BICKERTON. 



301 



The grand improvement which Mr Bewick intro- 

 duced into wood-cutting (it merits the higher title 

 of invention) was the production of a complete 

 and finished style, with a perspective effect. This 

 was obtained by slightly lowering the surface oi 

 the block where the distance or lighter parts of the 

 engraving were to be shown to perfection, an idea 

 suggested by his early friend MrBulmer. Certain 

 parts of the block he left untouched by the graver, 

 and by this means introducing great breadth oi 

 light and shade, he produced a bold and determined 

 effect, with a mellowness and brilliancy of tint al- 

 most equalling in softness the most highly finished 

 drawings in Indian ink. 



Mr Bewick's death took place at his residence, 

 near the Windmill Hills, Gateshead, on the 8th 

 Nov. 1828, in the seventy-sixth year of his age. 

 In his mode of living, Bewick was plain and regu- 

 lar. He practised early rising, indulged in rustic 

 and athletic sports, and accustomed himself to hard- 

 ships of various kinds. During the severest win- 

 ter he kept the windows of his bedroom open, and 

 it was no uncommon occurrence for him to find the 

 snow drifted upon his bed-clothes. With a frame 

 originally robust and vigorous, and the employment 

 of various means to secure health, it is not surpris- 

 ing that he enjoyed it in high perfection. The 

 warmth of his attachments, particularly to the 

 various branches of his own family, was very great. 

 During his apprenticeship, his regular custom was 

 to visit his parents once a- week. They lived at 

 Cherry Burn, which is fourteen miles distant from 

 Newcastle; and when the river Tyne happened to be 

 so swollen as to prevent his getting across, he used 

 to shout over to his family, and after obtaining the 

 required information relative to their health, return 

 home. With respect to his social habits, it is re- 

 lated of him that he did not mix a great deal with 

 the world, for he not only possessed a singular and 

 most independent mind, but in his habits he was 

 naturally most persevering and industrious, quali- 

 ties of character incompatible with the frivolities 

 of society. At his bench he worked and whistled 

 with light-hearted, joyous industry, from morn till 

 night, and the number of blocks which with inde- 

 fatigable perseverance he engraved, is almost incre- 

 dible. He died, as he had lived, an upright and 

 truly honest man ; and breathed his last, after a 

 short illness, in the bosom of the family whose so- 

 ciety he preferred to every other enjoyment. 



BICKERTON, SIR RICHARD HUSSEY, of Up- 

 wood, Huntingdonshire, K. C. B. and K. C. ; ad- 

 miral of the Red; general of the royal marines; 

 vice-president of the naval charitable society ; and 

 F.R.S., was the only surviving son of Sir Richard, 

 himself a gallant naval officer, by Marie Anne, 

 daughter of Thomas Hussey, Esq., of Wrexham. 

 He was born on the llth of October, 1759, and 

 entered the naval service in December, 1771, as a 

 midshipman, on board the Marlborougli 74, com- 

 manded by his father, with whom he removed, 

 October, 1773, into the Princess Augusta yacht; 

 and from her was discharged, June, 1774, into the 

 Midway, of sixty guns, bearing the flag of vice- 

 admiral Mann, commander-in-chief on the Mediter- 

 ranean station, with whom he continued till 1776, 

 and was then lent to the Enterprise frigate, com- 

 manded ly Sir Thomas Rich, as affording a better 

 opportunity for him to learn his duty. He after- 

 wards joined the Invincible, of seventy-four guns, 

 Captain Hyde Parker, and returned to England in 

 November, 1777. On the 16th of December, 



1777, Mr Bickerton was made a Lieutenant, and 

 appointed to the Prince George; but soon after 

 left that ship, and accompanied Captain Middleton 

 (afterwards Lord Barham) into the Jupiter, of 

 fifty guns. 



On the 20th of October, 1778, the Jupiter, then 

 commanded by Captain Reynolds (afterwards Lord 

 Ducie), being on a cruise in the Bay of Biscay, in 

 company with the Medea, a small frigate, fell in 

 with the Triton, a French line-of-battle ship. At 

 five p. m. the Jupiter brought the enemy to close 

 action, in which she was joined by the Medea ; 

 but unfortunately, at the commencement of the 

 engagement, a thirty-six pound shot entered the 

 bow of the latter, under water, and compelled her 

 to bring to, for the purpose of stopping the leak it 

 had occasioned. Captain Reynolds, however, con- 

 tinued the action, with great bravery, till eight 

 o'clock, when the French ship made sail, and bore 

 away for Ferrol ; where it was reported that she 

 arrived, with the loss of her captain, and 200 men 

 killed and wounded. The gallantry of Captain 

 Reynolds and his officers was greatly enhanced by 

 the circumstance of the Medea having been totally 

 prevented from affording him any effectual assist- 

 ance. On the return of the Jupiter to England, 

 Captain Reynolds made a point of recommending 

 all his officers ; and, on the 20th of March, 1779, 

 obtained the rank of master and commander for 

 his first lieutenant, Mr Bickerton ; a sufficient 

 proof of the able and satisfactory manner in which 

 that gentlemen had conducted himself. 



At the close of 1779, a squadron, under Captain 

 Charles Fielding, was sent to intercept a fleet 

 of Dutch merchantmen, said to be destined to 

 France, laden with warlike stores. On the 2d o 

 January, 1780, they were discovered a little to the 

 westward of the isle of Wight, escorted by two 

 ships of the line and two frigates, commanded by 

 Admiral Count Byland. The British commodore 

 desired that he might be allowed to search the 

 merchant vessels, which the count persisted in re- 

 fusing, and fired at the boats in their attempt to 

 board them; to resent which insult the commodore 

 ordered a shot to be directed ahead of the Dutch 

 admiral, who instantly discharged a broadside into 

 the Namur, and, upon her returning it, struck his 

 colours. On this occasion the commodore em- 

 ployed Captain Bickerton, then in the Swallow 

 sloop of war, to assist him in detaining such Dutch 

 ships as might fall in his way; and expressed him- 

 self highly pleased with the vigilance he displayed. 

 Seven of the merchant vessels, laden with naval 

 stores, were detained; and Count Byland was given 

 to understand, that he was at liberty to hoist his 

 colours, and prosecute his voyage with the re- 

 mainder. The Dutch admiral accepted the former 

 part of the proposal, and saluted the British flag; 

 but declined proceeding without the whole of the 

 vessels, and sailed into Spithead. From the dark- 

 ness of the night, many of the transports with stores 

 escaped, and got safe into Brest. Towards the 

 end of the same year, the Swallow was ordered to 

 the West Indies; and in February, 1781, Captain 

 Bickerton was present at the capture of St Eus- 

 tatia, by the naval and military forces under the 

 respective commands of Sir George Rodney and 

 General Vaughan. On the 8th of the same month, 

 Captain Bickerton was posted into the Gibraltar, 

 of eighty guns; and in the skirmish which took 

 place between the British and French fleets under 

 he respective commands of Sir Samuel Hood and 



