Hughes James Fletcher, Wigmore treet, bookseller, Hunt George, Stalbridge, Dorfet, linen-draper, May 9 Hutler Jaines, Wefton Colville, Cambridge, farmer, Kemp William, Faversham, grocer, May 15 Killick John Shepherd, Hackney Mills, Lee Bridge, Kinfey William, Oxford Street, coach maker, May 15 Leathwood William, Liverpool, cork cutter, April 16 Leroux Henry Jacob, Canonbury fquare, Iflington, builder, Ierien Solomon, jun. Barnes, broker, May 5 Lifter Thomas, King Street, Holborn, coach plater, May s nate merchant, May 8 Lowes David, Hart freet, Covent Garden, rectifier, Lowes David, and John Henry Rigg, Hart street, Covent Lythgoe James, Liverpool, merchant, April 21 Manley Charles, Angel court, Throgmorton freet, mer. Martin Ricard and James Bain, Fleet freet, book fellers, Maugham Richard, Brentford, draper, April 18 Mills Samuel, Stamford, Lincoln, upholsterer, May 4 Monk William, Parbold, Lancashire, lime burner, April 18 Naylor Robert, Bafnghall freet, merchant, April 21 New Ann, Strand hoßer, May S Ogle John, Pickwick, Wilts, efq, and William Walter, Li verpool, merchan', April 27 Pain John. Peckham. bricklayer, April 7 Paine William, Manchester, dealer and chapman, May 8 Parker Nathan. Weft Auckland, Durham, brandy merchant, April 17 Pateur John Lewis. Stoney Stratford, Bucks, grocer and chandler, May S Pierce Themas, Canterbury, brazier. May 5 Potter George, Charing Crofs, haberdasher, May 26 Potter John, and William Monkman, Silver Areet, ware- Powell Henry John, Uxbridge, builder and carpenter, tavern keeper, May 19 Rayner Richard. Birmingham, button maker. April 18 Rofe J. Road, Somerfet, farmer. April 14 Salterthwaite Ifaac, Tamworth, wine and spirit merchant, Schaffer John, London Road, Surry, floor-cloth manu- Sellings Samuel, Little Coggeshall, Effex, maltter and Shaw Daniel, Barnsby. York. mercer. April 28 Smith John. North Warnborough. lants; fack maker. Smith Thomas, Brandon. Suffolk, wine merchant. April 17 Smyth John, Greatrix. Dyer's court. Aldermanbury. is furance broker. May s Squire William. Leeds, holier. May 2 Standley William. Whethtone. Leicester. maliter. Mays terer April 28 Stokoe G. Sun frest. plane-maker. April 18 April 21 Taylor Jofeph. Ware. Herts. oat dealer. May 29 Thornton John Lawrence. Poutney lane, merchant, Tidmarth Jofeph. New County Terrace. New Kent road. Surry. builder. April 24 Tigwell James. Gofport, linen-draper. April 17 Watkin John. Sculcoates. York. rope maker. May 1 Watson John and William Wilcocks. Norwich, merchants. May 1 Watts George. fen, Chichefter. hatter. May 8 Wild David. Newtown. Montgomery. flannel manufacturer. May 4 Williams William. Tofts. Norfolk. carpenter. May 1 Winterbottom John. Manchester. merchant. May 16 April 19 Wright Dennis. Saxlingham. Norfolk. miller. May s Young Thomas Machin. Monmouth, dosier and chapman. INCIDENTS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS, IN AND NEAR LONDON: With Biographical Memoirs of distinguished Characters recently deceased. THE Royal Naval Asylum, at Greenwich, College, Oxford, to Sarah Harriet, youngest daughter of the late Charles William Cater, esq. of Bath. At St. Mary-le-bonne, Frederic Leman is expected to be finished in the course of the Rogers, esq. second son of the late Sir Frederic present year; the back front, towards the R. bart. to Sophia, daughter of the late Lieut.❤ park, is nearly completed, and has a beautiful Colonel Deare, of the Bengal establishment. appearance. It has been extended much far--The rev. Dr. Hall, master of Pembroke ther then was originally intended, and when finished, will have a fine effect, both from the park and hospital, which has likewise undergone many inprovements lately. It is in contemplation to build all offices and houses for the civil officers outside the walls, eastward of the building, in order to admit a greater number of seamen on the establish ment. MARRIED. Edward Collins, esq. captain in the 21st light dragoons, to Margaret, only daughter of the late W. Wood, esq. of Charlotte-street, Fitzroy square. At St. George's, Hanover square, Charles Mills, esq. M.P. for Warwick, to Miss Digby, daughter of the late Hon. Wriothesley D. esq. of Moreden, Warwickshire.