Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 2.djvu/473

 catholic church musicians at Malines, and in January 1881 a post as teacher of singing at the Brussels conservatoire. But just before she took up the office her husband died (30 Jan. 1881). She completed her engagements in England, making no formal farewell; her last or almost her last appearance was in Mendelssohn's 'Elijah,' at Mr. Kuhe's musical festival in the Dome, Brighton, on 19 Feb. Proceeding to Brussels, she retained her post there till 1891. She occasionally revisited England, re-appearing during 1883-4, and showing little abatement of her earlier powers. Subsequently she sang at a performance of Benoit's 'Lucifer' in 1889, in the Albert Hall, and for a time engaged in teaching in London at the Royal Academy of Music, and at the Royal College of Music, Manchester. On 1 Nov. 1894 she appeared for the last time in public, singing at Manchester in Haydn's 'Creation'; she stipulated that she should receive no fee. Her last years were spent in retirement at 7 Rue Capouillet, Brussels, where she lived with two sisters.

Madame Lemmens-Sherrington died at Brussels on 9 May 1906. Her daughters May and Ella sang at Louvain in Nov. 1881 and subsequently in England; they afterwards took the veil. The sons followed engineering.

 LEMPRIERE, CHARLES (1818–1901), writer and politician, born at Exeter on 21 Sept. 1818, was second son of John Lempriere, D.D, [q. v.], compiler of the 'Classical Dictionary,' by his second wife Elizabeth, daughter of John Deane of Salisbury. Entering at Merchant Taylors' School in Feb. 1825, he matriculated at St. John's College, Oxford, in 1837, with a scholar-fellowship of the old type. He graduated B.C.L. in 1842 and D.C.L. in 1847, and remained a law fellow of the college until his death.

He was called to the bar from the Inner Temple on 22 Jan. 1844, and for a time did work for (Sir) Alexander James Edmund Cockburn [q. v.], who always remained his friend. Joining the western circuit, he made good progress; but he early fell into the hands of unscrupulous financiers, whose schemes involved him in difficulties which lasted almost till his death. In pursuance of these schemes he travelled for some time in Egypt and the Levant. Meanwhile he interested himself in politics on the conservative side. He had been one of the earlier members of the Conservative Club (1841). From 1860 onwards he was a trusted agent of the conservative party, and engaged actively in political work. When it was resolved in 1859 to oppose Gladstone's election for Oxford University, Lempriere was deputed to approach the marquis of Chandos, afterwards duke of Buckingham, to induoe him to stand. Premature revelation of the position of things by the conservative leaders at Oxford brought grave discredit upon Lempriere, who was really not in fault. The marquis ultimately stood (1 July 1859), and was defeated by 859 to 1060 votes. Two years after, Lempriere was despatched by Sir Moses Montefiore [q. v.] on a private mission to Mexico, then in the midst of civil and financial disturbance, to defend, as for as was possible, the threatened British interests in the country. Travelling by way of the United States, Lempriere recorded his impressions of the position there in the best of his literary productions, 'The American Crisis considered' (1861). Believing as most Englishmen did in the claims of the South to independence, he saw and exposed most vividly the danger to be apprehended from the emancipation of the negro population. There followed his 'Notes on Mexico' (1862). The confused condition of the country is reflected in the traveller's impressions. Vera Cruz had been occupied by the Spaniards, and there were fears that the French might establish permanent control of the country. Brigandage was rampant, and disorder universal. The book was attacked for inaccuracy in statistics and faultiness of style. Yet it is probably the best extant account of Mexican affairs in those days of turmoil.

In 1865 Lempriere was back in England and taking an active part in elections. When in June 1866 John Bonham Carter. liberal member for Winchester, accepted the office of junior lord of the treasury in Lord John Russell's administration, and offered himself for re-election, Lempriere contested the seat to prevent an unopposed return. He only polled 46 votes. In 1867, under Lord Derby's administration, his services were rewarded by the colonial secretaryship of the Bahamas. Political feeling at that time ran high in the islands, and it was not long before Lempriere's strong