George Clement Boase

“ Of such kind patronage I feel myself all unworthy; for I am not quite so confident myself. There are one or two little points with regard to which I have already had to correct my own report, and one or two more where I have had a little doubt whether my transcription of some travel-worn pencil notes was quite so faithful as I intended it to be. ”

“ As a preacher he excelled in distinct and powerful exhibition of the truth; whatever he had to say came fresh from his own independent thought, went straight to the heart of the subject, and made an immediate impression on his hearers. The untimely death in 1868 of his eldest son Thomas, a promising advocate at the Scottish bar, caused him intense grief, from which he never fully recovered. ”

“ Having been sent with some other workmen to repair the inside of the subscription-rooms at Newmarket, he overheard a conversation upon some approaching races, and perceiving that money could be made by one who was quick at figures he immediately commenced business with his fellow-workmen. His success as a petty bookmaker, who laid the odds in half-crowns, was so great that he gave up carpenter's work and became an open-air betting-man in Long Acre, London, and the adjoining streets. ”

“ Carne knows that to his moral conduct I have nothing to object, indeed I have every reason to believe it exemplary, but to my conception the doctrines he maintains are not those of the church of England, nor are they, as I conceive, according to its discipline. I therefore cannot conscientiously license him, and without a license no clergyman is authorised to preach.' Carne then withdrew from the established church, giving as his chief reasons for his action the violence done to conscience and the invasion of the rights of private judgement. ”

“ As a leader and member of the government he was one of the most honest and upright ministers who ever held office; his enunciation of French in parliament was the most distinct of any member in the house, and he had a perfect command of English. Every year of his official life he submitted to a sacrifice of professional emolument, which had the effect of making him a comparatively poor man. ”

“ Like many other able young men, he found in free trade and its development the cardinal point of his political creed. In the intervals of his exclusion from parliamentary life, while the agitation was being organised for the abolition of the corn laws, he entered heart and soul into the movement, and became one of Cobden's most influential allies, and one of the prominent orators of the league. ”

“ His father, Sir Alexander Don, sixth baronet of Newtondon, Berwickshire, ‘the model of a cavalier in all courteous and elegant accomplishments,’ was an intimate friend of Sir Walter Scott, and one of the most constant attendants at his social dinner parties. ”

“ About Christmas 1864 she began to believe that she was a new incarnation of the Deity. One sign of this was in the stigmata which appeared on her hands, feet, and side. She was wont to describe with minute details the extraordinary emotion which overwhelmed her at the moment when she experienced the divine call. From that period she went about proclaiming the new revelation and speaking as with absolute knowledge of hidden mysteries. ”

“ His humour was broad and deep, and sometimes approached coarseness, but at the same time was always genial and hearty, and generally truthfully natural; while in homely pathos and the earnest expression of blunt, uncultivated feeling, he has never been excelled. His power of altering the expressions of his face was also much greater than that possessed by any other actor of modern times. ”

“ The west end of the church was, however, never finished, owing to want of funds. Here he and his congregation continued to be the central point in London of the catholic apostolic church (commonly called the Irvingite church) . He paid official visits to the branch churches in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark. But his main work was in London, where, besides the care of his large flock, he had much responsibility as a trustee and administrator of church funds. He was a man of great energy and industry, and much trusted for his firmness, tact, and patience. ”

“ On the formation of Lord John Russell's ministry in July 1846, with the object of carrying out a free trade policy, he was appointed vice-president of the board of trade, and became a privy councillor on 8 July. The object of Lord John Russell was to strengthen the government by an alliance with the chiefs of the league. Gibson, although he only held office until April 1848, will always be remembered as one of the first official exponents of free trade. Like Lord Palmerston and Charles Buller, he combined great powers of argument with a happy use of ironical humour. ”

“ On the occasion of the amalgamation in 1850 of the Independent Colleges of Highbury, Homerton, and Coward into New College, St. John's Wood, London, he became the principal of the institution and its professor of theology 1 Oct. 1851. He afterwards published works to show ‘that there is a theology in nature which is one with the theology of the Bible’ (cf. Nos. 6 and 7 below) . As a theologian he sought to infuse a more genial and humane spirit into the dry dogmas of theology, and to urge Christians to reduce their belief to practice. ”

“ On the first establishment of the court of common pleas in December 1849 he was made the chief justice, and continued to preside there until his retirement on a pension in 1856, but afterwards became judge of the court of error and appeal. As chairman of the commission appointed to revise and consolidate the statutes of Canada and Upper Canada, Macaulay helped to reduce the whole statutory law of the country from its conquest to his own time into three volumes, a work of great labour and corresponding value, which he just lived to see completed. ”

