I52 
At Broughton, William Gawith, efg. for- 
mierly in the fervice of the Eaft India Com- 
pany at Bengal. ; 
At Blackpool, in his: 73d year, the rev. 
Robert Mafter, D. D. re&ter of Crofton. 
At Liverpool, fuddenly, Mr. John Palmer, 
a celebrated comedian. He was a ftriking 
proof how much may be effected in this art, 
by perfeverance. His father was one of the 
door-keepers of Drury-Lane Theatre, and pro- 
cured for him a promife of a military ap- 
pointment from Mr. Legrand, then governor 
to the young princes, the brothers of his 
majefty; the fon was hewever, fo complete- 
ly fage fruck, that aothing elfe employed his 
mind. Having put him out to the matter of 
a fruitfhon, on Ludgate hill, John neglected 
his bufinefs, and was difcharged. The fame 
year at his father’s benefit, he fpoke Bucks have 
ai ye All, which was his firit appearance on 
the ftage. His father finding him determin- 
ed on a Theatrical life, applied to Mr. Gar- 
xick, but that gentleman, after hearing him 
- gehearfe, defired him to think of fome other 
profefiion. Foot, however, took him up, 
and byought him out in the part of Scamper, 
in th® Orators. Palmer after this went into the 
country, and performed a fhort time, and on 
his return, Garrick took him into his houfe 
at twenty fhillings a week. Not content 
with this, and aiking an increafe of, falary, 
lady had an aunt, who had by will, left her 
Palmer, gave fo much oftence, that fhe total- 
ly difinherited her. Nor was this match 
happy in other refpe€ts, Palmer’s wife, al- 
though a fine woman, and very amiable, was 
muuch older than himfelf, and he frequent- 
ly negleétedher. This condu& offended the 
people of Norwich fo greatly, that he was 
obliged toquit the place. Not being able to 
get an eftablifhment on a Londen Theatre, 
he -deiivered Stevens’s Le€tures on Heads, 
at various country towns, with applaufe and 
profit ; and afterwards joined a firolling com- 
pany, “till he was at length admitted to 
Foot’s theatre, (now Colman’s) in the Hay- 
market, where he performed fome inferior 
parts. His merit however began to appear, 
and Garrick engaged him at Drury-Lane 
Theatre, where his firft performance was Sir 
Harry Boyle, inthe Jealous Wife. Palmer, 
who afterwards fhome fo confpicuoufly on this 
theatre, had then, only twenty five fhillings 
aweek, which Garrick afterwards intreafed 
tothirty. The ilinefs and fubfequent death 
of his namefeke, who had long been a favou- 
rite of the town in the genteel walk of ¢o- 
medy, opened tohim a road te fame, and to 
Mr. Garrick’s notice, who ever after be- 
friended him. From this time he has conti- 
nued progreflively rifi.g at Drury Lane thea- 
Lancafbire. 
[Aus. 
vatre, and has been received during the fum- 
mer, at Liverpool, Dublin, Birmingham, 
&c. as a favourite, but for fome years paft he 
has played conftantly at the Haymarket, dur- 
ing that feafon. Palmer, experienced a ter- 
rible accident in playing one night in the Gre- 
cian daughter, he received fo fevere a blow, 
owing to the failure of the {pring of the dag- 
ger, that he was confined for five months to 
his bed. In 1785, he entered into an un- 
fortunate engagement for building a theatre, 
near Wellclofe-fquare, under the fanction of 
the lieutenant of the Tower, in whofe dif- 
tri@ it was. Much blame has been afcribed 
to him in this tranfaétion, but the truth is, 
he was deceived by the gentlemen of the long 
robe, whom he eonfulted, and who aflured 
him of the legality of the undertaking. His ex- 
travagant conduét, and his difappointment in 
this fcheme, threw him inte great difficulties, 
and he was obliged to take refuge in the rules 
of the king’s bench, until he had. fettled 
with his creditors, by affigning to them a 
portion of his future earnings. He was then 
reftored to his ftations at Drury Lane and the 
Haymarket. It is faid the terms on which he 
fettled with his creditors were; he was to re- 
ceive sool. per annum, and the reft was te 
be applied to liquidate his debts. His manner 
of living and his large family, made this very 
ample allowance fcarcely amount to a fuffici~ 
ency. The caf of partsin which this a€tor per- 
formed, are perhaps as numerous as any ever 
played by one perfon. In all his comic cha- 
racters he was excellent, and in fome unri- 
valled. In tragedy he failed moft, but even 
here his Stukely, Villeroy, and fome others 
were chafte, and fhewed great judgment. 
In his comic characters of Jofeph Surface, 
Sneer, and others in. which he was the origi- 
nal; he will fcarcely ever be equalled. The 
~ manner of his death, was perhaps, without 
example, awful andimpreflive. Onthe 2gth 
of July, while gcting the character of the 
Stranger, on the Liverpool ftage, he appear- 
ed unufually agitated, and endeavoured to 
proceed, but the hand of death had arrefted 
him! He fell on his back on the ftage, and 
inftantly expired ! His death caufed a fenfa- 
tion in the theatre that can eafier be conceiv- 
edthan expreffed. The laft words which he 
delivered in his part of the Stranger, were: 
«© Oh God! God!- 
6 There is another and a better World.” 
Which remarkable fentence is ordered to be 
engraved on his tomb ftone. He had lately 
fuffered fome heavy misfortunes; had loft 
his wife, a brother, anda favourite fon, in 
the fhort fpace ef a few months: thefe bere 
heavy on his mindand are fuppofed by the 
gentlemen of the faculty to have accelerated 
his death. He was in the fir:y feventh year 
of hs age. 
At Blackburn, Mr. John Ward, in the 
35th year of his age; his death is lamented 
by avery numerous acquaintance. : 
GHESHIRE 

