246 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



Chronicle." It might be tedious to swell out 

 a list of names or dwell upon the occasional 

 visits of men of sense and ability who from time 

 to time spent their evenings with me. Mr. 

 Anthony Scott, of Southwick Pottery was one 

 of these, and when he was in Newcastle he 

 seldom missed this kind of social communica- 

 tion of our sentiments. On these occasions my 

 ingenious self-taught friend, Mr. Robert Wilson, 

 engineer and engine maker, always made one 

 of our party. In their company the longest 

 evening seemed very short. I was also often 

 visited by poor old Mr. John Rastrick, of Mor- 

 peth, who, in his day, was, by many men of 

 judgment, accounted one of the most able and 

 ingenious engineers in the kingdom. He died 

 June, 1826, aged 88. I also spent much time 

 (while he remained in Newcastle) with my gallant 

 friend Colonel Wemyss, of Wemyss Hall in Fife- 

 shire, formerly of the nth Regiment of Foot, 

 and afterwards Colonel of the Fifeshire militia. 

 He was ardent in his pursuit after mechanical 

 knowledge, and greatly valued ingenious work- 

 men in that way, and begged I would introduce 

 him to such he said "he cared not w r hat kind of 

 coat they wore," and I was not long in introduc- 

 ing him to those, in whose company he gained 

 the information he wanted, and seemed highly 

 gratified. 