-Colonel Stafford, to Misa Spencer. At Clerkenwell, William Pers full, esq. to Miss Alice Williams. At St. Luke's, R. Burton, esq. of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, to Mrs. Hewlett, of Bunhill-row. At St. Pancras, John Martin Leake, jun. esq. to Mrs Lacy, widow of Captain L. of the corps of engineers. At St. Andrew's, Holborn, Edward Barber, esq. of Barston, Warwickshire, to Jane, eldest daughter of Mr. Yorke, of New Ormondstreet. At St. George's Church, Bloomsbury, James Lyon, esq of Leadenhall-street, to Miss Ikin, of Woburn place, Russel-square. At St. George the Martyr, Queen square, the the rev. Edward William Grinfield, A.M. of Lincoln College, Oxford, to Mary Ann, only surviving daughter of the late George Fillingham, esq. of Upper Seymour-street, Portmansquare. Mr. Tipper, bookseller, of Leadenhallstreet, to Augusta Sophia, daughter of Thomas Davis, esq. of Trinity-square. Mr. Samuel Hamilton, of Weybridge, to Caroline Mary, eldest daughter of James Heath, esq. of Russel-place, Fitzroy-square. At Hampton Court, the Hon. George Cadogan, captain in the royal navy, and son of the late Earl of Ladogan, to Honoria, fifth daughter of the late Joseph Blake, esq. of Aratry, in the county of Galway. At Isleworth, J. T. Proby, esq. of the 13th light dragoons, to Alice, daughter of the late Thomas Hartley, esq. of Heslington, near York. The Hon. Joshua Vanneck, eldest son of Lord Huntingfield, to Miss Arcedeckne, of Clevering Hall, Suffolk. At Hackney, J. Carey, esq. to Harriet, eldest daughter of J. Carey, esq. all of Guern DIED. Lieutenant Robert Henry Hexter, royal navy, twenty years an officer in his majesty's service, during which time he had experienced shipwreck, and many other hardships. He was a dutiful son to an amiable mother, affectionate and kind as a brother, a sincere friend, and attentive to those he esteemed; a brave officer, firmly attached to his king and country; charitable and humane to those in distress; cheerful and good tempered; and above all, an honest man. In Wimpole-street, Sophia, eldest daughter of General Morse. In the Strand, James Ephraim Luke Nealson, esq. In Southampton-street, Bloomsbury, Paul Prickett, esq. 81. In Portman-street, Lady Langham, relict of sir James L. bart. Mr. Robert Baldrin, many years an emiBent bookseller in Paternoster-row, 72. In St. James'-square, the infant son of Lord Grantham. Lady Elizabeth Villiers, sister of the earl of Jersey. In George-street, Hanover-square, isCountess Carleton. Francis Martha, daughter of the right honourable Richard Ryder. At Greenwich, Robert Maillaud, esq. 66. At Enfield, Mrs. Jones, relict of Thomas In Gray's Inn, William Barton Beswick, esq. At Hackney, the rev. John Kiddel, tutor at the late Homerton academy, 90. In George street, Portinan square, Mrs. Spck:, wife of Peter S. esq. president of the In Keppel-street, Bedford-square, Mrs. Letitia Clogstown, widow of Robert C. esq. late of the Antigua. In Cockspur-street, Mr. David Halton Morley, of the British Coffee House, 63. In Upper Wimpole-street, in the 79th year of her age, lady Charlotte Wentworth, the only surviving sister of the late marquis of Rockingham, and aunt to earl Fitzwilliam. Mrs. Cobb, wife of T. Cobb, esq. banker, Lombard-street. In Berkeley-square, Mrs. Raikes, wife of Thomas R. esq. At Hackney, Mrs. Stuck, relict of the rev. Mrs. Cherry, wife of the rev. Mr. C. head In Little Queen-street, Holborn, Mr. T. In Portland Place, Theodore Henry Broadbead, ɛ.q. In Queen Anne street West, William Se muel Towers, esq. 52. In Great St. Mary-le-bone-street, aged 74, Christopher Barber, artist. At his seat, near Teddington, James Stopford, earl of Courtown, viscount Stopford, baron Courtown, in Ireland, baron Saltersford, of Saltersford, in the county palatine of Chester, knight of St. Patrick. His lordship was in his 79th year, and is succeeded in his estates and titles by his eldest son, viscount Stopford, member for Mariborough. At his seat at Fulham, aged 87. Sir Philip Stephens, bart. one of the oldest servants of the crown, M.P. first for Liskeard, and afterwards, in several parliaments, for Sand wich. In Berners-street, Sir William Bensley, bart. so created in 1771. [Further particulars of the late Caleb Whiteford, whose death is announced at p. 286, of our last Number. At a very early age he was placed under the tuition of Mr. Mundel, then a distinguished teacher in the capital of Scot land, at whose seminary he soon eclipsed all his school-feilows, by his rapid progress in the Latin tongue, and