Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 18.djvu/398

 fire could tell his [Curran's] character, or record the charms of his conversation. … I'll certainly live seven years longer for having seen him.’ Scott complimented her in the notice appended to the ‘Tales of my Landlord,’ and Wilson in the ‘Noctes.’ In his diary Scott calls her ‘simple, full of humour, and exceedingly ready at repartee, and all this without the least affectation of the blue-stocking.’ She had been intimate from early life with Lady Charlotte Bury [q. v.], daughter of the Duke of Argyll, who consulted her in various literary matters. She made a final visit to London in 1830, when she consulted an oculist, without much advantage. Her eyesight failed, and she had to pass most of her time in a darkened room, receiving a few friends at tea in the evening, but leading a very retired life. She sold the copyright of her novels to Bentley, who brought out an edition, corrected by herself, in 1841. He pressed her to write another story so late as 1850. She declined, and always shrank from the publicity of acknowledged authorship. She allowed her name to be prefixed to an edition in 1850. The last edition was published in 1881. She died at Edinburgh 5 Nov. 1854, at the house of her brother, Mr. Walter Ferrier, and was buried in St. Cuthbert's churchyard. Her modesty had made her insist upon the destruction of a correspondence with a sister which contained much biographical matter, and few records of her quiet life have been preserved. A miniature of Miss Ferrier was painted by Mr. Thorburn, who when a lad of seventeen studied art in Edinburgh, and became known to her. She had a very high opinion of his talents and helped him in his career. A marble bust was taken after death. Miss Ferrier's novels show keen powers of observation, and are brightly and clearly written. They are chiefly satirical sketches of character in the upper classes of Scottish society. They belong to the same school as Miss Edgeworth's stories, and are marked by the same rather stiff didacticism. The favourable reception of the last edition shows that in spite of their old-fashioned character they still have attraction due to genuine wit and vivacity.

[Information from John Ferrier, esq.; Life (by the same) prefixed to the edition of 1881, and previously in Temple Bar for November 1878.]  FERRIS. [See also .]  FERRIS, RICHARD (fl. 1590), adventurer, was one of the five ordinary messengers attached to Queen Elizabeth's household. A subpœna was issued for him to give evidence in a suit in the court of the Archbishop of Canterbury on 7 Nov. 1580 (Archæologia, 1729, p. 234). In July 1606 he was still filling the office of royal messenger (, Issues of the Exchequer, Jac. I, p. 44). Although ‘never trayned upon the water,’ he resolved in 1590 to accomplish the daring feat of rowing in an open boat from London to Bristol. He embarked in a ‘new built’ wherry on Midsummer day at Tower Wharf, with two friends, Andrew Hill and William Thomas. At Greenwich they landed, and were entertained at court. Afterwards their journey began in earnest, and although they usually anchored in safe harbours at night, and were well received by the townspeople of the southern seaports, they ran some risks, and did not reach Bristol till 3 Aug. The mayor and aldermen gave them a triumphal welcome. They returned to London on 8 Aug., and wherever they showed themselves were enthusiastically received. The exploit excited the admiration of all classes from the court downwards. On 7 Aug. 1590—only four days after the voyage was finished—‘a ballad of Richard Fferrys cominge to Bristowe’ was ‘licensed to Edward White on 10 Aug.’ Another ballad of ‘the ioyfull entertainement of the wherry and iij wherrymen, viz., Richard Fferrys, Andrewe Hilles, and William Thomas by the maiour, aldermen, and citizens of Bristoll, 4to Augusti, 1590,’ was licensed to Henry Carre (, Registers, ii. 557–8). In the same year John Wolfe printed for Edward White ‘The most dangerous and memorable Adventure of Richard Ferris.’ On the title-page appear the words, ‘Published for the sayd Richard Ferris,’ and a dedication to Sir Thomas Heneage, the queen's treasurer, follows. At the close of the tract is ‘a new sonnet’ celebrating Ferris's arrival at Bristol, by James Sargent. A copy of this rare work is in the Bodleian Library. None is in the British Museum. It was reprinted in J. P. Collier's ‘ Illustrations of Early English Literature,’ vol. ii. No. 5 (1864), and in Professor Arber's ‘English Garner,’ vol. vi. Warton asserted that Ferrers was the author's correct name.

[J. P. Collier's reprint as above; Warton's Hist. of English Poetry.]  FESTING, FRANCIS WORGAN (1833–1886), colonel, second son of Captain Benjamin Morton Festing, R.N., K.H., by Caroline Jane, only daughter of F. B. Wright of Hinton Blewett, Somersetshire, was born at High Littleton, Somersetshire, 24 July 1833. He was educated at the Royal Naval College, New Cross, at the age of sixteen entered the royal marines as a cadet,