburban shoemaker. It startled his friends' sense of
propriety to learn of him any such apprehended duty,
and but for the word of encouragement given by an
eminent travelling Friend from America present at the
consultation held on this strange proposal, it is not likely
his friends would have sanctioned any attempt thus to
gain an interview with the king.
However, it was agreed that in company with another
Friend as his companion, he might proceed to Windsor and
see there what could be done, for no introduction or leave
had been obtainable. The two, on their arrival, learnt
that the king would probably come early to the stables
for a day's hunting the next morning. So they posted them
selves there in good time, and no doubt the peculiarity of
their appearance attracted the king's attention, for he
made toward them at once, as if expecting somewhat to
be said ; but Thomas showing no sign of this, he turned
into the stable, whither the Friends now sought to follow
him, but were courteously checked by an attendant. It
caught the royal attention, and Thomas' companion seizing
this renewed opportunity said, " This friend of mine has
something to communicate to the king," who thereupon
stepped forward with his hat raised, as if in gracious
intimation he might proceed. " We occupied," to quote
Thomas Shillitoe's words, " a small space round the stable
door, the king's attendants placing themselves at his right
and left. Silence was observed for a few minutes, during
which my dwelling continued to be, as it were, in the
stripping room. Strength being given me to break silence
and utter the words, ' Hear, O King,' all fear was taken
away from me, and I felt to myself as if out of the body.
As my companion afterwards said, I was enabled to stand
like a wall of brass." Evidently this communication, which
40

626 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
lasted for twenty minutes, met with acceptance, as " the
tears were seen trickling down the royal cheeks ; " when
it was over, though booted and spurred for the chase, the
monarch was seen to go back to the palace, as one greatly
impressed with what had so unexpectedly occurred.
With his son, when Regent, Thomas Shillitoe, in after
years, sought an interview, apparently with even slighter
prospect of success. He was conscious that no verbal
communication would be practicable, so his concern found
expression in an outspoken document on the prince's
conduct, which he hoped for an opportunity of personally
giving to him. For this purpose he and some other
Friends watched for the Regent's leaving his Brighton
residence on his morning ride ; but the cavalcade of
horsemen turned, contrary to where they were standing,
with a rapidity that to any one less earnest or active than
Thomas Shillitoe would have baffled pursuit ; but as an
Elijah outrunning Ahab, so his feet felt as hind's feet, as
they carried him swiftly ahead of the horsemen, and he
had gained the summit, of a rise in the road, and just
recovered breath, by the time the Regent came up, so as to
say, on advancing towards him, "Will the prince be pleased
to permit me to express a few words ? " " Sir," said the
prince, as he checked his horse, " you must excuse me ;
I am in haste. Give your letter to Colonel Blomfield ;" and
Thomas, on doing so, obtained an assurance it should be
duly presented ; and that such was the case seemed evi
dent in the otherwise unexplained countermand of some
festivities, for these and their revelries were the chief sub
jects of its solemn warnings. Eleven years after this, when
the prince had become king, his roadside messenger
again approached him as he was out for his morning drive
in Windsor Park, and again offered a letter, which had
chief reference to what had been seen by him as to Sabbath

THOMAS SHILLITOE. 627
desecration in the king's Hanoverian dominions. So
greatly, however, had years changed his personal appearance,
that Thomas, unable at first to associate with the now
pallid and aged figure, loosely wrapped in a drab overcoat,
the full and florid form of earlier days, said doubtingly,
" But is it the king ? " Yes, friend, I am the king ; give what
you have to offer to the Marquis of Conyngham." And on
Thomas alluding to how he had once before thus appeared
before him the king said, " I remember you," and waited
patiently during a brief religious communication, when,
with an " I thank you," the royal carriage moved on, and
the good man went his way, rejoicing, as was his wont,
when duty's call had been obeyed.
William IV., who not long after succeeded to the
throne, received Thomas Shillitoe in the palace itself
with all the frankness of his nature, and good Queen
Adelaide made the now venerable evangelist welcome,
and gratefully gave him her attention in her drawing-
room. Of these various engagements in general
Thomas Shillitoe observes in his journal, " that if
rightly entered upon they tend, from the nature of the
situation occupied by the parties visited, much — very much
: — to reduce and humble the creature, great care being
necessary to give no just occasion of offence in word or
deed, and also to be preserved from daubing as with
untempered mortar, and sewing pillows under the
armpits, crying peace when war is the word to be
proclaimed against Babylon, as it respects either spiritual
or carnal things."
What has been mentioned of continual journeys
undertaken, when more than sixty, would leave little
expectation of much strength remaining when these were
completed ; but Thomas Shillitoe allowed himself but
a short interval of rest before starting, when more than

628 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
seventy years old, on the extensive, and at that time very
arduous, service of visiting all the Friends' meetings on the
Continent of America, in doing which he went from the
Canadas to the Carolinas, and crossing the Alleghany
Mountains, visited the then far West, spending three years
over this engagement, which was also remarkable for the
social extremes that alike engaged his solicitude ; for he
was as earnest in preaching to wild Indians as to his
Friends, and was a visitor to prisons as also to the
authorities, including the then President of the United
States. Much trial attended this closing service of his
prolonged life through the time being one of grievous
disruption amongst the American Friends, owing to the
promulgation of Unitarian sentiments, against which
Thomas Shillitoe made emphatic protest, and was helpful
in encouraging faithfulness among the evangelical Friends,
who too often found themselves in a sad minority by this
secession. This aged warrior of the cross at length returned
home, to spend the few remaining years of his life in a
peaceful activity amongst neighbours and Friends, being
known to the last as one ever ready to help a good cause
or seek to relieve suffering or distress, the last exertion
being the collection of moneys to render some neighbour
ing almshouses more comfortable for the winter. It was
as his years reached eighty-two that life's pulses faded
gradually away, amid an unfaltering assurance in the
merits of his Saviour. " I feel (were almost his last words)
" I have nothing to depend upon but the mercies of God
in Christ Jesus. It is mercy I want and mercy I have."
Thus humbly closed the career of one who has been
described as a universal philanthropist and a Christian
minister of almost apostolic activity. A neighbouring
clergyman, as he heard of his decease said, " A better man

EBENEZER LEADBEATER SIMMONS. 629
never lived." His widow, who had been a true helpmeet
during a wedded life of fifty-seven years, survived him
(though she was his senior in years) for about two years,
being 91 years old at the time of her death. Both rest
in the Friends' burial ground at Tottenham.

EBENEZER LEADBEATER SIMMONS.
Born 1791 — Died 1875 — Aged nearly Ejghty-
five Years.
Oil Painting 13 X 11 in.
Ebenezer Leadbeater Simmons, son of Isaac and
Rebecca Simmons, was born in Whitechapel, London,
on 14th of ist month, 1791, and being apprenticed to
a watchmaker, followed that business throughout his
life, and brought up a large family. Besides being an
excellent workman, he was of an ingenious and inventive
turn of mind, so well known by those of his neighbours
engaged in optical or similar pursuits, that they would
often seek his aid in cases of difficult and complicated
instruments ; and it is said that some of the delicate
machines still used in the Bank of England owed their
efficiency to the sagacious counsels and inventive powers
of this Friend. Like many another possessor of mechani
cal genius, he was content with a bare remuneration for
time occupied, thinking the pleasure a solution of a
difficulty had afforded him, sufficient reward. He had all
the enthusiasm of a Watt in addressing himself to accom
plish a mechanical success, but never became associated
with a Bolton, who could, by commercial aptitude, ensure
a pecuniary profit.
Of a sociable disposition, his shop was a favourite

630 biographical catalogue.
resort for many who enjoyed his conversational, as much
as others profited by his inventive, powers. He made
himself very useful amongst Friends as an Overseer, and
during the latter years of his life was in the station of an
Elder. Various domestic trials fell to his lot, which were
borne with great resignation and patience. Some of his
family became earnest teachers in the Friends' First Day
School in Spitalfields, where he himself, during the latter
portion of his life, encouraged them ; he also took a
share of the teaching, and was very diligent in his attend
ance. Towards the close of his life infirmities gathered
upon him, but he lived until fully 84 years of age, and
at his decease was buried in the Friends' burial ground,
Stoke Newington, where several of his numerous family
had been interred before him.
He died the 13th of 8th month, 1875, aged nearly 85
years. Our Friend had a good memory, and was rich in anecdote. One
of these was in reference to George Whitehead's treatment of a
highwayman who had robbed a Friend of ^30. This Friend was
in George Whitehead's shop bemoaning his loss, when he saw
the man who had robbed him that morning come riding into the
Dolphin Inn Yard, into which (now that of the Meeting-House in
Houndsditch) George Whitehead's back windows looked. "Art
thou sure it is he ? " said George Whitehead, " for that man I know
well, and respect him as a brother tradesman." Being again assured
that it was he, George went out and accosted him, saying, " Thou
met a friend of mine this morning, and I will trouble thee to let me
have on his behalf the £30 thou borrowed of him ; he wants it sadly."
A scene is said to have ensued, the money was given up, and this
impromptu highwayman, who said it had only been dire pressure led
him to the road, was assisted by George Whitehead, and none ever
knew of it till his death had released the promise of secrecy as to the
offence.

JOHN SIMS, M.D.— WILLIAM SMEAL. 63 1
JOHN SIMS, M.D.
Born 1792 — Died 1838 — Aged Forty-six Years.
Mezzotint Engraving 7x6 in.
JOHN Sims was the son of Olive and Sarah Sims, and
was born at Stockport, Cheshire, on the 27th day of
5th month, 1792. He was educated for the medical
profession, and established himself in practice as a con
sulting physician in Cavendish Square.
He married, on the 16th of 4th month, 1823, Lydia
Dillwyn, at Winchmore Hill. His professional abilities
and attainments met with a rapid recognition, and he was
called in frequent consultation, especially as to cases of
fever, then very numerous in the badly drained houses of
former days. His assiduous attentions over one of these
cases of exceptional severity led to himself taking the
infection, which caused his greatly lamented decease in
the prime of life, and in the increasing success of his dis
tinguished professional career.

WILLIAM SMEAL.
Born 1793 — Died 1877 — Aged Eighty-four Years.
Photograph 14 x 12 in.
William Smeal was born at Leith in 1793. In
1802, his father, William Smeal, commenced business in
Glasgow as a tea merchant. To this occupation the
subject of our sketch was trained, and he succeeded his
father in the business, which is still conducted in almost
the original premises. Both William Smeal and his father

632 biographical catalogue.
were members of the Society of Friends, with which re
ligious society the former always remained connected, and
to whose principles he was much attached. At an early
age his abilities and usefulness were recognised by the
members of the Society, and for more than fifty years he
held the offices of Clerk to the Preparative Meeting, the
Two-months' Meeting, and the General Meeting, and that
with much acceptance to his fellow-members, who deeply
regretted to lose his services through failing health. The
duties of William Smeal's office of Clerk entailed upon
him the conduct of much of the business of the Society
during the long period he occupied that position. William
Smeal was married to Margaret Gowani, of Perth.
In 1840 he was acknowledged one of the Ministers of
the Society, and thus still further devoted himself to its
service. William Smeal was also joint proprietor and
editor of the British Friend, a journal devoted to the
interests of the Society of Friends, which was first pub
lished in 1843, and his connection with it continued till
1861. The first Glasgow Society with which William Smeal
connected himself was the " Glasgow Auxiliary Bible
Society," in whose behalf he actively interested himself
as early as 1 8 1 5 , and continued to do so for many years.
The movement, however, with which William Smeal's name
is most intimately and publicly associated is that of the
abolition of slavery. In 1822, along with other Friends,
he promoted and founded the Glasgow Anti-Slavery
Society, and of this Association he was then appointed
joint Secretary, his colleague being the late Mr. John
Murray, of Bowling. In 1833 the Glasgow Emancipation
Society was instituted, and became the successor of the
Anti-Slavery Society. William Smeal's services as joint
Secretary were transferred to the Emancipation Society;

WILLIAM SMEAL.

633

and this office he always held. His active and official
connection with the anti-slavery cause, therefore, extends
over a period of fifty-five years, during which time he
witnessed the formation and growth of public sentiment
in favour of the abolition of human slavery, and the
emancipation of the slaves in the British Colonies and in
the United States of America. Although the early efforts
of the anti-slavery party were mainly directed to obtain
the abolition of slavery in the British Colonies, and, when
that had been accomplished, its abolition in America, yet
the object of the Society was wider than this, viz., the
abolition of human slavery throughout the world. Con
sequently from time to time this Society has also taken
action against slavery and the slave trade elsewhere.
During the late civil war in America, William Smeal, in
common with his party, took a warm interest in the
success of the Northern States, and was untiring in efforts
to assist in maintaining amicable relations between this
country and the Federal States. From 1864 to 1867
William Smeal was Secretary and Treasurer of the
"Glasgow Freedmen's Aid Society," which body collected
and remitted to America nearly ^700 in aid of the
emancipated slaves there. His last public effort in the
anti-slavery cause, in the promotion of which he was as
zealous and enthusiastic as of old, was the arranging for
and holding of a citizens' meeting early in 1876 to
protest against and obtain the withdrawal of the " Fugi
tive Slave Circular " of the then existing Government.
Of many eminent and esteemed citizens of Glasgow who
were associated with William Smeal in the anti-slavery
movement, may be mentioned Dr. William Anderson
and Dr. Wardlaw.
In home politics William Smeal always took a deep
interest, and during his long life held faithfully to the

634 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Liberal party. In municipal politics William Smeal
also deemed it his duty to take a part. To him the
friends of " Peace " are indebted for most of the work of
bringing and keeping the citizens acquainted with the
views and principles of what is known as the " Peace
Party." During the agitation for the Repeal of the Corn Laws,
and the taxes upon knowledge, William Smeal was more
than an interested and sympathetic onlooker. The Tem
perance cause also from its earliest history in Glasgow as
a public movement received his steady support, and from
time to time official services and active aid. A national
system of education was also regarded by him as a ques
tion of the first importance. William Smeal also identified
himself with those movements which are more especially
promoted by members of the Society of Friends, such as
the abolition of capital punishment. The enumeration of
the various official positions held by William Smeal in
the movements alluded to gives no adequate idea of the
time and effort he voluntarily devoted to what he be
lieved to be works of philanthropy and benevolence.
He died at 36, Monteith Row, after a short illness, on
the 15th of the 8th month, 1877, in his eighty-fifth year,
and his remains were interred in Janefield Cemetery.
Taken from the Glasgow Herald, August 22nd, 1877.

EDWARD SMITH. 635
EDWARD SMITH, OF LONDON.
Born 1787 — Died 1834 — Aged Forty-seven Years.
For Portrait see Oil Painting of London Yearly Meeting,
and Engraving of " Reading the Scriptures" after a
Picture by Haydon.
The Friends represented in this picture are supposed to be the
portraits of Edward Smith and his wife, of London, as the artist was
at one time much acquainted with him, and introduced his portrait
into several of his pictures.
Edward Smith, born in 1787, was the son of Frederic
Smith, for many years a chemist in the Haymarket,
London. His father was a man very generally beloved
and esteemed by those who knew him. He held an
important position in the Post Office, which he relinquished
owing to conscientious scruples against taking an oath
that was required A of its officials. He joined the Society
of Friends from a deeply proved and heart-felt convince-
ment, and was raised up to be a lively, baptized minister
among them, his soul glowing with love and goodwill to
the whole human family. His son Edward, after receiv
ing a useful education at Ackworth, Cirencester, and
Hitchin, was brought up to the same business, and on his
father's death, in 1823, took the sole management of it.
After he left school, much of the time he could spare
from business was devoted to intellectual pursuits, rising
early and sitting up late, that he might pursue his favourite
studies. He was blessed with good natural abilities, and his
aspiring spirit aimed at intellectual excellence ; so that,
had his education been more enlarged, and his oppor
tunities favoured it, there is some probability he might
have pushed his way up among the hills of literature and

636 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
science. But the Lord, the rightful orderer of our allot
ments, designed otherwise for him.
Edward's first marriage took place in 1822. The
object of his choice was Eliza, daughter of David Holt, of
Manchester, a truly valuable partner to him. She was
a great sufferer by illness, and was taken from him by
death in 1826, leaving behind her two little girls, the
youngest of whom did not long survive her mother.
In 1829 he married Eliza, daughter of Joseph Fry
Gundry, of Calne ; and as a little hopeful family grew
around him, and his outward comforts increased, he
gratefully estimated these blessings, without unduly
setting his heart upon them.
Edward, with all his activity in outward matters, was
a lover of retirement. He would often for a time leave
his shop and the affairs of business, to go aside that he
might renew his strength in God and receive fresh ability
for the discharge of all his duties.
For several years previous to his death he had devoted
a considerable portion of his spare hours to writing on
religious subjects, chiefly in illustration of the Christian
views and principles of the Society to which he belonged.
In his line of usefulness several small pieces were pub
lished * as the fruit of his labour of love, not only towards
Friends but towards those of other denominations.
He died the 8th of 12th month, 1834, aged 47 years,
and his remains were interred in Friends' burial ground,
Bunhill Fields, London.
See Life by John Barclay, prefixed to Edward Smith's " Life of
Dewsbury.'' 0 See Joseph Smith's " Catalogue," vol. ii.

EDWARD SMITH.

637

EDWARD SMITH, OF SHEFFIELD.
Born 1800 — Died 1868 — Aged Sixty-eight Years.
Photograph coloured 5X3 in.
EDWARD Smith was born at Sheffield in the year 1800.
His father and uncle were the owners of the first rolling
mills for iron and steel erected in that town, which were
very remunerative. To their business he succeeded, and
ultimately to the property of both the partners. The
possession of ample inherited means did not lessen his
attachment to his own religious Society. This was early
manifested, and was strengthened with advancing years.
Much of this result may doubtless be ascribed, under
Providence, to the educational training he received.
About the year 1 8 1 o or 1 8 1 1 he was a pupil at the
boarding-school of a kind, good man and worthy Friend,
Joseph Tatham, of Leeds, from whose school, and from
under the influence of whose precept and example, went
forth not a few sterling Friends, many of whom have been
called to their rest, after having done good service in their
day. As before stated, Edward Smith, on leaving school,
entered into his father's business, which he carried on
after the death of the latter, until about the year 1858;
never, however, permitting it to engross his time to the
exclusion of his attention to public affairs, to the concerns
of his own religious Society, or to a diligent course of
scientific and general reading.
Edward Smith married Jane Harker, of Mansfield,
when he was about twenty-five years of age. It is not in
the spirit of mere eulogy that we venture to allude to the
lovely and sweet character of the late Jane Smith. Those

638 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
who knew her at their home a.t Fir Vale will bear abundant
testimony to the kindliness of her welcome, the grace of
her demeanour and expression, to her sympathy with the
distressed, to the largeness of her liberality, to her love for
her friends, and to her consistent Christian character and
life. Her death, took place less than a year previously to
that of her husband.
Edward Smith's sympathies were early enlisted in
favour of the amelioration of the criminal code. At a
time when forgery and other offences, now visited with
secondary punishments, were capital crimes ; and when,
with unvarying and cruel consistency, pardon or mitigation
of the death penalty was sternly refused to the forger of
every shade of culpability, Edward Smith, then little more
than of age, took the chair at a public meeting of his
townsmen, called to promote the entire abolition of the
punishment of death. The movement, as well as that for
the abolition of negro slavery and for the promotion of
religious equality, continued through life to be supported by
him with liberality and earnestness. He looked at public
questions with the eye of a citizen as well as a Christian ;
nor did he feel restrained from engaging in those political
movements which he thought tended to the public good.
He became a prominent local leader of the Reform
party, even before the passing of the Reform Bill, and
interested himself actively in the two first Parliamentary
elections in Sheffield, being the chairman, in 1832, of one
of the candidates. The candidature was carried out on
the principle of perfect purity of election, without paid
canvassers, banners, music, or meeting at public-houses, at
a time when these were common adjuncts of such a con
test. The candidate was a man of great talent and the
highest character, but both he and his chairman were in
advance of their times and ours, and they lost the election.

EDWARD SMITH. 639
The two men had shortly before been associated as
Bank Directors, establishing in 1831 the earliest Joint
Stock Bank in the district. They continued to be thus
connected for more than a quarter of a century, Edward
Smith retiring in 1 8 5 8. It is not too much to say that
the same clear principles of right which distinguished
them in politics went with them into bank direction
also ; and that throughout this lengthened period they
conducted the affairs of their company with remarkable
uprightness, strictness of business principle, and unvarying
success. When George Wilson, Richard Cobden, and John
Bright commenced the celebrated agitation, which re
sulted, after years of effort, in the Repeal of the tax on
the people's food, they found in Edward Smith a liberal
and energetic supporter. He was a member of the
Council of the Anti-Corn Law League, and was the leader
of the movement in his own town, frequently presiding
over public meetings there and elsewhere, and continuing
his exertions to the successful end of the contest. When
Richard Cobden and John Bright, careless of popularity,
devoted themselves to the cause of peace, national arbi
tration, and simultaneous disarmament, they found again
in Edward Smith (in whose mind opposition to all war,
based on Christian doctrine, was a leading principle) an
earnest adherent and public advocate.
When the day of Peace Congresses had again for a
long time passed away, and the Crimean War had dis
appointed the hopes of the Friends of peace, and thrown
Richard Cobden and John Bright with their adherents into
a small minority in Parliament, Edward Smith withdrew
himself, to a considerable extent, from politics, and from
the Liberal party, who had forsaken peace views, and
with whom till then he had acted. He had previously

640 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
presided at a large town's-meeting to resist a contem
plated compulsory balloting for the militia ; and, whilst the
Russian war was imminent, he published an address to his
townsmen, pointing out the material evils of war, in its
effects on trade and the families of the poor, and showing
how opposed a state of warfare must be, not only to what
is religiously right, but to the moral and social interests
of the nation.
It was shortly affer this, and probably about the fifty-
third year of his age, that Edward Smith's health gave
way, and he was medically warned to intermit the mental
stress and varied exertion so long continued.
He yielded to this advice, and gave up his personal
labour on behalf of many of the objects in which he had
taken an interest.
As a member of the Meeting for Sufferings, to which he
was for a number of years the specially appointed repre
sentative of the Quarterly Meeting of Yorkshire, attending
regularly when health permitted, his energetic services
were peculiarly valuable.
Edward Smith was an Elder, and though rather reticent
on religious topics, he endeavoured faithfully to discharge
his duties in that capacity.
He took an active part in the discussions of our Yearly
Meetings, and of his own Quarterly and Monthly Meet
ings. His well-arranged arguments, clearly, tersely, and
forcibly expressed, had deservedly much weight.
We have said that Edward Smith withdrew himself
Very much from public life, except as regards matters
connected with our own Society. There were, however,
two objects to promote which he devoted much personal
labour, almost to the close of life. These were abstinence
from intoxicants and Home Missions. His efforts in the
cause of temperance were of a very varied character, con-

JOSEPH STURGE. 64 1
sisting of public addresses at home and at a distance, and
of journeys undertaken in company with his friend Samuel
Bowly, to urge the claims of personal abstinence on
Friends in many parts of the United Kingdom.
We cannot forbear to mention that amidst so many
and varied engagements his services were frequently, in
middle life, called into requisition as an arbitrator and
peacemaker, for which his large experience and clear dis
criminating judgment peculiarly qualified him. And even
during the last year of his life these qualities enabled him
to afford most valuable aid as Chairman of a Committee
of Investigation of the Great Western Railway Company,
and afterwards as a Director, posts calling for the exercise
of the highest business talent and tact, in the then
circumstances of the Company.
He died after a short illness on the 20th of 4th month,
1868, whilst staying at Brighton for the benefit of his
health. Taken from the Annual Monitor , 1869.

JOSEPH STURGE.
Born 1793 — Died 1859 — Aged nearly Sixty-six
Years.
Engraving 18 X 1 4 in.
Joseph Sturge, son of Joseph and Mary Sturge, daughter
of Thomas Marshall, of Alcester, Worcestershire, of a
family originally from Little Tew, Oxfordshire, was born
the 2nd of the 8th month, 1793, at the old Manor House,
Elberton, Gloucestershire. 4i

642 biographical catalogue.
He was descended from a certain Thomas Sturge, a
resident at Frampton Cotterell, temp. James I., and whose
son Joseph was the lessee of an estate at Gaunt Earthcott,
in the same vicinity, under the corporation of Bristol ;
died about 1669, and seems to have joined the Society of
Friends about the period of its inception. The subject of
our sketch was reared partly at Kingley, situate between
Evesham and Alcester, and likewise near the ancient
village of Wixford, notorious for its bibulous propensities
beyond all the other villages near Stratford, which are
commemorated in the Legend of Shakespeare's Crab Tree,
a tradition which, with great lack of judgment, was dis
credited by Charles Knight. Kingley, the residence of his
maternal grandfather, was a fine old country domicile,
half mansion, half farmhouse, where the lad grew not
only healthy but quite athletic, with a sound and vigorous
constitution, which served its owner in good stead in the
trying episodes of his after life. His first schooling was at
Thornbury, near Olveston, county of Gloucester, at which
latter place his parents had now fixed their residence.
From this day-school he was removed, when about eleven,
to a boarding-school, kept by a Friend, at Sidcot, where
he remained three years, obtaining a plain English educa
tion. One of his old schoolmates relates the following
expressive anecdote : " Your brother was a kind friend of
mine for many years, and one circumstance that occurred
to me when at school at J. Banwell's, at Sidcot, is so
characteristic of his whole life that I will relate it. He
was one of the oldest boys — I was one of the youngest —
a boy oppressed me, I appealed to Joseph ; he saw me
righted, but said I must shake hands and make it up with
my opponent. I demurred to this, but he insisted, and
said, ' William, never let the sun go down on thy wrath.'
I immediately complied, and often have I since then

JOSEPH STURGE. 643
thought of that boyish advice." In 1807, when fourteen,
he finally left school, and, returning home, at the united
desire of his parents and himself, he turned his attention
to farming and grazing. About 18 14 he was placed on
Aust farm, at the back of Austcliff, near the Severn
estuary, which he carried on upon his own account. Here,
though passionately fond of country sports, he soon began
to devote his best energies to local philanthropic move
ments, including the Bible Society, of which he became
the active secretary. In 181 3, as he relates, he was
drawn for the militia when only eighteen, and but for
the fact of possessing a small farm with a flock of sheep
upon it, would have gone to prison as a testimony against
any appeal to arms. Early in 18 14 he abandoned
farming, and joined H. T. Cotterell as corn-factor, and
leaving Olveston for Bewdley, shortly settled, with his
sister Sophia as housekeeper — at the adjacent hamlet of
Wribbenhall. His father dying in 18 17, he became
thenceforward the counsellor and caretaker of the sur
vivors. His widowed mother followed her husband within
two years, after which he took a larger house, Netherton,
in the outskirts of Bewdley, which constituted a home
for his younger brothers and sisters, and where he con
tinued to reside until he removed to Birmingham. He
commenced business on his own account after a three
years' partnership, being joined by his brother Charles in
1822 ; but this was a time of dangerous fluctuations in the
corn trade, and it taxed all his physical and mental
stamina to the utmost, for his position necessitated attend
ance at most of the markets of an extensive district. In
this year also, finding business increasingly to centre in the
rising midland capital, he took a house where the firm had
long had an office, in Monument Place, Birmingham, until
he could erect one to suit his tastes and convenience at

644 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Edgbaston, that in which he died, and which is still in the
occupation of his widow and family. He succeeded in
laying the foundation of a large and profitable business,
and, had enormous wealth been his object, this might have
been secured. Twice he lost considerably, but at once
reduced expenditure in accordance.
The London Peace Society was formed in 1810;
two years later Joseph Sturge initiated an auxiliary
one in Worcester ; before 1825 he had become a warm
and active advocate of the Anti-Slavery cause. The
Temperance reformation gained in Joseph Sturge a
strong friend. His firm was, at the time, dealing largely
in malt, but the head of it perceiving the incon
sistency, and in fact incrimination, of his position, he
had the moral courage to make a sacrifice, and through
his influence this lucrative branch of business was
abandoned, together with the cellarage for storing spirits.
The abilities displayed in business were now begin
ning to be utilised in the public service. No corpora
tion being then in existence at Birmingham, he was
elected one of the Commissioners of the Borough Street
Act. In the political excitement of 183 1-2 our sub
ject took a burning interest, and a bold and active part,
assisting Thomas Attwood (subsequently M.P. for the
town) in the formation of one of the earliest of those local
Reform Associations which became the police of this great
national movement. The Reform Bill passed, the pro
posed abolition of British colonial slavery absorbed most
of his leisure and public advocacy until the passing of the
Emancipation Act at the end of 1833. In April the
following year Joseph Sturge, seeking relief in domestic
joys from his excessive public toil, married Eliza, only
daughter of James Cropper, the eminent philanthropic
merchant of Liverpool (with whom he had in late years

JOSEPH STURGE. 645
been closely associated), by his wife, Mary Brinsdon, of
Coventry, but ere a twelvemonth elapsed both his
admirable wife and her young babe had expired. He
subsequently married, on 14th of 10th month, 1846,
Hannah, fourth daughter of Barnard Dickinson, of Coal-
drook Dale, by his wife Ann Danby, by whom he left
issue a son and four daughters.
The hearts of all staunch abolitionists being set upon
extinction of the apprentice-term, and the opposition
of the colonial legislatures to this and to all means
of evidence of the truth, determined Joseph Sturge to
proceed to the West Indies, accompanied by his friend,
Thomas Harvey, of Leeds, the result of their quest appear
ing in a volume, "The West Indies in 1837," the first
edition of which was sold out in a few months. We must
now confine our pen to a simple naming of the great
philanthropic causes in which Joseph Sturge successively
took a prominent, and in some cases, the chief organising
part : — British and Foreign Schools, Education of the
emancipated West Indian Slaves, New Anti-slavery Society,
Free Trade, Denouncement of the unchristian Opium
Traffic (still disgracefully upheld by the English Govern
ment), Household Suffrage, Convention for substitution of
Arbitration in lieu of War, Evangelical Alliance, Free
labour Produce, Abolition of Slavery in the French
Colonies, Industrial Exhibition of 185 1, Mission to St.
Petersburg to avert the Crimean War, Relief of the
plundered Finns, West Indian Reform, Places of Public
Recreation, Friends' Sabbath Schools, Juvenile Reforma
tories, etc. Although not taking the unobtrusive form he
would have preferred (had he consented to any memorial
whatever of his public services), we cannot wonder at all
classes of his fellow-townsmen joining in raising a statue
of this worthy when he was personally lost to them, and

646 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
removed in the midst of a career almost unmatched for
usefulness. This memorial ultimately took the form of a
statue and fountain, executed by Thomas of London, and
the inauguration occurred in June 1862, and was thus
described in the Times newspaper : —
" The statue has been erected on by far the best site
of the town ; it is at one of the boundaries, where the
parishes of Birmingham and Edgbaston meet, this being
the parish in which Mr. Sturge resided. The monument
consists of a central figure of Mr. Sturge, his right hand
resting upon a Bible, and the left extended towards a
figure symbolical of Peace. A figure on the other side is
typical of Charity. At the base of the statue, in front
and back, are large basins for ornamental fountains, and
at either side are drinking fountains. The principal
figure is in Sicilian marble, the secondary groups in fine
freestone. The likeness of the man is portrayed with
wonderful fidelity. The expressions of benevolence, which
spoke so powerfully in the life, are depicted wonderfully
in stone. The allegorical figures, with their symbols, are
also very cleverly executed. There was a large assembly
to-day to witness the undraping of the statue ; Mr. John
Bright and Mr. Scholefield, the borough members, were
present, as were also the Mayor and many members of
the Corporation."
N.B. — These particulars have been taken from an
excellent " Memoir of Joseph Sturge," 1 846, by Henry
Richard, M.P., who knew him intimately, and has ably
depicted his career. The thick 8vo volume contains a
striking likeness of his subject from a drawing by W.
Willis, and a vignette of his birthplace, Elberton, appears
on the title page. John Greenleaf Whittier finely chants
a requiem : —

JOSEPH STURGE. 647
IN REMEMBRANCE OF JOSEPH STURGE.
"Thanks for the good man's beautiful example,
Who in the vilest saw
Some sacred crypt or altar of a temple,
Still vocal with God's law ;
" Not his the golden pen's or lips' persuasion,
But a fine sense of right,
And truth's directness, meeting each occasion
Straight as a line of light.
"His faith and works, like streams that intermingle,
In the same channel ran ;
The crystal clearness of an eye kept single
Shamed all the frauds of man.
" The very gentlest of all human natures
He joined to courage strong,
And love outreaching unto all God's creatures
With sturdy hate of wrong.
"Tender as woman's ; manliness and meekness
In him were so allied
That they who judged him by his strength or weakness
Saw but a single side.
" Men failed, betrayed him ; but his zeal seemed nourished
By failure and by fall ;
Still a large faith in human kind he cherished,
And in God's love for all.
" And now he rests ; his greatness and his sweetness
No more shall seem at strife,
And death has moulded into calm completeness
The statue of his life."
In an obituary notice in the Illustrated London News
were the following remarks on Joseph Sturge as a public
character : —
"This active philanthropist and esteemed Liberal
politician died somewhat suddenly from disease of the
heart at his house at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on the
14th May, 1859. Joseph Sturge was a worthy member
of that respected sect the Society of Friends, whose
constant exertions in the cause of social virtue and

648 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
freedom have proved of such benefit to this country.
The abrogation of slavery, the inculcation of temper
ance, and preservation of peace, were, through life, the
main and increasing objects of Mr. Sturge's public
career. It was his interview, in 1848, with the pro
visional government of France, and especially with its
illustrious members, Lamartine and Arago, that secured
the decree, which, to the honour of that temporary
rule, abolished slavery throughout the French colonies.
In politics Mr. Sturge was what may be called an
advanced Liberal. He was an advocate of manhood
suffrage, of the removal of all religious and civil disabilities,
and of complete freedom of commerce. On these principles
Mr. Sturge contested Birmingham in 1844, but was
defeated by a considerable majority. He was afterwards
a candidate for Nottingham and Leeds, where also he
was defeated, but by narrow majorities. Although some
of Mr. Sturge's opinions were greatly at variance with
those held by the majority of his countrymen, yet the
perfect simplicity of his character, his high honour, his
sterling honesty in every relation of public and private
life, and his readiness to concede to others the same
freedom of action and the same purity of motive
that he claimed for himself, all contributed to
ensure him the respect and regard of every person who
knew him. This sentiment of regard his beneficence
deepened into attachment. His ear was never deaf nor
hand closed against any tale of distress. It is On these
aspects of his character, in harmony with the good of all
sects and parties, that the mind loves best to dwell."
We conclude this brief account of Mr. Sturge with the
closing sentence of a tribute to his memory in Aris's Bir
mingham Gazette : — " If our space permitted, we could
say much more of one the half of whose virtues will

JOSEPH STURGE. 649
never become known, but whose kindly nature was widely
and warmly appreciated even by those who knew little
of him, and whose quick, active step, cheerful voice, and
genial smile will long be missed by those amongst whom
his busy, useful, self-denying life was passed."
One of the last most known and remarkable incidents
of Joseph Sturge's public life was his visit to the Emperor
of Russia, in February 1854, when, true to the main
tenance of peace among men, he went, in company with
his friends, Henry Pease, M.P., and Robert Charleton,
to present a remonstrance, on religious grounds, against
the war.
An account of this singular journey, with an engraving
of the interview with the Emperor, appeared at the time
in the Illustrated London News, but the following account
of Joseph Sturge's mission to St. Petersburg before the
breaking out of the Crimean War is from another source.
"In January and February 1854, just before the
commencement of hostilities against Russia, the name of
Joseph Sturge was brought prominently before the public
in connection with the Quakers' ineffectual, but not less
praiseworthy, effort, to save Europe from the horrors of
war. Accompanied by Henry Pease, of Darlington, and
Robert Charleton, of Bristol, both highly respected
members of the Society of Friends, Mr. Joseph Sturge
made a journey to St. Petersburg to present an address
to the Emperor of Russia, to induce his Imperial Majesty
to endeavour to resort to arbitration, rather than to
warfare, to settle the difficulties of the moment. They
left London on the 20th January, and proceeded direct
to their destination without any introduction or letters of
any kind. Arriving on the 2nd February, they made
application to Count Nesselrode, by whom they were very
courteously received. The friends justified their departure

650 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
from the etiquette observed in communications with the
imperial person or government by foreigners, on the
ground that theirs was a religious, and in no sense a
political mission. The Emperor received them on the
I oth February, and listened to their address with the
most courteous attention. His Majesty detained the
delegates some time in conversation, giving them what
he termed ' an explanation of his differences with their
government.' He then introduced the Friends to the
Grand Duchess Olga, who also conversed in an affable
manner. The business of the deputation concluded, the
Czar shook each of them cordially by the hand, and
invited them to stay some days in the palace at St.
Petersburg. Thus, these three simple, upright, honest
men commanded from the haughty Emperor of All the
Russias a respect which neither generals, nobles, nor kings
could win even from his courtesy. For several days
afterwards the Friends remained in St. Petersburg.
Crowds followed them in every direction. They were
popular among all classes, and were visited by the
highest of the aristocracy of Russia. Finally, they
returned to England, leaving a very favourable impression
at St. Petersburg by the mildness and benevolence of
their demeanour, by the evident sincerity of their religious
views, and by the eminently Christian character of their
undertaking." It was believed that whatever good might have resulted
from the mission was frustrated by the eminently warlike
tone assumed towards the Russian government at this
juncture by the English press.
JOSEPH STURGE.
" If noblest he, who is from self most free,
Thou, honour'd friend ! wert noblest I have known !
Many have braved the world, but who like thee,
Had banish' d self, and duty served alone

WILLIAM TANNER. 65 1
In self-oblivion, through thy Saviour's grace ?
Great was His grace upon thee ; on thy face
The impress of Divine communion shone —
Like him, with whom the highest did condescend
For Israel's sake, to commune as a friend !
And thou, like him, didst labour for a race
Enslaved in worse than Egypt's galling chain ;
Didst lead, like him, the captives to release
Through life-long struggles in a wild of pain ;
Didst see them free, and then depart in peace."
William Ball.

WILLIAM TANNER.
Born 1815 — Died 1866 — Aged Fifty-one Years.
Photograph 20 x 17 in.
William Tanner, the eldest son of Arthur Thomas
and Mary Tanner, of Sidcot, Somerset, was born there on
the 15th of 5th month, 181 5. His was a loving nature,
combined with great quickness of apprehension and
vivacity of mind. Owing to a natural delicacy of con
stitution, some portions of his early manhood were passed
in Malta, and also in Madeira, and he journeyed at
another time in Norway for the benefit of health, where
subsequently he had some extended religious service in a
visit paid to that country in the love of the Gospel. He
commenced business as a paper manufacturer in Cheddar,
and became earnest in promoting temperance amid
much local opposition, and was so diligent in visiting the
sick and distressed, that it was said of him in reference to
this period of his life, " Prompt at every call, he watched
and wept, he prayed and felt for all." He afterwards
removed to Bristol, and resided at Ashley Farm, in its

652 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
neighbourhood, during the remainder of his life. He was
quite young when his services as a Minister commenced,
and he was acknowledged as such in his twenty-fourth
year. The natural independence of hfe mind when
brought under the influence of ripening Christian ex
perience rendered his offerings peculiarly acceptable to
his Friends, and contributed to the religious influence
exercised by him, especially amongst the younger
members. His memoirs have been edited by his relative
and greatly attached friend, John Ford, and consist so
largely of extracts from his own memoranda, as to give
them much of an autobiographical character. Amongst
his notes, a review taken in his fortieth year of the
variations in his religious convictions, shows him to
have had great searchings of heart and shakings of what
he had at first taken simply as on trust from others.
It contributed, no doubt, to the firmness and clearness
with which he maintained what he felt was the truth, and
also to the catholicity of spirit observable in the following
extract : — " If, however, I am correct in the view which I
take of the nature of Christian unity, it is not the design
of Him Who knows what is in man, that all should be
brought to see eye to eye in the present imperfect state
of existence ; but rather that our differences of opinion
should be to us an occasion of mutual forbearance, and
that whilst each should seek after an increasing conformity
to the mind that was in Christ, we should as much as
possible abstain from requiring others to conform to our
own standard of opinion," when he afterwards passes in
review the several features of Christian doctrine as held
by the Society of Friends. His remarks on the so-called
ordinances show his investigations had led him into hearty
accord with the teaching of the Society respecting them.
"I believe that they are no ordinances at all, and that in

WILLIAM TANNER. 653
giving a spiritual direction to the Jewish ordinance of the
Passover, and in adopting the outward sign of admission
by baptism, which had been in use by the Jews, we
have no reason to think that our Lord designed to
incorporate these things into that spiritual economy,
which so greatly distinguished the new covenant and
dispensation. I believe there have been some, who whilst
admitting this, have nevertheless felt bound, in all sim
plicity, to render a literal obedience to the Saviour's
words ; and I can by no means admit that in the case of
any of our members, who pursue such a course, there
is anything to warrant our dealing with them, or cutting
them off. But I do feel that the prevailing abuse of
these things in the professing Church, and the superstitious
feelings with which they are regarded by multitudes of its
members, afford grounds for their disuse, even stronger
than the necessity which existed in days of old for the
destruction of the brazen serpent which Moses had
made." William Tanner married, in 1 849, Sarah Wheeler, eldest
daughter of Daniel Wheeler, who proved, during seventeen
years of wedded life, a true helpmeet to him. She was
one in whom were combined great force of character
with deep tenderness of feeling, and with a richly stored
mind possessed a very discriminating taste and judgment.
Her own health, which had never been strong, gave way
finally soon after her husband's removal, so that it was
said of them, " They were lovely and pleasant in their
lives, and in their deaths they were not ' long ' divided."
William Tanner died on the 8th of nth month, 1866,
aged 51 years, and his widow on the nth of the 3rd
month, 1867, aged 59 years. Both are interred in
Friend's burial ground at Sidcot.
In some lines written by William Tanner's aged

654 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
mother, who survived him, occurs this portraiture of her
son's life : —
" In early life the Shepherd's voice he knew,
Obeyed His call, — His precepts learned to keep ;
And as in stature and in grace he grew,
Fulfilled His mandate—' Feed My lambs and sheep.'
" Attuned to sympathy, — his grateful heart,
Rejoicing in the pardoning love of God, .
Sought its soul- cheering influence to impart,
To those with whom the path of life he trod !
" Rich in the blessings of domestic love,
Of Christian fellowship, and social ties,
And richer still in blessings from above,
A present Saviour, and a promised prize.
" With cheerful step he trod life's chequered way
Through storm and sunshine towards the ' better land,'
And for his Master worked while it was day
With loving service and a willing hand."

