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life 


EOBEET    POCOCK, 

THE 

GRAVESEND   HISTORIAN,    NATURALIST, 

ANTIQUARIAN,   BOTANIST,   AND 

PRINTER. 


BY 

GEORGE  M.    ARNOLD, 

ATJTHOB  OF 

"  EEMAEZS   ABOUT   GEAVESEND   IN   OLDEN   DATS,"  ETC. 
MEMBEB   OF   THE    COUNCIL   OF   THE   KENT  ABCH.EOLOGICAL   SOCIETJ. 


"  Why,  he  is  dead  and  gone  these  eighteen  years !  There  was  a  wooden 
tombstone  in  the  churchyard  that  used  to  tell  all  about  him,  but  that's  rotten 
and  gone  too  !  " — Washington  Irving. 


lloutjon : 
SAMPSON  LOW,  MARSTON,  SEARLE,  &  RIVINGTON, 

CROWN  BUILDINGS,  188,  FLEET  STREET. 

1883. 
\_All  rights  reserved.'} 


LONDON  : 

PRINTED  BT  GILBEBT  AND   BIVINGTON,  LIMITED, 
ST.    JOHN'S  SQUABE. 


PfcfM 


L'.C. 


TO   MY   FELLOW -TOWNSMEN   OF   GEAVESKND 

I   DEDICATE  THIS   LITTLE   EFFORT 

OF   GATHERING   ALL    I   COULD    GLEAN 

TOUCHING  THE   CAREER   OF    ONE    OF  THEMSELVES, 

EOBEET    POCOCK, 

IN   THE   HOPE   THAT, 

AMIDST   SOME   OCCASIONS   FOR   SORROW    IN   THE   RECITAL, 

THEY   MAY    FIND   MANY   FOR  COMMENDATION, 

AND  SOME  EVEN  FOR  JUST   PRIDE. 


M367685 


PREFACE. 


IT  is  fifty-two  years  to-day  since  Kobert  Pocock 
found  an  obscure  grave  away  from  his  native  town, 
and  it  seems  just  that  some  tribute  should  be  paid  to 
his  memory. 

He  was  eminently  a  student  of  nature,  and  not  only 
an  acquirer  of  useful  information  but  its  indefatigable 
disseminator. 

The  toilsome  search  for  a  fossil,  the  active  pursuit  of 
any  new  butterfly,  the  unwearied  scanning  of  the 
heavens,  the  discovery  of  a  rare  plant, — these  were  his 
recreations. 

Ever  accessible  at  his  humble  shop — one  day  to 
a  waterman  freighted  with  some  outlandish  fish,  on 
another  to  a  countryman  laden  with  a  curious  bird  or 
some  unusual  plant — it  was  his  delight  to  supply  their 
names  and  classification ;  but  student  of  nature  as  he 
was,  he  knew  that  well-nigh  every  parish  in  his  ancient 
county — Kent — is  decorated  with  a  hundred  memories 
of  historical  interest,  and  hence  his  antiquarian  pur- 
suits kept  pace  with  his  study  of  natural  history. 


viii  PREFACE. 

If  he  had  evinced  less  of  these  qualities  and  had  been 
more  of  the  shopkeeper,  he  might  have  accumulated 
money  in  lieu  of  dying  houseless  and  a  wanderer.  But 
his  higher  instincts  ever  led  him  to  seek  knowledge, 
and  to  publish  it  even  in  its  most  elementary  form,  so 
much  so  that  his  place  of  honour  is  among  the  very 
pioneers  of  elementary  literature,  in  the  production  of 
the  "  Easy  Heading  Books  for  the  Young,"  which 
supplanted  the  old  Horn  Books  of  less  lettered  genera- 
tions, while  his  Navy  List  and  his  "  Companions " 
(the  origin  of  the  modern  Guide  Book),  are  proofs  that 
there  was  existing  in  Pocock  not  only  the  apt  and 
ready  detection  of  a  public  want,  but  the  energy  and 
skill  to  supply  it,  so  far  as  his  limited  means  enabled. 

Let  me  add,  that  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  he  first 
introduced  to  his  native  town  that  mighty  engine  of 
literature  the  printing  press,  and  I  think  I  have 
advanced  enough  to  justify  this  attempt  to  honour 
Pocock's  memory. 

True  it  is,  that  the  retrospect  of  his  trials,  his 
museum  broken  up  and  dispersed,  himself  ejected 
without  money  or  furniture  from  his  shop,  his  last 
days  of  discouragement  and  death  at  his  son's  house 
at  Dartford,  present  reflections  sufficiently  depressing ; 
and  yet,  as  he  says  in  an  epitaph  which  he  drew 
up  for  himself,  "  he  produced  a  History  of  Gravesend 
and  Milton,  with  other  works,  which  will  perpetuate 
his  memory/'  To  secure  him  some  of  this  posthumous 
honour  is  the  object  of  my  present  effort. 


PREFACE.  ix 

And  therein  I  have  endeavoured  to  give  only  such 
of  his  published  matter  as  could  not  properly  be  dis- 
pensed with,  and  as  much  of  his  unpublished  writings 
as  I  fairly  could.  Nevertheless  I  have  collected  all  I 
could  reach  that  seemed  to  bear  upon  his  life  and 
character,  so  as  to  make  the  biography  as  complete  as 
possible ;  yet,  probably  this  would  have  appeared  to 
higher  advantage  if  it  had  been  set  forth  by  greater 
literary  experience  than  the  arduous  duties  of  a 
laborious  profession  have  allowed  me  to  acquire. 

Another  motive  I  must  avow  in  addition  to  a  sense 
of  justice  to  Pocock's  memory  ;  like  him  I  am  a  towns- 
man of  Gravesend,  and  love  my  native  town  and  feel 
interested  in  its  credit  and  repute. 

This  is  not  the  place  to  descant  upon  the  merits  of 
the  authors  it  has  produced  since  Pocock's  day,  but 
I  am  unwilling  silently  to  pass  by  the  memory  of  Mr. 
Robert  P.  Cruden  (twice  Mayor  of  Gravesend),  whose 
researches  into  the  history  and  incidents  of  this  locality 
and  of  the  Port  of  London  are  so  creditable  an  emula- 
tion of  his  early  predecessor,  William  Bourne ;  nor  of 
Mr.  Coombe  (the  immediate  precursor  of  the  present 
popular  town  clerk),  who  wrote  upon  the  evidences  of 
Christianity;  and  descending  to  native  authors  yet 
living,  still  less  would  I  wish  to  omit  a  passing  tribute 
to  my  brothers,  Edwin  Arnold,  C.S.I,  (who  has  written 
various  historical  and  poetical  works,  and  largely  con- 
tributed to  Oriental  literature),  and  Arthur  Arnold, 
M.P.  for  Salford  (the  author  of  works  of  political  and 


x  PREFACE. 

social  economy  and  travel,  as  well  as  in  the  lighter 
paths  of  fiction),  while  the  Eev.  W.  D.  Johnstone,  the 
Eector  of  Milton,  has  published  more  than  one  treatise 
upon  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  of  England,  and 
Mr.  W.  F.  Harvey,  M.A.,  of  the  Inner  Temple,  has 
lucidly  illustrated  the  civil  law  in  the  domain  of  con- 
tracts. But  without  enlarging  the  list,  if  we  would 
wish  to  discover  local  traces  of  the  true  mantle  of 
Pocock,  the  love  of  letters  and  pursuit  of  knowledge 
amidst  the  apparently  discordant  calls  of  trade  and 
the  harassing  claims  of  the  family,  it  would  not  be 
necessary  to  travel  far  from  the  scene  of  his  labours  ; 
indeed,  within  scarce  a  stone's  throw  of  his  house  the 
reader  could  this  day  enter  the  modest  shop  of  Mr. 
G.  Newman,  from  whose  published  poems  the  following 
pleasing  lines  are  taken  at  hazard,  and  who  conducts 
his  daily  industry  with  an  energy  which  might  well 
have  interdicted  all  hope  of  any  successful  cultivation 
of  the  muse  : — 

LTEIC. 

Written  on  the  anniversary  of  the  day  on  which  the  author's 
(Mr.  Newmans)  brother  left  his  native  land. 

'Twas  once  my  happiness  to  own 

A  brother,  kind  and  dear  to  me  ; 
Though  years  have  now  successive  flown 

Since  'neath  our  old  home's  shelt'ring  tree, 
In  boyhood,  joyous,  wild,  and  free, 

Like  as  the  tendrils  of  the  vine 
Twine  round  each  other,  so  did  we 

Our  joys  and  sorrows  intertwine. 


PREFACE.  xi 

His  joys  were  mine,  my  pleasure  his, 

Our  own  each  other's  every  care, 
And  all  our  hopes  of  future  bliss 

In  love  were  intermingled  there  ; 
Unknown  to  us  each  plot  and  snare, 

Which  would  in  after-years  be  laid, 
To  give  to  each  of  grief  our  share, 

And  turn  life's  sunshine  into  shade. 

He  heard,  and  o'er  him  soon  the  spell 

An  overpowering  influence  bore ; 
To  friends  and  home  he  bade  farewell, 

Perchance  to  meet  again  no  more. 
He  started  for  the  far-off  shore  ; 

My  pangs  at  parting,  who  can  tell ! 
E'en  now  doth  mem'ry  o'er  and  o'er 

Sound  in  my  ears,  farewell !  farewell ! 

Years  now  have  fled,  and  through  the  gloom 

Of  "  days  gone  by  "  will  Fancy  rove, 
Back  to  our  childhood's  happy  home, 

E'en  till  again  a  brother's  love 
Seems  round  my  heart  like  tendrils  wove  ; 

But  soon  the  bubble  bursts,  and  I 
Have  but  the  hope  that  yet  in  love 

Our  souls  shall  meet  beyond  the  sky. 

Years  now  have  fled,  and  deeper  still 

Grows  the  dark  veil  through  which  mine  eye 
Would  pierce  to  see  or  good  or  ill 

Surrounding  now  his  destiny  : 
But  no  !  not  e'en  a  glimpse  for  me 

Of  good  or  ill,  or  weal  or  woe ; 
Impenetrable  mystery 

Forbids  me  all  I  long  to  know. 

Must  it  be  so  ?  and  must  his  fate 

Be  lost  beneath  oblivion's  gloom ; 
If  yet  alive — unknown  his  state ; 

If  dead — alike  unknown  his  tomb  ? 


xii  PREFACE. 

Oh,  if  the  grave's  capacious  womb 
Has  long  closed  o'er  him,  still  to  me 

'Twere  sweet  to  know  immortal  bloom 
Succeeded  dull  mortality. 

A-gain,  let  us  turn  our  eyes  to  the  neighbouring 
nursery-grounds.  Who  is  yon  son  of  toil,  working 
spade  in  hand  at  his  laborious  vocation,  but  the  author 
(Mr.  C.  J.  Clarke)  of  published  poems,  from  which 
the  following  extract  is  culled  ? — 

POETEY  AND  LOVE. 

"Tis  poetry  and  love  alone 

Can  cheer  and  sweeten  life, 
Amidst  its  wearying  routine 

Of  care,  and  toil,  and  strife. 

For  poetry  refines  the  sense, 

And  elevates  the  soul ; 
While  love's  endearing  influence 

Sheds  fragrance  o'er  the  whole. 

These  twin -born  sisters  from  above 

Our  purest  pleasures  give  ; 
Deprived  of  poetry  and  love, 

I  would  not  wish  to  live. 

They  shed  a  beam  in  darkest  night, 

A  pure  and  heavenly  ray 
Of  sunshine  bursting  into  light, 

To  guide  us  on  our  way. 

Then,  ye  who  grovel  here  below, 

And  raise  no  thought  above, 
Despise  not  what  ye  cannot  know, 

Sweet  poetry  and  love. 


PREFACE.  xiii 

The  reader,  I  trust,  will  kindly  excuse  the  length  of 
these  extracts,  not  only  on  account  of  their  own  merits, 
but  because  they  would  have  been  welcome  to  Pocock, 
— their  literary  feeling  would  have  cheered  him — their 
native  origin  pleased  him,  while  their  authors'  "self- 
help  "  would  have  encouraged  him ;  and  that  these 
and  their  other  stanzas  would  have  been  right  welcome 
at  his  press  who  can  doubt  it  ? 


GEORGE  M.  AENOLD. 


MILTON  HALL,  GBAVESEND, 
26th  October,  1882. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP. 

I.   YOUTH   AND   MANHOOD  ,  „  .    _  «\.  .  .1 

II.    COMET  OF   1811 ,    .  .33 

III.    JOUENAL   OF   1812 59 

IV.  "HOBTUS  siccus,  OE  DEY  GAEDEN  "         .        .        .    99 

ILLU8TEATION3   THEBEFBOM           .  .  •    •   .           .    112,  114 

V.   JOURNAL   OF   1822          ...  .  .    £   .  .         .    116 

VI.    JOUENAL   OF   1823          .'           .           .  .  .            .            .    164 

VII.    JOUENAL   OF   1823         .           .           .  ..'  -.           .           .191 

VIII.   SHADOWS    CAST  BEFOEB         .  .  .           .           .   216 

IX.  "HISTOEY  OF  DAETFOED  AND  WILMINGTON"    .        .  230 

X.  DEATH 248 

APPENDIX: — 

LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS 256 

STATEMENT   OF   FAMILY     .  ...   260 


CHAPTER  I. 

I  care  not,  Fortune,  what  you  me  deny  ; 

You  cannot  rob  me  of  free  Nature's  grace, 
You  cannot  shut  the  windows  of  the  sky, 

Through  which  Aurora  shows  her  brightening  face  ; 
You  cannot  bar  my  constant  feet  to  trace 

The  woods  and  lawns,  by  living  stream,  at  eve  : 
Let  health  my  nerves  and  finer  fibres  brace, 

And  I  their  toys  to  the  great  children  leave ; 

Of  fancy,  reason,  virtue,  nought  can  me  bereave. 

JAMES  THOMSON. 

THE  interesting  biographies,  written  by  Mr.  Smiles,  of 
Thomas  Edward  the  Scotch  naturalist,  and  of  Robert 
Dick  the  Scotch  geologist  and  botanist,  illustrate  how 
a  career  of  laborious  industry  (that  sweat  of  the  brow 
by  which  most  men's  daily  bread  must  be  earned)  may 
run  side  by  side  with  remarkable  self-culture,  and  be 
accompanied  by  the  truest  of  enjoyment  which  flows 
from  the  love  and  study  of  Nature — an  enjoyment 
perhaps  intensified  by  the  very  difficulties  thus  excep- 
tionally encountered. 

We  have  only  to  transport  the  scene  from  the 
north  to  the  south  of  the  Tweed  to  see  in  Robert 
Pocock,  author,  naturalist,  botanist,  antiquarian,  and 
printer,  an  English  example  of  the  love  of  Nature  and  of 
a  thirst  for  the  acquisition  and  distribution  of  knowledge, 


2  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

outstripping  the  confinement  and  trammels  of  commer- 
cial pursuits  and  narrow  means,  and  vindicating  for 
itself  a  real  and  honoured,  and  (in  the  best  sense)  a 
successful  place  in  the  drama  of  life. 

His  efforts  are  all  the  more  worthy  of  record  in  that 
they  were  "  cribbed,  cabined,  and  confined  "  by  the  "  res 
angusta  domi  •/'  till  at  length,  driven  by  dire  necessity 
from  his  native  town,  he  lived  to  see  his  museum  and 
books  dispersed,  and  finally  died  broken-hearted,  "all 
unwept,  unhonoured,  and  unsung/'  with  no  memorial 
however  humble  to  mark  his  resting-place, — some  fifty- 
two  years  ago. 

Robert  Pocock's  father  was  a  freeman  of  Gravesend, 
where  we  find  that  he  was  duly  sworn  on  the  26th  March, 
1745,  "  to  be  a  true  liege  man,  and  true  faith  and  truth  to 
bear,  to  our  Sovereign  Lord  King  George  the  Second," 
before  Henry  Thames,  Esq.,  the  then  mayor  of  the  town 
and  parishes  of  Gravesend  and  Milton ;  at  which  time 
he  further  deposed  that  "to  the  best  of  his  skill,  wit, 
cunning,  and  power,  he  should  maintain  and  uphold  all 
the  liberties,  franchises,  good  customs,  orders,  and 
usages  of  these  towns  and  corporation  thereof,"  and 
thereupon  was  admitted  a  freeman  of  such  corporation. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  John  Pocock  was  a  native,  or 
had  come  from  Sussex  to  this  town  of  his  adoption  ;  but 
it  appears  from  his  will  of  1766,  that  he  was  then  a  settled 
shop-keeper,  occupying  his  own  house  in  the  High 
Street,  part  of  which  had  formerly  been  known  as  a  sepa- 
rate tenement,  under  the  sign  of  the  "Hat  and  Feather." 
There  he  presumably  flourished  as  a  grocer,  and  though 
the  date  of  his  marriage  is  unknown,  it  is  clear  that  on 
the  21st  February,  1760  (just  122  years  ago),  Robert 
Pocock  himself  (his  father's  second  son)  first  saw  the 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  3 

light.  His  father  died,  and  was  buried  at  G-ravesend 
some  twelve  years  later,  on  the  4th  May,  1772,  followed 
by  his  widow,  Martha  Pocock,  on  the  80th  January, 
1776.  When  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  became 
an  orphan,  he  drew  up,  and  he  has  left  behind  him,  a 
semi-humorous  epitaph  intended  for  his  father's 
tomb,  which  is  subjoined  : — 

AN  EPITAPH. 

The  Merry  Soul 

of 
JOHN  POCOCK 

departed 

From  Earth  to  Heaven, 

May  4th,  1772. 

During  52  years 

It  animated  his  body 

with 
An  agreeable  deportment ; 

to  which  add 
Sobriety,  Industry,  Honesty, 

and 
Civility  to  his  Customers, 

For  those  Virtues 
Preserved  his  reputation. 
He  satisfied  his  Creditors 

by  paying  them 
Twenty  Shillings  to  the  Pound, 

and 

Died  comfortably, 
Leaving  an  Overplus  for  his  Family. 

Mem. — He  lies  buried  within  six  feet  of  the  door  (now  stopped 
up)  near  the  vestry-room  window  in  Gravesend  Church. 

There  is  little  doubt  that  such  education  as  Robert 
received  was  obtained  at  the  free  school  of  the  town — 
situate  in  King  Street,  previously  known  as  St.  Thomas' 

B  2 


4  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

Street,  in  honour  of  St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury,  and  after- 
wards as  School  Street,  and  probably  under  James 
Giles,  sen.,  who  died  on  the  9th  December,  1 780,  aged 
61  (and  who  was  one  of  thewitnesses  to  his  father's  will), 
or  else  under  his  son,  such  store  of  erudition  as  a  boy  of 
fourteen  years  of  age  can  accumulate  was  acquired. 
This  is  confirmed  by  the  kind  notice  which  Pocock  makes 
of  them  both  in  his  "  History  of  Gravesend,"  where  he 
writes  under  the  head  of  "  Literary  Persons  :  " — 

'fMr.  James  Giles,  although  not  to  be  reckoned  a 
literary  person,  yet  was  such  a  character  as  no  paro- 
chial historian  should  pass  unnoticed.  Mr.  Giles,  in 
the  early  part  of  his  life,  was  bred  to  the  business  of 
shoe-making,  which  he  quitted,  and,  untutored,  en- 
gaged himself  to  the  study  of  arithmetic ;  this  brought 
him  to  be  somewhat  acquainted  with  the  more  abstruse 
branches  of  the  mathematics,  and  upon  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Locker's  leaving  the  free  school  in  Milton,  Mr.  Giles 
was  appointed  to  succeed  him. 

"  Mr.  James  Giles,  son  of  the  above,  succeeded  his 
father,  and  from  his  classical  abilities  many  bright  lads 
have  been  sent  forth  from  the  free  school.  Mr.  Giles 
was  also  the  constructor  of  the  curious  sun-dial  at 
Milton  Church,  and  of  an  orrery;  and  besides  being 
an  electrician  was  the  author  of  an  elaborate  work 
called  '  English  Governing ;  or,  Parsing  Recommended 
to  School-masters  and  Private  Teachers  of  Grammar 
as  the  most  easy  method  of  attaining  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  that  science  :  Nothing  of  this  sort  had 
ever  appeared  in  Print/  " 

Pocock  does  not  mention  it,  but  he  was  himself  the 
publisher  of  this  useful  work.  Thus  he  was  an  early 
pioneer  of  the  "  Society  for  the  Diffusion  of  Useful 
Knowledge  "  of  later  times. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  5 

At  an  early  age,  and  concurrently  with  his  free 
school  education,  it  is  believed  that  Pocock  held  the 
post  of  an  errand  boy  in  his  father's  shop,  but  whether 
or  not  he  became  actually  apprenticed  to  the  grocery 
trade  does  not  appear;  probably  not,  for  his  intel- 
lectual habits  and  craving  for  literary  pursuits,  and  his 
love  of  Nature,  seem  to  have  made  the  pursuit  of  that 
trade  repugnant  to  him.  At  all  events,  it  is  clear  that 
he  attached  himself  by  preference  to  the  trade  of  print- 
ing, and  in  some  way  acquired  the  needful  knowledge 
of  that  business  so  as  to  establish  himself  in  it.  It  was 
probably  about  1779  that  he  married  his  first  wife,  Ann 
Stillard,  the  spinster  daughter  of  Edward  Stillard,  who 
held  a  situation  in  the  old  East  India  House,  in  Leaden- 
hall  Street,  London. 

His  marriage,  and  the  birth  of  three  children  succes- 
sively in  1780,  1782,  and  1786,  no  doubt  stimulated 
his  industry  for  the  necessary  maintenance  of  his 
growing  family,  and  we  have  good  proof  of  his  energy 
since,  when  scarce  twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  esta- 
blished a  printing-press,  and  collected  a  library  for  the 
use  and  benefit  of  his  native  town. 

Meanwhile,  that  hi  s  practical  knowledge  of  printing 
was  more  than  usually  compl  ete  appears  from  his  having, 
in  after-life,  cast  his  s  on  Js  type  for  printing.  The  follow- 
ing entry  under  his  own  hand,  in  his  "Local  Chrono- 
logy/' is  simple  and  devoid  of  all  rhetorical  nourish. 

•'1786.     The    first    printing-press   and    circulating 
library  established  in  Gravesend  by  Robert   Pocock 
writer  of  this  Chronology  and  compiler  of  the  '  His- 
tory of  Gravesend.7 ' 

At  this  period  he  seems  to  have  possessed  all  the 
emotions  of  youth,  both  in  his  antipathies  and  friend- 
ships, and  to  have  been  much  given  to  the  composi- 


6  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

tion  of  epitaphs.  These  tendencies  are  well  illustrated 
in  the  case  of  his  friend,  Mr.  Sawyer,  who  united  in 
his  own  person  the  practice  of  medicine  with  the 
mastership  of  the  Gravesend  Workhouse,  of  whom  he 
wrote,  upon  the  occasion  of  his  death,  as  follows  : — 

To  the  Memory  of 
MB.  EDWARD  BUSH  SAWYER, 

Doctor  in  Medicine, 

Master  of  Gravesend  and  Milton  Workhouse, 
Brother  of  the  Ancient  and  Honourable  Society  of  Free  Masons, 

Member  of  the  Lap-eared  Club, 

Visitor  of  the  Bugnapping  Board, 

A  youth  of  the  Ringers  and  Post  Master  General, 

who, 

by  his  Frugality  and  Industry, 
maintained  his  Family  genteelly, 

which  raised  him  to 
a  Pitch  of  Envy  never  before  known  to  those 

who  like  the  Dog  in  Manger 

would  neither  get  a  living  themselves 

nor  permit  (if  in  their  power)  others  to  do  it. 

After  giving  their  Words  for  his  Support, 

like  Snakes  they  basely  turned  against  him, 

and  joined  consent  to  give  him  Warning  to  quit 

his  Profession ; 

which  so  knawed  on  his  Vitals, 

that  it  brought  on  his  Death, 

November,  1787. 

Pocock  makes  the  following  note  of  the  funeral  cere- 
mony : — 

"  Mr.  Edward  Bush  Sawyer,  master  of  Gravesend 
and  Milton  Workhouse,  was  buried  on  Sunday,  in 
Gravesend  churchyard,  when  the  procession  began  as 
follows  : — 

"1st,  the  tyler  of  a  mason  lodge  with  a  drawn  sword — 
2  links — an  excellent  band  of  music — 2  links — about 
12  couple  of  free  masons  with  all  their  insignia  of 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  7 

office — 2  links — the ' Lap-eared'  Club,  about  20  couple — 
2  links — the  minister,  clerk,  and  undertaker — 2  links — 
the  body,  with  six  pall-bearers  and  five  couple  of 
mourners,  closed  the  rear.  Many  hundreds  of  people 
attended  the  funeral — the  music  played  very  solemnly 
going  to  the  interment ;  after  which  the  bells  rung  a 
dumb  peal." 

Pocock  was  fond  of  the  dissemination  of  learning, 
and  impressed  with  the  absence  of  elementary  works,  he 
at  an  early  period  turned  his  attention  to  the  more  easy 
instruction  of  children  in  the  rudiments  of  spelling 
and  reading.  Perhaps  one  of  the  most  useful  of  his 
efforts,  was  the  publication  of  the  children's  books, 
"  Reading  made  Easy/'  which  he  published  under  the 
titles  of  "  The  Child's  First  Book  ;  or,  Eeading  made 
Easy/'  and  "The  Child's  Second  Book;  being  a  further 
Improvement  in  Learning."  These  publications  speedily 
superseded  the  ancient  horn  books,  of  one  of  which 
(discovered  on  pulling  down  an  old  house  at  Newbury) 
a  recent  correspondent  of  "  Notes  and  Queries  "  gave 
the  following  account : — 

"  It  consists  of  a  page  of  letter-press  which  measures 
2J  x  2J  inches,  mounted  on  a  piece  of  oak  of  slightly 
larger  size,  the  lower  end  of  which  is  shaped  as  a  handle. 
It  is  covered  with  a  sheet  of  transparent  horn,  which 
is  kept  in  its  place  by  means  of  narrow  strips  of 
thin  brass,  fastened  with  small  nails.  The  letter- 
press, which  is  surrounded  by  an  ornamental  border, 
consists  of  the  alphabet,  preceded  by  a  + ,  first  in  small 
letters  and  then  in  Roman  capitals.  Next  are,  on  one 
side  of  the  middle  line,  the  vowels  alone,  followed  by 
the  vowels  with  the  consonants,  b,  c,  d  ;  on  the  other 
side  the  same  reversed.  Following,  is,  first, '  In  the 
name  of  the  Father/  &c.,  and  lastly,  the  Lord's  Prayer. 


8  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

-At  tlie  same  time  and  place  there  was  found  one  of 
George  I.'s  lead  Bombay  pieces." 

Mr.  A.  J.  Dunkin,  the  antiquary  and  printer  of  Dart- 
ford,  states  that  these  reading-books  for  the  young,  by 
Pocock,  preceded  the  well-known  publication  by  Rusher, 
of  Banbury,  fully  two  years,  and  that  the  original  wood- 
cuts were  in  his  possession  in  1842.  They  are  now 
deposited  in  the  library  of  the  Guildhall  of  the  City  of 
London,  by  Mr.  Fooks,  Q.C.,  in  behalf  of  Mr.  Dunkin's 
sister,  where  they  have  a  honoured  home. 

If  Mr.  Dunkin  is  correct  in  this  claim,  it  would  follow 
that  Pocock  had  established  his  printing-press  in  conse- 
quence of  the  encouragement  which  he  had  derived 
from  the  publication  of  these  elementary  works.  The 
title  of  Rusher's  Book  is  "Rusher's  Reading  made  most 
Easy ;  consisting  of  a  variety  of  useful  lessons  on  a 
rational  plan,  proceeding  from  the  alphabet  to  words 
of  two  letters  only,  and  from  these  to  words  of  three, 
four,  and  five  letters.  &c.  &c.,  so  disposed  as  to  draw 
on  learners  with  the  greatest  ease  and  pleasure  both 
to  themselves  and  teachers  ;"  and  on  examining  the  date 
of  its  production,  it  affords  evidence  that  Pocock  must 
have  published  prior  to  September,  1786. 

That  Pocock  thus  led  up  to  the  provision  of  a  great 
new  and  recognized  want  is  apparent  from  the  cir- 
cumstance that  the  above  copy  of  Rusher,  now  in 
the  British  Museum,  is  a  print  of  the  220th  edition. 

By  the  kindness  of  Miss  Dunkin  inspection  has  been 
made  of  the  engraved  blocks  above  mentioned,  and  they 
are  found  to  consist  of  illustrations  of  the  nursery 
verses  apropos  of  the  death  of  "  Cock  Robin/'  "  The 
House  that  Jack  built,"  &c.,  &c.,  suitable  to  the  appre- 
hensions of  the  juvenile  minds  for  whom  the  book  was 
designed. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  9 

The  period  dating  from  our  author's  first  marriage, 
and  of  his  probable  greatest  domestic  felicity,  was 
drawing  to  a  close,  since,  in  the  month  of  March,  1791, 
he  lost  the  wife  of  his  early  manhood,  whom  he  fol- 
lowed to  the  grave  on  the  20th  of  that  month. 

It  was  not  probably  until  the  end  of  the  following 
year  that  he  remarried,  when  he  was  united  to  a  lady 
whose  social  position  was  in  advance  of  his  own,  and 
by  whose  family  the  alliance  was  consequently  deemed 
unsatisfactory.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Hinde, 
Esq.,  solicitor  and  coroner  for  Kent,  living  at  Sitting- 
bourne  in  that  county ;  and  whilst  of  his  first  marriage 
there  was  issue  two  daughters  and  one  son,  of  this, 
his  second  marriage,  there  were  ultimately  four  sons 
and  three  daughters. 

Side  by  side,  however,  with  his  efforts  in  behalf  of 
elementary  education,  he  had  devotedly  utilized  his 
spare  hours  in  compiling  a  Chronology  (1790)  of  local 
events  connected  with  his  dear  native  town,  with  a 
list  of  its  successive  mayors  from  A.D.  1632.  The  list 
is  not,  however,  very  complete,  as  he  plaintively 
states  in  the  preface  to  this  Chronology  "  that  he  only 
laments  that  it  is  not  in  his  power,  at  present,  to 
render  the  Chronology  more  complete  and  copious, 
having  been  denied  access  to  the  records  of  the  town, 
whereby  much  information  might  have  been  gained. 
Thus  cut  off  from  the  grand  magazine  of  intelligence, 
he  now  only  offers  his  gleanings  from  others,  in  minia- 
ture, as  a  prelude  to  a  future  work  (whenever  he  shall 
be  favoured  with  the  names  of  300  subscribers)  to  be 
called  '  The  History  of  Gravesend  and  Milton/  and 
wherein  his  utmost  endeavours  shall  be  used  to  make 
such  a  local  publication  useful,  entertaining,  and  in- 
structing." 


io  ROBERT  FOCOCK, 

Pocock  seems  to  have  added  fresh  pages  to  his 
Chronology  as  occasion  required  down  to  1796 — 
George  Arnold,  Esq.,  appearing  as  the  mayor  of  that 
year — but  he  still  retained  the  old  frontispiece,  with 
its  date  of  1790. 

The  next  work,  of  which  we  have  any  account,  is  the 
unpublished  MS.  of  what  would  have  been  an  ap- 
parently useful  publication,  entitled, — 

The 
FARMER,   GRAZIER,  AND  BAILIFF'S   ASSISTANT 

for  the  year  1795. 
To  be  continued  annually. 

Containing 

A  new  methodical  arrangement  of  keeping  the  affairs  of  a  Farm, 
by  setting  down  in  a  clear  and  concise  manner  the  employment  of 
the  servants,  and  where  employed ;  the  number  of  live  stock  ; 
moneys  paid  and  received,  to  whom  or  upon  what  account ;  with  the 
various  occurrences  that  happen  upon  the  Farm  every  day  in  the 
year. 

A  Farmer's  Chronology. 
Useful  things  necessary  to  be  known  by  Farmers. 

Laws  relative  to  corn. 
The  gross  duty  on  hops  from  1711  to  1793. 

Tables  showing  the  gross  weight  of  hops  reduced  into  neat 
weight,  what  price  the  hundred  at  any  price  the  pound,  and  what 
duty  is  to  be  paid  for  any  quantity. 

Recipes  in  Farming, 

Together  with  pages  ruled  for  the  insertion  of  all  the  names  of 
fields  on  the  Farm,  serving  as  an  annual  account  to  show  what 
each  was  sown  with,  the  number  of  bushels  sown,  when  cut,  what 
produce,  what  sold  for,  and  to  whom. 

Gravesend  :  Printed  and  Sold  by  R.  Pocock. 

No  printed  copy  of  this  work  has  been  discovered,  and 
it  remains  another  of  the  efforts  of  a  great  and  useful 
activity,  always  limited  and  frequently  strangled  by  the 
want  of  material  means.  The  conception  and  design  were, 
so  far  as  his  personal  labour  was  involved,  unflinchingly 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  1 1 

executed,  but  the  means  of  publication,  the  expenses  of 
printing  and  paper,  remained  insoluble  obstacles. 

Adverting  to  the  refusal  of  the  corporation  to  afford 
him  access  to  its  archives  for  the  purposes  of  his  His- 
tory ;  it  seems  clear  that  he  possessed  a  friend  in  the 
then  mayor,  or  had  acquired  other  partisans  in  that 
body,  since  in  his  "  History  of  Gravesend  and  Milton/' 
printed  by  himself  and  published  in  1797,  he  gave  in 
extenso,  at  page  183,  the  town  charter  of  the  7th 
Charles  I.  (A.D.  1632). 

This  public  invasion,  however,  of  the  privileges  of  the 
close  incorporation  (as  then  understood),  was  most 
distasteful  to  the  majority  of  its  members,  and  it  was 
resolved  by  way  of  punishment  that  Pocock  should 
lose  their  corporate  support  in  regard  to  the  public 
printing.  This  he  felt  very  acutely,  and  the  timely 
establishment  of  a  second  printing-press  in  the  town 
enabled  the  infliction  to  be  carried  out  with  all  the 
greater  promptitude  and  exactitude.  The  following 
is  the  title-page  of  his  "  History  of  Gravesend/'  upon 
256  pages,  small  quarto  : — 

THE  HISTORY 

of  the 
INCORPORATED  TOWN  AND  PARISHES 

of 
GRAVESEND  AND  MILTON, 

In  the  County  of  Kent. 

Selected  with  accuracy  from  Topographical  Writers. 
And  enriched  from  Manuscripts  hitherto  unnoticed, 

Recording 
Every  event  that  has  occurred  in  the  aforesaid  Town  and  Parishes 

from  the 

Norman  Conquest  to  the  present  Time. 

Learn  the  Laws  by  which  you  are  Governed. 

Gravesend  :  Printed  by  R.  Pocock. 

1797. 


1 2  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

It  is  hoped  that  it  may  not  prove  too  wearisome  to 
give  the  preface  to  this  volume,  which  was  one  endeared 
to  Pocock  by  many  ties,  though  it  would  have  been 
superseded  by  the  fuller  and  complete  work  which  he 
afterwards  decided  upon,  and  in  copiousness  and 
character  would  have  been  surpassed  by  his  later  pro- 
jected "  History  of  Dartford  and  Wilmington/' — pro- 
jects, each  of  which  was  arrested  in  publication  by 
the  want  of  means. 