“ In 1857 he astonished novel-readers by his 'Guy Livingstone, or Thorough.' with its deification of strength and very questionable morality. The hostile critics depicted the hero as a mixture of the prize-fighter and the libertine, while the admirers of the book praised the disregard of conventionalities and personal daring of both the hero and the author, and a report that in the work the author had described his own boyhood and college life lent an additional piquancy to the book. It had a large sale, and from this time forward Lawrence produced a work of fiction nearly every alternate year. ”

“ He established a benevolent society among the workpeople, to which he subscribed liberally. He seldom changed his managers, and never had a dispute with his ‘hands.’ As soon as he had money to spare he began to buy pictures. The collection constantly grew both in quality and in size, until at last his house in the Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, and his residence at Stanmore, near London, were crowded with gems of English art. The great strength of the collection lay in Turners and Ettys, the last-named artist being a special friend of the collector. ”

“ BURY, Lady CHARLOTTE SUSAN MARIA (1775–1861) , novelist, youngest child of John Campbell, fifth duke of Argyll, by Elizabeth, second daughter of John Gunning of Castle Coot in Roscommon, and widow of James Hamilton, sixth duke of Hamilton, was born at Argyll House, Oxford Street, London, 28 Jan. 1775. In her youth she was remarkable for her personal beauty, and the charm of her manners rendered her one of the most popular persons in society, while the sweetness and excellence of her character endeared her more especially to those who knew her in the intimacy of private life. ”

“ England was called the tribe of Judah, the seat of a apostolic government; and was assigned to Cardale, ‘the pillar of the apostles.' Each of the appostles then entered on his special journey, remaining in England to overlook his tribe, and to a centre of communication between the dispersed labourers. ”

“ He was a zealous supporter of the dispensary for supplying medical and surgical attendance to the sick poor at their own homes, as well as an active and munificent patron of every useful and charitable institution. ”

“ Having been called to the Irish bar November 1838, the high reputation which he had already won obtained for him a considerable share of practice. The old corporation of Dublin selected him as the junior barrister to plead their cause at the bar of the House of Lords 1840, and although he failed to induce that assembly to reject the Municipal Reform Bill, he added to his own prestige, and returning to Ireland was elected an alderman of the new corporation. He took an active part in the politics of the day, and was regarded as one of the ablest champions of the conservative cause. ”

“ In 1833 Sir James Graham placed under his sole management the northern estates belonging to Greenwich Hospital in Northumberland and Cumberland. He then ceased to take an active part in politics, but was consulted on various measures of public usefulness, such as the Tithe Commutation Act, the land drainage scheme, and free trade. From early years (1803) he had devoted his energies to aid in the development and improvement of the soil, as well as labouring to bring to perfection every description of stock raised on farms. ”

“ As a writer he advocated the voluntary principle in religious matters. He was also known as the author of ‘A History of the United States of America’ and a ‘System of Theology.’ In the former, which includes topography as well as history, he was assisted by many writers, both European and American. On his retirement from Devonshire Square Chapel in 1863 he preached for a short time near London, and then by request went to Reading to serve a new church, but in 1868 he removed to Bristol, and resided there for the remainder of his life. ”

“ LANCASTER, CHARLES WILLIAM (1820–1878) , improver of rifles and cannon, was the eldest son of Charles Lancaster, gunmaker, of 151 New Bond Street, London. He was born at 5 York Street, Portman Square, London, on 24 June 1820. On leaving school he entered his father's factory, where he practically learnt the business of a gunmaker, and soon became a clever designer of models, a thoroughly skilled workman, and a mechanician of high order. The study of rifled projectiles and the construction of rifles was his chief pleasure, and he soon attained the highest skill as a rifle shot. ”

“ At sixteen she was married to Henry Buxton, club manager and author, but still pursued her literary work as an amusement, translating a German operetta into English, and writing a modest one-volume novel, which was published at her husband's expense, under the title of ‘Percy's Wife.’ In 1875 she suddenly found herself poverty-stricken, and, becoming entirely dependent on her own exertions, she turned to writing for a living. In 1876 appeared her novel, ‘Jennie of the Prince's, by B. H. B.,’ dealing with theatrical life, which she had studied as a walking lady on the stage at Exeter. ”

