2 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



said that, by his good management and great 

 industry, he became very rich ; but, except his 

 being an expert angler, I know very little more 

 about him. My grandmother's maiden name was 

 Agnes Arthur, the daughter of a laird of that name 

 at Kirkheaton, at which place my father was born 

 in the year 1715, while his mother was there (I 

 believe) on a visit to her friends. 



My maternal grandfather, Thomas Wilson, and 

 my grandmother, whose maiden name was Hannah 

 Thompson, lived at Ainstable, in Cumberland ; but 

 whether he was curate of the parish of that place, 

 or parish clerk, I do not know. It is certain, how- 

 ever, that he was one or the other, and that he 

 taught a school there ; and, from the circumstance 

 of his teaching his sons, and some of his daughters, 

 Latin, I conclude he taught some of his scholars 

 the same language. When he died, his eldest son, 

 Christopher, became possessed of his freehold pro- 

 perty, consisting of a house, &c., and a few fields 

 adjoining. The rest of his family were left little 

 beside a good education, and were spread abroad 

 in the world to do the best they could for them- 

 selves. In this state of their affairs, my mother, 

 Jane, and her youngest sister, Hannah, were taken 

 by a distant relation, a Mrs. Gregson, of Appleby, 

 to remain with her until she could get them places 

 to live at. About this time, the Rev. Christopher 

 Gregson had been appointed to the curacy of 

 Ovingham, and wanted a housekeeper ; and my 

 mother, though young, was thought able to under- 

 take that office, and accordingly engaged to 

 perform it. 



Your maternal grandfather's name was Robert 

 Elliot, and your grandmother's Jane Forster. He 