WILLIAM THISTLETHWAITE.
Born 1813 — Died 1870 — Aged fifty-six Years.
For Portrait see Photograph Yearly Meeting's Committee,
Ireland, 1864.
William Thistlethwaite, the third son of Richard
and Margaret Thistlethwaite, was born in 181 3 in
Widdale, near Dent, in the West Riding of the county
of York, where his father followed the occupation of a
farmer. When about six or seven years old his parents
removed to the contiguous valley of Dent. Here,
like most country boys, he spent the years previous
to going to school between work and play, — rambling
about among the hills and dales of the neighbourhood, or
tending the sheep and cattle. He was, however, docile

WILLIAM THISTLETHWAITE. 655
and thoughtful beyond his years, and could be relied
on in the duties assigned him. The activity and energy
thus acquired, and the dispositions manifested, were
indicative of the character more fully developed in after
life. At nine years of age he began to go to a school at
Sea Yeat, then under the charge of John Alderson ; but,
the distance being considerable, and the weather often
unfavourable, his attendance was irregular, and his pro
gress small. In the year 1825 he was sent to Ackworth
School, but remained in that Institution only two years ;
his age, by the regulations then in force, not admitting of
his longer continuance. During this period he made good
progress, being quick in his attainment of knowledge, and
even in his leisure hours studious, and fond of reading.
On his return from Ackworth he was again placed
under some disadvantages, — living in a remote country
district, with few desirable companions, or opportunities
favourable to the acquisition of knowledge. But he
enjoyed the high privilege of a sound moral and religious
training. His parents were very solicitous and careful
that their children should be brought up " in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord." . . . Under this parental
care he was preserved from hurtful companionships, which
often afterwards excited his gratitude and thankfulness.
His father, thinking it best to put out his son to some
handicraft business, placed him in 1828 under James
Thistlethwaite, dogger and leather cutter, at Bainbridge,
in Wensleydale. This, however, was not the avocation of
the youth's own choice, but he worked at it assiduously,
and was quick at learning the trade, though he never liked
it, and was not disposed to continue in it.
Under these circumstances he lost no opportunity of
improving his mind, in order to prepare himself for a

656 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
change of employment if any opening presented itself.
Meanwhile, his hearty good nature and his ability gained
him many friends, both amongst young and old ; and
among those of his age, there were few whose services
in the promotion of public objects in the district were
more sought after. He was warmly interested in the
Temperance cause, and employed himself in advocating
it throughout the neighbourhood. He became fond also
of metaphysical inquiries, and one of his favourite books
was Paley's " Moral and Political Philosophy," which
he would carry about with him to refer to in spare
moments. His master, seeing the bent of his mind, encouraged
him, and before long wrote the father offering to
relinquish his articles, as he thought his son was qualified
for something better than a " mere hewer of wood or a
cutter of leather ; " and a teacher being soon after wanted
for a small school near, he, whilst continuing to reside
with his master, was appointed to the situation, and thus
entered on the profession which was to be the main
business of his life. He engaged in it with zeal and
ardour, as being an employment after his own heart,
and feeling the importance and responsibility of his
calling. He conducted the school at Counterside to general
satisfaction till 1834. His scholastic attainments at
that period could not be large, but he had an active
and vigorous mind. His manner of teaching was lively
and agreeable. He had a love of children, which he
retained to the end of life, and he took a warm interest
in the progress of his pupils.
Endeavouring faithfully to instruct his scholars, he
enriched and enlarged his own mental acquirements.
And in his efforts to elevate the character of those

WILLIAM THISTLETHWAITE. 657.
around him, found it true that " there is that which scat-
tereth and yet increaseth, and he that watereth shall be
watered also himself."
Nor was the time spent in the workshop at Bainbridge
so unfavourable a preparation as might at first sight
appear, for an active and thoughtful mind thus thrown on
its own resources acquires an independence of character ;
and he had in his master, James Thistlethwaite, one
who was of a mild and humane disposition, remark
ably free from prejudice, and anxious to foster in his
youthful charge " whatsoever things are true, honest,
pure, lovely, and of good report," being himself an
ensample in his daily life and practice of these virtues.
At this juncture the Society of Friends had their
attention drawn to the educational wants of children
belonging to the families of those who were connected
with them by descent, or as attenders of their religious
meetings, but not in membership. A school for such had
been established by the Friends in Yorkshire, and it was
further intended to found a similar one at Penketh, near
Warrington, in South Lancashire. Both these Institu
tions were designed to be of an industrial character, in
which out-door farm labour or garden work for the boys,
and domestic employment for the girls, should be largely
combined with scholastic instruction.
William Thistlethwaite, though only twenty-one years
of age, was induced to apply for the office of Master or
Superintendent, and appeared, from the very circumstances
we have detailed, to have special qualifications for the
work. It was indeed, to some degree, a new experiment
in education ; but he entered upon it with all his energy
of body and mind, and his labours were eminently
successful. For twelve years he continued to preside
over the Institution, and diligently to advocate the advan-
42

658 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
tages of the method on which it was conducted. In the
proceedings of the Friends' Educational Society will be
found two earnest reports or tractates on the industrial
system from his pen, as well as other contributions.
His style of teaching and views of education were original,
and elicited general approval.
In 1846 he left Penketh, owing to changes in pro
spect, and for a while occupied the post of Master on Duty
at Ackworth. But he had not been long there before an
offer was very unexpectedly made to him of the boarding
school at Tulketh Hall, near Preston ; and after serious
consideration he entered on the new undertaking, in
company with his friend and future brother-in-law, Dr.
Satterthwaite. In 1847 be married. The partners
conducted the school at Tulketh for six years ; but
the lease expiring, they concluded to erect new school
premises at Lindon Grove, near Wilmslow, to which
they removed in 1853.
In addition to the routine of a professional life, ex
tending over more than a quarter of a century, William
Thistlethwaite was ever ready to take part in forwarding
many of the public movements of the day, in the work
of the Bible Society, the Friends' Educational Society,
the Manchester Friends' Institute, visiting schools, writing
essays and lectures, etc. The productions of his pen
were mostly intended for particular occasions ; but in
1865 he published a small volume of "Four Lectures on
the Rise, Progress, and Past Proceedings of the Society
of Friends," — a historical review, as the author observes,
not a history, of the period of which they treat.
While passing successively from one situation in life to
another, our dear friend was anxious to follow the point
ings of duty. All views having reference to worldly
advantage merely, were subordinated to the sense of what

WILLIAM THISTLETHWAITE. 659
was required of him in serving his Divine master, and
becoming useful to his fellow-men.
Often would he acknowledge, with a heart overflowing
with gratitude, how marvellously he had been led in the
pathway of life, and how many unmerited blessings had
been showered down upon his head. He would own, in
humble thankfulness, that from the time when he was
taken " from the sheep cotes, from following the sheep,"
the Lord had been with him and round about him,
" whithersoever he went."
Throughout these years there was a manifest deepen
ing of religious feeling in his mind, and this led, about the
year i860, to take steps for relinquishing the scholastic
profession, with a view to the fuller devotion of his time
and talents to the service of Christ. He retired to the
house he had built near Wilmslow, and soon after felt
himself called to speak as a Minister in our Meetings for
Worship. In 1 864 he was recorded as a Minister.
He was at various times engaged in important services
under the appointment of the Yearly Meeting. He was
on the committee for visiting most of the counties in the
west and south-east of England, as well as Yorkshire.
In 1864 and 1865 he was also one of the committee that
visited the Yearly Meeting of Ireland. " On these
occasions," says one who was united in these visits, " the
depth of his religious sympathies, his large-heartedness,
and the breadth and comprehensiveness of his views, gave
an especial value to his services.
His ministry was sound, weighty, and impressive ; and
in meetings for discipline, or those of a more social
character, his remarks were often peculiarly pertinent and
instructive. His thoughts were generally original, and he
never lost his native independence of character ; but this
was accompanied with an ever-deepening love of the

660 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
brethren, and an earnest endeavour to maintain it unim
paired in the bond of peace.
During the last year of his life there was an evident
decay of physical power ; but disease of the heart was not
even suspected, nor until the last two months was it
known to exist.
Preserved from all doubts and fears, he calmly awaited
the approach of death. And when the closing scene
came, and he knew that death was at hand, in clear
accents he uttered, to the abiding comfort of his surviving
friends, the words, " All is well" and entered into his
everlasting rest.
He died the 28th of 1st month, 1870, aged 56 years.
Abridged from the Annual Monitor, 1871.

GEORGE THOMAS.
Born i 791— Died 1869 — Aged Seventy-eight;
Years.
Bust Height 2 8 in. ; Print 10x8 in.
GEORGE THOMAS was born in Bristol in the year 1791,
and continued to reside in his native city or its neighbour
hood until hjs death. For many years during the early
and middle part of his life he was successfully engaged in
mercantile pursuits, but we believe it was his habitual
desire to sit loose to earthly treasures ; and whilst the
possession of these did not affect the simplicity of character
by which he was distinguished, he regarded the wealth
which he acquired or inherited as involving a proportionate
responsibility, and was careful rightly to discharge the

GEORGE THOMAS. 66 1
duties of his stewardship. He was a liberal friend to
the poor, and a generous supporter of measures for the
relief of distress and the mitigation of human suffering in
its various forms. Nor was his largeness of heart shown
only by gifts of money. His personal exertions for the
good of others have endeared his memory to thousands,
especially amongst the poor of his native city.
When still a young man he entered warmly into the
Anti-Slavery cause, and used great exertions to promote
the abolition of slavery in the British colonies.
He was also during many years, and until the end of
his life, a steady friend and supporter of measures for
extending the blessings of temperance and peace ; and
he was an earnest promoter of popular education long
before this subject had obtained the share of public
attention which has been given to it of late years.
Being endowed with good natural abilities, and pos
sessing much sagacity and practical good sense, his aid
was often sought in matters of public and political
interest, whether of a local or more extended range.
Whilst thus engaged, his unbending integrity of purpose,
the transparent simplicity of his character, his kindness
and courtesy towards those whose views were opposed to
his own, and his tact in reconciling differences and restoring
harmony where it had been interrupted, secured for him
the esteem and respect of all classes, and gradually gave
him a place and influence with his fellow-citizens, which
have seldom been enjoyed in the same degree by a
private individual.
In pursuing what our dear friend regarded as the line
of his duty in public engagements, he was often brought
into contact with men with whom, on religious grounds,
he could have little or no sympathy, and we regard it as
no small evidence of the power of Divine grace, that his

662 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
own mind was nevertheless remarkably preserved from
the leavening influence of the spirit of the world.
Nor did the extent to which his time and attention
were often occupied with other objects interfere with his
cordial interest in the welfare of our own Society. For
many years he filled the office of Elder, diligently attending
the meetings of Ministers and Elders, and taking an
important share in the business brought before them. He
was several times appointed on committees of this Meeting
or of the Yearly Meeting, for visiting Friends in this
neighbourhood or in other parts of the country. For
a long course of years he filled the office of treasurer of
Sidcot School, attending the meetings of the committee
with great regularity, and watching, with almost fatherly
care, over the concerns of that Institution,
About a year and a half before his death he had a severe
attack of illness, which compelled him to retire from
many of his public engagements, though his health was
so far restored as to admit of his attending our meetings
for worship and enjoying social intercourse with his friends
during many months before his death.
He passed quietly away, after a few days' illness, on the
7th of 1 2th month, 1869, having recently entered his
seventy-ninth year.
From Testimonies concerning deceased Friends, 1870, and the
following extract is from the Annual Monitor of 1871.
" In the year 1 8 3 1 George Thomas was united in
marriage to Elizabeth Green. Through the long period
during which this union was permitted to continue, it
proved, under the Divine blessing, not only largely
conducive to his own happiness, but we believe not
less so to his usefulness to others."
" He was one of the founders of the Bristol General
Hospital, and to the end of his life he continued to

THOMAS THOMPSON. 663
watch carefully over the affairs of that Institution, and
to contribute largely to its support."
For many years he filled the important office of
Chairman to the Bristol Charity Trustees. At his death
he bequeathed ^2,000 to the Bristol Temperance Society.
His funeral was attended by clergymen of the Established Church
and Dissenting ministers of all denominations, as well as by
numerous representatives of the Corporation, and other public
bodies in the city. Indeed, the manifestations of sympathy and
respect throughout the city on this solemn occasion were so general,
as to give to it much of the appearance of a public funeral.

THOMAS THOMPSON.
Born 1775 — Died 1861 — Aged Eighty-six Years.
Photograph 5x4 in.
Thomas Thompson was born in or about the year
1775. He was a chemist and druggist, and carried on
business for many years at 75, Church Street, Liverpool.
The latter part of his life he retired to Devonshire Place,
Birkenhead. He took much interest in Friends' literature,
and early commenced collecting all books relating to the
Society of Friends, with a view of forming a perfect
collection. It appears that about the year 1 808, by his own
account, and soon after the death of his mother-in-law,
Mary Phillips (widow of James Phillips, the bookseller,
of George Yard, Lambert Street), several volumes of
works by Friends, principally biographical, came into his
hands, the acquisition of these forming a nucleus of
the important collection which was afterwards purchased
by the Society, and deposited at Gracechurch Street
Meeting House. After the closing of that building,
which is now taken down, it was removed to the Friends'

664 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Institute, Bishopsgate Street, but only temporarily. It is
now placed in the Library and Printing Committee room,
Devonshire House.
In the year i860, Thomas Thompson (then in his
eighty-fifth year), learning that Joseph Smith had compiled
a Catalogue of Friends' Books, and had completed eight
volumes in manuscript, was very anxious to see two or three
of the volumes. They were sent to him, and on their
return he wrote : " The perusal of them has strongly
revived my recollections, when, perhaps forty years ago, my
leisure hours were much devoted to similar pursuits ;
and I have been much impressed with the progress
which in that interval of time the literature of the Society
has made. I scarcely know how to appreciate thy
labours in the work — so very comprehensive, \ copious,
and at the same time with so much accuracy in detail."
Thomas Thompson took part in the " Beacon Con
troversy," which agitated the Society fifty years ago.
He wrote a letter to Isaac Crewdson on his recent
publication, "The Beacon," 1835, and another letter
to Thomas Robson (being a reply to Isaac Braithwaite),
1835. His son, Silvanus Thompson, was a well-known
Friend in York, and edited the memorials of John Ford,
1877, and a grandson is the present Professor Thompson,
of the City of London Technical College. Thomas
Thompson died the 14th of 3rd month, 1861, aged about
86 years.

JOSEPH THORP.

665

JOSEPH THORP.
Born 1803 — Died 1873 — Aged Seventy Years.
Photograph 9x7 in.
Joseph Thorp, the son of John and Elizabeth Thorp,
was born at Leeds on 30th of 6th month, 1803. At the
age of ten he was sent to Ackworth School, where his
future career was in some measure foreshadowed, not
only by steady progress in study, but by amiability of
disposition, and the extraordinary power which he
exercised among his school-fellows, so that his word
had the practical weight and influence of one in riper
years, a teacher rather than a pupil. His religious feel
ings were such, that in later days he was heard to say,
that he believed, if he had been faithful, he should have
spoken in meetings for worship while still a boy at school.
When in mature life he served for a total of about
twenty years on the school committee, in addition to
his aid in general management, the part he took in the
examinations was especially useful and suggestive ; and
from his skill in approaching the minds of his hearers,
his observations found ready entrance, whether in regard
to their attainments, or in his more solemn exhortations
on matters of eternal moment.
After leaving school he was apprenticed with two
uncles in the wool trade at Halifax, and this occasioned
much travelling from home, in which he was especially
careful not to infringe on the religious observance of the
day of rest. In this concern he afterwards became a
principal, and amongst his townsmen he held rank as a
merchant of strict integrity. For nearly half a century

666 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
he occupied a public place among the people of Halifax.
Previous to the incorporation of the borough he was one of
the town's trustees, and was a leading member of a small
but earnest party of reformers. He was by no means so
absorbed in trade as to shut himself out from public
service, but engaged actively in works of usefulness ; so
that at one time it was more the exception than the
rule, for him to have an evening's leisure at home. He
was indefatigable in the Temperance cause, and as pre
sident of the British League, was eminently useful in
keeping in harmony that Association. He was the main
stay for many years of the Halifax British Schools, and
a valued supporter of the Bible Auxiliary and the Town
Mission. The Infirmary and Ragged Schools also had
his sympathy.
But after all, his most devoted services were given to
the Society of Friends. In Yorkshire his labours in the
meetings for discipline are remembered with lively
satisfaction. It was his religious concern to seize the
opportunities they afforded, for calling attention to the
grounds and utility of our various regulations and testi
monies for giving practical advice on the business and
responsibilities of life, on the exemplification of Christian
principle in Christian conduct. It is well remembered
how, at the close of a Quarterly Meeting at York, he
entered on a most touching and solemn appeal to Friends
on behalf of the suffering freedmen in the United States,
till the whole company were absorbed, baptized into the
feeling of Christian obligation, in a case so evidently
calling for obedience to the great commandment. His
long term of services as Clerk to his Monthly and Quarterly
Meeting, and for ten years (1852-61) to the London
Yearly Meeting, may be gratefully remembered. The
weight of the last engagement rested heavily on him, at a

JOSEPH THORP. 667
crisis when the revision of the book of " doctrine, practice,
and discipline" brought the general constitution of our
Society under close and searching review.
About the year 1848 he came forth as a Minister,
and was recorded as such by Brighouse Monthly Meet
ing in 1853. He visited many parts of this country
and Ireland ; and both in large congregations and in
private and family visits his labours were much blessed
There was a solemnity of manner and depth of feeling
which impressed the hearers, and his great theme was the
unsearchable riches of Christ He felt also the need of
pressing forward to secure a share in these blessings, and
thus wrote to his son when at school : " Diligence in
things spiritual is needed as in things intellectual. With
out it we cannot expect to reach eminence in either.
The growth of the spiritual life is not a merely passive
condition, but a race, a warfare, an exercise, a striving,
an overcoming, — thus gaining the crown of victory."
About the year 1866 Joseph Thorp experienced a
great decay of bodily strength, which issued in almost
entire withdrawal for some years from active labour,
during which season of prolonged physical trial he was
preserved in much humility and patience, enabled as from
his own experience. " Just as I am — without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come."
He was, however, raised up to unite with his friends
in their public meetings for worship and discipline, and
in 1872 attended the Yearly Meeting in Dublin ; but in
the summer of 1873 his strength again began rapidly
to fail, and on the 23rd of 9th month he died at

668 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Llandudno in his seventy-first year, and his remains were
interred at Halifax on the 26th of the same.
See Annual Monitor , 1875, also Testimonies concerning deceased
Ministers, 1874, and. Halifax Courier, September 1873.
Joseph Thorp married Hannah, daughter of Samuel
Fielden. They had issue, an only son, Fielden Thorp, B.A.,-
of York. He married, secondly, Hannah, daughter of
Richard and Ellen Cockin of Doncaster, and a lineal
descendant of Judge Fell and Margaret Fell, of Swarth-
more Hall.

WILLIAM TUKE.
Born 1732 — Died 1822 — Aged Ninety Years.
Sketch 6x4 in., and Portrait in Crayon, 12 x 9 in.
William Tuke was born at York 24th of 1st month,
1732. His great-grandfather, who bore the same name,
joined the Society of Friends soon after its rise, and was
imprisoned in the Ouse Bridge Prison, York, for his religious
opinions. While the sound of the rejoicings of the
people of England still rang through the land for the
restoration of Charles II., and the echo of the merry
peals which the Minster bells of York sent through the
ancient city had scarcely died away, a stranger passing
over the old Ouse Bridge might have looked through the
iron bars of the city prison under St. William's Chapel,
and seen men in fetters for no worse crime than that of
choosing to think and act in matters of religion according
to their own consciences, and what they believed to be
the will of God. The convert to the teaching of Fox,
Penn, and Barclay was thrown into this prison when

WILLIAM TUKE. 669
Bunyan was first incarcerated in the Bridge jail at
Bedford, and could have, doubtless, joined with him in the
strain : — " The prison very sweet to me
Hath been since I came here,
And so would also hanging be,
If God would there appear."
To the prisoners for conscience' sake in York prison, the
melodious sounds of the cathedral belfry must have
conveyed mixed sensations — some of pleasure as they were
associated with the scenes of boyhood and home, others
of pain as they recalled the theological questions on
which they could no longer unite with the Church of
their fathers. Loyal as well as God-fearing, they could
heartily join in the notes of the bell that rang Deo et
Regi sacrum, but as seceders from the Established Church
they would feel themselves out of tune with another
bell, which proclaimed Beatus est populus qui agnoscunt
clangorem. In refusing to acknowledge ecclesiastical
power, they anticipated the principle that Locke contended
for in his " Letter concerning Toleration " some thirty years
later, that " the magistrate has no power to enforce by law,
either in his own Church or (much less) in another, the
use of any rites or ceremonies whatsoever in the worship
of God. . . . To impose such things upon any people
contrary to their own judgment is in effect to command
them to offend God, which, considering that the end of all
religion is to please Him, and that liberty is essentially
necessary to that end, appears to be absurd beyond ex
pression." This brief reference to the ancestor of William Tuke
is not irrelevant, seeing that the honourable suffering for
conscience' sake, which doubtless to his descendants
invested with peculiar interest the dungeon under St.
William's Chapel, was, it is well known, not without its

670 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
influence on character which the recollection of ancestral
worth and fidelity to principle so naturally inspires.
The condition of the Society of Friends when 'William
Tuke arrived at man's estate, was very different from what
it was when his great-grandfather was a prisoner, or from
what it is at the present day. Samuel Tuke thus writes :
" At this period the discipline of our Society was at the
very lowest point. It had come in many places (and York
truly was not an exception) to be managed, not only by
a few, but also by dry, formal members, wholly unable
rightly to sympathize with the awakened, or with those
who err and are out of the way. William Tuke conceived
that the discipline was far from being conducted in the
spirit of its institution. He saw that laxity, partiality,
formality, and perhaps spiritual pride, had crept into its
proceedings. And he often believed it his duty to oppose
the course which the principal members of the meeting
were disposed to adopt. My grandfather's spirit was some
times stirred within him while he witnessed the perversion
of the righteous instrument for the education of the body in
love. The old men sometimes treated his expostulations
with contempt, telling the Clerk not to mind what he had
said. He spoke not, however, for human praise, but to
relieve his mind of a burden in the cause of .truth and
justice, and he was not dismayed. Patiently pursuing his
conscientious course, his strength of mind, and the
influence of his character could not fail to increase. ... It
cannot be doubted that the opposition which my grand
father thus met with in his religious course, as well as
the disappointments in his schemes of earthly enjoyment,
in the loss of his first wife Elizabeth Hoyland, of Sheffield,
had a very beneficial effect upon his character. They
formed a school in which he was rendered humble ahd
patient, yet enduring and persevering. He proved how

WILLIAM TUKE. 67 1
good it is for a young man to ' bear the yoke ' to be
inured to hardship."
William Tuke married for his second wife Esther
Maud, who was actively engaged with him in establishing
and supporting a school for girls, designed to afford a
superior education to that at Ackworth, but " in which an
equal degree of attention should be paid to simplicity in
all the arrangements, and in which utility should be the
primary consideration in the instruction to be given."
The experiment succeeded, and the present flourishing
school for girls at York is in fact its descendant.
William Tuke projected the York Retreat in 1792.
Even his wife doubted the wisdom of the bold step he
took. Some of his friends also opposed the scheme when
he brought his proposal before a meeting of members of
the Society of Friends in Yorkshire. Its necessity was
brought home to him by the suspicious treatment of a
female member, who was an inmate of an asylum at
York. The condition of the insane at that time was bad
in the extreme. Yet it seemed a serious undertaking to
found an Institution for them by so small a body as the
Friends. Considerable time necessarily elapsed before a
definite course could be decided upon. Land, however, was
ultimately purchased, a house built, and patients admitted.
William Tuke, who for some time resided on the premises,
had very little conception of what he was the means of
initiating — nothing less than the reformation of the modes
employed in the management of those who lose their
reason. The Medico-Legal Journal, published at New
York (December 1887), thus describes the movement: —
" Every one familiar with the history of the reformation
of the treatment of the insane in Britain, knows what it
was that made William Tuke's name to be held in honour
when he lived, and venerated after his death. He became

672 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
aware of the cruel treatment to which insane persons were
subjected ; he recoiled from the secrecy with which they
were concealed from their relations and friends when once
placed in an asylum ; he was altogether free from the
notion that they were bewitched or possessed, and must
therefore be regarded with wonder and horror ; his com
bined humanity and common sense seemed to lead him
directly to the possibility of caring for and treating them,
with the consideration and kindness employed in other
disorders. By little and little the accomplishment of
these hopes was fulfilled. Nothing but an inflexible
will, indomitable energy, and pluck could have brought
about the success of his labours and induced others to
co-operate with him. This is the work that has made him
deserving of the grateful remembrance of his countrymen;
and not of them only, but of many abroad, who received
their knowlege of a better system of managing the insane
from the example set by the Institution at York founded
by Tuke in 1792, and called 'The Retreat,' in order to
indicate its true character as a refuge for shattered and
scattered brains, from the distractions of life. . . . Our
space does not allow of a notice of those who co-operated
with him in establishing and conducting the Retreat."
Thirty years elapsed between the establishment of this
Institution and William Tuke's death. He enjoyed the
full possession of his mental faculties up to within a week
of his death in 1822; and although blind for several
years previously, continued to pursue his active and useful
life. He was seized while at dinner with a paralytic
attack, and for the few following days of his life was
more or less delirious. During conscious intervals, how
ever, he was able to coverse with those around him, but
he was ever a man of few words, and said little more
than that he wished to be quiet. He reposes in the same

HENRY TUKE. 673
ground where John Woolman, the friend of the slave, is
laid, and side by side with Lindley Murray, to whom he
was so intimately attached during life.
This account has been kindly contributed by his great-grandson,
Dr. Tuke.
NOTE. — Some who knew William Tuke's appearance
and strongly marked countenance have thought that the
oldest of the figures in West's picture of the " Four
Generations " bears a strong resemblance to him.

HENRY TUKE.
Born 1755 — Died 18 14 — Aged Fifty-nine Years.
Sketch 12x7 in-
HENRY TUKE was the son of William and Elizabeth
Tuke {nee Hoyland), and was born at York on the 24th
of the 1st month, 1755. He was of a lively, active
disposition, and though of an affectionate temper, quick
of resentment ; but early in life these opposing feelings
were controlled, and yielded to the gentle but powerful
influence of the Spirit of Christ. When about seven
years of age he was deprived of his mother ; but this loss
was remarkably supplied by the affectionate and
maternal care of his father's second wife. He possessed
an excellent understanding, and made rapid progress in
learning when at school. His inclinations were towards
qualifying himself for the medical profession, but his
father being desirous of having him in his own business,
Henry Tuke made no hesitation in complying; yet by
early rising and the use of spare time he both retained
and extended the classical learning he had acquired at
43

674 biographical catalogue.
school, and amid these business and literary pursuits his
religious life also developed. He spoke as a Minister of
the Gospel in his twenty- fifth year, and throughout his
life took an active part in the affairs of the Society, being
much valued both as a Minister and in connection with
the maintenance of the discipline. He was zealous for
good, and earnestly opposed to evil ; but when called
upon to act towards those who pursued a wrong course
of conduct, he was an example of moderation. He also
rendered special service, as an author of a number of
works of a theological character that have been translated
into many languages ; and he was an able coadjutor with
his father in various important philanthropic labours.
He married, at the age of twenty-six, Mary Maria Scott,
and had enjoyed a vigorous state of health until entering
his sixtieth year, when he became afflicted with bodily
infirmities that terminated his much-valued and useful
life, on the nth of 8th month, 1814.
For further particulars see " Piety Promoted," eleventh part.

SAMUEL TUKE.
Born 1784 — Died 1857 — Aged Seventy-three
Years.
Photograph 13 x 10 in., and Oil Painting of London
Yearly Meeting.
SAMUEL Tuke was the son of Henry and Mary Maria
Tuke {ne'e Scott), and was born in the city of York in the
year 1784. He showed from his earliest years an un
usual tendency to reflection and seriousness. Few have

SAMUEL TUKE.

675

been more favoured than he was in the possession of
parents, who in the management of their children com
bined qualities too often separated — judgment with the
most tender affection with fervent piety.
With his removal from school to business, at the early
age of thirteen, his education did not terminate. His
evenings were devoted to careful study ; and in his choice
of books and subjects he possessed the great advantage of
the advice and direction of Lindley Murray, while the
influence of his grandfather and father must have materi
ally aided in moulding his mind, and have led to that
early devotion of his time and talents to the service of his
fellow-creatures, which formed so conspicuous a feature of
his after-life.
There appears scarcely to have been a period when
Samuel Tuke was not influenced by lofty motives and
impelled by love to God and man to devote himself to
their service.
The following memoranda of " Resolutions to be
observed " were made at an early period of life : —
1. To read some portion, both of the Old and New
Testaments, daily.
2. To endeavour to obtain, and fix in my mind, a. just
estimate of things, and to regulate my pursuit of them
accordingly. 3. To continue my present pursuits and use more
diligence. 4. To endeavour rather to shun than conquer evil ; "and
since 'tis hard to combat learn to flee."
At the age of twenty-six he married Priscilla, daughter
of James Hack, of Chichester, whose decease in com
paratively early life was a source of poignant sorrow, and
left him with the care of a numerous family.
Such time as business engagements left at his disposal

676 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
was largely given to benevolent objects, and the York
Retreat soon especially interested him, which induced him
to write and publish a work * describing its origin and
progress ; this he dedicated to his grandfather, William
Tuke, as "the first active promoter" of this Institution. As
Samuel Tuke early manifested many of the spiritual as well
as the intellectual qualities which so remarkably character
ised his after life, it is not surprising to find recorded in his
journal the profound impression of duty which impelled him,
when quite a young man, to undertake this work. " It was
commenced," he wrote, " under a deep sense of the suffer
ings of the insane. Their afflictions have often been present
with me in my retirement before God, and my prayer has
been that for the cries of the poor and needy who have
no helper He would arise." The novel and humane treat
ment described and advocated in this book caused great
astonishment, and led the public to contrast it with that
pursued in other Institutions for the insane. The Edin
burgh Review and other journals drew attention to the
reform inaugurated at the Retreat. Abuses in certain
well-known asylums were brought to light, and a general
feeling of indignation was aroused. Parliament took the
matter in hand. A Select Committee was appointed, and
fearful revelations were made. After considerable delay
Acts of Parliament were passed which exerted a beneficial
influence upon asylums, and Samuel Tuke had the satis
faction of seeing a complete revolution in the modes of
dealing with the insane in Great Britain and Ireland. He
published other works on the subject, more especially in
reference to the construction and administration of asylums.
But while actively engaged in this philanthropic work,
and in assisting in the management of the Retreat, he
* " Description of the Retreat, an Institution near York," etc., 1813.
Darton, Harvey, & Co., London.

SAMUEL TUKE.

677

was greatly interested in other projects and engagements.
He proposed the " Friends' Provident Institution " in the
face of no small opposition from many good people, who
felt scruples against the principle upon which such in
stitutions are founded. He was an earnest worker in the
cause of Education, both in the Society of which he was
a member and in the nation generally, through the British
and Foreign School Society. He contributed a series
of papers on the subject to the meetings of the Friends'
Educational Society held at Ackworth, and also prepared
and read at York other papers on " Church History."
He was a supporter of the British and Foreign Bible
Society, and took an active part in promoting the objects
of the Anti- Slavery Society.
As a member of the religious Society of Friends, he
for a long series of years took a prominent share in guiding
its counsels, and for six years in succession acted as Clerk
to its Annual Assembly in London, when his Christian
dignity, strict , impartiality, and judicial power came into
strong relief during discussions on subjects then much
agitating the Society.
As a Minister he was greatly esteemed. His powerful
intellect, his rich mental and spiritual endowments, his
earnest and impressive delivery, made his ministry a word
of power. One who knew him well has borne witness to
" its originality, richness, and power, combined with great
accuracy of reasoning, and at times an almost fastidious
yet singularly happy selection of the very best possible
word or phrase to convey not the colour only, but the
exact shade of the idea which he wished to impart. As
he warmed with his subject his communications would
often rise to a high level of dignified eloquence."
Samuel Tuke's pen was not only engaged in the
subjects already referred to. He wrote a sketch of the

678 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
origin of the Society of Friends, edited several biographies
of the early Friends, and wrote a powerful reply to John
Wilkinson's attack on Quakerism at the time of the
" Beaconite Controversy." But although warmly attached
to the religious opinions of his own body, the catholicity
of his spirit towards all true Christians of whatever
denomination was frequently exemplified. Thus on
passing the house of the Rev. Charles Welbeloved, the
minister of a congregation regarded as heterodox, he
remarked, " I fully believe Charles Welbeloved will be
saved." Again, in alluding to other Christian bodies, he
writes in one of his works : " We are not to forget that
the Episcopal Churches of England, Ireland, and Scotland
boasted about that time some of the most illustrious
names in the gallery of Christian worthies, Usher and
Beveridge, and Leighton and Taylor, and Cudworth and
Tillotson, nor must we forget the not less excellent names
of Owen and Baxter. If we add to these the names of
Fox and Barclay, and Penn and Crisp, some would
probably be startled at the alliance ; but we trust all
these worthies have long since forgotten their earthly
discrepancies, and learned to tune their harps together to
the praise of their common Redeemer, hymning " Him
first, Him midst, and without end."
After a long and active life Samuel Tuke was struck
down with paralysis, a trial borne with much resignation,
and he died at York on the 14th of 10th month, 1857,
in the seventy-fourth year of his age. He was buried at
the Friends' burial ground adjoining the Retreat, and it is
observed in the notice of the event in the York Herald :
" As the funeral procession passed the gates of the
Retreat, all must have had vividly recalled to them the
associations which ever inseparably connect the name of
Samuel Tuke with the history of that Institution."

EDWARD WAKEFIELD. 679
" Was e'er such intellect, the glow
Of highest mind's Diviner ray,
So far subjected to the sway
That renders childlike, meek, and low ?
" How rich his speech ! Though insight rare
Into all bearings of the theme
Might sometimes make him complex seem,
Fealty to truth was ever there ! " William Ball.
Abridged and adapted from the Annual Monitor.

EDWARD WAKEFIELD.
Born 1750 — Died 1826 — Aged Seventy-six Years.
For Portrait see Photograph {Group} 11x8 in.
Edward Wakefield was the son of Edward Wakefield
and Isabella Gibbon, his wife. The father was a mercer in
Lad Lane (now Gresham Street), in the city of London,
and we suppose his residence and place of business was
not far from the celebrated inn, the Swan with Two
Necks, where a few years ago the coaches started for
Manchester and other towns in the north. He was
married at Tottenham Meeting-House to Priscilla Bell,
and is described as a merchant of Lad Lane (aforesaid)
in the registers. The Wakefield family were originally
from Kendal, in Westmoreland.
On his retirement from business he went to reside at
Ipswich, and there died on the 1 8th of the 8th month,
1826, aged about seventy-six years, and was buried in
Friends' burial ground.
One of his grandsons, Edward Gibbon Wakefield, be
came an authority on the subject of Colonial Emigration,

680 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
and was much concerned in the settlement of South
Australia on a systematic basis of emigration.

PRISCILLA WAKEFIELD.
Born 1750 — Died 1832 — Aged Eighty-two Years.
Lithograph 6x4 in. ; also Photograph {Group)
1 1 X 8 in.
Priscilla Wakefield was the eldest daughter of Daniel
and Catherine Bell, of Stamford Hill, near London, the
latter being a granddaughter of Robert Barclay, the
Apologist, and sister to the mother of Elizabeth Fry.
She was married to Edward Wakefield, merchant, of Lad
Lane (now Gresham Street), in the city of London, at
Tottenham Meeting-House, the 3rd of the ist month,
1 77 1, by whom she had two sons and one daughter.
She was the author of many justly popular works * for
children and young persons, and one of the earliest
promoters, if not the original suggester of those beneficial
establishments now so generally known under the name
of Savings Banks, and the one at Tottenham where she
resided (in what is now the Ship Inn yard) is said to
have been one of the earliest.
For several years she had been almost a helpless
invalid, as well as hopeless sufferer from bodily infirmities,
yet for a considerable time after she was reduced to this
condition her mental faculties remained unimpaired, and
the ardour of her benevolent sympathies unchilled, though
the exercise and influence of both afterwards became
clouded, and at length totally extinguished ; so that
* See list in Joseph Smith's " Catalogue."

GEORGE WASHINGTON WALKER. 68 1
many of the youthful readers of her various publications
were probably not aware of the protracted existence of
one to whom they were so much indebted.
Annual Monitor, 1833, etc.
Priscilla Wakefield's reputation as an authoress was
not confined to this country, as will be seen from the
following : —
" On the day of my arrival at Ipswich, in the year
1 8 19, I called at the house of Priscilla Wakefield, whose
very judicious publications in the higher walks of education
have rendered her name familiar wherever the English
language is rightly cultivated. She is a member of the
Society of Friends, and is now in advanced life, and in
very infirm health. Our conversation, though short, was
lively and agreeable, from the interest which she still
feels and expresses in the progress of useful knowledge
and virtuous principles."
Griscom's " Year in Europe," vol. ii., p. 190.
She died the 12th of the 9th month. 1832, aged
about eighty- two years, and was interred on the 20th of
the same month in Friends' burial ground at the New
Meeting-House, Ipswich.

GEORGE WASHINGTON WALKER.
Born 1800 — Died 1859 — Aged nearly Fifty-nine
Years.
Engraving 4x3 in.
George Washington Walker was born in London
in the 3rd month, 1800, of parents who professed the
doctrines of Unitarianism. Being deprived of a mother's

682 biographical catalogue.
care in early life, and his father much from home,
attending to the concerns of business, his early training
was adverse to the development of the Christian character.
It is an interesting circumstance, however, that whilst
at school he associated with a little band of his school
fellows who were desirous to help one another in their
Christian course.
Though apprenticed to a person making a profession of
religion, George W. Walker found himself- surrounded
by evil influences. On the sudden death of his master
he was released from his apprenticeship, and entered
into the employ of Hadwen and Margaret Bragg, of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne. From the consistent Christian
example of these valued Friends, and Friends travelling
in the ministry, he was led to examine and ultimately to
adopt the principles of our religious Society, and was
received into membership by Hull Monthly Meeting.
In the year 1831 our friend became the companion of
James Backhouse, who was at that time liberated to pay
a visit in Gospel love " to the inhabitants of the British
colonies in New Holland, Van Dieman's Land, South
Africa, and elsewhere."
In the vessel by which James Backhouse and George
W. Walker came to this colony there were a number of
military pensioners who excited their deep Christian
interest and attention ; they laboured much amongst them
and others on board, by holding religious meetings, reading
and expounding the Scriptures, etc.
Early on the voyage George W. Walker became
impressed with the belief that it was his duty to come
forward as a Minister of the Gospel.
The vessel having to call at Table Bay, James Back
house and George W. Walker attended some religious
meetings at Cape Town ; and being left at their liberty to

george Washington walker. 683
speak, if they thought it was required, of them to do so,
George W. Walker was strengthened, at one of the said
meetings, to give expression to what was impressed upon
his mind on the occasion, and he remarks, " In so doing
I found peace."
On arrival at Tasmania a society was formed in Hobart
Town in 1833, through the instrumentality of these dear
Friends ; and in the following year George W. Walker
was acknowledged a Minister, and was furnished with
a certificate by Van Dieman's Land Yearly Meeting, to
accompany James Backhouse in that capacity.
After visiting the whole of this colony, and each of the
Australian colonies, the Mauritius, and South Africa,
which extended over the lengthened period of nine years,
their religious engagement was brought to a conclusion at
Cape Town.
On separating from his beloved friend, George W.
Walker remarks : — " I have parted from my friends
in Cape Town, and more particularly from my beloved
companion and fellow-labourer in the Gospel, James
Backhouse, after an intimate association and fellowship
with him on religious grounds of more than nine years'
standing. It seems to myself like separating two branches
that had long been united at the base, and were centred
in the same stock and root ; for whatever may have been
our difference of sentiment or of disposition (and with
respect to the latter they were diverse), on religious
grounds we were ever preserved in unity and harmony
of Gospel labour, — an unspeakable mercy, which ought
to inspire us with devout thankfulness."
It would have been gratifying to George W. Walker
had way opened for him to accompany his friend back to
England, but he believed that his Divine Master required
him to return to the colony of Tasmania to strengthen the

684 biographical catalogue.
hands of the small company gathered there, where he was
favoured to arrive in the i ith month, 1840.
He attended their Annual Meeting at Hobart Town in
the beginning of the 12th month, and on the 15th of the
same month he was married there to his friend Sarah
Benson Mather.
In the early part of 1841 he accompanied his brother-
in-law, Joseph Benson Mather, in a religious visit to those
professing with Friends throughout the colony. He
subsequently settled in Hobart Town, and commenced
business i'n the linen-drapery and haberdashery trade.
His business soon became remunerative, but that
branch of the trade which is supported by vanity and
fashion became so great a burden to him, that he found
his peace of mind was concerned in being resigned to
withdraw from it.
Few religious institutions established during the last
twenty years were originated or conducted without his
active co-operation. Among these may be named the
Bible Society, the Total Abstinence Society, and the
Savings Bank.
George W. Walker's last illness was short. He died on
the ist of 2nd month, 1859, and was buried in Friends'
burial ground at Hobart Town.
For further particulars concerning him see his " Life
and Labours," and the Testimony of Hobart Town
Monthly Meeting, from which this sketch is extracted.

CHARLES HEATH WARNER. 685
CHARLES HEATH WARNER.
Born 1811 — Died 1879 — Aged Sixty-eight Years.
Photograph 10x7 in.
Charles Heath Warner, of Highbury Terrace, Isling
ton, the son of Henry Warner, of Bristol, a druggist, was
born there in 181 1. His mother was Hannah Blose
Heath, a daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Heath, of
Andover, in Hampshire. They were married the 26th
of 1 ith month, 1807, at Andover.
After completing his education, Charles Heath Warner
came to London, and entered into partnership with John
Barclay, a chemist and druggist in Fore Street, who
retired from the business, and now resides at Falmouth.
Charles Warner also opened a shop in Finsbury Square,
where he resided for some time, but which was given up
a few years ago. The firm is still carried on as " C. H .
Warner & Co." He was married to Mary Ann, daughter
of Thomas Shillitoe, druggist, of Tottenham, at Tottenham
Meeting-House, the 15th of 10th month, 1846. At that
time he was residing at 72, Herbert Street, New North
Road, Hoxton.
Charles H. Warner was fond of art, and had a large
collection of pictures by celebrated artists, chiefly of the
old school, which has been sold since his decease.
He was many years a member of Devonshire House
Monthly Meeting, and was very active and useful in the
discipline and general management of its affairs.
He died the 12th of 6th month, 1879, aged 68 years,
and his remains were interred in Friends' burial ground,
Tottenham.

686 biographical catalogue.
MARIA WEBB.
Born 1804 — Died 1873 — Aged Stcty-eight
Years.
Crystoleum Painted Photograph, 5x4 in.
Maria Webb, of Rathmines, Dublin, the daughter of
Thomas and Dorothy Lamb, was born at Peartree Hill,
near Lisburn, in the north of Ireland, in the year 1804.
The family consisted of herself and two elder brothers, to
whom she was much attached. Their parents were
religious-minded, consistent Friends, who earnestly desired
that their children might grow up in the fear of the
Lord. Maria Webb was gifted with mental endowments of no
small order, and her mind was a remarkably comprehen
sive one. Her power of looking at both sides of a ques
tion was very striking. This was not the result of school
education, for she was very much self-taught. During the
whole of her life, she regarded the culture of the intellect
and understanding as a duty, and her indomitable per
severance in whatever she undertook was extraordinary.
In 1828 she was married to William Webb, and
removed to Belfast, which was her home for many years.
These years glided happily and noiselessly away, while,
surrounded by the increasing cares of a young family, she
sedulously endeavoured to fulfil her duties as a wife, a
mother, and a mistress. She conducted the chief educa
tion of her children herself, and often had recourse to her
pen for their instruction and amusement. In order to
inculcate Peace principles and the right treatment of
Aborigines, she compiled a little work, afterwards pub
lished under the title " Geography Simplified." She took

MARIA WEBB. 687
a strong interest in domestic servants as a class ; and in
conjunction with some others at one time established a
Servants' Friend Society, to encourage and reward those
who remained a certain number of years in one place.
Indeed, at all periods of her life she entered with earnest
ness into the progress of everything that was right and
good around her. For years, as Secretary of the Belfast
Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society, she took the warmest
interest in the cause of freedom, and corresponded largely
with many of the leading Abolitionists in America. In the
year 1 847, when the dreadful famine desolated Ireland, she
was most unremitting in her labours for the Relief Com
mittee, and subsequently, with the aid of a few other ladies,
she founded a valuable Industrial School for girls. Her
various philanthropic engagements brought her much into
contact with Christians of various denominations, and she
greatly enjoyed meeting thus with members of the one
great family, united by love to their common Master.
In 1848 the family removed to Dublin, and in that
city and its neighbourhood her remaining years were
spent. From the year 1 860 Maria Webb was very much con
fined to the house with failing health. Laid aside from
more active pursuits, she had recourse to her pen ; and it
was when very much of an invalid that she collected the
materials, and compiled two popular works, " The Fells of
Swarthmore Hall and their Friends," and "The Penns
and Penningtons of the Seventeenth Century." The
research and labour which these works necessitated were
very arduous, but with untiring zeal she prosecuted her
design. Her correspondence with many persons during
the compilation of these books was of the most extensive
and interesting kind, and it is wonderful how she was able,
in her weak health, to effect so much ; but the attempt to.,

688 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
elucidate the principles of our religious Society lay very
near her heart. She so loved and reverenced the pioneers
of our faith, and cherished so warmly the principles they
lived and died for, that she wished to present their lives
in an attractive form to the young. Had health been
granted, she would have proceeded still further in this
work. Many valued Friends expressed their approbation
and sympathy with her labours ; and amongst those of
her correspondents whose opinion she highly prized we
may mention the name of the late William Tanner.
She earnestly desired that our Society should ever hold
the Gospel doctrines in their freeness and fulness, and that
all who profess the name of Jesus, while resting on the
one great sacrifice for sin, should seek to know that com
plete change of heart and life which is the work of the
Holy Spirit. There was no narrowness in her religion.
She loved to see the good in all, and to join with others
in every good word and work.
Years before she had published a small work on "The
Early History of the Irish Church," and a " History of
Ireland " is among her unpublished manuscripts, while,
perhaps, one of the latest subjects which claimed her
attention was the effort of the Ultramontane party in Ire
land to gain a power over education, which she regarded
as extremely destructive to the cause of true progress. In
the inscrutable wisdom of God a crushing trial was sent
her in her declining years. Her eldest and almost idolised
son, who was all that a mother could desire, met with his
death while out on Lough Neagh in a canoe. He had
left home in health and spirits, without a trace of the
shadow which was soon to fall. Who can depict the
anguish of that trial ? A noble life full of promise for the
future thus cut off in its bud ! But in the darkness of
that hour we must believe that He who drank to its dregs

JOHN WEST. 689
the cup of anguish did not fail to support his afflicted
servant. For some months before her death she had been more
exempt from pain, and had been able to enjoy the com
pany of her friends, and especially of her little grand
children. Without much previous illness, she passed
quietly away on the 8th of ist month, 1873, aged 68
years. Her life had been one of faith and love, and her
death was one of peace.
" The dear Lord's best interpreters
Are humble human souls.
The Gospel of a life like hers
Is more than creeds or scrolls.
" From scheme and Creed the light dies out ;
The saintly fact survives.
The blessed Master who can doubt,
Revealed in holy lives ? ' '

Whittier.

Abridged from the Annual Monitor of 1874.

JOHN WEST.
For Portrait see the Engraving of " Mr. West and Family!'
JOHN West, the father of Benjamin, the painter, immi
grated some time after his brothers, Thomas and William.
He was not a Friend, as has been represented by Gait and
others, during the residence of his gifted son in America,
and when he became a member of that Society it was
near the close of his life. As stated by Mr. Gait, he
probably arrived in this country about the year 17 14,
and that not long afterwards he married Sarah, the
daughter of Thomas Pearson, but this marriage was not
accomplished according to the good order of the Society
44

6gO BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
of Friends. John West probably followed the seas as an
occupation for some years. In 1722 he was a resident of
Upper Providence, and owner of a small tract of land in
that township. In 1735 he resided in Chester, probably
in the borough. A year or two later we find John West
as taxable in Springfield township, and then it is to be
presumed he occupied the farm and dwelling at which his
son Benjamin was born ; but he did not own this pro
perty, and it has not been ascertained that he ever owned
land in Chester county, except the small tract in Upper
Providence, which he first occupied. In a few years after
the birth of his son Benjamin he removed to Newtown
township and engaged in keeping a tavern at Newtown
Square, in which township he resided many years, though
it is not known how long he continued in the same busi
ness. Notwithstanding all that has been said by Gait in his
Life of Benjamin West, in respect to the strict Quakerism
of the parents of the great painter, the records of the
Society have been searched in vain for any evidence to
connect his father with the Society of Friends till the year
1759. In that year " John West, with the approbation of
Newtown Meeting," made application to come under the
care of Goshen Monthly Meeting of Friends. The usual
committee was appointed to make inquiry in respect to
the applicant, who report to the next meeting, " that they
understand he is at present indisposed in body." This
was in the 2nd month, and it was not till the 9th
month that he was admitted into membership with
Friends. On the nth of the 10th month, 1763, he
obtained a certificate of removal to Philadelphia Monthly
Meeting, which he did not produce to that Meeting,
but "resided chiefly in Maryland or the lower country"
till 8th month, 10th, 1764, when "he had lately

BENJAMIN WEST, P.R.A. 69 1
embarked for London." The Philadelphia certificate was
at this time returned to Goshen Meeting, and another
requested for him to London by his son William, which
was prepared by the Meeting, and forwarded accordingly.
It is not known that he ever returned to America.
His wife Sarah was born on the 8th of the 2nd month,
1697, in Marple township, and in membership with
Friends, which membership she probably retained during
her life.
Taken from " Smith's History of Delaware County," 1862.

