John Ashton

“ After visiting her brother, Duke Frederick William of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, she turned her steps to Italy, and at Milan she engaged one Bartolomeo Bergami as her courier. Some infatuation led her to lavish upon this man every kind of favour it was in her power to bestow. He had served in some capacity on the état major of the force commanded by General Count Pino in the campaign of 1812-1814,and was offered the brevet rank of captain by Joachim, king of Naples, but refused it in order to remain in the service of the princess. ”

“ At the age of twelve he was sent to Tiverton school, where for some time he worked hard, but the schoolboys possessed among them a pack of hounds, and one day he, with three companions, followed a deer so far, that the neigbouring farmers came to complain of the damage done. To avoid punishment the youths ran away and joined some gipsies. After a year an a half Carew returned for a time, but soon rejoined the gipsies. His career was a long series of swindling and imposture, very ingeniously carried out, occasionally deceiving people who should have known him well. ”

“ On 6 Nov. 1817 the Princess Charlotte died, and the following year the Princess of Wales much desired to return to England, but she remained abroad for the next year and a half, and wintered at Marseilles in 1819. On hearing of the death of George III, 29 Jan. 1820, she proceeded to Rome, where, although queen consort, she was refused a guard of honour. ”

“ His restless nature then drove him to embark for Newfoundland, where he stopped but a short time, and on his return he pretended to be the mate of a vessel, and eloped with the daughter of a respectable apothecary of Newcastle-on-Tyne, whom he afterwards married. ”

“ He was young and energetic, and struck out a new line for himself, in the shape of children's books, which he published at a farthing each. He bought ballads on every passing event, at the price of half-a-crown per ballad. In cases of popular excitement he did well, and he is reported to have made over 500l. by the trial of Thurtell for the murder of Mr. Weare. ”

“ Indignant at heing excluded firom court, and debarred from the society of her daughter, the Princess of Wales resolved to travel abroad, and she sailed for the continent, with the regent's sanction, in the Jason frigate on 9 Aug. She started with a suite mainly composed of English men and women, but from one cause or another they all shortly left her, and she did not fill their places worthily. ”

“ CAROLINE, AMELIA ELIZABETH, of Brunswick - Wolfenbüttel (1768–1821) , queen of George IV, second daughter of Duke Charles William Ferdinand of Brunswick and the Princess Augusta of England, sister of George III, was born 17 May 1768. ”

“ BRAIDWOOD, JAMES (1800–1861) , superintendent of the London fire-brigade, was born at Edinburgh in the year 1800, and was the son of a respectable tradesman in that city. He was educated at the High School, and afterwards he followed the building trade. In 1824 he joined the police, and, having been appointed superintendent of fire-engines in Edinburgh, he at once set to work to organise efficient fire-brigade. ”

“ BROUGHTON, JOHN (1705–1789) , pugilist, was born in 1705, but there is no record of his birthplace, although it may be assumed to have been London. As a boy he was apprenticed to a Thames waterman, and, when at work on his own account, he generally plied at Hungerford Stairs.
He is usually considered as the father of British pugilism, combats, previous to his appearance, having been chiefly decided either by backsword or quarterstaff on a raised stage. Accident settled his future career. Having had a difference with a brother waterman, they fought it out ”

“ Matthias, Stoke Newington, and was the chief agent in the building of its church, as he also was subsequently in the erection of two churches at Haggerston and St. Faith's, Stoke Newington. He did other practical good work in founding the Guild of St. Luke, which consists of a band of medical men who co-operate with the clergy. He was an active member of the first church union that was started, and was at the time of his death a vice-president of the English Church Union. ”

“ Hard pressed on all sides, the prince consented, on condition of the liquidation of his debts, and a large addition to his income, to marry his cousin, then twenty-six years old. He stipulated that his income was to be raised from 60,000l. ”

“ On the death of his wife, he went as assistant to Mr. Samuel Reynolds, a surgeon at Stoke Newington, whose sister he married, and with whom he entered into a partnership which lasted fourteen years. He continued to practise at Stoke Newington until his death, on 3 Feb. ”