18s 
up, although not its ancient firm, at leaft its 
ancient employment, ftationers and bankers 
being both dealers in paper. . Mr. Simmons 
at length, entered into bufinefs for himfelf, 
and, having become a liveryman, was after- 
wards put in nomination for fheriff. This 
occurred twice, firt in 1802, and then we 
elieve in 4806, when it was reprefented 
that his ftate of health would prevent him’ 
from undergoing the fatigues of office. 
Notwithitanding the advantages held out by 
a refidence in the capital, yet the fubjeét of 
this brief memoir fill languifhed to return to 
his native city; he accordingly repaired 
thither, about the year 1768, and imme- 
diately eftablifhed a printing office, with the 
management of which, he had before made 
bimfelf acquainted. The reader, perhaps, 
will {mile to learn, that he was, at this period, 
the only printer in Kent! The firft effort 
made by him towards profperity, was the 
publication of a newfpaper, called ‘* The 
Kentifh Gazette :” before that period, the. 
Kentith Poft, or Canterbury News, was the 
only paper belonging to that extenfive and 
opulent county*. It confitted of four foolf- 
cap folio pages, contained but two or three 
advertifements, and was adorned with a 
wood cut that occupied full one third of 
the firft leaf. Having introduced a new 
“type, and a new tafte, this undertaking fuc- 
ceeded to admiration, and Mr. S. foon be- 
came the firft ftationer, bookfeller, &c. in 
the city that gave him birth. He was alfo 
chofen a member of the corporation, and 
became a commoner, alderman, and mayor, 
inrotation. But the rife of the fubjec of 
this memoir is chiefly to be attributed to his 
politics, to his whiggifm ! Having taken 
part, with Mr. Honeywood, in the contefts 
for the county, &c. he was of courfe patron- 
yzed by that party; and, when at the con- 
cjufion of the American war, the Marquis 
ot Rockingham, Mr. Fox, &c. came into 
* As the. Kentifh Poft of December 19, 
1724, now lies before me, I fhall fubjoin a 
theatrical advertifement, by way of {peci- 
men :-—*' This is to acquaint the Curious, 
That at the Theatre in High ftreet, Canter- 
bury, is to be feen the moft Nebleft Piece 
of Work that ever was performed upon a 
Britifa Stage; confifting of large Artificial 
Adors, five Feet high; and by them will be 
Acted, on Saturday next, a Play, call'd, 
The Unhappy Favourite, er the Earl of 
Effex, with the Beheading the Earl upon 
a Mourning Scaffold, and his Head expos’d 
to publick View by the Hands of the Execu- 
tioner. Having met with great Applaufe 
from both the Univerfities, and mof of the 
Wobility and Gentry reforting to Bath and 
Tunbridge Wells, and moft of the Judicious 
Places of the Kiugdom.—Note, There is a 
‘new pair of Stairs, and the Theatre is Ceil’d, 
being now made very commodious fer Gen- 
tlemen, Ladies, &c.” 
Account of the late James Simmons, Esq. M.P. 
[March 3, 
pewer, in 1783, he was appointed, during 
their fhort’ adminiftration, Diftributor of 
Stamps for the county of Kent, the emolu- 
ment of which office, have always been efti- 
mated at a very confiderable fam. From 
this moment, however, the fervices of Mr. 
S. (at leat in a political point of view) were 
lof to his country, as he was precluded by 
his fituation, from oppofing the firft French 
war, aud all the alterations introduced in 
confequence of it, (by Mr. Pitt) into the 
cenftitution, with the fame ardour, that he 
had combated the American conteft, and 
the malverfations of Lord North. This, 
however, did not prevent him from diftme- 
guifhing himfelf, by what may be termed the 
Civic Virtues. The firt public act of this 
kind, in which his zeal became manifefted, 
was the offer of his fervices to regulate the 
new intprovements introduced into Canter- 
bury, in confequence of an aét of parliament. 
It was he, in particular, who fuperintended 
the paving of that city; and {uch was the 
attention and ability dilplayed, by him, on 
this occafion, that he received the thanks of 
the corporation, which were accompanied by 
a piece of plate of the value of 501. The 
next public work engaged in, by him, was 
the ereétion of a mill on a magnificent feale, 
for the regular fupply of the Canterbury 
market with flour. In 1791, Mefizs. Sim- 
mons and Royle gave_a premium of 24501. 
for a thirty years’ leafe of Abbot’s andKing’s 
mill, and they expended on the building» 
and other improvements to the amount of 
8000]. more. Mr. Smeaton, the late cele- 
brated engineer, while engaged at Ramf- 
gate harbour, undertook the eredion of a 
new mill, with fuch a power as to be able ta 
turn fix, and even eight pair of tones. When 
fpoken to by Mr. Simmons, and afked if he 
would undertake it, he replied in the af- 
firmative, adding at the fame time with a 
{mile, ‘Yes, I confent to your requeft, and 
Iam the only man in England, who ean - 
complete your project; for [ have been oc- 
cupied all my life about water, and think J 
can make a drop of it go further than any 
other man in the kingdom.” Inftead of 
converting this proje&t, which was finifhed 
by Mr. Abbot, of Canterbury, im -a very 
wafterly manner, into a monopoly for the 
opprefiion of the inhabitants, and the creas 
tion of an immenfe fortune, Mr. Simmons 
was enabled tu realize thofe projects deareft 
to his heart. It was capacious eneugh for 
the ambition of any man, ar the execution 
of any f{cheme*, as it forms a quadrangle 
Tt te ere 
* The following is an account of this in- 
genious contrivance :—** To the grinding 
floor the walls are fubftantially built of brick 
and ftene; from thence to the eaves, the 
building is continucd with maffy timber, 
covered with plain weather-boarding, ter- 
minating on the tour fides, handfomely and 
uniformly fathed, with a bold block cor- 
DICey | 
