MR. THOMAS GASCOIONE. 
good'iiature, presented him with a son and heir, of which he was very 
proud. 
In addition to his office of mayor, he was nominated as a proper 
person to be opposed to the then all-powerful Buonaparte, whereupon 
he was elected emperor. His garb now assumed all the show of 
royalty ; but, unliUe most monarchs, he carried his crown in his hand, 
it not being correct, he said, for him to wear it till he had ousted his 
more powerful rival. In this character. Sir Harry levied pretty handsome 
contributions on the good people of London : but the novelty of his per- 
son at length lost most of its attractions ; he became neglected, illness 
seized him, and he died in the year 1811, in the fifty-third year of 
his age. 
Mr. Thomas Gascoigne. 
This was a very penurious character, who was resident at East 
Retford, in the county of Nottingham. He was a native of Derby, 
and was born on the 24th of June, 1738, being the same month and 
year as that in which his late majesty was born. At an early period 
of his life, Mr. Gascoigne’s parents removed from Derby to Ordsall, 
a village near Retford : when arrived at a proper age, he was bound 
apprentice to a shoemaker of Retford, who was a burgess of that 
place ; and at the close of his apprenticeship, Mr. G. was consequently 
entitled to the privilege of a freeman, and at his death he was the 
oldest burgess upon the list. Some time after the expiration of his 
apprenticeship, he obtained a situation in the excise, and was ap- 
pointed to fulfil the duties of his office at Derby, which he did to the 
satisfaction of his superior officers, as also those whom it was his 
duty to survey, till an accident obliged him to retire on a pension 
when about the age of forty. 
About this time an uncle of Mr. G.’s died, who left him the owner 
of several houses, situate in Derby, one of which is the Crown Inn ; 
he now returned to Retford, and again followed his vocation as a 
shoemaker, which he continued to do till within the last ten years 
preceding his death. During the whole of his long life he was never 
known to employ a doctor, and was generally his own tonsor, except 
upon particular occasions, such as the dinners of the freemen, which 
were about twice a year, and which he regularly attended, when he 
repaired to the hair-dresser’s to be finished, having himself previously 
applied the scissors and razor, and taken off the greatest part, pur- 
posely with a view to save expense. He regularly went once a year 
to Derby to receive his rents, on which occasion he put on his best 
coat and boots, and cocked hat, each of which had been in use more 
than forty years. It was his practice always to walk, carrying with 
him a pair of old saddle-bags, hung over his shoulders, containing 
provisions necessary for his whole journey. On his way thither, as 
also on his return, he generally reposed during the night on Notting- 
ham forest, thinking himself and his property more safe there than 
sleeping in a public-house; and being too penurious to pay for a bed, 
or to call at an inn for refreshment. His saddle-bags, on these oc- 
casions, were not only used for the purpose of carrying the provisions 