The  preface  is  as  follows  : — 

"  To  know  the  history  of  our  native  place  should 
be  the  first  desire  of  every  person  possessed,  in  the 
smallest  degree,  of  literary  knowledge  :  under  this  idea, 
the  compiler  of  the  following  work  thought  of  col- 
lecting together  (for  his  private  amusement)  all  the 
materials  he  possibly  could  proper  to  give  such  infor- 
mation. In  this  he  succeeded  beyond  his  utmost 
expectations,  by  having  access  to  the  libraries  of  two 
gentlemen  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Gravesend,  to 
whom  he  returns  his  sincere  thanks,  and  likewise  to 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Denne  of  Wilmington,  for  the  list  of 
ministers,  and  to  Mr.  Tracy  of  Brompton,  for  the  kind 
communication  of  his  intelligence. 

"  Being  thus  in  possession  of  manuscripts  hitherto 
unknown,  and  of  a  sufficient  number  of  quotations  from 
the  laborious  and  topographical  writers  upon  the 
County  of  Kent,  by  the  persuasions  of  a  few  friends  he 
puts  the  same  in  print ;  flattering  himself  that  the 
'  History  of  the  Town  and  Parishes  of  Gravesend  and 
Milton  J  will  be  instructive,  entertaining,  and  useful, 
not  only  to  the  resident  inhabitants  of  the  town  and 
of  its  environs,  but  likewise  to  every  person  occasion- 
ally visiting  the  place. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  13 

ff  This  being  the  first  compilation  of  '  The  History  of 
Gravesend '  that  ever  appeared  in  print,  and  the 
compiler  of  the  same  not  having  that  leisure  time 
requisite  for  its  critical  inspection,  by  other  business 
interfering,  it  is  hoped  that  the  candid  reader  will 
excuse  any  errors  that  he  sees  in  the  performance  of 
it." 

It  is  clear  that  even  in  1790  he  had  virtually  com- 
piled his  History,  which  only  saw  the  light  in  1797. 
It  is  nevertheless  more  than  doubtful  if  his  finances 
would  have,  even  at  this  later  date,  enabled  him  to 
have  launched  the  volume  if  it  had  not  been  facilitated 
by  the  fortunate  incident  that  he  happened  to  be 
present  at  a  sale  of  the  stock  of  a  paper-mill,  and  was 
thus  enabled  to  purchase  at  quite  a  presumably  nominal 
price  a  quantity  of  unsized  paper,  cut  into  sheets  too 
small  for  profitable  or  general  use  in  the  trade.  By  this 
acquisition  he  came  to  be  able  to  utilize  the  accumu- 
lations, both  antiquarian,  natural,  and  local,  which  his 
untiring  energy  and  industry  had  secured. 

In  those  of  the  fragmentary  diaries  of  Pocock  which 
have  been  collected,  traits  of  his  general  character  will 
sufficiently  appear,  and  in  the  most  natural  way ;  but 
candour  does  not  allow  us  to  say  that  his  domestic  re- 
lations, arising  out  of  his  second  marriage,  always 
exhibited  the  completest  harmony.  It  was  with 
him  as  with  many  who  similarly  give  their  days  to 
public  rather  than  private  objects,  they  to  a  propor- 
tionate extent  withdraw  time  and  energies  which  would 
otherwise  have  been  more  completely  focussed  upon  the 
domestic  hearth.  In  how  many  cases  of  literary  men  do 
we  not  naturally  find  the  same  causes  productive  of  the 
like  results.  And  if  on  the  part  of  his  conjugal  help- 


14  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

mate  there  existed  the  conviction  that  naturalists  were 
ever  more  welcome  than  relatives,  that  his  humble  abode 
was  rather  a  resort  for  all  who  had  information  to 
impart  or  inquiries  to  make,  than  was  consistent  with 
the  economy  of  time  and  of  money,  and  more  profitable 
pursuit  of  business,  it  would  have  been  more  natural 
than  strange  or  reprehensible. 

About  the  year  1800,  Pocock  appears  to  have  made 
a  few  manuscript  notices  in  a  little  waste-book  some 
of  which  are  subjoined,  the  very  first  of  which  seems 
to  disclose  the  existence  of  these  occasional  domestic 
differences. 

His  grandson,  Dr.  Jones  (to  whom  an  obligation  is 
due  for  much  kind  information),  remembers  that  he 
was  very  exact  and  methodical  in  his  habits,  but  in- 
clined to  be  strict  with  his  family.  His  custom  was  to 
rise  early,  and  to  take,  whenever  he  could,  long  walks 
and  excursions  with  any  naturalist  whose  company  he 
could  secure,  tendencies  doubtless  obnoxious,  more  or 
less,  to  his  wife,  and  little  conducive  to  commercial 
success. 

The  following  is  one  of  the  above-mentioned  entries 
supposed  to  be  inscribed  over  Mr.  Pocock's  door : — 

Want  of  unanimity. 

Here  lives  a  young  Pair 

Who  lost  the  Flitch  of  Bacon 

Within  the  year. 

This  was  in  1800,  and  without  wishing  to  adjudicate 
between  husband  and  wife  the  respective  blame  too 
closely,  the  following  letter  from  Mrs.  Pocock  to  her 
Lord,  temporarily  absent  in  London,  is  certainly  more 
matter-of-fact  than  redundant  in  terms  of  exuberant 
wifely  endearment : — 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  15 

"  Monday,  May  3rd. 

"  Mr.  Pocock, — If  you  can  get  a  case  of  mathematical 
instruments  very  complete  at  two  guineas  and  send  me 
down  to-morrow,  a  gentleman  who  has  bought  several 
things  will  be  obliged  to  you.  Our  set  has  not 
enough  instruments  in  it.  You  will  be  able  to  get  one 
at  Martin's,  I  think;  if  not,  don't  go  to  pay  ready 
money  for  one  but  rather  lose  the  sale. 

"  Yours,  fyc., 

"  F.  POCOCK. 

"  Shedrach  is  much  pleased  with  your  leather 
breeches,  as  he  is  very  fashionable  in  pantaloons.  I 
have  altered  them.  I  have  had  another  pair  altered 
for  every-day,  and  Luscombe  is  making  a  coat  of 
your  two  blue  ones.  Mrs.  Muirs  and  I  have  done 
one  shirt  to-day,  and  another  I  will  make  in  a  week  or 
two.  He  must  have  a  hat  in  a  month  or  two,  and  then 
he  will  do  again. 
"  Mr.  Pocock, 

at  Mr.  Gent's,  Hairdresser, 

Watling  Street, 
Near  St.  Paul's,  London." 

Another  entry  is  as  follows  : — 

"  RETORT. 

"  A  foppish  young  fellow  upon  coming  to  the  White 
Hart,  Gravesend,  ordered  a  bill  of  fare  to  be  brought, 
but  nothing  contained  there  would  please  him,  when 
after  keeping  the  landlord  a  long  time  he  said,  '  Go 
directly,  sir,  and  dress  me  an  elephant/  '  Sir/  said 
the  landlord,  'I  have  nothing  so  large;  but  I  will 
roast  a  young  monkey  just  come  in/  " 


16  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  A  TEICK  UPON  VICE. 

"About  tlie  year  1790,  I  printed  a  small  book  of 
moral  songs,  the  sale  of  which  I  knew  would  depeud 
much  on  the  title.  I  therefore  entitled  it  '  The  Frisky 
Songster/  It  was  called  for  with  rapidity,  and  the 
edition  soon  sold,  but  the  purchasers  were  disappointed 
(although  pleased)  when  they  found  the  contents  and 
title  did  not  agree/' 

"  ANGEL. 

' '  A  good  woman  is  an  angel ;  but  where  are  angels  to 
be  met  with  ?— not  on  earth  I  believe/' 

The  following  in  1801  :— 

"  A  FEMALE  ENGLISH  HISTORIAN. 

"On  Friday,  October  2nd,  1801,  I  visited  West- 
minster Abbey,  desiring  (with  the  promise  of  a 
gratuity)  the  conductor  to  proceed  slowly  in  his  de- 
scriptions of  the  monuments. 

"  The  pleasure  I  received  from  viewing  the  venerable 
remains  was  much  enhanced  by  a  female,  whom 
curiosity  had  likewise  brought  to  visit  the  Abbey. 
This  lady  no  sooner  heard  the  name  of  the  Deceased 
mentioned  than  she  immediately  followed  it  with  the 
most  curious  anecdotes  of  the  family,  and  entertaining 
parts  of  English  narration,  and  this  in  such  a  sprightly, 
familiar,  and  condescending  manner  as  to  gain  the 
ears  and  affection  of  the  company  present.  Her  re- 
tentive memory  and  knowledge  in  English  history 
exceeded  the  powers  of  any  person  I  have  ever  met 
with ;  nor  did  her  talents  end  here,  sculpture  and 
statuary  she  could  criticize;  nor  must  I  forget  that 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  1 7 

upon  coming  to  the  tomb  of  Queen  Elizabeth  she 
said, — 

"  '  Here  is  that  vixen  Queen  Bess,  for  Lavater  says 
a  sharp  chin  is  the  sure  guide  for  it.J 

"  She  then  made  remarks  on  the  similarity  of  the 
family  faces  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  and  Queen 
Elizabeth  with  such  judicious  comments  upon  the 
whole  exhibition  that  I  was  determined  (although  a 
stranger)  before  I  quitted  this  Phoenix  of  English 
history  to  learn  her  name,  which  upon  soliciting, 
assigning  as  a  cause  the  entertainment  I  had  received 
and  hoping  for  a  further  acquaintance,  she  politely 
gave  that  of  Mrs.  Morhall,  No.  18,  Castle  Street, 
Holborn." 

"  GENERAL  MONK. 

"  The  conductor  of  Westminster  Abbey,  upon  show- 
ing General  Monk's  effigy,  said  a  French  lady  the  day 
before  was  tall  enough  to  kiss  his  chin.  Upon  this 
saying  Mrs.  Morhall  stepped  up  and  made  a  belief  to 
kiss  his  cheek,  when  the  conductor  said, — 

" '  Madame,  you  had  better  kiss  me/ 

"  '  If  I  do  so/  said  the  lady,  '  I  should  have  kissed 
two  inanimate  beings. '  " 

"  DEBTOR  AND  CREDITOR. 

"  Sanders  and  Lemon  were  partners  and  carters  at 
Gravesend  (1801),  generally  employed  by  Mr.  Gillbee, 
a  coal-merchant  there,  who  owed  them  61.  for  labour 
(Lemon  had  not  behaved  very  honestly  to  his 
employer) ;  and  when  they  went  to  ask  for  their  money, 
Mr.  Gillbee  began  beating  poor  Lemon  most  violently 
for  some  distance,  Sanders  following,  when  Gillbee 
turned  round  to  Sanders  and  said, — 

c 


i8  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

11 '  Well,  Sanders,  what  have  you  got  to  say  ?  ' 
"  '  I  say,  sir,  if  this  is  the  way  you  pay  debts,  you 
owe  me  nothing  !  you  owe  me  nothing  !  ' 

"MAJOR  WADMAN. 

"  The  Major  of  the  Northfleet  Volunteers  being  dead, 
Captains  Allen  and  Wadman  were  the  next  in 
seniority  for  the  choice  of  the  corps,  who  being 
assembled,  Captain  Allen  addressed  them  thus  :  — 

' ' '  Gentlemen,  I  am  sorry  to  acquaint  you  with  the 
death  of  your  Major ;  you  must  choose  another,  and  I 
shall  be  proud  of  your  votes  to  succeed  him/ 

"  Then  Captain  Wadraan  spoke, — 

"  '  Gentlemen,  you  know  your  Major  is  after  being 
dead,  and  Captain  Allen  or  myself  must  succeed 
him.  Away,  you  dogs,  to  my  house  and  consider  of  it; 
there  is  plenty  of  roast  beef  and  strong  beer/ 

' ' '  Oh  !  Wadman  for  ever  !  Wadman  for  ever  !  '  they 
cried ;  and  so  Wadman  was  elected/' 

"  VERY  TRUE. 

"  In  the  English  language  the  use  of  the  expression 
'Very  true'  is  a  tautology,  and  you  may  as  well 
pronounce  the  inelegant  repetition  of  '  True,  true/  " 

"  MAJOR  WADMAN. 

"West  the  bricklayer  having  set  off  to  walk  to 
London,  met  the  Major  riding  home  to  his  country  seat. 

" '  Good  morning  to  you,  Mr.  West,  and  where  are 
you  after  going  to  ?  ' 

"  '  I  am  going/  says  West,  '  to  London,  sir,  to  em 
ploy  a  lawyer  against  you  for  my  money/ 

"  '  And  do  you  mean,  man,  to  walk  all  the  way  ? ' 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  19 

"  '  I  must,  sir,  for  I  can  get  no  carriage.' 

"  '  By  iny  soul,  man,'  says  the  Major,  '  you  shall  do 
no  such  thing.  Here,  take  my  horse,  and  I  will  walk 
home.' 

"  He  did  so.  Soon  after  West  put  the  sheriff's 
officer  into  his  house,  when  he  sent  for  West  and 
said, — 

" ( I  don't  blame  you,  Mr.  West,  for  I  think  you  have 
done  right !  Now  you  will  get  your  money.  We  havo 
always  been  friends,  and  I  know  of  no  person  I  would 
so  soon  send  to  as  yourself  to  be  bail  for  me  in  case  I 
was  arrested  !  !  ! ' ' 

To  resume.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  demand 
for  the  "  History  of  Gravesend "  was  sufficient  to 
have  made  it  remunerative,  although  in  an  adver- 
tisement of  the  time  it  is  stated  that  nearly  all  the 
copies  had  been  sold;  for  speaking  of  himself,  Pocock 
says  at  a  later  period  "  he  would  have  added  another 
volume  to  the  '  History  of  Gravesend/  but  not  finding 
that  encouragement  among  his  townsmen  he  could 
have  wished  for,  he  dropped  it." 

In  the  year  1800,  having  increasingly  turned  his 
attention  to  antiquarian  subjects  connected  with  his 
native  county,  he  published  his  interesting  account 
of  the  Tufton  family,  Earls  of  Thanet,  whose  pedigree 
he  traced  from  an  early  period.  The  book  itself  he 
dedicated  or  inscribed  to  his  friend,  R.  Gough,  Esq. 
It  is  a  small  octavo  of  156  pages,  and  bore  the 
following  title-page : — 

MEMORIALS 
OF  THE  FAMILY  OF  TUFTON,  EAELS  OF  THANET, 

deduced 
from  various  sources  of  authentic  information. 

c  2 


20  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  From  lives  of  many  a  good  example  may  be  drawn." 

Grave? end  : 
Printed  by  R.  Pocock, 

and  sold  by  Messrs.  Robinson,  Paternoster  Row,  London, 

and  all  other  Booksellers. 

1800. 

This  work  is  replete  with  interesting  detail,  to  which, 
however,  its  main  scope  and  object  are  never  allowed  to 
become  subordinate  ;  but  what  should  have  particularly 
induced  this  selection  of  the  topic  of  the  Thanet  family 
is  hard  to  say,  as  more  prominent  Kentish  subjects 
could  have  been  suggested.  It  may  have  arisen  from 
the  local  connexion  of  Tilbury  Fort  with  Gravesend, 
for  he  remarks  that  "  Col.  Tufton,  on  whom  the  earl- 
dom of  Thanet  descended  on  the  decease  of  Thomas, 
Nov.  19,  1694,  was  in  the  reign  of  James  II.  chosen 
governor  of  Tilbury  Fort,  and  probably  the  first  who 
received  that  honour  after  the  old  Blockhouse  Plat- 
form, built  by  Henry  VIIL,  with  other  like  fortresses 
on  the  coast  (out  of  the  vast  plunder  of  the  religious 
houses,  by  way  of  amusing  the  people  after  their  loss), 
had  been  enclosed  with  works,  and  reduced  to  the 
regular  fortification  we  now  find  it." 

The  following  is  extracted  from  our  author's  "  Intro- 
duction1" to  the  Tufton  family,  Earls  of  Thanet : — 

"  Before  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  it  was  thought 
a  rarity  in  the  course  of  a  century  if  one  historian 
appeared  to  record  and  transmit  to  posterity  the 
glorious  actions  of  our  forefathers,  or  to  set  forth  the 
topographical  beauties  of  this  respectable  and  delightful 
island.  Under  the  patronage  of  Her  Majesty  several 
literary  luminaries  arose  during  her  golden  age.  Mr. 
Lambarde,  the  father  of  local  historians,  honoured  Kent 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  21 

by  making  it  the  subject  of  the  first  county  history  ;  and 
in  his  time  a  general  collection  of  the  antiquities  of 
the  kingdom  was  comprised  into  a  thin  quarto  in 
Latin  by  his  contemporary  Camden.  Not  long  after 
these  authors,  all  that  was  then  thought  worthy  of 
notice  among  the  monuments  of  Britain  was  given  by 
Weaver,  in  a  folio ;  and  it  was  not,  I  believe,  till  the 
beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century  that  any  town  or 
even  city  was  judged  capable  of  affording  sufficient 
materials  for  a  distinct  publication  ;  but  whether  from 
the  accumulation  of  recorded  and  interesting  events 
respecting  places  and  families,  which  are  not  now,  as 
formerly  (before  the  invention  of  printing),  soon  hurried 
into  oblivion,  or  from  the  growing  taste  for  a  know- 
ledge of  men  and  manners  in  past  ages,  or  probably 
from  both  these  causes,  aided  by  an  increasing  popula- 
tion, which  renders  what  was  once  a  narrow  theatre  of 
action  now  complex  and  diversified ;  whether  from 
all  or  either  of  these  causes,  it  is  certain  that  a  single 
town,  parish,  the  smallest  village  or  meanest  family 
may  afford  documents  worth  relating  for  the  benefit  of 
future  generations/''  &c. 

******** 

(<  No  apology  is  needed  for  offering  in  this  separate 
form  memoirs  of  the  family  of  Tufton ;  but  it  may  be 
necessary  to  premise  on  behalf  of  the  execution  of  the 
present  work,  that  the  occupations  of  a  man  who  has 
not  the  happiness  to  enjoy  affluence  and  a  peaceful  re- 
treat naturally  stand  in  the  way  of  study  and  research. 

"  The  writer  nevertheless  hopes  that  his  labours  will 
not  be  found  wholly  uninteresting  or  useless. 

"  He  has  availed  himself  of  all  sources  of  information 
that  were  accessible  to  him,  and  has  endeavoured  to 


22  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

illustrate  with  as  much  accuracy  as  he  could  the  career 
of  this  family. 

"  He  has  particularly  aimed  at  impartiality  (steering 
clear  of  the  extremes  of  political  phrensy),  and  has  con- 
cluded at  a  period  most  consistent  with  the  respect  due 
to  living  characters." 

A  person  perusing  the  above  work  might  recognize 
in  one  of  the  epitaphs  the  idea  which  Pocock  adopted 
in  that  which  he  wrote  to  his  mother's  memory. 

It  is  the  monumental  inscription  of  Thomas,  Earl  of 
Thanet,  who  died  in  1729,  eighty-five  years  old,  and 
who  lies  buried  with  his  ancestors  at  Rainham  Church, 
adjoining  Chatham,  in  Kent,  anc£  after  stating  his 
birth,  &c.,  it  records  his  marriage  with  Catherine, 
daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Newcastle,  and  proceeds 
(speaking  of  the  deceased)  thus, — 

"  Who  believed  that  no  woman  on  earth  would  have 
made  him  so  happy  as  she  did." 

This  is  a  tribute  to  the  Countess  all  the  stronger  as  she 
died  in  April,  1712,  some  seventeen  years  before  her 
husband,  and  by  consequence  at  least  that  distance  of 
time  remote  from  his  kind  and  faithful  record  of  the 
conjugal  happiness  which  she  had  brought  him. 

Pocock,  in  penning  his  mother's  epitaph,  writes  as 
follows : — 

The 

Prudent  Conduct, 
Constant  Care,  Frugality, 

and 
Good  Housekeeping 

of 

MARTHA  POCOCK 
enabled 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  23 

Her  Husband  John  to  prosper ; 

For  she  knew 
That  no  man  can  thrive  or  be  happy 

unless 

His  Wife  likes. 

On  January  30th,  1776, 

At  56  years  old, 

She  died 
A  Pious  Churchwoman, 

and 

Lies  buried  in  the  same  Grave 
With  her  Husband. 

The  social  and  domestic  virtues  thus  depicted  for  her 
by  her  son  derive  confirmation  from  her  husband's 
will ;  for  not  only  did  the  latter  appoint  her  his  sole 
executrix,  but  refers  to  her  in  the  expressive  terms  of 
"  my  loving  wife  Martha." 

In  the  year  1802  our  author  compiled  and  published 
"  The  Memoirs  of  the  Families  of  Sir  E.  Knatchbull, 
Bart.,  and  of  Fiiiner  Honey  wood,  Esq./'  a  small  octavo ; 
and  at  the  end  he  added  a  note,  promising  an  enlarged 
account  of  these  Kentish  families,  with  fine  engravings, 
provided  a  sufficient  number  of  subscribers  could  be 
obtained.  This  was  never  the  case,  and  the  supple- 
mental book  never  saw  the  light. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Pocock  throughout  his  career 
exhibited  constant  proofs  not  only  of  literary  industry, 
but  of  order ;  indeed  without  these  qualities  he  would 
never  have  compiled  the  materials  for  his  collections, 
and  secured  the  publication  of  such  of  his  published 
works  as  saw  the  light.  He  carried  this  exactitude 
into  the  affairs  of  his  private  life,  as  is  illustrated  by 
his  having  in  the  year  1797  (the  year  of  the  publication 
of  his  "  History  of  Gravesend  "),  on  the  19th  of  October, 


24  R OBER T  PO CO  CK. 

carefully  written  out  his  will  on  three  pages  of  MS. ;  and 
after  mentioning  that  his  wife  Frances  was  sufficiently 
provided  for,  and  releasing  all  marital  -control  over  her 
little  property,  gave  whatever  he  might  leave  to  three 
trustees,  for  his  children  equally,  a  disposition  which 
sadly  survived  all  that  it  was  designed  to  confer ;  ex- 
piring itself  indeed  of  inanition,  it  remains  to  this  day  in 
the  lawyer's  pigeon-hole,  a  never-to-be-fulfilled  testa- 
ment ! 

It  was  in  1802  or  the  previous  year  that  he  exerted 
himself  to  establish  a  library  and  reading-room.  His 
methodical  statement  of  the  literary  supplies  with 
which  the  subscribers  were  to  be  refreshed  will  not  be 
without  interest  ;  it  was  accompanied  by  the  following 
proposals : — 

"  The  entrance  to  the  library  and  reading-room  shall 
be  by  a  private  door  and  passage  adjoining  to  the 
Globe  public-house,  and  not  through  his  (Pocock's) 
shop,  viz.  the  circulating  library. 

"  The  room  shall  be  fitted  up  in  a  commodious  manner, 
and  open  for  the  admission  of  the  subscribers  from  nine 
in  the  morning  to  nine  at  night;  well  lighted  with 
candles,  and  a  fire  kept  during  the  winter. 

"  The  subscribers  shall  be  furnished  with 

"  The  Canterbury  Paper  twice  a  week, 

"  The  Maidstone  Paper  once  a  week, 

"  The  Times  Paper  daily, 

"  Lloyd's  List  twice  a  week, 

"  The  Public  Ledger  daily,  or  some  other,  provided 
the  subscription  will  allow  it; 

kf  And  monthly  with 

"  The  European  Magazine, 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  25 

"  The  Gentleman's  Magazine, 

"  The  Critical  Review, 

"  The  Monthly  Review, 

"  And  Steel's  List ; 

"  And  yearly  with 

"The  Annual  Register,  and  such  other  books  and 
pamphlets  as  the  subscription  will  allow  of.  Exclusive 
of  these,  the  library  shall  be  furnished  with  all  the 
historical  and  valuable  books  (novels  excepted)  now  in 
Mr.  Pocock's  possession." 

The  yearly  cost  of  these  periodicals  and  coals  and 
candles  he  estimated  at  4*81.  Is.;  and  doubtless  the 
enterprise  had  a  happy  rise,  and,  as  is  often  the  fate 
of  such  local  undertakings,  was  followed  by  a  gradual 
decay. 

In  after-days,  writing  of  his  efforts  at  this  period 
and  in  previous  years,  he  says,  not  without  some  tinge 
of  bitterness, — 

"Prior  to  1786,  Gravesend  could  not  boast  of  any 
institution  of  this  sort,  but  in  that  year  the  writer 
established  the  first  printing-office  and  first  bookseller's 
shop  in  that  town  ;  but  literature  was  at  such  a  low 
ebb,  that  upon  the  words  '  Circulating  Library' 
being  placed  over  his  window,  many  of  the  inhabitants 
came  in  to  know  their  meaning.  Since  that  period 
they  are  a  little  improved,  but  they  have  a  further 
opportunity  of  enriching  themselves  by  more  often 
visiting  Pocock's  library,  which  will  also  enrich  the 
librarian,  who  has  done  his  endeavours  to  render  his 
native  townsmen  prosperous,  and  to  cultivate  their 
ideas,  for  which  purpose  he  also  established  a  scientific 
society ;  but  some  of  the  members,  thinking  they  would 
be  ruined  by  the  trifling  expense  per  week,  fell  to  and 


26  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

sold  off  the  property  among  themselves,  to  their  eternal 
shame  and  disgrace/' 

This  society  was  presumably  the  Natural  History 
Society  of  the  County  of  Kent,  of  which  he  was  both 
founder  and  chairman. 

We  must  remember,  however,  in  justice  to  the  un- 
informed townsmen,  that  the  era  of  "  Mudie  "  had  not 
then  arisen ;  and  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  only 
four  years  before  the  establishment  of  Pocock's  printing 
press,  these  unsophisticated  people  had  been  seriously 
imposed  upon  in  listening  with  much  interest,  on  the 
Sunday  before  his  commitment,  Sept.  3,  1782,  to  a 
pseudo-Rev.  John  Lloyd,  really  a  highwayman,  who, 
with  forged  letters  of  ordination,  had  preached  an  edify- 
ing discourse  at  Gravesend  parish  church,  taking  his 
text  from  the  Epistle  of  St.  Paul  to  the  Philippians, 
"  For  I  have  learnt,  in  whatsoever  state  I  am,  therewith 
to  be  content." 

The  MS.  sermon  was  found  in  his  pocket  when 
apprehended,  and  in  it  occurs  the  following  amongst 
many  similar  passages  : — 

"  The  remembrance  of  a  well-spent  life,  and  of  the 
many  benefits  and  kindnesses  done  by  us  to  others,  is 
one  of  the  most  pleasing  things  in  this  world." 

Indeed  the  experience  of  the  inhabitants  had  not 
been  happy  in  ecclesiastical  affairs.  The  church- 
wardens fell  under  the  censure  of  the  great  Bishop 
Fisher  in  1522  (a  prelate  of  whom  Dean  Hook  rightly 
says,  that  to  his  transcendent  virtue  and  noble  qualities 
justice  has  never  been  done)  ;  while  in  1710  we  find 
the  Mayor  busily  taking  the  information  of  Arthur 
Gibbon,  of  Milton  next  Gravesend  in  the  county  of 
Kent  aforesaid,  glazier,  upon  oath,  that,  "  being  at  the 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  27 

Faulcon  ale-house,  situate  in  Milton  next  Gravesend, 
Arnold  Syddall  Clerk,  curate  of  Gravesend,  was  there 
in,  company  with  this  deponent  and  others,  and  that 
he  then  and  there  heard  the  said  Arnold  Syddall  declare 
and  say  that  the  Pretender,  the  Prince  of  Wales,  was 
King  James's  true-begotten  son,  and  born  of  the 
Queen's  own  body ;"  while  again,  eleven  years  later, 
Bishop  Atterbury  suspended  the  then  curate  for  allow- 
ing the  Dutch  soldiers  (who  sat  covered  during  their 
sermon)  the  use  of  the  parish  church  for  their  service. 
So  highly  ran  the  politico-religious  animosities  of  the  day. 

Indeed,  even  at  an  earlier  period  the  inhabitants  of 
Gravesend  were  unfortunate  in  regard  to  their  eccle- 
siastical buildings;  and  the  church  wardens  were  exposed 
to  constant  proceedings  in  the  spiritual  courts,  for  their 
old  church  of  St.  Mary  became  more  ruinous  as  it  grew 
to  be  more  and  more  remote  from  the  receding  popula- 
tion, which,  in  view  of  the  supreme  importance  of  the 
river  traffic,  had  beenfor  the  last  three  centuries  steadily 
leaving  the  interior  for  the  river-side.  Within  six  years 
of  the  rebuilding  and  reconsecration  of  the  old  church  by 
Bishop  Fisher,  we  find  the  churchwardens  cited  to  the 
Consistory  Courts  in  consequence  of  its  neglect  and  dis- 
repair, and  this  continued  repeatedly  until  Henry  VIII., 
"in  terra  Supremum  Caput  Ecclesige  Anglicanae/' 
by  his  licence  of  1544,  authorized  the  abandonment  of 
St.  Mary's,  and  the  substitution  of  St.  George's  Chapel 
as  the  parish  church. 

Owing  to  the  dearth  of  material,  we  cannot,  until 
we  shall  have  further  advanced  in  the  century,  com- 
mand much  unpublished  information  respecting  our 
printer ;  but  continuing  for  the  present  to  confine  our- 
selves to  his  publications,  he  issued  in  1802  : — 


28  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  THE  GRAVESEND  WATER  COMPANION  ; 

describing  all  the  Towns,  Churches,  Villages,  Parishes,  and 
Gentlemen's  Seats  as  seen  from  the  Eiver  Thames  between  London 
Bridge  and  Gravesend  Town,  with  observations  ou  whatever  is 
curious  or  worth  remarking  in  that  distance,  calculated  chiefly  for 
the  amusement  and  entertainment  of  those  who  frequent  the 
Gravesend  Passage  Boats,  Margate  Hoys,  and  for  all  Captains, 
Passengers,  and  Mariners. 

'  Oft  we  pass'd  them  unobserv'd, 
But  now  observ'd  we  do  admire.' 

Grave-end  : 
Printed  by  R.  Pocock. 

Sold  by  Messrs.  Robinson,  Paternoster  Row, 

and  all  other  Booksellers. 

1802." 

This  little  volume,  the  precursor  of  the  now  familiar 
"Murray"  and  of  our  modern  guide-books,  is  not  perhaps 
very  felicitously  entitled  "  Water  Companion ;"  but  a 
perusal  of  its  pages  discloses  a  very  useful  and  superior 
publication  of  the  kind,  octavo  in  size,  and  of  thirty-five 
pages.  It  is  pleasantly  descriptive  of  the  places  of 
interest  on  both  sides  of  the  Eiver  Thames  in  an 
upward  journey  from  Gravesend  to  Billingsgate,  with 
an.  abundance  of  matter  showing  careful  and  extensive 
topographical  research. 

•  Simultaneously  was  published  by  the  author  a 
continuation  of  his  descriptive  account  of  the  places  on 
the  banks  of  the  Thames  as  far  down  as  Margate, 
under  the  title  of 

"THE  MARGATE  WATER  COMPANION; 

describing  the  River  Thames  from  Margate  to  Gravesend,  being  a 
supplement  to  the  Gravesend  Water  Companion ;  both   to   be   had 
stitched  together  of  any  Bookseller  in  the  Kingdom. 
Price  One  Shilling." 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  29 

The  following  extract  will  show  the  easy  and 
pleasant  style  of  the  author.  Opening  his  work  with 
G-ravesend  Reach,  he  proceeds  : — "  In  this  reach  lies 
the  town  of  Gravesend,  noted  for  fish,  asparagus, 
watermen,  and  a  well-frequented  and  cheap  ferry  (to 
that  metropolis  which  has  no  equal),  by  means  of  the 
boats  which  depart  each  flood  upon  the  ringing  of  a 
bell.  Opposite  to  this  town  on  the  Essex  shore  lies 
Tilbury  Fort,  a  regular  fortification,  having  a  great 
many  guns  and  a  very  few  old  soldiers  within  it,  who 
have  for  their  comfort  continual  agues  to  vex  them, 
unwholesome  air  to  breathe,  and  very  bad  water  to 
quench  their  thirst.  Leaving  them  to  their  piteous 
situation,  we  pass  the  west  end  of  Gravesend,  where 
the  road  or  tunnel  under  the  Thames  is  intended  to 
be  made,  and  if  completed  will  be  the  greatest  wonder 
on  (or  under)  the  earth, "  &c. 

The  author  might  well  speak  of  the  cheapness  of 
the  ferry  to  London,  since  it  appears  from  his  "  Sea 
Captain's  Assistant,"  hereafter  to  be  mentioned,  that 
the  fare  then  was  but  one  shilling  for  the  whole  twenty- 
four  miles  or  thereabouts.  No  doubt  this  river  route 
was  both  pleasant  and  popular,  and  as  in  very  disturbed 
social  periods  the  road  to  London  over  Shooter's  Hill 
was  often  infested  by  footpads  and  highwaymen, 
it  is  not  difficult  to  imagine  the  busy  scene  nor- 
mally displayed  at  the  Gravesend  Bridge  (the  local 
name  for  the  pier  or  embarking-place),  which  has  been 
amusingly  written  of  by  many,  and  amongst  them  by 
Mr.  Straycock,  a  pilot,  who  often  visited  the  town, 
and  who  writing  of  "  Gravesend  at  low  water '" 
says,— 


30  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  The  ebb  is  done  ;  list  how  yon  bell's  loud  charms 
The  ears  of  anxious  passengers  alarms. 
Now  busy  boatmen  run  from  side  to  side, — 
'  Sir,  Madam,  Miss,  do  you  go  up  this  tide  ? ' 
'  Here,  Serjeant,  Master,  let  us  put  you  off; 
We're  the  first  boat  (at  this  the  others  laugh)  ; 
We  start  directly,  Sir,  we  never  wait ; 
In  three  hours  hence  you'll  be  at  Billingsgate.' " 

In  the  same  connexion  occurs  on  a  fly-leaf  of  a 
MS.  in  the  Bodleian  Library,  entitled  "  The  Pricke  of 
Conscience/'  the  following  curious  reference  to  what 
must  have  been  a  well-known  and  most  popular  modo 
of  travelling  to  London  from  Kent : — 

"  The  Grave  Counsell  of  Gravesend  Barge 
Gevethe  John  Daye  a  privylege  large 
To  put  this  in  prynt  for  his  gaynes, 
Because  in  the  Legend  of  lyes  he  takethe  paynes, 
Commandinge  other  upon  payn  of  slavery 
That  none  prynt  this  but  John  Daye  the  prynter  of  Foxe  his 
Knavery." 

This  was  probably  the  same  John  Daye  as  the 
printer  of  that  name  of  Foxe's  Martyrs,  and  of  the 
seven  satires  upon  the  doctrine  of  the  Eeal  Presence  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  (for  which  at  the  time  he 
got  into  great  trouble),  such  as  his  dialogue  between 
John  Bon  and  Master  Parson. 

In  the  same  year  (1802)  as  the  above  guide-books, 
Pocock  wrote  and  published  his 

SEA  CAPTAIN'S  ASSISTANT ; 

Or,  FresJi  Intelligence  for  Salt- water  Sailors  ;  giving  an  account  of 

Merchandise  exported  from  or  imported  into  Great  Britain  ;  with 

the  names  and  residences  of  the  principal  Brokers,  Consuls,  and 

Agents ;  the  Monies  and  Ministers  in  Foreign  Ports. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  31 

Also, 

The    Flags    of  different  Nations  arranged   in   a    new  form;  the 

Public  Maritime   Offices   in   London ;  a  list  of  the  Trinity-house 

Pilots,  with  the  Pilots  of  Deal  and  Dover ;  a  Naval  Chronology, 

&c.,  &c.,  &c. 

Gravesend : 

Printed  by  R.  Pocock, 

And  sold  by  the  Booksellers  in  Paternoster  Row. 

