sad 
duced by an in@rument, contrived for the 
purpofe, concealed in the mouth 3 and then 
the trick loft all its reputarion. During his 
Yalt illnefs, he often deplored, in the moft 
affeting manner, his negleét of frugality in 
his younger years. He has lett a widow at 
ptaiths in a ftate of extreme indigence. 
At his native feat, near Borouchbridge, in 
the 75th year of his age, after a long and fe- 
were illnefs, which he bors with exemplary 
Chrittian fortitude, and which terminaed 
fudcenly, as he was cheerfully converfing at 
table with nis fr ends, the Rev. James Wil- 
kinfon, vicar of Sheffield, prebendary of 
Ripon, and one of his Majelty’s juftices of 
the peace for the weft and north ridings of the 
county of York.) Ye was the fourthand lat 
furviving of feven fons of Andrew Wilkin- 
fon, of voroughbridge, e(g. M. P. and of 
Barbara, eldett daughter of William Jeffop, 
of Broomball, elq. -'.P. and alfo one of his 
Majrity’s Judges of Chefter, by the Hon. 
Mary Jefop, clueft’ daughter and heirefs of 
James llarcy, of Sedbury, in the county of 
York, efq. afterwards created Bason Darcy, 
of Navan, in the kingdom of Ireland, 
which title, being limited to the male heirs 
of the faid “tary, became extiné by the 
death, without iffuep of James Lord Darcy, 
her only fon, and the maternal uncle of Mr. 
Wilkinfon, After receiving the advantage 
vf a molt excelient claflical education under 
Mi. Clark, of Beverly (chool, he removed 
to Clare hall, in Cambridge, and was admit- 
ted to the degree of A. RB. in the year 1752, 
and proceeded A.M. in 1754. ‘ie never 
married, The vicarage of Sh:ffield, which 
was alternately in the gift of Mr. Wilkin=- 
fon’s father, and of the Gells, of Hopton, 
by right of the mariage of John Gell (grand- 
favher of the prefeat Philip Gell, of Hopton, 
elq.), with Ifabella, another of the Judge’s 
daughters, ‘and which became vacant by the 
death of the Rev. Mr. Dotiie, in December 
3753, was referved for Mr. Wilkinfon till 
he was of fafficient age to take it, in Auguft 
1754. To attemp: to give merely afketch 
Or Outline of io yreat a charaéter as che late 
Mr. Wilkinfon, might, to thofe who were 
beft acquainted with him, appear an act of 
Sreat temerity and prefumption. The com- 
mon language ufed by relatives or others, to 
Convey their ideas to the world, of the vir- 
fues or excellencies of their deceafed friends, 
would certainly, on this melancholy occafion, 
be every way inadequate to the purpofe. 
The pencil of a fuperior mafter would be re- 
quired to give even an imperfect delineation 
ot foch tranfcendant merit as attached to 
him, who might jaftly be called the father 
Of the town of Sheffield and its neighbour- 
hood ; whofe every hour, almoft, for haif a 
century paft, has been anxioufly employed, 
with a folicitude and ability almoft unparal- 
teled, to promote the temporal and eternal 
happineis of every being within the {phere 
qf his action, Whether we regard him as a 
‘ 
Yorkfhize, 
S17 
divine, labouring by his example, ag well ag 
precept, to inculcate the grand and facred 
truth of revealed religion, which involves 
and implicates every confideration.on which 
our future happinefs depends ; or, as a Mae 
giftrate, executing thofe laws of his country, 
which were framed by the legiflature for the 
prote¢tion of every thing valuable in fociety, 
with a moft patient attention to every minute 
particular, from every perfon, but moft par- 
ticularly from the poor, the ignorant, and 
unproiected, to enable him to aominifter 
jutice with the moft {crupulous impartiality, 
but, at the fame time, to blend it with 
mercy, Whenever it was in his power :—~ 
Whether we confider him as a friend, ever 
ready with his purfe, as well as with his ad- 
vice or intereft, to do any good or generous 
act 5 or as a great public charater, com- 
manding refpeét by a dignity in perfon and 
manners rarely to be met with, who was de~ 
fervedly looked up to and confulied upon 
every occafion, whether for the relief 
of the poor, the defence of his COUNTY. 
the protestion of every ufeful inftitution, the 
encouragement of merit in any fituation, or 
of any plancalculated in any way to improve 
or benefit fociety in general, but more parti- 
cularly the town and neighbourhood of Shef.. 
ficld :-——Wohether we contemplate him in any 
or all of the above points of view, there will 
be abundant reafon to admire the excellence 
of his underftanding, the integrity of hi® 
conduct, and the zeal which he difplayed in 
accomplifhing all his purpofes After have 
ing faid thus much, it may appear needlefs to 
add, how greatly the world will depiore the 
lofs of a man, who was certainly one of the 
brighteft ornaments of human nature. To 
fhew the deep fenfe of the obligations che 
inhabitants of fo refpectabie and populous a 
town as Shefheld thought themfelves under 
to fo good a man and upright a magiftrate, 
the Mafter of the Cutlers’ Compaay, in com= 
pliance with the general with, iffued the fole 
lowing advertifement ; 
PUBLIC MOURNING 
FOR THE LATE MR. WILKINSON. 
“It having been fuggefted to me by a 
number of very refpectable chara¢ters, that 
there would be great propriety in the inhae 
bitants of the town and immediate neigh- 
bourhood of Sheffield appearing in mourning, 
on one Sunday, after the interment of their 
Jate moft revered and refpeéted Vicar and Ma- 
giftrate, the Rev. James Wilkinfon, to tef~ 
tify their deep forrow for the lofs of fo truly 
good and valuable a member of the commue 
nity ;— 
_ NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, 
That itis moft refpe€tfully requetted, that 
all thefe to whom it may be convenient, 
would 
