~ 
1805.] © Marriages and Deaths 
by propofing to open the Pantheon for the 
performance of operas. But Mr, Taylor, a 
proprietor, taking the management into his 
hands, Sir John retired, and devoted the re- 
mainder of his life to his profeifion of dancing- 
matter. 
Six Gregory Page Turner, Bart.—This ba- 
_ ronet, whofe fon will be one of the moft opu- 
lent commoners in England, inherited two 
fortunes: one patrimonial, from the family of 
Turner, and another on the maternal fide; both 
were originally derived from that commerce, 
which has converted a fmall into a great nation, 
and enabled her merchants fometimes to enrich 
the nobility by inter-marriages, aad at other 
times to vie with them in point of opulence and 
fplendour. Sir Edward Turner, his father, after 
acquiring a fortune in the city, and being chair- 
man of the Eaft-India company, retired into 
Oxtordfhire, where he had purchafed a large 
eftate, and was created a baronet, Auguft 24, 
1733. Some idea may be conceived of his im- 
menie wealth from two facts: the firft is, that 
he f{tood for a knight of the fhire for the county 
of Oxon, at the general election in 1754, and 
was returned after a ftruggle which coft him 
more than 30,0001. ; the next, that in addition 
to the money he had expended in land, he built 
a new houle at Ambrofden, which coft hima 
far greater fum. Notwithftanding thele de- 
mands upon his purfle, he was enabled to leave 
a large eftate to his eldeft fon, and a handfome 
provifion for the remainder of a family, which 
at one time confifted of two peerefles, and two 
baronets of Great-Britain. It was he who 
firft introduced the prefent Ear] of Liverpool to 
the acquaintance, triendfhip, and patronage of 
the late Earl of Bute; and this was the only re-= 
turn he either expected or exacted for his fer- 
vices, both as member for Oxtfordfhire and 
Penrhyn. Sir Gregory was born in 1750, or 
1751, and egucated, we believe, with his 
third brother, the late Sir John Dryden, at 
Harrow fchool. He afterwards, as we have 
underftand, travelled over France and Germany, 
under the guidance and direction of Dr. Nugent, 
father of Mrs, Burke. On the death of the 
late Sir Gregory Page, bart. he received a 
confiderable addition to his fortune; and, in 
confequence of a requeft in the will which 
conveyed it, obtained leave by the King’s fign 
manual, to add the name of his deceafed relative 
to his own. Theearly poffefficn of avery large 
fortune produced eccentricities, which marked 
the charaGer of Sir Gregory through life. He 
was one of the greateft deaus of his day, and cn 
hisjreturn fromthe Continent conftantly appeared 
~ at all the public places, drefled to the very 
height of, and generally beyond the reign- 
ing fufhion. Red heels and feathered hats were 
then common; but he once appeared at Vaux- 
hall, in a pink filk fuit, fo exadtly fitted to 
his body, that he was followed by a crowd of 
fpectators, who debated aloud, whether the 
young baronet had been crammed into, or fewed 
up in the drefs he then wore. At this period, 
he was inpoffeffion of two of the fineft man- 
fions in England: that on Blackheath, built by 
Sir Gregory Page,and the houfe in Oxfordfhire, 
erected by hisown father. Notwithftanding he 
was far from being averfe ‘to magnificence, -yet 
4 
in and near Londen. 7% 
) 
Sir Gregory underftood economy. too well to 
keep up the eftablifhments necefiary for fuch 
noble ftru€tures, with their gardens, parks, &c, 
&c. They were therefore both pulled down, 
and the materials fold on the fpot; thus fully 
realifing the predictions of one of our fhrewdett 
poets : 
“¢ Another age fhall fee the golden ear, 
Imbrown the flope, and nod on the parterre ; 
Deep harvefts bury all that pride has plann’d, 
And laughing Ceres, reaflume the land.’” 
It is greatly to be lamented, that the noble 
palace at Blackheath was not converted into a 
national eftablifhment for the education of young 
men bred to the fea; but paper credit had not 
then conferred thofe facilities we now poffefs, 
and the weight of the American war bore fo 
heavily upon us,that Government grudged a few 
paltry thoufand pounds, when the Duke of 
Richmond propofed to remove the cadets thither 
from Woolwich Warren. Such a determined 
enemy was Sir Gregory all his life to what are 
termed improvements, that he lately ftood a 
fuit with an iron-founder, for a bridge acrotsa 
piece of water at his feat at Ballefden, in Bed- 
fordfhire; which, on account of his well-known 
reluctance to expence, was furreptitioufly tranf- 
ported thither in the firlt inftance, but to the 
ereGtion of which he ac length appears to have 
confented. It has been ridiculoufly afferted, 
that the mortification arifing from the lofs of 
this trial occafioned his death; but the truth 
is, that he had long been in a dangerous and 
precarious fituation in point of health. He fat 
during four parliaments for the borough of 
Thirfk, and has {poken frequently in the houfe. 
In 1785, he married Mifs Howell, of St. 
James’s ttreet, by whom he has had feveral 
children. He died at his town houfe, in Porte 
land Place, on Friday morning, January 4, 
5805, in the 54th or ¢sth year of his age, and 
is fucceeded by Sir Gregory Ofborne, the cidett 
of his three fons, who is a minor. 
The Right Hor. George Devereux, Vifcoun: 
Hereford, premier vifcouat of England, and a 
baronet, claimed his defcent from one of the 
moft ancient families in this kingdom. He 
himfelf was the twelfth peer in fucceffion; 
Robert his anceftor, was one of thofe fortunate 
chiefs who accompanied William the Conqueror 
in his expedition againft England, and fhared 
the fpoils and the fortunes: of the fubiugated 
Saxons. The furname is derived from the town 
of Evreux in Normandy, and the warrior whe 
accompanied the Duke, his feudal fovereign, 
under whom he held, was known according to 
the practice of that age, by the appellation of 
Robert D’Evreux ; whence, by an eafy tranfi- 
tion, fprung the modern name of Devereux. — 
We find his defcendants invefted with large 
eftates in Gloucefterfhire and Herefordfhire,and © 
one of them, Sir John Devereux who accom. 
panied the Black Prince into Gafcony, received 
a fummons to Parliamentjas a baron of the 
realm, (¢emp. Richard If.) which implied the 
poffeffion of a certain number of knight's fees. 
From him defcended Sir Walter, who, having 
married the fole daughter and heirefs of Lord 
Ferrars de Chartley, was alfo fummoned to 
Parliament. by Edward 1V.as Baron Ferrars de 
Chartley; and whofe grandion Walter, was 
created 
