Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 05.djvu/11

 the statement of Stephen Jones in the 'Biographia Dramatica' is to be trusted, he was still dragging out his life (after forty years' exile), 'poor and despised of all orders of people.' What became of him afterwards is unknown. In 1812 he was an old man of seventy-seven years. Shortly after his flight in 1772 the malignant Dr. Kenrick published anonymously a venomous satire, 'Love in the Suds, a Town Eclogue; being the lamentation of Roscius for the loss of his Nyky,' fol., in which he did not scruple to make the grossest charges against Garrick. Doubtless Garrick had rejected some play offered by Kenrick, and the latter avenged himself by penning his abominable libel. A full account of Bickerstaffe's dramatic productions is given in 'Biographia Dramatica,' 1812. A copy, preserved in the British Museum, of a tract entitled 'The Life and Strange Unparaller'd And Unheard-of Voyages and Adventures of Ambrose Gwinet. . . . Written by Himself 8vo, 1770, has the following manuscript note by a former owner: 'Dr. Percy told me that he had heard that this pamphlet was a mere fiction, written by Mr. Bickerstaffe, the dramatic poet.'  BICKERSTETH, EDWARD (1786–1850), evangelical divine, was the fourth son of Henry Bickersteth, surgeon, of Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmoreland, author of 'Medical Hints for the Use of Clergymen' (London, 1829), and Elizabeth, daughter of John Batty. His third eldest brother was Henry, Lord Langdale [see, master of the rolls. After a few years at Kirkby Lonsdale grammar school he received at the age of fourteen an appointment in the General Post Office, and left his father's house to live in London. In 1803 he joined the Bloomsbury Volunteer Association. Becoming weary of the monotonous nature of his employment and the slender prospect of advancement, he engaged himself in 1806 to work in a solicitor's office, after his regular work for the day was done. His employer, Mr. Bleasdale, was struck by his industry, and the next year took him us an articled clerk on advantageous terms, In 1805 he was under strong religious impressions. He laid down exact rules for his conduct, and kent a weekly diary in which he noted any future in his observance of them, These impressions increased in strength, and on 1808 his correspondence was almost wholly on spiritual matters, and his diary was filled with religious meditations. At the same time he was diligent at the office, working from 9 a.m. till 9 p.m., and doing, his employer said, 'the work of three or four clerks.' With this work, however, he now combined an active part in the administration of the Widows' Friend and the Spitalfields Benevolent Societies. In 1812 he left Mr. Bleasdale's office, married Sarah, the daughter of Thomas Bignold, and entered into partnership with his brother-in-law, a solicitor at Norwich. During his residence at Norwich he took an active part in religious matters. At this time also he wrote his 'Help to Studying the Scriptures,' which passed through twenty-one editions. In 1815 he gave up the practice of law, was ordained deacon 10 Dec., and as he engaged himself to go out to Africa at once in the service of the Church Missionary Society, he received priest's orders 21 Dec. The object of his mission was to inspect and report on the work of the society in Africa, and on certain disputes between the missionaries. Leaving Portsmouth 24 Jan. 1816, he arrived at Sierra Leone on 7 March, He returned home by Barbadoes, and arrived in England 17 Aug. An account of his work in Africa will be Tound in the Church Missionary Society's sixteenth annual report. Immediately on his return he was engaged as one of the society's secretaries. During the next fourteen years he constantly travelled from place to place as a Church Missionary Society's 'deputation,' and on the few Sundays when he was at home acted as assistant minister of Wheler Episcopal Chapel, Spitalfields. Up to 1820 he lived in the Church Missionary Society's house in Salisbury Square, and in that year moved to another house belonging to the society in Barnbury Park, Islington. In spite of his constant journeys he wrote several religious books which had a large sale. In 1827 he was sent to Basel to inspect the working of the missionary institution there which was in connection with the English Church Missionary Society. Finding that his constant absence from home hindered him from paying sufficient attention to his family, to the congregation of Wheler Chapel, and even to his committee work, he pressed the society not to give him more than six Sundays' travelling in the year. His request was refused; he therefore gladly accepted the rectory of Watton, Hertfordshire, offered him by Mr. Abel Smith, and moved thither in November 1830.

Although Bickersteth resided his secretaryship on accepting the living of Watton, he continued all through his life to travel for the Church Missionary Society. He also