THE VILLAGE : IN AND ABOUT IT 129 



ings at an end, lived into the eighteenth century 

 at Strand on the Green, and was buried in Kew 

 Churchyard, by the east end of the church. 



On the south side, under the wall, are close 

 together the graves of Meyer, Kirby, and Gains- 

 borough, the last under a tomb restored in our 

 time. Thomas Gainsborough lies here, not as 

 a Kew resident, but buried by his own desire 

 beside his lifelong friend and fellow East Anglian, 

 Joshua Kirby, F.R.S., who began life as a coach- 

 painter as Ipswich, and rose to fame as a writer 

 on art and architecture. Helped on by Hogarth 

 and Joshua Reynolds, Kirby had the luck to 

 become teacher of perspective drawing to Prince 

 George, and the King liked this master so well 

 as to give him a permanent appointment as Clerk 

 of the Works set on foot in Kew Gardens, under 

 Sir William Chambers. At a house by the 

 ferry-side he passed the rest of his life in ease 

 and respect ; but to our generation may be best 

 known as father of Mrs. Trimmer, and uncle of 

 William Kirby, the entomologist. 



Yet, indeed, so short-winded is fame in many 

 a case, there may be sons and daughters of this 

 generation who know not the name of Mrs. 

 Trimmer, once so familiar in every well-ordered 



