1806.] 



Memoirs of (he late Lord Thurlow, 



SSI 



docs not a[)])car, before liim, to have re- 

 ceived any illufliation whatever, and as 

 there were fovenil cliildren, and but a 

 fmall living, it appears probable that the 

 lather nab not in very affluent cii'cum- 

 flanccs; notwichllaiiding whieh he t'ound 

 means to fend two of his children to the 

 univcrlity. 



The fubjeft of the prefent meinoir, 

 bora in 1735, was educated under the 

 aufpices of this parent, and at a proper 

 aue lent to Caius College, Cambridge, 

 wliere he was coutided to the infpertion 

 of Dr. Smith, the late inafter, who lived 

 to fee his pupil attain the highell honours 

 in the (late ; for he did not rehnquilh 

 that lituation until 1803, wlicn he was 

 fuccceded by JMartin Davy, M.D. F. 11. 

 and A. 8S. 



As the errors of great men arc never 

 forgotten, but, on the contrtiry, are care- 

 fully hufbauded and recapitulated by 

 thofe of inferior abilities, for the exprefs 

 purpofe of palliating their own mifcon- 

 duct; fo it is a well-known fact, that Mr. 

 Thurlow became at length remarkable 

 for his eccentricities at the uiiiverfity. 

 In fine, hiis fms of omiffion and of co?n- 

 inijjwn, if we are to give credit to coni- 

 niou report, were fo confpicuous, as to 

 call aloud for example ; and accordingly, 

 having the fear of ri/jUration before his 

 eyes, he found it convenient to retire vo- 

 luntarily from the banks of the Cam to 

 thofe of the Thames. 



This circumftance pre\'ented liini from 

 participating in any of the honours of his 

 College, We accordingly find, that he 

 neither obtained the degree of B. A. or 

 M. A. The lattt'r would have ihortened 

 the period of his legal ftudies, and one 

 of the tuenty-nine fellowihips of Caius 

 might have proved dclirable, wliile one 

 of the four iludentlhips appropriated to 

 law* would have been in exatt conform- 

 ity to his views in life. 



Mr. Thurlow. on throwing oft' the aca- 

 demic gown, entered bimfelf of the So- 

 ciety of the Iniier Temple, and aii'iuned 



Elizabeth, and Anne. He died May 27, 

 J791. 



3. John, who was an alderman, and manu- 

 fafturer, of Norwich, and died March 4, 17b;^, 

 having married Jofeplia, daughter of John 

 Moore, Efq. by whom he left iffue a fon, £(!<• 

 ward South Thurlow, M. A. reftor of Hoiigh- 

 ton-le-Spring, and prebendary of Norwich, 

 and a daughter Jofepha. 



• Thefe were founded by C. Tancred, 

 Efq. »nd are ot about 801. annual value each. 

 They arc to be iutlionly by iiudefils pf Lin- 

 coln's inn. 



that of a ftudent of law*, about the 

 year 1753. In this new lituation 

 he appears to have kept" bis terms, 

 and to have eat his commons, to have 

 been called to the bar, and to have paid 

 his fees, in exact confijnnity to ancieiJt 

 iiiiige, in 1758. He was now, accord* 

 ing to the phrafeology of the Courts, 

 ti/iprcnficiiis ad legem, and if we are to 

 believe the reports of his contempora- 

 ries, like many other apprentices, he rtt 

 times played truant. 



We doubt not, however, that he ad- 

 di<^ied himielf by if arts to profeinonail 

 Itudics, and it appears evident tliat a 

 llrong and vigorous mind like his was 

 enabled, even by occadonal applicatioil, 

 to attain a thorough knowledge of the 

 fundamental principles of our municipal 

 law-;. To acliie^e this, an acquaintance 

 with Coke and Littleton, and the anci- 

 ent writers, will not alone futlice, for 

 other aids arc required ; and it is accord- 

 ingly neceflary to become minutely ac- 

 quainted with the hiftory of public 

 events, as well as to be vcrfed iu eVery 

 thing refpedtiiig thofe changes which 

 have happily lendered our prtlent conllJ- 

 tution what it now is, even with all its 

 abufes, the wonder of other countries, 

 and ihe glory of our own. 



Having attained the degree of Utter 

 Barrijier, as by that time he was twenty- 

 three years of age, it may be fuppofed 

 by thofe who have witnelfed the latter 

 part of his career, that Mr. Thurlow 

 mull have foon difiinguilhed himfejf both 

 as a lawyer and an orator. But, on thie 

 contrary, be remained during a long pe- 

 riod in obfcurity, and feemed to be con- 

 hgned to pafs hlently down the ftream of 

 oblivion witli the bulk of mankind, when 

 he was happily refcued from the reproach 

 of mediocrity, both in refpect to talents 

 and practice, by the lucky coincidence 

 of one or two fortunate events. 



Sir rietclicr Norton, afterwards Lord 

 Grantley, at this period was the moft 

 prominent lawyer at the Englilh bar. As 

 his old antagonift, Serjeant DaA'y, wasuq 

 more, and Mr. Dunning (created iu due 

 time Lord Aihburton) liad fcarCely yot 

 diiclofed th<jfe great talents wliieh at 

 length ])laced him at the top of the pro- 

 feihon, it was dithcult, in the language 

 of the day, to pit any one agtiinft 

 him, Thurlow, who was better knowd 

 at tliia period at Nando's lian at 



* This gown is now wore only in the Hull, 

 4uring the time of dinner, but it fonnerly 

 fejvsd as a paflport to the Courts of juaice. 



Y y H Weftuiiaiier 



