1916.] 



Account of Joseph Fox, esq. — Mr. Edmund Calamy. 



being attended ouly by his niece, Miss 

 ■Watkins, (to whom he has bequeatlied liis 

 property,) his friend and physician, Dr. 

 Peaison, tlie two executors, most intimate 

 friends, Mr Rev. Mr. Yates, and Mr. Whit- 

 tin<>ham, and two or three other persons. 

 Mr. Williams was seized with a kind of 

 paralytic att'eelioii of the organs of speech 

 while addressinu the assembly at the anni- 

 versary of the Literary Fnnd, about seven 

 years ago ; and, after that occurrence, he 

 was several times attacked in a similar 

 way. His mental faculties became scra- 

 diially mine and more impaired, so thai he 

 died of that state which is produced in the 

 human conslitiition by n ere a^e. Accord- 

 inijly, many of the principal blood-vessels 

 of the head were fotnid ossified, and tlie brain 

 nnicli diseased, from apoplectic attacks. 



[Joseph Fox, esq. late secietary to the 

 British and Foreign School Society. The- 

 Profes-or of Natural and Experimental 

 Philosophy at Guy's Hospital, in his Lec- 

 ture at the conclusion of the course on the 

 7th of May, 181 (j, havins adverted to those 

 sentiments which an attentive considera- 

 tion of the works of Omnipotence oiijjht to 

 inspire, paid the following,' tribute to the 

 memory of the late Joseph Fox, esq. Se- 

 cretary to the Biitishand Foreign School 

 Society. " Tiiese were aho the feelings of 

 a person with whom many of you were ac- 

 quainted, and whose death may he con- 

 aidercd a great public loss. It is not be- 

 cause my feelings are powerfully affected 

 by being deprived of so dear and intimate 

 a friend; it is not because we were boih 

 educated at these hospitals, and that he 

 was a public teacher in this very theatre, 

 that I am desirous of recalling him to yonr 

 remembrance, but it is because his useful 

 and exemplary life, and the peaceful close 

 of it, will afford a hijjlily instructive lesson 

 to us all. Of his skill in that part of the 

 profession to which he attached himself, I 

 shall only say that it is well known and ac- 

 knowledged: the road to affluence was 

 open before him, but he valued liclies only 

 as they were the means of enabling him to 

 perform acts of signal beneficence ; his ca- 

 reer, though bounded to the comparatively 

 short period of about 40 years, was marked 

 by the most disinterested and unremitted 

 exertions for the good of mankind, an<l to 

 these he was mainly excited by a firm be- 

 lief In Divine revelation and the great 

 truths of the Christian religion :— while he 

 jealously promoted the best interests of his 

 own country he soared above the fharacter 

 of the patriot, and embraced the whole liu- 

 nian family in the range of his un- 

 bniinded benevolence. Yes — the poor chil- 

 dren of Europe, Asia, Africa, and 

 America, will have^ occasion to bless 

 the memory of Joseph Fox ; for it is 

 to my late worthy fiieiid, as an instrument 

 in the hands of Divine Providence, that 

 vrc owe the preservation of lUat liberal and 



83 



efficient system for educating the poor, 

 which was originally practised by Joseph 

 Lancaster. It ought ever to be remem- 

 bered, that in the year 1803, when the 

 founder of the system and his plans were 

 comparatively but httle known — when but 

 few of the schools were established — when 

 tiie subscriptions for training masters were 

 reduced to little more than those of the 

 King and Royal P'aniily — when the Founder 

 was in debi ^letwet-n 4 and jOOol. and was 

 harrassed by law suits — when the whole 

 w;is upon the brink of nttcr rnin, it was 

 then that Joseph fox, with a degree of 

 courage, wiiich lias perhaps never beea 

 paralleled, advanced about .0001. out ofhis 

 awn private fortune, and made himself res- 

 ponsible lor as much more as was requisite 

 to settle in full with all the creditors. 

 From ihat period he never relaxed his ex-/ 

 ertions in the great cause of imiversal edu- 

 cation upon liberal principles — undismayed 

 by opposition, and proof agamst the foul- 

 est ingratitude, he kept the even tenor of 

 his way, and expressed thankfulness in his 

 latest hours ihat he had been permitted to 

 see the object ofhis cares and solicitude in 

 a fair way of being perinuiieiiily esta- 

 blished : he reviewed his past labours with 

 the greatest satisfaction — he felt that bis 

 day's work was accomplished; and, humbly 

 relying on redeeming love, he enjoyed in 

 the prospect of leaving this world that 

 sweet peace of mind, which was doubtless 

 an anticipation ofhis eternal reward.] 



[Edmund Calamy. The gentleman who 

 is the subject of this memoir, and who 

 was lineally descended from the eminent 

 non-conformist of that name, was bred 

 to the profession of the law, and was 

 in early life called to the bar; and, after 

 liaving, as a counsel, attended the courts in 

 Westminster-hall tbr several years, be at 

 length quitted his residence in the metro- 

 polis, and sought and found, in the retire- 

 ment of the country, Ihat tranquillity and 

 quietnde which were suited to the habits 

 of his mind. In private and domestic life 

 his conduct exhibited a pattern of those 

 mild virtues of humanity wiiich are best 

 calculated to render it amiable, useful, 

 and happy. His native urbanity and 

 kindness, his obliging temper, and accom- 

 modating manners, together witli the ge 

 nuine humility, candour, courtesy, and Be- 

 nevolence, which marked his general de- 

 portment, rendered him beloved and re. 

 spected by all those who were best ac. 

 qiiainted with his character and the virtues 

 of his heart ; as they will ever endear his 

 memory to an amiable family, who are de- 

 ploring his loss. Mr. Calamy was for many 

 years, during his residence in London, a 

 highly respected member of most of the 

 principal public trusts amongst the Dis- 

 senters ; as he was also concerned in the 

 execution of several private trusts, whicli 

 were comiuillcd to hint in cousequeoce of 



