468 OBITUARY.-H. Knight, Esq.-W. Fawkes, Esq.-W. Fell, Esq. [Nov. this ill-fated lady say, that she frequently expressed an opinion that, she was too rich to be happy, or likely to meet with a match of disinterested affection. We believe, that her marriage was one not of affection, but of importunity-that she yielded to a long and indefatigable siege; and not without the most pointed and daring threats, that the determined lover would not yield but with his life. From the moment she first appeared in life, she was distinguished by kindness of heart, and affability of manner-her spirit was forgiving, and her feelings were warm and affectionate. HENRY KNIGHT, ESQ. Sept. 19. At Tythegston Hall, co. Glam. aged 62, Henry Knight, Esq. Vice Lieutepant of that county, and late Colonel of its Militia. He was descended from Wilcock Turbervill of Tythegstou, who lived in the 15th century. In the reign of Hen. VIII. the estate devolved to the family of Lougher by the marriage of Cecil Turbervill to Watkin Lougher of Newton, Glamorgan,, from whose descendants in the female line the grandfather of Mr. Knight inherited, the property. He received his education at Gloucester College School, and at Winchester, after which he became a Member of Pembroke College, Oxford. On quitting the Uni versity he travelled through Italy, and acquired that correct taste which was displayed in the improvement of his residence, WALTER FAWKES, ESQ. Mr. Fawkes was returned a member for Yorkshire at the general election in 1806, and retired from Parliament at the dissolution in the spring of 1807. He served the office of High Sheriff of the county of York, in 1823. On the 10th of Dec. 1823, he had the misfortune to lose his first wife. He married, secondly, Jan. 4, 1816, the Hon.. Mrs. Butler, daughter of J. Fernon, Esq. of Clontorp Castle, co. Dublin, and relict of Hon. P. Butler, third son of the Earl of Carrick. He was brother to F. Hawksworth, Esq, of Barmbro' Grange, and the Rev. A. Hawksworth, of Leathley Hall, near Ot ley, whose deaths have occurred within. the short space of six months, Mr. Fawkes was a gentleman universally es-, teemed lor his urbanity, and most deservedly sustained the character of an excellent landlord as well as a kind master. In his public career he was a firm supporter of the Whig interest, and a strong advocate for Parliamentary reform. was a great admirer of the fine arts, and He had some plates of local views engraved WILLIAM FELL, ESQ. rister-at-Law; and who had just entered He went to Liverpool for the purpose of had attained considerable eminence in his Mr. Fell was in the prime of life, and profession, and was deservedly much sion and a large circle of friends. The esteemed by the gentlemen of the profes poignant grief of his amiable wife and family will be more easily imagined than it can be described. JOHN PAGET, Esq. 63, John Paget, Esq. of Newberry House, and 2 1825:] OBITUARY.-Mess. Paget, Miller, Marriott, &c. and highly respected by all who enjoyed the intercourse of his society, as was amply attested by the unusual gloom which the intelligence of bis decease produced in his immediate neighbourhood, where he was always distinguished for zealous loyalty to his King, and sincere attachment to the Church of England. From his earliest youth he evinced the same bias for the study of ecclesiastical architecture and general antiquarian research, which so much distinguished his late brother, the Rev. Richard Paget, Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, who contributed many interesting papers to this Magazine under the signatures of D. T. and R. P.; and to whom will be found a just tribute in our number for May 1795, page 382. The subject of this notice was educated at Oriel College, since which time he gradually acquired, and critically elucidated a valuable collection of specimens of our earliest typography, and had recently completed a perfect and probably unique series of all the English coins current since the Conquest: and though his innate diffidence in his own powers precluded him from appearing in public as a writer, yet the value of his private communications on subjects connected with our early literature, has been frequently acknow. ledged by those conversant in antiquarian lore. MR. CHARLES Miller. Nov. 18. Aged 46, Mr. Charles Miller, of Aldgate High-street,, Jeweller. He bore more than twelve years of most tedious and lingering suffering, with a patience and resignation almost unexampled. Confined, for the whole of that long period, to his chair, by paralysis of the lower extremities, he continued, till within a few weeks of his death, to give assiduous attention to his business, to perform all the duties of a husband and father, and even to join in the placid enjoyments of domestic society; evincing a calmness of mind and serenity of temper that seemed alone to combat with and arrest the insidious progress of inveterate and hopeless disease. Mr. Miller was the only son of Thomas Miller, sometime of the Ordnance Office in the Tower, and afterwards of Gravesend, Gent. and grandson of John Miller of Chichester, Esq. a younger son of Sir John Miller of East Lavant in Sussex, the secondi Baronet of that family. He has left a widow and one infant son to lament his untimely loss. 469 played for several years on the boards of the old theatre, Oxford, with considerable success, being at that period a great favourite. He possessed almost to the last a fund of genuine humour and originality. The deceased had accumulated a sum of money sufficient to