“ For some years he was actively engaged in the construction of gasworks, or in advising on the formation of new gas companies ; but in an evil hour he joined an engineering establishment at Liverpool, in which he lost everything he possessed, and had to commence the world afresh. He was afterwards employed by the Portuguese government as an engineer, and in that capacity reconstructed the mint at Lisbon, and executed several other public works. On his return to England railway works engaged his attention, but unfortunately he became fascinated with the atmospheric system. ”

“ No cricketer ever came to Lord's so late in life and afterwards had so long and brilliant a career, lasting upwards of twenty seasons. He was the first bowler of eminence in the round-arm style, which was first introduced by Tom Walker of the Hambledon Club at the end of the last century, but not legalised by the Marylebone Club until 1828. His bowling was slow, marvellous for accuracy of pitch and straightness, and specially remarkable for a very quick rise from the pitch. He was known as the ‘Nonpareil Bowler,’ his average being estimated not to have exceeded seven runs per wicket. ”

“ EVEREST, Sir GEORGE (1790–1866) , military engineer, eldest son of Tristram Everest, was born at Gwernvale, Brecknockshire, 4 July 1790, and educated at the military schools at Great Marlow and Woolwich. He entered the service of the East India Company as a cadet in 1806, and sailed for India in the same year as second lieutenant in the Bengal artillery. After seven years' service he was sent to join a detachment in Java, where he was selected by Sir Stamford Raffles, then governor, to make a survey of the island, in which laborious task he spent two years, and afterwards returned to Bengal. ”

“ He was named by Sir George Grey police magistrate at Bow Street, London, 6 July 1864, and sat at that court until his death. He also acted as a magistrate for Middlesex, Kent, Surrey, Hertfordshire, and Essex. As a police magistrate he was extremely well known and greatly respected. His common sense, combined with a sound knowledge of the law, prevented him from making many mistakes in his decisions. He possessed kindness, tact, and discrimination, and a strong sense of justice, especially towards those who were poor and weak. ”

“ In October 1837 he projected and established ‘The Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal,’ a monthly periodical, which he himself edited. He soon after purchased a weekly publication, called ‘The Architect and Building Gazette,’ and after conducting it for some time united it to the ‘Journal.’ A work which originated with his father, and was then conducted for thirty years by Laxton and his brother, Henry Laxton, was the ‘Builder's Price Book,’ which was a standard work in the profession and in the courts of law, and circulated all over the kingdom. ”

“ Among the most important buildings with which, in conjunction with his partner, he adorned Birmingham, were the Institute Buildings in Paradise Street and the Free Libraries in Edmund Street. In the buildings erected for the waterwork department, both in Birmingham and at the reservoirs at Whitacre, he proved how beauty and utility may be combined. In the line of business edifices which distinguish Corporation Street, Birmingham, he set an example of an improvement in street architecture which has since been extensively imitated. ”

“ As a publisher he is no doubt entitled to rank with William and Robert Chambers and with Charles Knight, and it must not be forgotten that sometimes more praise was due to him for a work on which he made a loss than for a work which in more recent times was a splendid success. ”

“ Nine miles from Patara he found the ruins of Xanthus, the ancient capital of Lycia. About fifteen miles further up he came upon the ruins of Tlos. After taking sketches of the most interesting objects, and copying a number of inscriptions, he returned to England, where his publication of ‘A Journal written during an Excursion in Asia Minor,’ London, 1839, created such an amount of interest that Lord Palmerston, at the request of the trustees of the British Museum, applied to the sultan of Turkey for permission to bring away a number of the Lycian works of art. ”

“ His plan of the battle was admirable, but it was defeated by the cowardice of the Turkish commanders, who nevertheless laid the blame of the defeat on him, in consequence of which he was placed on half-pay and denied further employment. Guyon was eminently a man of action, of marvellous personal courage and great daring, and had he been put at the head of a detached corps would have rendered good service to the Turks, but the fact that he was a foreigner and a Christian prevented his effective advancement. ”

“ It was chiefly on the representation of the synod of Canada that the Archbishop of Canterbury held the pan-anglican synod at Lambeth 24–27 Sept. 1867, on which occasion the Bishop of Montreal visited England and took part in the proceedings. He, however, seems on this journey to have overtaxed his strength, and never afterwards had good health. He died in the see-house, Montreal, 9 Sept. 1868, and was buried on 12 Sept., when the universal respect which his moderation had won for him was shown by the bell of the Roman catholic church being tolled as the funeral procession passed. ”