MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 3 



farmed the land of Woodgate, near Bill Quay, 

 where your mother was born. He afterwards 

 removed to a farm at Ovingham, where he died 

 in 1777, leaving the character of a sensible, 

 honest, and industrious man. 



How long my mother lived with Mr. Gregson, 

 before her marriage, I know not ; but from him I 

 afterwards learned that she was a valuable servant 

 to him, both with respect to his house-keeping 

 concerns, and for the occasional assistance she 

 afforded him in hearing his pupils their Latin 

 tasks. From Ovingham, in the year 1752, she 

 married my father,* and went to live with him at 

 Cherryburn House, near the small village or hamlet 

 of Eltringham, where all their family, of which I 

 was the eldest, were born. The family consisted of 

 myself and brothers, John and William; and my 

 sisters Hannah, Agnes, Ann, Sarah, and Jane. 

 Sarah died at the age of 16; the rest were 

 reared to maturity, and were sent off, one way 

 or another, into the world. 



In August, 1753, I was born,f and was mostly 

 entrusted to the care of my aunt Hannah (my 

 mother's sister), and my grandmother, Agnes 

 Bewick; and the first thing I can remember was, 



[* Jane Wilson was born in 1727, She was John Bewick's second 

 wife, the first, Ann Topping, having died childless.] 



[t Bewick kept his birthday on the I2th, but there is a doubt about 

 the exact date. He was baptised on the ipth, as appears from the 

 following certificate : 



"Baptised A:D: 1753 



August ipth. 

 Thomas Son of John & Jane Bewick of Cherryburn." 



The above is a true Extract from the parochial Register of Oving- 

 ham in the County of Northumberland taken this 2Qth day of Nov r ., 

 1798. James Birkett Curate of Ovingham." 



(Bewick MSS.)] 