BENJAMIN WEST, RRA.
Born 1738 — Died 1820 — Aged Eighty-one Years.
Line Engraving 17 x 13 in.
BENJAMIN WEST, the celebrated historical painter, son of
John and Sarah West {ne'e Pearson), and the youngest of
their ten children, was born at Springfield, Chester, now
Delaware County, United States, America, on the 28th of
September, 1738. The name of the place has its interest,
having been given it by Thomas Pearson, grandfather to
Sarah Pearson, who was the friend and coadjutor of
William Penn, and he called it Chester, from his native
city, and Springfield in consequence of a copious spring
of water appearing in the first field he had cleared for
cultivation. The Wests were of a distinguished ancestry,
and the great-grandfather of the painter had been a
near neighbour and friend of the celebrated Hampden.
Subsequently he joined Friends, and emigrated with some
of the earliest settlers to Pennsylvania.
Benjamin West, when but a lad, earned a reputation for
his skill in drawing among his friends and neighbours,

692 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
and one of his first attempts was the sketch of an infant
niece, whom, as a boy, he had been set to watch in its
cradle. The little creature smiied in its sleep, and its
guardian uncle, then a lad of seven years old, seized as
by an irresistible impulse, succeeded with his pen and ink
in producing a likeness of the sleeping babe, that, although
rapid and slight, so charmed and astonished his mother and
sister, that they determined to use their influence, lest the
natural bent of his genius should be frustrated by any
scruples there might be (as Friends) to the pursuit of
art as a study, for their little Benjamin — the future
President of the British Royal Academy — showed little
promise of ever making a scholar. His enthusiasm for
art increased, but so few were his early opportunities for
acquiring a knowledge of its practice, that his first lessons
in colours came from some Indians delighted at his
power of drawing, and his earliest brushes are said to
have left the family cat's tail in a forlorn condition from
the tufts of fur the lad had pulled off to serve this
purpose. His first box of paints and his first commission
were from a cousin — one of the Penningtons, who greatly
admired the lad's genius; and Benjamin West, who kept
throughout his long life some of the work he then
executed, used to show them as exhibiting how early
his powers both of drawing and invention had begun
to exhibit their presence.* He now met with a con-
* It is said that John West (the father) felt his son's following
an artist's profession would involve so much question as to whether
it were consistent with the principles of the Society, that he
requested the counsel of his Friends before consenting to it ; and
it is further related that when the weighty Friends had thus met, it
was John Williamson, a Minister much respected, who gave his
judgment much as follows : — He referred to the blameless re
putation of the parents, and how their children had been brought
up religiously by them. In this, their youngest, was a manifest
inspiration for art, and though as a Society its utility might be

BENJAMIN WEST, P.R.A. 693
trnuous succession of generous patrons anxious to promote
both his education and his fame. He painted many
portraits for them and of them, and with his own
earnings, augmented through their generosity, travelled
to Italy, and spent some years as an art student in
Rome and other of its principal cities. Eventually after
some years of this study he came to England, intending
only a visit before returning to America. But he so
quickly attracted notice, and made friendships with
influential patrons, that he set up his easel in London,
with that success which quickly made him one of the
leading artists of the day. He was assured that the bent
of his genius lay in the treatment of historical subjects ;
but whilst diligent to follow this department of art, he
was shrewd enough to perceive that it was in portraiture
lay the surest source of a maintenance, and thus it was
only gradually that his studio became devoted to can
vases of historic scenes and characters. His personal
manners, though somewhat cold, were winning, and his
friendships firm and lasting. He was on pleasant terms
with his brother artists, and between himself and Sir
Joshua Reynolds a strong mutual attachment existed,
and he was intimate with the literary circle of which
Dr. Johnson was the leading spirit. Even the general
public had their attention drawn to this American
phenomenon in a manner which unexpectedly reflected on
his fame as a painter, for amid the groups of experienced
skaters, his performance of the so-called " Washington
questioned, it was so evidently in this case a Divine gift as to
render it sure there must have been some wise purpose in its bestowal,
"so let us not " (he said), ' ' in our ignorance, attempt to cross Divine
counsels, but see in this evident propensity of the young man
a pointing of the Divine finger towards some high and beneficent
end." Thus was the lad's future as an artist settled, and the worthy
Friends besought the Lord "to verify in his life the value of a gift
which, despite their prepossessions, they had acknowledged."

694 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Salute " commanded universal applause from the crowds
that would assemble to see the American Quaker painter
cut his glacial evolutions.
Firmly established at the West End of London as
one of its leading artists, West now claimed the hand
of the young lady he had left in Philadelphia, whose
troth was pledged to follow him wherever he might
settle so soon as he could say that his work at the easel
was earning him sufficient to warrant a matrimonial
establishment; and that she kept her word amid great
difficulties and the opposition of a near relative, is seen
by a narrative appended to this account.
Benjamin West's historical pictures now began to
attract attention. He was so fortunate as to please the
Archbishop of York with a picture painted for him of
Agrippina with the ashes of Germanicus, and through
his praises the young king expressed a wish himself to
become acquainted with an artist of so much merit.
From this time commenced an intercourse which might
almost be termed friendship between the King and his
American subject, who in his old age could say that
forty years of this experience had served but to confirm
to him the truth of what had been represented when first
summoned to the royal presence, " that the King was a
young man of great simplicity and candour, sedate in
his affections, scrupulous in forming private friendships,
good from principle, and pure from a sense of the beauty
of virtue."West appears to have taken his painter's materials to
the palace, and the King would spend much time in
watching the progress of working out subjects he had
himself suggested in conversation with the artist. These,
in the earlier years of their acquaintance, were chiefly
scenes from classic or British history, but gradually

BENJAMIN WEST, P.R.A. 695
Scripture incidents came to be preferred, and a large
number of paintings of this character resulted, which
however formed but a portion of a complete pictorial
representation of the history of Revelation, planned
between the monarch and his artist.
The King always looked upon Benjamin West as a
Quaker, and would say that his adhesion to their principles
was a recommendation. This was seen once when in
conference with some bishops as to whether paintings
of Scripture subjects were suitable for Protestant churches,
on which Bishop Hurd remarked that of the numerous
sketches submitted thirty-five were such that even a
Quaker might contemplate with edification. The King,
somewhat nettled, replied, " The Quakers are a body
of Christians for whom I have a high respect. I love
their peaceful tenets and their benevolence one to
another, and but for the obligations of birth I would
be a Quaker."
One result of this royal friendship with West has
had an important bearing on the history of British art,
for through his counsels was the King led to put an end
to some disputes and differences that were prevalent
among the artists in respect to forming an association, by
the establishment of one under Royal Charter, that is now
so well known as the Royal Academy of Arts, to which Sir
Joshua Reynolds was elected as first president, and on his
death Benjamin West became the second of the eminent
painters elected to that office. One of Benjamin West's
chief successes in art lay in the introduction of a natural
and truthful mode of representing aby historical scene,
which was a great change from that classic treatment
which had hitherto been thought a necessary accompani
ment to the dignity of the subject. Thus when com
missioned to paint the death of Wolff at the taking of

696 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Quebec, he resolved, despite the warnings of his patrOns,
to paint the British hero in his regimentals, instead of
drapery borrowed from the antique, and with a result that
when seen in the finished picture commanded great
admiration, and Sir Joshua Reynolds, who had been one
of the chief alarmists, exclaimed, " West has conquered ! "
And to this emphatic and successful protest is due the
realistic treatment of historic scenes that has since pre
vailed in the English school of art. His figure of the
Indian in this picture of Wolff's death has always been
admired for its dignified pourtrayal of the "noble savage"
watching how a Christian hero could die. The King was
especially pleased with this picture, and as the original
had been painted on commission, requested a copy to
be made for himself, which is to be seen among the royal
pictures at Hampton Court.
Still more successful were some of the artist's repre
sentations of Scripture subjects, and competent critics
have pronounced his " Death on the Pale Horse " as a
work of extraordinary power. His " Christ Healing the
Sick " was more popular, and secured for him the then
enormous price of three thousand guineas, and the artist
generously made a copy of it for an institution in
Philadelphia, which obtained so much money by its
exhibition there, as to enable a new ward to be erected
out of the proceeds.
Benjamin West's genius whilst a salaried Court painter,
at a thousand a year, essayed a series of Scripture sub
jects illustrative of the four Dispensations — Antediluvian,
Patriarchal, Mosaic, and Prophetic, and thirty-six
subjects were sketched as compositions, of which more
than two-thirds were by his laborious industry worked out
on huge canvases with figures of life-size, but as a series
they failed to support the reputation acquired by some of

BENJAMIN WEST, P.R.A. 697
his special works, and with the King's illness his allow
ance as Historical Painter to His Majesty was dis
continued. Few of Benjamin West's works have become more
familiar than his " William Penn's Treaty with the
Indians," owing to the excellent engraving of it. It has
a charm that resents criticism as to details, and shows its
author to have been not only a consummate master
of grouping, but one to whom the divers characters thus
depicted in council were familiar, whether as to the dusky
warriors of the forest, or the stately Friends retaining in
their dress and manner the ways and appearance of the
original settlers on the banks of the Delaware.
On the decease of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Benjamin
West was appointed his successor as President of the
Royal Academy, and had the offer of knighthood made
to him, which distinction he respectfully declined, but in
terms that have made his critics assume no such refusal
would have attended the offer of a higher title.
He never identified himself with the Society of Friends
in England, yet always passed for a "Quaker" among
the higher circles in which he moved, which his natural
reticence and stately composure of manners supported.
He was particular in observing their scruples as to any
complimentary movement of the hat, and is known to
have expressed his decided adhesion throughout life
to their principles.
When placed at the head of his profession he was kind
to rising merit, and his addresses from the presidential
chair had a fatherly tone and practical bearing which
rendered them much valued by the students.
His early fame and great successes were in later life
chequered by some severe mortifications, but he bore
himself throughout with resignation and composure when

698 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
old age came on. Domestic sorrow mingled with pro
fessional disappointment. Elizabeth Shewell — for more
than fifty years his kind and tender companion — died in
1 8 17. They had lived together to see their children's
children around them, and now the aged widower began
to show unmistakable signs of general but slow decay,
until, without any fixed complaint, and with mental
faculties unimpaired, and cheerfulness uneclipsed, serene
and benevolent to the last, he expired on March nth,
1820, in the eighty-second year of his age. "Born"
(remarks James Boorne) "in Pennsylvania almost in a
Meeting-House, he is buried in England and in a cathedral.
Born in circumstances of the extremest privacy and
insignificance, he is honoured with a public funeral,
accompanied with all the pomp and circumstance the
greatest country in the world could supply. The pall is
equally borne by England's nobles, foreign ambassadors,
and Royal Academicians. His sons and grandsons are
amongst the chief mourners. More than sixty carriages,
containing the great and noble of this world, closed the
splendid procession ; and the mortal remains of Benjamin
West lie by those of Wren and Opie, and Barry and
Reynolds, in St. Paul's."
He has been described by Allan Cunningham "as
of a nature cold and unimpassioned ; his religion taught
him peace, his situation whispered prudence. . . . His
words were few, his manner easy ; his Quaker-like sobriety
seemed little elevated by intercourse with nobles and
waiting-gentlemen. ... Of his importance at Court,
however, he was willing enough to speak, though in a
mild and meek way." . . .
As to his personal appearance, he is described " as above
the middle size, of a fair complexion, and firmly and com
pactly built. His serene brow betokened command of

BENJAMIN WEST, P.R.A. 699
temper, whilst his eyes, sparkling and vivacious, promised
lively remarks and pointed sayings, in which he by no
means abounded. . . . His kindness to young artists was
great ; his liberality seriously impaired his income ; he
never seemejd weary of giving advice ; intrusion never
disturbed his temper ; nor could the tediousness of the
dull ever render him either impatient or peevish. What
ever he knew in art he readily imparted, and although
possessed with an amiable vanity, was always happy to
think art was advancing, and no mean jealousy of other
men's good fortune ever invaded his repose."
He painted and sketched in oil upwards of four hundred
pictures, mostly of an historical and religious nature, com
posed with " the serious ambition and hope of illustrating
Scripture, and rendering Gospel truth more impressive." . . .
Most of his works are, however, regarded by this author as
" cold, formal, bloodless, and passionless ; . . . may remind
the spectator of the sublime vision of the valley of dry
bones, when the flesh and skin had come upon the
skeletons, and before the breath of God had informed
them with life and feeling." Yet he admits that, apart
from this general impression, " many are distinguished by
great excellence ; " . . . and " there is a natural grace
in the looks of some of his women which few painters
have ever excelled."
The following is an interesting account of Benjamin
West's marriage, extracted from a letter written in 1858,
by Joseph K. Swift, M.D., of Easton, Pennsylvania, to
Horatio G. Jones, Esq., Corresponding Secretary of the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania : —
" Miss Elizabeth Shewell became acquainted with
Benjamin West, afterwards the celebrated artist, and they
fell in love with each other. West at that time, although
descended from a good family, was poor and little known

700 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Stephen Shewell wished his sister to marry another
suitor, which she refused to do, in consequence of her
attachment to West. The brother objected to West on
account of his poverty and obscurity, and he was forbidden
to come to the house. Miss Shewell, however, continued
to see him elsewhere, and they became engaged to be
married. West then determined to go to Europe and
prosecute his studies and profession there, and Miss
Shewell promised him that when he notified to her of his
ability to maintain her, and of his wish for her to come
to him, she would proceed to join him in any part of
Europe and marry him. Her brother was informed
of her meetings, with West, and of the engagements
she had entered into with him ; so to prevent any further-
intercourse between them he confined her to her chamber,
and kept her under lock and key until after West's de
parture for Europe.
" West pursued his studies and profession for some
time in various places on the continent, and finally settled
at London, where he soon met with sufficient patronage to
justify him in calling on Miss Shewell to fulfil her promise,
He then made arrangements for her to come to him in
the same vessel that conveyed his request to her, and also
that his father should accompany her on the voyage.
Upon the receipt of his message, Miss Shewell prepared
for her departure, but her brother was appraised of her
intention, and again confined her to her chamber. Her
engagement to West was well known in Philadelphia, and
her brother's tyrannical treatment of her excited great in
dignation against him and strong sympathy for his sister.
In this state of things, the late Bishop White, who was
my guest on his last patriarchal visit to Easton, told us
that he (then about eighteen years of age) and Dr. Franklin
(about fifty-nine years of age) and Francis Hopkinson

BENJAMIN WEST, P.R.A. 701
(twenty-nine years of age), when the vessel was ready
to sail, procured a rope ladder, went to the captain, and
engaged him to set sail as soon as they brought a lady on
board ; took old Mr. West to the ship, and went at midnight
to Stephen Shewell's house, attached the ladder to a window
in Miss Shewell's chamber, and got her safely out and to
the vessel, which sailed a few minutes after she entered it.
"I observed to the Bishop that few persons who knew
him now would believe that he had once been knight-errant,
and liberated an imprisoned damsel from confinement.
He replied that Miss Shewell's case was a hard one, and
all her friends were indignant at the treatment she
had received ; that he had done right, and he added,
with warmth, if it were needed, he would do it again,
for it was evident that God had intended they should
come together, and man had no right to keep them
asunder. "Mr. West was in waiting for Miss Shewell when she
arrived in England, and they were soon married, September
2nd, 1765. Neither of them ever returned to this
country. Stephen Shewell never forgave his sister ; and
although she made many efforts to conciliate him, he
refused all communication with her."
Taken from Smith's " History of Delaware County,'' 1862.
West's Auto-Miniature. — In the Catalogue of the
Sixth Exhibition of the Academy of Fine Arts, 18 17, is
the following : " Miniature of Mr. West, painted by him-
selfe, in the 18th year of his age."
This picture, the property of C  , Esq., of Phila
delphia, was shown to Mr. West in January 1 8 1 6. The
dialogue between himself and his visitors on the occasion
is characteristic of the painter, and of sufficient interest to
deserve insertion.
" Mr. C. opened the object of our visit by saying that

702 biographical catalogue.
some years ago he had waited on Mr. W. with the picture
of a great man,* an American, and had now the pleasure
of showing him the picture of another great man, also an
American, at the same time presenting the miniature.
He looked at it earnestly. ' This is a curiosity. Where
did this picture come from, sir ? ' I replied from
Philadelphia. " This is, indeed, a very great curiosity !
This, sir, was done for me, and by me. Who does it
belong to ? ' I said, ' To myself ; you gave it, sir, to a
Miss Steele, who married a Mr. W., and was the mother
of my wife.'
" ' Yes, sir, and well I remember it ; 'tis now sixty years
ago ; and there is something more about it that, maybe,
you don't know. We were very much in love with one
another, sir, and the old lady, her mother, whose memory
I honour, didn't like my intended profession, and she knew,
too, there was such a place as Swedes Church, where
people sometimes got married. There again,' looking
earnestly at the picture, ' this I did., and gave her previous
to my going to New York, whither I was sent for to paint
some portraits. Now this is not a bad picture for one
who had never seen a miniature ! '
" He continued some time musing on the picture,
frequently exclaiming, 'This is, indeed, a very great
curiosity ! ' Altering its position to different shades of
light, at length, ' Walk with me into my picture gallery,'
said he, ' I will send for my son and daughter ; I should
like to show them this picture, it will gratify them.' We
followed him. He still kept his eyes fixed on the miniature.
Mr. C, adverting to it, observed there was no collar to the
coat, and said something about the dress of a Quaker.
' Sir,' said Mr. W., ' I was once a Quaker, and have never
left their principles. * George Washington.

BENJAMIN WEST, P.R.A.

703

" ' I was once present by the King's desire when seven
bishops waited on him. The Quakers were mentioned,
The King said, " I was bom to fill the station and head both
of Church and State. I remain in the line of my duty.
But had I been left to my own free choice, I should have
been a Quaker myself. ' "
" We returned to the parlour, where Mr. W.'s son and
daughter and a lad about thirteen, as we supposed, his
grandson. He showed them the miniature, and recounted
its history. His son, after listening to him and looking at
it closely, exclaimed, ' Is this picture to go back, sir ? '
' It is the property of this gentleman,' said Mr. W. He
remarked that he could see the likeness of the lad in it,
and continued at intervals, while we stayed with him, to
look at it with undiminished attention.
"Speaking of Mr. Leslie, he said : ' That young man will
be a great painter : he astonishes us all at the Academy.
How is it that there is more intellect in Americans than
there is in our people ? I perceive it in most of those
who come to me."
" He gave us a history of his ' Christ Healing the Sick.'
He said he had painted a better picture than that for the
Pennsylvania Hospital ; that he had given instructions for
a room to be built there for its exhibition ; that one
person had offered him £7,000, for it, and the profits of
the first year's exhibition ; another had offered £10,000
for it ; that if the managers could build such a room, he
could present them with two other pictures. ' I do not
say what those pictures shall be ; but, sir, I authorise you
on this condition to promise them two more pictures.'
" He pressed us to visit his painting of ' Christ Rejected,'
and having presented me with a ticket for myself and
friends, returned the miniature, particularly requesting

704 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
that I would have engraved on the back of it that it was
painted in 1756, by himself."
C, Esq., spoken of in this extract, was either John
Cook or William Wallace Cook, his son. They both
died about 1845-6, the son surviving the father but a
few months. Their effects were, within a year, sold at
auction by M. Thomas & Son. I have seen the ad
vertisement, which mentions a miniature of West by him
self among the articles to be sold. Who purchased that
interesting picture ? Where is it now ?
Thompson Westcott.
Taken from The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Bio
graphy, vol. vi., p. 495, 1882.
"It is said to have been the King who first suggested
to Mr. West the professional study of the Scripture history,
in which that venerable artist has since so eminently
excelled, and that he desired him to bring his drawings to
the Palace for his inspection. Mr. West did so ; and came
at a time when the Sovereign had with him some dignified
clergymen of the higher order. The company were all
gratified with the sketches, and particularly their accord
ance with the sacred text, affording proof of the painter's
acquaintance with the Scriptures. " And do you know
how that was ?" said His Majesty to the prelate who made
the remark, " Not exactly, your Majesty." " Why, my
lord, " I'll tell you. Mr. West's parents were Quakers, and
they teach their children to read the Bible very young. I
wish that was more the case with us, my lord."
Anecdotes of George III. in The Investigator, vol. i., p. 189,
1820. From "My Library" in the Friends' Quarterly
Examiner, vol. xii., is this portrait sketch of Benjamin
West by James Boorne : —

BENJAMIN WEST, P.R.A. 705
" In person he was tall and handsome ; in life
innocent and exemplary, exceptionally so, considering
the profession he followed, the society into which he was
thrown, the temptations which surrounded him, and the
day in which he lived. Studious and laborious in the
extreme, he was also talented and clever, and vain of it
too; he was amiable and ambitious. If we feel any
hesitation in being proud of him as a Friend, a character
which more or less clung to him to the last, we should
find a greater difficulty during his long career to point to
any word or act of his of which we need be ashamed.
For sixty years he was before the public ; he rose from
utter insignificance to the highest pinnacle in his pro
fession ; he lived without blemish, pure, honest, and truthful,
whether in the cottage of his childhood or the Court —
under the immediate patronage of the King — where his
best years were spent.
"As an artist, I feel more reserve in speaking of him.
But there is one most legitimate argument, and I think
conclusive proof, patent to all, that West possessed most
extraordinary powers ; that the man's real talent was not
less than his prodigious industry, and it is this : that a
man with antecedents such as his, so eminently unfavour
able to art, and even in a social point of view so antago
nistic to his success in English society, where he was at
first regarded as a foreigner or half-cultivated savage,
should have gained a reputation so high, and obtained an
eminence so exalted, that he is appointed Historical
Painter to the King of England ere he has reached his
thirty-fifth year. . . . There is evidence West was a man
of commanding talent ; I do not use the word genius, for
I know of no other to describe that in which I cannot but
think he was lacking. His pictures are seldom to be met
with in Continental galleries, not frequently to be seen
45

706 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
in British. No one cares for them much more, at all
events, than for a good engraving. When they command
admiration they call forth no rapture. They excite no
enthusiasm, and possess but little feeling. ... Sir Thomas
Lawrence, his successor in the presidential chair, said that
' West had produced compositions profoundly studied, and
executed with the most facile power ; which were superior
to any former productions of English art, and far surpass
ing contemporary merit on the Continent.' Another more
critical has said, ' He was original, careful not to imitate the
older masters ; and succeeding painters have as religiously
avoided imitating him."
Several portraits exist of the artist, the chief, a full
length by Sir Thomas Lawrence, and given by William IV.
to the National Gallery. Gilbert Newton (also an
American and a pupil of West's), who became eminent
as an artist and as the portrait painter of four European
kings and six American presidents, has left several of his
old master. Newton and Harlow have also left portraits
of him, and there are some by himself. All of these have
been engraved.

WILLIAM COLSON WESTLAKE.
Born 1822 — Died 1887 — Aged Nearly Sixty-six
Years.
Portrait in Crayon 11x8 in.
William Colson Westlake, second son of the late
William Colson Westlake, and Mary, his wife, whose
maiden name was Thompson, of Compton, Dorsetshire,
granddaughter of Jonah Thompson, was born at South-

WILLIAM COLSON WESTLAKE. 707
ampton on the 8th of 2nd month, 1822. He came of a
family which for generations past had been members of the
Quaker community, and his ancestry included those who in
the seventeenth century suffered for conscience' sake, being
imprisoned for staunch adherence to their religious con
victions, and for attending their meetings for worship.
He early showed a quick intelligence and a singularly
amiable disposition, with that kindness and consideration
for others which marked his later years. His school life
commenced at the age of seven years, and was chiefly
spent at Hitchin under the care of Isaac Brown. Both
his parents having died before he was fifteen, W. C.
Westlake was early called upon with his elder brother
(with whom he was associated in partnership for fifty
years in close brotherly intimacy), and with his uncle, the
late Edward Thompson, to take the management of
his father's extensive business of a corn merchant, and
also to fill a leading position in the family of eight
brothers and sisters thus early left orphans. He had
a great fondness for harmless recreations, and excelled at
cricket, skating, boating, etc. These pursuits he warmly
encouraged in after life, convinced that the physical must
be developed in combination with the mental and spiritual,
and that " mens sana in corpore sano " is a sound
maxim. He possessed great mechanical skill, which
showed itself in amateur carpentering, improvising sleighs
for the ice, rigging boats, fitting up yachts' cabins, making
ingenious contrivances for sleeping berths, cookery, etc.,
adapted for short yachting cruises in the Solent and
outside the Isle of Wight, in which he took great delight.
This faculty afterwards developed into designing and
adapting buildings for Workmen's Halls, Cocoa Rooms,
Young Men's Christian Association Rooms, Friends' Meet-
ing-Houses, etc.

708 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
As he rose to manhood W. C. Westlake became more
directly interested in the welfare of his fellow-men,
joining relief committees and other institutions, gradually
taking upon himself the larger responsibilities of life, into
which he entered with relish, and under a strong sense of
duty. Possessed of a strong though sensitive nature,
determined will, and sound judgment, he expressed his
views firmly, often through much opposition, differing
at times from those he most admired and loved ; but
they who watched him closely always gave him credit
for following what he believed to be right and for the best.
His attachment to his native town was strong, and there
are few of its institutions, commercial or philanthropic,
that do not bear marks of his useful labours. The Young
Men's Christian Association had his warm support, and
mainly to his exertions is due the new and substantial
building it now occupies. " Workmen's Halls " also had
during one part of his life much successful attention.
For many years the Temperance cause had his warm
support, and he entered heartily into the " Blue Ribbon "
movement. His hospitality was shown in an interesting manner in
the garden parties he gave at his residence in Grosvenor
Square to the policemen and postmen with their wives
and families, when, after an afternoon spent in recreative
sports, all would gather to a repast, succeeded by an
occasion for addresses, from ministers and others, of good
counsel and kindly words.
In 1856 W. C. Westlake married Elizabeth, eldest
daughter of Millis Coventry, of Wandsworth. The ten
derness of his nature was pre-eminently displayed in the
family circle, so that wife, children, brothers, and sisters
were all cherished with a special individuality of affection,
and helped accordingly.

WILLIAM COLSON WESTLAKE. 709
Trained in the independence and individuality of the
Society of Friends, he early became convinced of their
principles, and remained a consistent Friend throughout
his life, holding to their distinctive views, whilst showing
charity and liberality to others. His name will always be
remembered in association with the Friends' Quarterly
Examiner, which he so successfully edited for twenty-one
years. William Colson Westlake, though so widely known
throughout the whole Society, and a recorded Minister for
eighteen years, was not often engaged in religious service
beyond his own district, except when visiting or attending
conferences, such as Ackworth, where he was often present.
His ministry was sound and practical,' and as he approached
the eternal world it became more deeply spiritual, whilst
his prayers were those of one " whose eyes had seen the
King." His bodily and mental vigour were at their height when
a malady that defied all surgical skill brought his life to
a close. There was a calm confidence in the " one foun
dation," that sustained him all through, and was a great
consolation amid the widespread sorrow his decease
awakened. He died at his residence, Grosvenor House, South
ampton, on the 2 1st of 1 ith month, 1887.
The funeral was a large and solemn one. In addition
to the family circle, many residents followed in their
private carriages, whilst at the ground were assembled a
great number of townspeople, rich and poor, including the
Mayor, with several members of the Corporation, magis
trates, and leading inhabitants, several clergymen and
ministers, police in plain clothes, representatives of various
societies (though at his own wish the funeral was a strictly
private one), all uniting in a common desire to pay their

710 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
last tribute of respect to a loyal, devoted Christian citizen
and Friend.
Abridged and adapted from an Obituary Notice in the Friends',
Quarterly Examiner (ii

DANIEL WHEELER.
Born 1771 — Died 1840 — Aged Sixty-eight Years.
For Portrait see Oil Painting of London Yearly Meeting ;
also Carte de Visite.
This remarkable Friend, soldier, sailor, tradesman, agri
culturalist, minister, and missionary, joined the Society in
early life by convincement. He was left an orphan by
the decease of both his parents, in Conduit Street, Hanover
Square, London, where he was born on the 27th of the
nth month, 1771. His guardians educated him for a
seafaring life, but after serving six years in the Navy he
entered the ranks of the Army as a private soldier, and in
the course of these services by sea and land experienced
from various causes several narrow escapes of his life,
which so religiously affected his mind as to lead him to
desire a changed occupation. This brought him into
association with some near relatives who had joined the
Society of Friends, a step which he soon afterwards took
for himself, much to the ridicule and astonishment of his
former acquaintance. He now commenced business as a
tradesman in Sheffield, and was married, in 1800, to
Jane Brady, the daughter of Thomas and Rachel Brady, of
Thome, in whom he found a helpmate of sound judgment,
" guileless and faithful," The Divine blessing seemed to

DANIEL WHEELER. 711
rest on his industry, and his friends, finding his spiritual
gifts enlarged in the service of truth, had the satisfaction
of being able to record him as an approved Minister, His
settlement in the north of England after continuing for
twenty years, became exchanged for service in a very
different scene, as he embraced an offer made him of
undertaking some agricultural and drainage works for the
Emperor of Russia in the neighbourhood of St. Petersburg
— an appointment he owed greatly to the good opinion the
then Emperor Alexander had formed of Friends through his
acquaintance with Stephen Grellet, William Allen, Thomas
Shillitoe, and others. Here Daniel Wheeler resided with
his family for about twelve years, conducting the import
ant concerns committed to him with fidelity and success ;
and although isolated from Friends, he lived in a way
accordant to their principles, and acquired much esteem
from those who came thus to know him. In 1832 it
became his conviction that he should undertake a visit in
Gospel love to the islands of the Pacific, which, meeting
with the concurrence of his friends, was prosecuted during
adventurous voyages of four years' duration in a small
vessel called the Henry Freeling, which Friends chartered
for the purpose. This mission attracted much attention
both in the Society and amongst those he visited, and its
record forms one of the familiar volumes in our Friends'
libraries. He " preached the truth boldly, without respect
of persons ; he also gained the goodwill of the resident
missionaries, who received him with uniform kindness, and
gave him, on his departure, very ample testimonials of their
approval." Daniel Wheeler was in advanced life by the
time this great missionary undertaking had been accom
plished, yet instead of settling down, as might have been
expected in the ease of retirement, he was engaged on a
fresh mission of love across the seas to America, but

712 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
here the hand of death arrested his movements. He
died in New York, whilst on this visit to the United
States, 1 2th of 6th month, 1840, aged 68 years, having
been " a faithful labourer in the Gospel vineyard above
twenty-four years." Daniel Wheeler had to undergo much
domestic trial in the weakly health of his family, all of
whom, but one, preceded him to the grave. They were of
those whose lives had been lovely and of good report.
" O dearly loved,
And worthy of our love ! No more
Thy agfed form shall rise before
The hushed and waiting worshipper,
In meek obedience utterance giving
To words of truth, so fresh and living,
That even to the inward sense
They bore unquestioned evidence
Of an anointed messenger.
* # # # #
If the brightest diadem,
Whose gems of glory purely burn
Around the ransomed ones in bliss,
Be evermore reserved for them
Who here through toil and sorrow turn
Many to righteousness,
May we not think of thee as wearing
That star-like crown of light, and bearing,
Amidst Heaven's white and blissful band,
The fadeless palm branch in thy hand ;
And joining with a seraph's tongue
In that new song the elders sung,
Ascribing to its blessed Giver
Thanksgiving,' love, and praise for ever ! "
J. G. Whittier.

" The broad Atlantic rolleth wide
To part those kindred graves,
Mother and daughter rest beside
The Neva's frozen waves ;
And only alien footsteps tread
About their cold snow-curtained bed.

ROBERT WHITAKER.

713

" The living English turf is green
Over the brother's breast ;
The lonely father sleeps serene
Apart from all the rest ;
But where no farewell tears may be,
They meet where there is no more sea."
Jane Budge.

ROBERT WHITAKER.
Born 1766 — Died 1848 — Aged Eighty-two Years.
No Portrait.
Robert Whitaker became extensively known through
out the country in connection with Ackworth School,
of which for a period of nearly thirty years he was
Resident Superintendent, and occupied a high place in
the affections of most of those who passed under his care.
He was an only child of pious parents of the General
Baptist persuasion, and was born at Oakenhead Wood,
near Haslingden, in Lancashire, in the year 1766.
He showed unusual intellectual promise, and having
passed through the best schools of his native place with
much credit, he was, at an early age, sent to a clergy
man for classics and mathematics, in which departments
he would appear to have made rapid progress.
His delight in literary pursuits led him to choose for
his career the profession of teacher ; and the post of
schoolmaster in the Friends' School at Crawshawbooth
being vacant, he was appointed to it when only eighteen
years of age.
The remuneration was scanty, as the sum paid by each
pupil was but twopence per week for reading, fivepence
if writing was added, and eightpence if it included the

714 BIOGRAPHICAL catalogue.
three R.'s; yet the income made him a living, and some
thing to spare, and in a humble estimate of his own
acquirements, Robert Whitaker considered that he received
more encouragement than he deserved.
About this time Robert Whitaker's parents ex
perienced great reverse in their circumstances, through
the father having been security to a large amount for one
who proved unworthy of his confidence, and Robert
Whitaker himself, whose savings were in his father's care,
was left with not a shilling, but he said " the Lord was on
my side, and in Him I was encouraged to trust."
The school was held on the Meeting-House premises,
and on the days when the mid-week meetings took place,
it closed one hour earlier than usual to accommodate the
Friends. Robert Whitaker, who had for some time felt a
want of satisfaction in other forms of worship, began to
attend these little gatherings, where there were seldom
more than twenty present, and very rarely any ministry,
except when some travelling Friend was present; yet he
found these to be times of close self-examination, and
became conscious that all ability to worship aright must
arise from Divine influence. He saw " more clearly the
sinfulness of the human heart, and the necessity of a
Saviour, — a Redeemer, — and of being prepared to receive
the Comforter, which our Saviour promised the Father
would send to the followers of Christ."
In the year 1786 he applied for membership, and was
united to the Society in outivard, as he had been for
some time in spiritual, fellowship. In 1788 he married
Mary Routh, a Friend of the neighbourhood. This con
nection lasted for nineteen years ; and in recording its
dissolution by death, in 1807, the bereaved husband bore
an earnest tribute to " her love of truth and of holiness,
her love of her Lord and Saviour above all."

ROBERT WHITAKER.

715

In the course of conducting the school Robert Whitaker
became much associated with the Friends of that part of
the country, many of whom were persons of much
culture ; and on the occasion of a visit of Priscilla Hannah
Gurney to that district, she became acquainted with
Robert Whitaker, in whom she recognised a Friend suit
able to conduct an enterprise which she and Richard
Reynolds of Coalbrookdale had for some time desired to
carry out, which was that of establishing a Friends'
Boarding School in the Principality of Wales. This was
opened at Llanidloes in Montgomery, and though the
school only accommodated twelve boarders — six boys
and six girls — it was well supplied with day scholars,
many of whom came from a distance, and were boarded
in the town, for the purpose of securing the highly ap
preciated education to be obtained at the " English
School." Here he remained four years, when his wife, who had
very keenly felt the isolation of her Welsh home, became
so anxious for a change, that Robert Whitaker was
induced to offer himself for the post of Secretary and
Book-keeper at Ackworth School, which being accepted,
he removed thither, as also most of the scholars from the
Welsh School. For nine years he discharged with
exemplary fidelity the duties of his situation, and when,
in 1 804, Dr. Binns' resignation of his post of Superinten
dent had placed the committee in some dilemma as to a
successor, Robert Whitaker, single-handed, undertook this,
in addition to the office duties, and proved himself so
eminently qualified for the service as to become, after
eight months had thus elapsed, chosen for Superin
tendent. His industrious habits, his conciliatory manners,
his literary qualifications, his sound, discriminating
judgment, his religious experience, more than realised

716 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
throughout his long tenure of office the favourable
judgment that had placed him at the head of this
Institution. He was the first salaried officer who held
that appointment ; but throughout its long tenure ever
showed that humble estimate of his position as to make
it difficult for the committee to induce his acceptance of
the advances In salary they thought to be his due. In
1807 he lost his wife, but five years afterwards was
married to Hannah Dumbleton, the housekeeper of the
establishment, who was possessed of a strong mind, and
endowed with peculiar qualifications for the post she
filled, and this marriage greatly contributed to her
husband's happiness and the school's welfare.
A steady but constant increase became observable in
the committee's appreciation of, and confidence in, their
principal officer, and in the admirable spirit he infused
into his subordinates of every department. His devotion
to the duties of his post had early attracted their ad
miration, and to the end of his career this form of
self-denying sacrifice never left him.
Amongst the various gifts which characterised the
Superintendent was his aptitude in drawing out the
powers of his young officers, of imparting to them his
own enthusiasm for culture, and imbuing them with
a lofty sense of duty, under which influence a band of
teachers arose remarkable for intellectual tastes, activity,
and a noble allegiance to the duties of their trust.
Many seasons of sore trial, especially when an epidemic
of disease prevailed in the school, were passed through
without seriously affecting Robert Whitaker's energies;
but in 1832 the sudden loss of his wife from an attack
of cholera (then prevalent), and while they were absent
on a journey, so grievously affected both his health and
spirits, as to lead to his resignation, which the committee

ROBERT WHITAKER.

717

accepted with " deep regret," and with earnest testimony
to their sense of his nearly " thirty years of valuable
service." Everything connected with the Institution had been
full of interest to him, and received his close attention ;
for his vigilant mind, not bounded by the immediate
circle of the intellectual, religious, and physical demands
of his young people, bestowed attention on all details,
embracing those of husbandry and care of cattle which
the farm required. He marketed for the needed pro
visions, and would attend to the purchase of the bullocks
to supply the butcher. There was not a tree felled
without his orders, and even the carpenter worked under
his personal directions as to the repair of the fences,
Robert Whitaker had a peculiarly quick insight into
character, and obtained great knowledge of the minds
and histories of his scholars, which he retained in a
remarkable manner to near the time of his death.
He was followed in his retirement (to a residence
in High Ackworth) by the affectionate regard of a large
portion of the younger members of the Society, who
showed their esteem in gifts and various other ways,
and a few words from one of his acknowledgments shows
his loving desires for their welfare : — " I wish I could
encourage them, as they advance in years, to a steady
perseverance in the practice of all known duties, moral
and religious, as the sure path that tends to peace. My
earnest desire for them is, that they may so occupy, with
the talents entrusted to their care by the Divine Master,
that when the solemn reckoning shall come they may
be able to give up their accounts with joy."
Robert Whitaker passed through some years of great
bodily weakness in his old age, but in an increasing
sense " of the boundless depth of the mercy of God in

718 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Christ Jesus," awaited his end in great quietude of
spirit. He died on the 3rd of 8th month, 1848, aged
82 years (he had many years held the station of an
appointed Elder in his meeting).

JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER.
Woodcut 6x4 in.
JOHN Greenleaf Whittier, the so justly celebrated
and esteemed poet, was born on the 17th of 12th month,
1807, in the easterly part of Massachusetts, United States,
America, and in the house built by his first American
ancestor two hundred years ago. His father was a farmer
in moderate circumstances — a man of good natural ability
and sound judgment, much respected by his neighbours,
and often selected by them as an arbitrator in their
differences. His mother was Abigail Hussey, of Rollinsford,
New Hampshire, and is described " as one of deeply
emotional and religious nature, pure, chastened, sweet,
and lovable." Their family consisted of two sons and
two daughters. John was the eldest. He had but few
educational advantages, and living in a somewhat retired
situation, his mental development was very much the
result of self-culture. His poetic powers seemed first
awakened by meeting casually with the works of Burns,
and he soon began to write poetry himself, which found
its way into local journals, and quickly brought him
repute. His occupations on the ancestral farm now became
interspersed with literary labour, which led him at intervals
to residence in towns for the purpose of better conducting
the writing for papers, on which he became engaged
chiefly through Lloyd Garrison, who was one of the first

JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER.

719

to discover that a writer of genius and power was to be
found like the Scotch poet among the ploughshares and the
farm. John Greenleaf Whittier's fame rests as much on his
character as his genius, for he has throughout life applied
the principles which as a Friend he firmly held to all
phases of life, and has thrown his whole powers into the
struggle for deliverance from oppression, and the rights of
all honest men of whatever race or colour to their freedom,
for which he, as one having the courage of his own opinions,
has had to face riotous men, and been frequently in
much danger during the anti-slavery struggles in America.
He has lived to a time of lifethat permits him to find how
generally and greatly he is appreciated. Quite recently a
writer in Good Words has spoken of him as "shielded by
principle and by discipline from the frailties and excesses
that have ruined so many generous men, but alive with
the glow of love for the beautiful in humanity. In nature
and in art he has presented a combination of traits seldom
united in one person. If one could imagine the purity
and honour of a knight, the boldness of an inspired
prophet, the single-hearted zeal of an apostle, an artist's
deep joy in the world of nature, the pitying heart of a
woman, and a poet's power to fuse all these qualities
without extinguishing humour and naturalness, in such
a blending one would realise the soul of Whittier." He
is a member of the Society of Friends not only by
birthright but by conviction of the truth of its principles
and the importance of its testimonies, yet cherishes a kind
feeling towards all who are seeking in various ways to
serve God and benefit their fellow-men.
Never enjoying strong health, and seldom able to write
or read for more than half an hour at a time, his literary
activity has been great, and his strict temperance and
frugal habits have preserved his life to beyond the venerable

720 . BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
age of fourscore. He is described as having always "shunned
dinners and other assemblies, and from his native reserve
he has avoided all publicity and display. But his qualities
have long been known, and no man living probably has
such troops of friends." The occurrence of his eightieth
birthday brought out this in strong relief, for his Massa
chusetts home was filled with a profusion of flowers, and
thronged throughout the day with visitors anxious to pay
their respects to the venerable and much-beloved poet,
who was able to receive all with his accustomed cordiality,
and bore the fatigue remarkably well. " The land (said
one American paper) " is full of octogenarians, many of
whom have served their fellow-men grandly and nobly in
their day, many that are loved and honoured, but there is
only one Whittier, only one octogenarian so loved and
honoured throughout the world as he whom men have
long since learned to know as the dear old Quaker poet."
"In fine" (remarks another American essayist), "the
element of faith gives a tone to the whole range of his
verse, both religious and secular, and more distinctively
than to the work of any other living poet of equal
reputation." "Whittier," to quote again from Good Words, "is tall and
rather spare, and in early manhood and middle age was
singularly handsome, far more so than his engraved
pictures lead one to expect, ... for no art can represent
the depth of his eyes, their softness in repose, or their
flashes when he is aroused. His complexion is quite
dark, but the skin as well as the features have the delicacy
which marks a fine organisation ; the whole visage shows
refinement, especially when one observes the half-pathetic
smile that sometimes plays about his lips. He is often
silent and generally reserved, since age has made him
somewhat deaf, but he was never timid or self-conscious."

JOHN GREANLEAF WHITTIER. 721
So now this loved and honoured one awaits the close
which the following lines describe as the
AT LAST.
" When on my day of life the night is falling,
And, in the winds from unsunned spaces blown,
I hear fair voices out of darkness calling
My feet to paths unknown.
" Thou hast made my home of life so pleasant,
Leave not its tenant when its walls decay ;
O love Divine, O Helper ever present,
Be Thou my strength and stay !
" Be near me when all else is from me drifting :
Earth, sky, home's pictures, days of shade and shine,
And kindly faces to my own uplifting
The love which answers mine.
" I have but Thee, my Father ! Let Thy Spirit
Be with me then to comfort and uphold ;
No gate of pearl, no branch of palm I merit,
No street of shining gold.
" Suffice it if — my good and ill unreckoned,
And both forgiven through Thy abounding grace —
I find myself by hands familiar beckoned
Unto my fitting place.
"Some humble door among Thy many mansions,
Some sheltering shade where sin and striving cease,
And flows for ever through heaven's green expansions,
The river of Thy peace.
" There, from the music round about me stealing,
I fain would learn the new and holy song ;
And find at last, beneath Thy trees of healing,
The life for which I long. ' ' J. G. Whittier.
In the Memoir by H. S. Newman of the late Stanley Pumphrey is
an interesting account of the visit he paid the aged poet in his home
at Amesbury, which he says is a pretty country town where a few
manufactures are carried on without much detracting from its rural
character. The streets shaded by fine elms, and the poet's residence
a neat little wooden house with a piazza at the side. Their conversa
tion partook largely of his views on prominent characters amongst
Friends whose memory he highly esteemed. " I admire"' (said the
46

722 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
poet) "some of the Roman Catholic saints, but am well satisfied that
the saints of the Quaker calendar are quite their peers ; " and he added,
" one of the finest features about them is that they were so utterly
unconscious of their sainthood." He passed in loving review the
memories of William Forster, Benjamin Seebohm, Stephen Grellet,
and said, "I cannot regard Quakerism as a failure, and have con
fidence in its ultimate triumph."

THOMAS WHITWELL.
Born 1837 — Died 1878 — Aged Forty Years.
Woodcut 7x6 in.
Thomas Whitwell was very suddenly called to his
heavenly home from the midst of a life of great usefulness
and active service in his Master's cause. He was engaged
in making investigations into some defects in a gas furnace
at the. ironworks in which he was a partner, when by
a sudden escape of steam, he, and a much-valued foreman
who accompanied him, were so severely scalded, that
a few hours of suffering terminated their lives.
Thomas Whitwell, the third son of William and Sarah
Whitwell, of Kendal, was born on the 24th of 10th
month, 1837. After a period of home education he was
for a time a scholar at Samuel Marshall's, and subsequently
for seven years at York School, under the care of John
Ford, its then Superintendent. After an apprenticeship
to Alfred Kitching, Locomotive builder at Darlington, he
entered the engineering works of Robert Stephenson and
Co., at Newcastle, where he remained for two years, leaving
which he commenced business as an iron smelter with an
elder brother at South Stockton, which town continued to
be his home for the rest of his life. Their firm was enter
prising and successful, and Thomas Whitwell established
his reputation also as a metallurgist, and the author of

THOMAS WHITWELL.

