208 Country Rambles. 



Mr. Mitchell, of Bradford Hall, gave Dewhurst and 

 Hobson a piece of ground adjoining his house for a 

 botanic garden. In this they were accustomed to 

 deposit the roots of plants procured in the course of 

 their rambles, going up every Monday morning for the 

 purpose. It happened at that time that there were 

 great operatives' political meetings. One day, in 1812, 

 it came to Mr. Mitchell's ears that the two botanists 

 were engaged to attend one of them, and at the same 

 moment he had private information that the magistrates 

 intended to disperse it, and send the leaders to prison, 

 Hobson being one of the marked, and certain to be 

 apprehended. Luckily for all parties, the meeting was 

 appointed for the very day when the two botanists were 

 accustomed to visit their garden. Up they went as 

 usual, early in the morning, from which time till late 

 in the afternoon their host contrived, probably with- 

 out much difficulty, to keep them engaged with liquid 

 refreshment, and thus saved Hobson at all events from' 

 imprisonment. As the two men journeyed homewards, 

 they met the soldiers and their captives on the way to 

 gaol. One of Dewhurst's intimate associates was old 

 William Evans, of Tyldesley, now long deceased, a 

 friend from boyhood of Dr. Hull, Dr. Tomlinson, and 

 Dr. Withering, and companion also of George Caley. 

 " He was always after botany," says a letter respecting 

 him, "and travelled many thousands of miles in quest 

 of plants." That excellent botanist and worthy old 

 man, Joseph Evans, of Boothstown, to whom we have 



