Biographical Me/nofrv of Eminent Persons. 



OD the eve of bis being licensed for (be minis- 

 try. Mrs. Burns, who brought him a family 

 of six sons and five daughters, of whom five 

 SOBS and one daughter are living, survives. 



It ought, to be- mentioned that the two 

 hundred pounds which Robert Burns lent to 

 his brother, m the year 1X88, was not repaid 

 till 1 820. Gilbert was far from affluent ; in 

 early liie he had to struggle even for exis- 

 tence ; and, therefore, to know that his aged 

 mother and one or two sisters, were pro- 

 perly supported, was, in the poet's eyes, a 

 full acquittance of all claims. The children 

 of Robert viewed the subject in the same 

 light. In 1819, Gilbert Euros was invited 

 by Messrs. Cadell and -Da vies, to revise a 

 new edition of his brother's works ; to supply 

 whatever he found wanting, and correct 

 whatever he thought amiss. He accepted the 

 invitation; and, by appending much valu- 

 able matter to the late Dr. Currie's biogra- 

 phy, he at once vindicated his brother's 

 memory from many aspersions which had 

 been cast upon it, and established his own 

 .credit as an author. On receiving payment 

 for his labour, the first thing he did was, to 

 balance accounts, to the uttermost farthing, 

 with the widow and family of his deceased 

 brother. The letter which accompanied the 

 remittance of the money was, in the highest 

 degree, creditable to his feelings. 



MR. ROWLANDSON. 

 Thomas Rowlandson, an artist of no mean 

 celebrity in his day, was born in the Old 

 Jewry, in the month of July 1756. His 

 father was a merchant. He was educated 

 at Dr. Barrow's school, Soho Square. 

 Amongst his school- fellows were Richard, 

 son of the late Edmund Burke, Holman, the 

 tragediaa, &c. At an early period he gave 

 indications of future talent, having drawn 

 humorous caricatures of his master, and many 

 of the boys in the school. In his sixteenth 

 year he was sent to Paris, and was entered 

 a student in one of the drawing academies 

 there, where he made rapid advances in the 

 study of the human figure. In the course of 

 a residence of nearly two years, he not unfre- 

 quently indulged his talent of satirical por- 

 traiture. Oa his return to London, he re- 

 sumed his studies at the Royal Academy, 

 having been admitted on the list of students 

 previously to his sojourn at Paris. Mr. John 

 Banister, afterwards one of the first comic 

 actors of the age, was one of his fellow- 

 students, and a friendship commenced be- 

 tween them, which continued till the death 

 of Rowlandson. His father having become 

 embarrassed through manufacturing specula- 

 tions, our young artist was, in a great mea- 

 sure, thrown upon his own resources before he 

 .reached the age of manhood. His aunt, how- 

 ever, (a Mademoiselle Chattelier, who had 

 married his father's brother, Mr. Thomas 

 Rowlandson) amply supplied him with money, 

 and, at her death, she left him 7,000, be- 

 sides other valuable property. Thus enabled 

 to indulge his predilection for a joyous life, 

 M.M. New Series.- VOL. IV. 



he mixed with high company, acquired an 

 uncontrolable passion for gaming, and 

 speedily dissipated the amount of more than 

 one valuable legacy. He frequently played 

 throughout a night and the next day ; and 

 once, according to his own statement, he con- 

 tinued at the gaming table nearly thirty-six 

 hours, with the intervention only of the time 

 for refreshment, which was supplied by a 

 cold collation. Yet Rowlandson was scru- 

 pulously upright in all bis pecuniary transac- 

 tions, and ever avoided getting into debt. 

 After having beggared himself, he has been 

 known to return home to his professional 

 studies, sit down coolly to produce a series 

 of new designs, and "to exclaim, with stoical 

 philosophy, "I have played the fool; but 

 (holding up his pencils) here is myresouree." 



Though the generality of his humorous 

 and political etchings were coarse and slight, 

 many of his early works were very carefully 

 wrought ; and his studies from the human 

 figure, at the Roya! Academy, were scarcely 

 inferior to those of Mortimer. Dispatch was 

 one of his great characteristics. Had he 

 been systematic in his studies he might have 

 become a great historical painter. Sir Joshua 

 Reynolds, and his successor in the presiden- 

 tial chair of the Royal Academy, have each 

 declared that some of his drawings would 

 have done honour to Rubens, or to any of 

 the greatest masters of design of the old 

 schools. His drawings for the Dance of 

 Death, tha Dance of Life, Dr. Syntax in 

 search of the Picturesque, &c., made to illus- 

 trate the writings of the late Mr. Coombe, 

 .were sufficient to establish his graphic fame. 

 They are, we believe, in the possession of 

 Mr. Ackermaun, of the Strand. 



Mr. Rowlandson died at his chambers in 

 the Adelphi, on Saturday, the 21st of April ; 

 and, on the Saturday following, his remains 

 were followed to the grave by the two friends 

 of his youth, Mr. Banister and Mr. Aogelo, 

 senior, and by his constant friend and em- 

 ployer, Mr. Ackermann. 



LORD KIRCUDBRIGHT. 

 Sholto Henry M'Clellan, Lord Kircud- 

 bright, was born on the 15th of August 1771. 

 He succeeded his father, John, the seventh 

 lord, on the 24th of December, 1821. Ac- 

 cording to history, his lordship's family was 

 anciently of great power, and heritable 

 sheriffs of all Galloway, till the reign of 

 James II. of Scotland. At one period its 

 branches were so numerous, that there were 

 in Galloway twelve knights of the name of 

 M'Clellan, of whom Sir Patrick M'Clellan, 

 tutor of Bombie, was thechief. Gilbert, one 

 of his great grandsons, was one of the ances- 

 tors of Lord Kircudbright. His lordship was 

 short in stature, and somewhat deformed in 

 person. Though eccentric in manner, he 

 possessed many good qualities. He had been 

 travelling for the last two years, in the care 

 of a servant, for the benefit of his health ; 

 and he was brought home to Raeberry Lodge, 

 Southampton, in a state of extreme debility, 

 O 



