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Biographical Memoirs of Eminent Persons. 



[JUNE, 



ful hand-writing in which they are exe- 

 cuted, but for the fund ot wit, good hu- 

 mour, and information they contain. In 

 the prefaces to many topographical and 

 archaeological publications the name of 

 Hamper is recorded with the highest tes- 

 timonies of esteem and gratitude. To 

 Ormerod's " Cheshire," Blakeway's 

 " Shrewsbury," Dugdale's " Monasti- 

 cpn," Button's ' Architectural Antiqui- 

 ties," Cartwright's " Sussex," and other 

 works, he furnished many valuable com- 

 munications. 



At the solicitation of Mr. Harding (of 

 the firm of Harding and Lepard), Mr. 

 Hamper undertook and completed a very 

 interesting memoir of Dugdale, of whom 

 Wood, in " Fasti Oxonienses," says, 

 " What Dugdale has done is prodigious ; 

 his memory ought to be venerated and 

 had in everlasting remembrance." The 

 handsome and large volume which Mr. 

 Hamper has devoted to the memory and 

 talents of our inestimable monastic anti- 

 quary and topographer contains an ac- 

 count of his life and writings, copious 

 extracts from his diary, and a large series 

 of letters to and from many of his con- 

 temporaries. As long as this volume re- 

 mains a memorial of the talents and in- 

 dustry of the person commemorated, it 

 will perpetuate the name of Hamper in 

 connection with it, and be mutually ho- 

 nourable. 



Believing that a more detailed memoir 

 of the respected and lamented person 

 here noticed will be speedily prepared 

 for publication by an intimate friend, we 

 have been induced to pay this passing 

 and brief tribute of respect to his me- 

 mory in this place. 



Mr. Hamper was born on the 12th of 

 Dec. l??^^ and was consequently in the 

 55th year of his age. On the 6th of Nov. 

 1803, he married Jane, daughter of Wil- 

 liam Sharpe, Esq. of Newport, in the 

 Isle of Wight, who died 6th of June, 

 1829, leaving three daughters. He was 

 an honorary member of the Society of 

 Antiquaries of Newcastle, and for many 

 years an active magistrate for the coun- 

 ties of Warwick and Worcester. 



THE EARL OF DAHNLEY. 



The Right Hon. John Bligh, Earl of 

 Darnley, Viscount Darnley, of Athboy, 



Baron Clifton, of Rathmore, in the 

 county of Meath, and Lord Clifton, of 

 Leighton Bromswold, Hereditary High 

 Steward of Gravesend and Milton, 

 F.R.S., D.C.L., &c. was descended from 

 an ancient family originally seated in 

 the counties of Kent, Devon, and Corn- 

 wall, but whose chief possessions have 

 long been in Ireland. The English 

 Barony of Clifton came into the family 

 of Bligh by the marriage, in 1713, of 

 Theodosia, heiress of Edward Hyde, 

 Earl of Clarendon, and Baroness of 

 Clifton in her own right, with John 

 Bligh, Esq., son of the Right Hon. 

 Thomas Bligh, of Rathmore, in the 

 county of Meath, whose father had set- 

 tled in Ireland during the usurpation. 

 This gentleman was, in 1721, created 

 Baron Clifton, of Rathmore ; in 1722-3, 

 Viscount Darnley ; and in 1725, Earl of 

 Darnley.," 



The late Earl was born on the 30th 

 of June, 1767. He was educated at Eton 

 and Oxford ; and he succeeded his father, 

 John, third Earl of Darnley, on the 31st 

 of July, 1781. His Lordship married 

 in September, 1791, Elizabeth, daughter 

 of the Right Hon. William Brownlow, 

 of Largan, in Ireland, by whom he had 

 a family of six children. " 



Lord Darnley was uniformly a whig. 

 In 17^8, he supported the Prince on the 

 question of the regency ; he took part 

 with Queen Caroline on the proceedings 

 which were instituted against her by 

 government ; he was one of the most 

 strenuous advocates of Catholic eman- 

 cipation ; and his aid, by motion, speech, 

 and vote, was always in favour of what 

 has become the popular cause. His 

 income was large ; in its expenditure, 

 prudence and liberality were blended. 

 His Lordship was exceedingly fond of 

 music, and he was one of the directors 

 of the annual musical concerts. 



Lord Darnley had been ill some weeks 

 previously to his decease, but was so far 

 recovered as to attend the Rochester 

 Meeting on Tuesday the 15th of March. 

 On his return he found himself seriously 

 indisposed, but declined Medical aid. 

 On Wednesday night, he believed him- 

 self better ; but, on the succeeding 

 morning he was found dead in his bed. 



MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



UPON backward lands, much barley remained to be put into the ground in the 

 middle of the present month. Potatoe planting has been somewhat forward, and 

 the sowing of turnips has commenced : as also sheep-shearing, on the conclusion of 

 which we may say, thus endeth the last operation of the spring season, and with 

 no slight self-gratulation to many of us, who have thereby got clear of a protracted 

 and expensive line of operations. But as a drawback, the most important view is 

 not very cheering not only from the lateness of the season, but from the imperfect 

 culture of the lands, and the enormous load of weed vegetation, accumulating and 

 fostering in their bowels ; a profitable stock lying perdue for the benefit of years 

 and years to come. 



