THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 185 



life, brought him an exact knowledge of several of the 

 leading languages, both living and extinct, which is by no 

 means to be overlooked. 



DR. WILLIAM NEILSON one of our venerable and highly 

 esteemed physicians, died, after a brief illness, at his resi- 

 dence in Salem, on Friday morning, May 3, 1889 ; he 

 was highly appreciated as a successful practitioner, a 

 genial friend, a gentleman of large intelligence ; he was 

 one of the staff of physicians at the Salem Hospital from 

 its organization, April 7, 1873, till his death; a valued 

 member of the Crombie street church, also of the Essex 

 Congregational Club and always a constant attendant 

 upon its meetings. As a member of the Essex Institute, he 

 was interested in its work, took part in all its proceedings, 

 and was placed on some of the standing, and frequently 

 upon special committees. He was a gentleman of a kindly 

 heart, and quiet genial manner, and will be missed greatly, 

 not only in his home circle, but in the community at large. 



Dr. Neilson was born in Belfast, Ireland, October 1, 

 1808 ; son of William and Sarah (Madden) Neilson, both 

 of the county of Antrim, Ireland. His father was a watch- 

 maker and jeweler, and made the snuff boxes of bog oak 

 and diamt/nds presented by the Prince Regent to the allied 

 sovereigns after the downfall of Bonaparte. His grand- 

 father, Joseph Neilson, an architect, built the bridge of 

 Tuam, and was the grandson, according to family tradi- 

 tion, of a Scotch refugee nobleman who fled to Ireland 

 after the rising of 1715. 



The family sailed for Philadelphia in 1818 ; the vessel was 

 wrecked on the coast of Nova Scotia, in consequence of 

 which their plans were changed, and they settled in Hali- 

 fax, N. S. 



Dr. Neilsou returned to Ireland when a young man, 