723

several useful inventions connected with stoves and
furnaces. He endeared himself greatly to his fellow-
townsmen, and especially to young men. At his house
they were sure to find a hearty welcome from one who
was as ready to enter into the interests of the cricket
field or the boat club, as to sympathise in their difficulties
or extend the hand of Christian fellowship. Thomas
Whitwell was a great lover of manly sports, excelled at
cricket, was an adventurous canoeist, and a daring Alpine
climber. He was an organiser of fire brigades, and sharer
in their work. His mental powers also were superior.
He was a good sketcher and draughtsman, an ex
cellent linguist, and possessor of inventive faculties. He
was very successful in his promotion of Young Men's
Christian Associations in the north of England, sparing
himself no labour to advance their interests, and in the
later years of his life the same zeal was much given to
work in connection with the Society, where he filled the
office of Overseer, established Bible classes, encouraged
mission meetings and adult schools, and was frequently
engaged with acceptance in the vocal service of our
meetings for worship. When the Society commenced its
War Victims' Fund in 1870, Thomas Whitwell was one
of the earliest and most dauntless of its commissioners,
and twice proceeded to the scene of recent conflict in
various parts of France, where, notwithstanding difficulties
of travelling and perils amidst scenes of disease and death,
he gave most efficient help, establishing local organisations
for distributing relief. His courage and zeal in these efforts
elicited the admiration of his friends, amidst which he is
found desiring that through all I may be preserved humble
as in the sight of God.*
* William Jones (the present Secretary of the Peace Society, who
was Thomas Whitwell's associate several times in connection with

724 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Thomas Whitwell's religious life was marked by succes
sive stages, and the various periods of childhood, youth,
and strong manhood received each their fresh impulses
from various sources — at one time the influence of a teacher,
at another some religious works, of which Doddridge's
" Rise and Progress " remained ever a favourite with him.
Then the pulses of his faith quickened during the Revival
of 1 85 1, and the discourses and teaching of Brownlow
North were blessed as means of leading him on to a truer
sense of what the one great Sacrifice had done and would
do for us. Still later there came a sense of yet deeper
blessing in the power true faith in Christ gave for Holiness.
Through all these his natural force of character made him
a leader amongst those with whom he was associated, and
his help was much sought for by Christian workers of all
classes. One of his last discourses was at the Bedford
Institute, when he records having felt great liberty to tell
of our Father and our Saviour.
His conduct at the sad and final catastrophe, which
happened on the 5th of 8th month, 1878, was heroic, for
the War Victims' Fund) thus relates an incident that shows the
difficulties attendant on entering a country in time of war ; which,
though he was not present at the time, he heard soon afterwards
described by Thomas Whitwell. In passing through the frontier
fortress of Longwy, then commanded by an irascible Corsican
colonel, he and his companion had omitted to pay their respects to
or obtain the permission of entry from the commandant, and were
consequently placed under arrest, and taken by soldiers with fixed
bayonets before him. He received them with angry glare and loud
curses, snatched their documents out of their hands, and when he
saw them countersigned by the German ambassador, accused them
of being "German spies." With admirable coolness and presence
of mind Thomas Whitwell (who was a member of the Masonic craft)
succeeded in catching the fiery colonel's eye, and as an "arrow
drawn at a venture " gave him the Masonic sign, which to his joy
was taken and returned. The storm was over, its peril passed. They
were taken by the commandant into his private apartments, mutual
explanations ensued, and they went on their way rejoicing.

JEREMIAH HOLMES WIFFEN, M.R.S.L. 725
being nearer of the two to the furnace exit when the
explosion happened, he had the better chance of escape,
but quick as thought, remembering his foreman to be a
family man, he called on him to go first. The momen
tary delay, noble in its intention, was fatal to them both,
and at the short, sharp, agonising close all who knew
Thomas Whitwell felt that " a good brave man was dead."
Abridged, with adaptations, from the A nnual Monitor , 1879. See
also a biographical sketch edited by William Tomlinson.

JEREMIAH HOLMES WIFFEN, M.R.S.L.
Born 1792 — Died 1836 — Aged Forty-four Years.
Engraving 4x3 in.
Jeremiah Holmes Wiffen was born on the 13th of
the 1 2th month, 1792, at Woburn, Bedfordshire. His
parents, John and Elizabeth Wiffen, kept a large iron
monger's shop, next door to the chief coaching inn of
this little town. They were members of the Society of
Friends, to whose religious sentiments he adhered from
conviction. He was, at an early age, placed at a school
at Hitchin ; but on the death of his father, his mother
being left with a family, he was removed, for economy, to
Ackworth School. His advantages there were limited to
the elements of an English education. He was a great
favourite with his schoolfellows from his capacity for the
invention of moving stories, with which he enthralled his
bedroom companions, and from his skill in repeating old
ballads. By the masters he was equally esteemed. He
was an admirable penman, and one of the best mathema-

726 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
ticians in the school. At the age of fourteen he engaged
himself as an assistant in a Friends' academy at Epping,
and five years afterwards opened an academy on his own
account at Woburn. In 1 8 1 2 he united with two of his
friends in publishing " Poems by Three Friends," and in
1 8 19 put forth his "Aonian Hours," shortly followed by
"Julia Alpinula," and a translation of the fourth canto
of the "Jerusalem Delivered" of Tasso, as a specimen of a
new translation of the whole. Towards the close of 1820,
the Duke of Bedford, who had been favourably impressed
with his literary talents, offered him the post of librarian
at Woburn Abbey, which he accepted, and went to reside
there in 182 1. It would have been difficult to find an
occupation more entirely in accord with his tastes, and as
the duke was usually from home for seven months of the
year, during which Wiffen always remained at the Abbey,
his leisure and facilities for study amid a superb library
of books were great. Here he completed his translation
of Tasso and of the works of the Spanish poet Garcilasso
de la Vega. The first edition of his Tasso, in two volumes
4to, was destroyed by fire at the printer's when just on
the eve of publication. His other chief work in three
volumes of " Historical Memoirs of the House of Russell,"
entailed great labour and research on the Continent as
well as in England; it was published in 1833, after
seven years of preparation, and is accepted by the Bedford
family as a work of standard value.
Jeremiah H. Wiffen's knowledge of languages was ex
tensive. Besides his scholarly acquaintance with Italian,
Spanish, French, and Welsh, he was a great student of
Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. He acquired great reputation
as a translator. His Tasso's " Jerusalem Delivered "
quickly passed through three editions. He was a
member of the Royal Society of Literature, of ' the

BENJAMIN BARRON WIFFEN. 727
Royal Academy of Madrid, and of the Society of
Antiquaries of Normandy.
Jeremiah H. Wiffen married in 1828, and removed his
residence to the village of Froxfield, where he passed the
remainder of his days, retaining his appointment of
librarian to the Duke of Bedford. His death in the year
1836, at the age of 44, was sudden. He was interred
in the Friends' burial ground at a hamlet vulgarly called
Hog-sty-end, now Woburn Sands.
Smith's " Catalogue of Friends' Books," vol. ii. Some of the
particulars of the foregoing account are from Thompson's "History
of Ackworth School."
Of Jeremiah H. Wiffen the Ettrick Shepherd thus writes
in the " Noctes Ambrosianae : " —
" The best scholar among a' the Quakers is friend
Wiffen ; a capital translator, Sir Walter Scott tells me,
o' poets in foreign tongue, sic as Tasso, and in original
vein too. A Friend writes of him : 'Ah, dear man ! such
gentle, courteous, and unassuming manners, and mode
of speech to every one, poor and great, and such good
conversation and mellifluous words flowed from his
tongue.' "

BENJAMIN BARRON WIFFEN.
Born 1794 — Died 1867 — Aged Seventy-two Years.
No Portrait.
Benjamin Barron Wiffen, second son of John and
Elizabeth Wiffen, was born at Woburn, Bedfordshire, in
1794. He was educated at Ackworth School, and after
wards carried on the business of an ironmonger at

728 biographical catalogue.
Woburn. This he relinquished, when in middle life, on
account of his health, and retired to a house with pic
turesque surroundings near the place of his birth. He
accompanied his friend George William Alexander in two
visits to Spain and to various capitals of the Continent,
in order to promote the Abolition of Slavery. After
wards, in connection with a learned and enlightened
Spanish nobleman, Don Luis, he devoted his retirement
to the restoration of the forgotten works of the Spanish
religious reformers, of which a series of twenty volumes
were successively reprinted, together with several extra
volumes. This series is a monument to the zeal of the
two friends, and to Benjamin Wiffen's perseverance both
in study and research. He left no means untried to
meet with copies of these works that had been condemned
by the Inquisition, not only searching public and other
libraries, but hunting through the shelves of bookshops in
all kinds of places.
He died 18th of 3rd month, 1867, aged 72 years.
He is described as having been a small, pale, keen-eyed
man, possessing a delicate organisation, with a brave,
stout heart.
James Hurnard, of Colchester, who, during a long visit,
kindly acted as amanuensis to Benjamin Wiffen, then in
declining health, thus alludes to his host in his poem on
" The Setting Sun : "—
" I tried the ocean shore, I tried the city,
And then I tried the charms of rural life,
The guest of Wiffen, in his pleasant cottage
O'erlooking Woburn's noble ducal park.
The only man of letters in my lifetime
Who deemed me worth his notice and regard,
And sought me out in my obscurity ;
A total stranger, patted me on the back,
Cheered me with praise, and offered me his friendship ;
A heart-warm kindness never to be forgotten.

JOHN WILKINSON. 729
Profound, learned in the history
Of the great Protestant movement in old Spain,
Three hundred years ago, which was stamped out
By the dread Office of the Inquisition.
He brought to light their interdicted writers,
Juan de Vald6s and his followers.
Printing again their works for modern use —
Not least the Alfabeto Christiano,
Which Valdes wrote for Giulia Gonzaga.
With the old poet and philosopher
I held delightful converse day by day,
Roaming with him through Aspley's classic woods,
Listening unconsciously to dying words ;
Or by his fireside, from his own dictation,
Penning each day his learned narrative,
Snatching it, as it were, from the grave's mouth,
For so he yielded to my warm request."

JOHN WILKINSON.
Date of Birth Unknown — Died 1846.
Silhouette 5X4 in.
"John Wilkinson, of High Wycombe, Bucks, was the
son of the Rev. Mr. Wilkinson, a clergyman of the Church
of England. His mother, not long after her marriage,
adopted the views of the Society of Friends, and joined
that sect. Mr. Wilkinson's father dying while he was
young, his education devolved upon his mother, who
brought him up in the principles of Quakerism, and we
understand he is much esteemed in the Society."
See Preface to " Four Sermons, 1833."
He died at High Wycombe, the 24th of 12th month,
1846. Note. — The Society, during the last century, has had few
Ministers more copious and more powerful than John Wilkinson,
and he possessed great influence. He was also an able Admini
strator, and served the Yearly Meeting as its Clerk for seven years

73O BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
¦in succession, from 1808 to 1814 inclusive. During the controversy
that arose about 1836 respecting the use or disuse of the so-called
Ordinances, John Wilkinson's views diverged from his Friends',
and many united with him in withdrawing from the Society, which
greatly felt the loss of these earnest and pious members.

CALEB WILLIAMS, M.D.
Born 1798 — Died 1871 — Aged Seventy-three
Years.
Photograph 14 x 11 in.
Caleb Williams was born in London in the 5th month,
1798. His parents removed from thence to Prospect
House, a few miles from Scarborough, to which town their
only son was accustomed to go daily to school. In
1 81 3, when he was fifteen years old, he was apprenticed
to a medical practitioner in Scarborough, with whom he
remained till he was twenty-one. He afterwards attended
the schools of Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospitals in
London, and spent a short time in the schools of Paris.
After practising awhile on his own account in Scar
borough, he removed to York in 1823, commencing as a
general practitioner. For nearly fifty years he was Visit
ing Medical Officer to the Friends' Retreat. His large
experience in the treatment of the insane caused him to
be well known, and his aid was sought for, far and near.
In 1855 he became a Licentiate of the Royal College of
Physicians in London, and practised as such in York till
near the close of life.
His mother was removed by death when Caleb
Williams was but a child. In reverting to his early
years, he spoke of how much he owed to her prayers
and her pious care when quite a little boy. Much of the

CALEB WILLIAMS, M.D. 73 1
period from boyhood to manhood appears to have been
passed without any decided evidence of a change of
heart ; yet during that time he acknowledges the effect
of the Christian influence of a young friend.
Caleb Williams was united in marriage to Mary,
daughter of Isaac and Martha Mennell, of Scarborough,
in the 1st month, 1822. In the 7th month, 1824,
when on a visit to Scarborough, he expressed a few
words in the week-day meeting for worship. This
appears to have been the first step in his course as a
Minister of the Gospel of Christ, extending over more
than forty years. The belief that he was called to the
ministry of the Gospel led him to great searchings of
heart. In 1 8 3 1 Caleb Williams was recorded as a Minister by
the Monthly Meeting of Friends at York. The aspect
of Divine truth which, as a Minister of the Gospel, he
frequently presented, and on which he delighted to dwell,
was, the free love of God to sinners through Jesus Christ
our Saviour. It was the theme of his last utterance in
public worship in 1871. He died on the 5th of the
nth month in that year.
He obtained the approval and sanction of York
Monthly Meeting, in the early part of 1833, to pay a
visit of Christian love to the several meetings of Friends
included in the Monthly Meeting of Pickering, and in the
9th month, 1834, to PaY a religious visit to the families
and individuals of York Particular Meeting, including
those not in membership.
The position of Caleb Williams as a medical man in
large practice gave him peculiar facilities, which he fre
quently and faithfully used, for intercourse on religious
subjects with persons in various stations in life, both
rich and poor, so that those who sought his professional

732 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
aid were often helped in their Christian course. The
Divine blessing seemed frequently to rest on these
private labours.
Caleb Williams wrote " Observations on the Criminal
Responsibility of the Insane ; founded on the Trials of
James Hill and of William Dore : to which are appended
full reports of the same," which was published in 1856.
See Joseph Smith's "Catalogue." For further particulars con
cerning him, his memoranda, his religious experience, etc., see the
Annual Monitor for 1873, and " Testimonies concerning deceased
Friends," 1872.

THE RIGHT HON. JAMES WILSON, M.P.
Born 1805 — Died i860 — Aged Fifty-five Years.
Engraving 8x6 hi. Print 5x4 in.
James Wilson was born in 1805, at Hawick, in
Roxburghshire, where his father was a tradesman. He
entered Ackworth " a little Scotch boy of about eleven
years of age," and spent three years of his boyhood
at that establishment, where he early displayed an
unusual passion for figures. He passed for an orderly
" good boy " amongst his schoolfellows, having been very
favourably impressed by the influence of Joseph John
Gurney's efforts to interest the children in the study of
the Scriptures.
His ambition, on leaving school, was bounded by the
desire to become either a schoolmaster or a farmer. For
the purpose of training in the former capacity, he spent
six months in the Friends' School at Earl's Colne, in
Essex, but not finding the profession of teaching so

THE RIGHT HON. JAMES WILSON, M.P. 733
agreeable as he had anticipated, he went to his brother
William, who was just establishing himself in business as
a hatter, in his native town of Hawick. In 1823, when
only about eighteen years of age, he joined this brother
and a young man named Irwin, of Carlisle, in partner
ship in the hatter's business in London. The firm was
successful, but in 1837, by a speculation in indigo which
turned out disastrously, James Wilson's losses were so
serious as to necessitate an arrangement with his
creditors. We mention this circumstance simply to
show the sense of honour which ruled his life. Having
been able to hand over to his creditors securities which
they considered of ample value, he was released from all
further obligations. Several years afterwards, he dis
covered that these securities had proved deceptive,
and that his creditors had been considerable losers.
Unsolicited, he at once advanced every penny of the
deficiency. In the home at Hawick, the family circle, whilst many
of its members were very young, had taken deep interest
in all great questions affecting the public welfare, —
notably in those of Parliamentary Reform, and the
pressing need for a change in the Corn Laws, — and, when
the two brothers were settled in London, the links of
•interest in such questions were closely maintained
between the various members of the family.
James Wilson had very early manifested a literary
turn of mind, and about 1835 or 1836 he began to
write the leading money articles for the Morning
Chronicle. When, in 1838, the Anti-Corn Law Associa
tion of Manchester was formed, few men proved more
ready or more able to adopt the advocacy of its aims
than Mr. Wilson. The following year he published an
effective pamphlet entitled " Influences of the Corn Laws

734 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
as affecting all Classes, especially the Landed Interests ; "
and, soon after the organisation of the Anti-Corn Law
League, he again struck a heavy blow at protection in
his " Fluctuations of Currency, Commerce, and Manu
factures, referable to the Corn Laws."
When, in 1841, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
found himself entangled in the meshes of a deficit of
over two millions, Mr. Wilson, in preparing his usual
article for the Morning Chronicle, in which he assailed
the principle involved in the proposals for meeting it,
found the argument expand into the dimensions of a
pamphlet, which he published under the title of "What
should the Chancellor do ? " in which he advocated,
instead of further taxation, the remedy of Free Trade.
As a first step towards the repeal of the Corn Laws, he
proposed a uniform duty of eight shillings on imported
corn, and this suggestion was adopted by Lord John
Russell in the Corn Law Bill he introduced that year,
but which was thrown out.
Mr. Wilson had now resolved to devote his life to
political economy, and, as the vehicle of his views, started
the Economist newspaper in 1843, editing the paper
himself for many years. This paper established him as
one of the highest authorities in political finance in the
kingdom, and paved his way to a seat in Parliament,
to which he was elected, as member for Westbury, in
1847. His career now became rapid. The House at
once recognised in him one of the most promising of its
rising statesmen. He became one of the Secre
taries to the Board of Control soon after entering
Parliament, and retained the office until the resignation
of the Russell Ministry. On the Liberals again taking
office, Mr. Wilson became Financial Secretary to the
Treasury. " During his tenure of this difficult office,"

. THE RIGHT HON. JOHN JAMES WILSON, M.P. 735
writes Mr. Walter Bagehot,* " he acquired, amongst the
best judges and closest observers, a permanent reputa
tion as one of the best administrators of the day." He
held the post for five years.
When the next Liberal Ministry came to power its
energies were taxed to the uttermost by the desperate
state of the financial affairs of India. The tangle into
which all departments in that unhappy country had
drifted, during and since the Mutiny of 1857, was such
that the Government at home felt that a crisis of the
gravest character was pendent. Every day the difficulty
and perplexity grew in magnitude. On coming to
power, the Ministry had appointed Mr. Wilson Vice-
President of the Board of Trade, and, in the summer of
the same year, 1859, Financial Member of the Council
of India. All parties in the House looked upon him as
the man . most likely to cope with the disorganised
finances of our great dependency, and on October 20th
he sailed for India.
He appears to have worked hard all the voyage, and
on his arrival at Calcutta, altogether forgetful of himself,
he laboured assiduously as in the old days at the
Treasury at home. " The gigantic difficulties," as he
styles them, which he found himself called upon
to encounter, exceeded his expectations ; but the
generous and hearty assistance and co-operation he met
with from his colleagues in Council, from the heads
of departments, members of the civil service, leading
commercial gentlemen, native and European, supported
by his fever for work, rapidly enabled him to gain a
complete mastery of the situation, but his constitution
broke down.
On the evening of the 2nd of 8th month he was taken
* Encyclopedia Britannica.

736 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
seriously ill, rapidly grew weaker, and died on the nth
of the same month, i860, aged 55 years.
Taken from " History of Ackworth School," by Henry Thompson,
1879, and Knight's " English Encyclopsedia," 1868.

JOSEPH WOODS, F.S.A., F.L.S., F.G.S.
Born 1776 — Died 1864 — Aged Eighty-seven Years.
No Portrait,
Clissold Park House, Water-colour painting, 10x7 in.
JOSEPH WOODS was born at Stoke Newington on the 24th
of 8th month, 1776, being the second son of Joseph Woods
and Margaret, his wife, a daughter of Samuel Hoare, and
the authoress of the so well-known Journal in her name.
He inherited from his parents great mental powers, and,
like his father, who (though engaged in business) had
cultivated classical and literary tastes, the son soon
became known for his intellectual attainments, which were
almost entirely the result of self-culture. Having a
great predilection for architecture, he entered as a pupil
the office of an architect, then in large practice ; and
when subsequently engaged in the profession, he
carried out various extensive works, of which the large
mansion that he built for his uncle, Jonathan Hoare, at
Stoke Newington, is an example, and now well known as
Clissold Park House. Not having a strength of health
equivalent to his largely developed frame, and being
possessed of independent means, he passed the greater
part of his very long life in the quiet prosecution of
literary and scientific subjects, of which botany was the
chief study, and in this he became eminent for his most

WILLIAM WOODVILLE, M.D., F.L.S. 737
extensive and accurate knowledge. Soon after leaving
his professional engagements as an architect he travelled
extensively in Italy and Greece, of which his published
" Letters of an Architect " are a permanent memorial,
and exhibit his correct taste and critical skill. In his
favourite pursuit of botany he made frequent and
extensive use of his walking powers. His collection of
plants was valuable, and his knowledge of them, as on
various other subjects, was freely imparted to his friends.
He was a member of several learned Societies, and a not
infrequent contributor to their Transactions. He was
never married, and although he lived, in consequence of
somewhat feeble health, a rather retired life, his domestic
qualities were highly prized by those related to, or
acquainted with him. It was his pleasure, when an octo
genarian, to finish up the sketches of youthful days for
presentations, that have since become cherished memorials
among relatives and friends. Thus quietly passed the
lengthening years in his home at Lewes, and on the 9th
of ist month, 1864, when at last the final hour came, it
was whilst seated in the easy chair of his study, calm and
placid to the last, being in the eighty-eighth year of
his age.

WILLIAM WOODVILLE, M.D., F.L.S.
Born 1752 — Died 1805 — Aged Fifty-three Years.
Silhouette 3x2 in.
WILLIAM WOODVILLE, an eminent physician, was born
at Cockermouth in 1752. He served an apprenticeship
to an apothecary, and afterwards studied medicine at
47

738 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Edinburgh, where he graduated in 1775. After studying
some time in the medical schools of the Continent, he
returned to Cockermouth, where he commenced the
practice of his profession. He continued there five or
six years, and then removed to London. Here he was
appointed physician to the Middlesex Dispensary, and in
1792 was elected physician to the Small-pox Hospital.
Having paid considerable attention to plants yielding
medicines, he published in 1790 a large work, in four
quarto volumes, entitled "Medical Botany," which con
sisted of a series of plates representing medical plants,
and containing an account of their natural history and
uses. This work, though imperfect both in the drawings
and descriptions of plants, was valuable at the time, and
led to the production of better works on the same
subject. In 1796 Woodville commenced the publication
of a " History of the Small-pox in Great Britain." This
work was never completed, on account of the introduction
of vaccination about this time by Jenner. Dr. Woodville
had good opportunities of investigating the claims of
Jenner's discovery to confidence, and at first was un
favourable to vaccination, but continuing to make ob
servations, he became, before his death, a strenuous
advocate for its introduction.
He died of small-pox at the Small-pox Hospital, the
26th of the 3rd month, 1805, aged about fifty-three years,
and was buried in Friends' burial ground, Bunhill Fields.
His residence was in Ely Place, Holborn.
Knight's " English Encyclopaedia," 1868. Smith's " Catalogue of
Friends' Books," 1867.

JOHN WOOLMAN. 739

JOHN WOOLMAN.
Born 1720 — Died 1772 — Aged nearly Fifty-two
Years.
No Portrait.
JOHN WoOLMAN was born at Northampton, Burlington
County, West Jersey, America, of parents professing with
Friends, who had a tender care over their large family of
children. Very early in life, the passage in Revelation
descriptive of the River of God so impressed his mind
as to awaken desires to seek after purity and holiness,
the pursuit of which became the marked feature of his
singularly blameless and devoted life. He became a
minister in his twenty-second year, and as such visited
most of the provinces in America, and when his fellow-
countrymen were engaged in a war with the Indians he
underwent great fatigue and danger in visiting these sons
of the forest in their settlements, and found many of
them susceptible to Divine impressions. John Woolman
was conspicuous throughout life for his condemnation of
the system of African slavery, being one of the first to
awaken his friends' minds to its iniquity, and by his
conduct and exhortations originated efforts for its sup
pression. In the year 1772 he came on a religious visit
to Friends in England, and travelling northward was
seized with the small-pox, and died there of that disease,
in York. He was remarkably preserved amid the viru
lence of that disorder in a state of perfect calm. " O
my Father ! my Father ! how comfortable art Thou to
my soul in ' this trying season.' ... I look at the face
of my dear Redeemer, for sweet is His voice and His
countenance comely." Truly as he thus looked unto

74O BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Jesus did this lovable and loving one seem as changed
into the same image, and has left a sweet impress of his
character as a humble follower of his Lord in the
Journal of his life, which has had a wonderful influence.
Charles Lamb has said of it, " Get the writings of John
Woolman by heart, and love the early Quakers." His
decease occurred on the 7th of 10th month, 1772, and
his remains lie in the burial ground at York, where,
near them, have since been interred those of the Tukes
and some of his other friends.
" He was a man " (to quote from the Testimony issued
by Yorkshire Quarterly Meeting) "endued with a large
natural capacity ; and being obedient to the manifesta
tions of Divine grace, having in patience and humility
endured many deep baptisms, he became thereby sancti
fied and fitted for the Lord's work, and was truly service
able in His Church. . . . The spring of the Gospel ministry
often flowed through him with great sweetness and purity,
as a refreshing stream to the weary travellers towards the
City of God." " John Woolman " (said J. G. Whittier to
Stanley Pumphrey) "is my ideal saint. I have introduced
his Biography to the notice of many of my literary friends,
and they are always charmed with it."
" There is glory to me in thy name,
Meek follower of Bethlehem's child !
More touching by far than the splendours of fame,
With which the vain world is beguil'd.
'Tis the glory of goodness, the praise of the just,
Which outlives even death, and is fragrant in dust.
" Though not upon thee were outpour' d
The gifts of that primitive age,
When wonders and signs spoke the power of the Lord,
And baffled Priest, Monarch, and Sage.
In the heart's secret temple an altar was thine,
And a priesthood was given in the innermost shrine.

JOHN YEARDLEY. ' 741
" Not to outward and visible sense
Did that priesthood or altar appeal ;
Yet pure were the oracles uttered from thence,
And stamped with a questionless seal, —
A seal which the spirit that felt them confest
By the power of thy Crucified Master imprest.
" His glory alone was thy aim ;
His kingdom's advance was thy scope ;
And the Cross which He bore with its suff'ring and shame,
The object and end of thy hope !
By faith in this hope was thy spirit sustain' d,
Through that Cross was the crown of Apostleship gain'd."
Bernard Barton.

JOHN YEARDLEY.
Born 1786 — Died 1858 — Aged Seventy- two Years.
Photograph 5x3 in.
JOHN YEARDLEY was born on the 3rd of the ist month,
1786, at a small farmhouse beside Orgreave Hall, in the
valley of the Rother, four miles south of Rotherham. His
parents, Joel and Frances Yeardley, farmed some land,
chiefly pasture, and his mother is said to have been
famous for her cream cheeses, which she carried herself
to Sheffield market. She was a pious and industrious
woman, but through the misconduct of her husband was
sometimes reduced to such straits as scarcely to have
enough food for her children.
The family removed to a farm near Barnsley, and it
was one of John Yeardley's earliest occupations to ride
into the town daily on a pony with the produce of his
mother's dairy.
They seem, as a household, to have been drawn towards
Friends,, attending Purton Meeting, and to the kind care

742 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
shown them, John Yeardley, when a lad of about sixteen,
attributed his conversion. The Friend who was chiefly
instrumental in this was Joseph Wood, formerly a
Yorkshire clothier, who relinquished business in the prime
of life, and spent his time in attending meetings and in
assiduous pastoral care ; and it was his communication,
during a family visit, on the subject of our Lord's gracious
declaration that "in Me ye shall have peace," which
seemed to be as a precious visitation from on high to the
lad whose after life was to bear such a witness to the
truth of the blessed promise. Soon after this, the farming
pursuits being relinquished, John Yeardley became an
inmate in a Friend's house at Barnsley, who was engaged
in the linen manufacture, and at the age of twenty he was
received into membership, and was described at this time
of life as one possessing, in connection with a rather
reserved disposition, a native refinement which enabled
him in after life to rise in social position.
In 1809 John Yeardley was married to Elizabeth
Dunn, who, like himself, had joined the Society. She was
much his senior in age, but of a most lovable character ;
their only child died in infancy. His literary tendencies
now began to show themselves, and among the memoranda
of his early days is a notice of having begun the study
of Adam Clarke's " Commentary on the Bible," though
" fully aware that the greatest caution is necessary when
these learned men undertake to exercise their skill on the
sacred text," yet he believes, if it be followed in a right
spirit, " it may tend considerably to illustrate particular
passages." Although John Yeardley's talents were not
brilliant, and his opportunities were scanty, he possessed
that intellectual thirst which cannot be slaked but at the
fountain of knowledge. He appears, as to his religious
views, to have passed through a long season of depression

JOHN YEARDLEY. 743
before yielding to the intimations of duty that led him to
speak in the ministry, and his first offering was in
his own family in 181 5, in his twenty-ninth year, and
he first spoke in public at a week-day meeting of the
same year.
Various trials attended him in this season of his life,
especially in a business he had commenced, and in
which his nature ill-fitted him for success under the
keen competition of modern times, and this led him to
accept a situation in a flax-spinning mill at Bentham,
within the Monthly Meeting of Settle, which proved a
happy means of releasing him from the load of former
anxieties. His offerings in the ministry had now become
so acceptable to his friends, that on his removal in 1 8 1 8
his certificate was accompanied with a notification that he
had been recorded as a Minister. After some years of
much usefulness in the exercise of his gift, he felt it his
duty to go and reside for a while among the Friends
of Pyrmont and Minden, in Germany, and after the
decease of his beloved wife in 1821, the way seemed to
open for this service, and he resided there for four years,
during which time it was observable, and continued to
the close of his life, that he drew the young around
him for occasions of mutual instruction, and by the
Friends of those parts he became greatly beloved. He
frequently, during this time, travelled to various districts of
Germany, and was of much assistance to Friends on their
visiting those parts, and it was on one of these occasions
he met with Martha Savory when travelling as a Minister,
an acquaintance which ripened into marriage, and proved
the great blessing of his future life. Her means were
ample, and her heart so blended with his in mutual
affection and desire to do whatever was called for at their
hands, as to make them remarkably united in the service

744 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
of the Gospel. They were married in 1826, when John
Yeardley had reached his fortieth year.
Martha Savory was a daughter of Joseph and Anna
Savory, and born in 178 1. To an active and vigorous
understanding she united great strength of character and
enjoyed a good education, which for a while led her into
the ardent cultivation of literary pursuits and into some
unsettlement of religious faith ; but, like Elizabeth Fry,
the ministry of William Savery (who lodged at her father's
house while in London) was much blessed to her, and at
last, discovering, to her great humiliation, that " the world
by wisdom knows not God," she adopted as her own
experience that verse in the Olney hymns : —
" Lord, Thou hast won ; at length I yield ;
My heart, by mighty grace compelled,
Surrenders all to Thee.
Against Thy terrors long I strove,
But who can stand against Thy love ?
Love conquers even me."
Her whole dress and manner, which had previously
partaken of the gay and fashionable, became changed,
and her attention given to works of benevolence, leading
to a gift in the ministry which was acknowledged in
1 8 18, when she was at the age of thirty-six, and three
years afterwards she began those missionary journeys
which eventually brought her into acquaintance with the
one who, with herself, was to become devoted to long
and far-distant labours for the rest of their lives.
After their marriage John and Martha Yeardley
settled into a small house on the outskirts of Barnsley,
but in about two years recommenced Gospel service
in Germany and other parts of the Continent, in
cluding the valleys of Piedmont, holding meetings where
practicable, and having much intercourse with pious

JOHN YEARDLEY. 745
minds ready to welcome such messengers of truth.
On their return, after about a year's absence, there
followed much service throughout England, and in 1 8 3 1
they removed from Barnsley to Scarborough. Another
and yet more extensive Continental journey succeeded,
which embraced, besides most of the former ground, a
visit to some of the Grecian islands, that proved, during
its accomplishment, to involve them in much hard
travelling, and, at times, scenes of peril, both by sea and
land. On its conclusion they resumed residence at
Scarborough for seven years, and were frequent in
journeyings to different parts of England.
Then a fresh missionary journey on the Continent
succeeded, and at its close they settled into a house at
Berkhampstead, but soon afterwards moved to a residence
at Stamford Hill, which in 1845 became their home.
Again their foreign service revived, and John Yeardley
proposed this time to include Russia, a desire he
eventually carried out by himself. They were now
only able to travel at intervals, for Martha Yeardley's
failing health was unequal to the fatigues of these
distant journeys, and the Continental disturbances of
1848-49 proved insuperable obstacles to any visit to
South Russia ; so the travellers returned from their
prolonged absence, and Martha Yeardley's infirmities
soon assumed a dangerous form, and her dedicated life
closed in the 5 th month of 185 1. "Thus "(wrote the
afflicted husband) " was I deprived of my only earthly
treasure ; the Lord's gracious loan granted me for nearly
a quarter of a century. . . . Ours was a blessed union
and a happy life ; spent, I hope, unitedly in the service
of our Lord." His next foreign journey was to Norway,
with Peter Bedford and William Robinson as his com
panions, in the course of which Peter Bedford met with

746 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
an accident in the upsetting of his carriole on a rugged
mountain road. In 1853 way at last opened for the
desired visit to the Crimea, which, with William Rasche
as his companion, they reached, travelling southward from
St. Petersburg, through Moscow, to the colonists in the
south of Russia, amongst whom he found little of that
openness and freedom which had been a comfort to his
spirit during the service in Norway. He considered it,
however, a great blessing to have accomplished the visit
through Russia and to Constantinople before the Crimean
War, which broke out directly after.
A daughter of Ernst Peitsmeyer, of Minden, now, for
some years previous to her marriage to Dr. Edward
Hooper May, cheered his home-life, and the Friends of
Stoke Newington greatly valued his being resident among
them. His sententious and evangelic ministry was very
helpful, and also the stimulus he gave to culture and
social intercourse among the young people of the meeting,
to whom narratives of his varied and extensive journey
ings would often furnish subjects both of interest and
profit. " He was," said one who knew him, " remarkable
for a childlike simplicity in word and deed. . . . With
out any assumption of spiritual dignity ... or anything
of feigned humility ... he would express his pleasure in
the society of the young, saying, ' I love the company of
those who tread the earth with an elastic step.' John
Yeardley was a great encourager of Mission work and
First Day schools, and promoted among his young friends
the healthy tone of religious feeling which seemed so pecu
liarly to belong to himself."
But to the last the missionary spirit prevailed, and
when past threescore years and ten it urged him to
undertake an arduous journey to the East, including
Asia Minor, though deeply sensible of the perils and

MICHAEL YOAKLEY.

747

suffering that might await him. But he assured his
friends that, to him, " life's close in an Arab's tent, if
it came in the course of discharge of duty, would be far
more welcome than in the comforts of an English home,
in a stinging sense of a dereliction of what had been
called for at his hands." He started with Jules Paradon,
of Nismes, as his companion, and they proceeded as far
as Constantinople and Smyrna, where John Yeardley's
strength utterly failed under the heat and fatigue, and
a hurried return was but just in time for the closing
scene of his life to take place in his home, where he
peacefully expired on the nth of the 5th month, 1858,
at the age of 72 years, and his remains were interred
in the Friends' burial ground, Stoke Newington. To
some it might seem as if this interrupted service was as
if it. had been uncalled for ; but it is interesting that it
has proved incidentally the means of Friends' views be
coming represented at Constantinople, for the founder of
the little Society there first learnt them through personal
intercourse with John Yeardley in the course of this his
last journey.
Taken chiefly from "Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley," by
Charles Tylor.

MICHAEL YOAKLEY.
Born 163 1 — Died 1708 — Aged Seventy-seven
Years.
No Portrait. Draper's Almshouses, Water-colour painting,
18 X 11 in.
MICHAEL YOAKLEY was a native of the Isle of Thanet,
where many of the same family then resided. He came
to London, and was successful there as a master mariner

748 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
and owner of vessels. Tradition says that he had a
dream or vision when quite young and only a shepherd's
boy, as he kept his master's flock on Draper's Farm, near
Margate, that success in life would enable him to become
the proprietor of the estate, and that whenever such might
occur he was to found there an hospital or almshouse for
the poor of the district. If this be correct, it was not
until near the close of his rather long life that Michael
Yoakley had become purchaser (in 1701) of Draper's
Farm, and the almshouses founded there were built by
his widow and trustees in virtue of his testamentary
dispositions. These were framed in a catholic spirit,
and although the trustees appointed by him were mem
bers of his own Society, the recipients were, without
restriction as to any form of religion, to be chosen out
of such as have been " housekeepers, and of an indus
trious and good life and godly conversation, and reduced
to necessity not by sloth, idleness, or their own luxury,
but by age, sickness, lameness, or suchlike acts of Divine
Providence ; " and of these, those resident in four neigh
bouring parishes were to have the preference in the
trustees' selection. When first built in 17 10 and until
1847, the almshouses contained rooms for only nine
inmates, with one for a caretaker; but the rise in the
value of the London properties of the testator, which,
under a clause in his will, came, through default of heirs
in his family, to the charity at Draper's, enabled the
commencement of enlargements, which have proceeded
in successive years, until the establishment assumes the
character of a quadrangle, as shown in the view, and
accommodates thirty-eight inmates, which it is hoped
may eventually be increased to fifty. Michael Yoakley,
in order that the qualifications for residence in these
might be " publicly known," directed in his will that

THOMAS YOUNG, M.D., F.R.S. 749
the following lines, "cut in hard white marble stone,
should be conspicuously placed on his buildings," which
was done accordingly, as seen there at this day : —
In much weaknefs y God of Might did blefs
With increafe of Store,
Not to maintain Pride or Idlenefs,
But to relieve y Poor ;
Such Induftrious Poor as Truly fear f Lord,
( a Meek \
Of 1 Humble & \ according to His Word.
( Quiet Spirit j
M.Y. Glory to God alone.
He died at Whitechapel, London, on. the 21st of 4th
month, 1708, and the interment took place at Ratcliff.

THOMAS YOUNG, M.D., F.R.S.
Born 1773 — Died 1829 — Aged Fifty-six Years.
Engraving 4x3 in.
THOMAS YOUNG, born at Milverton, in Somersetshire, the
13th of the 6th month, 1773, was the eldest of the ten
children of Thomas and Sarah Young. His childhood
was precocious. At two years of age he could read with
considerable fluency, at four he had read the Bible twice
through, and before he was five he repeated to his grand
father, from memory, the whole of Goldsmith's " Deserted
Village," with the exception of a word or two. Infant
prodigies seldom fulfil the promise of their opening
years, but Young was an exception ; for in later life he
was as much in advance of ordinary men in power and

750 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
versatility of intellect, as his childhood was beyond the
mark of average children. Domiciled in the house of his
maternal grandfather, he gratefully commemorates "the
affectionate care and instruction" of his aunt, Mary Davis,
and of one of her most intimate friends and relations,
an inmate of the same house, and who afterwards married
Thomas Thompson, of Compton. At seven years of age
he was sent to " a miserable boarding-school," where, but
for powers of acquisition which enabled him to become
his own teacher, he would have wasted his time. At
eight he had mastered the elements of Latin and arith
metic, and had read many books in English. He was very
fond of going to a neighbour's house, " where he found a
' Dictionary of Arts and Sciences,' in three volumes, folio,
which he read with interest and delight." He also found
there several mathematical and philosophical instruments,
and learnt the use of them.
In a short fragment of autobiography, from which the
preceding facts are culled, he says, "In March 1782,
when nearly nine years of age, I was sent to the school of
Mr. 'T. Thompson, at Compton, in Dorsetshire, where I
continued for nearly four years. . . . Mr. Thompson was
a man of liberal and enlarged mind, who possessed a
tolerable collection of English and classical books, which
his pupils were allowed to make use of. It was his
custom, likewise, to allow them a certain degree of dis
cretion in the employment of their time." Nothing could
have been more favourable for a lad of his extraordinary
industry and appetite for knowledge. Greek, mathema
tics, and algebra were his intellectual diet at thirteen ;
his love of natural philosophy, at the same time, grow
ing with his growth.
When he was about fourteen years of age, Priscilla
Hannah Guiney went, on account of health, to reside

THOMAS YOUNG, M.D., F.R.S. 75 T
with an aunt of Thomas Young, who had long been her
intimate friend. The boy, of course, fell under her notice,
and she recommended him to her uncle, David Barclay,
as a suitable companion for his grandson, Hudson
Gurney, in his studies. This arrangement was made, and
during the following five years Young was an inmate of
David Barclay's household at Youngsbury, near Ware.
Hudson Gurney, who but recently died, venerable in years
and character, was a year and a half younger than his
companion. Thomas Young became his tutor in the
classics, while in other branches he was placed under the
care of John Hodgkin, the father of the late eminent and
estimable Thomas Hodgkin, M.D. In a memorandum
penned by John Hodgkin, he says, " I was induced in
part to undertake the office of tutor to Hudson Gurney
by the opportunity the situation afforded of pursuing my
own classical studies, and of deriving some advice and
assistance to them from the extraordinary youth (Thomas
Young), whose stability of conduct and intensity of appli
cation seemed to place every desirable object of literary
or scientific pursuit within the reach of his astonishing
mental power." Dean Peacock adds, " Though Mr.
Hodgkin, with great modesty, disclaims all share in Dr.
Young's education, it would be unjust to him not to add
that Dr. Young considered himself under great obliga
tions to him for his advice and assistance."*
* A near relative of Thomas Young, who brought him up to Lon
don a little country lad, used to say, that as she walked with him
through London he was attracted by the booksellers' stalls, and
taking up a valuable classic was soon absorbed in its examination.
The owner of the shop seeing this, and thinking that the quaintly
dressed little Quaker boy was but indulging in ignorant curiosity,
said, "There, my lad, if you could but translate to me a page of
that book (valuable as it is) it should be yours," when, to his
astonishment, the really learned prodigy rapidly turned the classic
text into flowing English, and, true to his word, though he winced at

752 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Thomas Young's residence in David Barclay's family
brought him under the oversight of his mother's uncle,
Dr. Brocklesby, a physician of high practice in London,
who from this time took much interest in his nephew,
encouraged him in his studies, and exercised great influ
ence over his future course. Young had been carefully
and strictly brought up as a Friend, and, like many
Friends and others of that date, abstained from the use of
slave-grown sugar. His uncle discouraged his scrupulosity.
Thomas Young was about nineteen when he quitted
David Barclay's roof. His acquisitions in many branches
of knowledge were vast ; but that which appears at this
time to have made the strongest impression on others
was his profound and critical acquaintance with the
Greek language. He was able to discuss with Professor
Porson nice points of Greek criticism, and some of his
translations of fine passages of Shakespeare into Greek
verse were much admired. His attainments in geometry.
and mathematics were equally remarkable. He had read
through and understood the " Principia " of Sir Isaac
Newton, the greatest work of the human intellect, but a
work which, we are told, not many even of those who
possess the advantage of special training at our univer
sities are able to make their own. Newton crossed the
abyss of the astronomical spaces, and planted stepping-
stones that others might follow ; yet, it would seem,
the sacrifice, the bookseller made the lad the fortunate possessor of
this valuable book. Thomas Hodgkin, sen., has also been known
to relate how, to his surprise, he became conscious of the lad's lin
guistic attainment. Wishing for some test of how far his education
might have advanced, he gave him, on his arrival to be Hudson
Gurney's companion, a sentence to write out in a copy-book, and
wondering why it was so long before being brought to him, found his
new pupil, nettled at being set a task so much below his powers,
was engaged in writing out the sentence in four or five different
languages.

