which I have many specimens, addressed both to my Father and myself, and ought to have kept more *. * Extracts from a few of these shall be given. "SIR, Hertford, Dec. 9, 1782. "I am desired to send this book to Mr. Hutchinson by a Relation, who supposes it may be of some use to him in his 'History of Durham.' From the very little of it which I am able to read, I am not of that opinion. However, I take the liberty of sending it to you for his inspection. J. CARR." Hertford, June 11, 1784. "DEAR SIR, "On the 13th of May, the day of my receiving your letter, I wrote to my Newsman, to forward an Evening paper to Mr. Bower. I said, 'any paper except the St. James's and Middlesex;' and wish to hear of his having got one to his mind, because it is a very material thing to have a paper of one's own kidney, when far gone in politicks. Mr. Bower's, I take.it for granted, is expected to be crammed with the virtue and innocence of the young Premier, who will very soon give his friends in Yorkshire complete satisfaction on the subject of their projected Reform in Parliament. I hope your cold caught at the Address-meeting has been a long time gone. I got one much about the same time, without the merit of addressing, which has stuck by me to this hour. However, I think of getting the better of it at last-otherwise it will get the better of me at last, which will be then no great matter of contest between us. I think as you do respecting Sir T. Clavering; but the ruling passion will travel through, nor leave him till he die. When you see Mr. Allan, be so kind as to mention to him my mortification at not being able to prevail with Mr. Bacon to let Mr. Hutchinson have a sight of a Survey of the County of Durham in his possession, taken in the reign of Henry VI. "Mr. Allan will soon see his son at Darlington: if he be as much pleased with him as I am, it will be a great satisfaction to me. Whenever I write, my good friend Mrs. Watson is to suppose that my wife and I do not forget her, nor any one of her family. To the Rev. Mr. Watson. J. CARR." Hertford, July 13, 1784. "DEAR ALLAN, "If I had received your letter yesterday, when we had several Frankers at Hertford, you might possibly have received this free of postage; though that is a matter to which I pay little regard. You say something concerning being admitted at College. That is a subject on which I have not troubled your Father, because he is certainly the properest judge to determine it. The present Term at Oxford ends on Saturday next, so that you cannot perhaps be admitted till after the Long Vacation, nor then without being personally present. I am not very fond of young men going early to College, but suppose Mr. Allan will fix either on this year or the next. In either case, perhaps, your being admitted this year might be adviseable, for the obtaining a senicrity. I have so good an opinion of your talents, that I own I When I was at Chelmsford with the Durham Militia, only a few months before his death, I wrote to him, and in a postscript added that Mrs. wish you not to be without any advantages arising from the institutions of a College. I some time ago, by application to Dr. Mortimer, the Rector of Lincoln College, obtained one of the augmented Durham Exhibitions for a young man at Muggleswick, which I afterwards had the mortification to find his bad health would not allow him to accept. If your friends wish any inquiry to be made concerning these or any other Exhibitions, I am always at their service. There is a Durham exhibition, a good one I believe, at Corpus; but I know not when it is likely to be vacant. Borradale and I were at Oxford last week. He was admitted of Merton; and has the good fortune to have an able and most agreeable man for his tutor, Mr. Booth*, a Yorkshireman. I write in a hurry, but you are not obliged to copy me in carelessness. I have been swallowing bark in great quantities for a periodical pain in my head, and think myself much better. I thank your Father for the Election Print, in which I think I recognise the features of my friend Sir Thomas, though I am not sufficiently skilled in the politicks of the County fully to understand the wit of it. J. CARR." "DEAR SIR,' Cambridge, Oct. 30, 1784. "Having a good opinion of Dr. Jowett, the tutor of Trinity Hall, I have this day admitted Mr. Allan of that College, to which I have no doubt of his being an honour. A thought has this afternoon occurred to me, which I take the liberty of mentioning. As Mr. Allan is intended for the Bar, would it not be proper to have his name entered at one of the Inns of Court? A certain number of Terms there, you know, is necessary for his being called to the Bar. If you will favour me with your commands, they shall be punctually observed, on this and on any occasion, J. C." London, July 15, 1785. "DEAR SIR, "I came to this great Town last night, and my first call was at Mr. Nichols's, to inquire after your book. He was gone out of town, and I do not expect to see him whilst I am in it. I am, however, going to his house this evening, with two or three prints in my pocket, which I have collected in my walks, and which I take the liberty of desiring to send with the book. Accept my most grateful thanks for the many, very many instances of your generosity to, dear Sir, your ever obedient, &c. J. CARR." Hertford, Dec. 29, 1785. "DEAR SIR, "When I was in London a week ago, Mrs. Whitehill laid an injunction upon me to thank you for a present of Salmon. As I have a great deal more to thank you for, I trouble you with this acknowledgment of receiving a present of Salmon at the same time, since which, a large Goose-pye, bearing evident marks of Darlington, has come to Hertford. To-morrow, according to annual custom, the Corporation of Hertford are to honour me * Nathanael Booth, M. A. 1764; B. D. 1776. Allan's poor favourite Tom was dead, and that she despaired of getting a Poet in the whole Garrison to sound his praise. Tom was a cat that had often visited Dr. Carr along with us, and had travelled on the Continent and elsewhere constantly in a basket with their company to dinner, when ample justice will be done to the goodness of it. I wish I had any thing to communicate, that could give you the least entertainment. The only news I hear is, of the Emperor forbidding the use of our manufactures, which is not very pleasing. Sir William Meredith, they say, is to be joined to Mr. Eden in the business at Paris. Your son, who was here about ten days ago, mentioned to my wife an intention of yours to intrust us with his brother. I