THOMAS BEWICK. 



169 



In 1796 the block done for the Newcastle Royal Exchange Fire Assurance 

 Office, being a view of the Exchange building, appears as an advertise- 

 ment, and also one of a Phcenix. Bewick also did a small distant view of 

 Newcastle with rocks and luxurious foliage, employed to embellish a ball 

 ticket. In 1797* he executed a book plate for Thomas Bell, it too being a 

 distant view of the city, and in the foreground an ancient oak-tree with an 

 ornamented oval having " T. Bell, 1797" on it, and the full name underneath 

 in script. The Custom House was done for Harrison, tea dealer, and an 

 important cut, with appropriate designs, for Ed. Wilson, spirit merchant. 

 Three little book plates, executed for the Hewitsons, of Newcastle, are 

 beautiful and rare specimens 

 of Bewick's engraving. One 

 is of a pool over which hang 

 a rock and a tree ; in the dis- 

 tance are a coach and pair ap- 

 proaching a milestone ; on the 

 rock is the date April 24th, 

 1800, and on the trunk of 

 the tree "Jane Hewitson." 

 Another of similar subject, 

 with a cottage, is not so carefully executed, and appears later in date : on the 

 rock is W. C. Hewitson. The other was Henry Hewitson, cut with the initials 

 amidst foliage. About 1799 Bewick engraved a block 7 by 3^ inches, which 

 was never used, of a four-horse waggon descending a hill, which Atkinson 

 mentions was done for a carrier in Leeds, who objected to the price when it 

 was sent to him, and returned it. In its passage to or from Leeds the block 

 was injured, which irritated Bewick considerably. 



* 1797- Luke Clennell was apprenticed to Bewick on April 8th. Having applied himself with diligence to the 

 business, he was soon able to assist his employer very much, and it is even maintained by Chatto that he engraved many 

 of the tail-pieces for the second volume of the Birds. In 1809 his beautiful cut of the Diploma of the Highland 

 Society gained the gold medal of the Society of Arts. Clennell had also some reputation as a painter. In 18 17 

 he became suddenly insane, and though he lingered on until 1840, he was never able to do any more engraving. 



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