render his vale of life smooth; but a transaction which occurred fourteen years since most wretchedly embittered his latter days. About that: period he purchased some premises in. Stonehouse; after he had paid for them, and had had possession, it was contended that the person who sold them had no authority, and that deceased's title was consequently bad. A bill in Chancery was filed against him, and for nearly fourteen years has this chancery suit been eating to his "heart's core. "" He has been repeatedly heard to say, "were it not for that law suit I should be the happiest man alive, but as it is, I am the most. wretched; for so long a period has he suf fered the "law's delay," being unwilling to lose his little property without a struggle, and there being no other means of getting rid of this suit. At last, death put a period to his sufferings, but not before the Lord Chancellor had put an end to the cause; for, a day or two preceding his death, judgment was given against him, but of this he was never acquainted, as he was too far gone to be troubled with the event of that cause, which to him had been a most grievous one. MR. JOHN Kennedy. Nov. 12. In Marsham-street, Westmin ster, at a very advanced age, and after a lingering illness, Mr. John Kennedy. For many years he had been head door keeper at the House of Commons (a place of great emolument), and was well known to the several members, and to the frequenters of the lobby. In this situation. he amassed a considerable fortune, and had large estates in his native county of Merioneth, Wales, being born at Gevanes.. He was an intimate favourite with the late Chief Baron Richards, with whom he used frequently to dine, and to whom he once intended to leave the bulk of his. property. Though the situations of the two persons nominally were so different, they were neighbours born; had been educated together, and, through after-life. continued on the most friendly terms. The age and infirmities of Mr. Kennedy: compelled him to retire from his situation at the latter end of the last session of Parliament; but for several preceding, sessions he had been unable to attend to its duties. MR. JOHN JACKSON. Oct. 20. At Brakenrigg, in the parish of Lesmahagow, Scotland, aged 76, Mr. John Jackson. It is well worthy of re mark 470 OBITUARY.-Mr. Jackson.-C. Demetriades. mark that the predecessors of the deceased person, have successively possessed the farm of Brakenrigg about three hundred years, from the estate of Blackwood, and that they have likewise successively been honoured with the title of "King of Brakenrig." The late deceased King had in his possession a sword and powderhorn, with which his grandfather fought at the battle of Bothwell-bridge. The manner in which he came by the possession of the sword is somewhat interesting. His grandfather, immediately on his return from that memorable engagement, having occasion to be in the field with his sword under his arm (as was customary in those times), and espying a company of cavalry approaching him, he possessed sufficient presence of mind as instantly to plunge it into the moss. After the departure of the soldiers, he returned to the spot for the purpose of finding his sword, but in vain ;' the circumstance was made known to his relations and neighbours, and many a fruitless search was made for its discovery, till after having remained for upwards of one hundred years in this obscure situation, it was accidentally found by the present Mr. Brown, of Auchrabbert. CONSTANTINE Demetriades. We have been favoured with the following particulars, from the pen of a respectable Correspondent, who has long been a resident of Durham, and from personal observation had every opportunity of learning the character of this singular individual. The account of Constantine Demetriades in your last Obituary, p. 377, was perhaps copied from the newspapers, where it has before appeared. Some of the particulars given of him place him in an unfavourable light, and must leave impressions, which, I am convinced, are erroneous. It is only justice to this eccentric man's character, which was uniformly inoffensive while he resided here, to vindicate it from these aspersions. I chiefly allude to the story of his "annuity," and his "getting possession of the whole, or part, of the principal, and bidding good-bye to his Durham friends, without ceremony.". Of all this there is not a word of truth. When he came to Durham, he brought letters of recommendation to me (and 1 believe to others also) from two or three respectable gentlemen in Newcastle, in consequence of which I noticed him, took lessons from him, and knew more of him than any other individual here. He was with me several times in the week during his residence in this city; and, having had opportunities of befriending him, I seemed to have his entire confidence, and received from him an account of his early life and wanderings. [Nov. His abilities as a teacher of languages were certainly moderate, and he did not procure more than three or four pupils here. I am not aware that he had the patronage of any of the Clergy; but I mention not this as conveying any censure on them; for (although he complained to me that he was not countenanced by them) I am not aware that he had any peculiar claim on their liberality. They certainly never purchased any " annuity” for him. I have not heard that the intention of doing so ever existed. Of course he could not "get possession of the principal." And, with respect to the uncharitable insinuation of dishonesty, although