194 



felg Jife of §fa Stomas Jafownce, fljv-^ 



By Mr. T. B. Smith. 



HAVE been requested to prepare for publication the 

 following particulars of the early life of the late Sir 

 Thomas Lawrence. The circumstances under which they were 

 originally collected are these. About a month after Lawrence's 

 death, I was asked by Mr. Thomas Campbell, then Poet Laureate, 

 whether I could help him in a life of Sir Thomas Lawrence, which 

 he intended to publish, by supplying him with any particulars as 

 to the painter's boyhood. I replied that I thought I could, and 

 shortly afterwards obtained the following reminiscences from my 

 wife's aunt, who was then living, at a very advanced age, at Melks- 

 ham. Campbell's design was subsequently abandoned, and these 

 reminiscences are now given for the first time to the public, as 

 nearly as possible in the words of the narrator, Mrs. Nalder. 



" The late Sir Thomas Lawrence was the youngest of five children, 

 there being besides him, Andrew, a clergyman ; William, a major 

 in the army, who died a few years ago ; and Lucy, and Ann, who 

 are, I believe, still living. Their father, Thomas Lawrence, was 

 originally an exciseman, and eloped with his wife, who was the 

 daughter of a clergyman of the name of Read, at Tenbury. 



"I think it must have been about the year 1765 that I went to 

 reside with Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence : at that time they kept the 

 White Lion Inn, and American Coffee House, at Bristol. I 

 remained with them about two years. Some time after this, 

 Mr. Lawrence wrote to me that he had taken the Black Bear Inn, 

 at Devizes, and that he should be very glad if I would come to 

 them there at once, to superintend the bar, and to assist his wife in 

 the domestic arrangements of the establishment. I accepted the 

 proposal, and on my arrival, saw for the first time the late President 



