2 Biographical Account of 



able position in society of yeomen. His father, who was 

 a person of some capacity and ingenuity, died in 1794, and 

 left his family consisting of five children to the care of his 

 widow, then in her 34th year. She lived to the advanced 

 age of 76. She possessed a good understanding, benevo- 

 lent disposition, and a pious mind. When she became a 

 widow her income was about £150 a year, and it was incum- 

 bered with a debt of about £1300, contracted by her hus- 

 band in consequence of losing speculations in mining. Her 

 prudence, economy, and admirable exertions speedily, how- 

 ever, relieved her from her distressing circumstances. To 

 aid in extricating herself she engaged in partnership as a 

 milliner with a young French lady, who had fled from 

 France during the revolution. The business was only car- 

 ried on for three or four years, when she was left some pro- 

 perty which increased her income to £300 a year. Under 

 the fostering care of such a parent, it would have indeed 

 been remarkable, if the subject of our memoir had not 

 begun to shew early proofs of developement of genius, and 

 to have imbibed some of her excellent disposition. 



The first school he was sent to, was kept by a Mr. 

 Bushell, a teacher of reading and writing, and who, observ- 

 ing the rapid progress of his pupil, recommended him to be 

 sent to the grammar school, when only six years of age. 

 The teacher of the establishment (Mr. Coryton) was a care- 

 less, indiscriminating tyrant, like too many of his class at 

 that period. In accordance with his character, he punished 

 slight offences very severely, thus holding out encourage- 

 ment to his pupils to commit grave offences, and quenching 

 the acuteness of the moral principle. He was continually 

 torturing his poor dependants by pulling their ears. Davy 

 suffered often in this way. On one occasion, the pupil deli- 

 cately reproached the master. The master observing him 

 with a large plaster on his ear, asked him the nature of the 

 disease, he replied, with proper gravity, that " he had put 

 the plaster on to prevent mortification." 



At the grammar school he was not distinguished for his 

 scholarship, although his appearance was respectable. He 

 shone more in the facility with which he wrote Latin and 

 English verse, and in writing valentines and love letters. 

 He shewed an early disposition for tales and imaginative 