other branches of education, which he completed at the university of Edinburgh, the alma mater of so many eminent literary characters. This uncommon prof. ciency in classical knowledge induced his father to breed him up for the church; but to the clerical profession he entertained such strong objections that the colonel was obliged to relinquish his intentions, and to send him to London, where he was placed in the countinghouse of his friend, Mr. Archibald Stewart, an eminent wine merchant in York Buildings, where young Caleb remained about four years, and then went over to France, and staid there new two years more, until he became of age. While he remained in Mr. Stewart's count ing ing-house, his father had died at Galway, in Ireland, colonel of the 5th regiment of foot, bequeathing the principal part of his fortune to him and his daughter, Mrs. Smith. With this patrimony, on the expiration of his minority, he commenced business in Craven-street, in the Strand, in partnership with Mr. Thomas Brown, a gentleman universally esteemed for his amiable qualities and convivial disposition. Mr. W. early in life evinced a lively wit, combined with a certain peculiarity of humour, which rendered his company and conversation desirable to the most celebrated beaux esprits of his time. Nor was it only in conversation that his talents were conspicuous. His essays were equally admired for novelty of ides, correctness of style, and sprightliness of satire; and to those we are in some measure indebted for the emancipation of our diurnal prints from that dullness which till then universally pervaded them. Mr. Whitefoord having conceived a great friendship for Mr. Henry Woodfall, sent his productions to the Public Advertiser, which soon became the political arena where all the combatants engaged, and all the squibs of party were thrown. На turned and moulded the various topics of the day into all sorts of shapes; horse-races, playbilis, auctions, exhibitions, and female administrations, became the whimsical vehicles of his humour. The mirth excited by these, as well as by his Cross Readings, Ship News Extraordinary, Errors of the Press, &c. pro. duced many imitators; but they have seldom equalled, and never excelled, the ori ginal. The author was extremely careless of literary reputation. He amused himself in the moments of conception and composition; but afterwards paid no manner of attention to those children of his brain: he left them exposed and deserted sur le pavè, till Almon and Debrett took them up, and gave them an asylum in the Foundling Hospital for Wit, where at least a score may be found. The shafts of his ridicule were so happily directed against the petitions, remonstrances, and grievances, of Wilkes, and other pseudo patriots of the day, as to attract the notice, and to btain the approbation, of administration. Mr. W. had given a humourous history of peti. tions, from the first petition of the perukemakers to the king, praying him to wear a wig for the benefit of their trade; he then took up the subject of more modern grievances and apprehensions, answered all these grievances, and advertised for a new grievance! His success on this occasion was so great, that he was requested by a person high in office to write a pamphlet on the subject of the misunderstanding which subsisted betwixt this country and Spain, relative to the Falkland Islands. That task, however, he declined; but recommended Doctor Samuel Johnson as the ablest and properest person who could be selected for this purpose. Mr. W. was accordingly authorized to negotiate this matter with the doctor, which he at length happily concluded in concert with the late Mr. Strahan, the king's printer, one of Johnson's most intimate and most useful friends. The doctor soon after produced his celebrated publication, entitled The False Alarm; by which he gained both money and reputation. At this period he had conceived a high opinion of Mr. Whitefoord's taste and political influence, and often expressed his approbation of his essays and squibs, pronouncing them superior even to those of Dean Swift. But Mr. W.'s pen was not limited to prose compesitions; his verses on various subjects, and on different occasions, possess equal spirit and point. It has been asserted that the fine arts have such an affinity to each other, that to have a relish