The relations of the ‘Times’ with the government were regarded with some suspicion. Horsman insinuated in the House of Commons in 1860 that Delane's political views were influenced by Lord and Lady Palmerston's hospitalities. Palmerston declared that their relations were merely social. Delane was a frequent guest of Palmerston, and of Lady Waldegrave at Strawberry Hill. In 1863 the ‘Times’ in an article on 3 Dec. accused Bright of proposing to divide the lands of the rich among the poor. Cobden wrote to ‘the editor’ on the 4th declaring that ‘shameless disregard of the claims of consistency and sincerity’ had long distinguished the ‘Times,’ and accusing the editor of undue subservience. Delane wrote to Cobden on the 7th declining to publish this letter. Cobden thereupon addressed a letter of similar tenor to ‘John T. Delane, esq.,’ and this appeared in the ‘Daily News.’ A correspondence followed. Delane deprecated Cobden's employment of his private name (instead of ‘the editor’). The letters were eventually republished by Cobden in 1864, ‘to show the surreptitious relations which a journal professedly anonymous and independent maintains with the government.’ The unfairness of the attack on Bright was established, but Cobden gained little by these letters (see Morley, Life of Cobden). Delane, though greatly opposed to all war policies, was a keen critic of military affairs, and was fond of riding about with the troops during the autumn manœuvres in Wiltshire and Berkshire. In 1864 he was largely influential in preventing the government from interfering in defence of Denmark, and in 1870 he foresaw, as few did, that the Franco-Prussian war must result in favour of Germany. In spite of the late hours which his post obliged him to keep, he long retained his health and florid appearance, but in 1877 his strength gave way. The unremitting effort of five-and-thirty years, calling for so much decision, self-reliance, and self-control, and the loss of the family, social, and country pleasures which he most valued, overcame his strength. His mind began to fail, and he retired in 1877. He was succeeded by Thomas Chenery [q. v.] ‘But who,’ asked Lord Beaconsfield, ‘will undertake the social part of the business? who will go about in the world and do all that which Mr. Delane did so well?’ (Yates, Reminiscences, 4th ed. 330). He had bought of Mr. Cobden in 1859 some land near Ascot, where he built himself a house, and here he lived until his death, which occurred at his residence, Ascot Heath House, on 22 Nov. 1879. He was buried at Easthampstead in Berkshire, a country parish with which he had been intimately connected throughout his life, and a mural tablet has since been erected to his memory in the church.
[Macmillan's Mag. Jan. 1880; Times, 25 Nov. 1879 (inaccurate as to early life); Kinglake's Crimean War; Forster's Dickens; information supplied by Delane's family; Ashley's Life of Palmerston; Ballantyne's Experiences, i. 276.]
DELANE, SOLOMON (1727–1784?), landscape-painter, born at Edinburgh in 1727, was a self-taught artist, who worked entirely from nature. He travelled in France and Italy, painting many landscapes, and settled for some years in Rome. In 1763 he sent a large landscape from Rome to the exhibition at Spring Gardens, and in 1771 sent two landscapes to the exhibition of the Royal Academy. Up to 1777 he continued to send landscapes from Rome to the principal exhibitions, and then appears to have travelled in Germany, residing about 1780 near Augsburg. In 1782 he appears to have returned to London, and exhibited two views in the Alps at the Royal Academy. His name appears for the last time in 1784, after which date nothing more is known of him. His landscapes were admired for their good perspective and effective treatment of the sky. In the print room at the British Museum there is a large humorous etching by him, entitled ‘The Right Comical L. C. J., J. Sparks.’
[Redgrave's Dict. of Artists; Nagler's Künstler-Lexikon; Graves's Dict. of Artists, 1760–1880; Catalogues of the Royal Academy, &c.]
DELANY, MARY (1700–1788), wife of Patrick Delany [q. v.], was born 14 May 1700, at Coulston, Wiltshire. She was daughter of Bernard Granville, younger brother of George Granville, lord Lansdowne [q. v.], by the daughter of Sir Martin Westcomb. Her father's sister Ann was maid of honour to Queen Mary, and afterwards married Sir John Stanley, who from 1708 to 1744 was one of the commissioners of customs. Mary Granville was sent to live with her aunt, in expectation of a place in Queen Anne's household. Upon the death of Queen Anne, the Granvilles fell with the tories. Bernard Granville was arrested, and retired upon his release, to Buckland, near Campden, Gloucestershire. Here Mary was admired by an amiable young man named Twyford. Her uncle, Lord Lansdowne, after eighteen months in the Tower, settled at Longleat, then in possession of his wife's family. His niece was sent to stay with him, and there met Alexander Pendarves of Roscrow, near Falmouth, Cornwall, who was near sixty,
