CHRONICLE. 



475 



m Cheshire. His christian name of 

 Pepper was given from respect to 

 his mother, who was the heiress of 

 that family in the north riding of 

 Yorkshire. He was educated at 

 the school of Mr. Lawson, in Man- 

 chester, and under the immediate 

 tuition of Thyer, the learned and 

 loyal editor of Hudibras. From 

 thence he carried a large stock of 

 knowledge and literature to Trinity 

 college, Cambridge, where, he early 

 distinguished himself by his public 

 exercises, and gained the prize for 

 the best declamation in the chapel. 

 He commenced B.A.in 1766, when 

 he was again succ^^ssful, and was' 

 amongst the wranglers in a year 

 conspicuously eminent for young 

 men of abilities, in which his own 

 college shone above the rest: and 

 took the degree of M. A. in 1769. 

 His merits were rewarded by that 

 learned society electing him one of 

 their fellows. In the intervals of 

 his studies in the Middle Temple, 

 he constantly visited his friends in 

 college, whom he delighted by the 

 goodness of his heart, his amiable 

 disposition, and the pleasantry of 

 his manners and conversation. He 

 fixed his residence in Lincoln's Inn, 

 after finishing his studies in the 

 Middle Temple ; and it is said that 

 he there lived on the same staircase 

 with the late prime minister, and 

 that they used to associate very 

 much together. His diligence and 

 assiduity soon recommended him to 

 practice in the court of chancery. 

 He had not been many years at tlie 

 bar, when he contracted a suitable 

 marriage with the daughter of Rich. 

 ^N'iibraham Bootic, esq. of Cheshire, 

 an opulent member of parliament ; 

 and by her he has left five children. 

 The influence of his cwn and his 

 lady's family brought h'm early iuto 



the house of commons. He natu- 

 rally attaclied himself to his friend 

 Mr. Pitt, upon the great crisis in 

 administration after (he American 

 war ; and he is. said to have then 

 had influence to bring in an addition 

 of six votes into the house to th» 

 side upon which he chose to ranga 

 himself. His practice at the bar 

 had, in tlie mean time, so increased, 

 as to give him, though no favourite 

 of lord Thurlow in the court of 

 chancery, very considerable respec- 

 tability in the public estimation as 

 a lawyer. By the zealous friend- 

 ship of Mr. Pitt, he was promoted 

 to the appointment of master of the 

 roils, upon the late lord Kenyon> 

 elevation to preside in the court of 

 king's bench. He filled that impor- 

 tant office with great credit to him- 

 self, and much satisfaction to the 

 public, till the aera of JNIr. Pitt's 

 resignation. Among the changes 

 which then ensued, he was advanced 

 to the oflice of chief justice of the 

 court of common pleas, in the room 

 of lord Eldcn, then made lord high 

 chancellor; and was also honoured 

 with a peerage. In the court of 

 common pleas, his arguments and 

 judgments have been such as not a 

 little to exalt the general esteem for 

 his talents and learning as a lawyer. 

 The court has been in his time filled 

 with suitors and with business ; and 

 his sentences, even in the most dif- 

 ficult cases, have given an universal 

 satisfaction. In the house of com- 

 mons he was distinguished for speak- 

 ing with spirit, wit, and intelligence, 

 rather than with commanding dig- 

 nity. To his exertions as a speaker 

 in the house of peers, even diguitjf 

 of manner has not been wanting. 

 He has filled several eminent situa- 

 tions ; and in them all has been 

 found more than equal to the duties 



of 