The  following  preface  which  he  drew  up  will  best 
exhibit  his  aims  and  the  objects  of  the  publication  : — 

"  The  public  are  presented  with  a  pamphlet  on  a  new 
plan,  and  although  small,  yet  the  compiler  presumes  he 
has  introduced  such  information  as  will  prove  useful 
to  maritime  gentlemen,  to  whom  he  begs  in  particular 
to  pay  his  highest  respects,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
solicit  their  patronage. 

"  From  the  merchant  and  broker  he  hopes  to  receive 
such  matter  and  correction  as  will  enable  him  at  some 
future  period  to  bring  forth  another  edition  more 
deserving  of  their  favours. 

"  Therefore  communications  and  corrections  will  be 
thankfully  received  (post-paid),  addressed  to  the 
Editor  of  the  '  Sea  Captain's  Assistant '  at  Mr.  Bird's, 
Bookbinder,  Ave  Maria  Lane,  London,  or  sent  to  the 

tc  Public's  humble  servant, 

"K.  POCOCK, 
"Book  and  Chart  Seller, 

"  Gravesend. 
"  Dec.  1,  1802." 

The  title-page  and  preface  sufficiently  shadow  forth 
the  contents  of  this  little  publication.  It  appears  from 
its  pages  that  no  less  than  seventeen  coaches  then 
passed  upwards  daily  from  Gravesend  to  London, 


32  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

and  fifteen  in  the  other  direction.  The  manual  is  an 
octavo  of  forty-eight  pages,  replete  with  evidences 
of  careful  preparation,  and  it  must  have  proved 
at  the  period  of  its  publication  an  extremely  welcome 
means  of  reference  in  the  hands  of  the  maritime  trading 
community,  especially  such  of  it  as  was  connected 
with  the  port  of  London. 

Mr.  A.  J.  Dunkin,  indeed,  in  his  "  Nundinse  Can- 
tianaB,"  1842,  claims  that  our  author  projected  the 
Navy  List,  and  published  it  several  years  alone,  and 
afterwards  in  conjunction  with  Steel. 

The  publication  of  that  name  we  have  seen,  was  com- 
prised in  the  works  provided  by  him  for  the  subscribers 
to  his  library  (p.  25). 


33 


CHAPTER  II. 

TO    THE   COMET   OF    1811. 

Stranger  of  heaven  !  I  bid  thee  hail ! 

Shred  from  the  pall  of  glory  riven, 
That  flashest  in  celestial  gale, 

Broad  pennon  of  the  King  of  heaven  ! 
Where  hast  thou  roam'd  these  thousand  years  ? 

Why  sought  these  polar  paths  again, 
From  wilderness  of  glowing  spheres, 

To  fling  thy  vesture  o'er  the  wain  ? 
And  when  thou  scal'st  the  Milky  Way, 

And  vanishest  from  human  view, 
A  thousand  worlds  shall  hail  thy  ray, 

Through  wilds  of  yon  empyreal  blue. 

JAMES  HOGG. 

As  we  shall  now  be  proceeding  to  Pocock's  Diary  for 
1811,  in  which  he  records  the  appearance  of  the  great 
comet  of  that  year,  it  suitably  enables  us  to  direct 
more  especial  attention  to  our  printer's  love  of  nature, 
and  his  ardent  pursuit  of  natural  history.  This  he 
evinced  in  1809,  in  his 

NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  KENT, 

Arranged  in  a  systematical  Order. 

To  which  is  added 
An  Alphabetical  Index 

of 
All  the  Parishes  in  that  County ; 


34  ROBER2  POCOCK. 

Also 
The  Specific  Names 

of  every 

Animate  and  Inanimate  Production  of  Nature 
found  in  and  about 

Great  Britain. 

By  E.  Pocock,  Author  of  the  Tufton  Family, 

History  of  Gravesend,  Margate  Water  Companion,  &c. 

Gravesend  :  Printed  by  R.  Pocock. 

1809. 

He  wrote  a  preface  to  this  work  as  follows  : — 

"The  foundation  work  of  this  Natural  History  of 
Kent  is  adopted  from  Dr.  Turton's  octavo  edition  of 
Linne.  His  method,  and  systematic  order,  is  followed 
(because  better  cannot  be  found),  but  the  merit  and  use- 
fulness of  that  publication  is  not  lessened,  as  no  article 
is  stolen  or  copied  therefrom  (which  is  too  often 
practised),  but  overlooked  or  new  information  is 
added,  whereby  this  may  rank  1st  as  a  continuation  of 
that  excellent  universal  collection,  2nd  as  an  extra 
volume  to  Mr.  Hasted's  octavo  edition  of  ' '  Kent/'  and 
3rd  as  an  original  work. 

"  It  is  not  presumed  or  expected  a  volume  of  this 
nature  can  be  perfect  (for  much  is  yet  left  to  be 
known  and  done) ;  yet  the  candour  of  the  public  is 
claimed  for  all  deficiencies,  especially  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that  the  labour  of  this  first  systematically 
arranged  natural  history  of  a  county  is  greater  than 
superintending  twenty  future  editions. 

"  Much  difficulty  occurred  at  the  beginning.  It  was 
once  thought  the  best  way  to  give  the  produce  of  each 
parish  under  its  head,  but  repetitions  of  articles  would 
have  extended  the  work  to  an  enormous  size,  to  avoid 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  35 

which  an  alphabetical  index  of  all  the  parishes  in 
Kent  is  added,  with  the  pages  wherein  they  are  men- 
tioned :  this  will  prove  of  great  advantage  to  a 
parochial  historian. 

"GENERAL  DISTINCTIONS. 

"  The  scarcity  or  plenty  of  things  is  remarked  by  the 
following  words  in  italic  type  : — 

' ( Most  common  means  what  is  found  in  every  parish, 
and  daily  seen,  as  horses,  nogs,  sparrows,  &c. 

"  Common  means  what  is  found  in  several  parishes, 
but  not  daily  seen,  as  moles,  hawks,  &c. 

"Not  uncommon  means  what  is  found  in  some 
parishes,  but  not  so  often  seen,  as  otters,  badgers,  &c. 

"  Uncommon  means  what  is  found  in  few  parishes, 
and  but  seldom  seen,  as  martens,  cats,  horned  owls, 
soap- wort. 

"  Most  uncommon  means  what  is  rarely  met  with  in 
the  county,  or  visit  the  shores,  as  whales,  seals,  eagles. 

"  Not  heard  of  means  has  not  come  to  the  author's 
knowledge. 

"  Var.  means  a  variety." 

He  dedicated  this  labour  to  the  President  and 
Council  of  the  Royal  Society  in  the  following  words : — 

"  Gentlemen, — The  British  nation  is  greatly  indebted 
to  our  Sovereign  Gracious  Family  by  the  incorporation 
of  the  Royal  Society,  which  has  so  often  and  laudably 
issued  forth  rewards  for  improvement  of  scientific 
knowledge,  whereby  many  useful  inventions  have  been 
brought  to  perfection  and  carried  into  effect,  which 
otherwise  would  have  lain  dormant  and  been  lost  in 
oblivion.  The  encouragement  held  forth  by  your 

D  2 


36  ROBERT  POCOCK, 

Royal  Society  first  stimulated  me  to  begin  a  Natural 
History  of  Kent,  which  work  I  have  now  the  honour 
to  lay  before  the  public,  with  hopes  that  it  will  deserve 
their  approbation. 

<l  I  remain,  gentlemen, 

' '  Your  most  humble  servant, 

"  EGBERT  POCOCK/' 

But  alas  !  he  was  never  able  to  publish  these  his 
labours,  and  they  fell  sterile,  like  so  many  other  of 
his  efforts,  for  want  of  encouragement  and  pecuniary 
support. 

It  is  satisfactory  to  be  able  at  length  to  pass  to 
some  of  the  author's  Diaries,  which  have  been  to 
a  fragmentary  extent  saved ;  for  it  is  ever  easier  and 
truer  work,  certainly  pleasant er,  to  judge  of  a  man  and 
to  form  an  estimate  of  him  from  his  own  words,  than 
to  depend  upon  the  researches  and  speculations  of 
others,  however  disinterested  and  impartial.  Indeed  he 
who  writes  a  Journal  often  involuntarily  portrays  his 

own  character. 

/ 

CHRONICLE  or  1811. 

"  September  1st,  1811,  Sunday. — Visited  Essex,  and 
bought  a  loaf  at  Leigh,  and  then  to  Old  or  Holy 
Haven  in  Canvey  Island,  Essex,  where  there  is  only 
one  public-house ;  but  did  not  enter  it,  or  take  any 
refreshment,  because  I  had  heard  from  several  that 
the  landlord's  name  was  not  Mr.  '  Civility/ 

"  September  2nd,  Monday. — Read  the  Gent/sMag.  for 
last  month,  the  value  of  which  has  lately  been  increased 
by  the  correspondence  of  Messrs.  Lettsom,  Foster, 
Richardson,  Hall,  and  others. 

"  The  Gent,'s  Mag.  I  rank  as  one  of  the  first  British 
periodicals. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  37 

"  I  take  delight  in  perusing  this  magazine,  because  it 
contains  variety ;  yet  I  think  the  editors  confine  them- 
selves too  much  to  the  antique,  especially  in  the  counties 
about  the  metropolis.  The  plates  of  churches  carry 
with  them  a  sameness.  Ormskirk  Church,  I  have 
been  told,  has  at  one  end  a  spire  and  at  the  other  a 
tower  :  such  as  have  a  similarity  about  them  ought 
not  to  be  introduced. 

"Dr.  Richardson  must  accept  my  thanks  for  the 
goodness  of  his  communication  of  the  Fiorin,  and 
muse  also  forgive  the  harsh  treatment  of  Mr.  S.  The 
public  surely  would  have  liked  Mr.  Urban  to  have 
given  a  plate  of  this  grass. 

"  Dr.  Lettsom.,  by  publishing  Mr.  Neald's  letters,  has 
done  more  good  to  society  than  any  individual  since 
the  days  of  Mr.  Howard ;  but  I  cannot  help  remarking, 
that  whilst  the  philanthropist  is  exerting  himself  to 
relieve  forlorn,  dejected,  petty  debtors,  to  the  comfort 
of  their  families,  on  the  other  hand  there  are  in  the 
country  a  set  of  pettifogging  attorneys  continually 
trying  to  establish  -Courts  of  Requests  (Courts  of 
Conscience,  alias  without  conscience)  managed  by  a 
set  of  commissioners,  mostly  tradesmen  under  the  in- 
fluence of  those  attorneys  who  distress  the  poor  debtor 
frequently  by  imprisonment,  illegally  proclaimed. 

"  Mr.  Hall  (it  is  to  be  hoped)  will  favour  us  again 
with  his  communications. 

"  September  3rd.— The  eclipse  of  last  night  passed 
over  without  my  knowing  it ;  but  it  would  not  have 
been  so  if  I  had  consulted  Moore's  Almanack,  which 
I  have  frequently  disregarded  on  account  of  the 
prognostications  contained  therein.  Surely  those 
might  be  omitted,  and  more  useful  matter  substi- 
tuted. 


38  ROBERT  POCOCK 

"  Wednesday,  4th. — Saw  the  moon  rise ;  supposed 
my  neighbour's  house  on  fire. 

"  Thursday,  5th. — Visited  Lord  Darnley's  gardens  at 
Cobham.  At  nine  at  night,  coming  home  from 
Cobham,  observed  in  the  north-east  a  circular  haze 
which  I  supposed  to  be  a  comet.  Thought  of  my 
friend  Mr.  Ov.erton  of  Plum  stead,  and  the  great 
telescope  at  Slough.  Caught  this  day  at  noon  a 
brimstone  butterfly. 

"  Friday,  6th. — I  mentioned  this  morning  to  my  wife 
that  I  had  certainly  seen  a  comet  last  night.  Heard 
in  the  course  of  the  day  that  a  comet  had  been 
announced  in  the  newspaper.  Saw  the  paper,  where 
a  gentleman  at  Kelso  had  discovered  it  in  August. 
I  found  this  evening  the  comet  take  another  appear- 
ance; it  now  had  a  tail  in  the  direction  of  about  an 
angle  of  forty-five  or  fifty  upwards,  tending  north-east. 
Ran  about  the  town  to  borrow  a  celestial  map  or 
globe,  but  without  success.  Found  the  inhabitants 
not  attached  to  the  sciences,  and  more  of  astrologers 
than  astronomers. 

"  Sunday,  8th. — Foggy  morning,  but  the  finest  day 
and  starlight  evening  I  ever  beheld.  The  Milky 
Way  most  conspicuous,  and  the  comet  brighter,  with 
longer  rays.  First  saw  it  through  a  common  spy- 
glass, when  it  appeared  like  a  hazy  star  of  the  first 
magnitude.  The  field  of  the  glass  took  in  a  star  out 
of  its  rays  below  it,  and  a  star  in  the  rays  above  it, 
rather  to  the  right  hand.  Observed,  whilst  looking,  a 
falling  star  or  meteor  descend  into  its  tail.  The 
water  on  the  oars  appeared  very  luminous — a  prog- 
nostication of  a  southerly  wind. 

"  Visited  Lord  Eardley's  gardens  at  Erith,  where 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  39 

the  village  was  like  a  fair,  owing  to  the  Gravesend 
boats  not  being  able  to  get  farther.  Observed  there 
an  ancient  low  house  with  two  doors,  the  spandril 
ornamented  with  leopards'  heads  and  a  coat  of  arms, 
well  worth  a  plate  in  Mr.  Urban's  magazine.  Walked 
into  Lord  Eardley's,  and  saw  the  gardens :  the  pleasure- 
grounds  are  charmingly  rural,  and  a  great  variety  of 
scarce  trees  and  shrubs.  Accidentally  met  with  two  of 
the  household  female  servants,  who  escorted  us  to 
the  top  of  the  high  tower  that  overlooks  the  trees,  and 
from  which  we  had  a  fine  prospect  of  the  river  and 
adjacent  country.  Could  do  no  less  than  thank  our 
guides  for  the  view,  and  politely  endeavoured  to  salute 
one,  which  seemingly  was  not  taken  amiss;  but  in 
performing  the  ceremony  I  was  so  awkward  that  my 
hat  fell  off.  Surely,  I  thought,  this,  like  many  other 
things,  wants  practice.  A  good  general  should  be 
cool,  wait  for  opportunities,  and  not  be  too  rash. 
Descended  the  tower,  and  took  leave  of  our  kind, 
sociable  strangers. 

"September,  1811. — Had  a  gossip  with  Mr.  EL,  a 
river  pilot,  by  some  called  Mr.  '  Milk  and  Water.' 
Why  this  name  should  be  attached  to  a  worthy  man,  I 
know  not ;  perhaps  it  is  that  milk  and  water  is  often 
thought  incapable  of  doing  harm,  whilst  it  may  do 
good,  an  instance  of  which  occurred  last  week.  A 
little  boy  Mr.  H.  observed,  in  company  with  a  soldier 
at  Gravesend,  inquiring  the  road  to  Chatham  and 
seemingly  dejected,  sitting  on  the  steps  of  a  trades- 
man's door ;  whereupon  Mr.  H.  called  the  boy  in,  and 
challenged  him  with  running  away  from  his  parents. 
This  the  child  did  not  deny,  and  to  the  honour  of 
Mr.  Bryant,  linen-draper  of  Gravesend  (who  took  the 


40  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

child  in  for  that  night,  he  being  destitute  of  money) 
it  was  restored  to  the  parents,  implement-makers  in 
Shoe  Lane,  the  next  day.  So  much  for  the  kind 
conduct  of  Mr.  H.  Too  much  cannot  be  said  in  praise 
of  milk  and  water  ! 

"Went  to  the  sale  of  my  old  acquaintance,  Mr. 
Adams,  a  bricklayer,  who  lately  died  worth  some 
thousands.  He  left,  I  hear,  two  of  them  to  a  person 
no  way  related,  although  he  had  several  poor  re- 
lations. No  accounting  for  the  unfairness  of  wills  ! 

"  How  much  good  would  a  few  thousands  have 
done  to  a  few  industrious  tradesmen  tottering  on 
balances  of  50Z.  !  I  did  not  find  a  book  of  science,  or 
English  topography,  or  cyclopaedia,  &c.,  in  his  sale, 
which  contained  a  library  of  230  chosen  volumes, 
which  fetched  a  price  about  equal  to  1200  volumes  of 
novels  lately  disposed  of  at  Mr.  Lance's  library. 

"The  young  sparrows  pick  and  spoil  my  black 
cluster  grapes,  but  not  my  white  sweet-water. 
Counted  my  bunches,  and  found  I  had  404. 

"  Pound  this  year,  as  I  have  before  noticed,  that  the 
tenderest,  sweetest,  and  best  grapes  are  those  covered 
with  leaves.  A  gentleman  some  time  since  asked 
the  reason  of  withered  bunches.  I  think  it  arises 
from  the  lateral  branch  being  shortened.  Worth 
trying  the  experiment  next  year  on  different  laterals. 
This  day  my  sister  died. 

"  Wednesday,  September  11  th. — Fine  sunshine  morning 
and  day.  A  small  air  from  the  north.  Observed  the 
moon  plainly  at  nine  in  the  morning,  whilst  the  sun 
was  very  bright.  Guessed  it  would  be  with  the  sun 
in  four  days'  time,  so  that  the  sun,  moon,  and  comet 
will  be  nearly  on  a  meridian  line. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  41 

"  In  the  course  of  this  day  the  young  lady  called  from 
the  Orkneys  who  sent  me  the  drawing  of  the 
wonderful  sea  snake  which  came  on  shore  at  Stronsa. 
What  would  Pontophidan  have  given  for  such  !  Greatly 
disappointed  and  vexed  that  I  was  not  at  home  to 
receive  her,  as  she  is  a  bonny  girl — not  a  bony  girl, 
but  a  bonnie  girl.  What  can  I  do  for  such  a  kind 
female,  who  exposed  herself  to  inclemency  and  danger 
to  visit  a  distant  island  to  gratify  my  request  ?  Why^ 
send  her  some  books  to  pass  her  hours  in  the  dreary 
winter.  I  have  so  done,  and  through  fraud  they  never 
reached  her  hands.  Then  send  her  some  grapes,  for 
out  of  404  bunches  surely  a  few  may  be  spared,  and 
grapes  at  the  Orkneys  are  nearly  as  rare  as  sea  snakes. 

"  Thursday,  September  12th. — Had  a  large  green 
grasshopper  brought  me.  Saw  the  newspaper  with  an 
account  of  the  comet  by  Capel  Loft,  who  supposed  it 
to  be  fast  approaching  to  Ursa  Minor  ;  but  I  am  not 
of  that  opinion,  as  it  tends  more  to  the  tail  of  Ursa 
Major.  At  four  p.m.  set  off  for  London,  not  in  a  balloon, 
but  in  a  swift  bird,  the  Petrel,  which  flew  withme  to  that 
stinking  place  called  Billingsgate,  which  I  could  not  quit 
so  soon  as  I  wished.  Heard  a  boat  had  gone  through 
bridge,  and  carried  away  mast.  Had  a  glimpse  of 
the  comet.  Just  before  I  arrived  a  mad  dog  bit  a 
man  (September  10th)  and  an  old  woman.  The  father 
of  the  boy  sent  to  Birling  directly  for  that  never-failing 
remedy. 

"  Friday,  September  13th. — Peeped  into  the  auction 
mart — not  fond  of  the  last-named  place.  Met  with  the 
City  Solicitor,  and  had  some  discourse  on  a  boundary- 
stone  of  the  City,  which  I  had  discovered.  Went  to 
Margaret  Street  to  see  a  friend  just  arrived  from  East 


42  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

Indies.  Sorry  to  hear  that  the  petty  officers  in  that 
service  are  generally  dissatisfied,  it  being  a  losing 
concern.  Went  into  a  public-house,  where  a  letter  was 
read,  received  from  Slough,  describing  Dr.  Herschell's 
telescope,  which  has  a  diameter  of  forty-seven  inches,  a 
platform  for  six  to  stand  at  its  top  to  take  a  peep — at 
the  bottom  a  mirror,  which  was  stated  to  weigh  2501b., 
and  traverses  on  a  platform  of  forty  feet.  I  informed 
the  company  that  a  baker  (a  neighbour  of  mine,  Mr. 
Mathews)  could  make  as  good  as  the  composition  for 
such  mirrors,  and  this  was  some  years  since  made 
public  in  the  Nautical  Almanack,  a  publication  more 
useful  but  not  so  much  known  as  Moore's.  A  better 
account  of  Moore  and  Dr.  Herschell's  telescope  is  re- 
quested in  the  Gent.'s  Mag.  At  near  midnight  I  re- 
treated to  Merlin's  Cave,  where  I  passed  the  night. 

" Saturday,  September  14,th  — VisitedMr.  L.,  ofTitch- 
field  Street.  Gave  him  some  sand  from  Ascension 
Island,  and  a  piece  of  Sydnea  Australis,  and  heard  a  new 
edition  of  twenty  vols.  of  Buffon  was  in  the  press.  Saw 
the  comet  in  the  evening.  Heard  the  tail  took  a  direc- 
tion to  the  north-west  in  the  morning.  Embarked  at 
twelve  at  night  from  the  Dundee  Arms  in  clean, 
commodious  boat  called  the  Glory.  Soon  after  a 
very  thick  fog  came  on.  Anchored  four  times,  and  once 
got  on  ground.  Time  tedious,  but  much  passed 
away  in  conversation  with  a  young  female  traveller 
from  Scotland.  Found  she  had  read  nearly  every 
play  and  poet.  Landed  at  seven  o'clock  a.m.  at 
Woolwich. 

fe  Sunday,  September  15th. — Found  Woolwich  greatly 
increased  since  my  last  visit.  Walked  towards  Cray- 
ford,  but  missed  the  road.  Passing  by  Captain  Ed- 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  43 

meades's,  of  the  East  India  service,  in  Bampton  Lane, 
found  the  vervain  mallow  in  bloom.  Had  only  found 
it  once  before  in  Kent.  Plucked  some  seeds,  as  it  is 
well  worth  a  place  in  private  garden.  Observed  at 
the  same  place  in  bloom,  by  the  side  of  the  ditch,  the 
scarlet  pimpernel  in  a  great  state  of  luxuriance. 
Bampton  Lane  is  solitary,  and  not  such  a  desirable 
spot  for  a  residence  as  I  should  choose.  Refreshed 
myself  at  Crayford,  where  I  found  that  madder  was 
lately  cultivated,  but  now  totally  rooted  up,  it  being" 
a  losing  concern,  as  it  took  three  years  to  bring  it  to 
perfection,  and  much  trouble  in  getting  up  the  roots, 
which  run  four  or  five  feet  in  length.  Crayford 
famous  for  calico-printing,  carp,  trout,  and  good 
singers.  Saw  a  large  green  grasshopper.  Strong 
wind  east.  Faintly  saw  the  comet.  Starlight  to  eight. 
Arrived  at  Gravesend  at  ten,  greatly  fatigued. 

"Monday  Night,  September  16th. — Heard  that  on 
Saturday  last  a  man  put  in  the  cage  on  a  charge  of 
stealing  two  odd  shoes  from  Mr.  Newman,  proprietor 
of  coaches,  had  cut  his  throat.  However,  by  timely 
assistance,  and  the  skill  of  Mr.  Beaumont,  surgeon,  it 
was  sewn  up,  and  the  man  is  likely  to  recover. 

"Miss  B.  from  Orkney  called.  Gave  her  some 
grapes,  being  the  greatest  present  to  take  to  Orkney. 
Mr.  C.,  my  young  antiquarian  and  scientific  friend, 
informed  me  that  during  my  absence  he  had  been 
engaged  in  trying  the  utility  of  a  new  screw  and  machine 
for  the  purpose  of  navigating  vessels.  I  told  him  the 
proprietor  of  the  machine,  Mr.  S.  of  the  Strand,  should 
have  called  on  my  neighbour,  who  knows  more  about 
screws  than  half  the  screw  and  machine  makers  in  the 
kingdom.  Two  French  prisoners  taken  to  a  madhouse. 


44  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  Tuesday,  September  17th. — Fine  Sunday  morning. 
Company  of  the  42nd  Regiment  arrived  from  Scotland, 
following  the  regiment  which  passed  through  this 
town  within  a  few  weeks.  Had  a  present  made  me 
of  a  copper  "  Nero." 

tc  Wednesday,  September  18th. — The  watchman  pro- 
claims ( past  two  o'clock  and  a  fine  starlight  night.' 
Got  out  of  bed  on  hearing  this,  and  peeped  at  the 
comet,  which  was  more  conspicuous  than  before.  Now 
seen  in  the  north-east,  its  tail  apparently  more 
upright,  and  in  an  oblique  direction  at  the  square  of 
the  Great  Bear.  With  much  persuasion  prevailed  on 
my  wife  to  have  a  peep  also  (for  the  first  time  !),  which 
she  did,  with  indifference  declaring  she  never  cared 
for  the  Great  Bear  nor  Little  Bear,  and  that  I  had 
better  come  to  bed  than  be  looking  at  such  creatures, 
and  that  the  stars  would  do  me  no  good.  The  finest 
morning  I  ever  beheld  !  Wind  at  E.  Brisk,  yet 
pleasant.  At  sunset  a  general  gloomy  reddish  haze, 
which  I  thought  portended  rain,  and  many  meteors ; 
however,  it  turned  out  starlight.  Near  nine  a  meteor 
from  the  Great  Bear  passed  over  the  tail  of  the  comet 
just  above  its  head.  Looked  at  the  comet  with  a 
common  glass,  and  found  the  rays  proceeded  from  the 
circumference,  making  a  vacuum. 

tf  Wednesday,  September  25th. — Four  fine  horses 
shipped  by  Mr.  Woodgate  for  America.  One  was 
valued  at  1200Z.,  as  certified  in  the  cocquet  at  the 
Custom-house. 

"  Many  Jews  and  crimps  about  the  town  ;  a  sure  sign 
of  an  Indian  fleet  arrived.  Among  the  crimps  are 
many  well-dressed  women.  As  the  business  of  crimp- 
ing is  unknown  in  the  interior  of  the  kingdom,  let 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  45 

me  inform  you  that  crimps  are  a  useful  set  of  people, 
acting  as  a  medium  between  the  captain  and  sailor.  The 
established  fee  for  procuring1  a  seaman  is  two  guineas. 

"  Thursday,  September  26th.— Went  to  the  sale  of 
Mr.  L.,  lately  ruined  by  having  gunpowder  on  board 
his  vessel.  There  are  penalties  for  having  it  in  a  ship 
when  at  certain  parts  of  the  river.  The  police  officers 
are  well  skilled  in  Acts  of  Parliament  wherein  qui 
tarn  abounds.  The  martins  flew  very  low  this  day  in 
the  rain.  Several  cut  down  by  boys  with  whips. 
Many  conjectures  are  given  about  those  birds.  I  know 
of  no  place  where  so  many  abound  as  Sheppey. 

"The  Church  of  Minster  in  Sheppey  is  remarkable  for 
having  a  horse-head  on  the  top  of  the  spire  in  lieu 
of  a  weather-cock,  from  which  we  have  an  improbable 
traditional  story;  bat  many  persons  resort  in  summer 
to  this  village,  and  upon  visiting  the  church  seldom 
leave  it  without  hearing  something  of  this  tale,  which 
we  shall  entertain  our  reader  with  in  poetry. 

"MINSTER. 

"  Of  monuments  that  here  they  show 
Within  the  church,  we  draw  but  two ; 
One  an  ambassador  of  Spain's, 
The  other  Lord  Sharland's  dust  contains  ; 
Of  whom  a  story  strange  they  tell, 
And  seemingly  believe  it  well. 

"  The  Lord  of  Sharland  on  a  day, 
Happening  to  take  a  ride  this  way, 
About  a  corpse  observed  a  crowd, 
Against  their  priest  complaining  loud, 
That  he  would  not  the  service  say 
Till  somebody  his  fees  should  pay. 
On  this  his  lordship  too  did  rave, 
And  threw  the  priest  into  the  grave. 
'  Make  haste  and  fill  it  up,'  said  he ; 


46  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

'  We'll  bury  both  without  a  fee.' 

But  when  he  cooler  grew,  and  thought 

To  what  a  scrape  himself  had  brought, 

Away  he  gallop'd  to  the  bay, 

Where  at  that  time  a  frigate  lay 

With  Queen  Elizabeth  on  board  ; 

When  (strange  to  tell)  this  hair-brain'd  lord 

On  horseback  swam  to  the  ship's  side, 

There  told  his  tale,  and  pardon  cried. 

The  grant  with  many  thanks  he  takes, 

And  swimming  still,  to  land  he  makes ; 

But  on  his  riding  up  the  beach, 

He  an  old  woman  meets  (a  witch). 

'  This  horse  which  now  your  life  does  save/ 

Says  she,  '  will  bring  you  to  the  grave.' 

'  You'll  prove  a  liar,'  says  my  lord, 

'  You  ugly  hag  ! '  then  with  his  sword, 

Acting  a  most  ungrateful  part, 

The  generous  beast  stabb'd  to  the  heart. 

"  It  happen'd  after  many  a  day 
That  with  some  friends  he  stroll'd  that  way, 
And  this  strange  story,  as  they  walk, 
Became  the  subject  of  their  talk  ; 
When  on  the  bank  by  the  sea-side, 
'  Yonder  the  carcase  lies  ! '  he  cried, 
As  not  far  off  he  led  them  to't, 
And  kick'd  the  skull  up  with  his  foot, 
When  a  sharp  bone  pierced  thro'  his  shoe, 
And  wounded  grievously  his  toe, 
Which  mortified ;  so  he  was  kill'd, 
And  the  hag's  prophecy  fulfill'd. 
See  there  his  cross-legg'd  figure  laid, 
And  near  his  feet  the  horse's  head. 

'*  The  tomb  is  of  too  old  a  fashion 
To  tally  well  with  this  narration  ; 
But  of  the  tale  we  would  not  doubt, 
Nor  put  our  cicerone  out. 
'Tis  a  good  moral  point  at  least, 
That  gratitude's  due  to  a  beast. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  47 

"  Saturday,  September  28th. — Read  part  of  Du. 
Lolde's  ' Embassy  to  China/  Found  the  mode  of  drink- 
ing tea  the  same  as  at  present,  except  the  spout  was 
closed  to  infuse  the  tea  better,  and  a  little  salt  to  give 
it  a  flavour.  The  death-watch  heard  at  ten. 

"  Sunday,  September  29th. — At  ten  the  Earl  of  Darn- 
ley  arrives  in  the  town  as  hereditary  High  Steward, 
and  according  to  custom  breakfasted  with  the  Mayor, 
Geo.  Rich.,Esq.,  and]corporation,in  their  Town  Hall,  on 
hot  roast  beef,  moistened  with  plenty  of  arrack-punch, 
and  then  walked  to  church,  where  a  discourse  was 
delivered  by  Dr.  Watson,  Rector  of  Gravesend. 

' '  A  fleet  from  China  passed  by.  Evening  star  and 
moon  light,  with  low  clouds.  Comet  seen  making 
nearly  a  triangle  with  the  two  last  stars  in  the  Bear's 
tail.  The  tail  of  the  comet  faint,  probably  arising  from 
the  glare  of  the  moon.  Whilst  observing  it  about 
eight,  a  faint  reddish  Aurora  Borealis  shot  from  the 
north-west.  Those  phenomena  were  frequent  before 
the  American  War,  and  are  yet  often  seen  by  our 
fishermen  to  the  north  of  Scotland,  making  a  hissing, 
snapping  noise. 

"Monday,  September  30th. — The  Corporation  of 
Gravesend  walk  in  procession  to  church  to  hear 
divine  service,  and  on  their  return  choose  Mr.  Den- 
nett as  Mayor  for  the  year  ensuing. — Mem.  Most 
corporations  now  are  petty  tyrannical  governments 
ruled  by  the  caprice  of  their  town  clerks.  They 
should  be  an  object  of  government  constitution. 
They  should  either  have  a  heavy  tax  imposed  on  them 
or  be  dissolved. 

"  The  rays  of  the  comet  appear  faint,  it  being  bright 
moonligKt.  Whilst  looking  at  this  time  and  moon- 


48  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

light,  a  meteor  shot  forth  in  the  westward,  passing 
along  horizontally  a  great  space,  and  entered  or  went 
behind  a  cloud,  making  its  appearance  again  in  a 
clear  space,  and  once  more  entered  a  hazy  cloud  that 
reached  to  the  horizon.  This  was  a  singular  phe- 
nomenon. I  guess  about  next  Friday  the  comet 
will  eclipse,  or  be  very  near  the  last  star  in  the  Great 
Bear's  tail.  The  town  full  of  hissing  serpents  (fire- 
works), folio  wing  a  lawless  rabble  called  '  Mock  Mayor/ 
who  go  from  door  to  door  collecting  alms  for  drink 
and  riot,  and  imitating  his  Worship  the  Mayor,  his 
mace-bearer,  and  the  rest  of  this  singular  body,  who 
demand  20Z.  for  the  privilege  of  a  man  becoming  free 
of  the  town,  but  deny  this  freeman  the  privilege  of 
voting  for  any  one,  either  mayor,  jurat,  or  common 
councilman!  " 

"  Tuesday  Morning,  October  1st. — A  person  from 
Dover  called  and  told  me  that  David  Anderson,  a 
pilot  of  Deal,  had  met  with  his  death  in  a  tragical 
manner.  He  was  coming  up  in  a  south  whaler,  which 
ran  foul  of  an  East  Indiaman,  and  received  such  a  shock 
that  it  was  expected  she  was  sinking,  whereupon  all 
the  men  of  the  whaler,  except  two,  jumped  on  board 
the  Indiaman ;  but  Mr.  A.,  in  jumping,  either 
missed  his  hold  or  jumped  short,  and  fell  between  the 
ships,  which  at  that  instant  suddenly  came  in  contact 
twice,  and  squeezed  him  fatally.  The  whaler,  with 
two  men  on  board,  drove  on  Margate  Sands,  losing  one 
of  the  two  men.  What  has  become  of  the  ship  is  un- 
known, as  she  is  not  now  seen  on  Margate  Sands. 

"  Had  this  morning  a  violent  pain  at  the  bottom  of 
my  heel,  which  affects  the  back  part  of  my  leg.  Never 
had  such  a  pain  before ;  surely  it  must  be  the  gout  for 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  49 

the  first  time.  If  so,  it  certainly  arose  from  my  stand- 
ing out  on  the  damp  ground  last  night  to  view  the 
comet  and  fireworks.  Had  this  day  brought  me  a 
sphinx  moth,  convolvuli,  &<?.,  which  flew  on  board  a 
vessel  ten  leagues  off  the  coast  of  Scotland.  Had  also 
a  lump-fish  sent  me. 

"  Pain  in  my  heel  increases,  making  me  lame,  First 
used  spectacles,  and  found  great  benefit  therefrom. 
Took  up  Greig's  '  Astrography/  Not  well  pleased  with 
this  work,  and  opened  the  book  with  much  prejudice, 
because  I  remember  a  work  of  authority  beginning 
with  abstruse  characters  instead  of  the  most  simple 
elements.  Perused  some  of  the  pages  of  this  '  Astro- 
graphy'  with  pleasure.  Every  leaf  I  turned  over 
diminished  my  prejudice.  I  find  the  book  full  of  well- 
selected  information  on  a  new  plan,  as  the  title  ex- 
presses ;  therefore  I  earnestly  recommend  it  to  both 
young  and  old  as  a  useful  manual  of  astronomy, 
mythology,  and  history.  More  knowledge  can  be 
derived  from  this  close-printed  pocket  edition  (which 
costs  only  five  shillings)  than  from  ten  quarto  volumes 
of  the  more  ancient  men  printed  on  royal  paper  with 
royal  margins.  Went  to  Dr.  Thornton,  No.  1,  Hinde 
Street,  Manchester  Square,  to  see  his  paintings. 

