Birth and Parentage 



'& 



for the last six or seven years of his life he 

 never left Holme Eden. 



Then came the deaths of friends, and of 

 his own brothers, till he was left the last sur- 

 vivor of a once numerous family, seeing also 

 numbers of his own years remaining hearty 

 and strong whilst he was laid aside, the 

 wreck of his former self. Perhaps, however, 

 these last were his happiest days. Neces- 

 sarily withdrawn from contact with the outer 

 world, he had time to give his mind more 

 intently than before to the great concerns of 

 the future. The Bible became during the 

 last few years of his life his constant study, 

 and, soothed by the unremitting attentions of 

 his family, his days passed gently away, until 

 on April 28, 1866, the end came. 



It will be seen from what I have said that 

 " The Druid's " father was no ordinary man. 

 He combined with great energy and decision 

 of character a remarkable quickness and 

 clearness of judgment, which led his opinion to 

 be greatly deferred to by the other members 

 of the firm. Even to the last his counsel was 

 sought and valued by his partners. In addi- 

 tion, his great heartiness and cheerfulness, 