for one is to be susceptible of all. Whether this be generally true or not, we shall not here dispute, but content ourselves with observing that this combination is re markably exemplified in Mr. W. who in his youth was at once a respectable proficient both in music and drawing: but other avocations did not permit him to cultivate these to the extent which his genius was capable of attaining. Although prevented from reaching practical excellence, he did not fail however to improve in taste; and his judgment as a connoisseur has frequently been appealed to in doubtful cases, when even artists have been divided in their opinions. His collection of prints and pictures, chiefly of the Italian school, do honour to the possessor, both from their number and merit; but his admiration has not, like that of some virtuosi, been confined to the ancient masters, for many living artists have experienced the benefit of his pa tronage and advice. Such acquirements naturally pointed him out to the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, as a proper person to preside in the committee of fine arts. He was accordingly elected chairman, and executed the of fice for several years with equal advantage to the institution, and credit to himself, until he was chosen a vice-president, an honour generally conterred on persons of elevated rank alone. Nor was this the only distinction he obtained. The Royal Societies of London and Edinburgh, the Society of Antiquaries, the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, and the Arcadian Society of Rome, all admitted him a member of their respective bodies. Few men have passed their time more agreeably than Mr. W. for he lived in habits of intimacy with some of the wisest and best men of the age. In the list of his friends may be enumerated many dignitaries of the church, more than one statesman, and some of the most eminent geniuses which our nation has produced. Adam Smith used to say, that the junto of wits and authors hated one another heartily, but that they all had a regard for Mr. W. who, by his conciliatory manners, kept them together. When any quarrel or disagreement occurred, he was accustomed to invite the parties to call on him in Craventreet, to give them a very good dinner, and drink a glass to reconciliation. Garrick and Foate Foote had long been at variance, but Mr. W. contrived to bring them to one of those conciliatory dinners; and Mr. Garrick (who had much good-nature, and more generosity than the world gave him credit for,) actually lent Foote five hundred pounds to repair his theatre in the Haymarket. Mr. W.'s intimacy with Dr. Franklin and Mr. Oswald, rendered him peculiarly eligible for the purpose of assisting in treating for the restoration of peace with America. He was accordingly appointed secretary to the latter, who, having bailed Mr. Laurens from his confinement in the Tower, and become his surety to the amount of fifty thousand pounds, was also judiciously selected as a man acceptable to the American commissioners, with whom, on the 30th of No. vember, 1782, they concluded and signed preliminary articles, declaratory of the independance of the United States; this being understood by the belligerent powers as an indispensable basis, previously to their treating with England on the subject of a general pacification. The articles were approved by the people; and the nation hailed the return of tranquillity with general gratulation. All differences being thus happily settled with the United States of America, Mr. Oswald returned to London, but Mr. Whitefoord remained at Paris several months longer with lord St. Helen's, (then Mr. Fitzherbert,) who was the minister charged to negotiate treaties of peace with France, Spain, and Holland; and it is a curious circumstance, that three of the treaties above alluded to are in the hand-writing of Mr. Whitefoord. These services were such as intitled him to some recompence from government; but lord Shelburne having resigned before Mr. W.'s return from the continent, without making any provision for him, he was obliged to profer his claim to the coalition administration, by which it was rejected; nor was it till seven years after, that a small pension was granted to him by his majesty, on the recommendation of those in power. We cannot pass over this transaction, without observing that