"  Thursday,  October  3rd. — Read  an  American  news- 
paper. Philadelphia  Museum  State-house — a  mam- 
moth there,  twenty-five  cents  for  a  peep. — Mem.  The 
bones  of  a  mammoth  can  be  seen  at  the  British 
Museum  for  nothing. 

"  Friday,  October  4<th. — Swallows  and  martins  fly 
about  house  high.  Sun  out  at  two  o'clock.  Read  the 
Gent/s  Mag.  for  last  month,  and  understood  it  very 
well  (except  the  epistle  by  a  young  clergyman),  I 

£ 


50  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

made  my  wife  laugh  (a  very  singular  thing)  at  the 
humour  there  related  in  a  paragraph  styled  the  '  Times/ 
I  hope  this  humorous  writer  will  continue  Mr.  Urban's 
constant  correspondent. 

"  Saturday,  October  bth. — This  evening  at  eight 
my  neighbour,  the  mechanical  turner,  &c.,  ran  in 
and  wished  me  to  see  the  comet  that  instant,  as  it 
was  in  more  splendour  than  ever;  its  tail  lengthened 
to  the  square  of  the  Little  Bear ;  the  stars  about  it 
unusually  bright  for  a  few  moments :  and  its  tail 
embraced  two  stars  of  fourth  or  fifth  magnitude,  whilst 
a  star  of  about  third  magnitude  was  below  it.  Several 
meteors  or  shooting  stars  seen  in  less  than  ten  minutes. 
They  were  noticed  as  if  flying  with  the  wind.  Ob- 
served a  circular  haze  the  size  of  the  moon  round 
Lyra,  which  continued  five  minutes.  Thi$  appearance 
was  so  singular  that  I  was  on  the  eve  of  calling  out 
'  Another  comet/ 

"October  llth.— " A  Painted  Lady  Cardinal"  flew 
from  my  grape-vine.  Read  a  small  pamphlet  on  comets 
by  Mr.  Rivers,  wherein  he  gives  an  erroneous  list  of 
comets,  omitting  that  which  appeared  in  October  and 
November,  1807,  and  likewise  one  which  I  remember 
seeing  about  forty-three  years  ago,  nearly  of  a  similar 
appearance  to  the  present. 

"  Wednesday,  October  IQth. — A  flight  of  birds  (star- 
lings) flew  over  the  town  to  the  westward.  This  I 
have  observed  several  years.  Read  this  day  a  pam- 
phlet on  comets  printed  at  Stamford,  which  gives  a 
much  better  account  than  that  of  Mr.  Rivers.  My 
friend  Mr.  Crafter  called,  and  says  it  is  not  the  hottest 
day  of  the  year,  as  on  one  day  it  was  ten  degrees  hotter. 
Read  a  letter  from  my  son,  wherein  he  appears  to  be 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  51 

afraid  of  asking  a  young  lady  to  alter  her  name.  I  write 
'  Courage,  my  lad;  the  lady  will  say,  Don't,  sir;  pray  do/ 

"Thursday,  October  17th. — Insulted  by  a  grinning 
dog  or  biped  puppy.  Mr.  Bedingfield's  Clerk  called 
with  a  message  from  the  party. 

"  Sunday,  October  20th. — Soon  after  eleven  alarmed 
by  the  watchman  with  a  smell  of  fire.  Got  up, 
searched  the  house,  and  found  the  smell  arose  from 
some  asafoetida  or  other  drug  injected  through  the 
keyhole— suspected  to  be  put  there  by  one  C.  (assistant 
to  Mr.  B.)  and  others. 

"  Monday,  October  2lst. — Morning  at  eight.  Wind  E. 
Sent  a  letter  to  Mr.  B.,  of  which  the  following  is  a 
copy:  — 

"  Sir, — Surgeons  and  apothecaries  are  expected  to 
have  more  gravity  and  good  sense  than  the  generality 
of  men,  and  when  otherwise  they  are  a  disgrace  to 
their  profession. 

' ( You  keep  dogs,  and  have  a  grinning  one  that  goes 
about  the  streets  in  the  evening  (with  others)  to  the 
annoyance  of  the  neighbourhood.  This  is  to  caution 
you  to  keep  him  within,  or  likely  enough  he  will  some 
night  return  with  a  good  horse-whipping  by  the  hand 
of 

"  Yours,  &c., 

"  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"P.S. — When  you  have  read  this,  show  it  to  the 
puppy." 

"  Tuesday,  October  22nd. — Death's-head  moth  found 
at  Gravesend. 

"  Thursday,  October  24>th. — Gravesend  Fair.     Small 

E  2 


5 2  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

rain.  Some  men  taken  up  in  the  fair  for  gambling. 
Gathered  my  last  grapes. 

"  Monday,  October  28th. — A  bat  flying  about  the 
market  inthe  forenoon  ;  rain  in  the  afternoon.  Mr. 
Foreman,  of  the  Ferry  House,  Tilbury,  called,  and  said 
he  had  started  this  day  a  post-coach  to  Chelmsford 
daily.  Sets  out  at  seven  in  the  morning,  returns  at 
three,  and  arrives  at  Tilbury  Fort  at  eight  in  the 
evening.  Heard  that  Mr.  Rashleigh,  jun.,  performed 
divine  service  as  curate  of  Gravesend  yesterday  for  the 
first  time. 

"  Wednesday,  October  30th. — Evening  at  eight.  Moon- 
light night.  Comet  very  faintly  discerned,  owing  to 
lustre  of  the  moon. — Mem.  The  lustre  of  the  moon 
does  not  seem  to  affect  the  brightness  of  Lyra.  A 
pilot-fish  taken  alive  at  Gravesend,  size  of  a  mackerel. 
Three  spines  on  its  back  near  the  tail. 

"Sunday,  November  10th. — Conger-eel  came  on 
shore  at  new  tavern,  about  five  feet  long,  and  sup- 
posed to  weigh  18  Ib. 

"Tuesday,  November  \2th. — Read  the  Maidstone 
paper  that  at  the  Wrotham  meeting  for  making  a  new 
road  to  Tonbridge  were  present  Earl  Camden,  Earl 
Darnley,  Sir  William  Geary,  Sir  Henry  Twysden,  and 
about  twenty  other  gentlemen,  among  whom  were 
George  Rich,  Esq.,  and  Laurence  Ruck,  Esq. 

"  Wednesday,  November  13th. — Wrote  this  day  a 
letter  to  the  committee  on  the  proposed  new  road  to 
Wrotham  from  Gravesend.  Tide  ebbed  and  flowed 
twice  at  Gravesend. 

"Thursday,  November  14th. — Two  black  women, 
Tobitha  Isaacs  and  Maria  De  George,  about  going  to 
Santa  Cruz.  Said  they  would  send  me  some  shells. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  53 

Perplexed  by  bills  being  printed  for  the  parish  by 
Caddell  for  the  militia."  [The  rival  press.] 

"Friday,  November  Ibth. — Spent  the  evening  at 
'  the  George/ 

"Sunday,  November  17th.— Walked  to  Northfleet 
with  Mr.  Grafter  into  the  cliffs,  where  we  saw  a  mar- 
tin flying  about.  One  of  the  men  said  two  martins 
had  been  flying  about  in  the  morning,  and  also  yester- 
day. Bought  a  virgin  flint  for  sixpence.  SaW  in 
bloom  wild  endive  (dandelion). 

"Monday,  November  18th. — Mr.  Lancaster,  a  fisher- 
man, brought  me  a  left-handed  whelk,  and  a  piece  of 
rock  from  Lewis  Island,  which  appears  as  crystallized 
hornblende. 

"  Tuesday,  November  19th. — It  appears  that  the  comet 
passed  its  perihelion  about  September  12th,  1811,  when 
its  perihelion  distance  was  about  95,000,000  miles,  and 
made  its  nearest  approach  to  the  earth  about  the  middle 
of  October,  being  then  10,800,000  miles  distant.  The 
space  in  the  heavens  occupied  by  its  train  extended  12°, 
so  that  the  length  of  its  tail  was  not  less  than  33,000,000 
miles.  The  inclination  of  its  orbit  was  about  73°. 

"  Wednesday,  November  20th. — Heard  that  a  stone 
had  been  placed  yesterday  on  the  sea  wall  at  the 
extremity  of  the  parish  of  Milton,  having  on  one  side 
the  words  'Port  of  London,  181 1/  and  on  the  east 
side  '  Port  of  Leigh/ 

"  Thursday,  November  21st. — 43rd  Regiment  came 
into  town  from  Billericay.  Went  with  Mr.  Clarke  from 
Exeter  to  see  a  machine  invented  to  move  forward 
boats  and  vessels  in  canals  (by  Mr.  Sheldrake,  of  the 
Strand,  London).  Found  the  machine  composed  of  a 
vertical  wheel  worked  in  with  oblique  iron  screw,  and 


54  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

turned  by  another  massive  iron  wheel,  to  which  was  a 
horizontal  lever  pulling  back  and  forward  in  the  boat. 
On  the  whole  it  is  a  clumsy  contrivance,  and  certainly 
will  not  answer  the  intended  purpose.  It  was  fixed 
with  heavy  apparatus  of  six  or  seven  hundred  weight 
to  the  stern  of  a  boat  about  fifteen  tons. 

"Friday,  November  22nd. — Mr.  Richardson,  the 
surgeon,  called  and  said  that  his  pointer  dog  died  last 
Saturday  mad,  and  that  about  six  weeks  since  the  dog 
had  bit  him  through  his  coat  in  his  arm,  and  had 
drawn  blood  in  two  places.  The  dog  bit  him,  irritated 
by  Mr.  Richardson's  correcting  him  whilst  hunting.  I 
persuaded  him  to  lose  no  time  in  getting  the  f  Birling  ' 
remedy  as  an  antidote.  He  seemed  to  say  he  would 
go  on  Monday  ;  but  I  said,  '  Why  delay  an  hour  when 
life  is  at  stake  ?  '  Before  this  happened  I  had  told  the 
doctor  I  had  heard  his  dog  had  been  bitten  by  a  mad 
dog,  and  to  be  careful  of  him.  This  was  about  the 
middle  of  September,  subsequent  to  the  dog's  biting  the 
brewer's  servant. 

"  Saturday,  November  23rd. — Laid  a  wager  on  spell- 
ing Brightlingsea,  a  town  in  Essex.  I  found  this  was 
the  right  way  by  the  index  to  Morant's  '  History  of 
Essex,'  but  found  that  there  were  eight  ways  of  spelling 
it.  Remember  Mr.  Ball  of  Lockhill,  who  possessed  a 
capital  museum.  Mr.  Moore,  the  fisherman,  brought 
me  some  shells  from  a  vessel's  bottom.  Told  me  Mr. 
Roxburgh  had  got  a  small  dog-fish  with  two  heads. 

"  Tuesday,  November  26th. — Mr.  Grafter  brought  a 
red  gurnard  called  a  piper,  taken  at  Long  Reach  in  the 
river  near  Gravesend. 

"  Saturday,  November  30th. — Sold  to  Mr.  Salmon  of 
Meopham  thirty-three  bushels  and  a  half  of  coal  ashes 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  55 

at  threepence  per  bushel  as  manure,  used  by  him  to 
sprinkle  over  sainfoin  and  clover.  Within  a  few  years 
fish  have  been  used  as  manure.  Sprats  last  year  sold 
for  eightpence  per  bushel,  and  herrings  this  year  for 
about  the  same.  They  have  been  found  to  answer 
well. 

"Sunday,  December  1st — Met  with  Mr.  G-eorge 
Bruce,  a  man  lately  come  from  New  Zealand,  and  most 
curiously  tattooed.  Says  the  Zealanders  are  not  can- 
nibals ;  that  the  island  produces  flax,  potatoes  in 
abundance,  with  mackerel  and  various  fish.  Called  on 
Mr.  Roebrook  with  Mr.  Grafter,  who  took  a  drawing 
of  the  double-headed  dog-fish  caught  off  Cape  Wrath. 
It  was  eight  inches  long,  and  parted  about  the  pectoral 
fins  into  two  heads,  and  the  other  parts  were  com- 
pletely joined  in  a  vertical  manner,  the  same  as  if  two 
perfect  fish  had  been  placed  together.  It  was  one  of 
five  found  alive  within  the  body  of  a  shark  about  four 
feet  long. 

"  Monday ,  December  2nd. — This  evening  Mr.  George 
Bruce,  naturalized  New  Zealander,  and  husband  to  the 
late  Princess  Aetochoe,  youngest  daughter  of  Tippa- 
hee,  King  of  New  Zealand  (the  title  which  a  pamphlet 
of  his  gives,  printed  by  T.  Plummer,  Seething  Lane, 
Tower  Street),  called  on  me,  and  promises,  whenever 
he  should  be  able  to  get  to  New  Zealand,  to  send 
some  coral,  emeralds,  and  shells,  with  skins  of  birds 
and  other  curiosities.  He  has  been  at  Gravesend  about 
a  month,  waiting  for  a  ship  going  to  the  South  Seas  (Mr. 
Bennet,  or  Mellish,  owner),  and  has,  whilst  at  Gravesend, 
worked  for  Mr.  Ditchburn,  the  rope-maker.  He  showed 
me  a  letter  from  the  Earl  of  Liverpool  (by  his  secretary), 
wherein  his  lordship  declines  interfering  in  his  interest. 


56  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

He  therefore  appears  in  his  native  country  as  a  neglected 
alien.  His  pamphlet  says  he  has  had  a  '  liberal' 
education  ;  but  here  it  is  wrong,  as  the  word  should 
have  been  '  common  ;*  for  upon  my  asking  him  to  read 
the  title  of  a  Botany  Bay  newspaper,  he  did  it  with 
difficulty.  He  has  a  fine  pair  of  lips,  good  eyes,  and 
if  he  had  not  been  so  much  tattooed  he  would  have  been 
a  very  likely  man.  He  is  about  five  feet  eight  inches 
high,  thinly  made,  and  has  lost  two  fingers.  Mr. 
Grafter  called  with  the  drawing  of  the  eighteenpence 
piece. 

"  Wednesday,  December  4>th. — Read  the  Medical 
Journal  published  this  month,  and  pleased  with  the 
abstract  of  Mr.  Lambert's  '  Notes  on  Botany  '  from  the 
MSS.  of  Peter  Collinson.  Afternoon  fine,  with  large 
white  rocky  clouds  on  azure  sky ;  starlight  evening 
Between  six  and  seven  viewed  comet,  now  to  the 
southward  of  bright  star  in  Aquila,  at  one-third  dis- 
tance of  either  two  stars  in  it.  It  appears  very  faint, 
its  tail  not  longer  than  the  three  stars  of  Aquila. 

"  Thursday,  December  bth. — Out  of  temper,  had 
tea,  instead  of  a  dinner  off  a  very  fine  hare  sent  by 
Mr.  R.  H.  yesterday. 

"  Friday,  December  6th. — My  wife  affronted  me.  Went 
to  Greenhithe.  Heard  that  the  Poet  of  Greenhithe 
was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bradley.  This  gentleman  has  pro- 
duced some  excellent  pieces  of  poetry. 

"  Saturday,  December  7th. — In  the  dolldrums  all  day. 
The  New  Zealander  called  for  his  pamphlet. 

"Sunday,  December  Sth. — Taken  at  night  with  a 
violent  shiver  attended  with  fever,  certainly  owing  to 
standing  still  in  the  damp. 

"  Wednesday,  December  llth. —  Paid  a  poor  cess  of  one 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  57 

shilling  in  the  pound,  said  to  be  collected  for  the 
expense  of  a  new  goal  at  Maidstone,  which  I  do  nob 
think  was  wanted,  there  being  plenty  of  ground 
behind  the  present  erection  to  have  built  an  extra 
one.  Many  words  passed  which  were  quick  and  loud 
this  evening  between  my  wife  and  self.  Not  all 
true.  I  wished  she  was  dumb. 

"  Thursday,  December  12th. — Double  stocks  in  bloom. 
Heard  Captain  Elphinstone  sent  (the  other  day)  his 
servant  on  board  man-of-war  for  wearing  his  shirts. 

0  Friday,  December  13th. — Met  with  Mr.  Millen,  just 
come  up  in  the  Drake  from  Flushing. 

"  Saturday,  December  I4?th. — Heard  Mr.  Cope's  house 
was  on  fire  from  a  pipe  being  thrown  into  the  win- 
dow. 

"Sunday,  December  15th. — Miss  Phipps  called  and 
drank  tea.  She  is  not  handsome,  but  agreeable. 
Heard  some  of  our  watermen  had  been  up  to  London 
about  Mr.  Forseka  the  crimp  being  taken  up  on  a 
charge  of  murder  eighteen  years  ago,  and  that  he  was 
dismissed. 

fk  Tuesday,  December  17 th. — Heard  the  Tower  guns 
fired  yesterday  for  news  of  Batavia  being  taken. 
Heard  that  Forseka  the  crimp  was  admitted  to  bail 
on  charge  of  murder. 

"  Wednesday,  December  1 8th. — Mr.  Walker  of  Pater- 
noster Row  called  in  evening. 

"  Thursday,  December  IQth. — Buckingham  Militia 
marched  into  town.  Mr.  Hinde  and  his  son  Robert 
Hinde  called,  when  I  sold  them  my  house  and  premises. 
At  the  same  time  I  paid  Mr.  Hinde  every  farthing  I 
owed  him,  and  at  the  same  time  he  advanced  200Z. 
011  a  note.  Mr.  Rowe,  myself,  and  tenants  gave 


58  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

possession,    our    rents    to   him    to   commence    from 
Christmas  Day  coming. " 

This  is  a  significant  paragraph,  and  probably  affords 
the  key  to  the  family  discord  disclosed  in  the  previous 
pages. 

It  indicates  that  Pocock  parted  with  his  little 
patrimonial  house  and  shop  by  sale  to  his  father-in- 
law,  and  yet  remained  a  debtor  in  200£.  to  him  ! 

"  Thursday,  December  26th.— Met  with  Mr.  Cuthbert- 
son,  fifth  mate  of  Asia,  bound  to  East  Indies,  who 
promised  to  bring  me  home  shells ;  and  met  with  a 
medical  man,  who  has  sailed  to  South  Seas.  Has  been 
on  the  Isle  of  Desolation,  where  a  black  man  has  resided 
several  years.  Helped  by  Mr.  Bennet  of  Greenwich, 
who  orders  his  captain  to  repair  his  house  when  wanted, 
and  when  the  ships  are  absent  he  goes  "  a  sealing/'  and 
sends  Mr.  B.  the  skins.  The  Desolation  man's  wife 
keeps  a  public-house  in  London. 

"Monday,  December  30^.— Walked  to  Chatham 
and  back.  Observed  many  gulls  flying  over  the 
land.  Met  at  Chatham,  behind  Gad's  Hill,  with  Mr. 
H.  (a  brewer),  son  of  the  Kentish  historian,  who  in- 
formed me  his  father  lives  at  a  town  called  Corsham  in 
Wiltshire,  ninety-six  miles  from  London.  Got  change 
at  the  Chatham  bank  for  a  cheque  I  received  from 
my  brother.  For  the  clerk's  civility  (Mr.  Vining) 
bought  a  ticket  in  Dr.  Thornton's  lottery  of  him, 
price  two  guineas,  No.  2965,  and  so  did  my  friend  Mr. 
C.  Twelve  field-mice  killed  by  the  snow  (sijlvaticus). 
A  good  print  of  them  in  the  Eev.  Mr.  Mindey's 
(  Memoirs  of  British  Quadrupeds.'  " 


59 


CHAPTER  III. 


Nature  inanimate  displays  sweet  sounds  ; 

But  animated  nature  sweeter  still, 

To  soothe  and  satisfy  the  human  ear. 

Ten  thousand  warblers  cheer  the  day,  and  one 

The  livelong  night ;  nor  these  alone  whose  notes 

Nice-finger'd  art  must  emulate  in  vain, 

But  cawing  rooks,  and  kites  that  swim  sublime 

In  still-repeated  circles,  screaming  loud, 

The  jay,  the  pie,  and  even  the  bodiug  owl 

That  hails  the  rising  moon,  have  charms  for  me. 

WILLIAM  COWPEE. 

THUS  close  the  fragments  of  Pocock's  Diary  which 
have  been  collected  for  the  year  1811,  and  they  are  here 
followed  by  similar  collections  for  the  year  1812  ;  but 
in  reproducing  these  entries,  which  are  given  to  the 
public  for  the  first  time,  it  has  been  necessary  to 
eliminate  many  of  the  meteorological  facts,  and  other 
matters  of  inferior  importance  or  of  purely  private 
concern. 

"Thursday,  January  2nd,  1812. — Morning  delight- 
ful, with  sunshine.  Ground  wet.  Report  of  guns 
about  half -past  twelve— likely  Woolwich.  Read  in  a 


60  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

magazine  that  an  explosion  took  place  at  Waltham 
Abbey  on  December  3rd,  at  eleven  o'clock.  Referred 
to  that  day,  and  what  I  supposed  was  the  ' '  proof  "  at 
Woolwich  certainly  arose  at  Waltham  Abbey,  where 
eight  lives  were  lost. 

11  Sunday,  January  5th. — Gulls  flying  over  the  land. 
Saw  the  gaoler's  boy  trying  to  drive  three  hogs  into 
the  cage,  because  Gravesend  is  not  worth  a  pound. 
Not  long  ago  two  hogs  were  there  impounded,  and 
shortly  after  an  old  woman  was  put  into  the  same 
place !  The  Mayor  of  the  place  is  a  linendraper, 
and  very  religious.  Tried  to  translate  '  Dulce  Domum.' 
Only  did  two  verses,  and  they  were  not  to  my  liking, 
so  I  gave  it  up. 

"Monday,  January  6th. — Morning  at  nine.  Wind 
W.S.W.  A  breeze.  Sun.  out  at  noon.  Paid  Mrs.  T. 
what  I  owed  her,  with  thauks.  Recollected  '  a  friend 
in  need  is  a  friend  indeed/ 

"Friday,  January  10th. — A  man  fell  from  the 
Cuffnell's  (East  Indiaman)  yard,  and  killed  on  the 
spot.  Mr.  Williams  called  to-day.  Said  he  was  seventy- 
three  years  old.  Much  broken  in  health  since  I  saw 
him  last.  Bid  him  farewell  (I  dare  say  for  the  last 
time). 

"Monday,  January  15th. — Went  to  London,  think- 
ing to  do  much  business,  but  met  with  an  acci- 
dent at  the  Talbot  Inn,  Borough,  that  nearly  deprived 
me  of  my  right  eye  and  almost  of  life.  Confined  at  the 
Inn  ill  a  week,  and  came  home  on  Monday  with  a 
black  eye,  owing  to  the  false  step.  Continued  ill 
at  intervals,  no  particular  circumstance  happened, 
unless  a  small  watch-box,  made  out  of  a  cart  at  the 
canal,  caught  fire  on  a  Sunday  night,  but  being  wheeled 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  6 1 

into  the  canal  was  extinguished.  My  little  boy  tells 
me  he  saw  a  hawk  flying  among  the  sea-gulls.  Last 
year  about  this  time  I  observed  the  same  bird  taking 
delight  with  them. 

"  Tuesday,  February  1 1  th. — Went  to  Chatham  (being 
the  first  time  of  getting  out  since  my  accident), 
and  it  proved  the  finest  day  possible — sunshine,  mild 
and  pleasant.  Heard  proof  at  G-ad's  Hill  twice  from 
Woolwich.  Observed  snowdrops  in  bloom.  Heard 
that  Dr.  Katterfelto's  daughter  lived  at  Whitby. 
Another  daughter  married  a  Mr.  Carter,  a  naturalist 
at  Scarborough. — Mem.  I  remember  visiting  Dr. 
Katterfelto  when  his  huff  was  about  his  black  cat. 

"  February  13th. — A  detachment  of  the  Stirling  regi- 
ment of  militia  passed  through,  supposed  to  be  going  to 
quell  rioters.  On  this  day  an  East  Indiaman  of  700 
tons  was  launched  from  Mr.  Pitcher's  yard,  Northfleet, 
said  to  be  a  gift  from  the  East  India  Company  to  a 
son  of  Mr.  Pitcher's. 

"  February  \4th. — Wet,  boisterous  weather  to-day. 
The  Gravesend  boats  put  back,  a  very  unusual  thing, 
as  they  are  excellent  boats  to  stand  the  weather. 

"  Saturday,  February  ~L5th. — Heard  that  a  day  or  two 
ago  the  dock-master  of  the  canal  had  broken  the  stone 
put  down  by  Mr.  Gilbee  to  ascertain  the  port  of  Lon- 
don as  regards  the  duty  on  coals. 

"  Thursday,  February  20th. — Went  into  my  garden 
and  cut  my  grape-vine,  which  should  be  done  before 
March,  as  then  it  begins  to  bleed. 

"Friday,  February  2lst. — This  is  my  birthday:  now 
fifty-two  years  old. — Mem.  My  father  died  at  fifty- 
two,  and  my  mother  at  fifty-six  years. 

"  Sunday.  February  23rd — Mrs.   Creed  brought  to 


62  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

bed  of  twins.  In  Gravesend  also  Mrs.  Loft  of  twins, 
Mrs.  Elliot,  Mrs.  Yates,  and  Mrs.  Barnard. 

"Thursday,  February  27th. — Damp  day.  Church 
Lecturer  chosen.  Ship  launched  at  Northfleet  ( —  guns) 
named  the  Gloucester.  I  think  she  got  damaged,  as  it 
was  a  bad  launch. 

"  Friday,  February  28th. — A  detachment  of  the  83rd 
Regiment  from  Essex  marched  in,  on  their  way  to 
Chichester  and  Portugal. 

"February  29th. — Had  a  dragonet-fish  brought  me 
by  Mr.  Grafter,  called  the  fox-fish.  Dr.  Tyson  called 
them  the  yellow  gurnard. 

"  Sunday,  March  1st. — Jessup's  wife  buried  in  Milton 
churchyard.  This  woman,  six  feet  high,  was  so  strong 
that  she  had  often  carried  a  sack  of  flour. 

"  Tuesday,  March  3rr7. — This  afternoon  the  foundation 
stone  of  a  new  chapel  was  laid  in  the  late  garden  of 
the  New  Inn.  A  hymn  was  sung  on  the  spot,  but  no 
money  put  under  the  foundation  stone.  [Wesley an.] 

"  Saturday,  7th. — Very  ill  with  the  toothache  or 
swelled  face,  which  has  kept  me  in  bed  several  days. 
Cured  in  a  few  minutes  by  applying  hot  toasted 
Turkey  figs  held  (to  my  gums)  in  my  mouth.  Heard 
the  Sussex  Militia  was  in  the  town. 

"Sunday,  15th.— Wind  N.E.  Very  cold.  Fine 
morning.  Sleet  in  afternoon.  Brought  up  several  sea- 
gulls. Spotted  lungwort  in  bloom. 

"  Friday,  20th. — A  strong  equinoctial  gale.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Davies,  a  teacher  at  Hall  Place  Academy, 
Bexley,  chosen  lecturer  for  Gravesend  parish.  It  is 
said  this  minister  preaches  the  Gospel,  as  many  Dis- 
senters have  left  "the  meeting"  and  come  to  the  parish 
church  on  account  of  this  preacher.  The  Rev.  Mr. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  63 

Phillips,  Yicar  of  Grain,  has  been  lately  appointed 
curate  (under  the  Rev.  Dr.  Watson,  rector,  late  keeper 
of  the  academy  on  Shooter's  Hill). 

"  Sunday,  22nd.— Walked  to  Chalk  Church  to  seethe 
ridiculous  figure  of  a  buffoon  (with  a  jug  in  one  hand 
and  a  purse  holden  by  the  other  arm,  seemingly  laugh- 
ing at  another  figure  placed  above  somewhat  like  a 
Merry  Andrew,  as  he  is  in  the  act  of  looking  through 
his  legs)  placed  over  the  entrance  of  the  porch  into 
the  church,  within  which  is  seen  the  remains  of  the 
basin  wherein  the  holy  water  was  placed.  In  my  walk 
I  saw  out  for  the  first  time  this  season  a  land  lizard, 
called  an  eft  in  Kent.  My  son  tells  me  he  saw  a  water 
eft  the  day  the  ship  was  launched.  The  flowers  in 
bloom  this  day  were  shepherd's  purse  (bursa  pastoris) , 
barren  strawberry,  dandelion,  sweet  white  and  purple 
and  dog  violets,  blue  veronica,  lesser  celandine  or  pile- 
wort,  and  primrose.  Of  garden  flowers  were  spotted 
lungwort,  beautiful  blue  veronica,  blue  and  yellow 
crocus,  daffodils,  snowdrops,  polyanthus,  and  coltsfoot. 
The  sharp  winds  have  damaged  the  leaves  of  my  fly 
and  bee  orchis,  but  have  not  affected  the  spider  orchis  ; 
so  that  it  is  a  good  time  to  go  in  search  of  it.  The  leaves 
lie  close  to  the  ground,  and  are  not  above  an  inch 
long  and  half  an  inch  broad.  Neither  the  butterfly, 
birdVnest,  latifolia  maculata,  or  canopsea  orchises  are 
yet  seen  above  the  ground. 

"Easter  Day,  29th.— Wind  blew  strong.  Walked  to 
Hollow  Dean  Field,  Sutton,  and  got  four  or  five  roots 
of  the  lizard  orchis — now  four  or  five  inches  high. 
Saw  in  my  walk  three  brimstone  butterflies,  and  one 
scarce  insect  like  a  spider.  Great  ants  out,  and  cock 
chamnchc  s. 


64  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  Thursday,  April  2nd. — My  grape-vines  "have  not 
begun  to  shoot,  yet  by  my  memorandum-book  I 
find  my  white  grape  put  forth  leaves  and  the  fruit 
was  seen  last  year  on  this  day.  Marched  in  to  town  the 
first  division  of  an  Irish  regiment,  the  Carlow  Militia. 
Heard  three  proofs  at  Woolwich  at  noon. 

"  Friday,  April  3rd. — Another  detachment  of  the 
Carlow  Regiment  marched  into  town.  They  had  come 
from  Hastings  in  Sussex  on  their  route  to  Hull. 
Gurnards  plenty  ;  also  dried  haddocks  and  cod-fish. 
Read  the  Monthly  Magazine,  and  observed,  as  I  have 
done  before,  that  the  person  who  styles  himself 
'  Common  Sense '  writes  the  best  sense,  especially  in  his 
severities  against  that  nefarious  set  of  pettifogging 
scoundrels  called  lawyers— alias  vultures — who  prey  on 
the  substance  and  vitals  of  honest  men  !  Had  a  taran- 
tula spider  brought  me  by  Mr.  Fox,  waterman. 

"Saturday,  April  4th. — Another  detachment  of  the 
Carlow  Regiment  marched  in.  Walked  on  over  hill,  and 
observed  in  bloom  common  chick  weed,  red  nettle,  white 
nettle,  furze,  nailwort,  and  white  violets.  Kidney 
potatoes  in  our  market  sixpence  per  gallon  ;  champions 
fivepence.  The  sun  went  down  clear,  and  Venus,  the 
evening  star,  seen  with  others  of  the  first,  second,  and 
third  magnitudes  very  clear.  Mr.  Jackson,  the  pilot, 
says  he  has  seen  from  Gravesend  Reach  the  flash  of  the 
Admiral's  gun  at  the  Nore,  and  heard  the  report  about 
a  minute  after,  frequently  (of  a  still  night)  when  he 
belonged  to  the  Gravesend  boats.  It  is  a  distance  of 
about  twenty-one  or  twenty-two  miles.  The  rue- 
leaved  whitlow  grass  is  nearly  in  bloom ;  I  think  it 
will  be  this  next  week. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  65 

"  Sunday,  April  5th. — 1  heard  the  Eev.Mr.  Davies,the 
chosen  lecturer,  preached  this  morning  to  a  small  con- 
gregation, as  he  was  not  expected.  In  the  afternoon 
there  was  a  great  congregation  ;  but  when  they  saw 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Phillips,  the  curate,  prepare  to  mount 
the  pulpit,  the  major  part  of  the  people  left  the 
church,  to  the  mortification  of  the  latter  reverend 
gentleman  !  (Mrs.  C.  was  so  affected  with  the  sight 
as  to  cause  her  to  faint  away.)  Another  occur- 
rence is  related.  Some  years  since,  Dr.  Watson,  the 
rector,  was  on  a  visit  to  Mr.  Champion  (my  brother- 
in-law),  a  professed  Dissenter,  and  at  that  time  Mr. 
Phillips  was  ill,  and  Dr.  W.  sent  his  compliments, 
offering  to  officiate  for  him ;  but  Mr.  P.  refused  his  offer, 
arrogantly  thinking  that  Dr.  W.  was  a  Dissenter 
also,  because  at  Mr.  Champion's  house.  Wonderful 
change  ! 

"  Monday,  April  6th. — The  Carlow  Regiment  marched 
out,  leaving  three  of  their  men  in  the  cage  to  answer 
for  assaults  committed  last  night ;  but  it  was  proved 
they  were  provoked  by  the  Gravesend  watermen,  and 
so  were  discharged  by  the  Mayor. 

"  Tuesday,  April  7th. — My  grape-vines  bleed  much, 
which  shows  they  ought  to  have  been  pruned  before 
March,  as  I  have  observed  before.  The  tortoise-shell 
butterfly  seen  in  the  house. 

"  Wednesday,  April  8th.— Wind  N.E.  Mr.  Robert 
Hinde  called  about  Rowers  purchase. 

"  Sunday,  April  12th. — Blackthorn  first  seen  in  bloom ; 
wood  anemone  also.  Eggs  of  thrush  seen ;  also  black- 
bird's eggs.  Chaffinch's  nest  not  built.  Violets,  blue, 
fetch  eightpence  per  quart  when  picked.  Beef  steaks 


66  ROBER  T  POCOCK. 

and  new  ropes  of  one  price,  viz.  one  shilling  and 
twopence  per  pound.  Fine  clear  starlight  evening. 
Yenus  shone  bright. 

"  Monday,  April  1 3^.— Wind  strong,  E.  Went  with 
Mrs.  P.  to  West  Tilbury.  Returned,  having  got  some 
oxlips,  double  polyanthus,  and  flowers  from  an  old 
woman.  In  going  up  Tilbury  Hill  found  a  piece 
of  sandy  pudding-stone.  Woodlark  sings.  Gulls 
hovering  over  the  river.  Observed  water  ranunculus 
in  bloom.  Bees  out,  and  being  fed  in  elder  with 
honey. 

"  Wednesday,  April  15^— Went  with  G.  and  C.  P.  to 
Thong.  Saw  first  hitchwort  in  bloom ;  also  tuberose 
moschatel  and  wood  sorrel.  Thought  I  heard  a 
nightingale.  My  nectarine  has  been  in  bloom  these 
three  days. 

"Friday,  April  17 th.— Mrs.  P.  went  to  Dartford. 
Hail  two  or  three  times  in  the  course  of  the  day. 
Returned  in  the  evening,  and  said  a  girl  about  twelve 
or  thirteen  was  buried  that  day  at  Dartford,  who  had 
been  burnt  to  death  by  her  clothes  taking  fire ;  and 
that  a  lad  had  been  killed  that  day  by  a  cart  going  over 
him. 

((  Saturday,  April  18th. — Found  in  bloom  blue  cresses 
on  the  hill  (Latin  name  unknown) ;  also  geranium, 
purple  bloom,  which  falls  off. 

