_ 30 
can relish. Eis passion for reading increased 
with his years; and with the hopes cf in- 
dulging it in a wider circle, he took a tavern 
in Brentford, and camnechel the care of it 
to his servants; and as he had been a faithful 
eae himself, the generosity of his nature led 
him to entertain the same opinion of others 
in that line ; but a short time convinced him 
‘that his conhid ence was misplaced; his affair 
became deranged. This Pike wiace reached 
the Earl of Liverpool, who procured him the 
place of office-keeper to the board of trede, 
which he filled fer the space of fifteen years, 
with the utmost gratitude for his patron, ana 
satisfaction to all that had any intercourse 
with the board, for he bad nothing of the 
** insolence of office”? about him. This situa- 
tion gave him an.opportunity ef reading his 
favourite authors, and conversing with a few 
men of congenial minds. The late Mr.Barry, 
the historical painter, used to pass whole 
evenings in his conversation, and would listen 
to some of his remarks on the justly-admired 
productions of the pened Mr. Stokes em- 
ployed some of his time in studying the 
French language, even so as to be able to 
relish the beauties of Moliere. His passion 
for the drama was unbounded; his remarks 
on, plays were judicious, without the least 
tincture of ill-nature, though no man could 
lament mere the degeneracy of the stage. 
He was attacked with a dropsical complaint, 
which terminated his dissolution in the 29th 
year of his age. He was buried in St. Mar- 
garet’s church. 
At Kentish Town, Mrs. Elizabeth Lane, 
relict of William L. esq. surgeon and apo- 
thecary, late of Hammersmith, 88. Her 
maiden name was Pynsent, and she was near 
ef kin to Sir William Pynsent, who, from 
political bias, and to the prejudice of his own 
relatives, bequeathed the estate of Burton 
Pynsent to that great and distinguished states- 
wan, the late Earl of Chatham, 
[Further particulars of the Rev. E, Dunes 
awell Bryegess avkose death was announced at 
p- 403. He was the eldest brother of Samuel 
Egerton Brydges, esq. and the claimant of 
the barony of Chandos. Had he obtained 
his birthright he would have enjoyed the 
elevated rank to which he knew himself en- 
titled, of which, the suspesston did not in 
the smallest degree alter his claim, and of 
which he was so far from being discouraged 
at the assertion, that he only insisted on his 
right with the more dignity. The case, 
simple in itself, became a most extraordinary 
one from the mode in which the opposition 
to it was conducted. The discussion lasted 
more than thirteen years, from October, 
2785, to Juney 1302. Mr. Brydges claimed 
the ‘cabo in right of descent, from a third 
son of the ee peer, in 1554. Ke had a 
-darge fieid of prior branches to clear aw ays 
ana he kad six er seven generations in 11+ 
Account of the late Sir Willtam Staines. 
[Dec. Al, 
own line to establish, and thinking it unne- 
cessary to satisfy all the nonsense of extra- 
jucicial misconception and false rumour, was 
advised to rest his case on the basis of having 
fulfilled the praeks required by law. 
ponents, by thirteen years of unexampled 
industry, and equally usexampled modes of 
proceeding, did every thing to create preju~ 
dices, and then pleaded these prejudices as 
reasons for abandoning all the general rules 
of evidence. Mr. 8. married the daughter 
of the late Richard Fairtield, esq. of Berner’s= 
street, but has left no issue. Hie was mater- 
nally descended from the noble familics of 
Eg perce Cavendisn, Stanley, Clifford, Brane 
don, Sc. &c.] 
[ Fa aber particulars of the late Sir William 
Staines, an veces of whose death was gives 
at page 294,—He was born in the year 1731, 
in the parish of St. George, Southwark, where 
his father carried on the business of a stone- 
mason, ina small way. Atan early age he 
made a voyage to Porrugal asa common sailor, 
but unfortunately in returning to England, 
the ship was captured by a French privateer, 
and he, with the rest of the ship’s company, 
were conducted to a prison in France. _ After 
six months confinement, he was exchanged, 
and came home in a cartel, but so much al- 
tered from the hardships he had undergone, 
that his mother was only able to identify him 
by a mark on his person. Soon after his re~ 
turn, he was bound apprentice to a stone 
mason in Cannon-street, and on the expira- 
tron of his time became a journeyman to Mr. 
Pinder, the city mason. While in the em. 
ployment of Mr. Pinder, he married, and took 
a-chandJer’s shop and coal-shed in Philip- 
lane, London-wall, where, after tle conclu- 
sion of his day’s labour abroad, he used ta 
carry out coa's to his customers, When Ox- 
ford street was paved, Mr. Staines was fore- 
man te the stone-mason who had the contract 
for laying the foot-way. ‘Owing to unfortu- 
nate circumstances, rhe master became inca- 
pable of fulfilling his engagement; but one 
of the trustees, wee had noticed the fore- 
men’s attention and assiduity, got him em- 
ployed to complete the job, 
him money to purchase materials; and this. 
was probab-y his first introduction to business 
on his own account. About 1760, the steeple 
of Bow church standing in need of repair, he 
was encouraged by a friend, who offered’ to 
become security for the fulfilment of the 
contract, to apply forthe job. His proposals 
were preferred, and the manner in which he 
executed this business, laid, in his own opi- 
nion, the foundation of his future good tor- 
tune; for which reason, when he became 
sheriff, that church was represented in per- 
spective in the back ground of one of the 
pannels of his state carriage. In 1763, he was 
employed in the repair of St. Bride’s steeple, — 7 
which had ksen damaged by lightning. On 
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