Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 2.djvu/475

 Gentleman’s Magazine we read, “Died, 22nd February 1782, Dr. Demainbray, principal surveyor of the customs, and inspector of the East India Company’s warehouses.” Afterwards, in recording the worthies of Middlesex, the same magazine notes Dr. Stephen Charles Triboudet Demainbray, astronomer and electrician, buried at Northall in 1782. It does not appear that he ever made his post of Astronomer a sinecure, although he may have left his son-in-law in residence at Richmond, and taken up his abode in the neighbouring parish of Northall, now called Northolt. Dr. Demainbray had married, secondly, Miss Sarah Home, sister of the celebrated John Home Tooke, and left by her one son and three daughters. There is a large square tomb in Northolt Churchyard with this inscription:—

Dr. Demainbray’s only son, Stephen George Richard Triboudet Demainbray, was born on 7th August 1759, and educated at Harrow and at Oxford. He became a Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, at the age of nineteen in 1778, and succeeded his father as Astronomer of Richmond Observatory in 1782, which honorary post he held until the closing of the Observatory in 1840. He was B.A., M.A., and LL.D. of Oxford. He was ordained a clergyman of the Church of England. His first appointment was that of Whitehall Preacher. Next, he was presented by Exeter College to the Vicarage of Long Whittenham in Berkshire. In 1799 his College presented him to the Rectory of Broad Somerford in Wiltshire, and he was rector of that parish for fifty-five years. In 1802 he became Chaplain to his Majesty. In 1807 his benevolence led him to found a scheme of allotments of land to be let to poor parishioners and to be cultivated by them. The scheme has proved a permanent one; about 80 acres are still let out in small allotments, and are highly valued by the occupiers. The system having interested other philanthropic persons in England, Mr. Demainbray published a narrative of it in 1831, with the title, “The Poor Man’s Best Friend; or, Land to cultivate for his own benefit, being the result of twenty-four years’ experience;” it was addressed to James, second Marquis of Salisbury. Some insight may be obtained from one of Mrs. Southey’s tales, entitled, “Broad Somerford.” Mr. Demainbray had two sons and a daughter. The second son, Rev. Francis Demainbray, was of Pembroke College, Oxford, and became Rector of Barcheston in Warwickshire in 1839, but died on 2nd April 1846, aged fifty-two. The father survived till 1854, when he died in his ninety-fifth year. His monument is on the north wall of the chancel in his church, with this inscription:—

