Volume 3

Wonderful characters : comprising memoirs and anecdotes of the most remarkable persons of every age and nation. / collected from the most authentic sources by Henry Wilson.

  • Wilson, H. (Henry), 1864-1934.
Date:
1821
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Wonderful characters : comprising memoirs and anecdotes of the most remarkable persons of every age and nation. / collected from the most authentic sources by Henry Wilson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    sobriety and industry caused his master to make him a journeyman, and raise his wages. From the conversation of the excisemen at the mill young Cooke conceived their business was attended with great emolument, and intimated to his master that he should wish to become one. Mr. Posile, wishina to oblige a faithful servant, procured his appointment'to a district near London, and gave him a letter of introdut- tion to a sugar baker. On his arrival in London, in the Norwich waggon, he had only eight shillings in his pocket. Though appointed to a district, Cooke found there was great delay, and some expense before he could act as an exciseman ; he therefore took the situation of porter to the sugar baker, and in course of time became a journeyman. Here he did not neglect his appointment to the Excise, but reserved sufficient time to himself to give it every necessary attention. By attendance on the superior of the district in which he was to act, and by the money he saved while in the service of the sugar baker, Cooke was at length enabled to assume the dig- nity to which he had so long aspired. . Being appointed to inspect the exciseable concerns of a paper-mill and manufactory near Tottenham, Cooke was exceedingly well pleased; for being already versed in some parts of the trade, from the knowledge he had acquired in the service of Mr. Postle, he was desirous of learning those secrets in the trade, to which he was still a stranger. During the time he was officially em- ployed in this concern, the master of the paper-mills and manufactory died. The widow, however, by the advice of her friends, carried on the business, with the assistance of the foreman. Cooke's k^nowledge of the business, but particularly the regularity with which he rendered his accounts to the Board of Excise, induced the Commissioners to con- tinue him in the employ. In the mean time, he took a