Wilts Obituary. 61 
private collection—and those who visited Fonthill know what magnificent 
treasures in the way of Persian carpets, Chinese porcelain, and art objects 
of all kinds he had gathered together in that storehouse of precious things. 
In the way of Greek antiquities, too—especially gems and gold work—he 
possessed most valuable things ; but his name was most widely known for 
the absolutely unrivalled collection of autograph letters which he had 
succeeded in amassing—numbering upwards of seven thousand, and con- 
taining such items as the letter written by Mary Queen of Scots to Henri III. 
of France at 2, a.m., on the morning of her execution, and two hundred un- 
published letters of Napoleon I. Of this great collection—always open to the 
inspection of writers and students of history—he printed six quarto volumes 
of indices, averaging three hundred pages each, and a “second series” of 
seven volumes, in which the fullest possible extracts from the autographs 
are given. He also printed a catalogue of the collection of engravings 
mentioned above. He was, however, not merely a collector. He was also, 
in the best sense of the term, a patron of the art of the present day—and 
his special interest during the later years of his life lay in encouraging the 
finest forms of modern handicraft. “ He used to maintain,” says The Times, 
“that there are modern workmen in many countries who can produee as 
fine examples of cameo cutting, inlaying of metals, glass work, &., as were 
ever produced before if they are properly paid for their time and not over- 
whelmed in the general rush for cheapness.” 
The Standard, Dec. 31st, 1897, contained an interesting article on the 
collection of autographs, reprinted in the Salisbury Journal, Jan. 1, 1898. 
Obit. notices, Times, Dec. 27th; Daily Chronicle, quoted by Wilts County 
Mirror and Salisbury Journal, Dee. 31st ; Salisbury Journal, Dec. 25th, 
1897; World, Jan. 5th, 1898. 
ajor-General Arthur Godolphin Yeatman-Biggs, 
C.B. Died at Peshawur on Jan. 4th, 1898, of dysentery, brought on by 
exposure and fatigue whilst in command of a division during the campaign 
on the N.W. frontier of India. Born 1843, the second son of Mr. Harry 
Farr Yeatman, of Stock House, Dorset, and Emma, heiress of the late Mr. 
Harry Biggs, of Stockton House, Wilts, he inherited the latter estate and 
assumed the name of Yeatman-Biggs. Originally destined for the bar, he 
entered the Royal Artillery at the age of 17, being then the youngest officer 
in the service. He was present at the taking of the Taku forts in China, 
where he was slightly wounded. He became captain, 1874 ; brevet-major, 
1880 ; major, 1881 ; brevet-lieutenant-colonel, 1882 ; brevet-colonel, 1886 ; 
lieutenant-colonel, 1889 ; C.B., 1891 ; major-general, 1897. He served on 
the staffs of Lord Roberts and Lord Wolseley. He was in the South African 
campaign of 1879, and in the Egyptian campaign of 1882, being on both 
oceasions mentioned in despatches. In 1894, he acted as Assistant-Adjutant- 
General in India. During the recent frontier fighting he was in command 
at the capture of Dargai. 
On coming into possession of Stockton, he spent large sums on the very 
 eareful restoration and furnishing of that beautiful old Jacobean house, 
