[ I2b ] [Arnit., 



BIOGUAPIIICAL MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS. 



SIR THOMAS VAVASOUR, DART. 



JanuaryZO. — This gentlemiin, born about 

 tlie year 17t6, was the second sou of Sir 

 "Walter and his lady, Dorothy, eldest 

 daii.^hter of the I^ord Ij-.ingdalc, of the 

 Holme, and succeeded his brother. Sir 

 Walter, in tlie title and estates in 1802. 

 He was originally intended for the Leeds 

 business, and was apprenticed with one of 

 the nios.t respectable houses in that town ; 

 but family circumstances prevented tlie in- 

 tention from being carried into cllect, and 

 lie lived, previously to the death of his bro- 

 ther, on the Coutiiiciit. The title, which 

 was granted on the 21-th of October, 1628, 

 is now extinct, and we believe the only male 

 branch of this family is William Vavasour, 

 Esq., of Wistow-hall, in Wharfedale, wlio 

 is descended from a younger brother of Sir 

 Mauger le Vavasour, living in the begin- 

 ning of the ll'th century. Sir Thomas died 

 at iiis seat at Ilaslewood-hall, near Leeds. 



to one of the co-heiresses of Sir John Cole- '** 

 brook, with whom he received a large ad- 

 dition to his ample paternal fortune ; and, 

 secondly, to the heiress of G. R. Carter, j 

 Esq. Besides Lantrithydd Park, he had 1 

 tliiee seats in Buckinghamshire : Dorton 1 

 House (where he died), which Iiad been in 3 

 the female part of the family from the Con- 

 quest ; Chilton ; and Boarstal. Sir John 

 was in possession of the celebrated Boar- 

 stal liorn. 



THE REV. .TOH\ TOWNSEND. 



Fehriiart/ 7. — Tliis gentleman, the bene- 

 volent founder, and the zenlous and success- 

 ful advocate of the Asylum for the Deaf 

 and Diunb children of the jjoor, was born 

 about the year 17o8. As a public character, 

 of the most exemplary conduct and the 

 most amiable disposition, his loss will be 

 deplored by a numerous and respectable 

 class of society ; and as one of the philan- 

 thropists of his day his memory will long be 

 revered. He expired at his house, in Ja- 

 maiea^row, Bermondsey. 



SIR .TOHV AUBREY, BART., B.C.E. AND M.P. 



March- — Sir John Aubrey, Bart., of 

 Dorton House, Buekiughamrhire, and Lan- 

 trithydd Park, Glamorganshire, \va% born 

 about the year niO. He was educated 

 at Westminster School, and Christ Church 

 College, O.vford. On his return from his 

 travels, he was, in 1768, elected M. P. for 

 the borough of Wallingford ; f jr which place 

 he was returned four times, once for Ayles- 

 bury, once for the ^'ounty of Buckingham, 

 once for Clitheroe. four times for Aldbo- 

 rough, twice for Steyning, aiid once for 

 Horsham, for which borougli he was a 

 Member at the time of his decease. He 

 was the father of the House of Commons ; 

 and, notwithstanding his advanced age, 

 whenever a division was expected, he was 

 accustomed to remain U- any hour. In 

 the year 1782, Sir John was a Lord of 

 the AdiBiralty, and in 1783 a Lord of the 

 Treasury; but, independent in circum- 

 stances as well as in mind, he held those 

 offices only a very short time. His name 

 is to be found in most of the jjroceedings of 

 the House of Commons, on what is termed 

 the popular side of the question. 



Sir John had been tuice married ; first, 



MAJOR-GENERAL JOHNSTONE. 



Decemhcr. At Edinburgh, Major-Genera! 

 George Jolmstone ; he was the only sur- 

 ving son of Major William Johnstone, de- 

 scended from the ancient and honourable 

 family of that name, Marquess of Annan- 

 dale. He commenced his career as an en- 

 sign in the 29th regt. of foot, in 1780, which 

 he then joined in Canada, In that distin- 

 guished corps lie remained upv/ards of twen- 

 ty-three years, arriving, progressively, at 

 the rank of major. He sei'vcd in various 

 parts of America ; on the most desperate 

 service in the AVest-Indies ; particularly at 

 Gran.ida, in 1 79j, when the regiment was 

 nearly annihilated by sword and disease : 

 at that time he acted in the capacity of Ma- 

 jor of Brigade to the late Brigadier- General 

 Campbell. Subsequently he served on the 

 Continent, and diu-ing the whole of the re- 

 bellion in Ireland. In 181.3, on the raising 

 of the New Brunswick P'encibles, he was 

 promoted to the Lieutenant-colonelcy of 

 that regiment, wliich in a short period he 

 brought into an admirable state of dis- 

 cipline. He acted as civil and military 

 governor of the province of New Bruns- 

 wick for a considerable time ; and the esti- 

 mation in which his eminent services were 

 lield will be appreciated by the gratifyinaf 1 

 addresses presented to him by tlie Council, 

 Houses of Assembly, JMayors of Corpora- 

 tions, &c. on his leaving the colony. He 

 returned to England, with a view of being 

 more actively employed in the Peninsula ; 

 but a judicious and experienced officer being 

 required at the Cape of Good Hope, he 

 was selected, and in May 1810, appointed 

 to the Lieutenant-colonelcy of tlie 93d regt., 

 which he immediately joined. 



On the 4th of June, 1814, he was pro- 

 moted to the rank of Major- General, and 

 appointed to the command of abrigade, des- 

 tined to serve in America. He accordingly 

 repaired to Cork ; but the escape of Buo- 

 najjarte from Elba occasioned a change of 

 destination, and he was ordered to proceed 

 with his regiment, and place himself under 

 the orders of the Duke of Wellington. He 

 had, in consequence, the honour of serving 

 at the memorable battle of Waterloo, and 

 on various other occasions, till the Army of 

 Occupation quitted France. 