THOMAS YOUNG, M.D., F.R.S. 753
there have been few in each succeeding generation who
have been able to accomplish the mighty stride. Young,
still in his teens, was one of these few.
Among other accomplishments, his clear and beautiful
penmanship must not be forgotten. His biographer very
justly expatiates on the value of this acquirement, and
says " that the nice and almost artistic appreciation of
form, which is connected with it, whether as a result of
practice, or a gift of nature, enabled him, even when a
boy, to write his Greek and other exercises with the most
minute attention to accentual and other dia-critical marks."
In 1792 Young removed to London, and in accord
ance with the wishes of his uncle, Dr. Brocklesby, com
menced attending lectures and hospitals, with a view to
the medical profession. At this period he was accus
tomed to meet at his uncle's house many of the eminent
men of the day — Sir Joshua Reynolds, Windham, Burke,
Porson, and others. Edmund Burke took a lively in
terest iri him, and gave him advice in regard to his
studies. Several branches of natural history seem to
have been his favourite pursuit at this period, and his
earliest published writings were contributions on these
subjects to the Gentleman' s Magazine.
His connection with Dr. Brocklesby, which thus intro
duced him to the social intimacy of many persons of
rank and celebrity, was not favourable to his Quakerism.
In 1794 the Duke of Richmond, who, as Master-General
of the Ordnance, was a member of the Government,
offered to appoint him his private secretary. This was
declined ; and in a letter to his mother, after describing
the offer, with its present and prospective advantages, he
says : " I was not ashamed to allege my regard to our
Society as a principal reason for not accepting the
proposal." 48

754 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
Although he retained some years longer his connection
with Friends, yet his associations, and even the very
eagerness with which he exemplified " the seeking and
intermeddling with all wisdom," tended gradually to
wean him from the religious views and usages of his
ancestors, though he does not appear to have formally
separated from the Society until a little later period,
during his residence at Edinburgh.
His moral conduct brought no reproach on his early
training. His biographer says : " His manners at this
period of life are described by one who knew him well
as very quiet and pleasing, like those of the more
cultivated members of the Society to which he still out
wardly adhered." Dean Peacock adds that in his
common-place book, his favourite extracts reveal " in
dications of the prevailing disposition of his own mind
and character ; a moral tone of very unusual strictness
and purity, with great firmness of purpose, and reliance
upon his own powers."
His medical studies led him to take up his residence
successively in London, Edinburgh, Gottingen, and
Cambridge. At Cambridge his reputation had preceded
him, and procured him among his fellow-students the
soubriquet of " Phenomenon Young." In 1 799 he
commenced practice in London in the house bequeathed
to him by his uncle Dr. Brocklesby, then deceased.
In 1 80 1 he became Professor of Natural Philosophy to
the Royal Institution, an appointment he held for ten
years, and then resigned under an apprehension that it
would interfere with his success as a physician. His
published lectures were alike remarkable for precision
and accuracy in proposition and facts, as for the boldness
in discussing the most abstruse and difficult subjects.
Minds such as his, so remarkable for acquiring and

THOMAS YOUNG, M.D., F.R.S. 755
retaining knowledge, often prove overloaded with their
accumulations, and, like David in Saul's armour, move
heavily under their intellectual burden. Dr. Young was
the reverse of this. His characteristic in mature life
was a buoyant freedom, vigour, and spontaneousness of
intellect, delighting in bold, profound, and subtle specu
lations on all physical subjects. Hence his writings are
described as pregnant with suggestion, and replete with
the germs of future discoveries. His philosophical
treatises, contributed anonymously to scientific periodicals,
his very able and scholarly articles in the Quarterly
Review, and his sixty-three articles in the Encyclopedia
Britannica, embrace the greatest variety of subjects that
has perhaps ever engaged the attention of a single mind.
His most important contributions to science were the
reasonings and demonstrations by which he established
the wave or undulatory which is now generally admitted
as the true theory of light. This grand discovery is known
by the name of his " Doctrine of the Interference of
Light." Of this great discovery Sir John Herschell says that " it
has proved the key to all the more abstruse and puzzling
properties of light, and it would alone have sufficed to
place its author in the highest rank of scientific im
mortality even were his other almost innumerable claims
to such a distinction disregarded." This is a recognition
of which the discoverer himself knew but little during
his lifetime, as his conclusions received much opposition
from the advocates of Sir Isaac Newton's views, and
the acceptance, now become so general, came first from
the philosophers on the Continent, who recognised this
solution of the difficult problems of light long before such
a result in our own country.
While thus occupied in sounding the deepest problems

756 BIOGRAPHICAL CATALOGUE.
in physical science, Dr. Young applied himself to some
of the most arduous enterprises in the department of
letters. In one of his familiar letters to his friend,
Hudson Gurney, he says, " I like a deep and difficult
investigation." His skill was tasked to the utmost in
his attempt to decipher the three-fold inscription on the
stone brought from Rosetta, in Egypt, and placed in the
British Museum. This inscription was in the hiero
glyphic character ; in the enchorial, a kind of running-
hand Egyptian, and in Greek ; and it was known that
the inscription was in substance the same in each case.
This famous stone has furnished the key to unlock the
mysterious language of ancient Egypt ; and though no
single scholar owns the complete discovery, yet none
seems to have a claim to the honour of overcoming the
earliest and greatest difficulties which can be placed in
comparison with that of Dr. Young, and his name must
always be prominent among the eminent men who have
brought to light the treasures of a remote antiquity,
heretofore locked up in the mystic characters of a
forgotten language.
His manuscripts on these subjects not only gave
evidence of immense industry, learning, and ingenuity
but were remarkable for nicety and beauty of pen
manship, and the most accurate delineation of hiero-
glyphical figures. Dr. Young continued to occupy
himself to the time of his death, at the age of 56,
with these hieroglyphical researches, in which he ranks
with Champollion, but whether with a prior or equal
claim has been the subject of controversy.
As a physician, though he gained a high position, he
did not secure a large practice. He was physician to
St. George's Hospital, which seems to prove that he was
an able practitioner. His treatment of disease is said to

THOMAS YOUNG, M.D., F.R.S. 757
have resembled the best practice of the present day more
closely than that of his contemporaries.
A few words on his more private and domestic life and
character must conclude this very imperfect sketch. At
the age of thirty-one he marrried Eliza, the second
daughter of J. P. Maxwell, Esq., of Cavendish Square,
and of Tippendence, near Famborough, Kent. It was a
marriage of mutual affection and esteem, and a singularly
happy one.
He was constant in his friendships, maintaining to the
last an unreserved correspondence with the companion of
his youth, Hudson Gurney.
"Among other advantages, Dr. Young possessed that
of a handsome person and prepossessing appearance.
His manners were polished and even elegant, though
perhaps exhibiting a very slight tendency to a scholar-like
precision." *
He died the 5th of 10th month, 1829, aged 56 years.
Abridged from The Friends' Quarterly Examiner, vol. ii.
(article by Thomas Harvey), and Dean Peacock's " Life of Dr.
Young."

* Thomas Harvey says "he was without doubt the greatest man
of letters and of science that has sprung from the ranks of the
Society of Friends ; " and his biographer in the Encyclopedia
Britannica remarks : " It would not be easy to mention another
individual of the present century worthy in all respects of being
compared with Thomas Young."
Hudson Gurney, in alluding to his religious opinions, says : " He
had extensively studied the Scriptures, of which the precepts were
deeply impressed upon his mind from his earliest years ; and he
evidenced the faith which he professed in an unbending course of
usefulness and rectitude. Nothing," he adds, "could be more
striking than the entire calmness and composure of his mind"
(during his last short and severe illness), " or surpass the kindness
of his affections to all around him."

MEETINGS & MEETING-HOUSES.

THE FRIENDS' MEETING-HOUSE.
Though glorious, O God, must Thy temple have been
On the day of its first dedication,
When the cherubim wings widely waving were seen
On high o'er the ark's holy station ;
When even the chosen of Levi, though skill'd
To minister standing before Thee,
Retired from the cloud which Thy temple then fill'd,
And Thy glory made Israel adore Thee.
Though awful indeed was Thy majesty then,
Yet the worship Thy Gospel discloses,
Less splendid in show to the vision of men,
Surpasses the ritual of Moses.
And by whom was that ritual for ever repeal'd
But by Him unto Whom it was given
To enter the oracle where is reveal' d
Not the cloud, but the brightness of heaven,
Who, having once enter'd, hath shown us the way,
O Lord, how to worship before Thee;
Not with shadowy forms of that earlier day,
But in spirit and truth to adore Thee?
? »****
The temple that Solomon built to His Name
Exists but in name and in story;
Extinguish' d long since is that altar's bright flame,
And vanish' d each glimpse of its glory.
But the Christian, made wise by a wisdom Divine,
Though all human fabrics may falter,
Still feels in his heart a far holier shrine
Where the fire burns unquench'd on the altar.
Bernard Barton

760 MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.

THE MEETING.
The elder folk shook hands at last,
Down seat by seat the signal passed,
To simple ways like ours unused
Half solemnised and half amused;
With long-drawn breath and shrug my guest
His sense of glad relief expressed.
* * * * *
Is silence worship ? seek it where
It soothes with dreams the summer air,
Not in this close and rude-benched hall,
But where soft lights and shadows fall.
*****
Our common Master did not pen
His followers up from other men.
*****
His sermons were the healthful talk
That shorter made the mountain walk.
His wayside texts were flowers and birds,
Where mingled with His gracious words
The rustle of the tamarisk-tree
And ripple-wash of Galilee.
Thy words are well, O friend, I said ;
Unmeasured and unlimited,
With noiseless slide of stone to stone
The mystic Church of Christ has grown,
Invisible and silent stands
The temple never made with hands.
*****
God should be most where man is least,
So where is neither Church nor Priest,
And never rag of form or creed
To clothe the nakedness of need, —
I turn my bell-unsummoned feet;
I lay the critic's glass aside,
I tread upon my lettered pride,
And, lowest-seated, testify
To the oneness of humanity ;
Confess the universal want,
And share whatever Heaven may grant,
He findeth not who seeks his own,
The soul is lost that's saved alone.
Not on one favoured forehead fell
Of old the fire-tongued miracle,

LONDON YEARLY MEETING. 761
But flamed o'er all the thronging host
The baptism of the Holy Ghost;
Heart answers heart ; in one desire
The blending lines of prayer aspire ;
"Where in My Name, meet two or three,"
Our Lord hath said, "I there will be!"
J. G. Whittier.

LONDON YEARLY MEETING.
Oil Painting by Samuel Lucas of Hitchin.
30 x 24 in.
Here is an Assembly met for counsel and debate, with
no apparent president, moderator, or chairman, for they,
one and all, own a presidency invisible, yet to them real,
of the great Master of Assemblies.
Those who sit at the table as Clerks and Assistants
make record of the Assembly's conclusions, which are
never arrived at by voting, but depend on the judgment
formed by the Clerks as to what may seem to them to be
the sense of the Meeting, and they are the organs rather
than as exerting any headship, which is an office left to
Him Who has given gracious assurance of His presence,
where even the two or three are met in His Name. Thus
the sittings of this Assembly, although not for worship, are
sought to be conducted in a devotional spirit, and being
for the consideration of subjects relating to good order
and unity in the Society, it is in itself as an Assembly
desirous to be found in the same. It has continued now
in annual session in London without a break, ever since
toleration, at William III.'s accession (1688), made the
regularity of such gatherings in any one place possible,
and one of its Minutes of 17 10 shows this desire of self-,

762 MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.
regulation. " It is the fervent desire of this meeting, that
the business and concerns thereof be solidly, in the fear of
God, managed and carried on, without contention or
striving, and with as few words and in as pertinent ex
pressions to the matter in hand as may be, for expediting
the affairs thereof without loss of time, or anyways dis
ordering the meeting ; but one at a time speaking, and
standing up, that all things may be done decently, and in
good order."
It is composed of deputies from all parts of the
country, appointed each year by the Quarterly Meetings,
as also of all members of Meetings of Ministry and
Oversight, who may be able to attend ; and none who are
members of the Society, but may, if they wish, take part
in the proceedings which is a constitution unique among
Convocations, Church Sessions, or Methodist Conferences,
in its breadth and liberality ; and as there is no class
in it more highly privileged than another, so is it remark
able in an entire absence of any pecuniary emolument or
support attached to official positions ; all is voluntary.
Those who attend have left their homes at their own
charge, or come from their business or professions with no
other motive than to give gratuitously the best of their
attention to the affairs of the Society, and the cause of
Truth everywhere.
It is impossible to look on such a representation as this
without seeing in the countenances of those shown as
prominent in the Assembly, men who proved themselves
pioneers in all the great movements of the Age's progress
in philanthropic effort. Some had been as missionaries to
earth's farthest bounds, most had been earnest to free the
slave, to circulate the Bible, to amend the criminal law,
treat humanely the lunatic, and open the blessings of
knowledge to the poorest of the land.

LONDON YEARLY MEETING. 763
This picture represents a sitting of the Yearly Meeting,
in the Large House, which before its alteration * had less
light than at present, so that the sombre tone is character
istic of its general appearance. Of the figures in the
topmost row, that in a light dress marks the appearance
of Thomas Shillitoe, who was generally thus conspicuous
among his Friends ; the one on his immediate right is
intended for Samuel Rundall, then Edwin Ball, and at
the end William Sewell, grandfather of Joseph Stick
ney and Edward Sewell. On T. Shillitoe's left is
Daniel Wheeler, and beside him William Rickman, once
well known as a schoolmaster at Rochester, then in suc
cession Solomon Chapman, Joseph Neatby, and Richard
Barrett. The one who is addressing the Assembly is
Josiah Forster, than whom, perhaps, no one throughout
his long life ever gave more assiduous attention to the
affairs of the Society as brought before the Yearly Meeting.
The pen is held by George Stacey, who was one of the few
Friends who have acted as its Clerk for twelve years con
secutively ; he has Samuel Gurney as his Assistant, beside
whom is William Forster, whose last journey to America
(where his decease occurred) was one made in the service
of the Yearly Meeting. Next to him, with his handful of
lawn at his face, will be recognised Joseph John Gurney,
at a time when his hair was just beginning to lose its
former rich brown in a grizzled grey, then in a drab coat
is observable by his side Joseph Marriage of Chelmsford,

* These alterations, as also those in the Women's Meeting-House,
were upon an extensive scale, involving an outlay of nearly ^5,200.
They were carried out under the supervision of a Yearly Meeting's
Committee, of which our late Friend Smith Harrison was Clerk,
the Men's House being made ready for use at the Yearly Meeting
of 1861, and the Women's House a year later. For further details,
see Printed Proceedings of the Yearly Meeting 1 861, pp. 13, 14, and
1862, pp. 17, 18.

764 MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.
and next John Foster with large spectacles. The Friend
in a white bat just in front of the table, whose ear
requires the assistance of an instrument in following
what is passing, will bring to remembrance Abraham Raw-
linson Barclay, whose somewhat numerous works (chiefly
in editing Friends' Journals of the earlier day) have proved,
such valuable contributions to the literature of the Society.
Samuel Ruston, with his hair parted in the middle, props
his chin on his stick, as was his wont, in patient attention,
very rarely broken by any observations, but tradition
says he was stirred out of this calm by the draft of a
proposed Yearly Meeting's Epistle, containing some
allusion to our "grand Adversary," against which the
otherwise silent member uttered his emphatic protest that
he knew of nothing grand as belonging to the devil.
Robert Alsop's father is on the other side, then Edward
Smith of London, and succeeding him, one who was
in his day a copious preacher amongst us, our Friend
Sylvanus Fox of Wellington. Then Samuel Allen of
Hitchin, one of the few whose life stretched close on to a
hundred years before its close, and made him nearly if
not the last survivor of the whole group. The keen
countenance next him is intended for Luke Howard, as if
he were but waiting Josiah Forster's sitting down to rise
with one of his incisive questions or quick retorts ; and
just below is an equally energetic but very different type
of character in Isaac Bass of Brighton. The white-
headed Friend at his side is William Jones. Probably few
will fail to recognise the Friend on the left of the picture
in light hose and short gaiters as William Allen, so eminent
in universal philanthropy, and the one by him on the
right, known as no less remarkable, is Samuel Tuke, whose
strength of character and judicious benevolence, especially
his labours for the cause of the better treatment of the in-

LONDON YEARLY MEETING. 765
sane, have left such permanent and highly beneficial results.
During the strength of his day, his Friends of the Yearly
Meeting profited greatly by his wisdom in counsel, and for
six years, during a time of much stir, commotion, and con
troversy in the Society on questions of doctrine, he acted
as Clerk with marked candour and impartiality. Above
these are two in drab, one intended for Abraham Sewell
and the other for Richard Cockin, whilst just to the right
of Josiah Forster's shoulder may be observed the counte
nance of Jonathan Backhouse, and between him and George
Stacey that of William Gundry ; then somewhat further
off, occupying the space between the heads of Samuel
Gurney and William Forster, is Jonathan Hutchinson, who,
though a plain country farmer, was said by his friends to
be a model of a Christian gentleman. All of these are
brethren who in much unity and concord long guided the
affairs of the Society, and left a rich legacy of wisdom
in council and sound doctrine, which gives value to this
attempt to perpetuate the memory of their countenances
and general appearance.
This picture was painted by Samuel Lucas of Hitchin,
at his own residence, from memory, unassisted by any
note or sketch whatever. It must not be regarded as the
sitting of any one particular Yearly Meeting, else it would
be open to the charge of anachronisms ; one of which,
that will be obvious to all acquainted with dates, is that
Thomas Shillitoe's decease had occurred previous to the
year when George Stacey first became Clerk. It repre
sents the leading Friends of a period of years, rather
than any one in particular. Its author being throughout life
a diligent but silent member, and possessed of an unusual
faculty for remembering likenesses, had thus painted in
the characters that he knew, as leaders of the Assembly,
with a loving and faithful touch. None of the worthies

766 MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.
represented ever knew of their being thus in Council
shown, except Josiah Forster, who, in days when he had
become " venerable," saw it whilst calling at the house of
its possessor, and instantly queried, " Is it so that I speak
with my hand in my pocket ? I must button it up in
future." But habit in this respect prevailed over inten
tion, as all his Friends knew, to the last.
Having thus described the picture, a few facts with
reference to the Society's property at Devonshire' House
may appropriately follow.
Towards the latter part of the last century, a feeling of
strong dissatisfaction arose with the somewhat limited
accommodation at Gracechurch Street Meeting-House, for
holding the Yearly Meeting, and in 1787 the subject of
obtaining larger premises, or a site on which to erect such,
was referred by the Annual Assembly to London Quarterly
Meeting. For some time the efforts in this direction proved
unavailing, but in 1 792, the Dolphin Inn, with its yard and
stables, situate on the east side of Bishopsgate Street, and
No. 8 5 , Houndsditch (north side), were conveyed in fee to
trustees for the Society on payment of £3,333 6s. 8d. Three
per Cent. Bank Annuities, and £3 1 5 in cash; subsequently
an additional sum of £300 was paid to the tenant for sur
render of his lease and fixtures. This was just the property
Friends were wishing to find, as it abutted on the " Old
Meeting-House " at Devonshire House, where meetings for
worship had been held for more than a century prior to this
date. The possession of the premises having been obtained
in 10th month, 1792, John Bevans, who had previously
submitted plans for the Large (Men's) Meeting-House,
was instructed to commence the building, whilst John
Gorham was appointed as surveyor " to superintend the
work, examine the estimate, and approve the materials."

GRACECHURCH STREET MEETING. 767
This erection was completed in little more than a year, and
the first gathering which took place under its roof was the
London and Middlesex Quarterly Meeting in 12th month,
1793. The cost of this Meeting-House to the Society at
large is entered at £3,059 $s. io%d., but the side galleries
involved an additional outlay of about £280, which was
paid by London Friends, as permission was granted them
to "have the use of the new Meeting-Houses when they
see occasion."
By the Yearly Meeting of 1 797, the following additional
buildings had been erected under similar supervision, viz. :
the Women's Meeting-House, at a cost of £3,1 54 is. %d. ;
the Clerk's Office (removed to the new buildings, in 1877,
and its site made part of the present covered yard) ; the
Meeting for Sufferings Room and Committee Rooms Nos.
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, including fitting up and furniture at a
cost of £2,006 is. id. If is added to these sums the
purchase of the ground and other general expenses,
amounting to £4,6 15 6s. 4 d., there will appear a total
expenditure of fully £1 3,000.

GRACECHURCH STREET MEETING.
Water-colour Drawing 1 2 x 9 in.
THIS small drawing is taken from a picture of about
4ft. by 3ft. in dimensions, which is in the possession
of William Lucas of Hitchin. It represents the Assembly
as it appeared on a First Day morning about a century
ago, at which time many of the leading merchants and
bankers were members of Gracechurch Street Monthly
Meeting, and resident at their places of business. It thus
contains portraits of some who at that time were prominent

768 MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.
members of the meeting, and whose numerous descendants,
though occupying influential positions in general society,
have long ceased to have any connection with the
community their ancestors so greatly prized. The Meet
ing-House thus represented is one of several built in
succession on this historic ground, and it perished by
fire sixty years ago, before which time various alterations
and enlargements had obliterated all traces of the original
one, where George Fox so often preached, and close to
which, in friend Gould ney's house, he died.
The figure conspicuous in the picture as engaged in
the ministry is Isaac Sharpies, then eminent for his
Gospel labours, who though resident at Hertford, was often
at the London meetings. His three-cornered hat hangs
behind him on a peg, but all other men Friends are covered,
with the marked exception of a figure in the right-hand
corner, representing the artist, who, though not a Friend,
is reputed, through some tender attraction for the fair
damsel up aloft in the gallery, to have been in the habit of
attending the meeting, and on the strength of his memory
produced this representation on canvas, for possession of
which at a sale of his effects, there is said to have been
so keen a competition between Dr. Lettsom and Joseph
Lucas, its purchaser,* that the latter would in after years
never confess to the amount he had had to give for his
prize. The figure next to the women in the raised seat
* Joseph Lucas was nephew to Joseph Lucas, a wealthy and
enterprising shipowner and merchant, who was one of the first to
send ships to the South Seas in the track of Captain Cook's
discoveries ; and by this and other undertakings, one of which was a
contract for the lighting of London, died possessed of great wealth,
which, having no children, became the inheritance of nephews, and of
which this Joseph who bought the picture had a large share. He
died a bachelor, when his property passed to some maiden nieces
who had been his housekeepers, at whose decease the father of the
present William Lucas came into possession of this picture.

GRACECHURCH STREET MEETING. 769
is (to quote from the interesting account given of this
picture by James Boorne) * " Joseph Smith, the banker,
of the firm of Smith, Wright, and Gray. Immediately
under, on the lower seat facing the meeting, is a com
paratively young man in drab coat, and breeches with
the neatest of stockings and shoes. It is obviously
Dr. Lettsom. Of two rather conspicuous figures on the
side seat, the one nearest the gallery is Samuel Hoare,
the banker, t of the firm of Gurnell, Hoare, & Co., whose
wife Grizzell t is the woman Friend in the dark plain
dress on their side seat, and below her, dressed alike,
are their three daughters, the middle one being Grizzell,
who was married to Wilson Birkbeck, as his second wife,
and subsequently, in 1827, became third wife of William
Allen ; on the right her sister Margaret, who married
Samuel Woods in 1769, authoress of the well-known
journal that bears her name ; § on the left of Grizzell is
her sister Sarah, who married Joseph Bradshaw, and who
died in 1783. || The last but two in the Ministers'
Gallery is Robert Letchworth. 1f The little bent woman
Friend just below Isaac Sharpies is Ann Christy, or, as
* Friends' Quarterly Examiner. " My Library," vol. x., p. 563.
t Whose son Jonathan built the large house at Stoke Newington,
now known as Clissold Park House, from the designs of his grandson
Joseph Woods.
J Her maiden name was Gurnell, a daughter of Jonathan and
Grizzell Gurnell, nee Wilmer, whose sister Hannah married Jeremiah
Harman, and another sister Mary was wife of Joseph Green.
§ James Boorne suggests her presence in this picture, thus prior
to her marriage, may be taken as a guide to the date when it was
painted. || One of her daughters became the companion of William Allen,
and afterwards the authoress of his Memoirs, in 3 vols.
1 One tradition identifies the Friend on Robert Letchworth' s right
as Samuel Emlen, and the last figure on his left as Dr. Fothergill,
also that the figure next to Isaac Sharpies is intended for Nicholas
Wain, of Philadelphia, next to whom sits Samuel Scott, author of the
Diary, and brother to John Scott the poet.
49

770 MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.
she was always called, Nanny Christy. Josiah Forster told
me he remembered her. She always wore besides her
white cast-over a green apron and green mittens, exactly
as here represented."
After the Meeting-House here represented was burnt, a
new one was constructed, which in 1862 was relinquished,
and the site is now covered with office buildings. The
last meeting for worship held there was during that Yearly
Meeting, and John L. Eddy, then on a visit to this
country, was engaged in ministry, in the course of which
he seemed moved to a particular and sudden fervency of
spirit, which much impressed those who were present, and
it is interesting to find in his memoirs an allusion to
that remarkable occasion : " While speaking I was brought
under a sense of the powerful manifestation of truth
that had been given to those in the early days of our
Society ; and I told Friends I hoped our minds might
be affected on the present occasion, that we may never
forget the last meeting held in Gracechurch Meeting-
House."

SWARTHMOOR HALL AND
MEETING-HOUSE.
The Hall, Photograph 10x6 in. ; Lithograph 1 1 x 6 in. ;
the Meeting-Hotise, Woodcut 6x4 in.
SWARTHMOOR HALL, the residence of Judge Fell, is
interesting to Friends, as being the place where
George Fox met with the first decided success in his
mission. It was there that the power of truth through
his preaching caused a family of wealth and local influence,
brought up in the lap of luxury and in many of the
frivolities of the times, to assume a markedly changed

SWARTHMOOR HALL AND MEETING-HOUSE. 771
deportment, to throw aside their music and pastimes, and
to incur the contempt of their former associates, as well as
the probable anger of their absent father. So efficacious
was his discourse, that most of their numerous domestics
were also convinced, and some became instruments for the
awakening of others.
The Hall, though still a building of considerable size, is
no longer what it once was. A large portion having become
ruinated, has been altogether removed ; the oriel window
from which George Fox preached to the people in the orchard
still remains, and it is believed the owner of the property
is bound to accommodate any travelling Friend with a bed.
The hospitality of the Friends of Ulverston, however, pre
vents this right being demanded ; and no instance has been
known within memory of any Friend exercising his
privilege. The room in which Friends held their meetings
for the first forty years, and which were generally graced
with the attendance of George or Margaret Fox, and
others of the Society's parents in Christ, remains in its
pristine state, with the wainscoted walls and panelling,
having an embrasured window, and a raised dais at one
end, which served for a Ministers' Gallery.
The situation of the Hall is somewhat singular and
picturesque. Eastward of it, to the bay of Morecambe,
extends a tract of rich champaign country, rivalling for
beauty, wood, and fertility any county in England. The
Swarthmoor Hall estate formerly comprised much of this.
Westward lies the bleak tract of Swarthmoor, recently
enclosed, but still strongly contrasting with the rich
pasture of the opposite view. Northward may be dis
cerned the town of Ulverston, about a mile distant, and
beyond, the pointed mountains of Coniston and the Lake
district. The immediate neighbourhood of the Hall is
occupied by an ancient grove of forest trees, partially

772 MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.
screening from view the barren common, while at the
foot of the orchard is a woody dell, through which a
stream murmurs over its pebbly bed. The Meeting-
House is a solitary building, a quarter of a mile from
the Hall ; it is entered in the good old-fashioned way,
through a porch, with a bench on each side, and over
the door is the inscription, "Ex dono G. R, 1688" (the
gift of George Fox, 1688). It is commonly supposed
he used to attend this meeting, but such was not the
case ; he never sat in it, being in the south of England
from its completion until his decease. It was, however,
built at his cost, and on land given by him — the only
piece of land he ever possessed in England.
For further interesting particulars, see Armistead's "Miscel
lanies," vol. ii., 1852, from which this account is taken.
In Maria Webb's work on the " Fells of Swarthmoor
Hall " will be found further information as to the
family residence and the Meeting-House, — and also the
following extract of a letter from George Fox to his son-
in-law Thomas Lower, a few years before his decease,
respecting this Meeting-House.
" Kingston-on-Thames,
" 15th of 12th month, 1686.
" I offer and give up freely to the Lord, for the
service of His sons and daughters and servants called
Quakers, the house and houses, barn and kiln, stable
and all the land, with the garden and orchard, being about
three acres of land, more or less, with all the commonage,
great turfing, moss, with whatsoever privileges belonging to
it, called Pettis at Swarthmoor, in the parish of Ulver-
stone. And also my ebony bedstead, with painted
curtains, and the great elbow chair that Robert Widder
sent me, and my great sea case with the bottles in it,

SWARTHMOOR HALL AND MEETING-HOUSE. 773
I do give, to stand in the house as heirlooms, when the
house shall be made use of as a meeting-place, so that
Friends [who go to lodge there] may have a bed to lie on,
a chair to sit on, and a bottle to hold a little water to
drink. The land is free from all tithes, and it may keep
the Meeting-House in order and repair. Let the rent of
the ground and malthouse maintain the Meeting-House,
which may be made either from the barn, or the house, as
the Lord shall let Friends see which is best. Slate it and
pave the way to it, and about it, that Friends may go dry
to their meeting. You may let any poor honest Friend
live in the house, and so let it all be for the Lord's service
to the end of the world. Let Friends make as safe and
firm writings concerning it as they can, and let John Rous
and Thomas Lower, and William Meade and Daniel
Abraham, be trustees to settle this, with some [Friends] of
the Monthly Meeting of Swarthmoor, and some of the
Quarterly Meeting of Lancaster, that so Friends may be
sure of a Meeting-House for ever that is free, and will
maintain itself, and which is the Lord's."
Swarthmoor Meeting-House, thus built and endowed
by George Fox, has latterly lost much of its antique air by
the removal of the ancient windows. But "the great
elbow chair " that Robert Widder sent George Fox is there
still, and also another that came from Swarthmoor Hall.
Both are of richly carved oak. The remains of the ebony
bedstead are also to be seen. And George Fox's folio
Bible is there with a chain, by which it was formerly
attached to the preacher's gallery.
" The Fells of Swarthmoor Hall," by Maria Webb, p. 301.

774 ' MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.

JORDANS MEETING-HOUSE AND
BURIAL GROUND.
Water-colour Painting 22 X 15 in.
The Meeting-House, which is in the immediate vicinity
of the burial ground, is a plain brick building, with tiled
roof and lattice window. " It stands upon rather high
ground, but its site is in a dell, surrounded by meadows
and beechwoods. There is one rather large dwelling
house within sight, called Stone Deane, which in former
times was a residence of Friends ; with this exception,
the visitor may ramble for some distance without passing
any sort of habitation but an occasional homestead. It
is a thoroughly agricultural district, and is both primitive
and peaceful in its character, as well as peculiarly pictur
esque and sequestered." It is situated in a beautiful part
of Buckinghamshire, almost exactly midway between
Beaconsfield and Chalfont St. Giles, being about two
and a quarter miles from each of these places. It is
two miles from the village of Chalfont St. Peters, six
from Amersham, and twenty-three from London. The
most convenient means of reaching Jordans from London
is by the Great Western Railway to West Drayton
station, thence by a short branch to Uxbridge, from
whence it is seven miles distant by the highroad.
Tombstones have latterly been introduced into this
interesting burial-place, which direct the visitor to the
graves wherein rest the remains of so many of the Penns
and Penningtons, and of Thomas and Mary Ellwood.
It is between twenty and thirty years since a question
was raised amongst Friends as to the propriety of
reversing a rule against the admission of tombstones
into their burial grounds, which was originally adopted

JORDANS MEETING-HOUSE AND BURIAL GROUND. 775
in consequence of some relatives of the earlier members
of the Society having gone beyond the practice of simply
inscribing name and date upon the stone. It was
ultimately decided by the Yearly Meeting that any
who desired to have small memorial stones, simply
inscribed with names and dates, to mark the graves of
their Friends, should be left at liberty to do so, under
the supervision of their respective Monthly Meetings.
Shortly afterwards, the Friends of the meeting to which
Jordans belongs had tombstones erected to mark such
graves as could be identified from the registry.
Of these the only graves belonging to the Pennington
family are those of Isaac and Mary Pennington, and of
their eldest son John, who died in 17 10.
This is from Webb's " Penns and Penningtons," 1867. From the
British Friend is the following, entitled
The Grave of the Founder of Pennsylvania.
The traveller in passing from Beaconsfield to the
neighbouring village of Chalfont St. Giles, in Bucks,
passes a small inclosure on the right-hand side of the
road, known as the Friends' or Jordans Burial Ground.
But though no monumental stone attracts attention, and
the sunken graves, hidden in the tall grass, escape the
passing glance of a stranger, it well deserves to be
recorded as the resting-place of William Penn, the founder
of Pennsylvania.
A fragment, supposed to have been written by one
of the vicars of Penn, a village not far from Chalfont,
deriving its name from the ancestors of William Penn,
who possessed the manor at a very remote period, is
still preserved in the register of that place, and presents
a curious record of the occupiers of the principal graves,
but the position hardly corresponds with the Plan given

776

MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.

in the account of Jordans published by Cash Brothers,
and written by C. W. Dymond.

n

1

2

3

4

< o
aX

5

6

7

8

9

H

10
11
12
13
14
i. Letitia, daughter of William Penn.
2. Springett, son of William Penn.
3. Margarette Frame, and her son Thomas, in the
same grave, daughter of William Penn.
4. John Penn, son of William, Governor of Pennsyl
vania. 5. The great William Penn, with his second wife, upon
his leaden coffin. Prince Butterfield remembers his second
wife being buried, and seeing the leaden coffin of William,
whose head lies contrary to the rest, with his feet to the
north. 6. Gulielma, daughter of Sir William Springett, first
wife of William Penn.
7. Isaac Pennington's wife, the widow of Sir William
Springett, of Darling, in Sussex.
8. Isaac Pennington, an able lawyer, who married the
widow of Sir William Springett, mother to William Penn's
first wife.
9. Joseph Rule [entered on the Parish Registers as " a
noted Quaker "], a man who used to go about London
preaching in a white coat, and a long white beard. It was
said that though his funeral was in summer, a fall of snow
occurred during it, which seemed singularly appropriate to
one who had been known as the white Quaker.
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, William Penn's younger children.
JORDANS MEETING-HOUSE AND BURIAL GROUND. 777
Seven graves from the hedge, in a line above William
Penn, lies Thomas Ellwood, who used to read to Milton,
and lived on Hunger Hill. On his left hand, nearer the
hedge, lies his wife.
Prince Butterfield, the person already above mentioned
as having seen Penn's leaden coffin at the burial of his
second wife, was the man who had the care of the burial
ground, and who died between thirty and forty years ago.
Many Friends have been interred within the inclosure
besides those here mentioned ; but about fifteen years
since it was found too full to admit any others, and the
ground has remained undisturbed.
The above account of William Penn's grave is taken from the
British Friend, vol. iii., p. 14. There is also another letter at p. 44,
but the writer is probably under a mistake as to William Penn's
grave, believing Vandewall's to be his.
Wilson Armistead has reproduced this account (with view of the
Meeting-House) from the British Friend, but does not give his
authority. See " Miscellanies," vol. vi., p. 159.
There is an interesting account of the burial place of William Penn
in St. James's Gazette of 12th August, 1885, republished in British
Friend, 9th month, ist, 1885, p. 222.
Lines addressed to a sister [i.e., Elizabeth Grimshaw, after
wards Westwood, eldest daughter of W. Grimshaw, senior],
on her bringing home a cowslip from between the graves
of Isaac and Mary Pennington, in the burial ground ad
joining Jordans Meeting-House, near High Wycombe.
" Was there ought sacred in the ground
Where erst thy feet have trod ?
Did marble monuments around,
By artists' aid, the praise resound,
Of those beneath its sod ?
" Did costly urns or vases tell
Of might, or fame, or worthy deed ?
Inform thee of each narrow cell,
Each tenant there ;— so wisely well-
Recounting all his meed ?

778 MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.
" It was not so ; but thou didst there
Read certain names, engraven deep ;
Names needing not the sculptor's care ;
Their living works their praise declare ;
Their friends their records keep.
" On Mem'ry's page, from sire to son,
Their name's safe resting-place is found ;
And how, when each the race had run,
And all concerns on earth were done,
They slumber'd in that ground.
" That ground in which this flow' ret bloom' d,
A simple flower, I heed it not ;
Save only, that 'tis hence assum'd —
It seems to speak of those entomb' d,
Who must not be forgot.
" But chief for those it grew between,
Be this poor record kept ;
An early flower of modest mien ;
Aptest similitude is seen,
Of those that near it slept.
" The holy man ! his partner too !
Partners by more than earthly ties ;
If hence reminded, we review
Their paths, and thus the right pursue,
Thy Cowslip is a prize."
Friends' Monthly Magazine, vol. i., p. 482. G.*
* i.e., William Grimshaw, son of William Grimshaw, author of
"The Principles of True Christianity Indicated," etc.
In Joseph John Gurney'sLife, under date of 1834, he mentions how,
in the course of his visit to London Meetings, he had ventured to
convene many public meetings, " which cost me, as thou mayest be
lieve, much feeling and sometimes conflict. One of these at Uxbridge
was attended by Joseph Bonaparte, the ex-king of Spain, and brother
to Napoleon ; and another at Jordans, by William Penn, an amiable
young man, the great-grandson of our venerable Penn, who once at
tended that meeting, and now lies buried in the adjoining ground.
It is a romantic and beautiful spot. We afterwards called on
William's father, Granville Penn, of Stoke Park, a literary, invalided
old gentleman ; and were much pleased with him, his house, and his
family. I have since supplied his young people with a few religious
books, and William promised me that he would read the " No Cross,
no Crown.''
J. J. Gurney's "Memoirs," vol i., p. 532.

EARITH MONTHLY MEETING.

EARITH MONTHLY MEETING.

779

Coloured Photograph, from a Picture by Samuel Lucas,
11x8 in.
THIS represents the little Meeting-House at Earith,
Huntingdonshire, at the time of a visit there by some
Friends under a Yearly Meeting appointment, about the
year 1837.* The figure engaged in addressing the little
assembly is William Forster, whose Gospel ministrations
in these small meetings were often peculiarly powerful.
Next to him sits Sarah Grubb,
..." that sounds her Master's praise
In streets, in markets, prisons, and highways,"
now, however, sitting quiet with sisters in the ministry
beside her, whose identification is uncertain ; but the
Friend on William Forster's left is William Lucas, of
Hitchin, the father of the artist, and next to him
Joseph Marriage, of Chelmsford. On the third row
in the foreground, and distinguishable by his yellow
handkerchief, sits William Brown, \ of Earith, one of
*This Yearly Meetings' Committee was continued for some years,
there being in that Monthly Meeting some want of unity and love.
The committee consisted of William Forster, William Lucas, Joseph
Marriage, Samuel Maw, and Thomas Christy, four of whom are
shown as present on this occasion.
t The Browns are of an ancient Puritan stock. The one that joined
the Friends at their rise was a fruit of William Dewsbury's ministry,
and suffered much both at the hands of his landlord and otherwise
for his changed views. Most of his descendants emigrated to
Pennsylvania. The John Brown shown in this picture was im
prisoned in 1797 in the county jail at Huntingdon, with his father
and an uncle, for their faithful maintenance of the testimony against
payment of tithes, and were some of the last thus to suffer on
this account. William Brown was a younger brother, the father of
a large family, one of whom, Potto Brown, was very successful in
life, and leaving Friends became a zealous supporter of Noncon-

780 MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.
the sturdy race of yeomen whose allegiance gave a back
bone to the Society in the days of its struggles, and
through his son Potto Brown (who joined the Baptists) the
Dissenting interest in those parts received a great accession
of strength. It would seem as if the ability thus to sit
still and worship had reached in these worthies of that day
its climax, for their descendants, like William Brown's son
Potto, preferred more activity in prayer and praise, and
the giving outward support to Gospel ministers. It is
Alfred Wright's father, William Wright, who sits on the
right side, and between him and Joseph Marriage is
discernible the figure of James Burgess,* who was at that
formists, by his liberal aid in schools and chapels. When he saw
this picture he was so pleased with his father's likeness, that he gave
twenty guineas for a coloured photo of it. William Brown remained
a Friend, but was much in sympathy with the Primitive Methodists.
He was of an excitable and emotional temperament, not fitted for
commercial success, and would, if he had had his choice, have
followed the medical profession. In his later years he suffered from
blindness, and became much dependent on his oaken staff and his
tailless dog Tye.
* James Burgess lived at Chatteris, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire.
He was an Elder, and died aged 82. He was a pattern of humility
and contentment. In the early part of his life he had wandered
far from the paths of rectitude, but was at length mercifully arrested,
and having had much forgiven him he loved much, the fruits
whereof were conspicuous unto his death.
By following the humble occupation of a mole-catcher he had
realised a sufficiency to render himself comfortable, and when
unable, through infirmities, to proceed to his work, the occupiers of
farms in his district, being satisfied of his integrity, allowed him to
have the oversight for life, without any diminution of his remunera
tion. As an Elder he was weighty in spirit; as a Friend, consistent;
as a neighbour, kind ; and as a Christian, peaceful. His humble
dwelling was near the Meeting-House, and his hospitality almost
proverbial. James Burgess had long been afflicted with asthma,
which, though at times distressing to nature, was borne with
remarkable patience. It was evident to his friends that he cheer
fully adopted the language of Job, "All the days of my appointed
time will I wait till my change come ; " and when it did come he
appeared to fall asleep in Jesus, such was his gentle transit from

EARITH MONTHLY MEETING. 781
time the mole-catcher of the village. In front of him, on
the second row, is John Brown, senior, brother to William
Brown, and father to John Brown, junior, who is just
below Sarah Grubb, and adjoining some figures intended
for the grandchildren of Thomas Christy and their
governess. Three other figures are recognisable. That
between the two Browns, father and son, is Thomas
Maw (?) of Needham Market, and in front, next William
Brown, on his right, occurs that of Robert Ruston, who
is also seen in the Yearly Meeting Picture by the same
artist, and next to him is Thomas Luff.
A recent author, Thomas Walker Dixon, in his
"Century of Village Nonconformity" (p. 73), thus alludes
to Earith Meeting-House, which stands pleasantly in the
quiet retirement of its own burial ground, on the margin
of the ancient road : — " From the caretaker's house on the
present Earith highroad, the long pathway, bordered by
shrubs and flowers, leads up the slight incline of the
pasture to the home-like Meeting-House, with windows
ample for light and air, ' yet provided with blinds that
withal our meditations be not disturbed by overmuch
even of God's best temporal gifts, but to preserve tem
perance in all things.' This is the withdrawing-room
from the distractions of the world, that is all, and it
is enough. All the necessities of Christian worship are
met. In this dear old spot, so redolent of the past,
precious memories mingle with the sweetness of the
violets that purple the grass of this quiet resting-place of
the dead. Here for generations have the gentle Friends
— though withal sturdy in holding to their principles —
time to eternity: "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright,
for the end of that man is peace." A considerable number of his
relatives, friends, and acquaintances followed the remains to the
silent grave, as a last mark of respect. (Taken from a Testimony
issued concering him.)

782 MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.
gathered for worship, and here still" [1887] "do their
descendants gather for the same purpose. One regret
fully looks for the picturesque and distinctive garb that in
the past completed the quaint picture of the ' First Day '
worship. But although this is wanting, yet their living
representatives still hold this truth, ' twice treasured ' in
their inmost hearts, 'God is a Spirit, and they that worship
Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth.' "
The quaint and distinctive garb to which this author
alludes will be seen by the picture, which represents
a gathering about the year 1837 to have not quite
departed. At the time the artist took his mental remem
brance of the scene, the picture formed part of the
extensive collection of Friends' portraits and memorials
made by his brother-in-law, the late John Thompson, of
Hitchin, and has descended with them from him to his
son Lawson Thompson, whose sister, Margaret Thompson,
coloured the photograph in the gallery.

BULL AND MOUTH MEETING.
Mezzotint 21 x 15 in.
"We have a great meeting-place," wrote Edward Burrough
in 1655, "which will hold a thousand people, which is
always nearly filled, there to thresh among the world."
This was what was so long known as the Bull and Mouth
or City Meeting, the earliest public place of meeting
possessed by Friends, and held by them during all the
times of sharp persecution until 1 740, when, in preference
for their more commodious premises in Gracechurch Street,
they terminated a tenancy of eighty-six years.
The engraving represents it in early times, when the

WESTMINSTER MEETING-HOUSE. 783
congregation mostly stood or were seated, with none of
the regularity observable in a modern congregation.
Apart from its thus giving an idea of one of these
assemblies, attention cannot fail to be directed towards
two figures in the near foreground, which are evidently
intended as portraits of William Penn and James II.
when Duke of York, between whom and the former
so strong a friendship existed ; and the acquaintance
thus formed both with the founder of Pennsylvania and
the ways of his Friends may have made the Duke when
become King the more ready, as he always was, to
show favour to Friends.

WESTMINSTER MEETING-HOUSE.
Photograph 1 1 x 8 in. ; Print 1 o x 8 in.
THE Meeting-House at Westminster, of which this
photograph is an interior view, was situate close to
Charing Cross, and approached by entries from Hem-
mings Row and St. Martin's Lane. It was a successor
and substitute for two previous structures used for that
purpose, one in the Almonry, near Westminster Abbey,
and the other in the Savoy, Strand, both of which had
been in the occupation of Friends from their first ap
pearance in London.
Dr. Fothergill was an earnest promoter of this union
of the two West End meetings in the near neighbourhood
of Charing Cross, and a contributor to the extent of
£1,300 towards the cost of the building. The ground
on which it stood was taken in 1779 of the Marquis of
Salisbury on a building lease, and several courts of small
houses then occupying the site were cleared away at the

784 MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.
cost of Friends, one of the buildings thus removed being
the workrooms of the celebrated sculptor Roubiliac.
John Bevans, who was also engaged in building the two
large Meeting-Houses in Hounsditch, was both its archi
tect and builder, and he succeeded in giving a quiet
grace and dignity to the work.
By the time the building lease had expired, street
improvements in the neighbourhood necessitated a change,
and the new premises a little distance off were scarcely
completed, before these changes in the thoroughfares
obliterated the whole of the so long known and much
honoured Westminster Meeting-House.
Memories of the great and good had their association
with these now vanished premises. David Barclay, grand
son of the Apologist, was, with Dr. Fothergill, one of its
munificent benefactors, and Gilbert Latey's memory, so
long connected with the old Savoy meeting, became,
through his descendants, linked to these Charing Cross
buildings, Richard Hawkins, his nephew, biographer, and
executor, being one of its members, and the donor to it, by
bequest,* of an extensive and valuable library ; and amid
the sixty volumes of tracts it contains, are some bearing
the autograph of George Fox. In this Meeting-House
John Pemberton and George Dillwyn, both eminent as

* By his will, dated 1734, he gave his books, to be placed in a
regular and handsome manner, for the giving liberty to any Friends,
or the sober children of any Friends, who might desire it, to read
any of such books ; and further, out of funds he left, was it desired
that the meeting do yearly cause to be laid out so much as they
shall think proper in the purchase of Friends' books, to be hand
somely placed with the others, in order to the leaving a perfect
collection of all Friends' books to posterity. John Whiting, then
a member of the meeting and author of the first printed Catalogue
of Friends' books, assisted in the formation of this library, and
Dr. Fothergill supplied a bookcase and a further collection of
Friends' tracts.

WESTMINSTER MEETING-HOUSE. 785
Ministers in their day, had preached, and William Savery,
whose voice first quickened the religious life of Elizabeth
Fry, had had good service ; and still more remarkable
in its uniqueness was the circumstance that in this now
vanished Westminster Meeting, there once took his seat
as one amongst the worshippers no less exalted a per
sonage than Alexander, Emperor of all the Russias, the
particulars relating to which occasion may be found in
the Memoirs of William Allen, who was the means of
introducing him there* (vol. i., p. 195).
Besides the photographic views of the interior of this
Meeting-House there is a print of it which, so far as the
building is concerned, gives a truthful representation, and
is interesting- as being the work of the elder Pugin, father
of the great architect who, on coming over to this Country
* In a private letter written on the same day, a young man, who
was one of those present, thus gives his account of the occurrence :
" I went to Westminster meeting quite by accident, and found very
few Friends there, owing, I suppose, to the wet weather, but about a
quarter past eleven a noise at the bottom of the meeting announced
the entrance of some strangers ; when, strange to tell, who should
it be, but William Allen introducing the Emperor Alexander, the
Duchess of Oldenburg, some foreign prince in his uniform, and
several other foreigners. The sight was, as thou mayst naturally
suppose, very gratifying, and my situation in meeting was so good
an one that I sat almost opposite to him all the time, and therefore
had an excellent opportunity of examining his features and behaviour.
John Wilkinson was, very fortunately, at meeting, and spoke to some
length very excellently. Richard Philips also spoke, and gave us a
short and beautiful exhortation. The Emperor and rest showed the
greatest attention, and they really seemed to take great interest in the
meeting. After it concluded the Emperor shook hands with Richard
Philips and several other men Friends," which greetings seem to
have been cordial and general, and the youthful writer further
narrated how he "hat on — ventured to step a little before the
Emperor and bow, as he was very slowly passing; he did the same,
and in a very condescending way took my hand, and at the same
time smiled in so gracious and pleasing a manner as quite pene
trated my heart." (This letter is given more fully in Beck and Ball's
London Meetings.)
50

786 MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.
as a French Royalist refugee, obtained employment at
first as a professor and teacher of drawing. The figures
are by Rowlandson, the caricaturist of the day, and their
truthfulness may be taken with some reserve. But it was
not unusual, even in later times, for Friends in the body
of the meeting to rise upon their feet and remain standing,
partly for relief in a change of posture, and in some cases
to overcome a feeling of drowsiness which, as children,
many now living may remember having been set to do
for a similar purpose.