"  Sunday,  April  19£/i. — Botany  Bay  ship  came  down 
(the  Indefatigable).  Got  a  root  of  wall  rue  from 
Northfleet  Church.  Mr.  Smith's  gardener  called,  who 
said  that  Sir.  Joseph  Banks  within  five  or  six  years 
had  altered  the  name  of  Orchis  Militaris  to  Latifolia, 
and  the  Orchis  Mascula  to  Maculata.  I  doubt  this 
story,  although  I  look  upon  this  gardener  to  be  one  of 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  67 

the  most  practical,  yet  his  knowledge  of  the  terms  may 
be  deficient.  Young  rooks  on  the  terrace.  Dust  flies 
in  the  roads. 

"  Wednesday,  April  22nd. — Had  Mr.  Young,  a  journey- 
man, come  to  work,  but  sadly  troubled  with  an  asthma. 
Recommended  him  to  smoke  the  stramonium  (because 
it  is  now  the  popular  remedy).  Saw  a  large  blowing 

fly- 

"  Thursday,  April  23rd. — The  first  leaf  of  my  white 
grape  appears. 

"Friday,  April  24th.— Walked  in  Northfleet  Cliffs. 
Found  a  gooseberry- tree  in  full  flower.  Got  it  up,  and 
transplanted  it  in  my  garden.  Dry  bleak  weather  all 
the  month.  White  periwinkle  in  bloom.  Saw  several 
water-efts  in  the  ponds  of  Northfleet  Cliffs. 

"  Saturday,  April  25th. — Met  Mr.  Masterman,  who 
said  he  saw  two  or  three  swallows  (the  first)  fly  to  the 
westward  to-day  ;  that  he  had  seen  a  cuckoo,  and  that 
a  nightingale  had  been  caught  by  Bowie.  Cowslip  in 
bloom. 

"Monday,  April  27^.— -Three  troops  of  the  7th' 
Regiment  Dragoon  Guards  came  into  town  from 
Sittingbourne  in  their  way  to  Romford,  and  thence 
to  Northampton.  Saw  two  or  three  swallows  at 
Northfleet.  Nightingale  heard. 

"  Tuesday,  April  28th. — More  of  the  7th  Dragoons 
came.  A  ship,  the  Minstrel,  Capt.  Reed,  with  140 
women  and  some  boys,  convicts,  came  down,  bound 
to  Botany  Bay.  Sent  out  to  Mr.  Lewin,  at  Sydney, 
the  '  Monthly  Magazine '  for  March,  1812.  Marched 
through  the  town,  having  halted  half  an  hour,  the 
2nd  Regiment  of  Somerset  Militia  of  700  men  in  their 
way  to  Nottingham.  They  came  from  Chatham,  having 

F  2 


68  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

received  their  route  only  at  eleven  this  day.  The  first 
head  of  asparagus  seen  coming  out  of  the  ground. 

"  Wednesday,  April  29£/i. — More  of  the  7th  Dragoon 
Guards  came  into  the  town  on  their  way  through  to 
Islington.  Walked  to  Shorne.  Grot  a  lilac  double 
primrose. 

"  Thursday,  April  30th.— Mr.  R  Hinde  called,  and 
with  Mr.  Rowe  and  Bedingfield  marked  out  the  ground 
Mr.  Rowe  had  purchased  for  200  guineas.  The  whole 
month  has  been  bleak  and  dry  for  the  most  part.  Mr. 
Woodgate  cut  the  first  150  heads  of  asparagus. 

"  Sunday,  May  3rd. — Some  soldiers  (I  believe  a  regi- 
ment) passed  through  the  town  early  this  morning, 
about  five  or  six  o'clock,  on  their  way  to  Dartford. 
The  cold  wind  ceased,  and  the  sun  set  very  fine  and 
unusually  clear  at  the  horizon,  putting  on  the  appear- 
ance of  a  rim  of  an  earthen  pot  or  crown,  which  dis- 
appeared before  it  had  totally  set.  This  setting 
indicates  a  fine  day  to-morrow. 

"  Monday,  May  4th. — A  very  beautiful  day,  the  first 
all  the  year.  A  meeting  held  this  day  in  the  Town 
Hall,  calling  the  inhabitants  together  to  take  their 
opinion  on  a  renewal  of  the  East  India  Com- 
pany 's  charter,  and  wishing  to  have  the  E.I.C.  trade 
confined  to  the  Port  of  London,  when  the  Corporation 
of  Gravesend  subscribed  50/.  and  the  inhabitants 
more,  to  the  amount,  it  is  said,  of  200Z.  In  the  after- 
noon walked  to  Greenhithe.  Got  some  bee  orchis  in 
bloom.  Saw  the  sulphur  and  tortoise-shell  butterflies. 

"  Tuesday,  May  5th. — First  saw  house  martin.  Troop 
of  the  3rd  German  Legion  came  across  from  Essex  to- 
day. Went  to  Chatham  with  Mr.  Grafter,  and  saw 
Mr.  Penn's  auriculas,  who  bought  some  good  polyan- 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  69 

thus  of  Mr.  Frost  at  one  penny  per  root.  Mr.  Jarvis,  the 
bricklayer,  gave  me  some  roots.  Heard  a  proof  twice 
this  day  at  Woolwich,  about  twelve  o'clock.  Visited  Mr. 
Foreman,  the  barrack- master,  at  Chatham.  Not  so  polite 
as  Lord  Chesterfield.  Gave  Mr.  Plant  a  bee  orchis. 

"  Wednesday,  May  6th. — 300  more  3rd  German  Horse 
Legion  came  in.  The  first  thin  long  brown  beetle  seen. 
It  jumps,  with  a  sudden  jerk,  when  placed  on  its  back, 
up  to  the  height  of  seven  or  eight  inches. 

"  Thursday,  May  7th. — About  170  more  of  the  Ger- 
man Horse  Legion  came  in.  Walked  into  Clarke's 
garden,  the  nurseryman,  and  found  he  had  made  near 
twenty  shillings  from  a  piece  of  Botany  Bay  clover. 

"Friday,  May  8th. — Mr.  Crow  of  Faversham  called, 
and  Mr.  C.  and  self  walked  with  him  to  Shorne.  Got 
there  some  narcissus  on  the  Warren  Hill,  and  found  the 
Orchis  militaris  in  and  about  Chalk  Hole  near  Beef- 
steak House.  Saw  the  swifts  first  time. 

"  Saturday ,  May  $th. — Sale  of  evergreens  at  Lady 
Fermanagh's,  Crayford. 

"  Sunday,  May  10th. — A  nest  of  six  eggs  taken  on 
Gravesend  Hill.  They  were  unknown;  larger  than  a 
hedge  sparrow's,  of  a  clear  colour,  and  somewhat  like  a 
robin's.  The  nest  was  shallow,  and  lined  with  horse- 
hair. Wind  strong,  W. 

"Monday,  May  llth. — Several  cockchafers  first 
observed  in  the  evening.  First  white  caterpillar  seen. 

"  Tuesday, May  12th. — Heard  Mr.  Percival,  the  Prime 
Minister  of  State,  was  shot  last  night.  This  day  there 
was  a  meeting  of  delegates  at  Maidstone  from  various 
parishes  to  oppose  the  building  of  a  new  gaol,  &c.,  for 
the  county  of  Kent. 

"  Wednesday,  May  1.3th. — Thunder  and  lightning  and 


70  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

rain  during  dinner  (about  one  o'clock).  Mild  and 
pleasant  just  after.  Venus,  Jupiter,  and  the  moon 
seen  in  a  straight  line  this  evening;  the  moon  the 
lowest,  Jupiter  next,  and  Venus  uppermost. 

"  Thursday,  May  14th. — Rain  at  Shorne  to-day,  but 
not  at  Gravesend.  Saw  Rowe  of  the  Prince  of  Orange 
in  the  street,  and  had  some  words  with  him.  Heard 
that  yesterday  some  Irish  volunteers  from  a  militia 
regiment  had  raised  a  riot  at  Maidstone,  because  they 
had  not  received  their  bounty-money,  and  beat  their 
officers,  with  other  gentlemen  of  Maidstone,  all  of  whom 
they  drove  through  the  River  Medway. 

"Friday,  May  \btli. — Several  East  Indiamen  from 
abroad  passed  by  the  town,  unguarded  by  officers.  Sent 
a  monkey  to  Mr.  Hall,  preserver  of  birds,  City  Road. 
It  was  killed  by  drinking  arrack,  an  East  India  spirit. 

"  Saturday,  May  ]6th. — Large  blowing  flies  seen  on 
the  wall,  very  lively  and  loving.  Casks  of  tea  floating 
about;  thrown  overboard  on  purpose,  because  the 
Custom-house  officers  are  so  strict. 

"  Whit-Monday,  May  18th. — Walked  with  Mr.  Cham- 
pion and  Henderson  to  Gad's  Hill.  Met  with  Durling, 
the  '  simpler,'  gathering  violets  for  the  chemist :  a  very 
religious  man,  who  would  not  gather  herbs  on  the 
Lord's  Day.  Old  Culpeper  and  Dr.  Talmon  were  his 
guides.  Praised  Mr.  Dickson  of  Covent  Garden  Market 
for  his  knowledge,  but  not  for  generosity.  Found  the 
Orchis  militaris  in  bloom  in  Gad's  Hill  Wood,  where 
I  had  not  known  it  before.  Toads  crawl  in  the  path 
in  the  evening.  The  moon  and  Venus  in  a  haze. 
A  thickness  came  on,  but  no  rain. 

"Friday,  May  22nd.— Walked  to  Betsom  to  Mr. 
Treadwells'.  Heard  that  a  Custom-house  boat  was 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  7 1 

upset  and  one  man  drowned,  and  that  a  man  was  put 
into  Gravesend  Gaol  for  uttering  a  forged  or  bad  note. 
Found  a  mushroom  (not  the  eatable),  and  also  a  large 
boletus  from  an  old  tree. 

"  Saturday,  May  23rd. — The  person  taken  up  proved 
to  be  the  same  person  that  came  to  try  a  new  sort  of 
gunpowder  at  the  fort  here  some  time  back  by  leave 
of  the  Board  of  Ordnance.  He  called  himself  then 
Lieutenant  Parr  of  the  navy,  but  now  answers  to 
another  name.  It  is  said  papers  of  a  treasonable  cor- 
respondence have  been  found  on  him.  He  is  remanded 
to  the  gaol. 

"Sunday,  May  24^.— Walked  to  see  Mr.  Best's 
tulips  in  bloom.  Found  and  got  red  rattle  in  North- 
fleet  brooks.  Saw  two  frogs  with  black  eyes.  Returned 
under  shore  whilst  the  French  frigate  the  Pomone 
was  dropping  up.  She  was  taken  by  the  English  in 
the  East  Indies. 

"  Trinity  Monday,  May  25th. — Rainy  morning.  Went 
with  Mr.  Grafter  to  Deptford,  where  there  was  an 
annual  procession  to  the  Trinity  House,  but  did  not 
see  them,  our  business  being  to  buy  garden-pots. 
Walked  to  Lewisham  Nursery  (late  Mr.  Russel's,  now 
Mr.  Wilmot's),  where  Mr.  C.  bought  some  auriculas  from 
Mr.  Chandler,  a  foreman :  found  the  other  foreman,  Mr. 
Winsor,  a  pleasant  man  and  a  good  botanist.  No  gulls 
seen  in  the  river :  they  are  gone  to  breed. 

"Tuesday,  May  2Qth. — The  second  summer's  day  this 
year.  At  ten  minutes  after  one,  a  large  halo  round 
the  sun.  A  regiment  of  Leitrim  Militia  passed  through 
the  town  towards  Dartford.  During  the  halo  my 
flowers  drooped  very  much,  as  if  they  were  prostrating 
themselves  to  implore  a  blessing  or  dreading  a  storm. 


73  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

This  appearance  I  have  observed  before,  on  the  day  it 
thundered  and  lightened  last.  Therefore  I  prognosti- 
cate that  lightning,  thunder,  rain,  or  a  storm  will 
ensue  this  evening.  During  the  halo,  the  swifts  and 
martins  were  flying  about  at  an  uncommon  height. 

"I  remember  about  1774-5  three  halos  of  the  sun 
intersecting  each  other.  This  halo  continued  near  an 
hoar,  and  was  behind  the  clouds,  as  clouds  I  observed 
to  pass  over  it. 

"  Thursday,  May  28th. — Master  Page,  the  gardener, 
brought  me  some  twyblabe  and  butterfly  orchis. 

"Friday,  May  29th. — Two  Bow  Street  officers  came 
down  and  took  away  from  Gravesend  Gaol  Mr.  Parr 
and  his  companion  or  servant  to  London,  likely  on  a 
charge  of  high  treason.  This  day  being  the  king's 
restoration  the  guns  were  fired  from  the  Hudson's  Bay 
ships,  the  crews  of  which  are  always  annually  treated 
with  green  peas  at  this  place  before  they  proceed  on  their 
voyage.  The  peas,  it  is  said,  cost  5  guineas  per  quart. 

"  Thursday,  June  4th. — A  fine  summer's  day.  Guns 
of  Tilbury  Fort  and  Gravesend  fired  in  honour  of  the 
king's  birthday.  Walked  to  Northfleet  and  got  roots  of 
chlora  perfoliata  and  fly  orchis. 

"  Friday,  June  §th. — Our  man,  Mr.  Young,  left  us.  A 
waterman  said  he  saw  the  mist  rising  gradually  from 
the  horizon  six  hours  before  it  came  and  was  felt. 
Such  kind  of  observations  are  much  neglected. 

"  Saturday,  June  6th. — Fine  summer's  day.  Very  ill 
in  the  night  with  cholera  morbus.  Hay-making  (first) 
in  the  New  Eoad  to  Northfleet. 

"  Sunday,  June  1th. — Visited  Esq.  Russel's  garden  at 
Swanscombe,  who  has  the  greatest  variety  of  flowers  I 
ever  saw  in  any  garden ;  the  gardener,  Lee  (a  very  civil 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  73 

man),  says  there  are  above  1500  ;  the  cherries  received 
a  blight  from  the  wind  last  Friday. 

"Monday,  June  8th. — Poultney,  a  gardener,  was 
taken  up  and  put  into  Gravesend  Gaol  for  robbing 
Mr.  Clarke's  garden  of  myrtles,  trees,  &c. 

"  Tuesday,  June  9th. — A.  badger  baited  at  the  Prince 
of  Orange  which  was  taken  at  Southfleet :  they  are  not 
so  frequent  as  some  years  back. 

"  Wednesday,  June  Wth. — Cold  easterly  winds  for 
two  or  three  days  past  in  the  evening,  which  check  the 
vegetation.  To-day  heard  America  was  going  to  war. 

"  Saturday,  June  13th. — Fine  summer's  day.  Mrs. 
Smith,  a  lady,  called  and  bought  some  fossils  and 
Martin's  book  on  fossils.  The  general  complaint  of 
people  within  the  last  two  or  three  days  is  ear-ache, 
stiff  necks,  sore  throats,  and  tooth- ache ;  surely  these 
must  arise  from  the  wind  suddenly  shifting  from  east 
to  west.  To-day  at  noon  was  a  beautiful  long  fleecy 
or  drapery  sky,  having  out  of  it  long  faint  streamers 
flying  from  the  east :  what  does  it  prognosticate  ? 

"  Sunday,  June  l^th. — Fine  summer's  day.  Mr. 
Wells,  jun.,  called ;  ditto  Mr.  Robert  Hinde.  Many 
people  came  down  by  the  tide;  among  the  rest  a 
butterfly  catcher,  for  the  blue  butterfly  found,  he  said, 
near  Gravesend  Hill.  Saw  the  moon  out  at  twelve 
o'clock  to  the  east  of  the  sun  which  shone  very  bright : 
an  uncommon  sight.  Walked  to  Singlewell  and  drank 
three  glasses  of  grape  wine  at  Mr.  Barnard's.  Showed 
him  how  to  prune  his  vines  after  Mr.  Forsyth's  plan. 

"  Tuesday,  June  ]  6th. — Fine  summer's  day.  In  the 
afternoon  I  felt  uncommonly  rheumatic — there  was  a 
peculiar  chilliness  in  the  air,  which  prevented  me 
taking  delight  in  my  garden.  I  said  there  was  snow 


74  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

in  the  air ;  yet  the  day  was  fine — a  gentle  breeze  came 
on  southerly ;  yet  I  felt  relaxed,  came  over  feverish, 
and  dreaded  going  out  of  doors.  Drank  two  glasses 
of  rum  and  went  to  bed.  It  certainly  did  me  much 
good,  counteracting  the  cold  and  unusual  cold  sensa- 
tion within  me. 

"  Wednesday,  June  1 7th. — Awoke  perfectly  free  from 
cold  or  fever,  and  found  myself  comfortable.  Fine 
morning.  It  had  rained  in  the  night.  The  rum  I  drank 
last  night  was  my  physician.  The  rain  in  the  air  cer- 
tainly caused  the  uneasy  sensation  I  felt  in  the  after- 
noon. 

"Friday,  June  19^.— Walked  to  Eandall  Heath— 
once  the  residence  of  Cobham,  Lord  Cobham  and  Randall. 
A  windy  day  (westwardly).  Found  there  a  nest  of 
young  bullfinches,  six  in  the  nest ;  also  green  birds 
and  blackbirds.  Struck  down  two  large  dragon-flies. 
Found  the  moss  saxifrage  in  bloom  on  White  Hill. 
Met  a  Custom-house  officer,  who  said  a  seizure  had 
been  made  at  Gravesend  from  a  ship  from  Havre  de 
Grace  of  two  sacks  of  French  lace  worth  20,000£., 
besides  many  French  watches. 

"  Saturday,  June  20th. — Nihil.  In  dolldrums.  Lus- 
combe  had  sent  me  a  green  moth  with  angular 
wings.  Swinny  called  and  said  mole  crickets  were 
taken  at  Bexley. 

"Tuesday,  June  23rd. — Short  storm  of  hail  in  the 
forenoon,  also  a  few  flakes  of  snow  in  the  afternoon. 
Attended  at  the  c Compass/  when  orders  were  given  to 
print  the  club  articles. 

"  Wednesday,  June  24th. — Showery  at  intervals. 
Wind  at  all  points  of  the  compass.  The  air  cold  and 
rheumatic,  and  a  peculiar  heaviness  in  the  air,  which 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  75 

affected  my  limbs  and  spirits.  Club  articles  taken 
away.  A  shrimp  with  fourteen  legs  brought  me. 

"  Friday,  June  26th. — Sent  a  letter  to  my  son  in 
Shropshire,  describing  the  fossils  he  sent  me  lately. 
Much  rain  in  the  evening. 

"  Sunday,  June  28th. — Cold  and  windy.  Walked  up 
with  Mr.  Grafter  to  Clarke's  garden  in  the  evening. 
Heard  he  meant  to  show  his  seedling  pink  next 
Wednesday  at  the  Old  Prince  of  Orange  against  Mr. 
Collier  of  Stanstead. 

"  Tuesday,  June  30 */&.-— Went  with  Mrs.  P.  to 
Swanscombe  and  carried  there  to  Esq.  Russel  that 
scarce  plant,  the  lizard  orchis,  and  chlora  perfoliata  or 
yellow  wort.  Walked  in  his  garden  and  found  him  well 
skilled  in  botany,  with  a  retentive  memory  ;  his  garden 
having  above  a  thousand  plants  in  it.  Found  him 
acquainted  with  two  botanists  near  London  (Mr.  Evans 
of  Hackney  and  another)  and  that  he  had  corresponded 
with  Mr  Down  of  Cambridge.  Met  at  Swanscombe 
Mr.  Fenwick,  jun.,  of  Greenwich,  who  I  thought  had 
been  drowned. 

"  This  day  I  caught  a  small  long-bodied  fly,  or  more 
properly  a  beetle,  on  the  flower  of  a  bramble  in  the 
chalk  cliffs. 

"  Heard  six  people  out  of  eleven  were  drowned  in  a 
sailing-boat  off  Purfleet — mostly  publicans  of  London. 

"  Wednesday,  July  1st. — Got  some  bee  orchis  and 
chlora  perfoliata  in  Northfleet  Cliffs.  This  day  suits 
well  to  get  '  eye  bright '  to  set  in  a  pot  of  sifted  chalk 
rubbish.  Flower  feast  at  Old  Prince  of  Orange,  when 
Collier  gained  the  prize  for  best  seedling  pink  called 
'  Collier's  Kentish  Hero/ 

"  Thursday,  July  2nd. — Rainy.  Sent  a  dozen  of  news- 


y6  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

papers  to  William  Lewin,  Esq.,  coroner,  Sydney,  New 
South  Wales  (a  naturalist),  by  the  ship  Spring  Grove. 
A  storrn  of  thunder  and  lightning  seen  about  six 
o'clock  in  evening  over  the  hills  of  Essex,  N.  W.  :  none 
at  Gravesend. 

"  Friday,  July  3rd. — Went  on  board  the  Arab,  the 
Spring  Grove,  the  Recovery,  and  New  Zealand.  (James 
Ferguson,  the  cook,  promised  me  to  collect.)  Ships 
bound  to  the  South  Seas.  Gave  my  cards  to  the 
stewards  to  collect  shells  and  insects ;  found  the  mate 
of  the  Spring  Grove  not  very  civil,  indeed  he  said  he 
would  not  bring  home  any  shells  or  insects,  and  would 
not  let  me  speak  to  the  ship's  crew.  Also  went  on 
board  the  ship  Atalanta,  bound  to  Jamaica,  when  the 
cook,  John  Rodney,  said  he  would  bring  home  shells  and 
sweetmeats. 

"  Tuesday,  July  7th. — Ifield  Harmonic  Society  go  out 
to  Ifield.  Heard  the  king  died  at  seven  o'clock  this 
morning.  A  toad-fish  came  on  the  shore  at  the  canal, 
Gravesend. 

"  Wednesday,  July  8th. — Fine  summer's  day.  George 
Pocock  went  to  Shorn  Ifield  to  spend  the  day.  Heard 
that  Banks,  the  sheriff's  officer,  was  cast  at  law  yester- 
day in  100Z.  damages  for  arresting  a  wrong  person. 

"  Thursday,  July  9th. — Mrs.  Smith  of  Gamer,  Major 
and  Mrs.  Elphinstone,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Phelps  of  Snod- 
land  called  and  bought  fossils  ;  though  the  major  and 
his  wife  bought  none  nor  gave  anything.  Went  to 
Mr.  Everist  in  the  morning  to  order  dinner  for  '  Natural 
History  Society '  next  Monday.  Sent  out  letters,  went 
in  afternoon  to  see  a  toad-fish  (Lophias  piscatorium) 
which  came  on  shore  at  the  Town  Quay. 

"Friday,    July  IQth. — Mrs.    P.    and  self  went  to 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  77 

Meophara  Fair,  but  reached  only  Hook  Green, 
where  we  dined  with  Mrs.  French.  Got  some  bee 
orchis  near  Nursted. 

"Monday,  July  13th. — Went  to  Northfleet,  where  I 
was  chairman  of  the  Natural  History  Society  held  at 
the  Leather  Bottle.  It  was  its  first  meeting,  and 
attended  by  twenty-one  persons. 

"  Monday,  20th. — Went  to  Higham  by  canal  ; 
then  to  Upnor.  Saw  engineers  instructing  men  in 
making  temporary  magazines.  Visited  city  stones 
there  and  found  fault  with  the  mason's  work  in  spell- 
ing. Observed  a  halo  round  the  sun  about  two 
o'clock.  Distant  lightning  in  the  evening. 

"  Saturday,  25th. — Went  to  Grays  with  Mr.  Geer  and 
Arthur.  Bought  a  mammillated  echinus,  the  best  ever 
seen.  Very  windy.  The  Piedmontese  frigate  got 
aground  at  Tilbury  Fort  and  also  in  Long  Reach. 

"  Sunday,  26th. — Went  on  board  the  Sir  William 
Pultney  to  see  Mr.  Edwards,  the  third  mate,  but 
was  not  on  board.  Went  to  tea  at  Swanscombe. 
Met  the  33rd  Regiment  just  disembarked  from  the 
East  Indies.  Their  band  played  excellently.  The 
inhabitants  very  busy  in  buying  rupees  and  pagodas 
from  the  drunken  Indian  soldiers, 

"  Thursday,  30th. — The  33rd  Regiment  marched  out 
to  Chatham. 

"Friday,  3lst. — Had  some  conversation  with  Mr. 
Park  (surgeon  of  this  place  for  the  East  India  Com- 
pany), he  is  brother  to  Mungo  Park,  the  famous 
African  traveller.  He  says  the  accounts  related 
through  the  newspapers  give  nearly  the  true  par- 
ticulars of  his  brother's  death.  He  has  received 
journals  of  his  brother's,  from  the  last  settlement 


78  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

(through  the  hands  of  Government),  which  I  advised 
him  to  print  as  a  benefit  to  Mr.  Mungo  Park's  wife 
and  numerous  family  living  in  Scotland.  Mr.  Park, 
the  surgeon,  is  a  genteel  man,  six  feet  high,  darkish 
complexion  and  middling  circumference.  He  had 
heard  of  me  through  Major  Elphinstone,  of  the  Engi- 
neers, and  the  Eev.  Mr.  Eashleigh,  with  whom  he  is 
intimate. 

"  This  day  was  a  cricketing  match  at  Hartley  Bottom, 
between  Gravesend  against  Meopham  and  Hartley: 
Gravesend  beat.  There  was  also  a  donkey  race. 

"  Wednesday,  August  bth. — Cloudy.  First  wheat 
cut  in  Gravesend.  Another  toad-fish,  four  feet  long, 
taken  at  Gravesend  Stairs :  shown  at  the  Swan  Inn,  two- 
pence each  for  a  sight. 

"  Thursday,  6th. — Read  the  '  Monthly  Magazine'  of  last 
month,  wherein  a  gentleman  requests  (most  laudably) 
information  on  the  turnip-fly  or  beetle  (Chrysomela 
saltatoria  of  Linnaeus).  Looked  into  Dr.  Turton's,  but 
could  not  find  any  species  called  saltatoria.  Wrote 
to  the  correspondent  in  the  magazine  to  know  on  what 
authority  he  made  use  of  the  word  saltatoria.  Yester- 
day the  judges  came  into  Maidstone  to  begin  the 
assizes. 

"  Friday,  7th. — Heard  that  Captain  Parr,  alias  Fane, 
the  gentleman  who  was  taken  up  for  offering  a  50Z. 
bank  note,  being  a  forged  one,  was  found  guilty  and 
sentenced  to  fourteen  years'  transportation.  He  was 
also  charged  with  high  treason,  in  endeavouring  to  form 
a  correspondence  with  the  ministry  of  France,  as  ap- 
peared by  his  papers  taken  on  him  when  seized  some 
time  since  at  Gravesend.  On  his  way  to  London  this 
gentleman,  about  twelve  months  ago,  came  to  Graves- 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  79 

end ;  there,  by  permission  of  the  Board  of  Ordnance, 
he  proved  some  gunpowder  he  had  invented,  but 
which  the  Ordnance  would  not  patronize.  It  is  sup- 
posed it  made  him  desperate  in  not  being  encouraged, 
so  that  he  was  determined  if  possible  to  sell  the  secret 
to  the  French. 

"Saturday,  Sth. — Had  some  discourse  yesterday 
with  Mr.  King,  a  farmer,  on  the  turnip-fly  or  beetle. 
He  says  the  fly  and  beetle  are  distinct  things.  The 
fly  destroys  the  turnip  in  its  seed-leaf:  the  other 
insect  he  calls  the  negro,  and  will  not  come  till  after 
harvest;  this  destroys  the  turnip  when  well  grown. 

"Saw  at  Mr.  Hugget's,  the  Duke  of  York, 
Gravesend,  a  King  William  and  Queen  Mary  guinea. 
Saw  Mr.  Eussel,  of  Swancombe,  lately  have  a  Queen 
Anne  guinea.  These  are  rarities.  Offered  10s.  Qd. 
to  any  person  who  should  have  a  seven-shilling  piece 
of  George  III.  with  a  lion  on  the  crown.  I  think  they 
were  the  first  seven-shilling  pieces. 

"Monday,  10th.— Walked  to  Northfleet  and  got 
some  stone  from  the  cement  mill. 

"  Tuesday,  \\tli. — Went  to  London  in  the  Britannia. 
Visited  Mr.  Edwards,  who  had  just  come  home  from 
the  East  Indies  in  the  Sir  William  Pultney.  Visited  Mr. 
Ball  and  his  museum.  Sorry  to  hear  he  was  parting 
with  his  excellent  rarities.  The  fanciful  manner  he 
has  preserved  his  butterflies  does  him  much  merit. 
Slept  in  the  Borough  at  the  Talbot  Inn,  in  the  yard 
of  which  is  a  good  painting  of  Chaucer's  Pilgrimage 
to  Canterbury.  It  is  a  noisy  inn-yard. 

"  Wednesday,  12th. — Wind  north,  very  cold  morning 
in  passing  over  London  Bridge.  Visited  Mr.  Jefferies' 
museum.  He  has  gone  into  general  science,  and  has 


8o  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

a  great  collection  ;  but  not  arranged  so  scientifically 
as  it  ought  to  be.  He  is  a  very  civil  man. 
Visited  also  Mr.  Pittard's  museum,  famous  for  flies 
and  fish.  His  preservation  of  fish  and  flies  exceeds 
every  description.  They  are  all  arranged  with  Linnasan 
names,  as  beautiful  as  life.  Mr.  Pittard's  name  in  a 
cipher  is  made  of  butterflies  and  insects ;  also  a  Mosaic 
pavement  is  made  of  the  flies'  wings  cut  out  in  a  rhom- 
boidal  manner,  which  leads  to  a  temple  or  mansion. 
Upon  the  whole  they  are  masterly  performances.  Went 
to  Blackwall,  where  I  got  some  E.I.  shells  and  came 
home  in  the  Duke,  of  Bedford,  Stronghill  master. 

"  Thursday,  I3th. — Cricketing  between  Gravesend 
andMeopham  and  Hartley  in  the  Old  Prince  of  Orange 
field.  Had  discourse  with  Partridge ;  he  says  the  negro 
attacks  turnips  proceeding  in  straight  rows,  and  when 
at  the  end  of  a  row  returns  again  in  a  parallel  manner. 

"Friday,  14<th. — First  foggy  morning,  which  turned 
out  a  bright  fine  day,  being  the  first  had  for  some  time  ; 
in  fact  there  has  not  been  above  seven  or  eight  fine 
days  in  all  the  year.  The  weather  has  been  dull,  dark, 
rainy,  and  heavy  before  this  day ;  yet  corn  never  was 
more  fine.  Baltic  fleet  arrives  (Swedish) ;  first  since 
the  war. 

"  Saturday,  15£/i. — Fine  day.  Mr.  Tilley  called,  from 
Sittingbourne.  He  said  in  digging  in  his  garden  he  had 
found  a  silver  spoon  with  a  cross  or  mitre  on  its  handle, 
and  a  silver  toothpick  ;  and  that  in  digging  he  had 
found  a  new  sort  of  earth,  of  a  mahogany  colour,  and 
a  silver  coin — which  latter  article  he  promised  to  give 
me. 

"Monday,  17th. — Walked  to  Chalk  and  observed 
many  small  frogs  crawling  in  the  road.  Got  the 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  81 

autumnal  squill  (a  scarce  bulb)  at  Chalk  in  bloom. 
Mr.  Bullock,  of  the  London  Museum,  called :  he  is  a 
pleasant  man.  Heard  the  news  of  Lord  Wellington's 
victory  at  Salamanca. 

"Tuesday,  18th. — Mr.  Bullock  called  and  breakfasted. 
Sold  him  some  shells,  &c.,  and  saw  him  off  for  Scot- 
land. He  took  his  passage  in  the  Northumberland , 
Captain  Paul.  He  has  lately  been  in  the  Orkneys, 
got  some  eider  down  bolsters  and  pillows,  young 
eagles,  and  scarce  English  birds.  Rev.  Mr.  Phelps 
called  and  bought  fossils.  Shifted  some  pots  of 
geraniums,  and  put  in  them  some  roots  of  autumnal 
squills.  Two  of  the  blossoms  of  squills  were  white  : 
very  uncommon  indeed. 

"  Wednesday,  I9th. — Very  fine  summer's  day.  Dust 
flies.  Had  one  of  the  white  jackdaws  brought  me  dead 
to  stuff.  It  appeared  to  have  been  starved. 

"  Thursday,  20th. — Fine  day.  One  Fowler  was  to  be 
hanged  at  Maidstone  for  forgery. 

"Friday,  2lst. — Mr.  Payn,  of  No.  5,  West  Square, 
Lambeth,  called. 

"  Saturday,  22nd. — The  other  white  jackdaw  dies. 
Yesterday  was  a  hot  day  and  I  quarrelled  with  my 
wife ;  also  heard  some  of  my  neighbours  quarrel : 
perhaps  it  is  the  state  of  the  weather.  Joe  Cole,  a  poor 
man,  brought  me  a  shilling  of  King  Edward  VI., 
which  he  had  found,  with  a  thick  gold  ring  and  a  gold 
seal,  on  which  was  engraved  a  coat-of-arms,  viz.,  Or, 
a  buck's  head  caboshed;  crest,  a  bull's  head  issuing 
from  a  coronet.  They  were  found  in  an  old  chest  of 
drawers  on  breaking  up.  Mr.  Pittard  and  Mr.  Hatchard 
called  on  me.  Went  out  moth-catching  :  caught  some 
scarce  moths  in  Single  well  Lane. 

Q 


82  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"Sunday,  23rd.— Went  with  Mr.  P.  and  Mr.  H. 
towards  Thong.  Caught  four  brimstone  butterflies  (P. 
Rhamni).  Saw  two  toads  (one  dead,  the  largest  ever 
seen  by  Mr.  P.  and  H.).  They  were  harmless  and  no 
ways  poisonous,  I  having  kept  them  for  amuse- 
ment :  their  mouths  are  not  glued  together  as  some 
think,  but  they  feed  on  scarabgeus  and  flies,  which  they 
take  in  by  darting  out  their  tongues  with  surprising 
swiftness.  Mr.  H.  is  a  fellow  of  the  Linnaean  Society  ; 
also  Mr.  P.,  the  gentleman  I  visited  on  the  12th 
instant.  They  took  several  scarce  flies  and  insects. 
With  them  were  two  lads  (sons),  who  were  well- versed 
in  natural  history ;  they  knew  the  various  caterpillars 
and  what  they  would  turn  into. 

"August  23rd  (continued). — Met  with  Mr.  Smithers. 
Discoursed  on  the  turnip-fly.  Evidence  of  Mr.  Smithers' 
nephew  to  his  uncle  is  that  the  fly  on  turnips 
attacks  on  the  seed-leaf  appearing,  and  is  not  a 
beetle  but  a  small,  minute  brownish  fly,  with  long 
wings.  They  made  their  appearance  about  July  20th, 
since  which  time  they  had  destroyed  three  crops  of 
turnips.  They  were  seen  preceding  the  plough 
as  it  moved  on,  and  do  not  fly  far  before  they  alight. 
They  do  not  confine  themselves  to  turnips  only  but  will 
attack  cabbages.  Dung  used  as  manure  is  not  the  occa- 
sion of  them,  because  the  field  attacked  was  not  dunged 
but  manured  with  sprats  in  the  spring.  Sprats  and 
fish  have  been  within  two  or  three  years  past  much 
used  as  manure  about  Gravesend,  and  with  success. 
Sulphur  and  lime  (he  said)  was  said  to  be  a  remedy 
for  the  fly — but  he  had  not  used  it.  The  fly  was  not 
much  seen  when  the  wind  blew  (probably  it  gets  under 
clods  for  shelter).  The  fly,  which  is  of  the  same 


R OBER T  PO CO CK.  83 

nature  as  thehouse-fly,  with  wings,  is  not  theinsect  (which 
attacks  the  turnip  in  its  advanced  state)  called  the 
negro. 