calumny, which on that occasion had been busy with other characters, never even insinuated a charge of malversation against the persons employed at Paris, in the great work of restoring tranquillity to Europe and America. Mr. W. rather late in life married a lady of the name of Sidney, by whom he has left four children. We cannot conclude without giving the character of this gentleman, as delineated by Dr. Goldsmith, in his well-known poem entitled Retaliation: "Here Whitefoord reclines, and deny it who Who scatter'd around wit and humour at will, Whose daily bon mots half a column might fill; A Scotchman from pride and from prejudice free, A scholar, but surely no pedant, was he. What a pity, alas! that so lib'ral a mind Shou'd so long be to newspaper essays confin'd; Who perhaps to the summit of science could soar, Yet content if the table he "set in a roar ;" Who copied his squibs and re-echoed his jokes ; Ye tame imitators! ye servile herd, come, Still follow your master, and visit his tomb; To deck it bring with you festoons of the vine, And copious libations bestow on his shrine; Then strew all around it, you can do no less, Cross readings, ship-news, and mistakes of the press. Merry Whitefoord, farewell! for thy sake I admit, That a Scot may have humour, I had almost said wit: This debt to thy mem'ry I cannot refuse, Thou best humour'd man, with the worst mour'd muse.'] [Further particulars of Henry Cavendish, esq. whose death is mentioned at p. 287, of our last number. This gentleman was the son of the late LordCharles Cavendish,great uncle to the present duke of Devonshire, and although not much heard of in the common paths of life, was well known and highly distinguished in the scientific world. He had studied and rendered himself familiarly conversant with every part of sir Isaac Newton's philosophy; the principles of which he applied, near forty years ago, to an investigation of the laws on which the phænomena of electricity depend, Pursuing the same science, on the occasion of Mr. Walsh's experiments with the torpedo, he gave a satisfactory explanation of the re markable powers of electrical fishes; pointing out that distinction between common and animal electricity, which has since been amply confirmed by the brilliant discoveries in galvanism. Having turned his attention very early to pneumatic chemistry, he ascer tained, in 1766, the extreme levity of inflainmable air, now called hydrogen gas. On this discovery many curious experiments, and particularly that of aerial navigation, have been founded. In the same paths of science, he made the important discovery of the com position of water by the union of two airs; and that laid the foundation of the modern system of chemistry, which rests principally on this fact, and that of the decomposition of water, announced soon afterwards by M. bavoisier. Lavoisier. As the purity of atmospherical air had been a subject of controversy, Mr. Cavendish contrived essential improvements in the method of performing experiments with an eudiometer; by means of which he was the first who shewed that the proportion of pure in the atmosphere is nearly the same in all open places. The other and much larger portion of our atmosphere he segaciously conjectured to be the basis of the acid of nitre; an opinion that he soon brought to the test, by an ingenious and laborious experiment, which completely proved its truth; whence this air has now very generally obtained the name of nitrogen. So many and such great discoveries spread his fame through out Europe, and he was universally considered as one of the first philosophers of the age. Among the labours of his latter days, is the nice and difficult experiment by which he determined the mean density of the earth; an element of consequence in delicate calculations or astronomy, as well as in geological inquiries. Even in the last year of his life, at the advanced age of 77, he proposed and described improvements in the manner of dividing large astronomical instruments; which, though not yet executed, promise very great advantages. These pursuits, together with reading of various kinds, by which he acquired a deep insight into almost every topic of general knowledge, formed the whole occupation of his life; and were, in fact, his sole amusement. The love of truth was sufficient to fill his mind. From his attachment to such occupations, and the constant resource he found in them, together with a shyness and diffidence natural to his disposition, his habits had, from early life, been secluded. His manners were mild, his mind firm, his nature benevolent and complacent. He was liberal, without being profuse; and charitable, without ostentation. He possessed great affluence, which was to him rather matter of embarrassment than of gratification; but, however careless about its improvement, he was regular as to its management and direction. He was born October 10, 1731; and his remains were interred in the family. vault in All Saints, Derby.