xxxviii MEMOIR. 



cal duty which would withdraw him from his hereditary 

 and chosen home. The fact of his having accepted the 

 living of Moreton-Pinkney, in Northamptonshire, cannot 

 be considered a breach of this resolution, as he never 

 resided there, nor did his holding the living interfere 

 with the constant performance of his duties, either in 

 Paringdon or Selborne. This living, which is in the 

 patronage of Oriel College, became vacant in 1757, and 

 on the 15th of December of that year he was presented to 

 it. The license, which is at present in my possession, is 

 dated May 9, 1758, and is signed by Richard Terrick, 

 Bishop of Peterborough. The license is endorsed as 

 " Exhibited Sept. 2, 1762, by C. Knott, Dep. Reg." 



A letter from Dr. Musgrave, then Provost of Oriel, to 

 Gilbert White, dated December 24, 1758, clearly inti- 

 mates that some representations had been made to him 

 that Gilbert White had " succeeded on his father's death 

 to a very large estate," and that, on this account, his reten- 

 tion of his fellowship and, consequently, his presentation 

 to the college living were inconsistent with his present 

 position. The Provost, however, declines in the most 

 positive manner to listen to these misrepresentations ; 

 for such they undoubtedly were, and probably made 

 from interested motives. 



The Rev. Thomas Mozley, who held the living of 

 Moreton-Pinkney with his fellowship, and resided from 

 1852 to 1856, has informed me that he had frequently 

 spoken of Gilbert White with an old person, a Mr. 

 Stockley, a retired farmer and clergyman's churchwar- 

 den and adviser in parish matters, who well remembered 

 Gilbert White coming from time to time to receive his 

 rents and dues. He described him as a quiet, pleasant 

 gentleman. Mr. Mozley adds that " he never did duty 



