" A FINE OLD ENGLISH GENTLEMAN " 313 



Banks 's estates included this parish ; and, along with 

 Revesby and the surrounding villages, rejoiced in their 

 connection with a model landlord. The Public Dispen- 

 sary in the town was established in 1789 with Banks's 

 liberal aid. He was made President of the Institution, 

 and the value of his support was more than once acknow- 

 ledged in its minutes. In point of fact, Banks was be- 

 loved at Horncastle and everywhere around. One of the 

 anniversary meetings of this Dispensary (1813) was 

 actually postponed because his health at the moment 

 prevented his personal attendance. 



Banks had also friends and associations at Spalding. 

 Even such a matter as the remuneration of the post- 

 mistress there is referred to him. He was a member of the 

 Spalding Gentlemen's Society as far back as 1768, and 

 several times gave books to the library. At Boston, 

 various public improvements were carried through under 

 his patronage. There is a fine portrait of Banks (by 

 T. Phillips) in the Guildhall, which was presented by him 

 when he became Recorder of the borough in 1804. The 

 people of Boston made more than one endeavour to in- 

 duce Sir Joseph to stand as their representative in Parlia- 

 ment, but without avail. It was useless to tempt him in 

 that direction. Looking backward upon his record, one 

 cannot but agree in the wisdom of this decision. 



Sir Joseph's attachment to his own county is further 

 signalized by the assistance or the patronage of his neigh- 

 bours, when he could serve them. Captain Flinders, who 

 came from Dorrington, owed some of the notice he got 

 from the Admiralty to the fact that he was a " country- 

 man " of Banks. Young Franklin, born at Spilsby, and 

 a relative of Flinders, doubtless occupied a niche in the 

 mind of Banks due to the fact of *his coming from Lincoln- 

 shire. Among several instances of this spirit which could 

 be given, there is a pleasant one related by William Fowler, 

 an architect and builder of Winterton : " After a very 