MEETING-HOUSE, ST. MARTIN'S LANE.
Three Photographs, each 1 1 X 8 in.
THE present Westminster Meeting-House, of which the
Institute Collection has three photographic views of its
interior, is in St. Martin's Lane, on the opposite side to
the former one, and a little further north from Charing
Cross. The freehold of these premises was purchased in 1882,
and the new Meeting-House erected, with cloak-rooms and
schoolrooms, obtained by adaptations of portions of the
existing premises.
They form, as a whole, a very complete and convenient
arrangement for the varied purposes of a Friends' Meeting
and First Day Schools. The purchase of the site and the
erections and alterations involved a large outlay, which
drew forth the bountiful liberality of Westminster Friends
in assistance to the Six Weeks' Meeting which carried out
the works.

stoke newington MEETING-HOUSE. 787
STOKE NEWINGTON MEETING-HOUSE.
Original Sketch Design by William Alderson, its
Architect, 12 X 10 in ; Print 9X6 in.
William Alderson was a native of Dent Dale in the
West Riding of Yorkshire, and a younger son in a large
family. Having shown a predilection for drawing and
design, he served his articles in George Harrison's office,
who was an eminent architect at Chester, and on coming
to London at their expiration he obtained employment
in the office of the architect (Laing) who was then en
gaged in building the Custom House. William Aider-
son, on entering practice for himself, quickly gained
the confidence of his friends, and executed works to
their satisfaction. He showed his superior abilities by
becoming the successful competitor, amongst the leading
architects of the day, in a public competition for the
County Lunatic Asylum at Hanwell, and used gratefully
to acknowledge the benefit Samuel Tuke's advice on
the subject had been to him in the preparation of his
design ; for there is no doubt the arrangements this
led him to adopt (which were then novel in their
character) contributed greatly to this success, and they
have been followed in other asylums. William Alderson
became associated with the then county surveyor in carrying
out this design, but his health failed him, and he retired
from London practice when still in early life. His design
and the carrying out of Friends' Meeting-House at Stoke
Newington remain a good memorial of his architectural
talent, especially as to a sense of proportion.

788 meetings and meeting-houses.
PICTURE OF A QUAKERS' MEETING.
Oil Painting 30 x 24 w.
This picture, the gift of Joseph J. Green to the gallery, is
attributed to Egbert Hemskerke. It is pleasing in the tone
of its colour, and the treatment of the figures is com
paratively free from the vulgarity observable in some of
the representations of these early assemblies by unsym
pathetic artists. It is evident that the circumstance of the
listening to a female preacher has been the leading idea
connected with a Quakers' conventicle, and it will be
observed that although there is this freedom to address
the assembly, no stand is provided for the men Friends ;
and it does not seem as if in the early arrangements
any such was provided for women Friends to speak from.
It has also been thought, from the character of the room,
that the scene of the picture is a Dutch, rather than
an English Meeting-House.
The artist, Egbert Hemskerke, was born at Haarlem in
1645. He studied under Peter Grebber, but imitated
the manner of Brauwer. He quitted his own Country
to settle in London, where for a long time his pictures
were highly esteemed. He had great humour, with a
lively imagination, which caused him to delight in wild,
fanciful, and uncommon subjects. He also painted wakes
and rural sports, which he represented in a very spirited
manner. He died in London in 1704.

THE QUAKERS' SYNOD. 789
THE QUAKERS' SYNOD.
Drawing 29 x 22 in ; Print 7x5 in.
THIS is a drawing enlarged from a print in a book pub
lished by Francis Bugg, a scurrilous adversary, and called
" Pilgrim's Progress from Quakerism to Christianity." It is
nevertheless interesting as a very early representation of this
Assembly whenit was a gathering not too large in numbers
to meet in a room about the size, and probably very much
the shape, of the present Meeting for Sufferings' room.
The frequent recurrence of the term " Deputies " written
over those assembled, marks the arrangement, which, in
its first institution, aroused some opposition of confining
the attendance of its sittings to those who might have
been appointed by the Quarterly Meetings. No one, after
the decease of George Fox, had more share in the settle
ment of Society arrangements than George Whitehead,
and as such he became especially obnoxious to Francis
Bugg, who was one of its opponents. This accounts both
for the prominent position and the large size given to
George Whitehead, whom he used to satirise as " the Lord
High Cardinal of the Quakers," and in support of one of his
charges that the Friends exalted their canons and George
Fox's Journal too highly, they are seen placed on the
table where now the Concordance and the Bible are to
be found. The brisk-looking Friend who sits at the
table's head is Benjamin Bealing, the Recording Clerk,
who signed thirty-two Yearly Meeting Epistles during his
prolonged term of office. The date of the print is 1698.

SCHOOLS.

ACKWORTH SCHOOL.
Photograph 44 X 9 in.; Lithograph coloured 14 x 8 in.
Established a.d. 1779 ; Total Number of Scholars
admitted to the end of 1887  io,228*
In the year 1757 Seaton's farm at Ackworth and several
fields adjoining were bought by the Governors of the
London Foundling Hospital. Their object was to obtain
a more healthy home for the little ones, and greater
facility in training the older to industrial pursuits. The
farmhouse was soon found too small, and plans were
drawn up for a larger place, which would accommodate
five hundred children. The result was the present build
ing, almost as it now appears from the front, with its
centre and two wings and colonnades. The total cost
was about £13,000, covered partly by subscription, partly
by a Parliamentary grant. When the latter was dis
continued, it was found impossible to carry on the county
branches, and on the 25th July, 1773, the caravan f be-
* These numbers for each of the " Public Schools " are taken from
the " Synopsis " presented to the Yearly Meeting of 1888.
+ A large covered cart or waggon such as those used by gipsies.
When the Ackworth one took four and a half days it was thought
too quick by the nurses. A hammock was slung inside for the little
ones.

792

SCHOOLS.

longing to the hospital conveyed the last remnant of the
Ackworth foundlings to London. The total number re
ceived into the hospital was 2,664, of whom the majority
were apprenticed to masters in the neighbourhood. The
place remained shut up for six years, although extensively
advertised for sale. Amongst the first generation of
Friends were several able schoolmasters who had few com
petent successors. The Yearly Meeting often felt much
concern on the subject of education, and urged the atten
tion of Friends to it in one epistle after another, until the
year 1777, when the following minute was adopted — "It
being the judgment of this Yearly Meeting that encour
agement for boarding schools, suitable for the education
of children whose parents are not in affluence, will be
advantageous, the consideration of a plan proper to this
purpose is referred to the Meeting for Sufferings, to
be laid before the Meeting next year, to which Friends
in the country are desired to give their attention and
assistance." This minute, like the others, might have
resulted in nothing but for the energy of Dr. John Fother
gill, a man who had risen to a very high position in the
medical and scientific world. During a visit to his native
county of Yorkshire he heard that the Ackworth Hospital
was for sale, and the idea at once occurred to him, that it
would be suitable for a school, such as the Yearly Meeting
desired. On his return to London he consulted with
other Friends, and introduced the subject to the Meeting
for Sufferings, which desired to leave the subject open for
discussion at the next Yearly Meeting. An immediate
settlement was necessary, and several Friends " generously
stepped forward with an offer to bear the Meeting for
Sufferings harmless, should the ensuing Yearly Meeting
decline the purchase." The Yearly Meeting happily did
not do so, but took up the matter with enthusiasm. A

ACKWORTH SCHOOL.

793

considerable sum of money was soon raised, in the form of
donations, annual subscriptions, bills of admission, costing
eight guineas each, which entitled the owner to send a
child to the school for one year, and payments for which
a life annuity was to be received at the rate of 5 per cent.
Dr. Fothergill headed the list with a donation of £300,
and £200 by. way of annuity, and at his death in 1780
he left to the school £50 a year, with an additional £50
for the first five years. The price of the estate was £7,000,
which was raised by donations alone in two years.
The government was vested in the Yearly Meeting,
which arranged that affairs should be administered by a
General Meeting of representatives from the various
Quarterly Meetings. This gathering was empowered to
appoint an executive committee, which consisted of two
distinct parts known as the London and County Committees.
The former met in London, the latter at Ackworth, and it is
not matter for surprise that they frequently held different
opinions on the same subject. This led to considerable
friction at times, and as early as 1794 the County Com
mittee suggested that a new form of government should
be introduced. Naturally the power of those who ad
ministered affairs on the spot increased year by year, and
after a time their London brethren ceased to oppose them.
One of the last differences that occurred was with regard
to the supply of beer, which the County friends wished to
abolish, whilst the London ones desired that it should be
made better. " Teetotalism won the day, and the brew-
house was transformed into a water-tank." The London
Committee was done away with in 1869, and a general one
formed, which consisted of a larger number, and included
several London Friends.
The first committee meeting was occupied in an inspec
tion of the premises, and the second one in arranging for a

794

SCHOOLS.

Meeting-House. Arrangements were also made to pay part
of the travelling expenses of those from a distance ; in
consequence of this, the majority of the early scholars
were from distant counties.
Extensive repairs and alterations were carried out.
John Hill, of London, offered his services as superin
tendent, and Joseph Donbavand and Hannah Reay were
selected as the first teachers at a salary of £20.
Premises and officers were now ready, and on the
1 8th October, 1779, Barton and Ann Gates from Poole
entered the establishment as its first pupils. In fifteen
months 309 scholars took up their abode in the School.
This was an age of rules, and six years after the
opening, a codification of laws took place which regulated
diet, behaviour in school and out, at meals, meeting, etc.
These were read aloud every month to the boys, who
ceased to pay any attention to them as soon as they had
become familiar.
The children's clothing was supplied by the School, and
continued to be made for many years after the fashion of
the garments of the first generation. This gave the later
ones a ridiculous appearance to outsiders, and the clothes
were generally discarded as soon as possible after leaving
school. Thomas Pumphrey has carefully described the
dress of both sexes. The wardrobe of the boys included
cocked hat, long-tailed coat, leather breeches, and buckled
shoes, while the girls wore stuff gowns, white caps, and
neck-handkerchiefs. During the first two years of its existence the School
gave great satisfaction, and the officials must have been
kept very busy in making arrangements for the reception
of so large a number. At the end of that time disease
and death entered, and we are briefly told in the minute-
book, that " there died of small-pox three boys in the

ACKWORTH SCHOOL.

795

natural way." This led to a rule that a guinea should be
paid for each child who took this disease, and an extra
guinea for funeral expenses in case of death. Of the
ninety-three deaths which have occurred in the School
since its foundation, fifty-seven occurred in the first half
century, and only thirty-six in the remaining sixty years,
which shows a great improvement in the general health
of the School in recent times. Arranged in decades the
numbers of deaths are 14, 11, 8, 7, 17, 10, 9, 6, 6S 5, o.
Although the education given was in advance of that
of the middle-class schools of the time, the range of studies
was very limited, being confined to reading, spelling,
writing, and arithmetic, with a little grammar. The
library books accessible were small, and consisted mainly
of the journals and lives of well-known Friends.
Few events of exceptional character are recorded during
John Hill's time, and he resigned his post in 1789, on the
ground of weak health and failing powers. He received
from the Committee a parting gift of 200 guineas as a
mark of their esteem.
Until another Superintendent could be met with, Thomas
Hodgkin, one of the masters, was at the head of affairs.
In the absence of a proper head the discipline got into a
bad state, but was soon set right again under the stern
rule of John Hipsley, who entered upon his duties in 1791.
In the same year extensive improvements were made in
the drainage, and the boys were divided into five schools
instead of four.
Two years later, the Committee gave orders " that a
path of flagstones be made from the Committee room
steps to the garden gates." Up and down these (and the
succeeding asphalt path still called "the flags") have
promenaded, for nearly a century, brothers and sisters and
cousins from the opposite wings, of varying degrees of

796 SCHOOLS.
kinship. A competent authority states that " of all the
forces existent in human elements, it is probable that not
one has exerted an influence more powerful and permanent
upon large masses of old Ackworth scholars than the
gracious and ennobling converse of the sisters and cousins
of the West Wing upon the boys of all time since those
flags became their happy rendezvous."
In the summer of 1795 John Hipsley retired and gave
place to Dr. Jonathan Binns, an eminent physician in
Liverpool. John Hipsley, like his predecessor, received a
present of 200 guineas, and his son shortly afterwards
received "a small horse, which was not of much use to
the Institution," as a gratuity for his services as book
keeper. The state of the finances now gave great concern to the
Yearly Meeting, which urged Friends to greater liberality.
They also raised the price of bills of admission to ten
guineas, which was further increased by two guineas a few
years later. In 1848 there was again a demand for
increased income, and the system of graduated payments
(£10, £15, and £20) was introduced. The present
charges are £15, £20, £26, £32, and £40, arranged
according to the ability of the parents to pay, except in
the case of those who are not members of the Society of
Friends, who are expected to pay the highest rate.
In addition to the alteration of charges, a sub-committee
investigated all departments with a view to economy. They
drew up a " bill of fare," which remained in force for many
years, and recommended greater care in the brewery and
in clothing expenses. In spite of this the balance was on
the wrong side again in 1795 and 1796, which were years
of great scarcity, when corn could with difficulty be got at
any price.
In 1 803 an epidemic of malignant scarlet fever appeared,

ACKWORTH SCHOOL.

797

and no fewer than 200 children suffered from it ; seven
cases terminated fatally. In the following year Dr. Binns
resigned, owing to continual disagreement with the Com
mittee ; he was the last of those who undertook the office
without salary.
Robert Whitaker, the bookkeeper, fulfilled the duties
of Superintendent so well, that when no Friend could be
found to take Dr. Binns's place, he was elected to the post,
which he held for nearly thirty years, with great satisfaction
to the Committee.
In 1 8 10 steam-pipes were used for heating the school
rooms, in which previously there had been but one fire to
each, and that well guarded. It was not till ten years
later that the Meeting-House was similarly warmed, and
then not very effectually.
In 1812 Robert Whitaker married the housekeeper,
Hannah Dumbleton. The Committee gave a wedding
present of £100, and " the elms " were planted at the top
of the great garden in honour of the event.
Up to this time no direct Scriptural instruction was
given in the School, but in 181 3 the Committee gave
the subject serious attention. It received a great impetus
from Joseph John Gurney, who advised that Bibles should
be supplied to all children at their entrance, and who con
ducted the Scripture examination at the General Meeting
himself, and roused a wide-spread interest in the subject.
In 1 8 19 certain small apartments were erected,
ironically known as " the light and airy rooms," in
which offenders suffered solitary confinement for breaches
of discipline. Prison fare, furniture, and treatment were
given to the inhabitants of these dismal abodes, though
usually for a short time only. Nevertheless several cases
of a week's imprisonment are on record, and one of three
weeks.

798 SCHOOLS.
An important change was made at this period in
the dress of the boys by the abolition of leather breeches.
Class examinations were substituted for individual ones
at the General Meeting, an arrangement satisfactory to
all parties concerned.
A year later (1821) Joseph Donbavand was released
from his position, and retired with a pension of £50,
He had served the School faithfully and well from its
commencement, and was one of the best caligraphists
of his time. In 1802 he published some writing copies
which were better than any that had appeared up to
that time, combining " a marvellously simple grace with
a fine and noble dignity, which have made them the
envy of all succeeding caligraphists."
Several improvements were introduced at this period,
such as separate washbowls, backs to the seats, and a
boarded floor for the Meeting-House, single beds for
some, a minute hand to the clock, which had previously
gone its rounds with one hand only, plates instead of
wooden trenchers, and flannel vests for winter wear.
On the retirement of Robert Whitaker in 1834, soon
after the death of his wife, the duties of the Super
intendent were considerably diminished, and a master
on duty (John Newby) was appointed to look after the
boys out of school.
In the same year " the Emancipation of Slaves " was
celebrated by a meeting at which Joseph John Gurney,
John Bright, Luke Howard, F.R.S., and Thomas Lister
took leading parts. Verses were written for the occasion
by several of the children, and four prizes were given for
the best ones.
Thomas Pumphrey, of Worcester, succeeded Robert
Whitaker, and soon after, he entered on his duties
various reforms were made, including the formation of

ACKWORTH SCHOOL. 799
a workshop, increased facility in obtaining holidays, the
abolition of " wick-picking," and the introduction of gas,
the expense of which was defrayed by subscription.
Thomas Pumphrey's powers were taxed to the utmost
about this time by several untoward events. Scarlatina
appeared, and caused three deaths, Rachel Pumphrey
died, and the discipline of the School was in a very
relaxed state. Written examinations were substituted
for viva voce ones in 1845, though not without opposition
from certain members of the staff, and the boys were
divided into nine classes.
In 1 846 " the building era " was initiated, and we
may here record the successive developments of the
place in this respect. The original building consisted
of a centre with two wings, to which it was attached
by colonnades. The first change of importance was
the erection of a shed in 1806, as a shelter in wet
weather ; it is the same length as the boys' wing, to
which it runs parallel. In 1839 the approach to the
School was made less gloomy by the removal of a
high wall, and two years afterwards a dining-room was
built out behind the West Wing, and the apartment
previously used for the purpose was converted into a
room for Sunday Evening Readings, Lectures, etc., taking
to itself the name of " the Reading Room." Operations
were undertaken in 1846 which cost £8,424, and in
cluded the erection of a new Meeting-House, several
houses for the officers, shops for the Tailor and Shoe
maker, besides the formation of a suite of apartments
for the Superintendent, the raising of the Boys' Wing,
and the construction of the large vestibule. It was
not long before improvements similar to some of these
were called for and carried out in the Girls' Wing also.
The changes for the better in the laundry, bakehouse,

800 SCHOOLS.
etc., made in 1872, at a cost of over £3,000, were
paid for by Joseph Pease. Four years later a fine
bath-room and excellent lavatories were erected for the
boys and girls at a cost of £4,450. Since that time
no great additions have been made, though some, such
as the building of the music-rooms, covering in of the
gymnasium, and the conversion of No. 1 1 into a lecture-
room, have been eminently serviceable.
A large sum of money was also expended in 185 1
and a few following years, in arranging for a superior
water-supply. The Bell Close spring failed in that year,
and a bore was made in the Washing Mill Field, from
which 80,000 gallons a day could be obtained. A
pump worked by steam was put in to force the water
into a cistern on the roof, capable of containing 11,000
gallons. Specimens of the water obtained were sub
mitted to an analyst, who pronounced them almost unique
in the large quantity of washing soda they contained
(35-43 grains to the gallon). He did not, however,
consider this an injurious property. It is to this period
(1859) that we owe the swimming bath (100 feet by 35),
which was paid for by some of the old scholars, and
the drinking fountain, supplied at the expense of Samuel
Gurney. For the first sixty-eight years of the School's existence
there had been no general vacation. A practice crept
in at a very early period of allowing boys who had
been at school two years to visit their homes for a few
weeks. The teachers also were allowed a short time
off every year. When it became the custom for large
numbers of children to go away every year, a great
amount of unsettlement was experienced in the school
rooms. Under the old system, it often happened that
children left their homes, not to return to them till

ACKWORTH SCHOOL. 801
the end of the four or five years of their sojourn at
Ackworth, when they were sometimes so changed in
appearance that their own parents did not know them,
and vice versd. This state of affairs terminated in 1 847,
when an experimental vacation was given, with such
satisfactory results that it at once became annual. The
making and carrying out of the arrangements naturally
fell, for the most part, upon the Superintendent. The
proceedings passed off without a hitch, and by one
o'clock on the 27th July, 1847, the School was deserted
for the first time. There is no doubt that great benefits
have resulted from the introduction of vacations, but
there are a few drawbacks, the chief of which is an
increased liability to the introduction of infectious
diseases. " The Green '' (as it is still called) was asphalted
in 1859, and two years later a new turret clock was
supplied through the liberality of several Friends. This
was also a time of great activity in Natural History,
Essay writing, and games ; cricket received a great
impetus by the laying of a cricket pitch at Joseph
Rowntree's expense. Soon after, however, hockey was
introduced, and raged for a season, to the exclusion of
other pursuits.
In an examination of the School in 1861 by William
Davis, B.A., satisfactory results were obtained in Reading,
Spelling, Geography, History, Grammar, but it was quite
otherwise with Latin, and the recently introduced Algebra
and Euclid. The report of the next examiner, a dozen
years later, was very much in the same style.
In 1 86 1 Thomas Pumphrey resigned his position,
feeling that his days of active service were over, but he
had the satisfaction of handing over his charge in a
highly satisfactory state. George Satterthwaite succeeded
Si

802 SCHOOLS.
him, but did not enter upon the duties of the office till
1862. In the meantime a memorable treat was given
to all the children, on the occasion of Thomas Pumphrey's
sixtieth birthday. He retired the same year to a house
at the bottom of the garden, where he died a few weeks
later, worn out by his services to the Institution.
The early part of George Satterthwaite's reign was
much disturbed by disease and death. Nevertheless the
marriage of the Prince of Wales in 1863 was celebrated
with great enthusiasm, — trees were planted, banners dis
played, and after tea an entertainment in the dining-room
gave great pleasure to all concerned.
John Newby retired in the same year, after forty-four
years' service in the School. He took a house in the
village, where he resided till his death in 1876. The
latter part of his life was largely devoted to philanthropic
work. George Satterthwaite resigned at the end of eleven
years' service, so as to be more at liberty for religious
work. In his place the Committee selected Josiah
Evans, who had had a teacher's training. The appoint
ment of a house-steward relieved him of some of his
duties, so that he was able to devote more time to the
educational requirements of the School. He at once
proposed the division of the boys into five classes, each
taught by a master and an assistant junior teacher. This
plan is still in vogue, and is considered satisfactory.
In 1876 the first Christmas vacation was given, and
though scarlatina appeared soon after, it could not be
traced to the new departure.
The following year Josiah Evans was succeeded by the
present Superintendent, Frederick Andrews, B.A.
The most notable event of the last ten years has been
the celebration of the Centenary of the School, on the 26th

ACKWORTH SCHOOL.

803

and 27th June, 1879, at the conclusion of the General
Meeting. The first gathering of old scholars and others
for the purpose was in the Meeting-House, under the
presidency of Thomas Harvey, of Leeds. The chief
feature of this meeting was a sketch of the life of Dr.
John Fothergill. The remainder of the time was taken
up with speeches from Samuel Fothergill (great-nephew
of the Founder), Walter Wilson (brother of the Right
Honourable James Wilson), Henry Ecroyd Clark (mis
sionary in Madagascar), and Joseph Simpson. All the
speakers on this occasion, and the similar one held the day
after, with only one exception, were men who had received
their education at Ackworth. The Meeting next day was
held in a tent on the girls' playground, which was filled
to overflowing, although accommodation was provided for
nearly 2,000. James Henry Barber, of Sheffield, took the
chair, and after the report of the Centenary Committee
had been read, John Stephenson Rowntree, of York, was
called upon to read his " Sketch of the History of Ack
worth School." This interesting paper was followed by
several speeches from, amongst others, Henry Ashworth,
the first of the trio, known popularly as the A B C of the
Anti-Corn Law League, J. F. B. Firth, M.P., who is best
known as a vigorous advocate of municipal reform, Frede
rick Andrews, the Superintendent, Henry Thompson, the
historian of the School, and Thomas Puplett, who had
spent forty-three years in the School in various capacities.
Afterwards two trees were planted on the Girls' Green,
one by the infant daughter of the Superintendent, the
other by one of the youngest boys ; commemoration
medals were distributed ; sports, athletic and aquatic,
indulged in ; and the conclusion of the day was taken
up with an entertainment by the children, which was
heartily enjoyed both by performers and audience.

8184 SCHOOLS.
In addition to this, a memorial of a more permanent
character was provided in the form of a Library, which is
highly valued by those who have access to it. Money
was also invested for the purpose of keeping up the Library
and improving the science teaching. The total amount sub
scribed to the fund for these purposes was about £3,500.
In 1887 the Queen's Jubilee was celebrated with great
Mat. The principal features of the day were the supply
of a more liberal diet, the enjoyment of a whole holiday,
almost without restraint of any kind, a meeting in the
Meeting-House, at which recitations and original songs
were rendered by some of the children, besides several
pieces of music by a company of hand-bell ringers, and,
in conclusion, a display of fireworks. We do not doubt
that the memory of the day will long live in the minds of
the scholars of that generation.
Although there are few events to record during the
last few years, yet the School has, we believe, progressed,
and in the autumn of 1887 the number of scholars was
higher than it had been during any of the previous sixty
years. The West Wing was specially full, owing, in a
great measure, to the introduction of music, which now
employs the whole time pf three teachers.
In its present form the School consists of five classes of
boys and four of girls, to each of which are attached a
senior and junior teacher, except in the case of the lowest
on each side, which have three and four instructors
respectively. There are also a master and mistress on
duty, whose business it is to take charge of the children
out of school. Besides these, efficient masters visit the
school to instruct the children in Drawing, Drilling, and
Carpentry, the last of which has been introduced, in two
classes on the boys' side, as a step in the direction of
Technical Education.

ACKWORTH SCHOOL. 805
The curriculum now includes a number of subjects
of which the earlier generations had no knowledge.
Algebra, Geometry, and French were not taught at all
during the first sixty years, and Geography, History, and
even Scripture were not included in the ordinary course
of study during the first thirty years of the School's
existence. Science as a regular school subject is of
recent introduction. Naturally the few subjects to which
all the time was originally devoted, Reading, Writing,
etc., have suffered to some extent in consequence of these
innovations. Intellectual activity, in the way of extra
work, has seldom, if ever, been surpassed. In the Senior
and Junior Essay, Natural History, and Debating Socie
ties good work is being done. The Junior Essay and
Debating Societies are of modern growth, and do not
as yet claim the pen of the historian. Of the others
we append a short account, but before doing so a few
words may be devoted to the Society of Arts. It had
its rise in 1836, under the able presidency of John
Newby, to encourage drawing, mapping, modelling, etc.
During its early years a large amount of work was done,
though not perhaps of first-rate quality. It drooped
during "the dark ages" (about 1842), but was revived
ten years later. It is not at present an important factor
in the School, for though a large amount of time is
devoted to drawing and painting, it is not done under
the auspices of the Society.
The Natural History Society was inaugurated in 1884,
and its meetings are held monthly. The members have
the privilege of going out walks on half-holidays, and the
use of the Natural History room, which was fitted up at
the expense of the Old Scholars' Association. Natural
History has been followed in its different branches at
many previous periods of the School's history, but never

806 SCHOOLS.
before so systematically or under such favourable circum
stances. The first Essay Society was started in 1816, under
the title of the " Juvenile Association for the Promotion
of Moral and Intellectual Improvement," but it soon died
out. A similar one was begun in 1821, called the
" Association for the Improvement of the Mind," which
did a large amount of work in the first decade of its
existence. In three years four hundred essays were read,
and amongst its earlier members of note were William A.
Miller, John Hattersley, a poet and mathematician who
became a tutor at Cambridge University, Thomas Harvey,
and Thomas Lister, the Barnsley Poet and well-known
ornithologist. In connection with the Association at this
period was brought out the Ackworth Gazette, giving
accounts of interesting events both in the School and in
the world at large. It collapsed, along with the Society
of Arts, about the year 1841. Eleven years later another
was started, which has existed up to the present time.
Membership is confined to the two highest classes and
the teachers. The annual excursions to places of interest
in the neighbourhood, such as Bolton Abbey and Chats-
worth, are greatly enjoyed.
Several references have been made in the above narra
tive to the General Meeting, which is held yearly at
Ackworth in the last week of June. Its business pro
ceedings consist chiefly in the examination of the children
and the appointment of Friends to serve on the Com
mittee in place of those annually retiring. Prior to 1887
the Friends' Provident Institution held its meeting during
this time, and the Friends' First-Day School Association
still does so. The General Meeting is, however, apart
from its business functions, an occasion for the reunion of
many who from various causes are interested in the

ACKWORTH SCHOOL.

807

School. An " Ackworth Old Scholars' Association " holds
its annual gathering during the General Meeting^-an
opportunity for the renewal of former friendships and
strengthening the bond of affection between the old
scholars and their old school. This Association prints
reports of its meetings, a list of its members scattered far
and wide over the earth, and an account of the events
which have happened at Ackworth during the past year.
The children who have been educated at Ackworth
School have mostly been of a class which has not much
opportunity of shining in the higher walks of life, but
there are some among the ten thousand boys and girls
who have dwelt within its walls who have risen to con
siderable eminence in the world.
The Right Hon. John Bright, M.P., the famous orator,
was at Ackworth School during the year 1822-23. His
career, identified with so many questions of reform, is too
well known to need any detailing here. Closely con
nected with Bright and Cobden in the Anti-Corn-Law
League is Henry Ashworth, " through a long life a steady
advocate of peace, retrenchment, and reform." Amongst
modern financiers few names are better known than that
of the Right Hon. James Wilson, for three years an
Ackworth scholar ; after a brilliant political career he
died at Calcutta in i860, having drawn up a successful
scheme for the financial government of British India.
In art, W. Barnes Boadle and Richard Redfern have
had considerable success, and their works have been
exhibited in recent years at the Royal Academy.
In the literary world, William Howitt the poet, and
author of a lengthy and valuable history known as
"Cassell's History of England," has probably attained
more renown than any other Ackworth scholar, but
amongst other names we may notice Jeremiah Holmes

8b8 SCHOOLS
Wiffen, whose greatest work is a translation into
English verse of Tasso's epic, and Mrs. Ellis {nee
Stickney), the authoress of many books for women.
J. F. Bottomley Firth, M.P., has written a bulky volume
on the branch of reform in which he is particularly
interested, entitled ' Municipal London.'
Amongst scientists, William Allen Miller has won
distinction as a writer and lecturer on chemistry, George
Stewartson Brady, M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S., and his brother,
Henry Bowman Brady, F.R.S., F.L.S., F.G.S., are famous
in various branches of science, and John Gilbert Baker,
F.R.S., etc., stands in the foremost rank of botanists.
But far more important than the fact that some few
celebrated names are to be found on the roll of Ackworth
Scholars is the good influence which for more than a
century the great boarding-school has had upon successive
generations of Friends.
For training its youth in business-like habits, in a love
of justice, in a fondness for its principles, the Society has
had no more potent instrument than Ackworth School.
Long may it continue its useful work, and long remain a
blessing to the Society of Friends and to the world at
large. The foregoing account was written specially for this " Bio
graphical Catalogue " by Joseph John Jopling, one of the appren
tices in the School (iS

" The School was declared open and received its first
pupils on the 18th of loth month, 1779. After the turn
of the year the number of scholars increased rapidly.
By the Fifth Month there were 123 children in the
School; at the General Meeting there were 219 — viz.,
134 boys and 85 girls ; and before the School had been
open twelve months the scholars numbered 256, when
the Committee felt they must fix a limit, which, on

ACKWORTH SCHOOL. 809
deliberation, they concluded should be 300 — the number
originally suggested, but never before settled. The
proportion of each sex was arranged by the proportion
of the two classes in the School at the time. The
maxima were settled to be 180 boys and 120 girls.
The rule was not very strictly observed, but the numbers
were a guide, and Friends were at once advised through
the agents, not to buy ' bills of admission ' before ascer
taining that there were likely to be vacancies. In spite
of these resolutions and efforts the numbers increased, and
on New Year's Day, 1781, there were 309 children in
the School."
The average number in 1887, boys 176, and girls
117. Total 293.
For further particulars, from which the preceding paragraph is
taken, see " A History of Ackworth School during its First Hundred
Years," by Henry Thompson, 1879.

8 10 SCHOOLS.
SAFFRON WALDEN SCHOOL.
Islington Road: Engraving 3x2 in.
Croydon : Two Photographs, each 1 9 x 15 in.
Saffron Walden : Two Photographs, each 11X7 in.
Established as Friends' School and Workhouse in
Clerkenwell about a.d. 1702.
Removed to Islington Road, to premises built for the
purpose, 1788.
Removed to Croydon, to premises adapted, 1825.
Removed to Saffron Walden, to premises built for
the purpose, 1879.
Total Number of Children admitted from 181 i to end
of 1887—2,542.
The two photographic views are of the extensive premises
at Croydon, so long familiar to Friends as those occupied
by the Boys and Girls' Friends' School, under the care of
London and Middlesex Quarterly Meeting, as organised
in the year 1 8 1 1 . The origin of the Institution is, how
ever, much more ancient, for it is one of the oldest
endowed schools in the Society, as the Minutes of its
Committee of Management exist from the year 1701.
In its earliest stages it was both a workhouse and school,
commenced in 1702 by Friends of London Quarterly
Meeting, in some premises in Clerkenwell fitted up by
them for the purpose. The premises were known as the
" Corporation Workhouse," a large building erected about
1663 at a cost of £5,000, at the expense of the metro
politan parishes, for the reception of their poor, and an
industrial school for the poor orphans, etc. The scheme,
however, was not eventually a success, and it was taken
by Friends for similar objects connected with their own
community. The premises, which occupied three sides
of a quadrangle, were subsequently bought by the city
authorities of Middlesex, and added to the enlargement

SAFFRON WALDEN SCHOOL. 8ll
of their prison (the one where the Fenian prisoners were
confined when, for their attempted release, that diabolic
explosion occurred). Whilst Friends' Workhouse and
School was thus located in the Clerkenwell premises, with
its paddock, where the horses of public Friends were
taken in to graze, work predominated over education, and
the poor and aged were a more important element than
the youth, who at first were chiefly orphans. Boys were
received into the Institution in 1703, and girls in 1704,
and at the early age of seven years. The elders took
their meals by themselves, and so did the children. The
latter spun mop yarn (for thrum mops), the girls making
and mending the house- clothing, and the boys being
taught to read, write, and cypher. The elders were ad
mitted from all parts of the town on a responsible Friend
undertaking to pay 3s. per week ; the like with the
children at is. per week. Every morning, rising at five
in summer and six in winter, these took a cold bath ;
only two hours a day were allotted for reading and
writing till 1768, when about half their time was given
to education. They brewed their own beer in the house ;
and so that the younger ones might learn housekeeping,
a large kitchen was fitted up for the purpose. Here that
which was the future Croydon School remained for
nearly a century, until 1788, and of its career rather a
minute account may be found in Beck and Ball's London
Meetings. When the authorities, wanting the premises
for the enlargement of their prison, bought the leasehold,
Friends moved this ancient school and workhouse to new
premises, which they erected for the purpose on land
leased by them from the Brewers' Company, being a part
of a then rural district near the " Angel " known as
" Hermitage Field." Malcolm the topographer, speaking
of the establishment when in this location, under date of

8l2 SCHOOLS.
1803, describes " the house, meeting, schools, apartments,
and stairs being as white and clean as brushes and in
dustry will make them. The ceilings are remarkably
high, and the windows large ; consequently the rooms
are perfectly dry and well-aired. The outside has the
appearance of a villa, surrounded as it is by pleasure
grounds, gardens, and trees." The architect and con
structor of this building, of which Malcolm gives a view,
was John Bevans, who was similarly engaged on the
large Meeting-Houses at Devonshire House, on West
minster Meeting-House, and others. In 181 1 a great
change was made. The aged Friends were otherwise
provided for, and the establishment became modelled on
the then recently established school by -the Yearly
Meeting at Ackworth, and was confined to educational
purposes. Nine Quarterly Meetings around London
were united to assist and send children, and the name
was changed to " Friends' School, under the care of the
Quarterly Meeting of London and Middlesex." At this
time the premises were adapted to hold one hundred
children. It was not, however, long before the whole
neighbourhood of Islington was so built over, that a more
country situation was again sought for, and in 1825 the
School was removed to the then rural district of Croydon.
Here a spacious, well-built mansion, standing in exten
sive grounds, was purchased for £5,500, and by the
addition of wings and other works, at a further cost of
£8,000, the School was placed in excellent premises for
the purpose, and the cost was defrayed by generous
subscriptions from Friends of London and Middlesex
Quarterly Meeting, and also some from the neighbouring
associated Quarterly Meetings, which were henceforward
more connected with its management. The Islington Road
property was let on ground rents, and was soon covered

SAFFRON WALDEN SCHOOL. 813
by streets of houses. The Croydon premises became
enlarged from time to time as educational needs de
veloped. The School, on its first settling there, was
placed under the management of Henry and Edith
Dymond ; then came Edward F. Brady and wife ; after
them John Sharp, who died greatly regretted, after nine
years of service, and the Committee had the sorrow to
lose Charles Fryer, his successor, within a year of his
appointment ; then, after an interval, during which his
widow had charge of the household, William and Mary
Ann Robinson became Superintendents, and in 1869
George Frederick Linney and his wife succeeded them.
The same causes which had made the two previous
changes of location necessary began to make a further
move desirable, when railway extension was converting
Croydon from a rural district into a metropolitan suburb.
The near neighbourhood of seven railway stations made
land too valuable to be kept vacant from building, and
the locality too crowded with dwellings for the healthy
recreation of a large school ; so the establishment which,
for nearly a century, had been known among Friends
as Clerkenwell Workhouse and School, then for some
forty years as Islington Road School, and afterwards, for
fully half a century, as Croydon School, became, in 1879,
through its further removal, known as Saffron Walden
School. The Croydon estate has been sold, and is now
largely occupied, or else laid out for suburban dwellings.
In the premises at Saffron Walden are accommodated
the Boys' and Girls' Schools, under the care of London
and Middlesex Quarterly Meeting, and four other Quar
terly Meetings associated with it in this educational work.
They were erected in 1879 on land the Sift of the
late George Stacey Gibson, and from designs and under
the superintendence of Edward Burgess as architect.

8 14 . SCHOOLS.
The site is a commanding one, being on high ground,
with a chalk subsoil, and amid the surroundings of a
very pleasant country, on the outskirts of the town
of Saffron Walden. The playgrounds are large, and
adjoining is a field used for cricket and football. All
that can promote health and comfort has been supplied
by the well-arranged and extensive buildings in which
this establishment is now located. It provides accommo
dation for 90 boys and 60 girls, and is under the charge
of George Frederick Linney as its Superintendent.
The average number of Scholars in 1887, boys 60,
girls 58. Total 118.

SIDCOT SCHOOL, NEAR WESTON-
SUPER-MARE.
Photograph 8x5 in.
Established a.d. 1808.
Total Number of Children admitted to the end of
1887—2,118. In the year 1808, the Friends of Bristol and Somerset,
and Devon and Cornwall Quarterly Meetings, with those
of South Wales, united in the formation of an educational
establishment on the plan of Ackworth School, because
their great distance from it, making participation in its
advantages difficult, prompted this action, which has
proved thoroughly successful by its continuance from that
time to the present.
At first the provision made in this boarding-school was
for 50 boys and 40 girls, and it was opened in premises
at Sidcot that had long been used for educational purposes.
In 1690, William Jenkins, of Hertford, had kept school
there " for teaching Greek, Latin, and Writing, also Arith-

WIGTON SCHOOL. 815
metic," " Sithcott " having the credit of " a very healthy
and serene air." John Benwell, from Yatton, after an
interval of sixty years, during which this establishment
had been closed, re-opened school in 1729, and among/
the list of his pupils is to be found the name of Joseph
Sturge, who spent three years under his charge. On the
purchase of the premises, in 1808, by the associated
Quarterly Meetings, John Benwell became the first
master of their public school for Friends' children then
opened. At that time the 50 boys and 40 girls were
accommodated in two separate but adjoining houses,
which were taken down about fifty years ago, and the
present premises erected on their site. These from time
to time have received many important additions, so as
to meet modern requirements and to accommodate the
enlarged number of 66 boys and 52 girls. The School
is in a prosperous condition, and has kept up its numbers
to their full extent for several years. Edmund Ashby
is the present head master, and succeeded Henry Dymond
in this important post. The average number of children
in the School in 1887, boys 68, girls 50. Total 118.

WIGTON SCHOOL.
Photograph 8x5 in.

Established a.d. 1815.
Total Number of Scholars admitted to the end of
1887—1,329.
WlGTON SCHOOL was opened on the 4th of 9th month,
1 81 5, for the children of Friends in the Quarterly Meet
ings of Cumberland and Northumberland.
For the first eleven years it was carried on at Highmoor,
about a quarter of a mile south of Wigton, in premises

816 SCHOOLS.
leased for the purpose. The want of better and more
extensive accommodation being strongly felt, an estate of
five acres in a healthy situation about three-quarters of
a mile to the west of Wigton was purchased in 1826,
and premises were erected suitable for the reception of
30 boys and 30 girls.
: Subsequent additions have still further added to the
comfort and convenience of the School, and increased its
efficiency as an educational establishment.
The management is placed under a committee of men
and women Friends, and the education is conducted by the
Superintendent and a staff of men and women teachers.
The present Superintendent is Martin Lidbetter.
In 1825, the General Meeting of Scotland was
joined to the Quarterly Meetings of Cumberland and
Northumberland as a constituent of the General Meeting
for Wigton School, and children from Scotland were
received on the same terms as the rest ; others also from
various Quarterly Meetings in the north of England and
elsewhere have been admitted.
About twenty years ago the School was further opened
to children of those not in membership with Friends, care
being exercised that such children were in all respects
suitable for admission, and that the rights of those having
prior claims were not infringed ; also that a charge was
made fully adequate to cover the cost of education, board,
etc. The course of scholastic instruction embraces the usual
English subjects as the groundwork of a sound English
education, — Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, the
Latin and French languages, and Drawing.
There is now accommodation for about 40 boys and
30 girls on the School premises. The average number in
1887, boys 37, girls 21. Total 58.

RAWDON SCHOOL, NEAR LEEDS. 817
RAWDON SCHOOL, NEAR LEEDS.
Photograph.
Established a.d. 1832. Total number of Children
admitted to the end of 1 887 — 1,271.
THE Quarterly Meeting of Yorkshire, feeling concerned at
the want of religious instruction in many of the families of
those connected with the Society but not in membership,
drew the attention of the Yearly Meeting of 1828 to this
subject, which, by its minute of that year, " encouraged
Friends in their several districts to exercise a religious
care over those families or individuals who> attend our
meetings for worship, but who are not in membership, and
who by their connection with the Society of Friends are,
in a great degree, precluded from receiving the benefit of
religious care from other Christian communities." This
led Yorkshire Friends to make such further inquiries as
showed how large a number of children there were
amongst them in families thus circumstanced, and they
resolved to open an educational establishment for their
benefit. Donations and subscriptions were received to
wards this object, and a property at Rawdon, near Leeds,
about seven acres in extent, was eventually purchased.
The dwelling-house situated upon it was altered, and
boys were admitted in 1832, and girls in 1836. Various
enlargements and improvements have since then been
made, so that at present there is accommodation for 40
boys and 37 girls. The children are admitted at
six rates of annual payment. A large proportion of the
parents of the scholars being in indigent circumstances,
and the rates below actual cost, the School is largely
dependent for support on annual subscriptions. When it
is not otherwise full, children who have no direct claim on
52

8l8 SCHOOLS.
the Institution are admitted, but only at the highest rate
of £28 for boys and £26 for girls.
The aim of the School is to give a sound English educa
tion combined with religious and moral training. Lessons
are also given in French, Drawing, and Science. The girls
are trained in plain needlework. The recreation grounds
attached to the establishment are ample in extent. The
premises are very pleasantly situated on the slope of a
hill facing southward, and the rooms are well built and large.
It is under the management of a Committee of York
shire Quarterly Meeting, and the present Superintendent
is John Edward Walker. The average number of scholars
in 1887 : boys 38, girls 12. Total, 50.

PENKETH SCHOOL.
Engraving'^ X 5 in.
Established a.d. 1834. Total Number of Children
admitted to the end of 1887 — 1,159-
This school was opened the 30th of 9th month, 1834,
in premises at Penketh, near Warrington, under the care
of the Monthly Meetings of Hardshaw East and Hard-
shaw West* " to give a religious, moral, and useful education
to children not members, but connected with the Society,
and to the children of Friends in limited circumstances,
and, by combining labour with instruction, to promote
habits of industry." The terms of admission vary from
£6 to £14 and £21 per annum. William Thistlethwaite
was appointed master, Mary Airey matron, and one
female servant. The following is an account given of
* These obscure names, derived from the original seat of the body,
Hardshaw, comprehend the Friends of Manchester, Warrington,
and Liverpool.

SIBFORD SCHOOL— OXFORDSHIRE. 819
this School by John Sharp, on an occasion of his visit
there in 1839, at an examination : —
" This was conducted by William Thistlethwaite. The
School, consisting of about 29 boys and 16 girls,
was divided into three classes, each class containing
some of both sexes. The amount of literary instruction
imparted is very considerable ; the boys are a good deal
employed in the garden, and the girls in housework ;
they have only one female servant. The girls have no
school before breakfast, being employed during that time
in domestic duties. Each girl has some office to perform
every day. The boys are occupied about three hours a
day on an average in agricultural pursuits, and four or
five hours in receiving literary instruction. They learn
no lessons by rote. Three hours a week are especially
devoted to the study of the Scriptures : one hour on
First-day afternoon, and one on First and Fifth-day
evenings ; on the other evenings the hour is spent in a
familiar lecture or conversation with the children." '
The present Superintendent is Joseph T. Gumersall.
The average number of scholars in 1887 : boys, 41, girls,
22. Total 63.

SIBFORD SCHOOL— OXFORDSHIRE.
Water-Colour Painting 22 X 13 in.
Established a.d. 1842. Total Number of Children ad
mitted to the end of 1887—993.
THIS School was established in 1842 by the three Quar
terly Meetings of Berkshire and Oxfordshire, Bucking
hamshire, and Northamptonshire, in order to afford a
plain, solid, and religious education to children, chiefly
* John Sharp's " Memoirs," p. 66.

