THE 



QUARTERLY JOURNAL 



OP 



SCIENCE, LITERATURE, AND ART. 



Sketch of the Life of the late Samuel Parkes, Esq. 



Mr. Editor, Burton Crescenty Feb, 26, 1827. 



Thinking that a short sketch of the life of a man so generally known 

 and deservedly esteemed, and whose chemical works had become so 

 universally popular, as those of the late Mr. Samuel Parkes, would not 

 be uninteresting to the readers of your valuable publication, I have 

 examined his diaries, and endeavoured to compress within as small a 

 compass as possible, those facts and circumstances which appear likely 

 to atford the most correct delineation of his character. 

 I remain, your's faithfully, 



J. W. HODGETTS. 



Mr. Parkes was the eldest son of Mr. Samuel Parkes, of 

 Stourbridge, in Worcestershire, where he was born on the 26th 

 of May, 1761. At the age of ten he was sent to a classical 

 school, kept by Dr. Addington, of Market Harborough, in 

 Leicestershire. For this gentleman, whom he describes as 

 having possessed " corsiderable oratorical talents," " and great 

 attainments, classical and literary," Mr. Parkes always ex- 

 pressed strong feelings of respect, and acknowledged that, to 

 his instructions and care, he was indebted for that love of 

 literature, and those habits of application which never deserted 

 him in after-life. 



He continued at this school four years, when he was 

 taken away in order to be apprenticed to an ironmonger at 

 Ross, in Herefordshire ; in consequence of whose failure he 



JAN.— MARCH, 1827. B 



