HE family name of Mr. Elwes 
was Meggot : and as his name 
was Fohz, the conjun@ion of Fack 
Meggot, made ftrangers fometimes 
imagine that his intimates were ad- 
dreifing him by an aflumed-appel- 
lation. His father was a éreaver of 
great eminence. - His dwelling- 
houfe. and offices were fituated in 
Southwark; which borough was 
formerly reprefented. in parliament 
by. his grand-father, Sir George 
_Meggot. Mr. Clowes is now in 
poffeffion of the above premifes. 
He purchafed, during his life, the 
_ eftate now in poffeffion of the fami- 
ly at Marcham, in Berkthire, of 
_ the Calverts, who were in the fame 
line. The father died while the 
late Mr. Elwes was only four years 
old; fo, little of the character of 
_Mr. Elwes is to be attributed to 
him ; but from the sother it may be 
traced at once—for though fhe was 
left nearly one hundred thoufand 
_ pounds by her hufband—the farved 
berfelf to death ! 
The only children from the mar- 
riage above, were Mr. Elwes, and 
a daughter who married the father 
of the late Colonel Timms—and 
from thence came the intail of fome 
part of the prefent eftate. 
' At an early period of life he was 
fent to Weftminfter School, where 
he remained for ten or twelve years. 
During that time he certainly had 
not mifapplied his talents—for he 
was a good clafical /cholar to the 
ft—and it is a circumitance not a 
ittle remarkable, though well au- 
thenticated, that he never read af- 
terwards. Never was he feen at 
any period of his future life with a 
book, nor has he in all his different 
houfes now left behind him, books 
that would, were they collected to- 
hd 
»- 
’ 
Cs A Ri A CsT  EsRUS: 
1g 
gether, jel] for tavo pounds. His 
knowledge in accounts was ftiil 
more trifling—and in fome meafure 
may account for the total ignorance 
he was always in as to his own af- 
fairs. 
From Wefminfter School, Mr. 
Elwes removed to Geneva, where 
he foon entered upon purfuits more 
agreeable to him than ftudy. The 
riding-mafter of the academy there, 
had then to boaft, perhaps, three of 
the heft riders in Europe, Mr. 
Worfley, Mr. Elwes, and Sir Syd, 
ney Meadows. Of the three, Elwes 
was reckoned the- mo! defperate: 
the young horfes were always put 
into his hands, and he was the rough- 
rider to the other two. 
On his return to England, after 
an abfence of two or three years, 
he was to be introduced to his uncle, 
the late Sir Harvey. Elwes; who 
was then living at Stoke, in Suffolk, 
perhaps the moft perfect pifure of 
human penury that ever exifted. The 
attempts of faving money were, in 
him, fo extraordinary, that Mr. 
Elwes, perhaps, never quite reached 
them, even at the laft peried of his 
life. 
His poffeffions at the time of his 
death, were fuppofed to be, at leaf 
two hundred and fifly thoufand pounds 
—his annual expenditure was about 
one hundred and ten pounds ! 
However incredible this may ap~ 
pear, it is yet ftrifly true; his 
cloaths cof him nothing, for he 
took them out of an old cheft, where 
they had lain fince the gay days of 
Sir fervaife. 
He kept his houfehold chiefly 
upon game, and fifh which he had 
in his own ponds; ard the cows 
which grazed before his own door 
furnifhed milk, cheefe, and butter, 
C2 fox 
