4 Nicholson, Hemans — NicJiolso7i Cor-respondence. 



centre for carrying on the business of cotton and linen 

 merchants, in which they were engaged. Though Matthew 

 Nicholson was successful in business, it does not seem to 

 have been congenial to him. Having sufficient means to 

 supply his simple and inexpensive tastes, and being a 

 bachelor, he had none of the usual inducements to con- 

 tinue in business, and being also subject to severe head- 

 aches, he retired at the age of 43, and settled on a small 

 property he had inherited at Richmond Row, then a rural 

 locality near Liverpool. There he spent the remainder of 

 his long life, following his favourite hobbies of gardening 

 and reading, drawing and writing, nursing himself during 

 frequent illnesses, and occasionally taking tours to Wales 

 or Scotland. During his residence in Manchester he had 

 joined this Society, having been elected a member on 

 14th December, 1785. Doubtless he owed his introduction 

 to the Society to its founder, Dr. Percival, between whose 

 family and the Nicholsons there had existed for three 

 generations a friendship, which had been further cemented 

 by Dr. Percival's marriage with a connection of the 

 Nicholsons. Matthew Nicholson contributed one or two 

 papers to the Memoirs of the Society. 



Mr. Matthew Nicholson was 61 years of age, when, in 

 1807, he became interested in the works of the young 

 poetess, Felicia Browne, then aged 13. 



At one of the literary gatherings already mentioned 

 the discussion turned on the difficulty of writing a pre- 

 face to Felicia's forthcoming book. Mr. Nicholson, who 

 was one of the party, was tempted to try his hand at 

 this literary performance. So pleased was he with the 

 result that he submitted his preface to Mrs. Browne, 

 modestly hiding his identity under the pseudonym, " One 

 of the Subscribers." Availing herself of the privilege her 

 anonymous correspondent had allowed her, Mrs. Browne 