"  Monday,  August  24th. — Graveseud  and  Northfleet 
played  at  cricket  at  Northfleet.  Walked  with  Mr.  P. 
and  H.  to  Springhead,  where  the  gardener  had  found 
a  silver  piece  of  Severus,and  an  old  Roman  copper  piece, 
and  a  Roman  brick.  Met  with  Mr.  Harman's  man, 
who  told  the  same  story  as  others,  viz.,  that  the  fly 
eats  the  turnips  when  young,  and  rolling  is  the  remedy 
used.  And  upon  asking  him  what  the  negro  was,  he 
pointed  to  some  aphis  on  the  elder,  as  being  nearly  like 
it ;  but  the  negro  was  more  black.  Being  in  company 
with  four  naturalists,  one  belonging  to  the  Linnsean 
Society,  they  all  declared  it  impossible  that  the  fly 
should  destroy  the  plant,  that  it  must  be  the  larva  of 
the  fly.  Walked  to  Swanscombe  Wood.  Found  a 
locust  or  large  grasshopper,  and  some  scarce  moths 
and  insects.  73rd  Regiment  of  soldiers,  2nd  batta- 
lion, marched  into  town  from  Deal.  25th  Regi- 
ment of  soldiers  marched  out  to  the  Tower.  A 
cricket  match  between  the  Sociables  and  the  Harmonic 
Societies,  in  the  Prince  of  Orange  field..  The  band 
played  on.  the  occasion.  The  Harmonics  beat.  Whilst 
in  the  field  I  heard  (I  thought)  distant  low  thunder. 
Some  time  after  I  heard  a  noise  like  the  cough  of  a 
lion.  So  it  certainly  was,  for  soon  after  several  caravans 
passed  by  with  wild  beasts  going  to  Strood  Fair. 

<e  Wednesday,  26th. — Close,  warm  day.  Strood  Fair. 
Rain  in  evening.  Gr.  and  C.  P.  went  to  see  Mr. 
Polito's  wild  beasts  and  birds.  Among  them  were  a 
lion  and  lioness,  a  tiger  and  tigress,  a  panther  and 
pantheress,  a  leopard,  a  zebra,  a  ferocious  hyena,  a 

Q  2 


84  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

laughing  hyena,  &c.,  an  emu,  a  black  swan,  two  peli- 
cans, &c.,  a  cassowary,  an  elephant,  and  a  crane. 

"  Friday,  28^.— Dull,  windy  day.  Cold.  Third  day 
of  Strood  Fair.  Jury  sat  on  a  young  woman  (a  girl  of 
the  town)  who  threw  herself  out  of  the  window  at  the 
Britannia,  because  she  had  been  locked  in. 

"  Wednesday,  September  2nd. — Went  to  Lower  Hope 
Battery.  Saw  two  porpoises.  Mr.  Odden  shot  a 
heron  and  two  gulls  (rounded  tail,  black  at  tip).  Ob- 
served many  insects  on  the  river  (cimex,  &c.)  at  the 
edge  of  the  tide.  Large  long-leg  crane  gnats  very 
numerous.  A  company  of  Marines  land  from  Anholt 
Island,  in  the  Baltic. 

"Saturday,  oth. — Fine  summer's  day.  Bright.  Heard 
Lord  Wellington  had  marched  into  Madrid.  Baltic 
fleet  arrived  to-day  here.  Wind  E.,  passing  all  the  day. 

"  Sunday,  6th. — Fine  summer's  day,  yet  wind  blows 
fresh.  Walked  to  Cobharn  Church,  where  1  heard 
Lord  Darnley  and  the  Lord  Mayor  of  London  had  been 
to  the  service  in  the  morning.  The  church  has  lately 
had  a  barrel-organ  put  up  in  the  loft  (the  gift  of  Lady 
Darnley)  adapted  to  play  sundry  tunes  or  portions  of 
the  Psalms,  which  have  been  selected  and  printed  in  a 
small  duodecimo,  this  year.  The  church  has  lately 
been  whitewashed,  fresh  painted  and  varnished,  and 
sentences  of  Scripture  written  on  the  walls,  which  the 
parishioners  call  *  decorating  '  it ;  but  the  ancient  stalls 
and  beautiful  monument  of  Lord  George  Cobham  with 
his  lady  is  suffered  to  fall  to  decay.  The  antique  brass 
plates  of  the  ancient  Lord  Cobhams  are  half -gone,  and 
the  antiquary  finds  himself  greatly  vexed  by  the  inju- 
dicious placement  of  a  screen  and  communion-table 
across  and  over  the  inscriptions  near  the  middle 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  85 

of  the  high  chancel,  instead  of  its  being  at  the  further- 
most east  end  which  would  then  display  the  monument 
of  Lord  George  and  his  lady.  A  fine  Gothic  piscina 
and  three  fine  Gothic  seats  on  the  south,  and  a  Gothic 
arch  in  the  wall  on  the  north.  The  banners,  flags,  and 
garlands,  which  tell  of  the  grandeur  of  noble  families, 
have  been  all  taken  away.  One  helmet  yet  remains  up  in 
the  secluded  chancel  (two  others  were  lying  about,  pre- 
paring for  their  journey  from  this  sacred  spot),  which 
is  covered  with  small  antique  tiles  bearing  impressions 
of  fleur-de-lis,  griffins,  &c.  This  chancel  was  once 
decorated  with  the  arms  in  painted  glass  of  the  good 
Duke  Humphrey,  and  Eleanor  Cobham  his  wife,  who  in 
her  lifetime  was  indicted  for  witchcraft  and  sorcery,  and 
obliged  to  do  penance.  But  no  such  glass  now  remains, 
everything  giving  way  to  the  sordid  and  ignorant ! 

"  A  mural  marble  monument  is  lately  placed  on  the 
north  side  for  the  wife  of  Mr.  Bligh,  who  died  at 
Funchal,  in  the  Island  of  Madeira. 

"  The  pay  of  the  poor  '  collegians  '  has  lately  been 
raised  from  13s.  4d.  to  16s.  3d.  per  month. 

"  Passed  several  fields  of  wheat,  barley,  oats,  and  beans 
uncut,  which  shows  the  backwardness  of  the  season. 

((  Met  with  Robinson,  junior,  the  farmer,  who  says  his 
father  had  seventeen  acres  of  very  bad  wheat,  not  fit  to 
harvest  (nor  could  it  be  told  by  some  if  it  was  wheat  or 
rye)  ;  yet  they  had  it  cut,  and  sold  it  already  for  bl.  per 
quarter,  so  great  is  the  immediate  demand.  But  he  sup- 
poses if  it  had  been  kept  a  month  longer  it  would  not 
have  sold  for  any  price.  Upon  asking  him  the  cause, 
he  says  it  was  sown  too  thick,  and  was  too  vigorous  at 
Christmas  last,  being  then  near  three  feet  high.  He 
says  they  have  thrashed  out  all  their  corn  of  this  year, 


86  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

and  sold  above  1000L  worth;  and  that  Mr.  Smithers, 
his  neighbour,  has  already  thrashed  and  sold  out  every 
quarter  he  has  grown  this  year.  I  never  knew  such 
exertions  or  demands ;  but  this  rapid  industry  in 
bringing  it  to  market,  has  been  owing  partly  to  the 
introduction  of  thrashing-machines;  and  certainly  there 
was  a  real  scarcity,  as  the  millers  of  Kent  were  obliged 
to  go  into  Essex  to  market. 

' c  Upon  asking  him  about  the  fly  on  turnips,  he  says 
ants  have  been  looked  upon  as  a  remedy,  and  that  Mrs. 
Tadman,  of  New  House,  procured  ants  from  the  woods 
in  sacks,  and  put  them  on  her  grounds.  That  some  roll 
the  ground  in  the  night ;  but  he  knew  nothing  about  the 
insect  only  that  they  attack  the  plant  on  its  coming  out 
of  the  ground,  and  called  it  the  fly. 

"  Monday,  7th.— Dull.  Walked  to  Chalk  and  got 
some  autumnal  squills. 

"  Tuesday,  8th. — Yery  fine  day.  Mr.  Coxe  and  Barton 
went  to  Maidstone  Gaol.  The  Lord  Mayor  of  London 
came  to  Gravesend  from  Lord  Darnley's,  and  went  from 
thence  to  London  in  his  barge,  by  water,  escorted  by 
the  water-bailiff  (Nelson)  and  the  city  solicitor,  Mr. 
Newman. 

"  Wednesday,  9th. — Dull  day.  Mr.  Eglintine  brought 
a  large-tailed  wasp  (I  believe  Sirex  gigas)  caught  on 
the  Town  Quay  (see  Dr.  Turton,  p.  426).  Mr.  Button 
of  Birmingham  or  Sheffield  called.  Mr.  Hutton  is  a 
mineralogist. 

"  Tuesday,  1 5th. — The  neat  little  Peter  boat,  of  nine 
tons,  lies  in  the  canal.  She  has  come  round  from  Dart- 
mouth, with  Captain  Ferguson  (once  in  the  East 
India  trade)  and  one  man,  named  also  James  Ferguson. 
This  man  promises  to  send  me  some  birds,  anatomized, 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  87 

which  is  done  there  in  twenty-four  hours,  by  first 
skinning  them  and  then  immersing  them  under  the 
water,  where  the  sea-lice  eat  off  their  flesh  presently. 
A  haze  round  the  horizon  in  the  evening. 

"  Friday,  18th. — Mr.  Parker  and  a  young  gentleman 
called  on  ine.  Mr.  Parker  is  an  antiquary :  has 
ascertained  an  accurate  account  of  all  measures  and 
weights  from  the  earliest  periods,  deducing  them  as  a 
standard  from  the  pyramids  of  Egypt.  He  is  in  search 
of  Roman  curiosities.  Mary  Pocock  called.  Bought 
of  Mrs.  Reding  a  Queen  Anne  halfpenny,  and  a  brass 
medal  of  George  II.,  for  sixpence.  Mr.  Reding  has  a 
Queen  Anne  farthing.  Mrs.  Reding  bought  forty 
hanks  of  fine  silk,  weighing  one  ounce  and  a  quarter 
and  one  dram,  the  produce  of  300  silk-worms  in  1812. 

"Saturday,  19th. — Hung  three  and  a  half  pieces  of 
paper,  also  three  dozen  and  a  half  of  border,  at  Mr. 
Sloper's,  from  11  o'clock  in  the  morning  till  9  o'clock 
at  night/'  [Paper-hanging :  his  other  business  pre- 
sumably slack.] 

"  Sunday,  20th. — Walked  to  Springhead  by  myself. 
Gathered  first  black  grapes. 

"Monday,  21  st. — Had  the  skeleton  of  a  starved  cat 
brought  me. 

"Tuesday,  22nd. — Small  shower  in  morning,  then  fine 
day.  Heard  a  proof  at  Woolwich  more  distinct  than 
usual.  Had  a  hare  for  dinner,  sent  as  a  present.  Had 
a  Roman  brass  piece  of  Tiberius  Cassar,  described 
accurately  in  my  folio  book  of  coins,  printed  at  Rome. 
Rain  at  night. 

"  Wednesday,  23rd. — Master  Durling,  a  '  simpler/ 
called  and  showed  me  a  root  of  navel- wort,  taken  from 
All-hallows'  Church.  Luke  Beet  called  and  showed  me 


88  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

a  porcupine  fish  (Diodon  hystrix)  which  he  had  got 
from  an  East  Indiaman. 

"Saturday,  26th. — An  Italian  gentleman  called.  He 
came  home  in  the  Providence,  and  brought  home  four 
black  swans  for  the  Duke  of  York,  and  a  nondescript 
bird  without  wings.  He  resides  at  No.  5,  Swan  Street, 
Minories.  Another  part  of  Glamorgan  Regiment  in  the 
town.  (Candles  rise  to  Is.  per  pound ;  ditto  soap.) 

"  Sunday,  27th. — Mr.  Kipping,  from  Mr.  Sowerby's, 
called.  Said  that  Nutfield,  in  Surrey,  abounded  with 
sulphate  of  barytes  3  that  Mr.  S.  paid  20s.  each  time 
on  going  into  the  mines. 

"  Wednesday,  SOth. — Attended  sale  of  Mr.  Colesary 
at  Northfleet.  Bought  two  nautilus  shells." 

Turning  aside  for  a  moment  from  the  Diary,  it  may 
be  here  mentioned  that  upon  reference  to  the  "  Gentle- 
man's Magazine"  (vol.  Ixxxii.  part  2,  p.  419)  of  this 
date,  the  following  letter  by  Pocock  has  been  found, 
which  affords  a  pleasing  proof  of  his  readiness  to  speak 
out  in  defence  of  Hasted,  the  well-known  Kentish 
historian.  The  letter  is  as  follows  : — 

"  Leather  Bottle  Inn, 

"  Northfleet,  Oct.  7th,  1812. 

{ '  MR.  UEBAN, — A  few  hours  in  the  first  week  of 
every  month  I  devote  to  the  perusal  of  your  Miscellany, 
and  find  the  short  epistles  inserted  by  its  numerous 
friends  have  in  general  given  me  satisfaction.  This 
pleasure  certainly  arises  through  the  judicious  selection 
of  your  Editor.  However,  among  the  multiplicity  of 
matter  contained  therein  some  are  not  quite  concordant 
to  my  ideas  ;  of  this  nature  was  the  paragraph  signed 
'  Litterator'  (p.  201) ,  which  cannot  be  passed  over  with- 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  89 

out  remarking  that  it  is  an  ill-timed  reflection  upon  the 
best  of  Kentish  historians. 

"  If  '  Litterator  '  thinks  that  Mr.  Hasted' s  History  is 
deficient  and  unworthy  of  his  thanks  (after  thirty  years 
or  more  spent  in  the  arduous  undertaking),  why  does  not 
'  Litterator '  immediately  solicit  assistance  and  issue 
forth  a  prospectus  for  an  additional  volume  ?  There  is 
undoubtedly  much  to  be  gathered,  but  not  much  to  be 
gained,  by  county  historians." 

Pocock  then  gives  instances  refuting  the  charge  of 
want  of  variety  in  Hasted' s  History,  and  then  finishes 
thus : — 

"The  pen  is  sometimes  taken  up  in  defence  of 
personal  friendship,  interest,  or  vanity ;  but  L.  may  rest 
assured  the  writer  of  this  article  had  not  the  happiness 
of  ever  seeing  the  late  author,  has  no  interest  in  his 
works,  nor  vanity  sufficient  to  think  this  will  add 
to  his  fame  :  yet  professing  an  ardent  desire  to  become 
acquainted  with  the  history  of  his  native  county,  he 
has  collected  already  a  folio  MS.  relative  thereto,  un- 
noticed by  Mr.  H.,  which  shall  be  made  public  (if  re- 
quired) with  the  hoped  for  elucidation  and  additional 
aid,  if  and  whenever  he  thinks  proper  to  address  him- 
self to— 

(Signed)         "  THE  CHAIRMAN  OF  THE  KENT  NATURAL 
HISTORY  SOCIETY." 

Eesumingthe  Journal  for  1812,  it  appears  that  our 
journalist,  on  the  2nd  October,  "  walked  to  Hartley. 
Found  a  fine  black  mullein  in  bloom  in  the  hedge  of  a 
cottage  at  Scotbury.  Called  on  the  Eev.  Mr.  Bash- 
leigh,  and  took  an  oath  that  I  was  no  freeholder. 


90  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

Saw  an  old  painting  of  Edward  the  Black  Prince,  at 
the  Ship,  Southfleet. 

"  Monday,  6th. — Mayor  of  Gravesend  (Mr.  Millen) 
chosen  (Mr.  Dennet  went  out).  Had  a  sea-leach 
brought  me  stuck  to  a  thornback. 

"  Tuesday,  6th. — An  East  Indiaman  (Marquis  of 
Camden),  launched  at  Northfleet.  Jurymen  of  Graves- 
end  go  down  to  the  sessions. 

"  Wednesday,  7th. — Mr.  DuCane  called  and  bought 
some  fossils.  Read  an  advertisement  from  John  Wells, 
Esq.,  sheriff  of  Kent,  calling  a  meeting  on  the  13th  inst. 
for  electing  county  members.  Sir  Edward  Knatchbull 
and  Sir  William  Geary  offer  themselves.  Mr.  Honey- 
wood  declines. 

"  Thursday, Sth. — Received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Gregson, 
for  advice  for  law,  although  nothing  done,  above  six 
years  ago.  It  is  dangerous  to  speak  to  lawyers. 

"  Saturday,  10th. — Portuguese  or  Spanish  sailors 
selling  port  wine  about  the  street,  eighteen-pence  per 
bottle.  I  bought  five  or  six  bottles. 

"  Sunday,  llth. — Heavy  rain  in  the  night  near  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  Saw  my  letter  to  the  '  Gentle- 
man's Magazine '  in  vindication  of  Mr.  Hasted,  the 
Kentish  historian,  whose  works  were  illiberally 
attacked  by  a  person  signing  himself  { Litterator.' '; 
[This  is  the  letter  above  given.] 

"  Tuesday ,13th. — Went  on  board  the  Emu  store- 
ship  bound  to  Botany  Bay,  Captain  Bissett,  when  the 
chief  mate,  Mr.  John  Brown,  promised  to  bring  me 
home  an  emu,  &c.  Lieut.  Arnold's  son  went  out  in 
this  ship.  She  was  loaded  with  women  convicts, 
and  attended  by  Mr.  Bennet.  Went  also  on  board  the 
James  Hay,  Captain  Campbell,  when  John  Bathurst, 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  91 

boatswain,  promised  to  collect  curiosities  for  me.  I 
gave  the  mate  one  of  my  cards,  but  had  hardly  any 
conversation  with  him.  Sent  out  a  dozen  newspapers 
by  Captain  Campbell  for  Mr.  Lewin.  Sent  my  son  in 
Shropshire  a  box  of  chalk  fossils,  &c.,  by  Mr.  Brown, 
the  waterman.  In  the  evening,  Mr.  T.  Wallington, 
surgeon  in  the  Royal  Navy,  called  on  me  to  see  my 
museum.  He  was  going  out  in  the  Emu,  which  was 
not  expected  to  return  for  four  or  five  years.  He  is  a 
scientific  person,  and  promises  to  collect  for  me.  He  had 
also  promised  Mr.  McLeane,  secretary  to  the  Linngean 
Society.  He  had  married  Mr.  Brown's  sister  (the 
mate's),  and  she  went  out  with  him. 

"  Sunday,  18th. — Wrote  to  Mr.  John  Hunt,  Norwich, 
in  answer  to  his,  about  buying  birds  from  abroad. 
George  Pocock  brought  home  some  mushrooms  and 
puff  balls. 

"  Monday,  19th. — Wind  south.  Went  to  Northfleet. 
Bought  several  fossils,  &c.  Observed  about  a  dozen 
martins  flying  to  the  south-west,  nearly  against  the 
wind.  I  generally  find  them  flying  against  the  wind. 
Thought  they  had  all  gone.  Beautiful  double  rainbow 
seen  in  the  evening  at  Northfleet ;  one  end  on  Chadwell 
Church  the  other  extended  over  Gravesend  Hill.  Heard 
Mr.  Brown,  of  the  Dorsetshire,  had  died  at  Batavia. 

"  Tuesday,  2Qth. — Mr.  DuCane  and  another  gentle- 
man called  and  bought  some  chalk  fossils,  shells,  &c. 
Went  with  Mr.  Raspison  on  board  the  Fortune, 
ship,  Captain  Walker,  bound  to  Botany  Bay.  The 
chief  mate's  name  is  Champion  :  gave  him  some  of  my 
cards.  The  second  mate's  name  is  Potter.  They  did 
not  promise  to  bring  me  home  anything,  but  did  not 
refuse,  the  ship  being  in  a  bustle. 


92  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  Met  at  the  Castle  Inn  (Mr.  Jerry's)  with  a  Mr. 
James  Guthrie,  a  person  who  had  travelled  much.  He 
said  he  was  a  master  in  the  Royal  Navy.  He  said  he 
set  out  from  Quebec  with  a  Captain  Holland  of  the  57th 
Regiment,  and  a  party  of  twenty-eight  men,  to  explore 
and  traverse  the  lakes  and  inland  country  of  America, 
so  as  to  get  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  :  that  when  he  was 
within  some  distance  of  it  he  fell  in  with  Mr.  Alexander 
Mackenzie  and  his  party,  just  below  Slave  Lake,  who  had 
obtained  their  pursuit,  and  for  that  Mr.  Mackenzie  was 
created  a  knight  or  baronet,  and  he  believes  is  now  in 
London.  Mr.  Mackenzie  he  said  was  a  man  of  con- 
siderable fortune  in  America — was  a  clerk  once  to  Sally 
Hance,  a  person  of  some  importance  on  the  River 
Sinclair.  Mr.  Guthrie  said  that  when  he  had  got 
nearly  to  the  end  of  his  route,  Captain  Holland  was 
recalled,  and  he,  Mr.  Guthrie,  had  the  command  of  the 
party.  Mr.  Guthrie  said  that  about  two  miles  from 
the  Falls  of  Niagara  is  a  sulphurous  spring,  so  hot  that 
the  company  boiled  their  tea-kettle  at  it.  That  rattle- 
snakes are  common  in  the  islands  in  the  lakes,  and 
are  generally  avoided  by  a  peculiar  smell  when  near 
them. 

"  Thursday)  22nd. — Fish  (cod)  very  plentiful.  Sent  a 
large  one  to  Frances  Pocock,  at  the  school  at  Woburn. 
It  cost  5s.,  and  weighed  about  thirty  pounds.  Sent 
another  to  Mr.  Thomas  Brewer,  weighed  twelve  pounds^ 
cost  Is.  6d.  !  A  ball  this  evening  in  the  Town  Hall,  first 
this  season. 

"  Saturday,  24th. — Fine  day.  Gravesend  Fair.  Fewer 
hogs  and  people  than  ever  before.  Went  to  it,  and 
saw  at  a  booth,  for  threepence,  a  large  seal  alive,  pur- 
chased at  Billingsgate  about  four  years  ago.  It  was 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  93 

then  young,  and  not  half  so  large  as  at  present,  weighing 
now,  I  should  suppose,  60  or  80  Ibs.  but  said  in  the  hand- 
bill, 220  Ibs.,  4  ft.  6  in.  high,  and  5  ft.  long.  This  seal  is 
somewhat  tamed,  for  it  gets  up  when  spoken  to,  and  at 
the  word  of  command  throws  its  head  back,  then  claps 
its  sides,  opens  its  mouth,  and  shakes  hands,  viz.,  put  its 
paws  together.  He  often  got  up  to  the  side  of  the  wooden 
cage  and  took  out  a  small  flat-fish  from  a  pail  filled  with 
water,  which  he  devoured  whole  seemingly  without  biting. 
This  feeding  and  dipping  his  head  in  water,  occasions  its 
living,  for  1  do  not  suppose  they  would  live  long  with- 
out water.  It  has  long  curved  nails  on  its  fore-feet,  but 
none  on  the  back -feet,  a  short  tail,  and  appears  to  me  to 
be  the  Phoca  cristata,  crested  seal,  because  on  its  head 
the  hair  comes  down  in  a  point  or  crest ;  or  the  Phoca 
leonina,  bottle-nosed  seal.  Its  head  is  large  and  long, 
and  its  nostrils  are  much  inflated  when  it  blows  out 
its  breath.  The  head  not  unlike  a  young  calf.  The 
skin  whitish  and  somewhat  spotted.  If  the  tail  or 
hind  legs  are  touched,  it  utters  a  mournful  tone.  It 
brushed  its  fore-paw  over  its  head  and  eyes,  and 
generally  sat  up,  almost  in  an  erect  posture.  There 
were  several  monkeys  and  other  quadrupeds. 

"  Sunday,  2bth. — Fine  day.  The  ship  Fortune, 
Captain  Walker,  not  having  sailed,  I  sent  out  under  the 
care  of  the  second  mate,  Mr.  Potter,  another  dozen  of 
newspapers  to  Mr.  Lewin  at  Sydney,  New  South 
Wales,  and  also  forwarded  a  letter  to  Mr.  Wallington, 
surgeon  of  the  Emu  ship,  bound  out  to  Botany 
Bay,  entreating  him  to  bring  home  some  curiosities. 
Heard  Guthrie  had  been  '  pressed '  and  put  on  board 
the  tender.  Heard  a  meteor  was  seen  flying  westward, 

bout  ten  degrees  above  the  horizon  in  the  south. 


94  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"Thursday,  29th. — Had  a  nurse  squalusfish  brought 
me  from  Scotland  by  Mr.  Man  and  Mr.  Burton, 
fishermen,  caught  off  Ferrick  Head.  They  say  it  is  a 
harmless  fish.  It  had  several  worms  in  its  intes- 
tines. 

"  Thursday,  November  5th. — Dull  day.  Heard  that 
Thomas  Bowsby,  a  waterman,  was  drowned  in  Sea 
Reach  on  Tuesday  last  in  the  morning.  Had  to  print 
a  paper  calling  a  meeting  to-morrow  to  apply  to  Par- 
liament for  an  act  to  lessen  the  '  poor  cess/  it  having 
doubled  in  seven  years.  My  daughter  Betsy  burnt 
her  leg  with  a  serpent  (firework)  going  out  to  an  old 
Pope  or  effigy  of  Guy  Faux  in  the  street. 

"Friday,  13th. — Kev.  Mr.  Phelps  called  and  bought 
fossils. 

<(  Wednesday, 18th. — Dull,  rainy  day.  George,  Charles, 
and  Betsy  all  go  to  the  play  to  see  the  '  Curfew  and 
the  Sleep  Walker/  Porter  raised  to  fivepence-half- 
penny  per  pot  from  fivepence  !  I  remember  it  three- 
pence-halfpenny. 

"  Thursday,  19th. — Received  a  letter  from  Shadrach, 
also  one  from  Mr.  Hunt  of  Norwich  about  buying  birds. 
Ship  launched  from  Northfleet  called  the  Medway. 

"Monday,  23rd. — Bought  shells  of  Mrs.  Lindsay 
for  five  shillings. 

"  Tuesday,  24th. — Dry  and  dull  day.  Mr.  Richard 
Eglintine,  the  waterman,  died.  He  was  a  proprietor 
of  the  King  George,  tilt-boat  No.  5. 

"  Wednesday,  25th. — Dry  and  dull.  Mr.  Johnson, 
the  auctioneer,  had  four  sales  cried  to-day, — Mr. 
Lewis's,  Captain  Fabian's,  Mr.  Bensted's  of  Milton 
Street,  and  Mr.  Outred's  sale  in  Queen  Street. 

"  Saturday,     28th. — Assiter's    sale.        This    man's 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  95 

sale  is  said  to  arise  from  a  debt  of  61.,  which  was 
run  up  by  the  lawyer's  expenses  to  50?.  ! 

"  Sunday,  29^.— Dull,  dry  day.  Wrote  a  letter 
to  my  son  Shadrach  at  the  Coal  Pit  Bank  near 
Wellington,  that  I  was  inquiring  about  a  box  I  sent 
him  not  come  to  hand. 

"  Tuesday,  December  1st. — Foggy.  About  this  day  I 
sent  Mr.  Patterden  of  Dover  a  piece  of  limestone,  from 
Shropshire,  with  quartz. 

"  Thursday,  3rd. — Read  the  '  Gentleman's  Maga- 
zine '  containing  my  paragraph  signed  '  The  Chairman 
of  the  Kent  Natural  History  Society/  wherein  I 
defend  Mr.  Hasted's  ( History  of  Kent '  from  a  writer 
in  a  former  number  who  styled  himself  '  Litterator/ 

"Monday,  7th. — Heard  young  Swarfland  was  attacked 
by  ruffians  last  night  near  cross-road  to  Perry  Street. 
Mr.  Cooper  from  Chatham  called,  and  we  went  to  see  a 
large  frog-fish  caught  alive  within  the  basin  of  the 
canal  yesterday.  It  was  about  six  feet  long  and  above 
two  feet  broad.  Its  mouth,  which  was  vertical,  would 
certainly  have  held  half  a  bushel :  very  flabby,  and,  I 
suppose,  weighed  from  sixty  to  eighty  pounds. 

"  Tuesday,  8th. — Heard  Major  Elphinstone  was  or- 
dered to  Spain. 

"  Wednesday,  9^.— Frosty.  Wrote  a  letter  for  Mrs. 
Assiter  to  her  friend,  Mr.  Dowling,  to  go  to  Mr. 
Abdy  to  make  Assiter  a  bankrupt,  he  being  in  Maid- 
stone  Gaol.  Received  a  letter  from  my  son,  R.  P.,  say- 
ing he  had  met  with  a  new  acquaintance,  Mr.  Gilpin, 
who  had  sent  Mr.  Parkington  near  1000  specimens  ! 

"  Thursday,  10^.— Frosty.  Walked  to  Rochester  to 
appeal  about  the  taxes.  Walked  home  with  Mr.  Haigh, 
a  schoolmaster,  who  desired  to  have  an  invitation  to 


96  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

the   Kent  Natural  History   Society.     He  appears  to 
have  a  good  method  in  teaching  Latin. 

"Friday,  llth. — Had  some  fossils  brought  by 
Captain  Cole  from  Sheppey. 

"Saturday,  1 2th. — Frosty.  Heard  that  Bonaparte  was 
killed  by  the  Cossacks.  Bought  a  box  of  Mrs.  Lind- 
say, who  said  it  was  made  of  Shakespear's  mulberry- 
tree,  and  was  her  mother's  (Mrs.  Stevenson's)  sister's. 
The  box  is  a  carved  one,  to  hold  a  pack  of  cards  ;  had  a 
crest  seemingly  of  a  bird  holding  or  shaking  a  spear  ; 
within  it  were  the  names  of  Shakespear  Wood,  Sharp, 
whereby  it  appears  that  one  Sharp  was  the  maker  or 
owner,  that  the  box  was  made  of  Shakespear  wood, 
viz.,  his  mulberry-tree. 

"Sunday,  13th. — Frosty;  ice  bears. 

"Monday,  l^th.—  The  Russian  Navy  fleet  have  been 
coming  into  the  Medway  for  a  few  days. 

"  Tuesday,  15th. — My  friend  Mr.  Crow  of  Faversham 
called  on  his  way  to  London  to  get  a  patent  for  a 
newly  contrived  boat  compass  he  has  invented.  He  has 
shown  it  to  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty,  the  Trinity 
Board,  and  has  a  letter  of  recommendation  from  General 
Harris  (the  famous  general  from  the  East  Indies)  to 
the  Chairman  of  the  East  India  Company  for  their 
approbation.  The  patent,  he  says,  will  cost  1151. ,  out 
of  which  SOL  is  said  to  go  to  the  Lord  Chancellor  for 
putting  the  seal  of  office  thereto.  He  went  by  water 
in  the  Sir  Francis  Burdet,  the  wind  blowing  very  strong 
from  the  east.  Mr.  Crow  lately  sent  Mr.  Bullock  of 
the  London  Museum  a  gigantic  heron,  which  came  from 
abroad,  and  probably  escaped  from  some  ship,  as  it  was 
picked  up  by  a  Faversham  boat. 

"  Friday,  l&th. — Windy.     Printed  a  hymn  to  be  sung 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  97 

at  Dartford  when  a  sermon  will  be  preached  by  the 
Rev.  DuCane. 

"  Saturday,  IQth. — Had  a  song  printed  of  a  voyage 
to  Hudson's  Bay  in  1811  in  the  Prince  of  Wales  ship. 
Mr.  Theobald  lost  his  gold  watch  last  night. 

"  Sunday,  20th. — Rev.  Mr.  Davis  preached  Mr. 
VarchelPs  charity  sermon  in  evening. 

f(  Monday,  2,1st.  — Foggy  day.  Mr.  Park,  the  surgeon, 
called  and  asked  me  if  I  had  Major  Pasley's  book  on 
the  war ;  I  said,  no,  but  I  had  seen  it  and  thought  it 
the  most  judicious  and  best  written  work  I  had  ever 
read  ;  he  said  Major  P.  was  his  school-fellow.  I  told 
him  it  did  his  school-fellow  much  credit.  Mr.  Park  said 
he  was  sorry  to  find  no  scientific  persons  in  Gravesend. 

"  Wednesday,  23rd. — Damp,  foggy,  dull  day.  George 
P.  left  Mr.  Giles'  school.  Mr.  Giles  has  had  his  picture 
drawn  by  a  Mr.  Medlin.  A  haw-finch  (Loxia  cocco- 
thraustes)  very  scarce,  shot  at  Stanstead. 

"  Thursday,  24  to.— The  Waterford  Militia  marched 
in  from  Billericay  on  the  way  to  Chatham  or  Sheerness. 
Talked  to  an  intelligent  private.  Says  that  Waterford 
is  a  plain  county  without  mountains ;  that  he  had  seen 
the  poor  people  about  Cronebane  and  the  Wicklow 
Mountains  sift  the  sand  that  had  come  down  from  the 
hills  in  search  of  the  gold  found  about  there ;  that  a 
detachment  of  soldiers  has  been  placed  about  there 
since  the  discovery  of  the  gold.  (Mem.  I  have 
a  Cronebane  halfpenny.)  The  private  said  he  had 
heard  Sheerness  was  a  bad  place.  I  told  him  that 
Sheerness  was  noted  in  great  plenty  for  four  things, 
viz.,  plenty  of  gin,  women,  Jews,  and  sailors. 
Mrs.  Hull  of  Milton  called.  She  came  to  bury 
Mrs.  Reader,  her  sister.  Mr.  P.,  a  waterman,  died. 

n 


98  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

He  once  was  a  great  reprobate,  but  lately  has  turned 
very  religious,  from  going  to  the  new  Ebenezer  Meet- 
ing. 

"  Monday,  28th. — This  evening  I  began  to  write 
the  Life  of  Mr.  Matthew  Danson,  a  tailor  of  Gravesend, 
a  person  who  has  seen  much  perplexity  and  domestic 
trouble.  He  entered  on  board  a  ship  the  day  the 
style  was  altered,  viz.,  September,  1752. 

"  Thursday,  31st. — Mr.  French  of  Shorne  brought  me 
a  bittern,  three  feet  and  one  inch  high,  three  feet  broad, 
shot  last  Monday  at  King's  Well  in  Higham.  He  has 
been  twenty  years  a  gunner  and  gamekeeper,  but  never 
saw  one  before.  Referred  to  Dr.  Turton  for  a  description 
of  the  bird,  but  it  was  too  abstruse.  Resorted  to  the 
synopsis  of  Berkenhout,  which  explained  the  bird 
exactly  in  a  clear,  comprehensive  manner.  Mr.  French 
asked  five  shillings  for  it,  but  would  not  take  books  in 
exchange." 


99 


CHAPTER  IV. 


He'll  often  stoop,  inquisitive  to  trace 

The  opening  beauties  of  a  daisy's  face  ; 

OH  will  he  witness,  with  admiring  eyes, 

The  brook's  sweet  dimples  o'er  the  pebbles  rise  ; 

And  often  bent,  as  o'er  some  magic  spell, 

He'll  pause  and  pick  his  shaped  stone  and  shell : 

Raptures  the  while  his  inward  powers  inflame, 

And  joys  delight  him  which  he  cannot  name  ; 

Ideas  picture  pleasing  views  to  mind, 

For  which  his  language  can  no  utterance  find. 

JOHN  CLA.RE. 


