4 REMINISCENCES OF 



Such is my father's account of himself. The 

 registers kept in and for the parish of Fridaythorpe, 

 his native village, record, "John, son of William 

 "Williamson, baptized September 5th, 1784." 



Thus far I have said nothing of my mother and 

 her family. Whilst at Mulgrave my father became 

 engaged to, and afterwards married, Miss Elizabeth 

 Crawford, eldest of the thirteen children of a 

 jeweller and lapidary of Scarborough. 



My father's love-making was characteristic of the 

 boundless energy of his later life. 



Mulgrave was about twenty-two miles from Scar- 

 borough, and his only chance for seeing his betrothed 

 was on Sundays. After he had finished work at the 

 gardens on Saturday night he walked to Scar- 

 borough, spent Sunday with my mother, walked 

 back on Sunday night, and was at his post looking 

 after his men at six o'clock on Monday morning. 



My maternal grandfather was a Scotchman, born 

 in 1756, and, so far as I can learn, was the son of 

 either a farmer or a small jeweller and watchmaker, 

 living at Haddington : subsequent events make the 

 latter occupation most probable. 



At that time Scotland was suffering reaction from 

 the events of "'45." The dominant military party 

 consisted chiefly of English or Irish men, whose 

 officers were proud and overbearing. 



My grandfather walking one evening with a friend, 

 whom I very well remember, met two officers, who 

 insisted upon keeping the wall, though they were on 



