518 
the head of his profession, a situa- 
tion which he maintained till he was 
called to the chair of the house of 
commons, in the year 1771. ‘The 
dignity with which he filled that im. 
portant post for many years, his 
profound knowledge of the consti- 
tution, his temper, his finmness, the 
mildness of his deportment, his ur- 
banity, his independent spirit, and, 
above all his scrupulous impartiality, 
are still remembered with gratitude 
' and admiration for a legislator and 
a statesman, in which capacities he 
also distinguished himself. 
27th. This afternoon, Mr. Bar- 
rett, rope-maker, of Poplar, took a 
boat for himself, his wife, two sons, 
and a daughter, to go to Wool- 
wich. When near Greenwich 
Reach, a sudden squall of wind 
overset the boat, and Mr. B. the 
three children, and the waterman, 
were unfortunately drowned. Mrs. 
B. was saved, being picked up by a 
boat near the spot, but died the next 
night at her house at Poplar. 
28th. Capt. Pringle, of the ship 
' Providence. Going on board, oft 
Bell-wharf tier, he fell between two 
ships, and was drowned before as-, 
sistance could be got. 
At Melberby, , in Cumberland, 
aged 84, Mr. John Slee, father of 
the rev. Mr. Slee, of the same place. 
He possessed a most intrepid mind ; 
and his exploits, though they will 
not, perhaps, be recorded in the page 
of history, yet, in his native place, 
have been long looked upon by the 
honest rustic, with more admiration 
than the achievements of those in 
more exalted spheres. In the re- 
bellion of 1745, our hero greatly 
distinguished himself. Being at that 
period one of the trained bands for 
the county, then lying at Carlisle, 
he volunteered to go and reconnoitre 
ANNUAWL REGISTER, 1806. 
the rebels, who were approaching 
Carlisle; having discovered their 
advanced party, below Longtown, 
he was the very person that took 
quarter-master Brand, and brought 
him prisoner to Carlisle. After the 
city was surrendered to the enemy, 
the train-bands were escorted by the 
rebels to Low Hesket, where Mr. 
Slee proposed to his companions, 
unarmed, to fall upon the rebels, 
and take them prisoners; which 
proposition, however, they would 
not agree to. He, therefore, made 
his escape to Penrith, where he re- 
mained until the return of the re 
bels ; and the morning after the ac- 
tion on Clifton Moor, he, with a 
party of thirteen, agreed to go and 
view the scene of action. On their 
way thither, they discovered three 
of the rebels wandering in the fields, 
whom they resolved to take; but, 
on a nearer approach their courage 
failed them ; in the mean time the 
enemy had fled. Mr. Slee imme- 
diately pursued them alone, with no 
other arms than an old sword. The 
rebels, seeing whom they had to 
contend with, made a stand, and ali 
of them snapped their pieces at him. 
Wonderful to relate! they all missed 
fire. Mr. Slee still advancing, rush- 
ed in amonst them, made them all 
prisoners, and brought them to the 
Moot-hall, at Penrith. But Mr. 
Slee’s generosity was equal to his 
courage; he promised to protect 
them with his life; and actually 
fought three battles in their defence. 
The fame of this circumstance soon 
reached the ears of the brave duke 
af Cumberland, who sent for him, 
and presented him with an appoint- 
ment in the duke of Montague’s 
troopers (a very valuable situa- 
tion at that time) where he conti- 
nued till the regiment was disband-— 
