Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 1 Vol 7.djvu/400

 398 THURLOW. and s.p. legit.( a ) at Brighton 12, and was bur. 25 Sep. 1800, in the Temple clmreli London, aged about 7(5, ( b ) when the Barony of Tliurlow of Ashjkld (cr. 177S), became extinct. Will pr. ISOd. IE. 1806. 2. Edward (Tiiurlow, afterwards IIovKLL-Tiiuni.ow), Raron Thihluw [1792], nephew and It,, being 1st of Thomas Thtolow, L. Bishop of Durham (1787-91], by Anne, da. of William Bxrr, of Lymington, Hants, which Tbomaa (who d. 27 May 1791), was next br. to the late Baron, He was A. in the Temple. London, 10 June 1781 ; was ed. at Charter House and at Mag. Coll., Oxford, being cr, M.A- 1''- Jirty lt-01 ; was ltegiytrar of the lMocese of Lincoln; Clerk of the Presentation in the Petty Bag Office; Patentee of the Bankrupt*' Olliee ; Clerk of Lunacy and of the Custody of Idiots, anil Clerk of the Hanaper ; sue to the peerage 12 Sep. ISOti, under Uie spec, rem. in its creation. By royal lie. 8 July 1S14, he took the name of Hovell after that of Tharlotc.i?) He m. 13 Nov. 1813, at St. Martin's in the fields, Mary Katharine { for the last 7 years a suecesa- (a) " There were some doubts whether he was not '». in early life to a da. of Dean Lynch of Canterbury, by whom he had a son Charles, who d. a student at Cambridge. He had three daughters by another lady," &c. [Collins]. (t>) Hor. Walpole (Journal, Dec. 177Si, says of him that he " Iiad a sulid and deep understanding that penetrated to the marrow of an argument, and did not think of escaping by its labyrinths like Lord Manslield. He did not daxfclc like Weddcilmru, by an entertaining tho' pert brilliancy, nor fascinate his audience with the pathetic solemnity of Lord Camden. . . . His was a manly soul that owed all its merit to vigorous nature who had composed him of stern materials. . . . He was coarse in bis manners, indelicate in his pleasures, even to a contempt of decorum — rough, proud, sullen, and perhaps, intrepid. This quality was, however, doubtful. . . . Virtue and principles he had nnre, he seemed to regard them as a weakness, Hark and daring, he was litted to serve a bold and arbitrary court, rather than to please a designing but irresolute one." See vol. vi, p. 429, note " a,'' for a comparison between him and his successor, Weddei burn, afterwards Karl of Kosslvn, and fur Leeky's names for them both " JVic Moloch a>al Belial of their profession.' 1 I.eeky [Vol, iv. p. S!>), calls him "not a great lawyer, but a most powerful ami ready debater, of much rugged sense, and indomitable courage ; coarse violent, arrogant, shameless ami profane- A leonine countenance, a loud commanding voice, lierce shaggy brows, a quickness of repartee that seldom or never tailed him, and a complete freedom from every vestige of deference, modesty or hesitation, all added to the impres.-iou of overbearing and exuberant strength, which he made on those with whom he came ill contact. On a single question — the excellence of the African since trade — he appeals to have had a genuine conviction almost rising to enthusiasm.'' Those " fierce shaggy brows " and his authoritative bearing, made it said of him that " no man was so wise n Lord Thurlow looks" Foss f J ud/is"), speaks of his " effrontery " in the House of Lords, acting "as if he were the sel Imastcr of a set of boys instead of the Speaker of an august assembly." His well-known and crashing reply to the Duke of Grafton's unadvised and unmannerly allusion to his ph-bian origin, gained him, however, considerable respect in that assembly. Post adds that " the retention "f power, and the acquisition of wealth" which " inllueneed him on two occasions to desert his party, will ever be a blot on his character." These political tergiversations were (1) in 1782, when he retained olHce on the downfall of the North ministry, and (2), a still worse case, in 17S* when he (who hail always "pottd" as the King's especial fiieud 1, intrigued with the Ucguncy party. The amount of offices lie conferred on and obtained for his relatives was very great, and included the rich Bishopric of Durham for his brother. Fuss concludes by saying that he can " scarcely be considered in any other light than as a political. Chancellor, ami failed in that character ; his reputation as a .Indue does not stand very high." In one thing, however, viz., in hard swearing, he was pre-eminent, which gives point to the retorts made to his asseveration that " When I forget my debt of gratitude to the King, may God forget ine," on which Fox remarked, "The very best thing he could do for you," Wilkes adding. "He'll see you damned first/' See also " Wraxalt" (vol. i, pp. 408-412). f») The patronymic of the family of his maternal grandfather, Robert Smith, was