he always lived most parsimoniously, he always paid what he owed; and I am confident he did not leave Durham with any undischarged debt, nor with any imputation on his moral character. To correct the misstatements above alluded to, was the immediate motive of my making this communication; but they are not the only errors in your Obituary. I never understood from him that it was " by the persuasion of Lord Elgin be was induced to come to this country," much less that "he relinquished his sacerdotal charge at the instance of the noble Lord." On the contrary, the account, which I had from himself, was that, after he left Athens, he resided some time at Jassy and at Bucharest, where he officiated in the Greek Church, until causes (which it is not now necessary for me to disclose) induced him to go to Trieste, at which place he expected a situation in the Greek congregation. Disappointed in this, and falling in with Romish Priests, he was persuaded to forsake the Greek profession of faith, and adopt that of Rome. By the advice of his proselyting friends, he went to Malta, in prospect of a maintenance in the Romish Church; but, again disappointed, some acrimonious expressions which fell from him were heard and conveyed to his superiors; and the result was, that the sincerity of his conversion was more than suspected, and the alterative remedy of a visit to the prisons of the Inquisition was administered. In a short time he obtained his release: and then he made the best of his way to the Protestant countries in the North of Europe, resolved to drop all farther connexion with the " Pope Devil," as he usually called the head of the Romish Church. At Berlin he became acquainted with Dr. Brown, one of the physicians (or, as he always styled him, the Archiater) of the Prussian Court; and it was on the suggestion of: Dr. Brown, and not of Lord Elgin, that Demetriades came to the resolution of trying his fortune in England. Through the Doctor he procured a passport from Lord Elgin (then the British Ambas 1825.] OBITUARY.-C. Demetriades.-John Brown. Ambassador), and this was all that his Lordship had to do with his visit to this island. Poor Constantine was perhaps "below par" as a teacher of languages, but his misfortune was to be unconscious of this. He attributed his want of success, not to his want of abilities, but to the practices of some underhand enemies, against whom he was in the habit of inveighing for "taking away his respect," to use his own phrase. This idea, which had the full possession of his mind, together with the dread of being sent out of the country under the Alien Act, or of coming to want while he remained here, produced alternate fits of irritation and depression, and may account for, if not entirely justify, his parsimonious habits. How be conducted himself after he left this City, I do not know. I thought it due to the poor man's character to state the above facts, in order to remove the unfa. vourable impressions of him which your J.W. Obituary is calculated to convey, JOHN BROWN. Sept. 24. At Broughton Gifford, near Melksham, aged 77, John Brown, 40 years a mendicant. In early life he was apprenticed to a weaver, which trade he followed for a few years after arriving at ma turity, working for a respectable clothier at Melksham. The circuit to which he confined himself in his excursions, did not extend much beyond the clothing district of Wiltshire, and part of the adjoining county of Somerset, but his visits were generally very regular, and when rebuked for repeating them too often, he would reply that it was so long since he came last (mentioning the time), adding, "and I come only once in so many weeks." Though in general importunate in his supplications for charity, yet when refused on the plea of there being nothing for him, he would coolly observe, as he walked away, "never mind, never mind, it will do when I call next time." In some of the villages at a distance from home, he has appeared as a silent petitioner, imploring the assistance of the spectators by signs only. On such occasions he was known by the name of the dumb-man, and was generally successful in obtaining food or money; but when seen by some of his neighbours, and reproved for his deception, he has readily, found his speech, saying, you mind your business, and I will mind mine." He would sometimes observe to his neigh bours on returning from his excursions, that be "would rather see the heads than the tails," at the different houses he went to, thereby insinuating that the masters were more attentive to his plea of distress than the servants. When at a distance 471 from any houses, he has been known to accost the labourers in the fields, begging a part of their food, saying he was nearly perishing for want; and so meagre and abject was his appearance, and his manner of imploring them so earnest, that he has been relieved by those who could ill afford to share a pittance of their food. A few days before his death, he went to a gentleman's house where he had been frequently relieved, and invited one of the servants to attend his funeral when he died, which he said would not be long first; he entreated him to attend, whether he received any further invitation or not. The hut in which Brown lived and died corresponded with its inhabitant ;—its exterior, mean and wretched in the extreme, whilst its interior contained an assemblage of poverty, filth, and misapplied articles of value, blended together, without any regard to order or discrimination. This hovel, for it deserves not the