No  trace  exists  of  the  MS.  Life  of  Danson  above 
mentioned,  and  as  the  remains  of  Pocock's  Journal  fail, 
for  a  while,  at  the  end  of  1 812,  it  affords  the  opportunity 
of  recurring  to  his  love  of  botany,  and  of  mentioning 
that  in  and  previous  to  the  year  1  815,  he  had  secured  by 
gift  or  purchase  two  folio  volumes  of  dried  and  preserved 
plants,  and  had  devoted  no  little  time  to  the  completion 
of  the  description,  laboriously  noting  against  every  spe- 
cimen its  Linnaean  and  vulgar  names,  with  a  reference 
to  "  Withering/'  and  the  page  where  the  description  of 
the  particular  specimen  could  be  found ;  besides  which 
he  added  to  its  leafy  treasures  numerous  other  ex- 

H  2 


ioo  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

traneous  specimens  as  he  had  been  able  to  secure 
them. 

To  the  first  of  these  folio  volumes  he  has  prefaced 
the  following  note  :  Ct  The  original  plants  in  this  book 
and  another  volume  seem  to  be  arranged  according  to 
the  system  of  Morrison,  which  appeared  about  the  year 
1680. 

"Other  plants  have  since  been  added  by  me,  E. 
Pocock,  printer  and  bookseller,  Gravesend  (1815),  to 
which  I  have  put  their  Linnaean  names,  and  inserted  the 
volume  and  page  where  a  description  may  be  found 
in  Withering' s  { Botanical  Arrangement  of  British 
Plants/  third  edition,  which  ought  to  accompany 
these,  my  two  volumes  of  dried  specimens." 

The  two  has  been  subsequently  corrected  into 
three,  by  pen,  Pocock  adding :  "  Because  since  the 
above  was  written  a  third  volume  has  been  added, 
containing  mostly  grasses,  rushes,  and  suchlike 
sorts."" 

These  three  volumes,  still  extant,  probably  contained, 
before  the  ruinous  effect  of  a  half-century's  neglect, 
little  short  of  some  six  thousand  varieties,  annotated 
with  the  greatest  care  opposite  each  example,  with 
the  place  and  date,  in  many  cases,  of  its  acquisi- 
tion. 

But  the  untiring  patience  and  unremitting  perse- 
verance of  Pocock  in  the  pursuit  of  his  botanical  col- 
lections were  equal  to  further  efforts  •  and  accordingly 
we  find  that  in  or  about  the  year  1817  he  commenced 
a  new  collection  of  dried  plants  and  botanical  speci- 
mens, which  shall  be  referred  to  in  its  turn. 

There  is  ever  something  specially  attractive  in  the 
ove  of  Nature  for  its  own  sake,  and  he  who  can  find 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  101 

solace  in  the  simple  pursuits  of  botany,  and  feel  himself 
rewarded  in  the  tranquil  and  patient  noting  down  of 
the  infinite  diversities  of  the  vegetable  world,  possesses 
a  character  antecedently  interesting  to  us  and  almost 
necessarily  gentle ;  but  the  pursuit  of  this  study  by 
Pocock  was  not  unaccompanied  by  many  kindred 
developments  of  his  desire  for  accumulating  information 
in  other  paths  and  spheres,  and  for  disseminating 
whatever  he  thus  acquired.  We  must  not  anticipate 
what  may  further  appear  upon  the  botanist's  love  of  this 
department  of  Nature,  but  take  up  the  fragments  which 
have  been  collected  of  his  Journal  for  the  year  1815 ;  it 
is  not,  however,  clear  to  us  that  the  March  entries  refer 
to  himself  : — 

fi  Tuesday,  March  2Ist,  1815.— France.  Went  to  the 
post-office  at  nine,  and  was  mortified  to  find  no  letters 
returned  to  breakfast,  and  set  out  to  make  a  tour  of 
the  ramparts,  which  command  a  fine  view  of  the  neigh- 
bouring country.  To  acquire  the  better  view  I  went 
upon  the  highest  part.  When  I  had  almost  completed 
my  round,  an  old  soldier,  who  happened  to  be  one  of 
those  charged  with  looking  after  the  ramparts,  ordered 
me  down.  From  the  tone  of  his  voice  he  seemed  to  be  a 
man  vested  with  authority,  and  I  obeyed.  Approaching 
him,  I  said  in  French,  'My  friend,  you  seem  to  be  a  little 
angry ;  but  like  many  other  animals  perhaps  it  is 
natural  to  you/  Swearing,  he  told  me  it  was  forbidden 
to  walk  on  that  part  of  the  ramparts,  and  that  all  those 
whom  he  found  there  were  apprehended  and  punished. 
I  said,  'Why  are  there  not  notices  to  that  effect  ?  I  (nor 
any  other  stranger)  know  nothing  of  these  regulations  •/ 
and  was  moving  off,  when  he  said  if  I  would  give  him 
a  few  halfpence  he  would  let  me  go.  I  laughed  at 


102  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

this  application,  and  said, '  Why  take  money  ?  If  I  have 
done  anything  wrong,  punish  me/  I  walked  on  and 
he  was  still  with  me,  but  not  liking  his  company  much 
I  turned  another  way  ;  but  he  said,  '  You  must  come 
this  way/  '  Why  ?  '  '  To  take  you  to  the  grand  place/  he 
replied.  'Forwhat  ?'said  I.  ' To  punish  you.'  I  laughed 
again,  and  said, '  Certainly ;'  but  as  he  was  a  pitiful  little 
wasp  he  must  show  me  his  authority,  which  he  instantly 
did.  I  did  not  yet  think  anything  of  it ;  I  knew  if  he 
took  me  to  a  magistrate  I  could  give  an  explanation 
as  a  stranger  satisfactory  to  him ;  and  in  walking  on 
still  on  my  route  upon  the  lower  ramparts,  I  began  to 
be  merry  at  the  old  fellow's  expense.  I  asked  him 
the  punishment  for  this  heavy  crime;  not  less  than 
being  shot,  I  supposed,  in  which  case  I  hoped  for  some 
time  to  make  my  will ;  and  in  this  way  he  became  ex- 
cessively angry,  which  I  enjoyed.  He  made  a  full 
stand,  and  said  if  I  would  give  him  some  money  he 
would  let  me  go.  I  asked  him  where  this  house  of 
punishment  was ;  he  said  quite  near,  and  supposing  I 
would  meet  with  some  gentleman,  I  would  have  an 
opportunity  of  making  a  proper  apology,  and  I  con- 
fess I  had  some  idea  of  getting  the  old  fellow  drawn 
over  the  coals  for  exacting  money  from  me  for  his 
own  use.  Laughing  at  him  again  I  said,  '  No ;  if  I  am 
to  be  shot,  let  me  be  shot/  Descending  from  the  ram- 
parts, we  immediately,  without  going  into  the  street 
or  town,  entered  a  dark  dungeon  of  a  place  which  was 
the  guard-house ;  and  here  he  instantly  gave  me  in 
charge  to  the  sergeant  as  a  person  who  had  been  found 
trespassing  upon  the  ramparts.  I  asked  for  the  officer 
of  the  guard,  but  was  told  he  was  not  there,  and 
that  they  must  obey  the  directions  of  this  towns- 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  103 

guard  man.  Two  soldiers  were  prepared  with  fixed 
bayonets  to  conduct  me  to  this  grand  place,  and  conse- 
quently through  the  streets,  and  there  I  knew  I  would 
be  instantly  set  at  liberty,  yet  the  figure  I  must  have 
cut  with  these  two  personages  and  perhaps  a  crowd  of 
persons  after  me  would  have  been  rather  ridiculous.  I 
still  laughed  and  made  light  of  it — said  this  was  ridicu- 
lous, and  what  was  it  he  required.  He  then  said  with 
great  emphasis,  f  Nothing  ;  prepare,  soldiers,  to  conduct 
him/  'Very  well/  I  said,  '  come  along;  is  it  this  way  or 
that  ?  Make  haste/  And  coming  out  of  the  guard- 
house door,  he  said,  ( What  is  it  you  are  willing  to  give/ 
This  I  was  not  sorry  to  hear.  '  No  great  things,  I  said ; 
a  few  halfpence  only;'  and  putting  my  hand  in  my 
pocket  produced  about  threepence,  which  he  received, 
and  I  was  at  liberty.  I  felt  myself,  I  confess,  somewhat 
humbled ;  and  after  the  two  soldiers  had  retired  I  was 
asking  the  sergeant  whether  the  old  scoundrel  had 
the  authority  to  do  all  this,  who  said  he  must  have  sent 
me  to  the  police  if  he  had  persisted  in  his  charge,  when 
seeing  me  speaking  to  the  sergeant  he  returned  very 
angry,  and  ordered  me  to  leave  the  spot.  '  Go  that  way/ 
he  said,  pointing  to  one  street.  I  replied, '  N"o ;  it  is  my 
pleasure  to  go  that  way/  pointing  the  contrary  way.  So 
this  was  the  only  punishment  I  could  inflict  on  this 
nuisance.  I  returned  home,  and  at  four  o'clock  the 
officer  called  on  me  to  go  and  dine  with  him  at  the 
restaurateur's.  I  told  him  my  adventure,  who  said, 
however  right  he  might  have  been  in  giving  me  in 
charge  it  was  infamous  and  ought  to  be  punished,  the 
taking  of  money.  But  he  said  such  subsisted  with 
the  military,  for  if  any  person  is  found  committing 
the  least  nuisance  upon  the  house  of  a  general  officer, 


104  &  OBER  T  POC  0  CK. 

or  near  it,  the  sentinel  takes  your  hat,  and  you  must  pay 
him  five  halfpence,  else  he  keeps  it,  and  you  have  no 
remedy.  As  this  is  the  sum  the  old  fellow  required,  I 
rather  think  he  also  had  such  a  permission ;  and  in 
such  case  I  too  would  have  had  no  crime  to  charge 
him  with.  He  added  that  there  is  a  sort  of  revolu- 
tionary spirit  afloat  at  present,  and  it  is  probable  the 
old  fellow  is  riding  on  the  top  of  his  commission. 
We  dined  together,  and  went  to  the  coffee-house  to 
see  the  Moniteur ;  and  waiting,  a  party  of  mounte- 
banks entered,  laid  down  a  rug  up  the  floor  and  played 
their  tricks  upon  the  hard  flags.  Eight  o'clock  arrived, 
and  no  Moniteur.  I  took  my  leave  of  him,  went 
home,  had  a  good  jorum  of  warm  tea  and  went  to 
bed. 

"  Wednesday,  March  22nd. — I  sent  at  nine  to  the 
post-office,  and  was  again  mortified  to  find  neither  letter 
nor  remittance  from  Paris. 

' '  June  5th. — The  Fountain  Tavern,  which  had  been 
the  resort  of  Excise  tide-waiters  as  long  as  I  could 
remember,  began  to  be  pulled  down,  to  make  room 
for  a  new  building  for  the  Excise,  and  the  tavern  was 
removed  to  the  opposite  side,  where  the  Commissioners 
of  the  Excise  had  a  house. 

et  Thursday,  June  \&th. — I  set  off  this  morning  with 
Mr.  Eichard  Peen  on  a  tour  to  Town  Mailing,  passing 
over  Punish  Hill,  where  a  small  cottage  has  this  year 
been  built  which  commands  the  finest  view  in  Kent. 
The  view  embraced  the  winding  Medway  enclosed  by 
hills,  contracting  itself  to  Kochester,  where  the  arches 
of  its  bridge  displayed  across  the  river  make  a 
striking  point  in  the  picture,  over  which  appeared 
Sheerness  and  the  shipping,  with  the  sea  as  an  end- 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  105 

less  scene.  If  any  person  wishes  to  see  the  beauties 
of  Kent,  let  them  traverse  the  hills  about  Upper 
Mailing,  and  they  have  no  occasion  to  visit  the  lakes 
of  Cumberland  or  Westmoreland,  or  any  foreign 
countries.  From  Town  Mailing  we  went  to  Snodland, 
and  there  slept, — no,  went  to  bed.  For  having 
passed  the  house  (the  Bull  Inn)  about  two  hours  before 
we  observed  it  deserted,  viz.,  without  company;  but 
finding  we  could  not  reach  home  that  night  we  re- 
turned to  it  late ;  and  at  that  time  also  came  a  mounte- 
bank or  tumbler  with  his  numerous  followers,  and  the 
villagers  immediately  fell  to  dancing,  drinking,  and 
making  a  noise  all  night  long ;  so  that  we  only  laid 
down,  waiting  impatiently  till  the  morning,  when  we 
gladly  departed,  traversing  over  the  hills  to  Meopham, 
looking  after  scarce  botanical  plants,  a  few  of  which 
we  found,  as  the  deadly  night-shade  growing  on 
Birling  Hill,  also  the  Orchis  canopsea  in  great 
plenty. 

"  Saturday,  1 7th. — This  day  Mrs.  Pocock  and  her 
three  daughters  went  out,  leaving  the  house  open  to 
any  strangers. 

(( Sunday, 18th. — Walked  with  Mr.  Peen  to  Chalk  with 
Mr.  Lamburt  (gardener  to  Esq.  Bowles,  Town  Mailing) 
to  see  some  young  cabbages  peculiar  to  Chalk  as  early 
growers. 

"  Monday,  26th. — I  went  with  Mr.  Crafter  on 
board  the  Thomas  Greenville,  East  Indiaman,  just 
arrived,  to  see  Mr.  Jennings,  the  third  mate ;  but  he 
had  not  gone  out  in  the  ship.  I  carried  him  off  some 
fruit,  which  I  gave  to  the  chief  mate ;  and  he  in  return 
gave  me  a  large  turbo  greenish  shell  he  had  picked  up 
in  the  Straits  of  Sunda. 


106  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  Tuesday}  27th. — This  morning,  about  four  o'clock, 
I  was  disturbed  by  a  person  rapping  at  my  door,  and 
saying  the  stable  had  fallen  in.  I  got  up  ;  and  going 
into  the  yard  I  could  see  nothing ;  and  was  coming 
in,  but  turning  round  again  I  observed  a  soldier  and 
another  man  (a  hostler)  in  my  premises,  whereupon  I 
caught  up  a  broom-handle  and  gave  the  hostler  two 
blows  across  the  breech ;  and  he  was  on  the  point  of 
retreating  over  Mr.  Matthew's  pales,  but  at  this  in- 
stant another  soldier  had  got  over  with  an  iron  crow 
in  his  hand,  and  they  all  three  attacked  me  and  shoved 
me  down  twice.  I  then  singled  out  the  hostler  and 
we  had  a  battle  in  the  yard.  The  soldiers  burst  open 
the  stable-doors,  could  see  nothing  particular  there,  so 
we  all  went  into  the  back  street,  where  the  hostler, 
encouraged  by  the  presence  of  his  master,  challenged 
me  then  to  beat  him.  We  fell  to,  and  I  had  the  best  of 
it  for  some  time ;  till  by  a  violent  fall,  stepping  back- 
wards over  a  bundle  of  straw,  on  my  head  and 
shoulder,  I  was  stunned,  which  the  cowardly  fellow 
took  advantage  of,  running  his  knee  into  me,  and 
beating  me  whilst  lying  on  the  ground,  particularly  by 
one  blow  in  my  eye  which  caused  a  handful  of  blood 
to  flow  out.  In  fact  I  never  was  so  bruised  in  all  my 
life. 

"  July,  1815. — At  the  end  of  this  month  died 
George  Arnold,  Esq.  [son  of  Anthony  Arnold,  mayor 
in  1760],  a  worthy  inhabitant,  having  been  mayor  of 
the  town  during  the  mutiny  of  the  Nore;  also  when 
the  Duchess  of  Brunswick  arrived,  and  when  the  King 
of  France  passed  through  the  town  to  take  possession 
of  his  kingdom ;  also  upon  several  other  extraordinary 
occasions  and  occurrences." 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  107 

Cruden,  in  his  local  History  (since  Pocock's 
time),  writing  of  this  alarming  mutiny,  relates  that 
"  affairs  wore  so  very  serious  an  aspect  that  the 
delegates  moored  the  fleet  in  two  lines  of  battle  to 
be  prepared  for  any  attempt  to  coerce  them,  and  to 
demonstrate  their  determination  to  employ  all  the 
means  in  their  power  to  obtain  their  demands.  By 
this  distribution  of  the  fleet  the  Thames  was  blockaded 
and  no  ship  or  vessel  could  pass  without  examination 
and  the  permission  of  the  delegates/' 

He  mentions  how  "  these  proceedings  created  great 
alarm,  and  necessarily  engaged  the  attention  of  Par- 
liament ; "  adding  that  the  "  civil  authorities  and  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town  displayed  the  utmost  energy 
upon  the  occasion.  George  Arnold,  Esq.,  mayor, 
relying  upon  the  aid  of  the  inhabitants  generally  in 
cases  of  emergency,  provided  for  the  preservation  of 
the  peace ;  and  the  utmost  harmony  was  maintained 
between  the  civil  and  military  authorities  during  the 
whole  of  the  eventful  period. " 

In  the  locality  it  is  reputed  that  Parker,  the  ringleader, 
was,  after  being  hanged  on  board  the  8 andwich  man-of- 
war,  buried  at  Gravesend  at  a  four  wentway  or  cross- 
road ;  but  it  seems  that  he  was  buried  at  the  Naval  Yard, 
Sheerness,  and  afterwards  exhumed  by  his  widow  and 
taken  to  Tower  Hill,  when,  after  some  disturbances,  his 
body  finally  found  sepulture  in  a  vault  at  Whitechapel 
Church. 

The  River  Thames  was  a  main  entrance  for  the 
introduction  of  alien  enemies,  and  in  times  of  war 
serious  duties  in  this  respect  devolved  upon  the  mayor 
in  connexion  with  the  safety  of  the  state.  The  fol- 
lowing letter  shows  the  nature  of  such  duties  : — 


io8  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"Alien  Office,  May  4th,  1807. 

"  SIK, — Favourable  representations  having  been 
made  of  the  alien,  Smith,  whom  you  have  committed 
for  irregularity  in  regard  to  his  alien  licence ;  it 
is  recommended  to  you  to  consider  his  case,  and 
liberate  him  if  you  see  no  particular  cause  for  his 
longer  detention. 

l(  The  Secretary  of  State  desires  me  to  signify  to 
you  his  entire  approbation  of  the  vigilance  that  has 
lately  been  shown  at  Gravesend  in  watching  the 
aliens  who  resort  thither. 

"  I  am,  sir, 
"  Your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

"  JOHN  REEVES. 
"  The  worshipful  the  Mayor, 

"  Geo.  Arnold,  Esq.,  Gravesend." 

"  A  list  of  the  principal  families  residing  in  or  con- 
nected with  the  environs  of  Gravesend  : — 

1700. 

"  Gravesend.  Milton.  Northfleet. 

Nynn.  Coosens  Harman. 

Kite.  Yaughan.  Wadman. 

Arnold.  Harison.  Le  Februe. 

Harison.  Becket.  Levett. 

Goldsmith.  Joynes.  Birch. 

Reed.  Lance.  Swift. 

Brandon.  Giles.  Mackroth. 

Wilson.  Keddel.  Kennet. 
Tadman. 
Rogers. 


ROBERT  POCOCK. 

1800. 

"  Gravesend. 
Arnold. 

Milton. 
Cakes. 

Northfleet 
Rosser. 

Wilson. 

Dalton. 

Pitcher. 

Tadman. 

Rich. 

Harisoa. 

Styles. 
Buck. 
Man. 

Brenchly. 
R.  Rack. 
Becket. 

Howard. 
Marly. 
Whiskin. 

Millen. 

Giles. 

Tadman. 

Twist. 
Ditckburn. 

Woodgate. 
Smith.       , 

Brett. 

109 


"  Wednesday,  August  2nd,  181 5. — Fine  day.  George 
Pocock  and  myself  walked  to  Cobham  Fair. 

"Sunday,  13th.— Walked  to  West  Wood  with  Mr. 
Hatchet  and  Co.,  who  caught  the  purple  hair  streak 
butterfly. 

"  Tuesday,  22nd. — A  ship  sailed  to  Botany  Bay  with 
Anthony  Daffy  Swinton,  proprietor  of  the  Daffy's 
elixir.  He  was  the  person  who  some  years  since 
shot  Mr.  George  Ormerod  through  the  body,  but  did 
not  kill  him.  He  now  is  sent  away  for  being  a  con- 
federate in  stealing  a  watch. 

"  Tuesday,  29th.— Walked  to  Brompton  and  Strood 
Fair  with  Betsey  Pocock,  and  called  on  Mr.  Hoar  of 
Brompton  (who  gave  me  a  piece  of  the  rock  of  Elba), 
and  drank  tea  with  Mr.  Wright,  of  Best  Street,  Chat- 
ham. 

"  Friday,  September  1st. — This  day  I  first  became 
acquainted  with  Mr.  Haviland  of  Sussex,  who  came  into 
my  shop  with  his  two  sisters  going  out  to  settle  in 
Russia,  on  the  borders  of  the  Black  Sea.  In  discourse 


i io  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

I  found  Mr.  Haviland  an  architect  of  some  abilities. 
He  was  grave,  and  seemed  to  possess  a  general  know- 
ledge of  literature  and  science.  He  knew  Mr.  Dallaway, 
who  wrote  a  portion  of  the  '  History  of  Sussex/  Said 
his  aunt,  who  had  married  in  Russia,  had  sent  over 
for  them  to  advance  their  prospects  in  the  world; 
that  his  uncle  in  Russia  was  the  person  who  had 
buried  the  great  Mr.  Howard  (the philanthropist), and 
had  been  mentioned  by  Dr.  Clarke  in  his  travels. 
His  uncle  has  a  house  in  Moscow,  and  has  500  slaves, 
and  his  aunt  says  in  her  letters  they  must  be  treated 
as  slaves  otherwise  the  master  will  not  be  respected 
among  the  higher  class  of  Russian  nobles  !  When  I 
hinted  to  him  the  prospect  of  gain  through  his  abilities 
as  an  architect,  he  said,  No ;  his  aunt  had  told  him  that 
business  is  not  thought  of  nor  mentioned  in  the  higher 
classes ;  nothing  but  the  army  is  supposed  to  be 
honourable,  and  nothing  but  a  war  with  Turkey  is  ever 
desirable.  He  wished  to  correspond  with  me  by 
giving  his  direction  to  Admiral  MordwenofPs,  St. 
Petersburg,  who  was  waiting  at  that  city  for  their 
arrival.  1  then  requested  he  would,  when  there,  go 
to  Count  OrloflPs,  who  resides  about  two  miles  from 
St.  Petersburg,  and  inquire  for  William  Macpherson, 
botanic  gardener  to  him,  begging  he  would  let  me 
hear  from  him.  '  Ah,  sir,'  said  he, '  who  could  think  our 
Government  could  receive  Count  Orloff  as  an  ambas- 
sador at  our  court,  when  it  was  known  the  Count  had 
murdered  his  own  father  ? ' 

"  Sunday,  3rd. — This  day  I  received  a  letter  from 
Dr.  Gerelius,  M.D.,  physician  to  the  household  of 
the  King  of  Sweden,  saying  on  his  arrival  in  London 
he  lodged  in  Aldgate,  which  he  found  too  filthy, 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  1 1 1 

next  in  Cornhill,  which  was  too  noisy,  and  next  in 
Wellclose  Square;  but  lie  wished  to  reside  in  or 
near  Gravesend :  that  he  liked  the  country  of  England 
better  than  the  people.  Mr.  Grafter,  Mr.  Pittard,  G. 
Pocock,  and  myself  walked  to  Luddesdown,  where  we 
heard  the  iron  furnaces  in  Kent,  at  Barden,  were 
heated  with  charcoal  alternately  laid  with  iron  ore. 
Went  to  Birling  Hill  to  take  a  view  of  the  country, 
and  dined  at  a  small  cottage  of  a  wood-reve  erected 
in  1815  by  Government  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
care  of  236  acres  of  woodland  lying  in  the  parishes 
adjacent.  The  wood-reve  said  the  magpies  often  kill 
and  eat  the  young  partridges.  St.  Paul's  said  to  be 
seen  from  Holly  Wood.  In  this  day's  journey,  pass- 
ing over  a  stubble-field  about  nine  in  the  morning, 
the  sun  suddenly  shone  from  behind  a  cloud,  when 
instantly  there  began  a  concert  of  stubble  music,  which 
grated  the  ears  with  a  crackling  noise  somewhat  like 
a  field  of  stubble  burning. 

"  Tuesday,  5th. — Walked  to  find  and  see  the  old  Dane 
holes  in  Hangman's  Wood,  between  Chadwell  and 
Stifford,  described  by  Camden,  the  antiquary,  and 
Dr.  Derham. 

"  A  very  loquacious  lieutenant  in  the  navy, 
a  native  of  Barbadoes,  says  that  island  is  the  most 
healthy  of  any  in  the  West  Indies.  Is  not  hotter 
than  in  England ;  never  has  the  yellow  fever  or 
other  disease  unless  brought  there  from  the  other 
islands  ;  and  is  always  the  receptacle  of  invalids  from 
them. 

"  Wednesday,  6th. — An  English  officer  put  into 
Gravesend  Gaol  for  the  night's  security,  having  been 
brought  as  a  prisoner  from  the  continent.  Said  to  be  a 


112 


ROBERT  POCOCK. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  1 1 3 

spy  and  cashiered  from  the  English  service.     Thurs- 
day the  officer  went  from  Gravesend  to  London." 

It  was  mentioned  (at  an  earlier  period  of  this 
work)  that  in  or  about  the  year  1817,  Pocock  began 
his  new  collection  of  dried  plants  in  five  quarto  volumes, 
each  volume  containing  about  600  pages. 

Tii  is  work  was  the  source  of  great  delight  to  him, 
and  the  accumulation  of  its  contents  the  aim  and 
object  of  many  a  long  piece  of  pedestrianism  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Gravesend  and  the  more  distant 
parts  of  the  county  of  Kent. 

If  he  had  been  able  to  have  completed  the  collection, 
they  would  probably  have  contained  some  5000  speci- 
mens, divided  in  the  following  manner: — 

The  first  volume  containing  classes  1  to  5  ;  the  next, 
5  to  9  ;  the  third,  9  to  15 ;  the  fourth,  15  to  20;  and 
the  fifth,  ferns. 

The  following  (p.  114)  is  a  reduced  fac-simile  of  the 
title-page  which  Pocock  prefixed  in  his  own  hand  to  the 
first  volume,  and  in  the  records  of  his  many  receptions 
of  naturalists  and  other  friends  it  would  seem  to  have 
ever  been  a  prime  pleasure  to  him  to  produce  his 
"Hortus  Siccus;"  while  on  the  preceding  page  (112) 
is  shown  a  reduced  drawing  of  one  of  its  leaves, 
showing  his  mode  of  annotating  the  specimens  : — 


!  i4  ROBERT  POCOCK. 


J^0Tfruu& 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  115 

In  the  following  year,  1818,  Pocock  lost  his  second 
wife,  Frances,  who  died  in  the  month  of  July  at  his 
shop  in  the  High  Street,  and  was  buried  at  Gravesend 
(the  place  of  interment  of  his  first  wife  Ann)  on  the 
23rd  of  that  month,  at  the  age  of  fifty-three  years. 

Becoming  thus  a  second  time  a  widower,  he  never 
accomplished  a  return  to  the  "  holy  estate  :"  probably 
the  absence  of  his  frugal  helpmate  had  its  baneful 
effect  upon  his  steadily  declining  pecuniary  fortunes. 


i  2 


n6 


CHAPTER  Y. 

A  president,  on  butterflies  profound, 

Of  whom  all  insect-mongers  sing  the  praises, 

Went  on  a  day  to  catch  the  game  profound 

On  violets,  dunghills,  violet  tops,  and  daisies,  &c. 

DB.  JOHN  WOLCOT. 


"  Wednesday,  January,  2nd,  1822. — Mr.  Henslow  of 
Rochester  and  his  son  from  Cambridge  called  to  view 
my  '  Hortus  Siccus/  &c.  The  son  is  a  botanist. 

"  Thursday,  3rd. — Miss  Loft  (daughter  of  the  slop- 
seller)  married  at  Gravesend  to  Mr.  Handville  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  ships.  It  is  said  his  father,  Captain 
Handville,  went  fifty-two  voyages  there.  He  is  now 
about  eighty. 

"  Tuesday,  '8th. — Had  an  imber  goose  (so  called  in 
the  north  of  Scotland)  brought  me.  Authors  are 
deficient  in  its  description,  as  it  is  not  a  goose. 

"  Mr.  James,  the  author,  gives  readings  on  Shake- 
spear  in  the  Town  Hall,  which  is  a  novel  thing  among 
the  non-literati.  Mr.  Edward  Fuller  called  and  said 
there  were  snipes  in  the  marshes. 

"  Wednesday,  9th. — Fine.  Mr.  Coosens  of  Margate 
called,  and  said  he  had  given  Mr.  Deputy  Nichols 
MSS.  enough  to  form  an  extra  volume  to  Hasted' s 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  117 

Kent,  and  that  he  had  found  out  2000  mistakes  in 
that  work,  which  he  had  communicated  to  the  author, 
but  no  notice  was  taken  of  them,  because  Mr.  H.  said 
if  he  did  it  would  show  his  inattention.  I  said  I  had 
found  many.  Mr.  C.  said  it  was  Mr.  Bridges  of 
Wales  who  found  fault  with  the  Kentish  history  in 
the 'Gentleman's  Magazine'  which  was  defended  by  me 
(R.  Pocock).  Mr.  Coosens  said  he  had  found  in  a 
wood  near  Chilham  a  Roman  station  •  and  that  the 
site  of  Stonar  Church  was  lately  found.  Mr.  C.  is 
well  versed  in  Kentish  history  and  antiquities,  having 
published  a  work  from  the  monumental  inscriptions 
in  East  Kent.  He  is  a  pleasant  man ;  has  a  daughter 
married  and  settled  in  Essex. 

"  Thursday,  IQth. — Mr.  Russel  of  Swanscombe 
called,  and  said  he  had  found  Roman  works  in  Swans- 
combe  Wood. 

"Friday,  1.1th. — Dull.  Mr.  Lakes, a  young  gentle- 
man from  the  University  of  Cambridge,  and  nephew 
to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Rashleigh  of  Southfleet,  called,  and  I 
sold  him  eight  rare  English  insects.' 

"  Monday,  \4sth. — Fine,  sunny.  In  company  with 
Captain  Rosbrook,  a  fisherman,  who  said  he  had  taken 
a  willock  (a  bird)  out  of  a  cod ;  and  another  fisherman 
said  he  had  taken  out  of  a  cod  a  stone  as  big  as  his 
fist ;  and  Mr.  Rackstraw  said  he  had  seventy- 
five  stones  ;  all  of  which  came  out  of  one  cod  !  Such 
stories  may  appear  fabulous  or  untrue,  but  Captain 
Rosbrook  does  not,  I  am  sure,  wish  to  lead  me  into 
error,  as  it  is  well  known  the  cod  will  swallow  many 
strange  substances,  I  having  heard  it  said  by  many 
different  fishermen. 

"  Wednesday,   Wth.— The  Rev.   Mr.  Rashleigh  and 


1 1 8  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

Mr.  Lakes  called  and  brought  some  more  insects. 
Said  there  was  no  stag-beetle  in  Cornwall,  and  that 
Mr.  Seymour  of  Dorsetshire  was  a  collector. 

"Friday,  18th. — Fine,  sunny.  Sent  a  letter  to 
Mr.  Spencer  of  Chatham  (he  having  laid  claim  to  a 
great  estate  of  the  Selby  family  in  Bucks)  with  all  the 
names  of  Selbys  in  Blome's  '  Britannia/  a  folio  work. 

"Sunday,  27th. — Sunny  in  morning;  dull  in  after- 
noon. Radishes  sold  three  bunches  for  a  penny,  so 
mild  and  forward  are  the  vegetables.  Most  of  the 
autumnal  flowers  are  in  bloom,  and  yesterday  was 
brought  me  in  bloom  the  bean,  Antirrhinum  rotun- 
difolium,  primroses,  barren  strawberries,  violets,  &c.  ! 
Jupiter  and  Saturn  have  been  in  conjunction  some 
months,  and  the  evenings  exhibit  beautifully  the 
starry  wonders  of  the  celestial  world.  I  am  told  my 
daughter,  Sarah  Pocock  (although  a  woman),  has 
been  christened  at  Gravesend  Church  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Gray.  Witness  to  this  unusual  circumstance,  Mr. 
Covus,  a  shipwright,  Mrs.  Koach,  a  shopkeeper,  Miss 
Covus,  the  daughter,  and  Mr.  Tyler,  son-in-law  to 
Mr.  Covus. 

"  Tuesday,  2Sth. — Fine  and  dry.  Bells  ringing  at 
six  and  fort  guns  fired  at  twelve  for  the  king's  acces- 
sion. Mr.  Peen  brought  me  a  list  of  sixty-two 
British  plants  in  bloom  the  second  week  in  January, 
1822!  Sent  a  letter  to  Mr.  Elliot  at  Hobart's 
Town,  Van  Die  men's  Land,  by  a  young  man  from 
Frome  in  Somersetshire,  who  says  Mr.  Shepherd's 
black  cloths  are  the  best.  Received  the  '  Cambridge 
Guide '  from  Canterbury.  I  forgot  to  say  Mr.  Shep- 
herd has  a  daughter  well  skilled  in  natural  history, 
having  a  good  collection. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  119 

te  Sunday,  February  3rd. — In  evening  a  man  called 
on  me  for  information  about  Hume,  the  ropemaker,  who 
lays  claim  as  the  presumptive  heir  to  the  earldom  of 
March  mont. 

"  Monday,  4th.— Dull,  but  fine.  Settled  with  John 
Hobcraft.  Heard  the  Thames,  East  Indiaman,  was 
lost  near  Eastbourne,  in  Sussex :  very  sorry  to  hear 
this,  as  the  principal  owner,  Mr.  Blanchard,  is  a  worthy 
gentleman,  an  acquaintance  of  mine.  Settled  with 
Mr.  Thorowgood's  Rider,  and  spent  the  evening  at  the 
New  Inn. 

tc  Tuesday,  5tli.— Clear  morning  ;  windy  in  night.  In 
evening  Mr.  Stevens  (the  dean  of  Rochester's  brother) 
and  a  Mr.  Smith  called  to  know  if  I  could  give  them 
any  account  of  the  old  Mr.  Hume's  papers  (which  are 
lost),  by  which  it  is  said  the  younger  Hume  is  kept 
out  of  his  estate  and  title  to  the  earldom  of 
Marchmont ;  but  as  they  would  not  pay  me  for  my 
trouble  in  searching  over  my  papers  I  declined  looking 
for  them,  observing  to  the  dean's  brother  that  as  Hume, 
the  claimant,  was  borrowing  money  from  many 
persons  and  spending  it  lavishly  among  the  watermen 
at  Billingsgate,  and  riding  about  the  country,  I 
thought  I  might  have  some  for  my  trouble  as  well  as 
his  throwing  it  away  so  profusely.  They  left  me 
Hume's  pedigree. 

"  Thursday,  7th. — Fine,  sunny.  Heard  that  Mr. 
George  P.  was  dead  in  the  workhouse.  He  had 
long  been  very  poor,  and  had  been  in  the  gaol  of 
Maidstone,  where  it  is  said  he  refused  money  sent  him 
from  his  brother,  as  his  proud  spirit  would  not  brook 
receiving  any  from  that  quarter,  since  he  said  his 
brother  unjustly  withheld  what  he  was  entitled  to. 


120  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"Friday,  8th. — Fine,  mild,  sunny.  Saw  in  the 
paper  that  the  ship  Ablierton,  Captain  Gilpin,  had 
arrived  in  Madras  Roads  September  24th  last.  In 
this  ship  went  Charles  Pocock,  my  youngest  son  (as 
baker). 