820 SCHOOLS.
those who, not being themselves members of our Society,
may be yet more or less connected with it. The School
is for boys and girls. Its plan combines industrial with
mental and religious education.
The first General Meeting was held at Sibford, on
Sixth-day, the 28th of the 4th month, 1843, and was
attended by many Friends from the Meetings interested
in the establishment, and by some others.
Sibford is seven miles from Banbury. The school
premises are situated in the village. Seven acres of land
are attached. The whole are beautifully reclined on the
slope of a steep, narrow valley, which may almost be
called a glen, watered by a little fresh, clear brook, which
bubbles forth from the face of a limestone rock on the
opposite hill. The Meeting-House is about a mile
distant, on the summit of the other side of the little
valley. The School is intended to contain 50 children, boys
and girls. Its operations commenced in the ist month,
1842, with 11 girls, and in the 3rd month with 8
boys. These numbers gradually and quickly rose until
the School became filled. Of the 48 children in the
School at the close of 1842, 9 only were members of
our Society.
Abridged from British Friend, vol. i., 1843, p. 83. For an
account of the progress of this School, see subsequent numbers of
the British Friend, and the Annual Reports preserved in the
Library at Devonshire House.
The first master was Richard Routh, from Wensley-
dale in Yorkshire, and the mistress, Rebecca Thompson,
of Lancashire. The present ones are Robert B. and
Elizabeth M. Oddie. The proportion of time spent in
industrial labour and in the schoolrooms is about equal.
The average number of scholars in 1887 : boys, 35, girls
22. Total 57.

AYTON SCHOOL. 821
AYTON SCHOOL.
Two Lithographs, each 1 1 x 8 in.
Established a.d. 1841. Total Number of Children
admitted to the End of 1887—1,397.
The School at Great Ayton was established under the
title of the North of England Agricultural School.
The late Jonathan Backhouse, of Darlington, and other
Friends were concerned at the large number of children in
Durham Quarterly Meeting connected with or descended
from Friends, whose education was neglected, and who
seemed gradually drifting from the Society for want of
care and training. This concern came before the Quarterly
Meeting — a provisional committee was formed, and a
fund raised and liberally subscribed to, for commencing a
boarding-school for this class of children, Isaac Sharp
being appointed Secretary, a post which he successfully
occupied for thirty-six years.
Thomas Richardson, who was much interested in edu
cation, and a liberal subscriber to the fund, offered to
increase his subscription tenfold, if the School should be
established in his native village of Great Ayton, by the
purchase of a gentleman's house and about seventy-five
acres of land. The School was commenced under the
care of George Dixon, who had been brought up as a
farmer, and who was at the time a successful teacher of
the British School at Bishop Auckland. It was deemed
very desirable that the boys should be instructed in manual
labour and the girls in housework, which it was hoped
would materially help towards the cost of their mainten
ance. This, however, was found, in course of time, not
altogether satisfactory, especially as regards the boys, who
were generally too young to make their work remunera-

822 SCHOOLS.
tive ; and the out-door employment was gradually cur
tailed until about 1880, when it was entirely suspended.
The girls are still employed with needlework and some of
the lighter domestic duties during a portion of their time.
For many years the School was burdened with a mort
gage of £2,900 on the estate, which, had it not been for the
munificent contributions of John, Joseph, and Henry Pease
from year to year would have proved a heavy burden on
the Quarterly Meeting. A short time before his decease
Joseph Pease made a donation of £3,000 in Railway
Debentures, which has not only effaced the debt, but also
secured about £500 to the credit of the School. Within
the last few years Thomas Richardson's niece, Caroline
Armistead, bequeathed to the School the sum of £200,
the interest on which has to be devoted to an annual
excursion for the children.
In course of time it was found advisable to increase
the number of children by the admission of a limited
number of those not connected with Friends. The School
is now able to accommodate 44 boys and 36 girls ; of
late years, however, it has been found difficult to maintain
the full number of girls. Since the commencement, in
1 84 1, 748 boys and 649 girls have passed through the
School ; the average time of continuance being a little
over two years. Recently the boys and girls have been
taught in mixed classes, which has so far worked satis
factorily. Two examinations are held by the Committee
annually, and a more public one at the General Meeting,
which usually occurs one week after that of Ackworth.
One special feature of the General Meeting is the report
of those who have left the School under twenty-one years
of age, as to their present location and employment, the
opinion of their masters respecting them, and their con
tinuance amongst Friends. A considerable number who

FLOUNDERS INSTITUTE. 823
have left are now engaged as teachers, several of them in
schools under the care of Friends.
The premises are pleasantly situated in the village of
Great Ayton, at the foot of the Cleveland hills. The walks
in the neighbourhood are much varied, and this has aided
the study of natural history, so successfully carried on.
The climate is very salubrious, which in some measure will
account for the remarkable healthiness of the children ;
only one death having occurred during the whole of the
period the School has been established,
After twenty-five years of faithful service George Dixon
left and emigrated to America, where his energies were
devoted for some time to the education of the emancipated
negroes. His son, Ralph Dixon, succeeded him, and is at
the present time Superintendent.
The average number of scholars in 1887 : boys, 39 ;
girls, 26. Total, 65.

FLOUNDERS INSTITUTE.
Photograph 9x6 in.; Print 6X4 in.
Established a.d. 1848. Total Number of Students
admitted to the end of 1887 — 242.
FLOUNDERS, Ackworth, an estate adjoining the School
premises, on which a college has been built for the edu
cation of those intending to qualify for becoming teachers.
The founder of this Institution was Benjamin Flounders,
of Yarm ; he came into possession of considerable property
through an uncle, who on leaving it to him expressed
a wish that if his nephew should die without issue the
property should be applied to the purpose of education
in the Society of Friends, and at the same time pointing

824 SCHOOLS.
out the manner in which he thought it might be made
most useful. This uncle was a Friend, and Benjamin
Flounders had himself received his education at Ackworth
School, although he did not continue his connection with
the Society, but at the close of his life, in pursuance of
his uncle's wish, he made a conveyance of the proceeds,
amounting to £40,000 three per cents, to four trustees,
viz., John Pease, Joseph Pease (Junr.), James Backhouse,
and John Church Backhouse, to whom four others were
afterwards added, to complete the number of eight trustee^
of the foundation ; these were Samuel Tuke, Joseph Rown
tree, Joseph John Gurney, and Joseph Gurney Barclay.
The deed bore date nth month, 25th, 1845. The
preamble states the object to be with "A view to the
greater encouragement and extension of education amongst
the children of the poorer classes of persons of the per
suasion of the people called Quakers, by the education
and the instruction, and the maintenance, boarding, lodg
ing, and clothing of such number of poor boys, being the
sons of the poorer members of the Society of Friends as
the trustees shall deem proper. The education is to be a
sound and liberal education, including as well the dead as
the living languages, and comprehending both classics and
mathematics, with natural philosophy in all its branches,
so as to produce accomplished scholars, and with an
especial view to render the objects to be benefited by the
trusts of these presents, competent to undertake the edu
cation and instruction of youths." It is also provided,
that if any land situate in or near the neighbourhood of
the village of Ackworth, be conveyed to the trustees for
a school-house, etc. ; then the trustees may apply a part
of the annual income to erect buildings, etc. ; and thence
forth the £40,000 be a fund for perpetual endowment of
the School. In nomination of teachers, preference shall

FLOUNDERS INSTITUTE. ^35
{ceteris paribus) be at all times given to the members of
the Society of Friends."
The trustees to whose care this important object was
committed, not having power to purchase land with the
principal sum, and having endeavoured to hire premises
in Ackworth, or its neighbourhood, without success, one
of their number, the late Joseph John Gurney, guaranteed
the cost of the land on which a building for the purpose
might be erected ; and in the course of a visit to Ack-
wprth, a few weeks before his death, selected the present
site. It is in an elevated position and in full view of the
School, so that, to use his own felicitous expression, "the
two kindred Institutions might look pleasantly upon each
other." The building was erected from the designs of J. P.
Pritchett, of York, and cost about £4,800, and accommo
dates 12 resident students. It was opened on the 28th
of 8th month, 1848, the opening being witnessed by
three of the trustees, viz., Samuel Tuke, Joseph Rowntree,
and John Hodgkin. The first principal was Isaac Brown,
and the first tutor John Willis, Ph.D. The former was
succeeded in 8th month, 1870, by William Scarnell Lean,
M.A., who still (1888) fills this honourable and responsible
position.

826 SCHOOLS.
YORK QUARTERLY MEETING BOYS'
SCHOOL, BOOTHAM, YORK.
View of School Buildings from the Playground.
Water-colour Painting 24 x 14 in.
THIS School was founded by York Quarterly Meeting in
1828, succeeding a private school in premises situated in
Lawrence Street without Walmgate Bar, York. From
these premises the School was removed to Bootham in
1846. The Quarterly Meeting raised a subscription of
£2,700, and purchased the present school house and
land from Sir John Johnstone, of Hackness, near Scar
borough, borrowing the money required in excess of this
endowment. New schoolrooms were then built, and
these have been greatly added to and altered from time
to time, to meet the growing requirements of the Institu
tion. The primary object of the School was to give a
liberal, guarded, and religious education, on moderate
terms, to the sons of Friends who were not admissible to
Ackworth. The children of Yorkshire parents possess a
prior claim for admission, but these are not sufficiently
numerous to require more than about 20 per cent, of the
School accommodation. During the earlier part of the
School's history the number of pupils averaged 46; the aver
age payment was about £35. The School has now (1888)
doubled in size ; the average payment is about £60.
John Ford held the position of Superintendent from 1829
to 1865. He was succeeded by Fielden Thorp, B.A., who
retired in 1875, and was succeeded by John Firth Fryer,
B.A. Further information respecting this School will be
found in the memoir of John Ford, and in the volume
of " Historical Memoranda of the York Schools " presented
to the Friends' Institute library by the Committee.

GIRLS' SCHO.OL, THE MOUNT, YORK. 827
YORK QUARTERLY MEETING GIRLS'
SCHOOL, THE MOUNT, YORK.
View of School Buildings from the Garden.
Water-colour Drawing 24 X 14 in.
THIS School was established by York Quarterly Meeting
in 1 83 1, and placed by it under the care of the same
committee which had charge of the Boys' School. The
School was located for twenty-five years in premises near
the Friends' Meeting-House, Castlegate, York. The
training of teachers gradually became an important fea
ture - in the work of the School, which in 1837 was re
moved to the present premises on the Mount, the training
department being enlarged, and placed on a more per
manent footing. For the purchase of land and the
erection of the new buildings a very liberal subscription
was made. Donations amounting to £6,309 ior. were
received from Friends in Great Britain and Ireland, nearly
half of which were given for the special purpose of
training teachers. In 1857 the number of pupils in the
Training Department who are received on reduced terms
was fixed at 10 ; subsequently this number was enlarged,
and since 1870 it has frequently been from 15 to 19.
The School in the earlier years of its history usually con
sisted of about 30 scholars, paying on the average £31
each; in 1888 it has doubled in size, and the average
annual payment has increased in a similar ratio.
The Superintendents of the School have been: — Hannah
Brady 1831-42; Elizabeth Brady 1842-47; Eliza
Stringer 1848-53; Rachel Tregelles 1853-62; Wilhel-
mina Taylor 1863-66 ; Lydia Rous 1866-79; Susanna
E. Scot, 1879.
A Girls' School was carried on in the city of York from

828 SCHOOLS.
1785 to 181 4, of which the present School may be con
sidered the successor. It was a proprietary institution
founded by Esther Tuke, wife of William Tuke, the
founder of the Retreat. The class of children received
at this School was similar to that of the pupils at the present
York Schools. The terms at first were 14 guineas, but
rose to £30 before the discontinuance of the School.
Lindley Murray took a kindly interest in this Institution,
and wrote his well-known grammar for the use of the
pupils. Further particulars respecting this School will be
found in Samuel Tuke's " Five Papers on the History of
Education in the Society of Friends," published by the
Friends' Educational Society ; also in the volume of
" Historical Memoranda of the York Schools," a copy of
which is in the Friends' Institute library. This School
was made the subject of a poetical effusion by Thomas
Wilkinson (the Cumberland poet), in which occur the
following lines : —
" On Sabbath evening pleased I saw you meet,
Beloved girls ! like forty sisters sweet ;
Round one mild maid a still attention hung,
While Gospel truths fell gently from her tongue,
Alternate three His sacred precepts read,
And how His life the dear Messiah led.
******
" With eyes attentive bending o'er the page
They gather wisdom for maturer age ,
Or plant with steel in purple green and white
The alphabet with every thread aright ;
Or through the canvas lead the Tyrian twine,
Till colours rise that Joseph's coat outshine.
" That coat, recorded as a showy dress,
Led not to harmony or happiness ;
But in my sex it sow'd the seeds of ill;
In brothers' bosoms envy and ill-will.
Oh ! gentler sex ! let never gay attire
Such alien feelings in your breasts inspire."
" De Quincy says of Thomas Wilkinson's verses, that though they
were feeble enough as regards poetic power, there were often such

THE DALTON HALL, MANCHESTER.

829

delicate touches of feeling, such gleams of real tenderness that even
Wordsworth admired and read them aloud with pleasure, and his
long 'Affectionate address to those who compose the Tower Street
School at York ' answers fairly to this description."— " Account of
York Girls' Schools," p. 12.

THE DALTON HALL, MANCHESTER.
Water- Colour Painting 36 X 26 in.
Motto : —
"Let Knowledge grow from more to more,
But more of Reverence in us dwell." *
FOR the rise of this Hall of Residence, though now only
twelve years old, we must go back to 1795. Manchester
Preparative Meeting in that year invited contributions
from its members to establish a school for boys and girls,
at which " religion and learning " might be taught. At
the discretion of the Committee non-members were
admitted. John Taylor, a man of classical learning, and in earlier
life a Dissenting minister, was master until 181 1. His
intellectual gifts descended to his son, who founded the
Manchester Guardian. In 18 16 "Charles Cumber of
* The late Bishop of Manchester, Dr. Fraser, when addressing
the students on the opening day, after pointing out how largely the
success of the Hall would depend upon themselves, went on to
counsel them to " Be true to the motto of their Institution, as he
thought there was far too much lightness of heart — especially in
young men — in dealing with solemn questions, and that we seemed
to be approaching a period in our history, not only in spiritual but in
secular things also, when every man who loved his country, and
desired to serve his God, must resolve to put away all frivolity of
spirit, all merely self-regarding notions, and all personal ambitions,
and gird himself, with all the powers and faculties with which God
had endowed him, to play a worthy part in life, and do his duty to
his Master, his country, and his fellow-men ! "

830 SCHOOLS.
Croydon " began his forty years of successful government.
His school was the best in the district, and many pro
minent citizens of Manchester acknowledge the debt they
owe him.
When the Meeting was moved to Mount Street in 1832,
the increasing School took possession of the discarded
Meeting-House in Jackson's Row. The city's growth, how
ever, sent Friends far out of town ; the central day-school
was closed ; the Jackson's Row premises were handed
over to the First-day School ; and for the school-fund a
new use had to be devised. Owens College in 1873 had
just moved into its present splendid home, and its repute
was already drawing to Manchester young Friends from
all parts. And in that same year the Preparative Meet
ing, recognising its duty towards these youths, who were
condemned to lodging-house life, and exposed to the
dangers of a great city, determined " that suitable
premises should be either erected or rented in the im
mediate vicinity of the new Owens College, and should
comprise a master's residence, accommodation for boarders,
class-rooms, library, etc." City expansion soon after
absorbed Jackson's Row premises, and placed a large sum
in the Meeting's hands. This encouraged Manchester
Friends to act upon the Minute of 1873, and in 10th
month, 1876, they opened, for an experimental term of
three years, the Friends' Hall, Greenheys, with Theodore
Neild as Principal.
Long before the three years' close the success of the
Hall led the Committee to ask the Preparative Meeting
to establish a permanent Institution. The views of the
Committee had, however, been expanding, and for both
social and financial reasons it was felt that provision must
be made for at least 30 students. The Meeting, whilst
ready to continue its ample yearly contribution, naturally

THE DALTON HALL, MANCHESTER. 83 1
hesitated to risk a large capital sum (on which were other
claims) upon an object national rather than local, and
destined to aid mainly the comparatively wealthy. In
the end unselfish views prevailed. A site close to the
country was secured, thanks to the kindness of W. Brock-
bank (perhaps more than any one else the originator of
the Institution), and a building erected, called the Dalton
Hall, in memory of the discoverer of the Atomic Theory,
who was a member of Manchester Meeting for more than
forty years. The six struggling years during which the
work had been carried on, single-handed, in wholly in
adequate premises, had not been lost. The result of hard-
wqn experience was to be seen in every part of the new
building, and made itself also felt in the administration
and discipline of the larger Institution.
The Hall is placed in a residential park on the country
side of the College, from which it is exactly a mile dis
tant. It contains dining-hall, library, common-room,
class-rooms, lavatory, bath-rooms, workshop (with lathe
and gas-engine), and separate rooms for 30 students, in
addition to a residence for the Principal. The corridors
are heated with hot water, and ample ventilation is pro
vided throughout. A large cinder tennis ground, a small
levelled field, and a covered Rugby fives court, adjoin the
building, and a football field is a few minutes' walk
away. When the new Hall was opened by Sir J. W. Pease in
1882 the value of building, land, and furniture stood at
over £14,000. The expectation of the Committee that
the Institution, by bequests and donations, may be freed
from the incubus of heavy interest charges we hope may
soon be realised* Certain exhibitions, reducing the
* Out of £2,835 contributed to this end we note that only £025 has
been given by Friends outside Lancashire and Cheshire. We must

832 SCHOOLS.
annual cost, are open to all Friends whose circumstances
require it.
It remains to give a brief sketch of the work which the
Institution has done, and is doing. Up to date 158
students have entered, of whom 83 (13 only from the
Manchester district) were Friends, or children of Friends.
Of the remaining 75, several are connected with the
Society or have been educated in our schools. Classifying
them according to their aims, we find 64 preparing for
commercial life, mainly that of a manufacturer ; 24 have
studied civil, mechanical, or electrical engineering ; 14
have chosen medicine; 14 law; 10 teaching; 10 analytical
(apart from manufacturing) chemistry ; 6 other professions ;
4 farming (3 abroad) ; 1 missionary labour ; and 1 music.
Three or four have not any definite career before them.
Of its former alumni many are filling useful and
important posts ; two are on the teaching staff of the
College; two are on the Hall staff; one has carried off
the " blue ribbon " of Oxford ; another has obtained the
Whewell International Law Scholarship of £100 for four
years, open to all members of Cambridge University.
An account of the Hall is only half given which con
tains no description of Owens College. Our space, however,
forbids any mention of the men who made it famous, or
of its equipments, which its adherents claim to be superior
to those of any other College in the kingdom, ft must
suffice to say that over seventy professors and lecturers
supply complete courses in arts, science, engineering,
medicine, and law ; whilst the Hall in its turn provides
students with assistance in following the College work,
supplementary classes, appliances for study, a home,
not, however, omit to mention here the gifts in another direction of
Richard and George Tangye, who have most kindly given for nine
years a scholarship of £60 tenable at the Hall by Sidcot scholars.

COMPTON SCHOOL.

833

arrangements for recreation, and social intercourse of
young mind with young mind.
The Institution has had of late to contend with largely-
endowed competition, but we may hope that the assured
position which the Hall has obtained at the College,
and the increasing support of the Society, will enable
it to do more than hold its own.

COMPTON SCHOOL.
Photograph 5x6 in.
IN this house John Thompson (of Hitchin, who had the
photo taken from a drawing in his possession) was born,
and in it his grandfather, Jonah Thompson, and his father,
Thomas Thompson (in the doorway), kept a boarding-
school for upwards of fifty years. It was established in
1760, and given up in 181 3 or 18 14. It was situated at
Nether Compton, near Sherborne, Dorset. The premises
have since been taken down. The late Friends, Arnee
Frank, John Bell, Joseph J. Lister, Dr. Thomas Young,
Joseph Eaton, George Thomas, William Ball, and about
five hundred others, were educated there, for it was the
principal school for Friends in the south of England, and
although essentially a Friends' school, its repute for sound
teaching and religious and moral training was so great
that many boys who had no connection with the Society
of Friends were educated there, including the sons of the
village squire and some of the neighbouring gentry, who
esteemed the high character and Christian integrity of its
successive proprietors.
Jonah Thompson, its founder, was born at Penrith, in
Cumberland, in 1702, and was a grandson of the Thomas
53

¦ 834 SCHOOLS.
Lawson, so eminent in the early annals of the Society. He
early showed superior abilities and literary tastes, so that
some of his relatives offered him a university education,
with a view to his entering the ministry of the Established
Church ; but yielding to convictions that no such quali
fications could constitute its right source, he served an
apprenticeship to a weaver at Kendal, yet so prosecuted
his studies in leisure hours as to be able to become a
schoolmaster at Grayrigg. He then removed to Yatton,
near Bristol, and on his marriage, in 1735, to Mary
Beaton* settled at Compton, in Dorsetshire, where he
mostly resided the remainder of his life, and became, as
already mentioned, an influential instructor of youth. His
grandson, John Thompson, of Hitchin, so well known for
his services in many ways to the Society, and the large
and interesting collection he formed of Friends' works,
had in his possession the early account books of this
Compton School, in which it was interesting not only to
see how many of the sons of some of the best families in
the Society had received their education there, but also
for how small a sum a classical education was obtain
able, the charge for which with board and lodging being
* Of this marriage engagement his grandson, John Thompson,,
was fond of relating how he owed his success to following the advice
given him by Samuel Bownas, whom as a patriarch in the faith he
had consulted whether he should make known his feelings to the
object of his affections. " That thou doest, do quickly, very quickly."
Accordingly, by earliest dawn, Jonah was in the saddle, and halting
for breakfast at a Friend's house, on the way confided to him the
object of his journey. Jonah had been gone but a few hours when
another young Friend on horseback halted for a similar hospitality,
and in answer to inquiries, confessed what was the object he had in
view ; then said his host, ' ' Let me advise thee to spare thyself the
trouble, for Jonah Thompson will be there before thee ; " and thus
by believing in Samuel Bownas' advice, the master of Compton
School won his bride. To him this veteran evangelist bequeathed
his saddle and saddle-bags, with the request that they be used and
worn out in Gospel service.

GROVE HOUSE SCHOOL, TOTTENHAM. 835
about £14 to £16 a year. This School was continued
by his son Thomas Thompson until its relinquishment in
1 8 14. Jonah Thompson, when about fifty years of age,
paid a religious visit to the meetings of Friends in America,
and some years afterwards embarked again for the same
continent, on which for some time he took up his residence
and on his return resumed his educational engagements,
continuing therein, and in service as a Minister, to the end
of his days. His ministry was acceptable to persons of
various denominations, being often led to declare the
truths of the Gospel with great calmness and deliberation ;
and with such convincing clearness, as frequently to occa
sion many to acknowledge the truth of his doctrine ; and
after this ministry of about fifty-five years his life closed,
when nearly seventy-eight years of age, on the 21st of
the 5th month, 1780.

GROVE HOUSE SCHOOL, TOTTENHAM.
Lithograph 13 x 9 in.
THE lithographic view in the collection is of the garden
front of the School premises, Grove House, Tottenham,
and was drawn on stone by William Dillwyn Sims when
himself one of the scholars.
This fine red-brick mansion, built in the Queen Anne
style, was formerly the residence of a gentleman of
fortune, whose cruelty and shocking end is commemorated
by Cowper in his poem called " The Cockfighter's
Garland." He was in the act of roasting alive at his
kitchen fire a champion cock that had disappointed his
hopes of winning in a cock fight, and when his friends
,rushed in to stop the outrage burst into so ungovernable
a fury that he himself fell dead on the spot.

836 SCHOOLS.
It was nearly thirty years after this tragedy that a
syndicate of Friends, in 1828, purchased these premises,
and opened them for the purpose of giving a high- class
education to the sons of the wealthier members of our
Society, which was a want much felt after the closing of
Josiah Forster's establishment at Southgate.
The accommodation provided was for twenty-five boys,
and the payment £100 a year.
Thomas Binns was appointed the head master, of whom
and of his prolonged work at this establishment some
account will be found under what is said of him in this
collection. It afforded the opportunity of a course of
literary instruction of a more extensive range than any
other school for the use of the Society. Thomas Usma
and Richard Abbatt were for some years two of his
leading assistants, both of whom subsequently conducted
schools on their own account.
On Thomas Binns's retirement in 1849, Charles Tylor
and Thomas Hunton were for a time joint principals,
and, subsequent to Charles Tylor's retirement, the latter
became the head master. He was succeeded in i860
by Arthur R. Abbott, who, after a prosperous conducting
of the establishment for many years under a committee,
became proprietor of the establishment, and continued
so until its relinquishment in 1879. During his head-
mastership the premises were at various times much
enlarged, by additions of schoolrooms, classrooms, dormi
tories, and other buildings. The whole property has now
been sold by him to the German Brewery Co., which
has spread its constructions over the playground, gardens,
and cricket field, and thus covered what was so long a
classic ground in the memories of the many whose educa
tion and training for life had been received during the
various phases of Grove House School.

MISCELLANIES.

PENN'S TREATY WITH THE INDIANS.
Engraving 24 x 16 in.
THIS memorable treaty, which was not for the purchase
of lands from them, but for the sublime purpose of the
recognition of the equal rights of humanity, was made in
the latter part of the month of November 1682 at
Shackamaxon — a name which in the Indian language
signifies a place of meeting, but is now known as Ken
sington ; and what was then Indian territory has become
a busy commercial suburb of Philadelphia. On this
memorable occasion the council fire rose from the green
sward, and beneath a broad elm-tree's shade were the
leaders of the Indian tribes gathered, rich in feathers and
war-paint ; in front the old chiefs and their counsellors,
behind them the younger braves circled in a half-moon
formation. Advancing to the same place was a little
band of Europeans, few in number, unprotected by a
single weapon, and clad in the simple garb of the
Friends. The only mark of official distinction visible
among them was a blue silk sash worn by one of the
little party. This was William Penn, himself the cause
and force of that event which should survive, by his faith
and confidence in humanity, to the latest generations. So

838" MISCELLANIES.
they stood together, the passing and the coming race;
the race that should perish, and the race that should sur
vive, upon this carpeting of the fallen leaves, whose crimson
green-and-gold arabesques were fading into the sombre
dyes of these November days, beneath that tree whose
vast embrace and century-growing arms was yielding
insensibly, as themselves, to inevitable decay, the waning
year, the dying leaves presaging the future of all their
forest strength and painted glories. Yet not here, as
elsewhere, by the deadlier passions of advancing civilisa
tion, but for the good faith of the savages, and to the
eternal glory of the Founder of Pennsylvania by the
inevitable law of change and dissolution only. Of all
these Penn alone survives in common memory. In sta
ture, tall and athletic ; in manner, courteous ; in disposition,
most resolute, tender of every person and thing,, that had
simplicity of truth or honesty for a foundation. He ad
vances towards the council fire with kindly, courtly dignity;
his attendants precede him bearing presents, which they
lay upon the ground. The leading chief, or Sachem, of
the Delawares, long believed to have been Tamanend,
celebrated amongst them for wisdom as well as his bravery,
and for intercourse with the Great Spirit, now rises, puts
on his head the chaplet of authority, devoutly smokes in
silence from the pipe of peace, and having thus made the
place sacred, and the persons of all present inviolate, the
Indians lay aside their weapons, and announce, through
the interpreter, their readiness to listen to what William
Penn may have to address to them. He opened with an
appeal to the Great Spirit Who rules in the heavens, and
the earth, and knows the innermost thoughts of men,
that he and his friends had come to live with them in
good-will and peace, making use of no hostile weapon,
and believing that the Indians would deal kindly and

PENN'S TREATY WITH THE INDIANS. 839
justly as they were themselves dealt kindly and justly by.
We will go " (he said) " along the broad pathway of good
will to each other, not as brothers — for brothers sometimes
contend with brothers — nor as fathers with children — for
fathers sometimes punish their children — but as one
heart, one head, one body." He then proceeded to dwell
on the particulars of this treaty of friendship. That all
paths should be open and free to both Christians and
Indians ; that the doors of their dwellings should be open
to one another ; that none should do the other harm,
but if any wrong was done it should be inquired into and
judged of by a council formed equally of Indians and
Christians, and their verdict should extinguish all mutual
reprisals, and thus a chain of goodwill be formed between
them and their children's children, to be bright, and clean
and strong while the rivers run and the sun shines. This
met with the Indians' hearty assent, for, having consulted
together, " their king [or Sachem]," wrote William Penn,
" ordered one of them to speak to me. He stood up, came
to me, and in the name of his king saluted me, then took
me by the hand, and told me he was ordered by his king
to speak to me, and that it was not now he, but the king
who spoke, because what he should say was the king's
mind, and it was to the effect that these pledges should
be accepted and kept by them for ever ; that the Indians
and the Christians shall live in love together as long as
the sun gave light in the heavens." He then delivered
into William Penn's hands a wampum belt, which is said
to be the one now in the museum of the Historical Society
of Pennsylvania.
These particulars are extracted and adapted from, an elaborate
essay by Charles S. Keyser on "Penn's Treaty with the Indians,"
published by David McKay, of Philadelphia, 1882.
William Penn's treatment of the Indians related both
to property and conduct. He had been careful to acquire

84O MISCELLANIES.
by purchase whatever rights they considered themselves
to possess over the lands he required for his new settle
ment, not by any one purchase nor from one tribe, nor at
any one time, but from every tribe which claimed posses
sion ; and at various times during several successive years
were these considerations paid by him, which aggregated
to a large amount, and his policy was continued by his
successors. " My profit," he wrote, " by the Indians was
never sixpence, but my known perpetual bounties to them
have cost me many hundreds of pounds, if not some
thousands, first and last." Many of .these Indian purchase-
deeds have been collected, and are preserved as early
State relics. It must be remembered also that the claims
of these Indian titles, which he thus purchased, were
neither founded on exclusive occupancy by any one tribe,
nor of any act of labour in cultivation of the soil, but
existed only in "the vagrant holding of whatever tribe
held temporary advantage over another."
This was noble and just conduct, but must not be con
fused with the treaties of amity and friendship which have
yet more invested the memory of William Penn with
affection in the minds of the Indians, and honour in the
annals of civilisation. These treaties were often renewed.
On each of the two occasions that William Penn visited
his province he held solemn council with the Indians of
the various tribes, and by speeches and ceremonials,'
together with firm grasp of hand around the council fire,
he wove this enduring chain of friendship. Although no
formal records of either of these two great occasions of
William Penn's meeting with the Indian tribes remain, yet
after his death, as each successive governor came to the
province, it was the custom for him to hold similar
councils with the Indians, and these are recorded in the
annals of the State, and show that all such proceedings

PENN'S TREATY WITH THE INDIANS. 84 1
were based on the chain of friendship William Penn had
established, for the nine heads that had been thus agreed
upon between them and the founder of Pennsylvania were
recited, and the old Indians would acknowledge that
those were the mutual pledges then made, the memory of
which they had preserved not by writings, but by tradi
tion which they said was to them as records. " Yes,"
added an aged Indian chief on one of these occasions, "he
said to us, ' I will not treat you as brothers, for brothers
may quarrel ; nor as children, children might offend and
require correction ; but will reckon you and we are as one
body and one blood, one heart and one head.' "
This it was which, being carried into practice, achieved
by equal administration of law, and the substitution of
justice for vengeance, a bond that so long as William
Penn's successors bore rule was never broken, and has
given to the Friend the place he still holds in the affections
of the Indian.
Benjamin West's picture of the Treaty was one of his
early productions, but this has in some way disappeared.
The one now in the Historical Museum, Philadelphia (the
gift of the late Joseph Harrison's family) is the second
that he painted, and is on a large canvas. The ante
cedents of the painter peculiarly qualified him for the
successful treatment of this memorable interview. The
popularity that this work has attained is no doubt largely
due to the very excellent engraving of it by Hall, who
was at the head of his profession ; and any impressions
of the plate in which the squirrel is clearly discernible on
the tree deserve careful preservation as a valuable copy of
this work.

842 MISCELLANIES.
INDIAN VERSION OF PENN'S TREATY AT
SHACKAMAXON.
Drawing 14 x 12 in.
It is a belt, made with the neatest workmanship, twenty-
six inches long, and nine inches broad, and consists of
eighteen strings woven together ; it is formed entirely of
small beads, strung in rows, and made from pieces of clam
or mussel shells. These form an entirely white ground,
and on the centre, worked in dark violet beads, is a rude
representation of the scene which took place at the council
of the six Indian nations in 1701, when their spokesman
chief and William Penn grasped hands, as a pledge of
mutual kindness and goodwill. Of the two figures, that
of the Founder of Pennsylvania is distinguishable, both
by his hat and his much bulkier form ; and primitive as is
the conception, it is a forcible emblem of
" The only treaty formed in Christian love
Without a single oath ; and by that token
Recorded and approved in heaven above,
And in a world of sin and strife unbroken I "
This famous belt, carefully preserved, was presented to the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1857, by Granville
John Penn, the last survivor of the Penn family. It is
exhibited between two glass plates as one of the treasures
of its museum. The drawing in the gallery is of the two
figures in its centre, which are about the size of those
on the original belt.
THE TREATY TREE.
Coloured Engraving 23 x 16 in.
This was a wide-spreading elm, that tradition associated
with the scene of William Penn's treaty ; and a recent

THE TREATY TREE.

843

author has been at the pains of collecting the evidence
connecting this ancient elm with the meeting of the
founder of Pennsylvania with the Indian chiefs. One
of these witnesses, it seems, was no other than Benjamin
Lay, of whom a memoir will be found in this collection.
" He was in the habit of frequenting the spot, and
after dilating on the worth and virtues of William Penn,
particularly as they applied to the treatment of the natives,
would call on the boys, point out the elm tree, and enjoin
them to bear in mind and teach to their children that,
under that tree, Penn's treaty was held, and they should
respect it accordingly " (" Penn's Treaty," by Charles S.
Keyser, of Philadelphia, 1882). During the American
war, the English general so respected it, that whilst his
soldiers were cutting down every tree for fire-wood, he
placed a sentinel under it, that not a branch of it might
be touched. This tree, so long famous, was blown down
during a great storm in 18 10. Pieces of the wood, or
articles made from it, are cherished memorials in many
Friends' families on both sides the Atlantic, and it has
been said that, in a less poetic, but more substantial
manner than the ashes of Wickliff, it has passed from the
Delaware to the ocean, and has been distributed in canes,
boxes, desks, and all manner of forms, to other countries.
" Let each take a relic from that hallowed tree,
Which, like Penn whom it shaded, immemorial shall be ;
As the pride of our forests let elms be renowned,
For the justly prized virtues with which they abound.
Though time has devoted our tree to decay,
The sage lessons it witnessed survive to our day :
Mav our trustworthy statesmen, when called to the helm,
Ne'er forget the wise treaty held under the elm."
Lines written by Judge Peters after the tree had fallen.
During the brief but sad war between this country and
the United States in 1 8 1 2, Dr. Rush of Philadelphia sent

844 MISCELLANIES.
an armchair made of wood from "Treaty Elm" to Roscoe,
in Liverpool, who acknowledged the gift in verse : —
" From clime to clime, from shore to shore,
The war-fiend raised his horrid yell,
And midst the storm which realms deplore,
Penn's honoured tree of concord fell.
******
"Yet midst the relic's sainted space
A health-restoring flood shall spring,
In which the angel form of peace
May stoop to dip her dove-like wing.
******
" The withered branch again shall grow,
Till o'er the earth its shade extend;
And this the gift of foe to foe,
Become the gift of friend to friend."
Friends' Review, No. 37, 4th month, 1888, p. 588.

PENN MONUMENT ON SITE OF TREATY ELM.
Water-colour Drawing 20 x 14 «,
When this historic elm was blown down during the
laurricane in 18 10 it was found to measure twenty-four
feet in circumference, and the circles of annual growth
which its trunk exhibited indicated an age of 283 years.
Seventeen years after, the Penn Society, in 1827, marked
its site by the erection of a plain granite monument,
which it is not easy, amid the great changes the neigh
bourhood has since undergone, for a stranger to discover,
and when found, its present condition is shown, by the
following extract, to be far from worthy of the object it
commemorates : — " To-day, on Beach Street, Kensington,
a three-cornered patch of ground of the general shape of a
piece of pie and about the size of an army blanket, is
notched out of the lumber-yard above-mentioned. Two
sides of this plot are shielded by a high, rough board
fence, placed there to protect, riot the monument, but the

BENJAMIN WEST AND FAMILY. 845
lumber-yard. The monument is of granite. It towers
up to the height of a short man. It bears the inscription
on one face, 'Treaty ground of William Penn and the
Indian nation, 1682, unbroken faith ; ' on another, ' Penn
sylvania founded 1682, by deed of peace.' It bears other
inscriptions. The youth of Kensington use it for a target
when they have their brick-bat practice. The reverential
tourist has scribbled his obscure name all over it in fading
pencil marks. The more patient tramp has scratched his
distinguished real or stage name on it with rusty nails.
Some humble artist, on his way to paint the householder's
window-shutters, has smeared a streak of green paint across
the top of the graceful shaft. No stranger can find it
alone, for the ways of modern Philadelphia are not of the
original rectangular design, and the man who seeks to find
the Treaty Monument alone is lost. The citizens will not
aid him. To their undying honour be it recorded, they
try to lose him, so that he may never find it. But before
another year rolls round, as other years are in the habit
of doing, another shaft will mark this historic spot."
"Lives of American Worthies," by Robert J. Burdette.
Samuel James Capper has given in the Christian World of June
28th, 1888, an interesting account of his visit to this monument.

BENJAMIN WEST AND FAMILY.
Engraving 26 x 20 in.
THIS is from a picture painted by Benjamin West, and
hardly less well known than William Penn's Treaty with the
Indians by the same artist. It was painted when West
was at his prime both in years and art, being about forty
years of age, and the seventeenth of his establishment as
a portrait painter in England. He had also for seven

846 MISCELLANIES.
years held the appointment of historical painter to the
king, George III. The engraving is published by
Alderman Boydell, the great art publisher of the day,
and its engravers are the Brothers Fucius, sons of the
Russian consul at Brussels, who executed a great many
works for this enterprising publisher. The scene repre
sents a visit of congratulation paid to the artist and his
family by two elder relatives, and used, until critically
examined by James Boorne,* to be considered as showing
the longevity enjoyed by members of the Society, by
representing in one group members of four generations,
but he shows that the oldest figure is to be considered as
John West, the painter's father, not grandfather, and the
other mature figure as Thomas West, a half-brother of
the artist, and twenty years older than himself, t Although
such is no doubt the correct explanation, yet it is difficult
not to consider the artist's intention being thus, as in a
family group, to represent the conjunction of infancy,
youth, manhood, and old age. Evidently (to quote James
Boorne) there is the artist himself, with his palette and
rest-stick, his beautiful wife seated with an infant in her
lap, and standing beside her a lad, apparently about ten
or eleven years old, who himself lived to become an artist,
but not one known to fame, as his pursuit of it as a
profession was not earnestly followed. From the same
source may be quoted some further particulars as to
Benjamin West's half-brother, Thomas West. Their
father, John West, had, previous to his emigration to
America, been married to a young wife whom he left
with the full intention of returning and fetching her when
he had made a home in the new country. She, how-
* See Friends' Quarterly Examiner, vol. ii. and vol. xii.
t This Thomas West lived at Reading, and was a watch and
clock-maker, and an Elder of Reading Meeting.

BENJAMIN WEST AND FAMILY. 847
ever, died in giving birth to this son Thomas, and John
West being married again not long after to Sarah Pear
son, settled permanently in America, whither most of his
relatives had also emigrated. He wished to have the
child sent out to him, but his late wife's relations had
become too attached to their charge to part with it, and
the father reluctantly consenting, led to the remarkable
circumstance, that Thomas, being born in England after
the father had left, and remaining here, his son neither
saw his father nor the father his child until the son was a
man of nearly fifty years old, and they met when the
father came over to England to visit them. The picture
represents a scene in this visit. It is the first visit of the
artist's father, John West, and elder brother Thomas, to
his young wife, after the birth of her second child. The
venerable old man and his son wear their hats. " Nothing
can be more beautifully conceived," says Leslie, " than the
mother bending over the babe sleeping in her lap. She
is wrapped in a white dressing gown, and her elder son, a
boy of six years old, is leaning on the arm of her chair.
West stands behind his father* with his palette and
brushes in his hand, and the silence that reigns over the
whole is that of religious meditation."
" The picture has no excellence of colour, but the
masses of light and shadow are impressive and simple,
and I know not a more original illustration of the often
painted subject, The Ages of Man. Infancy, childhood,
youth, middle life, and extreme age are beautifully brought
together in the quiet chamber of the painter's wife."
* Or half-brother, as above shown.

848 MISCELLANIES.

GERMANTOWN FRIENDS' PROTEST
AGAINST SLAVERY, 1688.
Facsimile 9x13 in.
This testimony of the Friends at Germantown against
slavery, sent up to the Yearly Meeting of 1688, was
discovered in 1 844. These Friends were Germans, and
mostly from Cresheim, a town not far from Worms, in the
Palatinate. They had suffered persecution in their own
country, and seem to have had a very correct apprecia
tion of the rights of others.
These German Friends settled near together, and in
1686 were joined by a number from different parts of
Holland and Germany, and a meeting was soon established
among them.
Coming from a country where oppression on account
of colour was unknown, and where buying, selling, and
holding in bondage human beings, who had been legally
convicted of no crime, was regarded as an act of cruelty
and injustice, to be looked for from the hands of none
but a Turk or barbarian, the members of this little com
munity were shocked to see that negro slavery had
taken root, and was increasing around them. It would
appear, from the Testimony, that many of their religious
friends and acquaintances were deterred from coming to
this land by the report they had received of this sad stain
on the character of the new settlement.
Impelled, then, by reproaches borne over the Atlantic,
as well as by the testimony of their own consciences as
to what was right, the Friends at Germantown drew up
this paper. It is certainly a strong document ; and whilst
it bears evidence that the writers had an incompetent
knowledge of the English language, it plainly demon-

GERMANTOWN FRIENDS' PROTEST AGAINST SLAVERY. 849
strates that they were well acquainted with the inalienable
rights of man, and with the spirit of the Gospel. We
publish it as it is in the original, and doubt not that our
readers will find sufficient clearness in the argument,
notwithstanding some confusion in the use of prepositions.
The paper from which this is taken is the original. At
the foot of the address, John Hart, the Clerk of the Monthly
Meeting, has made his minute, and the paper having been
then forwarded to the Quarterly Meeting, has received a
few lines from Anthony Morris, the Clerk of that body, to
introduce it to the Yearly Meeting, to which it was then
directed. Taken from 1'he Friend (Philadelphia), vol. xxii., ist month, 13th,
1844, p. 125. {The Address!^
"This is to the Monthly Meeting, held at
Richard Worrell's.
" THESE are the reasons why we are against the traffic in
the bodies of men, as followeth : — Is there any that would
be done or handled in this manner [themselves] ? viz.,
to be sold or made a slave for all the time of his life ?
How fearful and faint-hearted are many on the sea when
they see a strange vessel, being afraid it should be a Turk,
and they should be taken, and sold for slaves into Turkey.
Now what is this better than Turks do ? Yea, rather is
it worse for them, which say they are Christians ; for we
hear that the most part of such negroes are brought hither
against their will and consent, and that many of them are
stolen. Now, they are black, we cannot conceive there is
more' liberty to have them slaves, than it is to have other
white ones. There is a saying, that we should do to all
men like as we would be done [unto] ourselves ; making
54

850 MISCELLANIES.
no difference of what generation, descent, or colour they
are. And those who steal and rob men, and those who
buy or purchase them, are they not all alike ? There is
liberty of conscience here, which is right and reasonable ;
and there ought to be likewise liberty of the .body, except
of evildoers, which is another case. But to bring men
hither, or to rob and sell them against their will, we stand
against. In Europe there are many oppressed for con
science' sake ; and here there are those oppressed which
are of a black colour. And we know that men must not
pommit adultery : (some do commit adultery in others,
separating wives from their husbands and giving them to
others ; and some sell the children of these poor creatures
to other men). Ah ! do consider well this thing, you
who do it, if you would be done [unto] in this manner
and if it is done according to Christianity ? You surpass
Holland and Germany in this thing. This makes an ill
report in all those countries of Europe where they hear
of it, that the Quakers do here handle men as they handle
there the cattle. And for that reason some have no mind
or inclination to come hither. And who shall maintain
this your cause, or plead for it ? Truly we cannot do so,
except you shall inform us better hereof, viz., that Chris
tians have liberty to practise these things. Pray, what
thing in the world can be done worse towards us, than if
men should rob or steal us away, and sell us for slaves to
strange countries, separating husbands from their wives
and children ? Now this is not done in the manner we
would be done by, therefore we contradict, and are against
this traffic in the bodies of men. And we who profess
that it is not lawful to steal, must, likewise, avoid pur
chasing such things as are stolen, but rather help to stop
this robbing and stealing if possible. And such men
ought to be delivered out of the hands of the robbers, and

GERMANTOWN FRIENDS' PROTEST AGAINST SLAVERY. 85 1
set free, as in Europe.* Then would Pennsylvania have
a good report ; instead [whereof] it hath now a bad one
for this sake in other countries. Especially as the Euro
peans are desirous to know in what manner the Quakers
do rule in their province ; and most of them do look upon
us with an envious eye. But if this is done well, what
shall we say is done evil ?
" If once these slaves (which they say are so wicked and .
stubborn) should join themselves [together], fight for their
freedom, and handle their masters and mistresses as they
did handle them before ; will these masters and mistresses
take the sword and war against these poor slaves, like, we
are able to believe, some will not refuse to do ? Or have
these negroes not as much right to fight for their freedom
as you have to keep them slaves ?
" Now consider well this thing, if it is good or bad ?
And in case you find it to be good to handle these
blacks in that manner, we desire and require you hereby
lovingly, that you may inform us herein, which at this
time never was done, viz., that Christians have such a
liberty to do so. To the end we may be satisfied on this
point, and satisfy likewise our good friends and acquaint
ances in our native country, to whom it is a terror, or
fearful thing, that men should be handled so in Pennsyl
vania. " This is from our meeting at Germantown, held the
1 8th of the 2nd month, 1688, to be delivered to the
Monthly Meeting at Richard Worrell's.
" Garrett Henderick.
" Derick Up De-Graeff.
" Francis Daniel Pastorius.
" Abraham Jr. Den-Graef."
* Alluding probably to the abolition of the old feudal system.

