484 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804- 



duke of Saxe-Gotha; born Jan. 

 30, 1745. He forbade, in his will, 

 all ceremony at his burial, except 

 such as is usual for his lowest sub- 

 jects. He desired to be buried in 

 his English garden, at the feet of the 

 coffins containing the bodies of two 

 of his already deceased children. 

 No speech or sermon to be pro- 

 nounced, and no monument to be 

 credled over him ; but he desires his 

 second son, prince Frederick, to 

 place a tree upon his grave. To 

 this prince he bequeaths his English 

 garden, which is to be open, as for- 

 merly, to all visitors. The simple 

 burial ceremony of this sovereign 

 took place on the night of the 25th, 

 according to the wish he expressed 

 in his will. The grave was dug on 

 the island, in the English garden, at 

 the foot of those of his two deceased 

 children. The reigning duchess, 

 with her child on her arm, had, 

 the evening before, strewed flowers 

 round the grave. The midnight-hour 

 struck, when the body entered the 

 garden, carried by the servants of the 

 late duke. The Malk to the island 

 was laid with black cloth, with the 

 boat that carried it over. A dark 

 but quiet night favoured this melan- 

 choly performance." The ceremo- 

 ny was only interrupted by the 

 sighs and tears of all present, which 

 ran iu abundance on the coflin. The 

 grave had been dug by the late 

 duke's courtiers, and was filled by 

 the hands of the members of his 

 highncss's family. Prince Frederick 

 planted a tree on the grave. No 

 drums were beat, no sermon was 

 pronounced, no cannons were fired, 

 no bells Mere tolled. 



24th. At his house in Gosport, 

 Thomas Larconi, esq. a captain in 

 fiio royal navy. Tkc corpse of this 



truly valuable officer was fallowed 

 to the grave by many distinguished 

 naval charaftcrs. During 40 years 

 service, the time captain L. has 

 spent on shore Mas little more than 

 two years. 



29th. At his mother's houso in 

 Somerset-street, Portman - square, 

 lieutenant-colonel Hunter, of the 3d 

 regiment of foot-guards. 



JSIay 1st. At his house in Princes- 

 street, Edinburgh, the lady of the 

 honourable Henry Erskine. 



At Dorchester, of a broken 

 heart, sincerely regretted by all who 

 knew her, Mrs. Gordon, wife of the 

 reverend Lockhart G. On the 9th, 

 her remains were interred (at the ex- 

 pence of a few charitably disposed 

 people) in Holy Trinity church- 

 yard, Dorchester. The history of 

 this unfortunate lady aftords suffici- 

 ent matter to rouse, in the sympa- 

 thetic mind, a spirit of indignation 

 against the cruel authors of her suf- 

 ferings. Suffice it only io say, that 

 she was a branch of a very respect- 

 able and opulent family in Shrop. 

 shire, and that, by her union (which 

 took place about two years ago, at 

 St. Mary-la-Iionne church, as ap- 

 pears from a copy of a register 

 found in her possession) she incurr- 

 ed the displeasure of all her friends, 

 and was renounced by them for 

 ever ; and, notwithstanding her per- 

 sonal attractions, sensibility, and en- 

 gaging manners, she shortly after 

 arrived at Dorchester, unprotected : 

 where she took an obscure lodging, 

 living in a pitiable state, but sup- 

 porting the character of a trua 

 Christian, till the idea of being thus 

 abandoned, and the shock she re- 

 ceived -by the sad recent transaction 

 in Oxfordshire,* preyed so forcibly 

 on her delicate feelings, that she fell 



a vldHu 



Vide pages S59 and 372. 



