An auto-biographical memoir of Sir John Barrow, bart., late of the Admiralty, including reflections, observations and reminiscences, at home and abroad. From early life to advanced age / [Sir John Barrow].

  • John Barrow
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An auto-biographical memoir of Sir John Barrow, bart., late of the Admiralty, including reflections, observations and reminiscences, at home and abroad. From early life to advanced age / [Sir John Barrow]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    I cannot forego the opportunity now afforded me to say a word in favour of my native place, where my earliest, and I believe my happiest, days were passed ; and, having briefly stated what I have learned from others, I proceed to the subject of my Memoir. The only scholastic education I received was at the Town Bank grammar-school, under the Rev. William Tyson Walker, curate of the parish church, and an ex- cellent classical scholar, educated at Trinity College, Dublin. Before this the Town Bank school had fallen into the hands of an old gouty gentleman, of the name of Ferdinand (usually called Furdy by the boys) Hodgson, whose wife kept a sort of stationer’s and bookseller’s shop. His knowledge of Latin extended — little beyond the Syntaaxis, Asin presenti, and Propria que maribus, &c.; any further progress could only be had by a removal to the distance of sixteen miles, to the Free Grammar-school at Hawkshead, founded in 1584. Fardy Hodgson was particularly kind to me; and, performed my task, he took me by the hand into his shop, and spreading on the counter a great number of books for young people, he desired me to look at them and choose any one I pleased, as a present. I pitched upon a small History of the Bible, with wood-cuts, which so pleased the old man, that he foretold to my pa- rents that I should prove a treasure to them. ‘Trrifling as this was, it produced its effect, and has on many occasions recurred to my memory. Poor Fardy having given up the school, some of the leading persons of Ulverstone, desirous of affording to their children a better education than had hitherto been available, came to an agreement, in order to make the
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