640 Obituary. 



promising young man met his death in a very melancholy manner : — He had 

 long been upon terms of intimate friendship with a neighbouring youth, eldest 

 son of Mr. Winch, a respectable master-bricklayer ; and on the evening pre- 

 ceding the fatal event, Winch, having been employed in taking up a copper, 

 and being obliged to go out with his father's cart on business before he had 

 time to clean himself, proposed to young French, who had accompanied him 

 for a ride, after he came from work, to go to the river to bathe on the fol- 

 lowing morning. Accordingly, after breakfast, the other children being gone 

 to the national school, French held a very interesting conversation with his 

 father for a considerable time, and then left the house, without saying wliere 

 he was going, his father going up stairs to dress himself at the same time. 

 The subject of this memoir and his friend went together to a bathing-place, 

 three miles off, below Latton mill, where, it appears, they met with a dis- 

 agreeable party, in consequence of which they left the place, and went about 

 two miles higher up, to Harlow marsh, where, ignorant of its depth, they 

 selected as the most private spot that which afterwards proved so fatal. 

 The river at this place flows over spongy ground, and forms a hole of an 

 oval shape, 15 ft. deep. Plunging in at once, it is supposed that Winch 

 lost his ground, and that French, who could swim, making to his assist- 

 ance, caught fast hold of him, and both went down together, most pro- 

 bably never rising again, as French was found with Winch fast clinging 

 to him. Thus died this amiable and respected youth, in the act of attempt- 

 ing to save the life of his friend. He had been nearly five years at the 

 nursery of Messrs. Rivers, highly respectable nurserymen of Sawbridge- 

 worth, Herts ; and was lately removed and placed under Mr. Terr en ce, gar- 

 dener and steward to Selwin, Esq., of Down Hall, Essex. He was 



strictly honest ; and so prudent that any thing might be confided to him. 

 His temperance and industry were remarkable ; and his frugality was such, 

 that he would not lay out a penny for any thing that was not necessary. 

 His quietness and orderly habits are borne testimony to by his late worthy 

 employer ; the constant neatness and cleanliness of his person and dress 

 won the admiration of the neighbourhood ; and so moral was his conduct, 

 that an obscene word was never known to escape his lips. His counte- 

 nance bore the stamp of manly innocence, and his look and gait indicated 

 study. He was rapidly improving in his profession, and pursuing the 

 course which his father had always endeavoured to impress upon him. 

 That father, therefore, saw and indulged the pleasing hope of his son's 

 future advancement in life ; but the flower is cut off in the bud ; and were 

 it not for the consoling reflection that his short life on earth was well 

 spent, and that he is thus early removed to a brighter region, where sorrow 

 is known no more, his afflicted parents would be inconsolable. Such is the 

 brief outline of the character of this humble gardener lad, of whom it may 

 be said, not only to the young gardener, but to the general reader, " Go thou 

 and do likewise." — J. S. Harlow, August 30. 



Mr. Rigg, a nurseryman at York, with his whole family, consisting of 

 Ann Guthrie Rigg, the eldest daughter, in her 20th year ; Thomas Gar- 

 wood Rigg, the eldest son, aged 18 ; John Rigg, the second son, aged 16 ; 

 Eliza Rigg, the second daughter, in her 16th year; James Smith Rigg, 

 aged 7 ; and Charles Rigg, aged 6 ; with Miss Grace Robinson, of Ayton, 

 near Scarborough, about 18, who was on a visit at Mr. Rigg's, all perished 

 in the Ouse, while sailing down that river, in a small boat, on the 19th of 

 August last. The verdict of a coroner's jury was : — " We find that the 

 deceased were all accidentally drowned, and lay a deodand of 21/. on the 

 vessel." (Times.) 



