OF THE LATE MB. WILLIAM STURGEON. 55 



It seems almost incredible that, amid such hardships and 

 surrounded by such vicious examples, Sturgeon could have 

 acquired anything valuable beyond mere proficiency in his 

 trade, or that he could even have resisted the temptation to 

 follow evil courses so constantly held out. But it, neverthe- 

 less, appears that he contrived to acquire some proficiency in 

 music, and the knowledge of several mechanical arts. His 

 ability in the exercise of one of the latter may be judged by 

 the following anecdote, which will illustrate at the same time 

 the energy of character which became so conspicuous in after 

 life. One of the celebrations of the Guild at Preston took 

 place during his apprenticeship, and William Sturgeon and 

 his fellow-apprentice having heard much talk about it, deter- 

 mined to go and see it. Their master they well knew would 

 not give his consent, but this difficulty they got over by the 

 simple expedient of starting on their trip without asking it. 

 Another and more serious difficulty arose from the awkward 

 circumstance of neither of them possessing any money. 

 Sturgeon, who had shown some talent in cleaning clocks and 

 watches during his residence at Hutton, contrived not only 

 to support himself and fellow-apprentice during their journey 

 to and from Preston by what he obtained from clock clean- 

 ing by the way, but even to arrive at home with money in 

 pocket. On their return from satisfying their curiosity at 

 Preston Guild, the apprentices had to undergo the ordeal 

 of a sound thrashing from their brutal master. 



Dissatisfied with his position as a journeyman shoemaker, 

 and seeing little prospect of improving his condition at Kirby 

 Lonsdale, he, in 1802, enlisted in the Westmoreland Militia, 

 and two years afterwards volunteered as a private into the 

 2nd Battalion of Royal Artillery. Soon after entering this 

 corps he married Mary Hutton, a widow, who kept a shoe 

 shop at Woolwich. The issue of this marriage was two 

 daughters and a son, namely, John and Elizabeth, twins, and 

 Ann, all of whom died in their infancy. After the death of 