852 miscellanies.
THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.
Engraving 22 X 18 in. v
In 1773 Dr. Lettsom united with a few medical friends
to establish a society to give practitioners in medicine
frequent opportunities of meeting together, and conferring
with each other concerning any difficult or uncommon
cases which may have occurred, or communicating any
new discoveries in medicine which may have been made
either at home or abroad. This institution was established
under the title of " The Medical Society of London," and
held its meetings in Crane Court, Fleet Street, until the
year 1788, when Dr. Lettsom presented the society with
a freehold house situate in Bolt Court, Fleet Street,
excellently adapted for all the purposes of the Society,
and where was collected together a most valuable library
of reference on medical subjects and the sciences con
nected therewith. The first meeting was held on the 7th
January [1788 ?], which was opened with an address to
the Society by Dr. Lettsom, on, the state of medical
knowledge, and the improvements it had of late years
received from the establishment of medical and literary
Societies. The Medical Society is still in existence, but
holds its meetings now in Chandos Street, Cavendish
Square, W., where the original picture of the above meet
ing is preserved, and from which the beautiful engraving
in the Institute is taken. There is a key giving the names
of the twenty-two medical men present, who were the
leading practitioners of the day, three of them Friends,
viz., Dr. Lettsom (who is standing addressing them),
Thomas Bradley, author of several medical works, etc.,
and William Woodville, author of " Medical Botany," and
other works.

ELIZABETH FRY READING TO PRISONERS IN NEWGATE. 853
James Boorne, in his interesting notice of this engraving
in the Friends' Quarterly Examiner, draws attention to the
cleverly represented figure of Dr. Lettsom, and " knows
not which to admire most, the neatness and primness of
that dress, or the intelligence of that countenance, or the
humour in that twinkling eye. . . . Few tasks," he re
marks " are more difficult of satisfactory accomplishment
than, without destroying or interfering with the features
peculiar to more than twenty individuals, to throw into
each countenance the intenseness and approval amounting
to a smile, which is here so cleverly managed. The bust
over the large bookcase is that of a Friend, Dr. Smith,
and amongst those seated are William Woodville, Physi
cian to the Small-pox Hospital, and Thomas Bradley,
who held a similar appointment to the Westminster
Hospital, and were also members of our Society. The
former was eminent in his day, and the author of many
medical works. He died from an attack of the very com
plaint in the successful treatment of which he had acquired
so much practice."

ELIZABETH FRY READING TO THE
PRISONERS JN NEWGATE, IN THE
YEAR 1816.
Engraving 34 X 22 in.
IN the philanthropic records of this Country the name of
Elizabeth Fry holds a conspicuous place. At the period
selected by the artist (Jerry Barrett) the prisons of Eng
land were a disgrace to a community boasting of its
advanced civilisation. The women, with children of all
ages,— their only clothing their own filthy rags,— some
convicted and others awaiting their trial, were all huddled

854 MISCELLANIES.
promiscuously together, and left to gamble, fight, drink, or
pass away time in recounting to one another their brief
but terrible histories. Here we see the Friend, supporting
the true meaning of that designation, coming among the
desolate and degraded, and bringing with her " tidings of
goodwill" to all. This interesting engraving contains
portraits of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Joseph John
Gurney, Samuel Gurney, Elizabeth Coventry, Dr. Ryder,
Bishop of Gloucester, and others.
There is a much less artistic but no doubt more strictly
accurate representation of one of these Newgate Scripture
readings in a contemporaneous woodcut which is in the
Institute Collection, and the following is an account by-
Maria Edgeworth of being present at one of them.
" Little doors, and thick doors, and doors of all sorts
were unbolted and unlocked, and on we went through
dreary but clean passages till we came to a room where
rows of empty benches fronted us, and a table on which lay
a large Bible. Several ladies and gentlemen entered, took
their seats on benches at either side of the table in silence.
Enter Mrs. Fry in a drab-coloured silk cloak and a plain,
borderless Quaker cap, a most benevolent countenance,
calm, benign. ' I must make an inquiry ; is Maria Edge-
worth here ? ' And when I went forward she bade me
come and sit beside her. Her first smile as she looked
upon me I can never forget. The prisoners came in in
an orderly manner and ranged themselves upon the
benches."* * Quoted in Miss Thackeray's " Sybils," p. 143.

URY, THE RESIDENCE OF THE BARCLAY FAMILY. 855

THE YEARLY MEETING'S COMMITTEE
WHO VISITED IRELAND IN 1864-5.
Photograph 8x6 in.
THIS photograph represents the Friends appointed by
London Yearly Meeting to pay a religious visit to Friends
in Ireland.
Three are seated. The Friend in the centre is Robert
Forster, on his right is Joseph Bevan Braithwaite, and
on his left Joseph Pease ; behind this latter Friend, a
little more to the left, is Samuel Hare, standing ; to the
right of him is William Thistlethwaite ; then Robert
Charleton ; close to him Richard Fry ; and then Thomas
Harvey, behind Joseph Bevan Braithwaite. They are all
good likenesses, and accounts of most of these Friends
will be found in this Biographical Catalogue.

URY, THE RESIDENCE OF THE
BARCLAY FAMILY.
Engraving 9x7 in.
IN 1648 the estate of Ury, near Aberdeen, was purchased
by David Barclay (father of the " Apologist "), but after
wards it was forfeited, and in order to regain possession
he obtained a seat in the Scotch Parliament after the
death of King Charles.
In 1679 Barclay obtained a charter from Charles II.
for erecting his lands at Ury into a free barony, with civil
and criminal jurisdiction for him and his heirs, which was
afterwards ratified by Act of Parliament, and this privi-

856 MISCELLANIES.
lege was enjoyed by the family until the tenure of all
such grants was extinguished in the reign of George II.
The estate remained in the possession of Barclay's
descendants till the year 1854, its owner at that time
being Captain Barclay, the famous pedestrian. The
" Apologist's " study, which remained much as he left it,
was long an object of pilgrimage with members of the
Society of Friends. The house was taken down in
1855. Taken from " National Biography," " Chambers's Encyclo
paedia," and Knight's " English Encyclopaedia."
Thomas Pumphrey writes to his wife Isabel, after
visiting Ury, under date of 8th month, 19th, 1846: —
" * * * Except in locality and name all had undergone an
affecting change. In the entrance or vestibule the walls were
covered over with pictures of boxing and boxers in their pugilistic
attitudes. One sketch of a boxing match was awfully graphic, it was
just at the crisis, when a few moments must decide the victor, and
as yet the balance was nearly equal. The artist had with powerful
effect thrown into the countenances of the group in and about the
ring a remarkable combination of demoniacal passions. Amongst
them stood conspicuous, with features distorted, and his whole frame
convulsed with contending emotions, the great-grandson of our great
'Apologist' as 'the backer of one of the combatants. I could not
sleep at night for the scene, which haunted me continually. In the
dining-rooms Dewsbury's Life and Penn's Travels were in close asso
ciation with the Racing Calendar, and David Barclay's mild and
benignant features were looking across the window upon 'John
Gully who beat McGregor,' and Crib who vanquished some other
great pugilist, both in boxing attitude. In the drawing-room was a
screen covered over with foolish caricatures and childish pictures.
There were several full-length family portraits, a large full-length
portrait of some eminent boxer in attitude. Finely painted beside it,
as one of the most conspicuous ornaments of the room, was a large
and fine painting of ' Trusty, the celebrated bull-dog, the property
of Robert Barclay, Esq., of Ury, who fought fifty pitched battles, and
was never beaten.' The apartment was furnished with the old family
chairs, tables, etc., chairs with turned legs, gilt all over, cushioned
with green silk damask, rich in its day, but now worn through and
through, and covered over with chintz or some modern drapery. On
these, however, doubtless sat those great and good men and women

COLCHESTER CASTLE.

857

to whom they once belonged, and many grave and worthy Friends
their guests and visitors. Captain Barclay was from home, so we
only had a peep into the Apologist's study, but there all seemed confu
sion, boxes partly unpacked were lying open, and it had in the small
part we could see more the appearance of a lumber-room than a
library. But though the house is in a miserable state in its moral
aspect, yet it is beautiful for situation. The views from it are beauti
ful, and the grounds are romantic, not only uninjured by the deprav
ity of man, but greatly improved by the judicious extensive planting
and excellent cultivation of the present proprietor, who is one of the
first farmers in the North of Scotland."
Thomas Pumphrey's " Memoir," p. 158.

COLCHESTER CASTLE.
n, . i7 {Castle, 6X4 in.
Photographs : { {James Parnel 's Cell, 8x10 in.
THE remains of this ancient fortress consist now of its
once great central tower. This is a Norman structure,
one hundred and forty by one hundred and two feet, built
probably on foundations of a Roman construction, and
undoubtedly with materials of that age, for lines of
Roman bricks are apparent in its massive walls. It was
one of the royal castles, but as the need for its original
purpose declined, passed by royal grant into the possession
of various proprietors, and at the time of the Civil Wars it
was in use as a prison ! A subsequent owner attempted
its removal, but desisted after inflicting much ruin upon it,
because the materials obtained were not found remunera
tive for the labour its solidity of construction entailed.
In the thickness of its walls are still to be seen some
recesses, to one of which tradition points as the prison
where poor James Parnel was confined. It answers to
the description given in his " Life." It is some height
above the ground, and hardly large enough for him to

858 MISCELLANIES.
have rested in any direction at full length. Portions of
this central keep are now fitted up as a library and
museum.

LANCASTER CASTLE.
Photograph 29 x 23 in.
The most remarkable of the ancient buildings in
Lancaster is the Castle, long since occupied as a prison.
It stands upon a beautiful eminence, on one side of the
city, and was unquestionably founded by the Romans.
The green mount on which it is immediately situated is
thought to have been artificially raised by that people.
In digging into it some years ago, a Roman silver
denarius was found at a great depth, and the eminence
has been surrounded with a deep ditch, said to have been
made by command of the Emperor Adrian, in the
year 124, when a garrison was placed here by his order.
They also erected a tower towards the west for their
better security. In the year 305, Constantius Chlorus,
father of Constantine the Great, built another tower,
facing the town, and both of them are still standing. The
present structure is generally supposed to have been built
by Edward III., but some parts of it seem to be of an
older date, as there are three styles of architecture very
evident in the present edifice. This station was one of
the first the Romans had in these parts, and from its
importance it was probably the last they abandoned. It
served for a great length of time as an effectual check
against the fierce incursions of the Caledonian tribes, and
was the object of their peculiar hatred.
We entered the castle through the beautiful gateway

LAUNCESTON CASTLE. 859
of John de Gaunt, and were shown through the different
rooms and yards by an officer appointed to attend us.
The whole circumference of the castle is 409 yards.
One of the apartments is still called the Quaker room, in
consequence of its having served as the place of confine
ment of George Fox and his friends. It is, we believe,
one of the most spacious and airy apartments in the
castle, Griscom's "Year in Europe, 1818 and 1819," vol. ii., 1823,
P- 523-

LAUNCESTON CASTLE.
Water-colour Painting, 10 x 7 in.
LAUNCESTON Castle is one of the earliest as also one
of the strongest of such fortified places in Cornwall.
Its chief features are the ruins of a round tower crowning
the summit of a hill much in the same manner as the
larger and more famous Round Tower of Windsor Castle.
The Castle Green is at the base of this hill, and is a
large open area. Here stood the County Prison and
the gallows, of neither of which any traces now remain.
Of the two stone gateways, giving access to this space
from the town, one of them has at one side an apartment
now roofless and much ruined, but which tradition assigns
as having been the place where George Fox was confined.
Of this a recent visitor was reminded as he stopped to
speak with one of the aged inhabitants then crossing the
green, who pointed out where buildings now gone had
once stood, and then directed attention to the gateway
chamber, where, said he, they do say " old Fox was in
prison." The local guide-book describes this gate as
having had residence apartments ; and beneath, entered

860 MISCELLANIES.
by a small lancet-shaped doorway, with no chimney, and
lighted by a single loophole, was the Doomsdale, or
" noisome den, in which George Fox, the founder of the
Quaker community, was confined for eight months, for
contempt of court in wearing his hat upon his trial for
the imaginary offence of distributing tracts at St. Ives."
This, it will be remembered, was soon after the great
Civil War, when Cornwall, as a county being in an
unsettled state, was held by the Parliamentary forces as
under '' martial law." The present condition of the
Castle grounds, laid out, as they are, in walks and
profusely planted with trees and shrubs, is both an
ornament and of great service for the recreation of the
inhabitants, as the general public are admitted to them
under easy restrictions. George Fox, in his "Journal,"
says he was put into this cell, then used for keeping
condemned persons before their execution, because he
declined continuing to pay the gaoler what he had
previously been charging them for their rooms. The
man and his assistant and their wives were bad characters,
and all four bore marks of the branding iron for their
offences, and it was an act of extreme cruelty to put
George Fox and his companion in such a vile den.
" The prisoners and some wild people would be talking
of spirits that haunted Doomsdale, and how many had
died in it, thinking to terrify us. But I told them that if
all the spirits and devils in hell were there, I was over
them in the power of God, and feared no such thing ; for
Christ, our Priest, would sanctify the walls of the house
to us ! The Lord, Who saw the integrity of our hearts to
Him, and knew the innocency of our cause, was with us
in our sufferings, bore up our spirits, and made them easy
to us ; and gave us opportunities of publishing His name
and truth amongst the people, so that several of the town

MEMORIAL TO GEORGE FOX. 86 1
came to be convinced." The gaoler, who had behaved
thus cruelly to his innocent prisoners, had to suffer himself
riot long after what he had thus inflicted; for being found
guilty of some offence, he was by his successor loaded
with irons and put into this Doomsdale, and told to
recollect who it was he had caused to suffer there.
George FOx was for eight months a prisoner in
Launceston Castle, and was released in the 7th month,
1656. It was during this imprisonment that Major
Seeley (one of the military authorities then in power)
accused George Fox of having struck him " such a blow
as he never had " in his life, by telling him to beware
of " hypocrisy and a rotten heart."

MEMORIAL TO GEORGE FOX.
Photograph 7x5 in.
THE origin of this memorial will be seen by the following
letter : — " Atherstone Hall, Warwickshire,
\zth September, 1871.
" Dear Sir, —
" I hope you will excuse my troubling you in the
following matter relating to the memory of the religious
reformer, George Fox, who was born in 1623 at the
village of Drayton, about three miles from this town.
The estate was at that time in the hands of my ancestors,
and therefore I have a natural interest in preserving the
memory of so good a man, and of his association with
Drayton. The house in which Fox was born still exists
nearly in its original condition, but there is no monument
or permanent record of the event which gives the place
its interest. I would willingly, at my own expense, erect

862 MISCELLANIES.
some slight memorial of George Fox of Drayton ; but I
think you will agree with me, that more respect is shown
to the man, and to his friends, by inviting their co-opera
tion. Having been in communication with the present
owner of the Drayton estate, the lord of the manor, I
find that a suitable site can be obtained near the birth
place, and I shall be glad to assist in the erection of a
simple obelisk with a suitable inscription thereon, if it
should appear that the Friends appreciate such a durable
record of the place and date of birth of one of themselves
so distinguished and worthy of respect. An obelisk of
Mansfield stone fifteen feet high can be erected at a cost
of about £50, and it is proposed to raise the necessary
amount by subscriptions of a guinea or half a guinea, the
memorial, when completed, to be vested in the trustees of
the Friends' School at Hartshill, near Atherstone. Trust
ing the proposal will commend itself to your favourable
consideration, and will meet with your support, I need
only add that subscriptions may be paid into the Leicester
shire Banking Company at Atherstone, to the credit of
the ' Fox Memorial Fund.'
" I am, dear sir,
"Yours very truly,
" C. H. Brackbridge.
" P.S. — Further particulars may be addressed to me,
to Mr. George Dymond, the Woodlands, Wellington
Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham ; or to Mr. John Dixon,
Master of the Friends' School at Hartshill, near Ather
stone." That this Memorial has attracted attention may be
seen from the following extract : —
"About four miles on our way we came to a stone
obelisk erected in a corner of a wood in a lonely part of

JOHN HALFORD'S HOUSE, ARMSCOTT. 863
the country. We pulled up and descended to inspect the
same, and to see what we could make of it. We dis
covered the following inscription upon it, which we
copied : — IN MEMORY OF
GEORGE FOX,
FOUNDER OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS,
BORN NEAR THIS SPOT A.D. 1 624,
DIED A.D. 1690,
AND WAS INTERRED IN BUNHILL FIELDS
BURIAL GROUND, LONDON.
ERECTED 1872."
"A Drive through England," by James John Hissey.

JOHN HALFORD'S HOUSE, ARMSCOTT.
Photograph 9x7 in.
It was whilst George Fox was being hospitably enter
tained at this mansion that he was taken prisoner under
the provisions of the Conventicle Act, and conveyed to
Worcester Jail. Much prominence is given in the Journal
to tbis, which was his last imprisonment. It was one
that involved him in much suffering from enfeebled health,
and no release could be obtained until, by writ of Habeas
Corpus, he had been twice brought up to London, where,
on the second occasion, the then Lord Chief Justice of
England, Sir Matthew Hale, freely gave him his discharge,
saying that, although much had been spoken against him,
he had heard so much more in his favour that he should be
no longer a prisoner. This ancestral residence is still in the
possession of the Halford family, and there is an ancient
Meeting-House in its near neighbourhood, which, when

864 MISCELLANIES.
used for a meeting, the Ministers who may attend it have
a similar hospitality shown them by the present owners that
was given in the days of George Fox. The house has
undergone very little change since those times, and con
tinues to be a good representative of an old English
country residence.

THE RETREAT, YORK.
Engraving, 6x4 in.
The neglect and harshness with which the insane were
treated in former times were exemplified in an ayslum at
York, established in 1777 on a charitable foundation.
It bore a good character, but in 1791 a female patient
died there, about whose treatment grave suspicions
arose in the minds of her friends. The attention of
William Tuke was drawn to the case, partly because the
patient was a member of the Society of Friends, and
partly because he was an actively benevolent citizen of
York. He was convinced that there was ground for
great dissatisfaction, but the asylum stood so high in
public favour that any attempt to obtain evidence
sufficient to convict the authorities would have failed.
It was therefore thought best to propose the establishment
of another asylum, of which the management should be
guided by humanity and skill. Before deciding on this
course William Tuke visited what was regarded as the
best-conducted asylum in London, but found nothing to
recommend it as a model to follow. On the contrary, he
saw patients lying on straw arid dirt, as in that day
was common in asylums for the insane. As . to medical
treatment, it was worse than no treatment at all. It was

THE RETREAT, YORK. 865
evident that the old system was rotten to the core, and
that an entirely new departure must be made. At the
same time, it was not foreseen how great a reform would
be effected in the treatment of the insane.
It was in the spring of 1792 that William Tuke brought
forward the proposal, to establish a new asylum, before a
meeting of the Friends of Yorkshire. There were no
decided objections offered at the time, but subsequently
there was some amount of opposition from certain
quarters. " Some," it is stated, " were not sensible that
any improvement could be made in the treatment of the
insane ; supposing that the privations and severe treat
ment to which they were generally exposed were
necessary to their unhappy situation." #
At the next meeting, three months later, to which the
further consideration of the proposal had been referred, a
more definite proposition was formulated by William Tuke.
It was : " That, in case proper encouragement be given,
ground be purchased and a building erected sufficient to
accommodate thirty patients, in an airy situation, and at
as short a distance from York as may be, so as to have
the privilege of retirement ; and that there be a few acres
for keeping cows, and for garden ground for the family,
which will afford scope for the patients to take exercise
when that may be prudent and suitable."
The proposition was warmly supported by William
Tuke's son, Henry ; also by Lindley Murray and others.
In a circular issued for general information, the following
is the concluding paragraph : —
"Those who have embarked in this undertaking have
not been influenced by interested views, nor are they
requesting or desiring any favour for themselves. A
•"Description of the Retreat," by Samuel Tuke, 1813. For
references to his active interest in the Institution see his Biography.
SS

866 MISCELLANIES.
malady, in many instances the most deplorable that
human nature is subject to, hath excited their sympathy
and attention, and they invite such Friends as approve
of their design to co- operate with them in an establish
ment which hath for its objects the mitigation of misery
and the restoration of those who are lost to civil and
religious society. In the prosecution thereof they humbly
rely on the favour of Him whose tender mercies are over
all His works."
In the following year suitable land was purchased
half a mile from the walls of the city, and " an architect
and eminent builder in London " having been consulted,
the building was proceeded with. We are told that "a
mixture of anxiety and pleasure was felt in contemplating
the progress of the undertaking," and great must have
been the satisfaction when at last, early in 1796, the
Institution was in working order and patients were
admitted, William Tuke being at the head of the little
family. Reference is made in the first Report to " the
pleasantness and healthiness of the situation, and the
conveniences provided for the use of the patients, both
within doors and without ; in which we have studiously
avoided that gloomy appearance which frequently accom
panies places appropriated for those who are afflicted
with disorder of the mind. ... In the infancy of such
an Institution as this, they who have the principal manage
ment of it do not conceive themselves superior to the
disadvantages which want of experience may be supposed
to lay them under. They think, however, that they have
abundant encouragement in the undertaking, not only
from the great occasion there appears for such an
establishment, but also from the amelioration of many
of the patients."
The Retreat has been well served by its superintendents.

THE RETREAT, YORK. 867
Timothy Maud, described as " a Friend of great worth
as well as medical knowledge, who had retired from
practice," succeeded his brother-in-law, William Tuke, but
death deprived the Institution of his services in a short
time. George Jepson, an estimable man, a practitioner in
Bradford, filled the office subsequently, with the highest
approval of all concerned in the Retreat. Of him and
his wife, the matron or "female superintendent," the
author of the " Description " writes : " The conductors,
and still more the unhappy objects of the establishment,
have great reason to esteem a blessing the appointment
of these individuals." From the same source we learn,
" George Jepson was of course initiated into the duties
of his office by William Tuke, who long continued his
parental care of the Institution, and may indeed be said,
for a considerable time, to have been virtually manager-
in-chief. When the new Superintendent had fully obtained
his esteem and confidence, he still continued his vigilant
oversight, and as Treasurer regularly conducted the
financial and some other parts of the correspondence of
the Institution, till the decay of his sight obliged him,
in his eighty-eighth year, to close his long and gratuitous
services. George Jepson was also most cordially instructed
and assisted by the excellent visiting physician, Dr. Fowler,
who had entered on his appointment at the opening of
the Retreat."
" Sketch of the Retreat," 1846, p. 10.
In 1822 George Jepson and his wife, Katherine Jepson,
the Matron, retired from office.
In the spring of the following year, Thomas Allis and
Hannah Ponsonby were elected the,ir successors. As the
former was not a medical man, and the number of patients
had much increased, a surgeon, the late Caleb Williams,

868 MISCELLANIES.
was appointed to visit the Retreat, in addition to the
visiting physician, Dr, W. Belcombe, who had acted in
that capacity from 1803, and continued to do so until
1826, when he was succeeded by his son, Dr. H. S. Bel
combe. Of Thomas Allis it may be said that he united
strength of character with kindly feeling to a remarkable
degree, and that he and his wife, Mary Allis, as also the
matron, identified themselves with the interests and daily
life of the household in a way which could not but tend
to give that home-like character to the Institution which
it was the desire of its projector to secure and preserve,
in spite of the painful and refractory elements of which
an asylum is necessarily composed.*
In 1838, the number of patients having still further
increased, a resident medical officer was appointed, Dr.
Thurnam.'f" In 1841 Thomas Allis and Hannah Ponsonby
resigned the offices they had occupied with so much zeal
for nearly twenty years.
On their retirement, John and Maria Candler, of
* Thomas Allis, who attained the age of 87 years, became much
known in advanced life throughout the Society by the great interest
he took in the welfare, during their early and later years, of the
boys at Ackworth and York Schools. He was a Fellow of the
Linnasan Society and a great naturalist, being especially skilful in
the preparation and setting-up of the skeletons of birds — of which
he amassed an extraordinary collection that now forms part of the
Philosophical, Society's Museum at York. Here maybe seen and
studied the framework of the denizens of the air, from an eagle to
a humming-bird, of which last he is said to have been the first who
succeeded in putting together the bones ; a feat the more remark
able as Thomas Allis, being a man of exceptionally large frame, had
hands which looked anything but promising for the successful hand
ling of so minute and delicate a structure.
+ After his retirement in 1849, Dr. Thurnam became superintendent
of the Wilts County Asylum. His work on the "Statistics of
Insanity" is one of great merit and utility. He was the joint
author of a valuable scientific work, " Crania Britannica," originating
in the discovery of a tumulus containing skulls, etc., on the grounds
of the York Retreat.

THE RETREAT, YORK. 869
Chelmsford, undertook their duties, and won the esteem
and affection of the officers and patients of the establish
ment. Failing health necessitated their retirement in
1 847, when Dr. Thurnam became the medical superintend
ent, Maria Whitten acting as matron. In 1849 Dr- and
Elizabeth Kitching were appointed superintendent and
matron of the establishment, and devoted their best
energies to their work for many years. Dr. Kitching has
well sxpressed the views and practices of those who took
charge in the first instance of the Institution, when he
says, in the following passage, " That they entertained the
belief that more successful results might be obtained in
the treatment of insanity, and the sufferings of patients
more effectually alleviated by the agency of humane and
moral influences than the public at large were prepared
to attempt. They endeavoured, in the choice of the
officers and attendants, that they should be animated
with a feeling of kind sympathy towards the afflicted
objects of their care, and it has always been their especial
desire to dispense with the use of mechanical restraint as
much as possible. ... At the same time the Retreat has
not considered it wise to pledge itself to the non-restraint
practice as a principle, conceiving that there may still be
occasional cases in which mild restraint is the best and
kindest, as well as the most scientific mode of dealing
with them."
In 1854 Dr. D. Hack Tuke, who had from 1847
resided in the Institution, was appointed assistant medical
officer, and subsequently became visiting physician in
conjunction with Dr. Williams.
On the resignation of Dr. Kitching in 1874 the post
of Superintendent was occupied by Dr. Robert Baker)
who continues to hold office ; the Visiting Medical Officer
being Samuel William North, M.R.C.S. There is now

870 MISCELLANIES.
no office of matron, but instead there are two " Ladies'
Companions." Thus since the opening of the Retreat to the present
time — a period covering nearly a century — there have
been eight Superintendents, in the Institution ; namely,
William Tuke, Timothy Maud, George Jepson, Thomas
Allis, John Candler, John Thurnam, John Kitching, and
Robert Baker.
During this course of years the humane principles 01
treatment originally proclaimed and acted upon at the
Institution, which was the first to bear the name of a
Retreat * in this country, have been steadily kept in view,
and if it is now neither better nor worse than the best
asylum of the day, it is in consequence of the general
advance which has taken place in the moral and medical
treatment of the insane, since the projection of the
Retreat in the year 1792.
There is accommodation at the present time for 160
patients ; of these 62 are unconnected with the Society
of Friends.
For a detailed account of the Retreat, the reader is
referred to the work already mentioned by Samuel Tuke,
as also to his "Sketch" written in 1846. As is well
known, he watched over the interests of the Institution for
a great many years. From 1820 to 1853 he filled the
office of Treasurer,
*The name given to it by the founder's daughter-in-law, Mary
Maria Tuke, the wife of Henry Tuke, of York.

THE ACKWORTH LAMB. 87 1
THE ACKWORTH LAMB.
Water-colour drawing 20 x 13 in.
FRESH in the memory of every Ackworth scholar is the
gilded lamb that serves as a weather-vane on the clock
turret of the boys' wing. The original bells in this turret,
with the clock that struck the hours upon them, were
sold to the Marquis of Rockingham on the relinquishment
of the premises by the Foundling Hospital, and the
single-handed clock Friends put in its place had become
superseded by the present excellent timekeeper ; but the
lamb, though ever turning with the wind, has remained
through all these changes a relic of the days when little
cloth-spinners and weavers worked and gambolled in this
Yorkshire branch of the Foundling Hospital. The Lamb
is the crest of this Institution, and thus possesses a
two-fold application, both to the infancy of the occupants
and their employments in spinning and weaving of the
fleece of the flock. This now eastern wing at first formed
the whole of the Ackworth establishment, which accounts
for the appearance of the entrance hall and stairs in its
centre — and here, on the walls, were long to be seen marks
of tablets, which Ackworth boys would call tombstones,
but were really the dedication tablets of the charity when
this cloth factory was erected by it on Seaton's Farm.
Its success in the remunerative employment of the children,.
and the favour shown by Parliament to the parent Insti
tution by its large annual grants, encouraged the great
enlargement by building the centre and west wing with.
their connecting colonnades. The large and influential
local committee had every expectation of a successful
career for the Ackworth Hospital Nursery and Factory.
The, London artists showed it much favour, and there

872 MISCELLANIES.
exists a document signed by forty-one leading painters,
sculptors, architects, and engravers, by which they agree
to appear at their next annual dinner at the London
Foundling "in a suit of clothes manufactured by the children
of the hospital at Ackworth, in Yorkshire, to be all of
one colour, and that they be made in Yorkshire." This
prosperity, however, was but short-lived. The feeling in
the country became adverse to an indiscriminate admis
sion of foundlings, and probably the local manufacturers
viewed with jealousy this competition of unpaid labour.
Parliament lessened its annual grants, and ordered what
it voted to be applied in apprentice fees, so " our young
artists" (as the Rev. Dr. Timothy Lee, the Rector of
Ackworth called them) were apprenticed out. The opera
tions of the parent Institution were greatly curtailed, and
the Ackworth buildings relinquished, but the Lamb
remains a relic of the former time, and of its century of
Ackworth scholars' experience.

PLOUGH COURT.
Print 7x4 in.
THESE premises (now demolished) were originally built
by John Osgood, a Friend, of White Hart Court, under
a building lease from the Haberdashers' Company, who
owned the freehold. They were occupied by the father
of Alexander Pope as his residence and place of business,
and it is supposed that the poet himself was born there.
Subsequent to this, Sylvanus* and Timothy Bevan,
* Sylvanus Bevan, who was a chemist of eminence and in high
repute as, a man of science and literature, possessed a talent of
taking likenesses from recollection and carving them in ivory. He,

FRIENDS' MISSION HOUSE, BRUMANA, MOUNT LEBANON. 873
apothecaries and chemists, were the occupants, and a son
of the latter, Joseph Gurney Bevan, continued the business,
being succeeded by his former assistants, William Allen
and Luke Howard ; and at this time Plough Court, as
William Allen's residence, became known as a centre of
the philanthropy of the day. His nephews, Daniel and
Cornelius Hanbury, becoming associated with him (after
Luke Howard's taking over the manufacturing department
to Stratford), the firm was known as Allen, Hanburys, and
Co., John Thomas Barry being one of the partners. City
improvements have now changed the neighbourhood. The
old premises have been taken down, and nearly on the
same site is now the large and very complete establish
ment in which this ancient business has found its modern
expansion under descendants of its former proprietors.

FRIENDS* MISSION HOUSE, BRUMANA,
MOUNT LEBANON.
Photograph 23 x 18 in.
An interesting result of the visit of Eli and Sybil Jones
to Mount Lebanon in 1869, was their meeting with
Theophilus Waldmeier, for it led him to an acquaint
ance with the views of Friends, which a meeting with
Stafford Allen, who was there subsequently, increased ; so
that when T. Waldmeier came to England he was well
received by Friends generally, and they became greatly
interested in his desires to found a mission under the care
of Friends on Mount Lebanon.
when young, knew William Penn well, and the likeness he made of
him has been the foundation for several engraved portraits. (See
Clarkson's "Penn.")

874 MISCELLANIES.
The late Hannah Stafford Allen warmly espoused this
movement, and by means of funds raised in England
and America, Theophilus Waldmeier was able to erect the
buildings shown on the photographic view. These have
become increased from time to time by various erections
as the needs of the work required, until it has attained
very considerable importance, there being a boys' training
home, a girls' establishment of the same description, a
hospital and medical dispensary, and more recently a
substantial Meeting-House, with turret, clock, and bell.
Any interested in this work should read Theophilus
Waldmeier's account of it in his autobiography, in which
he also narrates how he became convinced of our prin
ciples, and was received in consequence into membership
with the Society.

INDEX.

Aggs, Lucy (1789— 1853) . . 1
Allen, John (1790 — 1859) . . 3
Allen, William (1770— 1843) . 7
Alsop, Robert (1803— 1876) . 14
Alsop, Christine (d. 1879) . .17
Ash, Edward, M.D. (1797— 1873) 19
Backhouse, Edward (1808 — 1879) 21
Backhouse, Hannah Chapman
(1787— 1850). ... 25
Backhouse, James (1794 — 1869) . 29
Ball, William (1801— 1878) . . 34
Ball, Anne (1790— 1861) . . 38
Barclay, David, ofUry(i6lo — 1686) 39
Barclay, Robert (1648 — 1690) . 43
Barclay, David, of London .
(1682— 1769) ... 47
Barclay, David, of Walthamstow
(1728— 1809) . . 48
Barclay, Robert [Captain]
(1779-1854). ... 51
Barnard, Sir John (1685 — 1764) . 53
Barrett, Richard (1784—1855) . 56
Barry, John Thomas (1790 — 1864) 57
Barton, Bernard (1784—1849) . 59
Bedford, Peter (1780— 1864) . 64
Bell, Jshn (1774— 1849) . .'67
Bell, Jacob (1810— 1859) . . 71
Benezet, Anthony (17 13 — 1784) . 74
Bevan, Joseph Gurney
(1753— 1814). ... 80
Bevan, Mary (1751— 1813) . . 83
Bingley, William (1650— 1714) . 84
Binns, Thomas (1798— 1872) . 85
Birch, Thomas, D.D., F.R.S.
(1705— 1766). ... 88
Birkbeck, George, M.D.
(1776— 1841). ... 91
Birkbeck, Morris (1764— 1825) . 95
Bowly, Samuel (1802 — 1884) . 96
Bradley, Thomas, M.D.
(1751— 1813). . . .103

PAGE
Bradshaw, George (1801 — 1853) 103
Braithwaite, Isaac ( 1781 — 1861) 106
Braithwaite, Anna (1788 — 1859) . 107
Briggs, Henry Perronet
(1793— 1844) . . .112
Bright, Rt. Hon. John, M.P.
(b. 1811) . . . .113
Brown, Moses (1738 — 1836). . 115
Brown, William (1769 — 1846) . 118
Burritt, Elihu (1810 — 1879) . .119
Buxton, Sir Thomas Fowell, Bart.
(1786— 1845) • ¦ • I2l
Capper, Samuel (1782 — 1852) 124
Charleton, Robert (1809 — 1872) . 128
Clarkson, Thomas (1760 — 1846) . 132
Cockin, Richard (1753 — 1845) . 136
Collinson, Peter (1693 — 1768) . 139
Cookworthy, William) 1 705 — 1 780) 142
Crewdson, William Dillworth, the
Elder (1774— 185 1) . . 145
Crewdson, William Dillworth, the
Younger (1799 — 1878) . . 146
Cropper, James (1763 — 1840) . 147
Cuffe, Paul (1759— 1817) . . 150
Curtis, William, F.L.S.
(1746— 1799) . . .150
Dalton, John, D.C.L., LL.D. Edin.,
F.R.S. (1766— 1844) . . 161
Dant, Joan (1631 — 1715) . . 167
Dillwyn, George (1738 — 1821) . 170
Dillwyn, William (1743 — 1824) . 174
Dillwyn, Lewis Weston, F.R.S.,
F.L.S. (1778—1855) . . 176
Dimsdale, Thomas [Baron], M.D.,
F.R.S. (171 1— 1800) . . 179
Dixon, George (1671 — 1752) . 183
Donbavand, Joseph (1757 — 1831) 185
Doubleday, Henry (1808— 1875) • lS7
Doubleday, Edward (1810 — 1849). 189

876

INDEX.

Dymond, Jonathan (1796— 1828)- 190
Eaton, Joseph (1792— 1858) . 194
Eddy, Thomas (1758— 1827) . 196
Ellis, John (1789— 1862) . .196
Ellis, Edwd. Shipley (1817— 1879) 201
Ellis, Sarah (Stickney)
(1799 — 1872)' . . . 204
Emlen, Samuel (1730— 1799) . 205
Ford, John (1801— 1875) . . 206
Forster, Josiah (1782— 1870) .211
Forster, Robert (1791— 1873) - 219
Forster, William (1784 — 1854) .. 222
Forster, Rt. Hon. Wm. Edward
(1818— 1886) . . .231
Foster, John (1781 — 1864) . . 234
Fothergill, John, M.D., F.R.S.
(1712— 1780) . . . 236
Fox, George (1624 — 1690) . . 243
Fox, Robert Were, the Elder
(1754— 1818) .. . . 250
Fox, Robert Were, the Younger,
F.R.S. (1789—187,7) . . 251
Fox, Joshua (1792— 1877) . . 254
Fox, Alfred (1794 — 1874) . . 256
Fox, Charles (1797 — 1878) . .261
Fox, Samuel (1794 — 1874) . . 266
Fry, Elizabeth (1780— 1845) -269
Fry, Francis, F.S.A {1803— 1886) 273
Fry, Richard (1807— 1878) . . 275
Gay, Claude (1707—1,786) . . 276
Gilpin, Charles, M.P. (1,815— 1874) 279
Godlee, Rickman (1:8(34 — 1871) . 282
Grellet, Stephen (17,73—1855) . 283
Grubb, Sarah (Tuke)
(1756— 1790) . , . 287
Grubb, Sarah (Lymes) .
(1773— 1842) . , .289
Gundry, William (1777 — 1851) .292
Gurney, House of ... . 293
Gurney, John (1688— 1740) . . 294
Gurney, Joseph C1692 — 1.750) . 298
Gurney, John (1715 — 1770).. . 300
Gurney, John (1749 — 1809) . 301
Gurney, Joseph John (1788 — 1847) 3°6
Gurney, Samuel, the Elder
(1786-1856) . . .313
Gurney, Elizabeth (1785— 1855) .. 318
Gurney, Samuel, the Younger
(1816—1882) . . .319
Gurney, Hudson, F.R.S.
(1775— 1864) . . .326
Hancock, Thos., M.D.
(1783—1849) . . .329
Harrison, Smith (1818 — 1883) . 331

Harry, Jenny (date of birth and
death unknown) .
Harvey, Thomas (1812— 1884)
Hicks, Elias (1748— 1830) .
Hoare, Family of .
Hoare, Samuel (1716— 1796)
Hoare, Samuel (1751— 1825)
Hoare, Samuel (1783 — 1847)
Hodgkin, Thomas, M.D.
(1 798 -1.866)
Hodgkin, John (1800— 1875)
Holt, David (1766— 1846)

333
337 344
35°35i
352 354 355
362
37i
Hopper, Isaac Tatem(l77l— 1852) 372
Howard, Luke, F.R.S.
(1772—1864)
Howitt, William 1(1792—1879)
Howitt, Mary (1.799— 1888).
Hutchinson, Jonathan
(1760-1835)

Jones, Sybil (1808— 1873)

374380
380 387389

Kemp, Grover (1792— 1869) . 393
Kilham, Hannah (1774— 1832) .398
Kitching, John (1771— 1864) . 403
Knowles, Mary (1733— 1807) . 405
Lancaster, Joseph (1771 — 1838) . 413
Lay, Benjamin (1677 — 1759) . 418
Leatham, William (1784 — 1842) . 423
Lettsom, John Coakley, M.D.,
F.R.S. (1744— 1815) . . 423
Lilburne, John (1618— 1657) . 430
Lister, Joseph Jackson, F.R.S.
(17.86-1869) . . .433
Logan, James (1674— 1731). .439
Lucas, Samuel (1805 — 1870) . 440
Miller, William ( 1 796— 1 882) . ' 444
Morland, John (1794 — 1867) . 447
Mott, Lucretia (1793 — 1880) . 450
Murray, Lindley (1745 — 1826) . 452
Nayler, James (1616 — 1660) . 459
Neighbour, George (1784 — 1865) 466
Newman, Edward, F.L.S., F.Z.S.
{1801—1876) . . . .467

Opie, Amelia (1769 — 1853) .
Overend, John (1769 — 1832)

• 473
. 480

Parkinson, Sydney (d. 1771) . 482
Parnel, James (1637 — 1656) . 483
Pease, Edward (1767 — 1858) . . 487
Pease, John (1797 — 1868) . . 495
Pease, Sophia (1801 — 1870) . 500
Pease, Joseph (1799 — 1872) . 503
Pease, Henry (1807— 1881) . . 507
Pemberton, James (1723 — 1809) . 510

INDEX.

877

rAbb
Penn, Admiral Sir William
(1621 — 1670) . . . 512
Penn, William (1644 — 1 7 18) . 513
Phillips, Richard (1756— 1836) . 520
Phillips, William, F.R.S.
(1773— 1828) . . .524
Pope, Robert, M.D. (1748—1827) 526
Priestman, John (1805 — 1866) . 527
Pumphrey, Thomas (1802 — 1862) 532
Pumphrey, Stanley (1837 — 1881) 537
Purver, Anthony (1702 — 1777) . 540
Ransome, Robert, the Elder
(1753— 1830) . . .545
Ransome, Robert, the Younger .
(1795— 1864) . . .547
Ransome, James (1782 — 1849) • 554
Ransome, James Allen
(1806— 1875) . . .559
Reynolds, Richard (1735 — 1816) 564
Richardson, Thomas (177 1 — 1853) 566
Rickman, Thomas Clio
(1761-1834) . . . .568
Rickman, Thomas (1776 — 1841) . 570
Rickman, William (1745 — 1839) . 572
Robinson, George (1809 — 1874) . 574
Rowntree, Joseph (1801 — 1859) . 574
Rundell, Samuel (1763— 1848) . 581
Ruston, Robert (1779— 1839) . 584
Schimmelpenninck, Mary Anne
(1778-1856) , . . .585
Scott, John (1730— 1783) . . 587
Seebohm, Benjamin (1798— 1871) 590
Sewel, William (1654—1720) . 598
Sewell, Mary (1797— 1884) . . 600
Shackleton, Richard (1726 — 1792) 602
Sharp, Granville (1734 — 1813) . 606
Sharpies, Isaac (1702 — 1784) . 610
Shewell, Joseph (1785—1875) . 614
Shillitoe, Thomas (1754— 1836) . 616
Simmons, Ebenezer Leadbeater
(1791—1875) . . . .629
Sims, John, M.D. (1792— 1838) . 631
Smeal, William (1793— 1877) . 631
Smith, Edward, of London
(1787— 1834)' . . .635
Smith, Edward, of Sheffield
(1800— 1868) . . .637

PAGE
Sturge, Joseph (1793— 1859) . 641
Tanner, William (1815— 1866) . 651
Thistlethwaite, William
(1813 — 1870) . . .654
Thomas, George (1791 — 1869) . 660
Thompson, Thomas
(1775— 1861) . . .663
Thorp, Joseph (1803— 1873) . 665
Tuke, William (1732— 1822) . 668
Tuke, Henry (1755 — 1814) . . 673
Tuke, Samuel (1784 — 1857). .674
Wakefield, Edward (1750— 1826) 679
Wakefield, Priscilla
(1750—1832) . . .680
Walker, Geo. Washington
(1800— 1859) . . .681
Warner, Charles Heath
(1811—1879). • . -685
Webb, Maria (1804— 1873) . . 686
West, John (date of birth and
death unknown) . . . 689
West, Benjamin, P.R.A.
(1738— 1820) . . .691
Westlake, William Colson
(1822—1887) . . .706
Wheeler, Daniel (1771 — 1840) . 710
Whitaker, Robert (1766— 1848) . 713
Whittier, John Greenleaf {b. 1807) 718
Whitwell, Thomas (1837— 1878) . 722
Wiffin, Jeremiah Holmes, M.R.S.L.
(1792— 1836) . . .725
Wiffin, Benjamin Barron
(1794— 1867) . . .727
Wilkinson, John (d. 1846) . . 729
Williams, Caleb/ M.D.
(1798— 1871) . . .730
Wilson, Rt. Hon. James, M.P.
(1805— 1860) . . .732
Woods, Joseph, F.S.A, F.L.S.,
F.G.S. (1776— 1864). . . 736
Woodville, William, M.D., F.L.S.
(1752— 1805) . . .737
Woolman, John (1720— 1772) . 739
Yeardley, John (1786— 1858) . 741
Yoakley, Michael (163 1— 1708) . 747
Young, Thomas, M.D., F.R.S.
(1773 -1829) . . .749

MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES.

The Friends' Meeting-House
The Meeting
London Yearly Meeting
Gracechurch Street Meeting

PAGE
• 759
. 760
. 761
• 7^7

Swarthmoor Hall and Meeting-
House ..... 77°
Jordans Meeting-House and Burial
Ground  774

878

INDEX.

MEETINGS AND MEETING-HOUSES— continued.

Earith Monthly Meeting . . 779
Bull and Mputh Meeting . . 782
Westminster Meeting-House . 783
Meeting-House, St. Martin's Lane 786

Stoke Newington Meeting-House 787
Picture of a Quakers' Meeting . 788
The Quakers' Synod . . . 789

SCHOOLS.

PAGE

Ackworth School .

791

Saffron Walden School

810

Sidcot School, near Weston-super

Mare ....

814

Wigton School

815

Rawdon School, near Leeds

817

Penketh School .

818

Sibford School, Oxfordshire

819

Ayton School

821

Flounders Institute
York Quarterly Meeting, Boys'
School, Bootham, York
York Quarterly Meeting, Girls'
School, The Mount, York
The Dalton Hall, Manchester
Compton School ....
Grove House School, Totten
ham . . . . .

PAGE 823
. 826827
829833 §35

MISCELLANIES.

Perm's Treaty with the Indians
Indian Version of Penn's Treaty
at Shackamaxon .
The Treaty Tree . . . .
Penn Monument on Site of Treaty
Elm 
Benjamin West and Family
Germantown Friends' Protest
against Slavery, 1688 .
The Medical Society of London .
Elizabeth Fry reading to the
Prisoners in Newgate in the
year 1816 . . . .

PAGE 837 842842S44845

852

853

The Yearly Meeting's Committee
who visited Ireland in 1864-5 855
Ury, the residence of the Barclay
Family  855
Colchester Castle .... 857
Lancaster Castle .... 858
Launceston Castle . . . 859
Memorial to George Fox . .861
John Halford's House, Armscott . 863
The Retreat, York . . .864
The Ackworth Lamb . . .871
Plough Court . . . .872
Friends' Mission House, Brumana,
Mount Lebanon . . . 873

Printed by West, Newman & Co., Hatton Garden, London.