-On Saturday, March 17, Mr. Professor Davy, in his lecture at the Royal Institution, introduced the following character of Mr. Cavendish.-"About 1766, Mr. Cavendish published his first papers on the subject of air. He examined, with more accurate instruments than Black, the elastic fluid from the alkalies; and he ascertained that the same substance was produced Juring the combustion of charcoal. He perfected the pneumatic apparatus; and soon discovered two new elastic fluids, inflammable air and muriatic acid air. Mr. Davy said, in the next lecture he should exhibit some experiments of our illustrious countryman of later date, and of still higher importance; but he could not, on this occasion, pass by the circumstance of his recent loss without a MONTHLY MAG. No. 198. digression, which might enable him to offer a feeble tribute of respect to the memory of so great a man. Of all the philosophers of the present age, Mr. Cavendish combined, in the highest degree, a depth and extent of mathematical knowledge with delicacy and precision in the methods of experimental research. It might be said of him, what can perhaps hardly be said of any other person, that whatever he has done has been perfect at the moment of its production. His processes were all of a finished nature; executed by the hand of a master, they required no correction ; and though many of them were performed in the very infancy of chemical philosophy, yet their accuracy and their beauty have remained unimpaired amidst the progress of discovery; and their merits have been illustrated by discussion, and exalted by time. In general, the most common motives which induce men to study are, the love of distinction, of glory in the desire of power; and we have no right to object to motives of this kind: but it ought to be mentioned in estimating the character of Mr. Cavendish, that his grand stimulus to exertion was evidently the love of truth and. of knowledge; unambitious, unassuming, ic was often with difficulty that he was persua ded to bring forward his important discoveries. He disliked notoriety; he was, as it were, fearful of the voice of Fame. His labours are recorded with the greatest dignity and simplicity, and in the fewest possible words, without parade or apology; and it seemed as if in publication he was performing, not what' was a duty to himself, but what was a duty to the public. His life was devoted to science; and his social hours were passed amongst a few of his friends, principally members of the Royal Society. He was reserved to strangers; but where he was familiar, his conversation was lively, and full of varied information. Upon all subjects of science he was luminous and profound; and in discussion wonderfully acute. Even to the very last week of his life, when he was nearly 79, he retained his activity of body, and all his energy and sagacity of intellect. He was warmly interested in all new subjects of science; and several times in the course of last year witnessed or assisted in some experiments that were carried on in the Laboratory of the Royal Institution. Since the death of Newton (said Mr. Davy, if he might be permitted to give an opinion), England has sustained no scientific loss so great as that of Cavendish. But it is to be regretted less, since, like his great predecessor, he died full of years and of glory. His name will be an object of more veneration in future ages than in the present moment; though it was unknown in the busy scenes of life, or in the popular discussions of the day, it will remain illustrious in the annals of science, which are as unperishable as that nature to which they belong; it will be an immortal honour to his house, to his age, and to his country!" sp PROVINCIAL |