An Old Lincolnshire Family 



his life. We had a most beautifully chased silver jug with a 

 wicker handle, in our possession, which he used for his hot 

 water at night, and which no one exactly knew how to describe. 

 It was neither a coffee-pot nor a claret jug. At last the grand- 

 son of the silversmith who made it enlightened us upon the 

 point, expatiating at the same time — no doubt in his grand- 

 father's words — on the extraordinary fact, that any one like 

 their old client should in those hard-drinking days be a water- 

 drinker. 



There is no doubt that our great-great-uncle was a most 

 kind-hearted, if slightly eccentric, old gentleman, and his wife, 

 who was a Miss Catharine Marris, daughter of William Marris, 

 of Roxby, was very much of the same persuasion, though 

 history relates that she was a proud and stately lady, invariably 

 styled " Dame Richardson." 



An anecdote I remember of her, bears out the idea that 

 she possessed a certain dignity, which perhaps her lord and 

 master did not trouble himself to emphasize on his own account. 

 Going into her kitchen one day, a man who had come in for 

 some reason or other, in his ignorance, or possibly nervousness, 

 remained seated, instead of rising to do homage to the lady 

 of the house. " Have I a bear in my kitchen ? " she is reputed 

 to have said in scathing tones, standing directly in front of the 

 unfortunate villager. But, be that as it may, she evidently 

 possessed a heart of great kindliness, and, being childless, must 

 have aided and abetted her husband in his adopting the eldest 

 son of his nephew, John Richardson of Horkstow, who had 

 a numerous family of sons and daughters. 



History relates that the method of my father's adoption 

 was unique to say the least of it. One fine summer day, by 

 which time, doubtless, everything had been carefully discussed 

 beforehand between Squire Richardson and his Dame, the big 



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