Partie ff. 22, 24, 26, 28, 31, 33, 35, 37 - Autograph memoir of Benjamin Starkey, entitled ‘A Short Account of the Writer of this Narration’, concluding with a letter from him to Mr Humble junior, 14 Nov. 1811

8 sheets, with 8 blank leaves (ff. 23, 25, 27, 29–30, 32, 34, 36) interleaved

(The text differs greatly from the printed memoir.)

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Transcript

A Short Account of the Writer of this Narration.

A Narrative of the life and Various Incidents that has attended the Writer hereof from his earliest Age down to the present period is most humbly laid down for the perusal of his friends and in particular at the Request of his very Worthy & respected Young friend Mr S. Humble of the Town & County of Newcastle upon Tyne to whom it comes greeting, and hope it will be found Acceptable to all his numerous friends in General.——Benjamin Starkey Son of the late Benjamin and Mary Starkey (who were both Natives of this Town and County) was born in the Year 1757 the 19th Day of December in Brownlow Street Long Acre, at the Lying in Hospital in that place, and as soon as possible, was early initiated and instructed in the knowledge of Letters as far as his Abilities at that time could take them in, and thanks to God learned so fast, as greatly surprized all who at that time knew him, His Mother then being his Attentive teacher keeping a School herself, for the improvement of young Children in which She was very Successful, and gave great Satisfaction to all who favored her, however the Natural genius of the Writer of these Memoirs requiring Superior teaching, he was placed under an eminent Master of languages and at Seven Years of Age, began to learn the Latin tongue, and in a Very short time, was able to Read the Latin Testament, and other Authors, and made Considerable improvement in Writing and Accompts; but it unfortunate happened that in my very young Days I had the misfortune to fall, and so hurt my left Arm, which brought on a White Swelling, which totally renderd me unfit as I grew up for any Arduous Employment; and such was the Opinion of Eminent Surgeons (such as the noted Doctors Hawkins & Bromfield who were than employed in their profession under the Patronage of the late King George the Second, but from these Gentlemen my poor Sorrowful Parents could receive no Satisfaction they having declared that an Amputation was absolutely necessary, unto which they could not, nor would not Consent it happened however very fortunate that thro’ some friends, my parents were recommended to a french Surgeon, who after trying his Skill, thro’ the goodness of God gave me the Use of it, altho to this Day it is weaker and smaller than the Other. being by this disaster rendered unfit for any arduous Employment in Life at the Age of Fourteen, he was bound an Apprentice to an Eminent School Master in Fetter Lane Holborn, on the Twentieth day of December 1771, and fully compleated the term of Seven Years in 1778. After that period he entered as an Assistant and teacher of the French Language to a Gentlemans Boarding School in Robertsbridge in Sussex, and in the same line had the honor to be french Master to a Ladies Boarding School in the same Vicinity;—about Nine or ten Months from thence he returned to London & for Some little time was an Assistant to another Accademy in Smithfield When there, in the Year 1780, the Writer came to this Town in the Interest of Andrew Robinson Bowes Esq:r who at that time gained his Election, as a Member of Parliament, for this place, in the Year 1784 the Honorable Charles Brandling of Gosforth House puting up in Conjunction with the Honorable Sir Matthew White Ridley of Blagdon in Northumberland Bart the Writer again came down in their Interest and happily saw those Gentlemen chosen Thomas Dalaval Esqr who being a Candidate at that time was unsuccessful, & lost the Day. returning no more to London at that time He had the good fortune of being settled in a School at Sunderland in the County of Durham, by the favor and Phylantrophy of a very Worthy Gentleman of this Town whose goodness I can never while I live forget as he was so kind as to lay down a large Sum of Money for my Entering into the School there; the sum was five Pounds besides two pound for myself as existing Money for myself {1} untill the Monies arising from my School Concerns came due to me, but after going on with it about a Year and finding it by no means Sufficient I had the good fortune to address myself to a Gentleman who was the Comptroller of his Majestys Customs there, but for the Space of three Months heard nothing from it, however as I wrote in October 1775, it pleased God in the December following I had the Honor to receive an Answer in which he requested I would wait upon him on the Morning of that, which was Christmas Day, and from that Day to the time of the Death of my ever to be remembered and much respected friend William Gooch Esqr, was as happy as could be for the Space of Eight Years, seeing in that time the Death of his Honorable Wife and Sister by whom the Writer was very much befriended, but his loss was in the Death of that Gentleman himself, for many misfortunes happened to him, not withstanding thro’ the Divine Good he has been greatly helped and brought thro’ them all as is evident at this Day; not being able to return his place oweing to a New Comptroller being appointed, he was obliged to give up his Situation the Gentleman bringing his own Clerks into the Office; however they were so kind as to make a Collection of three Guineas, which was to be paid me at four Shillings per Week, by the late Mr B, who was then instructing as a Landwaiter for Newcastle living a long time here, and finding I cou’d fall into no employment, I lef this Town in order to go to London, leaving fifteen Shillings & Six pence in his hand; this Man also Dying before I came back unfortunately for me it was as lost for I could never obtain one farthing not knowing where to see his Widow, however on my return thither I fortunately met with a Gentleman who was the then Marshall of the Town to whom and to whose family I am and must ever be greatly obliged, especially as he befriended me to the then Mayor the later very Worthy and Worshipful Rob[er]t Shaftoe Hedley Hedley† Esq:r who favored me with the Living I now have the honor & happiness to enjoy, and here I beg leave to say that if any thing can afford me felicity on this side Eternity it assuredly must be in remaining all his {2} Days their most Duteous, and very humble Servant; nor can the Writer do less than Wish to each, all, and every one of them, and their Hond & Respectable familys, all health Happiness, and Success in teim and for Ever, for all their Civilities to the poor transcriber of this Account; which if it should be thought Worthy of their perusal, will be an ample Compensation for the Recital of these facts; how far they may be found worthy of public Acceptance I know not, yet as they are written from a principle of Gratitude to you Sir, and all my numberless friends they are most humbly laid down by your poor but most Obedient and very humble Servant

Benjamin Starkey, who if Spared till the 19th day of December next will then be Compleatly fifty four Years of Age. In hope therefore of its being Candidly Received, I with all due Gratitude Conclude.—

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To Mr Humble Junr

Sir,

As prolixity is tedious I trust & hope you will be pleased to take in good part what I have the honor now to lay before you, as I am Conscious of my imbecility and have never before wrote any thing for public inspection, I am constrained to beg you and the Readers thereof will take all in good part, and I Cannot but wish, should you Commit these to the press, that you may in the Publication thereof meet with ample Success, Which is indeed the very Sincere Wish of your poor but very

Humble Servant
Benjamin Starkey

Freemans Hospital
N: Castle on Tyne
14 Nov:r 1811

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In the MS the pronoun ‘I’ is often written close to the succeeding word. Fols. 33, 35, and 37 are blank.

{1} ‘for myself’: an attempt may have been made to erase these two words.

{2} Over ‘my’, erased.

† Sic.

Bound in to Crewe MS 33.