1 806.] Account of the late Paul Le Mefurier, Efq. 



571 



hardly ever deviated in the flighteft degree 

 from his original reprcfentation of it. Every 

 look and every ihrug were the fame : hence, 

 though his judgment and precifion were ad- 

 mired, a luxuriance and variety were want- 

 ing which might have rendered inferior ta- 

 lents more pleafing. In private life he was 

 intelligent, entertaining, and refpeftable. He 

 had an inexhauftible (tore of anecdotes, n.it 

 merely of the theatrical kind, and he v/as 

 always willing to relate them, upon the 

 llighteft intimation, for the gratification of 

 his friends, though he never vainly or im- 

 portunately forced them into notice. He 

 particularly excelled in ftory-tcllins, and 

 gave a lively perception of every ciiarafter he 

 introduced by his ])Owers of mimicry. His 

 fa'^e holas out a melancholy warning to all 

 who engage in his precarious profeflion. 

 The fair profits of his iaduftry and talents, 

 fupporced by very refpeftable and extenfive 

 cunnedtions, would always have enabled him 

 to maintain a good figure in life j but unhap- 

 pily an unfortunate devotion to the gaming- 

 table marred all his fair profpefls. After a 

 very fuccefsful night at play, he once halUIy 

 returned home, and in the moft foleran man- 

 ner expreffed his determination never to plunge 

 into the ruinous vortex of gaming any more. 

 He kept his aefolution for many years, and 

 ■was able to fupport a hnufe in town, another 

 at Hampton, and to enjoy the convenience of 

 3 carriage, as well as the power or' receiving 

 a numerous train of friends with a liberal 

 hofpitality. But, alas ! in a fatal moment 

 he ventured to the gaming-table again, and 

 in one night lo!t all that lie had been favuig 

 for many years; not however without afufpi- 

 cion that his fuccefsful competitor had profited 

 by other means as well as thofe of IkiU and 

 the favour of fortune. From that period 

 King's life has been clouded by embarralf- 

 ments, and though age and infirmity induced 

 him to retire from the ftage, his fituation 

 demanded a continuance of his profeflional 

 labour. Mr. King married many yc;irs a^o 

 a lady who belonged to Drury-Iane theatre, 

 and who has u.'iiformly afted the part of an 

 alTeclionatc wife and a good woman. 



At Upper Homerton, in his 51ft year, 

 Paul Le Mtjurlcr, efq. alderman of London, 

 .-cprefentative in two parliaments for the bo- 

 rough of Southwark, a diicdtor of tlic Eaft 

 India Company, and Colonel of the Honour- 

 able Artillery Company Mr. Le M.'was 



the defccndant of a family fettled during 

 feveral centuries in the illand of Guevnfcy ; 

 in the elder branches of which has been long 

 vtfted the government (by patent) of the 

 illand yf Aldcrney, which is tlie only re- 

 maining one of its kind. The aldeiman .^ as 

 born in Guernfey on Feb. 23, 1755, being 

 the tliird fon cf John Lc Mefurier, efq the 

 governor of Aldcrney. He received a liberal 

 education in England, in part at tlie lojiy- 

 toundcd Saliftjury fcminary, and when of 

 proper age was placed for coxniaercial tutyrajjc 



with Noah Lecras, efq. then a principal nner- 

 chant in the Guernfey and Jcrfey trade, rc- 

 fiding in Walbrook, London. In the year 

 1776, r»Ir. Le M. married Mifs Mary Rober- 

 deau, of Homerton, near London, of a very 

 ancient and rcfpeftable French prate Aant fa- 

 mily, Mifs R. w.is a niece of Mr. Le Ocas 

 before-mentioned ; and which union was 

 farther cemented by a commercial junft'on 

 between the parties. In the memorable 

 American v«ar, which had juft then co.-n- 

 menced, the houfe of Le Cras and Le Me- 

 furier wery confpicuouOy fuccefsful, both as 

 agents and as adventurers, in privateers which 

 were fo numeroufty and advantageoufly fitted 

 out by the fiftcr iflandsof Guernfey, Jerfcy, 

 and Alderney. By thefe means Mr. Le Cras, 

 at the clofe of the war, quitted bufinefs with 

 a very ample fortune, and went to refide fuc- 

 cclTively at Southampton and at Eatb, where 

 he died in j8oi, aged So. The fubjeft of 

 our pre.ent narrative first expanded the ger- 

 minating feeds of public fpirit, which have 

 been fince fo eminently and honourably ma- 

 tured, during tlie deplorable commotions of 

 an infatuated poj'ula':e in the year 17S0; 

 when lie iealouiTy aiTifted at the formation os. 

 the firft and original military foot aflbciation, 

 fince confwlidated into the Honourable Artil- 

 lery Company, and of which lie was clefted 

 colonel ill 1795. Fro:n this company he re- 

 ceived various fubtlantial tokens of refpeel 

 and acknowledgment of his important fer- 

 viv.es ; an elegant fword with a fuitable i;> 

 fcription, and two very handfome pieces of 

 filvcr plate, having been vot^d hira by the 

 general court. The fame innate love of 

 Older and firm principles of founded right, 

 called forth his aftive fcrciccs in the caufe of 

 the Eaft India Company, which in the year 

 1784 appeared to be threatened even to diffo- 

 lutiim by tiie famous bill framed and broutht 

 forward by Mr. Fox, who then held the reins 

 of adniinirtration, by virtue of a coalition 

 ever to be deplored by all difinterefted and 

 unprejudiced admirers of this great (tatefman. 

 Mr. Le Mefurier was one of the nine, who 

 Were delegated by the proprietors at large, as 

 aftanding committee to watch over the com- 

 pany's chartered rights; and which office 

 they fo Well fuliilled, that to the'r indefc- 

 tigablc cftbvts in reports, elucidations, pic 

 cedents, appeals, obfervations, &c. as well 

 as by the united weajions of truth and fatire 

 in the public prints, tlie indignant attention 

 of the nation v.as fo aroufed to opj.'ofe wh it 

 was predifted toJ)e but a prelude to the In- 

 vadon and overthrow of all other chartered 

 and protected property, that notwithllanding 

 the ufual attaclied and olFicial majority with 

 which the minifler carried this fwceping 

 meafurc thvoujjh the houfe of commons, it 

 was fpiritedly rejected by the peers. The 

 oonfcqucnccs of thisrcjeftion, and the fatality 

 thereby entailed upon all its fupporters anJ 

 abettors, are tjo recent in memory to require 

 fpccilJc repetition. At the cnfuing parlia- 

 4 C Si iiieiitary 



