1810, July 30. Died, Thomas Ludlam, who had filled the office of governor of Sierra Leone, and where he expired, on board the Crocodile frigate, in the thirty-fifth year of his age. He was the son of the rev. William Ludlam,[1] and inherited no small share of his father's natural talent for scientific pursuits; which having been cultivated by a sound classical education, his first views in life, in conformity to the particular wishes of his father, were turned to the liberal profession of a printer; and in that capacity, says Mr. John Nichols,[2] I gladly bear testimony to the excellence of his conduct during a regular apprenticeship. Gentle and unassuming in his manners, and industrious in his habits of business, his conduct gave general satisfaction both to his equals and superiors. Soon after the expiration of his apprenticeship, an opportunity occurred, which was thought favourable both to his health, and his future fortune, of entering into the service of the Sierra Leone company; and in that infant colony he was for a considerable time one of the council, and at length became governor. On the colony being taken into the hands of the administration, a new governor was appointed by the crown; but Mr. Ludlam obtained an especial commission, with power to visit such parts of Africa as might be thought useful to the interests of Great Britain and the general cause of humanity; an undertaking for which, by his mild conciliatory manners, and by the experience acquired during a long residence at Sierra Leone, he was most eminently qualified. But his bodily strength was not equal to the task he had undertaken; and he fell a victim to disease, originally arising from a weak constitution; but with the pleasing consolation, both to himself and his surviving friends, that his life, though not a long one, was wholly passed in endeavours to be useful to all mankind.[3]
1810. The Book of Common Prayer, in English, was printed at Verdun, in France, for the use of the English travellers who were detained by order of the French government after the breaking out of the war between the two countries, in 1803. The volume is in 12mo, and bears for imprint, Verdun, printed by Lewis Christophe, Place d'Armes, 1810.
1810, July 20. The printing-office of Mr. Paris, in Tooke's-court, Fleet-street, London, together with three houses, destroyed by fire, and one woman burnt to death.
1810. Matthew Gallagher, proprietor and printer of the Trinidad Courant, published Letters and Documents relative to the imprisonment of the author, 12mo. By Matthew Gallagher, printer and proprietor of the Trinidad Courant.
1810, July 28. The printing-office of Mr. Gillet, in Salisbury-square, Fleet-street, London, totally destroyed by fire.
1810 A. T. De Hearne, of East Smithfield, London, obtained a patent for improvements on the printing and stamping presses.
1810, Dec. 11. Nineteen journeymen printers of the Times newspaper, London, convicted of a conspiracy,[4] and were sentenced as follows:—Robert Hewlett and John Gee, to be each fined one shilling and imprisoned two years in Newgate; William Clifton, Stephen Beckett, and George Westray, to be each fined one shilling, and imprisoned eighteen months; Stephen Hurley, Henry Byrne, and Thomas Woolley, to be each fined one shilling, and be imprisoned twelve months; Roderic Paskin, Edward Kidd, Wm. Williams, Corbet Lathom, William Coy, James M'Cartney, John M'Intosh, Nathaniel Collins, Malcolm Craig, John Simpson, and John Chapman, each to be fined one shilling, and imprisoned nine months.
1810. The Pulpit. This periodical was the production of Mr. Peter L. Courtier, (under the signature of Onesimus) an assistant in the house of Messrs. Rivingtons', booksellers, Paternoster-row; and forms two volumes 8vo. 1810-12.—Mr. L. Courtier was the author of several poems, and Memoirs of the Life of the Rev. William Huntingdon,[5] (by Onesimus,[6]) 8vo. 1813.
1810. The twelve labours of an editor, separately pitted against those of Hercules, 12mo.
1810. The Spy, a periodical by James Hogg, the Ettrick shepherd,[7] for which his little knowledge of society, and very poor education, by no means fitted him. It continued twelve months.
1810. The Dumfries Courier commenced. In 1818 this paper received an accession of talent of no common kind, in Mr. M'Diarmid, then a very young man, as editor and part proprietor. His enthusiastic interest in homely and rural matters—his piquant, lively, and often eloquent style—and the kindly benevolence that sparkles through all, render his lucubrations, even when they border on the marvellous, very attractive.
- ↑ Mr. Ludlam was fellow of St. John's college, Cambridge, rector of Cuckfield, in Suffolk, and was highly celebrated for his skill in mechanics and mathematics. He was author of a great number of works upon those subjects. He died March 19, 1788, aged seventy-one, and was buried at St. Mary's, in Leicester. Thomas Ludlam, his brother, was rector of Foston, in Leicestershire, confrator of Wigston's hospital, and an able polemic writer. See an account of him in the Gents. Mag. vol. 81, ii. page 492.
- ↑ See Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, vol. iii. 643.
- ↑ His mother erected a monument at Leicester to the memory of so excellent a son. William Ludlum, surgeon, at Leicester, a younger brother, died April 1, 1813. He was on the high path of professional eminence, and deservedly esteemed in public and private life.
- ↑ Combinatlions amongst journeymen ware forbidden by law, June 21, 1799; which act was repealed, Aug. 1825.
- ↑ William Huntingdon died July 1, 1813.
- ↑ Letter to Onesimus, in answer to his remarks on William Huntingdon, 8vo. 1810 By William Smith, a preacher of the Huntingdonian description, who, in imitation of his master, of leather breeches memory, subscribed M.G., that is, "Miracle of Grace."
- ↑ James Hogg, originally a shepherd in the secluded district of Ettrick, in Scotland, enjoys the merit of having, from the condition of an unlettered peasant, struggled through many unfavourable and adverse circumstances, into a literary reputation which many men possessing every advantage might well envy. His qualifications as a poet have been described as "great powers of versification, an unusual copiousness and facility in the use of poetical fiction and imagery, a lively conception of natural beauty, with a quick and prolific fancy to body forth his conceptions." His principal works are, the Queen's Wake, 1818; followed by two volumes of Dramatic Tales, the Pilgrims of the Sun, 1815; Queen Hynde, 1823; Winter Evening Tales, and the Shepherd's Calendar. He died November 21, 1835, aged 59 years.