name of a house, is about fifteen feet in length, by five in breadth, and seven in height, comprehending only one apartment, and in this miserable abode its miserable iumate had huddled together the following, amongst other, articles:-One bed and beadstead, four chairs, three boxes, seven teakettles, four saucepans, five frying-pans, two gridirons, ten pepper-boxes, four flourdredgers, forty table and tea spoons, three tea cannisters, four tea trays, one hundred and twenty dowlas and Holland shirts, one hundred and thirty pocket and neck handkerchiefs, forty cravats or stocks of cambric muslin, twenty pair of stockings, two night caps, thirty-four pair of shoes entirely new, and a great number of old, ones, three pair of new buckskin breeches and many old ones, five coats and four waistcoats, three pair of gaiters (new), six hats three narrow and three broad brims, four smock frocks, a silver watch, and a pair of plated buckles for shoes. A large quantity of old silver (shillings, &c.), which sold for 127. at the rate of 54d. per shilling, and about 31. worth of old sixpences, halfpence, and penny pieces; four large bags full of meat in an advanced state of putrefaction, and about two bushels full of pieces of cheese, too bad to be given to pigs. lo a neighbour's house Brown had deposited a large chest and three boxes full of linen, shoes, and other articles; for the preservation of which the person was paid 10. after his decease. Notwithstanding he had collected so large a quantity of clothes, some of which were in excellent condition, he was frequently known to go into neighbouring towns to purchase wearing aphis return parel, linen, &c. which on home he would put away in the most incongruous manner-(as for example a pair 472 OBITUARY.-J. Taylor, Esq.-Mr. John Nicol. pair of old shoes, with rusted nails, Upon dividing the property which was JAMES TAYLOR, ESQ. Sept. 18. At Cumnoch, after a severe illness, aged 66, James Taylor, Esq. proprietor of the extensive pottery establishment of that place. The death of this gentleman is a public loss. He was a man of no ordinary powers and acquirements; and had it been his fortune to be placed where he might have had full scope and employment for his genius, he would long ago have held a distinguished rank among the benefactors of his country. But adverse circumstances, during the greater part of his life, shed a withering influence over all his projects, chilling his ardour, discouraging his exertions, and confining his usefulness within a very nar row sphere. Mr. Taylor received the rudiments of his education at the celebrated school of Claseburn; and afterwards prosecuted it, during several years, at the University of Edinburgh. Having turned his attention both to medicine and divinity, and gone through a course of studies calculated to fit him for either profession, he might have been comfortably established in the Church, as he had more than one living offered to his acceptance. But the bent of his genius lay in another direction. He was passionately fond of philosophical pursuits, particularly geology, mineralogy, chemistry, and mechanics. He had paid much attention to the steam-engine, and was the first who suggested, and (in conjunction with the late Mr. Miller, of Dalswinton) carried into effect the application of that power to the propelling of vessels. The original experiment was performed on the lake of Dalswinton in the year 1788. It was completely successful; for though on a small scale (being with a four inch cylinder), and with a vessel not calculated for rapid motion, they went at the rate of five miles an hour with ease. the following year the experiment was repeated on the Forth and Clyde Canal; and as it was on a larger scale, the motion In [Nov. nearly seven miles an hour, thus demonwas proportionally accelerated, being strating that, by increasing the magnitude and power of the engine, almost any degree of celerity might be attained. These experiments gave the greatest satisfaction to a multitude of spectators, some of whom were of high respectability. They were recorded in several publications of the day, and in particular may be seen mentioned in the Scots Magazine for 1788, vol. ii. p. 566. But from some unaccountequalled the most sanguine expectations able whim, however, though the success of all concerned, Mr. Miller could never be prevailed upon to proceed further in the business; and as Mr. Taylor had not the command of sufficient funds, the project was necessarily, and on his part most reluctantly, abandoned.-Fulton and Bell therefore had only the merit of seizing the already published ideas of another, and converting them to practical use. MR. JOHN NICOL. Oct.... Found dead in his bed, at Edinburgh, aged 70, Mr. John Nicol, Mariner, who in 1822 pablished his "Life and Adventures." From this work, we have gleaned the following facts. He was born in 1755 near Edinburgh. useful handicraft for a lad so wholly posHis father was by trade a Cooper, a very sessed with the love of the sea. In 1769 he was taken to London, and the voyage seems to have confirmed his disposition; ticeship to the business of a cooper rethough his return to Scotland and apprentarded its gratification till 1776, when he sailed for Canada, where he remained 18 entered on board a vessel at Leith, and months. With this the travel of his simple story commences, and however unadornedly told, is extremely interesting. On leaving this country he embarked in His next remarkable trip was in the After all, poverty was the lot of this man |