hope it is unnecessary for me to say, that we shall always be made happy by any confidence you may repose in, dear Sir, your very much obliged, &c. J. CARR." Hertford, Feb. 18, 1789. “DEAR MR. WATSON, "I hope to hear of your having got well home. I dare say Mrs. Watson is not much mortified at leaving the fumum et opes strepitumque Romæ, for the sake of sitting by her own fire at Middleton Tyas. I have heard nothing of Mr. Hutchinson's intentions respecting his MSS. which, if he does not wish to have the opinion of any other manager, may be sent in the box containing the Copying Machine: J. CARR." Port Hill, May 27, 1789. "SIR, "I have seen your letter to your son, and cannot sufficiently express my thanks for your obliging attention to whatever concerns my interest. The rent of the farm till May-day last was £36; but the tenant has agreed to pay £40. from that time. Which of these two sums is to be mentioned to the venerable Body, I submit to your better judgment; only wishing them to understand, that I detest all trick and subterfuge as much as they do; and which indeed would be useless with gentlemen so very sharpsighted. I told you some money had been lately laid out on the house; but, as the farm does not bring me a farthing more on that account, I can hardly think that will be made use of as a pretext for raising the fine. "A kind of canvass for the Borough of Hertford has been lately made by some persons of no great consequence, in favour of a Mr. Wharton *, who is said to be a friend and neighbour of Sir James Pennyman, Member for Beverley. I wonder what Mr. Wharton he can be: not one of the Durham Whartons, I think. Whoever he may be, he cannot, in my opinion, have any chance of success, unless he were introduced by men of more consequence than Mr. Beecroft of the Bell Inn, &c. Indeed the avenues are so well guarded, that I do not see how a stranger can succeed at any rate. Your much obliged and obedient servant, J. CARR." *Of Skelton Castle, M. P. for Beverley. He is grandson of the Author of the Crazy Tales, and changed his name on acquiring the vast property of his great aunt, commonly called Peg Wharton. "Port on the carriage wherein we went. The Doctor sent a poetical answer by return of post, which, however trivial the subject, exhibits a mind full of good-nature and playful humour.-He died June 6, 1807, after experiencing a gradual decay for nearly a year before; but on the day of his death was, as he supposed, in much better health than usual. He was buried in All Saints church, Hertford; where, on a mural tablet, is an inscription*, written by himself: "Port Hill, Dec. 30, 1789. "I left a line, my good friend, at Elson's, signifying. my hopes of your having no objection to dine on Monday at Mr. Byron'st, where I had been previously engaged, and where I was sure you would be just as much at your ease as in your own house.. Your not coming disappointed him much. I am glad, however, that you had so good a reason for not coming. As you say nothing of the present state of your Father's health, I hope it is better than some time ago. So generous and ingenious, so honest and friendly a man, is worthy of all that Fortune can bestow; and I have often grieved to think of the peevishness and jealousy of old age standing in the way of his prospects. With respect to your brother, I own myself somewhat mortified at his keeping his resolution so profound a secret, because I had concluded that he was sensible of my best wishes. I hardly know what to say at present concerning the Election, except that the chance seems rather against my being present at it. I hardly know any gentleman who could more readily prevail on me to vote for his friend than yourself: but Mr. Milbank is the brother-in-law of Lord Melbourne, my late Patron, who may, for any thing I know to the contrary (if he should hear of my little scrap of freehold) take it into his head to be very importunate on the occasion. Lord Auckland, I am told, is endeavouring to kick out his brother. Is it true? Sir John's political sin, you know, was an adherence to Lord North, of whose system I never was an admirer; but a man who acts consistently even on a mistaken principle is, in my opinion, preferable to him who has no principle at all. Lord Bernard is reported to have said the civilest things imaginable to all the three Candidates without exception.—I am rather uncertain, at this present writing, whether I may not set out for Bath next week, not to be cured of my bile, but to visit my friends. J. C." * This Epitaph was written by Dr. Carr in 1804, soon after the death of his wife; and a copy of it was sent by him to the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. LXXIV. p. 185. under the title of "Inscription on a Tablet in Muggleswick Church. Durham." Dr. The Hon. and Rev. Richard Byron, M. A. Rector of Houghton,co. Durham; distinguished by Granger as having copied etchings of Rembrandt, which have sold for the originals; and he has left a large collection both of them and his copies to his younger son, the Rev. Henry Byron, of Clifton, Notts. He died Nov. 5, 1811, in his 88th year. Carr "Mariæ suæ fideli; nunquam non pectore fovens, debebat Johannes Carr: nec tamen ad illam alteram intentatam studiis inanibus*, obliviscendis, anno Salutis MDCCCVII. ætatis suæ LXXV." He had a brother, the Rev. Joseph Carr, who never attained any other preferment than that of a Curate in Northumberland. He was a good scholar, and a very laborious Divine; but, from what I have heard, I fear his manuscripts are lost. He died at Allenhead, Northumberland, April 27, 1806, in his 60th year; and was recorded, by his brother the Doctor, as "a Clergyman whose unwearied application to his studies was never suffered to interfere with the duties of his profession. Obscure in his situation in the Church, his conduct was uniformly, through life, unassuming and unambitious. Of his various learning, that which chiefly distinguished him was derived from the Old and New Testament. To understand these books in their original language he had long and diligently laboured, and not without success, having left, in the possession of his widow, a work (nearly finished) on Sacred Geography; which the Writer of this article [Dr. Carr] would willingly undertake to revise and publish, if he could presume to believe himself competent to the task. Carr visited his native place a year or two after his wife died. Mrs. Carr was, however, buried at Hertford. * Alluding, evidently, to his "Translation of Lucian." Gent. Mag. vol. LXXVI. p. 483. |