NINETEENTH CENTURY.
803
1834, July 11. Died, Thomas Flindell, proprietor and printer of the Watera Luminaty, tt weekly newspaper, established in the city of Exeter, in the year 1813. Mr. Flindell was, we believe, a native of Helford, in Cornwall, and serred an apprenticeship at FaIniouth,wfaere, however, he made so little proficiency, that on removing to Edinburgh, where he was engaged as a journeyman, his earnings were at nrst scarcely sufficient for his subsistence.* In some of the first houses in London, Mr. Flindell sub- sequently made great improvement ; and about the year 1790, was engaged to conduct the Donetuter Gazelle. He has been heard to relate, that when the trial of Hardy, Home Took, and others was pending, and the public mind waited the result in breathless expectation, he ventured in grave terms to state their acquittal, though at the moment it was no more than a strong proba- bility. The assertion, however, being luckily in accordance with fact, the paper obtained great celebrity for early intelligence ! On commencing business at Helston, in nis native [county, wiu a press and types in good condition, he executed Zton't PUgnm, in 8vo. for the rev. Dr. Hawker,f of Plymouth, in handsome style, together with Popes Eitay on Man, and some smaller pieces. - Besides printing several thin volumes oi Pol- whele's Hittory of Cornwall, in post 4to. his neat work was a Family Bible, in royal 4to. in English, with notes in small pica, inserted between portions of the text. The authorship, or compilation of the notes, " under the direc- tion of a clergyman of the church of England," is supposed to point to the rev. R. Polwhele ^ but thougn notes were furnished by that gentleman, (see his Tradiliotu, &c. p. 371,) we believe they were collected more or less by the editor him- self. The introduction, a dissertation on the prophecy of Daniel, and we believe some other puts, were from the pen of the rev. John WhitakeT,§ the historian of Manchester. This
- Hr. Flindell owd to relate the fbUowtn^ •toy of his
Undlidy, with whom he lodged, at Edinburgh. " The quantity of Tocetablea uanally distied op with the meat of hlmwlf and fellow lodger, wai eo abundant, that they entreated her to obtain a leg of mntton, and aerve it up when boiled cu it wot. The worthy hostess timptp com- piled with their request, and actoally set the pot oontain- iac the motton on the table."
t Bobert Hawlcer, D.D., was ftfty years vicar of the larish of Charles, Plymouth, where he died AprU 1, issr. In 1814, Dr. Hawker published an edition of the holy •Cflptures, in penny numbers, for the use of the poor.
t Rev. Richard Polwhele, vicar of Manaccan and of Anthony in Cornwall, in which county he was bcm In the year 1760.
t John Whitalter, the historian of Manchester, wasbom in that town about 1735, and went early to Oxford, where he was elected feUow of Corpus Christi coUege, and where he discovered, in a very short time, those line originalities, those peculiarities of mind, which afterwards so strongly mailied him as an author and as a man. He took the degree of M.A., 17S9, and B.D. 1767. In 1771, Mr. WUt- aker published the trst volume of the Hittory ofManeia- ttr, 4to. a work which for acuteuess of research, bold imagination, independent sentiment, and correct informa- tion, has scarcely it* parallel in the literature of this coun- try. His Oautint Hittory of the Britofu auerttd, an Bvo. volone, published in 177!t, may be accepted as the sequel to JfoiieitMfer. About the year 177s, he succeeded as fellow of Corpus Christi college, to the rectory of Ruan- Langhome, one of the most valuable livings in the gift of that college, and went into Cornwall to reside upon )Us
work is very handsomely printed ; but, we regret to say, was carried no further than about the middle of the evangelists. After spending some years in Helston, Mr. Flindell removed to Fal- mouth, where he united with three other part- ners in the publication of a weekly paper of four pages, consisting each of four columns, (after- wards enlargedO and denominated the Cornwall Gazette and Falmouth Packet. His partners failing in business, he was incapable of sustain- ing the pressure, and a stop was put to the news- paper as well as the publication of the Family aiile, in numbers. Justly reckoned, however, by the gentlemen and merchants of Cornwall aa a highly suitable person to conduct a country paper, a subscription was entered into when he was in Bodmin prison, which in 1803 enabled him to start the Ruyal Cornwall Gazette, at Truro, under circumstances highly auspicious. This was for some years the only public journal in Cornwall. Its editorial tone was spirited, and free from party bias, till circumstances induced thepubusher to take his stand on the tory side. He seems to have tired of the political warfare in which he was incessantly engaged with a rival editor, and having dispwed of the Gazette, he removed to Exeter in 1813, where he established the Weitem Luminary, on the principles more recently advocated by himself, and met with ample encouragement At length some intemperate language relative to queen Caroline occasioned a crown prosecution against him ; and being convicted of a libel on the unfortunate royal consort, he underwent an imprisonment fatal to his health and comfort. His death took place about eighteen months after his enlargement. — He uniteid great energy and decision of character with manners adapted to the best society. His conversation was ani- mated and improving; and his compositions, though sometimes severe, were vivid and manly.
IC^, Aug. The printing-offices of Mr. James Moyes and Mr. Wilson, of Greville-street, Hat- ton-garden, London, destroyed by lire, and much valuable property lost.
1824, Sept. 2. Died, Rev. John Sim, BJk., late of St. Alban's hall, Oxford. He was born October 8, 1746, in the parish of Banchary Feman, about 18 miles west of Aberdeen. He was educated at the public school in Aberdeen ; but it is uncertain whether be was at college there. Whether he was apprenticed to any business, is also uncertain ; but if so, it was doubtless the printing business. One of his brothers, two years older than himself, who died about 1816, served his apprenticeship to this business in Aberdeen, and was for many years employed in the office of Mr. Strahan, London. In 1772, Mr. John Sim succeeded his friend, Mickle, the poet, as corrector of the Clarendon press, at Oxford. He obtained the friendship of William Lowndes, esq., of Cheshunt, Bucks, and was very intimate with lords William and
rectory, where he died, Oct. 30, I8O8, leaving a widow and two daughters to lament the loss of a faithful husband and alTectionate parent.
VjOOQ IC
