Page:History and characteristics of Bishop Auckland.djvu/126

 HISTOBT OF BISHOP AUCKLAND. 99 early 9.ge ; before he was nineteen he had prepared carefully-coloured drawings of upwards of 250 of the native plant& He was intended for the medical profession, and studied in Edinburgh and London ; but circumstances having rendered him independent of this profession as a means of livelihood, he did not submit to an examination, and determined to devote himself to the study of botany* In 1824, the University of Glasgow conferred on him the degree of LL.D. He delivered several courses of popular lectures on zoology and botany, and formed collections of plants and insects, which were eventually purchased by the University of Edinburgh. Lately he had devoted himself to the description and figuring of the Diatomacesd. A change having taken place in his circumstances, he took up landscape-painting as a profession, and several of his pictures are to be seen in well-known coUectiona Dr. Greville took a very warm interest in many social reforms, and in various schemes of Christian philanthropy ; and, as in natural history, whatever subject he undertook, he devoted to it all his energies and talenta He took a prominent part in the agitation against slavery in the colonies ; he was one of the four vice-presidents of the great Anti-Slavery Association of all countries, held in London in 1840. He published "Flora Edinensis," " Scottish Cryptogamic Flora," " AlgaB Britannicae," and, in conjunction with Sir W. J. Hooker, " Icones Filicum," besides numerous papers in various scientific journals. He was honorary secretary of the Botanical Society and a FeUow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, an honorary member of the Royal Irish Academy, of the Imperial Academy Naturae Curiosorum, and of the Natural History Society of Leipzig, corresponding member of the Natural History Societies of Paris, Cherbourg, Brussels, Philadelphia, kc." Again turning to the Register for Burials, we extract the following : — 1796. — ^April 3. — ^ICary Cook, cUiat Home (a young Lady from Edinburgh), Bp. Aukland. 179S. — September 7. — ^Elizabeth Ciolberg, of Howliah, wife of Captain Samuel Colberg, of the Windsor Foresters Light Dragoons, kte Relph, 47 years. 1799. — June S. — John M'Cidloch, at Bpp. Aukland, comedian, 43 years. June 17. — ^WiUiam Smith, of Bishop Aukland, son of Matthew Smith, dancing master, and Elizabeth, lus wife, late Mitchell, infant 1803. — July 3. — ^Thomas Winter, of Bpp. Aukland, an old soldier, 88, buried. During the war with Prance, Bishop Audiland sent many of her sons to fight their country's battles, some of whom went through the whole of the Peninsular campaign under Moore and Wellington, and returned to teU their tale " of moving incidents by flood and field — of hair-breadth 'scapes i' the eminent deadly breacL" Amongst those may be noted Smith Tarn, James Smith, and Joseph and George Hudson.* Greorge Wright, another Auckland man, was at the defence of Acre, under Sir Sidney Smith, and lost his sight by reason of the hot sands of Egypt His erect and soldier-like form might frequently be seen in our streets some years ago, and he could find his way to any part of the town without a guida We may also mention Robert Howey, of Bishop Auckland, who went out to Spain under Arthur WeUesley, afterwards Duke of Wellington. He sailed with an expedition, having for its purpose the retrieving of the disasters which befell our army previous to, and in, the retreat of Sir John Moore on Corunna, and the subsequent death of that • G«org6 fladM» was afc the ai^e of Badajos» and, like the hero in Toai Hood's ballad of '*Faithl6M Nelly Gray"— In Badajoz'a h-eaohei," in place of whiofa he wore a sabetitate made of wood. Georoe was quite a popular character in his da]^, and, like most old loldiera, was fond of his glass. He usoally had a week's drinking after pension-day ; and when old Nanny (his wife) thouffht he had had sufficient, she, to prevent any further indulgence in that wav, used to rise first in the mominp; and take possession of ms wooden leg, and lock it up in a closet. It was no uncommon thing for the neishbours to see George sittmg on the bed-side imploring his better half to give him his 1^ ; but to all his entreaties she turned a deaf, ear until convinced that he was sufficiently recovered from his fits of intemperance to be entrusted once more with his own '* understanding." George's house was a kind of rendezvous for many of the lads of the town, two of whom went in one night and found him alone, dozing, with his head on his breast and his legs stretched across the hearth-stone, his wooden one being next the fire. They were presently joined by another well-known young scamp, who, observing George's close proximity to the fire^ gently placed his wooden Mff between the bars, and let it remain there for some time, afterwards hitting him a sudden slap on the shoulder, and making his exit, fme old warrior sprung to his one foot in an instant ; and relying, as usual, upon his wooden substitute (now, alas ! about six inches short), suddttily came to griet greatly to the delight of the two remaining youngsten, who quickly scampered off, as George was known to be pretty handy with the stick which he usually carried, and which was standing in the comer dose by. Digitized by Google
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