116 
circulation—his biography, in a complete form, should still be 
unwritten.” 
A Cumberland worthy, however, he unquestionably was, 
and, as such, Cumberland ought to feel proud of him. The 
connection with our county of a Wordsworth, a Fearon Fallows, 
and a Huddart, ought, in its degree, to be quite as much ~ 
matter of local concern and pride as a Shakespeare, a Burns, 
or a Moore is of national pride and concern. My object, — 
therefore, to-night, is to endeavour in some measure to put 
before you, as concisely as I can, some of the chief inci- 
dents in the life of this remarkable Cumbrian. I do this, not 
simply by any means because he happened to be a Cumbrian, 
but because the example of his meritorious, useful, and unosten, 
tatious life appears to me well worthy of our consideration, and 
especially calculated to encourage my younger auditors who may 
yet have to embark upon life’s eventful voyage. 
Joseph Huddart was born at Allonby, on the 11th January, 
1741. Hewas an only child. His father appears to have been 
engaged, along with a few friends, in the fishery of herrings, which, 
in former years, and more particularly about the period referred 
to, were very abundant in the Solway. From a boy, young 
Huddart showed unmistakeable signs of genius. When a water 
flour-mill, was being built at Allonby, it is said that Huddart 
was observed by the workmen to be frequently prying about 
and closely observing what was going on. They probably little 
imagined that he was constructing at home, in miniature, 
similar machinery to that which they were setting up. On 
the completion of the mill itself he produced his own little — 
toy-mill, which is reported to have been a tolerably accurate © 
imitation of the original, and to have been set going with it. 
It was not, however, towards practical mechanics that © 
Huddart’s mind and tastes exclusively leant. Under the teaching 
* The writer’s attention was not called to Dr. Lonsdale’s short biography — 
of Captain Huddart until after the delivery of the paper. When the paper was 
in course of preparation, he was led to understand by a literary friend that Dr. 
Lonsdale had vof included Captain Huddart in his Worthies, 
