THEIR AUTHORS AND ORIGIN. 313
ia Staffordshire, where his forefathers had lived for some genera tions on their own land. This property, which his grandfather had diminished by extravagance, Samuel s father saved from further diminution and brought up on it a family of ten, of whom the subject of this sketch was the youngest but one. His mother, the daughter of a Dissenting minister at Dudley, was a woman of great activity, strong sense, and earnest piety ; and in each of these respects she found a faithful imitator in the son, of whom we are writing. At ten years of age he went to the grammar school at Wolverhamj^ton, accomplishing his walk of two miles thither before seven in the morning, in all weathers, and filling up his evening with work for his industry-loving mother.
At the age of fourteen, he was apprenticed at Wolverhampton, where he continued his work of mental improvement concurrently with the fulfilment of his business duties. In 1805, when twenty years of age, he came to Manchester, and after some years of experience in a Manchester house he entered upon business for himself, and soon rose by his talents and integrity to a first place among the merchants of that city.
During his whole course, Mr. Fletcher continually gave atten tion to his own mental improvement, to the happiness and culture of his family, and to the service of Christ in the world. He did not admit that the man of -business must renounce letters, and be stunted in mind for the sake of the growth of his material pros perity. It was his constant aim to supply his mind with invigo rating pabulum, and to keep its energies well exercised, and he urged the same course upon- others. To him, it is believed, is duo the formation of Owens College, Manchester, which was opened in 1851. It was his wish that there should be in Manchester an institution where men of business might in their opening man hood have the opportunity of carrying on their, education ; and the liberality of Mr. Owens made it possible to carry out this wish. In Owens College Mr. Fletcher took the liveliest interest. He founded a scholarship in it, and contributed largely to its other funds.
Mr. Fletcher s character, attainments, and wealth, opened
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