452 
gradual decay, overlooked by a mind lefs at- 
tentive to it(lf than to others, although too 
evident to the f{crutinizing eye of affeétion, 
rendered abortive all the efforts of medical aid, 
and this amiable pattern of conjugal and pa- 
rental affeGtion expired, leaving a hufband and 
eight children to mourn their irreparable lofs, 
One of thofe children anxious to lend his 
@ecble aid towards refcuing from oblivion a 
charater fo valuable to fociety, has thus at- 
tempted to pourtray virtues which few of her 
fex have equalled, none excelled. The grave 
is how clofed over her! peace, love and re- 
verence be with her memory ! 
At his houfe in Suffolk-ftreet, Charing- 
crofs, the facetious Mr. Charles Bannifter, 
formerly for many years of Drury-lane and 
Covent-garden theatres, but latterly of the 
Fidy marker, and father of Mr. John Ban- 
nifter, the celebrated comedian. He was 
once an admirable vocal performer, chiefly 
from the bounty of Nature, for he was very 
little indebted to art. He was a fingular in- 
fiance of timidity in public life, thougha 
cont{picuous ornament of all convivial circles ; 
‘and he poffeffed fuch good fenfe and know- 
ledge of the world, that he might have be- 
come a good comic actor, if his powers had 
not been reftrained by this invincible timi. 
dity, Though fo long engaged in theatrical 
life, whenever he performed, he ufed to waik 
behind the fcenes during the intervals in 
Great agitation: He was an admirable mimic 
of public performers, -and expreffed their 
peculiar manner without giving them a cari- 
Cature excefs.—His imitations of Foote were 
very exact, particularly in AZzjor Srurgeon, 
which he ufed to exhibit with great fpirit in 
the manner of the original. But notwith- 
ftanding all his efforts, he was unable to: 
overcome his difidence on the ftage, and 
therefore feldom appeared, even in his bef 
days, but in finging chara€ters, Hardly any 
man was more ready at a repartee, and his 
bon mots were never marked with acrimony, 
but always with good humour in every fenfe 
of the word, This readinefs in colloquial 
pleafantry rendered his company very agree- 
able in convivial fociety, and he was tempted 
by fuch fociety fo much during life, that he 
forgot the warnings of Pane ases otherwife 
he migkt have fecured an ample provifion for 
the vale of years, into which: he defcended 
through many embarrafiments ; but, to the 
honour of his fon, it fhould be mentioned, 
that he always found a fure refource in filial 
affetion, and he always {poke of the affift- 
ance which he: derived from that affection 
with the otmof warmth of gratitude. A 
long attachment to fociety and the bottle im- 
paired his conftitutien to fuch a degree, that 
of late years it was neceflary to revive him 
with comfortable. cordials befcre he could 
talee dinner er prefide at the feftive board. 
Hiis refmains were:interred in the family vault 
in St. Martiz’s church, afd a nuplercus com- 
Marriages and Deaths in and near London. 
¢ 
[ Dec. ly 
pany of aétors and friends teftified their re- 
{pect by attending them to the grave. 
Mr. Fof-ph Griffiths, a vefpectable tradef- 
man of Oxford-ftreet. He had a houfe near 
Willan’s Farm, in the New Road, Mary- 
le-bonne, where he was found dead. It ap- 
peared that he put a period to his life with a 
mufket, the muzzle of which he had placed 
in his mouth, and difcharged it by a ftring 
fattened to is trigger. He was between 50 
and 60 years of age, much reipeéted, anda. 
member of the Mary-le-bonne Volunteers. 
No caufe could be aiffigned for the rath act, 
and the coroner’s jingueft brought in a verdict 
of lunacy. His wife expired a few days af- 
terwards; fhe had been for fome time in a 
bad ftate of health, and her hufband’s melan- 
choly end is fuppofed to have precipitated 
her diffolution. 
At a miferable court on Saffron-hill, a 
beggar of the name of ‘James, who for many 
years has afked charity about the ftreets, and 
who was known’by the long heary locks that 
hung over his fhoulders. Being aware of his 
diffolution, he fent for his only iffue, afweep, 
at Pentonville, and on his arrival the father 
made dumb motions for the removal of a 
brick in the chimney, which being done; 
the fun drew from a hole regl. in gold and 
filver fpecie. This penurious mendicant was 
of refpe&table parents in ‘Deyonfhire, and 
was in bufinefs in Exeter, which place he 
left in a ftate of infolvency in 1776, fince 
which time he has begged in the London 
ftreets. So penuricus was this old man, that 
on no account would ke part with his day’s 
produ€tion, and when his fupply fell fhort, 
he would. refift death by the foup which 
came from the bones he had picked up during 
his day’s travels. 
[Further particulars of Brand Hollis, efg. 
whofe déath was mentioned at page 369.—The 
perion of Mr. Hollis was fine and dignified ; 
and muft have been firikingly handfome ig 
his youth. Much of this appearance he ree 
tained within very few months of his death 5 
notwithftanding his long illnefs and very ad- 
vanced age. His manners were thofe of a 
gentleman of the oldfchool. He took no 
Ppleafure in country diverfions. He enjoyed the 
peace of nature on his own grounds, which he 
ae rendered additionally interefting, by giv- 
g to fome fine firs and other trees the names 
of MWiahdacen. Tek, Franklin, &c. Whether 
he had adopted this idea of planting com= 
memorative trees, and thus rendering them > 
dear and venerable, from one of the moft 
beautiful and affecting paffages in the ‘* Jar- 
dins” of the Abbe de Lille, or from the na- 
tural tendency of a mind alive to friendthip 
and patriotifm, the writer of this article knows 
not ; but he knows the faét from Mr. Hollis 
Feria mentioned it tohim, A great fource 
of amufement to Mr. Brand Hollis, was in 
his fine gems, marbles, bronzes, medals, pic-' 
tures and books. He cneenalaees “high. i 
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