"  Saturday,  9th. — Fine  day.  Mr.  Millen  (the  mayor), 
kindly  offered  to  be  my  friend  (in  case  I  could  find  a 
friend).  Some  author  has  observed  a  man  may  think 
himself  happy  if  he  finds  six  friends  in  his  life.  I  have 
often  said  I  keep  three  books :  a  little  one  for  my 
friends,  a  large  one  for  my  acquaintances,  and  a 
small  one  for  my  customers.  My  late  wife  used  to  say 
our  acquaintances  were  so  numerous  that  we  kept  a 
public-house  without  profit.  The  best  sentiment  to 
give  in  company  is,  {  From  injudicious  friends,  good 
Lord,  deliver  me/ 

"  Sunday,  I0th. — Fine.  Mr.  Matthew  Buchinger 
called  and  dined  and  spent  the  day.  He  is  a  plain, 
stout,  blunt  man,  grandson  of  the  famous  Buchinger, 
born  without  hands  or  feet  in  Germany.  He  lays 
claim  to  the  estate  of  the  late  George  Arnold,  Esq., 
in  this  parish,  lying  to  the  south  of  Wilson's  garden, 
and  extending  from  the  Fair  Field  Road  (now  Bath 
Street,)  to  Princess  Street,  so  now  called.  At  four 
o'clock  George  Powell  (having  been  conveyed  to  the 
Odd  Fellows'  Hall,  where  he  laid  in  state)  was  buried 
in  Gravesend  churchyard,  aged  sixty-four,  escorted 
thereto  by  the  society  of  which  he  was  a  member. 
And  no  person  enjoyed  himself  better  than  George, 
when  he  had  money  and  spirits !  He  once  imported 
West  India  produce,  as  sugar,  pepper,  &c.,  and  was 
a  member  of  that  useful  scientific  society,  formed  some 
years  since  by  the  writer  of  this  article,  and  the 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  121 

dissolution  of  which  evidently  hurt  the  happiness  of 
many  of  its  members. 

"Monday,  llth. — Delightfully  fine.  Buchinger 
went  home  to  Dartford.  Made  an  exchange  with 
Mr.  Pierce,  the  tailor,  for  his  book,  Chamberlayne's 
*  State  of  Great  Britain,'  for  a  blank  book  or  e  Seaman's 
Journal/  of  about  2s.  6d.  value.  Mr.  Pierce  has  a 
better  idea  or  knowledge  of  astronomy  than  any  man 
in  Gravesend,  in  fact  he  possesses  abilities  above  many. 

"  Tuesday,  1  2th. — Rather  foggy.  Mr.  Manning  of 
John  Street,  Adelphi,  called  and  said  his  son  would  give 
me  any  account  of  arras  in  heraldry,  &c.  Mr.  Bullock, 
jun.,  of  Egyptian  Hall,  Piccadilly,  called  on  his  way 
to  Lapland,  going  there  for  some  more  reindeer.  He 
gave  an  account  how  his  father,  with  Mr.  Allan  Burn, 
got  at  and  examined  the  shrine  of  St.  Mungo  in  Glasgow, 
and  took  a  model  of  St.  Mungo's  hand  in  wax.  The 
great  church  in  Glasgow  is  dedicated  to  St.  Mungo, 
where  he  appears  to  have  been  buried,  never  to  have 
been  disturbed,  as  an  immense  large  stone  is  placed 
over  his  grave,  and  on  which  were  built  the  pillars  to 
support  the  edifice ;  but  these  two  curious  gentlemen, 
when  about  giving  up  their  pursuit  by  reason  of  the 
pillars  and  huge  stone,  were  agreeably  apprised  by 
the  resurrection-men  they  had  employed,  that  an 
entrance  to  the  coffin  had  been  effected  by  entering 
into  an  adjoining  vault  and  breaking  through  into 
that  of  St.  Mungo  ! 

"  Wednesday,  \3th. — Fine  day.  Mr.  Manning,  jun. 
(the  herald),  called,  and  the  evening  was  spent  at  the 
New  Inn  with  Mr.  Keene,  late  a  clerk  at  Bow  Street, 
whose  son  had  married  into  Mr.  Manning's  family. 

"  Thursday,     14th. — Mr.    Manning     employed    in 


122  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

making  extracts  from  the  '  Keg.  Kofi?  of  the  Manning 
family. 

"  Friday,  1 5th. — Fine,  sunny.  Mr.  Bullock  sailed 
for  Lapland,  and  Mrs.  Manning  for  the  West  Indies. 

et  Sunday,  I7th. — Rather  dull.  Frances  Pocock 
walked  to  Ash  and  back,  nine  miles.  A  woman  and 
child  drowned  last  night  by  one  of  the  Gravesend 
boats  running  over  the  sculler,  said  to  be  Pullibank's 
boat  as  master. 

"Monday,  18th. — Sunny.  Eecollect  Mr.  Manning, 
jun.,  greatly  recommended  Hudson's  Bay  minions 
at  five  shillings  per  hundred,  as  the  best  for  writing, 
to  be  had  of  the  law  stationers.  Heard  that  young 
Ridley,  one  of  our  fishermen,  went  out  in  the  Hecla, 
bound  to  Baffin's  Bay  on  discoveries.  I  am  to  look 
out  for  this  ship  or  its  companion,  as  Mr.  Fisher,  the 
surgeon,  and  author  of  the  former  voyage,  promised 
me  gifts. 

"  Friday,  22nd. — Lady  Darnley  visits  the  charity 
children  of  Gravesend. 

"  Saturday,  23rd.— Fine  day.  Mrs.  W.  (late  Miss 
Mary  Gladdish  of  Chalk),  wife  of  Mr.  W.,  came 
through  the  town  in  grand  procession  in  a  hearse  and 
two  mourning  coaches,  &c.,  to  Chalk  Church  to  be 
buried  (where  her  father,  Mr.  Townsend  Gladdish  lies). 
This  was  the  most  decent  funeral  I  have  seen  some  time 
past,  or  recollect,  at  Gravesend ;  but  it  was  not  by  a 
Gravesend  undertaker.  The  Thames,  East  Indiaman, 
lately  wrecked  on  the  Sussex  coast,  arrived  in  the 
Reach  towed  by  two  steam  vessels. 

"  Monday,  25th. — National  School  children  treated 
with  dinner. 

"  Thursday,  28th. — Fine,  sunny.  Walked  to  North- 
fleet  to  John  Theobald's,  who  made  his  will  (by  Mr. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  123 

South  gate  the  attorney)  leaving  his  freehold  and 
leasehold  property  to  Mrs.  Goodewe.  The  witnesses 
to  the  will  were  Mr.  Southgate,  Mr.  R.  Pocock,  and 
Mr.  Southgate's  clerk.  At  this  house  was  a  man 
who  said  he  had  had  a  violent  bruise  from  a  shower 
of  stones  which  fell  from  the  sky  near  Northfleet 
Green ;  and  I  was  given  two,  but  on  looking  at  them, 
I  found  them  not  the  sort  of  stones  which,  fall  from 
the  sky,  which  are  called  meteoric  stones,  and  all  of 
which,  abound  with  much  iron.  Such,  wonderful  stones 
may  be  seen  at  Mr.  Sowerby's,  in  Mead's  Place,  South- 
wark,  and  in  other  museums.  I  think  this  man's  name 
was  Goodewe,  and  that  he  told  me  a  lie. 

"  Saturday,  March  2nd. — Fine  day.  Mr.  Millen  paid 
with  my  money  the  rent  to  Christmas. 

"  Sunday,  3rd. — Fine  day.  Tortoise-shell  butterfly 
seen,  and  I  hear  that  young  robins  fledged  were  flying 
about  Knockholt  on  February  14th. 

"  Monday,  4th. — Fine  day.  Employed  in  printing 
bills  for  sale  at  the  Globe  Auction  Room. 

"  Tuesday,  5th. — Fine  day.  Went  to  London  by 
coach  and  visited  Mrs.  Baxter,  called  at  the  Egyptian 
Hall,  and  slept  at  the  Black  Bear,  Piccadilly,  where  I 
met  with  Mr.  S.  from  Eton  Wick,  who  knew  well  a 
Mr.  Pocock  residing  thereabouts,  and  promised  to  lend 
me  books  about  paintings  in  the  vicinity  of  London. 

"  Wednesday,  Qth.— Wind  S.W.  Rainy  day.  Settled 
with  Mr.  Langdon  :  visited  Exeter  Change.  Drank 
with  Mr.  Giles  in  Clare  Market,  aud  heard  of  a  remark- 
able low  tide  this  day,  when  a  man  walked  across  the 
river.  Slept  at  the  Bull  Inn,  Holborn. 

"  Thursday,  7th. — Rainy,  wind  strong  west.  Left  a 
jaconot  and  two  other  birds  with  Mr.  Ryals,  but  to 
have  two  back  preserved.  Came  down  by  the  boat 


124  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

from  Billingsgate  at  eight  minutes  past  three,  and 
arrived  at  Gravesend  at  five  o'clock.  (Mem.  The 
quickest  passage  I  ever  had.)  Walked  to  Southfleet  to 
put  in  the  way  to  Sundridge,  Alexander  Hall,  the 
captain's  steward  of  the  Canning,  East  Indiaman 
(with  another  young  man  going  out  as  baker  to  Ben- 
coolen),  who  both  promise  me  curiosities,  &c.  In  this 
voyage  down  was  an  intelligent  person  of  the  name  of 
Avan,  who  appeared,  by  a  letter  he  produced  from 
Messrs.  Cowtanand  Co.,  Canterbury,  as  a  good  politician. 
I  found  him  an  agreeable  companion  and  a  staunch 
6  minority  man/  which  made  me  remark  he  was  a 
disciple  of  Lord  Sondes  and  Thanet,  to  which  he 
nodded  assent. 

"  Friday,  8th. — Heard  the  tide  on  Wednesday  last 
was  forty-one  feet  beyond  the  stone  causeway  or  bridge 
at  G-ravesend  !  Work  at  Tomlin's  job,  being  for  a  new 
coal  concern. 

"Monday,  lltk. — Work  at  Brewer's,  Newman's,  and 
jobs  of  printing. 

fi  Wednesday,  13th. — The  new  coal  company  began 
(Everist  and  Co )  by  having  a  vessel  in  canal  and 
selling  coals  36s.  per  chaldron. 

"Sunday,  17th. — Dull.  Heard  Roe,  the  ferryman, 
was  dead.  Drank  tea  at  Mr.  Grafter's,  where  my  friend 
Mr.  Pittard  and  his  acquaintance  were.  The  two 
latter  may  be  deemed  butterfly  merchants,  and  Mr.  C. 
a  pupil,  whilst  I  myself  am  somewhat  tainted  with  the 
disease,  for  want  of  better  employ.  Mr.  Pifctard  says  he 
has  hired  a  house  at  Eynsf  ord,  where  he  intends  residing. 

"  Tuesday,  19th. — The  41st  Regiment  passed  through. 
In  evening  at  eight  o'clock  a  fire  broke  out  in  Denton, 
and  burnt  a  straw  stack.  It  made  a  great  alarm,  as  it 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  125 

couldbe  seen  from  Highgate  to  Southern!.  Engines  came 
from  Rochester  and  the  three  towns,  and  a  man  got  hurt 
by  jumping  from  one,  which  passed  over  his  body. 

Wednesday,  20th. — Lent  Mr.  Rackstraw  a  volume  of 
old  magazines. 

"  Friday,   22nd. — Sale   at   Layton's   of    his    stock. 
Walked  with  Mr.  Walton  to  view  where  the  fire  had 
been  at  Denton.     Remarked  that  if  the  wind  had  been 
N.E.,   probably    the   barn  and  stacks,  and  even  the 
house,  would  have  been  in  danger,  or  all  consumed. 
Went  to  Wombwell  Hall  and  found  there  a  good  paint- 
ing of  the  ruins  of  Rome,  the  amphitheatre,  &c.,  pro- 
bably by  Panini,  and  another  painting  of  Venice  by  a 
capital  artist.     There  was  the  painting  of  a  shipwreck 
(apparently   modern),   and    in    the    garden  were  two 
low  shrubs  of  the  cornelian  cherry  in  bloom,  like  unto 
the  tree  growing  a  few  yards  to  the  westward  of  the 
Bathing-House,  which  bears  fruit  at  Christmas  of  along, 
oval  form  ;  but  it  is  very  scarce,  as  I  never  remember 
but  once  in  my  life  seeing  the  fruit  on  it.   The  gardener 
would   not   have    it   as  bearing  that   name,    but   the 
Virginia  dogwood,  showing  me  another   shrub,  not  in 
bloom,  as  a  cornelian  cherry  :  however,  I  would  not 
give  up  my  opinion.     I  am  told  there  is  a  large  tree  of 
this  sort  at  Mr.  TreadwelPs,  a  farmer  at  Hartley ;  the 
one  near  the  Bathing-House  appeared  indigenous.     In 
the  green-house  is  a  Barbadoes  cherry;  otherwise  it  con- 
tained onty  a  small  collection  of  plants.     In  the  even- 
ing a  gentleman  (foreign)  bought  a  chart  of  the  river, 
having  come  home  in  a  ship  from  Lima  (where  he  had 
resided  some  years),  and  brought  from  thence,  as  mer- 
chandize, a  great  quantity  of  gold  and  silver  in  bars, 
supposed  half  a  million  as  it  filled  several  of  our  short 


1 26  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

ferry-boats,  and  Mr.  Little's  great  boat  took  it  and  him 
to  Calais  in  France. 

"  Saturday,  23rd— Fine.  Walked  with  Mr.  Peen  to 
see  the  lizard  orchis  we  had  transplanted  towards 
White  Hill  and  found  it  only  with  one  small  weak  leaf, 
which  shows  it  will  not  blow  this  year,  although  we 
pub  it  there  so  long  ago.  On  my  return  I  found  a 
parcel  (to  my  great  surprise)  had  come  from  Miss 
Lousada  containing  many  scarce  plants.  I  had 
supposed  this  lady  was  dead,  having  heard  her  name 
was  in  the  newspaper,  and  had  grieved  much  about  the 
loss  of  such  an  agreeable  correspondent  ;  but  upon  my 
opening  her  letter  found  it  was  her  mother.  I  have 
been  married  twice  and  lost  relatives,  but  none  of  them 
affected  me  so  much  as  the  supposed  loss  of  this 
amiable  lady. 

<(  Heard  a  grampus  whale  (Delphinus  orca)  had  been 
found  dead  in  Northfleet  Hope,  and  taken  to  London 
by  Luke  Beet,  when  it  was  ordered  away  under  threat 
of  taking  him  into  custody  for  the  nuisance,  as  it  stunk 
intolerably. 

"  Sunday,  24?th. — Rain  in  morning.  The  afternoon 
occupied  with  Mr.  Peen  and  Grafter  in  looking  over 
the  plants  sent  me  yesterday,  and  talking  about  the 
grampus  which  had  floated  down  to  Denton  coal- 
wharf,  where  Mr.  C.  took  a  drawing  and  measured  it. 
Its  length  was  eleven  feet. 

"  Monday,  2bth. — Mr.  Nayler  of  Rochester  called. 
Says  he  has  some  very  ancient  deeds,  and  will  give  me 
copies.  He  has  a  small  collection  of  coins,  &c. 

"  Tuesday,  26th. — Received  byposta  letter  from  Chas. 
Pocock,  dated  Madras,  October,  1821,  saying  he  had 
been  well  shaved  when  crossing  the  line,  and  that  it 
was  a  fine  day's  sport.  This  ceremony  is  greatly  enjoyed 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  127 

by  all  seafaring  men.  Mr.  Crouch,  a  conchologist,  called, 
and  saw  me  the  first  time,  and  bought  a  few  specimens. 
Mr.  Grundy,  sen.,  died. 

"  Thursday,  28th. — Frances  goes  money-hunting  for 
me  to  Dartford. 

"  Tuesday,  April  2nd. — Wind  north.  The  winds 
since  Saturday  have  cut  the  vegetation  and  parched 
the  leaves  as  if  burnt.  This  is  the  first  check  we  have 
experienced  all  the  winter.  Mr.  Grundy  buried.  Lent 
Mrs.  Pitt  one  volume  of  White's  '  History  of  Selborne.' 

"  Wednesday,  3rd. — Mr.  Barlow  called  and  says 
that  Mr.  Vigors  and  Mr.  Eversfield  are  to  be  the  joint 
collectors  of  land  tax  for  Gravesend,  as  he  declines. 
Yesterday  Mr.  Hubble  and  Mr.  Gladdish,  the  two 
new  overseers,  called,  and  ordered  some  parish  printed 
receipts  to  be  done  with  their  names.  Buried  this  day 
Mrs.  Etherington — Robert  Oakes's  cnild,  &c. 

"  Thursday,  4,th. — In  the  night  some  thieves  broke 
open  the  house  of  Mr.  Bothers,  the  grocer — getting 
in  the  back  way,  making  use  of  a  centre-bit  to 
bore  holes  in  the  pannel  of  the  door — and  stole  bank- 
notes, checks,  gold  and  silver,  &c.  I  went  to  Dartford. 
Waited  on  Mr.  Fooks,  the  solicitor  [grandfather  of 
Edward  J.  Fooks,  Esq.,  solicitor,  Hillside,  Gravesend] ; 
and  on  my  return  met  with  Robert  Okill,  who  paid  me 
five  shillings  for  a  printing  job.  He  had  just  returned 
from  Maidstone,  where  five  men  had  been  executed,  viz., 
four  smugglers  for  wounding-  officers  at  Margate,  and 
one  man  for  robbing  Dr.  Pigot  at  Mereworth. 

"  Good  Friday,  5th. — Sent  two  notes  (one  pound 
each)  to  Mr.  Simmonds. 

"  Saturday,  6th. — Lent  Mr.  Peen  second  volume  of 
White's  '  History  of  Selborne/ 

"  Easter  Sunday,   7th. — Some  thieves  taken  up  for 


128  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

robbing  Mr.  Styles,  and  on  suspicion  of  robbing  Mr. 
Sothers.  Two  years  ago  this  day  I  went  to  North- 
fleet  Church,  and  heard  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whittaker  preach 
his  first  sermon. 

"  Monday,  8th. — Some  suspicious  men  taken  up  with 
a  cart,  having  in  it  saddles  and  bridles,  &c.  In  the  after- 
noon Mr.  Turner  and  Mr.  Kemp,  I  believe  is  his  name, 
and  brother-in-law  called,  and  bought  some  spiders, 
haliotes,  &c.  Frances  gets  a  new  situation  and  goes. 

f<  Monday  ,15th. — Mr.  Peen  walked  to  Boxley  in  search 
of  plants,  and  found  growing  in  Boxley  Street  the 
golden  saxifrage,  a  scarce  plant,  noticed  by  Mr.  Jacobs 
as  only  growing  in  Judd's  Wood,  near  Ospringe :  it  is 
the  Chrysoplenium  oppositifolium  of  Withering,  and  has 
bristles  on  the  leaves,  which  circumstance  authors  have 
omitted,  and  by  its  taste  and  brittleness  appears  good 
as  a  salad.  Evening,  rain. 

"  Tuesday,  1.6th . — Received  a  letter  from  Cambridge 
to  send  Mr.  Lakes,  a  student  at  Clare  Hall,  four  or 
five  butter  flies  by  name,  they  being  not  about  Cambridge, 
and  to  make  him  up  a  dozen  of  scarce  sorts,  as  he  is 
making  a  calendar  of  the  lepidoptera,  and  wishes  for 
Papilio  comma,  Papilio  polychloros,  Phalena  hexa- 
dactyla,  Phalena  caja  (great  tiger  moth),  Phalena 
fagi,  &c.  Two  young  men  taken  up  on  suspicion  of 
being  thieves,  and  discharged. 

"  Wednesday,  1 7th. — A  young  man  named  Marchant, 
about  twenty-four  or  twenty- five,  going  out  in  the 
Defiance,  Captain  Barker,  promises  to  collect. 

"  Tuesday,  23rd — Officers  demanded  lamp  and  pave- 
ment tax  due.  71st  Regiment,  with  a  very  fine  band  of 
music  pass  through  for  Liverpool.  Old  Mrs.  Beale  buried. 

"  Wednesday,  24th.— The  3rd  Regiment  of  Guards 
marched  up  the  road,  and  in  the  afternoon  the  Regi- 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  129 

menb  of   Buffs  marched  into  the   town,  going   down. 
Saw  the  first  swallow  flying  against  the  wind. 

"  Thursday,  5th. — The  Regiment  of  Buffs  marched 
out  to  Chatham.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paul  and  their  son, 
Mr.  Paul,  a  youth  about  twenty,  with  Mr.  Bradley,  all 
passengers  going  out  to  settle  in  Van  Diemen's  Land, 
called,  and  promised  to  send  me  home  shells  and  curi- 
osities. The  ship  William  Shand,  in  which  they  go  out, 
is  now  here  with  eighteen  passengers.  I  gave  them 
directions  to  several  gentlemen  in  the  colony  who 
have  before  promised  me  and  not  kept  their  words,  or 
have  forsaken  me. 

"  Saturday,  7th. — Mrs.  Paul  and  son  came  to  take 
their  leave. 

t(  Sunday,  8th. — Mr.  Paul,  jun.,  comes  on  shore, 
having  given  them  a  cat  and  my  '  Everlasting  Song- 
Book'  to  remember  me,  and  the  ship  William  Shand 
sailed  in  the  afternoon. 

(i  Monday,  9th. — Yesterday  a  sailor  called  and  said 
he  left  my  son  Charles  well  in  the  East  Indies,  that  he 
had  given  satisfaction  to  the  ship's  officers,  and  that  he 
had  bought  a  monkey,  and  would  be  home  in  a  month. 

"  Tuesday,  30^.— Mr.  Dadd  of  Chatham  called  and 
bought  some  minerals,  &c.,  and  said  he  sold  his  bar- 
nacle goose  flint  for  2s.  6d.  (worth  a  guinea)  to  Mr.  Bright, 
a  Member  of  Parliament ;  which  was  very  wrong,  as  it 
was  a  great  if  not  an  unique  specimen  and  rarity  !  In 
the  afternoon  Mr.  Francis  of  the  post-office,  Rochester, 
called,  and  wanted  to  be  instructed  in  the  printing 
branch,  having  a  thought  of  commencing  that  trade. 

"  Wednesday,  May  1st. — Boughs  of  the  white-thum 
in  leaf  put  up  at  a  few  houses,  but  not  in  bloom  yet.  I 
have  seen  it  (a  flower  bloom)  brought  by  Mr.  Peen, 
who,  I  believe,  has  forwarded  its  bloom.  Colonel 

K 


130  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

Landrnan,  of  the  Engineers,  called  to  see  me  with 
seemingly  much  freedom,  at  which  I  was  rather  sur- 
prised, he  not  having  ever  been  my  acquaintance.  He 
inquired  after  my  son  George,  who  had  been  some 
time  in  his  office ;  but  not  having  been  paid  by  Govern- 
ment, viz.,  the  Ordnance,  he  left  it,  and  is  now  settled  at 
the  Clarendon  Press  in  Oxford,  where  Colonel  Land- 
man  said  he  had  been,  but  did  not  see  my  son  because 
he  was  ignorant  of  his  being  there.  Colonel  Landman 
seems  now  to  be  fond  of  natural  history,  and  wanted 
a  spined  echinus,  &c. 

"  Thursday,  2nd. — Saw  the  second  white  butterfly. 
In  the  afternoon  Mr.  Peen  returned  from  a  journey  to 
Wormshill  and  Throwleigh,  &c.,  having  found  a  species 
of  stonecrop  (Sedum  reflexum)  growing  on  the 
churches  of  Bobbing  and  Bredgar.  He  had  before 
observed  the  same  on  the  wall  of  Trottescliffe  Court. 

"Friday,  3rd. — Walked  down  the  sea  wall  to  Shorne 
Battery,  and  found  mousetail  in  bloom,  but  could  not 
find  my  spider  orchis  (Ophrys  araniflora)  on  the  hillocks, 
which  I  had  planted  a  year  or  two  before.  In  my  walk 
only  saw  five  gulls,  two  or  three  pairs  of  tit-larks,  two 
pairs  of  pewits,  and  two  or  three  reed  sparrows,  with 
as  many  wagtails.  I  think  the  easterly  cold  wind  pre- 
vents many  birds  appearing. 

"  Saturday,  4sth. — Went  on  board  the  Onyx  ship, 
just  returned  from  the  River  Bellise,  Bay  of  Honduras, 
after  a  passage  of  thirteen  weeks.  Heard  the  church 
there,  which  cost  15,OOOL,  was  finished  except  the 
spire,  and  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Armstrong  was  the 
minister.  Saw  on  board  a  beautiful  tortoise,  black  and 
yellow.  I  think  it  was  the  terrestris,  although  the  people 
said  it  was  caught,  as  they  supposed,  in  the  river.  I 
bought  a  few  shells,  viz.,  six  false  argus  shells,  which 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  131 

the  natives  called  mangoo ;  a  pair  of  pink  conchs ;  a 
pair  of  bull's  mouth  conchs,  called  by  some  the  king 
conch :  a  shell  harp  volute ;  and  some  small  shells, 
among  which  were  a  cowrie  with  a  raised  ridge  in 
the  middle,  but  more  likely  a  bulla,  a  cowrie  with 
three  brown  bars  across  it  (cyprea),  an  orange 
murex  with  black  lines  across  it  and  white  within, 
a  few  olives,  and  other  small  washed  shells. 

"  Sunday,  5th. — Received  letters  from  my  son,  Shad- 
rach,  at  Wellington.  Heard  yesterday  that  the  Duke 
of  Bedford  and  Duke  of  Buckingham  had  had  a  duel, 
and  that  the  Duke  of  Bedford  had  behaved  with  much 
humanity  in  not  firing  at,  nor  trying  to  kill,  the  Duke 
of  Buckingham.  All  duels  are  a  species  of  murder  or 
manslaughter,  which  nearly  amounts  to  the  same.  My 
friend  Grafter  called  and  showed  me  copies  of  letters  he 
intended  to  send  to  Lord  Darnley  and  Colonel  Christie 
at  Chatham  to  endeavour  to  get  him  re-established  as 
clerk  of  the  works  or  some  other  appointment. 

"Mondenfffttk. — The  king's  yacht  to  wed  down  the  river 
by  a  steam-boat  to  the  Downs  for  Prince  of  Denmark. 
About  eight  this  morning  saw  and  heard  the  first 
1  swift.'  Birds  I  think  all  come  in  storms  or  bad  weather, 
which  prevents  persons  seeing  them;  for  we  know 
little  about  the  migration  of  birds  or  their  habits.  Air. 
Dadd  of  Chatham  called  and  bought  a  piece  of  Shrop- 
shire limestone. 

"  Tuesday,  7th.— Had  part  of  a  'cat-fish'  fried,  which 
is  very  fine  eating. 

"  Wednesday,  8th. — Mr.  Pottinger,  a  gentleman  at 
lodgings  at  Mrs.  King's  at  the  Hill,  called  to  have  a 
gossip.  He  is  a  Radical  in  politics.  He  has  visited 
France  and  Switzerland,  Jersey,  Cornwall,  &c.,  but 
never  made  any  remarks,  and  owns  he  is  very  ignorant. 


132  ROBER T  POCOCK. 

"  Thursday,  9th. — A  young  man  of  the  name  of 
Alfred  Gardiner  (bought  song-book),  going  out  in  the 
Mediterranean,  Captain  Ross,  for  the  South  Seas, 
promises  to  collect  curiosities.  He  says  they  eat  and 
make  puddings  of  the  terrapin's  eggs,  which  are  quite 
round.  His  father  is  captain  of  a  South  Sea  ship, 
now  out  and  expected  back  soon.  In  the  evening  Mr. 
Blanchard  called,  who  was  with  me  when  we  went  to 
Cobham  Hall  on  an  inclement  day  of  snow,  cold,  and 
wind :  the  day  when  many  great  personages  were 
visiting  there,  and  one  got  wounded — I  think  he  was 
the  Archbishop  of  York's  son  :  and  I  think  Lord 
Wellington  was  there.  Mr.  Blanchard  was  the 
managing  owner  and  met  with  loss  by  the  Thames, 
East  Indiaman,  getting  on  shore  in  Sussex.  Heard  Mr. 
Heathorn,  the  brewer,  was  dead. 

"Friday,  10th. — Mr.  Pottinger  called  and  left  me 
Cobbett's  '  Register '  to  read,  which  I  skimmed  over. 
It  did  not  suit  my  taste,  being  deficient  seemingly  in 
the  subject  and  editorship.  A  fishing-boy  brought  me 
eight  shrimps  with  fourteen  leg's,  having  the  appear- 
auce  of  longish  shrimps,  probably  the  Cancer  linearis 
of  Linnseus,  but  Berkenhout  says  it  has  only  twelve 
legs.  Its  antennae  were  as  long  as  its  body.  It  may  be 
a  new  species. 

"  Saturday,  llth. — Fine  day.  A  woman  applied  to 
me  for  a  pair  of  patella  shells  to  cover  the  nipples  of 
her  breast,  which  she  said  were  of  infinite  use  in  sore 
breasts.  It  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  heard  of  this 
remedy,  and  I  sold  her  a  pair  in  exchange  for  a  pair  of 
spotted  cowries. 

"  Monday,  13/7*. — Dull.  Sent  off  a  letter  1  had  wrote 
to  Mr.  Walcot,  sen.,  Clifton,  near  Bristol,  to  collect  some 


.   ROBERT  POCOCK.  133 

plants  for  me  about  the  rocks ;  and  sent  also  a  letter  to 
my  son  in  Shropshire  for  the  same. 

"  Thursday,  1  6th. — Bright.  The  king's  yacht  came 
up  the  river  again.  Mr.  Feen  set  off  down  into  Kent. 
The  stationer  called,  and  took  twelve  dozen  of  '  Jobina  ' 
and  two  dozen  of  '  Youths'  Amusements 3  on  account. 
Heard  the  Queen  of  Denmark  passed  through  yester- 
day in  a  coach  with  six  horses,  but  it  made  no  noise. 

"Friday,  I  7th. — Printed  some  bills  that  Mr.  Notley 
of  Stone  Cottage  had  lost  '  a  small  gold  watch,  chain, 
and  seal/  with  reward  of  five  pounds. 

"  Sunday,  19th. — Walked  with  Mr.  Jones  to  Thong 
and  Shorn  Ifield,  and  caught  the  argiolus,  a  beautiful 
blue  butterfly  with  black  tips  and  margin,  certainly 
scarce,  never  having  met  with  one  before.  Got  also 
the  grizzle  or  brown  fritillary,  which  is  not  plentiful. 
Found  a  neat  small  nest,  in  a  holly-bush,  built  of  moss 
and  lined  with  feathers,  with  one  very  small  egg,  likely 
a  torn-tit's  nest ;  it  was  about  six  feet  above  ground. 

"Tuesday,  2lst. — A  regiment  of  soldiers  (white 
jackets)  came  into  the  town  from  Essex  on  their  route 
to  Chatham.  Mary  Ann  Pocock  came  from  Shropshire, 
having  been  deserted  by  an  old  unfaithful  clergyman 
of  the  name  of  B — ,  who  having  solemnly  promised 
marriage,  and  named  the  day  and  prepared  all  things 
requisite,  went  and  married  another  who  had  formerly 
been  his  maid  i 

(t  Wednesday,  22nd — Warm.  Mr.  Peen  called,  having 
come  back  last  night  from  his  journey  through  Kent, 
in  which  he  collected  some  scarce  plants,  viz.,  the  stink 
weed  of  Thanet  Isle,  found  on  dry  ground  a  few  miles 
inland  from  Deal  or  St.  Margaret's.  It  appears  not  yet 
particularized  and  may  be  a  new  species,  as  botanists 


134  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

differ  about  it.  It  belongs  to  the  class  Tetradynamia, 
order  Siliquora,  the  genera  Sisymbrium  or  Erysimum. 
However,  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  Peen,  who  may  be 
relied  on,  all  the  leaves  are  alike,  the  segments  of  the 
leaf  being  wing-cleft  :  its  smell  is  very  disagreeable. 

"  Thursday,  23rd. — Windy  clouds,  wind  easterly. 
Wrote  to  Mr.  Gray  to  name  a  moss  found  in  the  River 
Stour,  near  Chilham. 

"  Friday,  24th. — Wrote  to  Mrs.  Amhurst,  a  widow 
lady  at  Ore,  near  Faversham,  for  leave  to  visit  her 
garden,  which  contains  a  great  variety  of  flowers. 

"Sunday,  26th.— Went  with  Mary  Pocock  to 
Rochester  Cathedral  to  divine  service,  in  hopes  of  hear- 
ing Rev.  Mr.  Stevens  the  new  Dean;  instead  of  whom 
an  affected  clergyman  preached  who  lost  his  words  and 
voice  at  the  end  of  each  sentence,  so  that  we  left,  neither 
made  better  nor  instructed.  Mary  was  not  pleased 
with  the  mode  of  chanting.  On  coming  out  met  with  my 
acquaintance,  Mr.  Spencer,  by  appointment,  having 
given  him  a  friendly  challenge  to  meet  me  there. 
Went  to  my  cousin  Reuben  Fletcher's,  at  Rochester, 
to  dinner,  and  better  pleased  with  his  roast  beef  and 
plum  pudding  than  with  the  sermon  or  preacher.  Drank 
tea  and  spent  the  evening  with  Mr.  Spencer's  family. 

"Monday,  27th. — Went  from  Chatham  by  coach  to 
( Upper  Blue  Bell/  and  had  from  the  top  of  the  house 
an  extensive  view,  as  we  saw  the  road  (plainly)  going  up 
Shooter's  Hill  (about  twenty-four  miles  distant),  and 
Lord  Petrels  house,  near  Brentwood,  Essex  (thirty  miles 
off),  the  towns  of  Southend  and  Leigh  in  Essex  (about 
twenty-five  miles),  the  town  of  Sheerness  with  Minster 
in  Sheppy,  the  Nore  and  ships  sailing  down  the  Swin  ; 
to  the  south  Cox's  Heath;  and  south-west  a  fine  prospect 
of  a  campaign  valley^  with  the  hills  of  Surrey.  Yet  this 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  135 

delightful  prospect  did  not  equal,  Mary  said,  the  view  of 
Wrekin  Hill  in  Shropshire^  where  an  extent  of  seventy 
miles  round  may  be  seen  distinctly.  Then  walked  to 
Maidstone  (four  miles)  and  saw  several  benefit  societies 
parade  the  town  with  bands  of  music,  having  gone  to 
church  as  an  annual  treat  and  paid  the  parson  for 
preaching.  Afterwards  walked  through  several  hop- 
gardens to  Banning,  and  drank  tea  with  the  Rev. 
Mark  Noble,  whose  wife  and  daughters  I  found  good 
botanists,  and  their  garden  I  reckoned  the  second  for 
variety  of  plants  in  Kent  (Mr  Russel's  of  Swanscombe 
being  the  first).  The  old  clergyman  was  happy  to  see 
us  (although  the  first  interview),  and  I  was  surprised  at 
the  clearness  of  his  manuscripts,  for  he  told  me  he  never 
made  a  drop  or  wrote  from  a  copy.  His  collection 
of  books  was  nicely  arranged,  and  his  manuscripts 
numerous.  Here  we  met  with  Mr.  Cresswell,  a  gentle- 
man going  to  the  bar,  who  related  an  anecdote  or  two 
not  much  to  the  credit  of  the  law ;  viz.,  that  a  lawyer 
ran  a  poor  man  to  seventy  pounds  and  upwards  in 
expenses  in  prosecuting  him  for  five  pounds  only. 
Hard  enough  !  and  in  our  walk  by  the  tow-path  (side 
of  the  River  Medway)  found  a  scarce  Scirpus  sylvaticus, 
not  having  met  with  it  before.  Maidstone  Palace, 
Church,  College,  and  Bridge,  as  we  approached,  made 
a  fine  picture,  and  must  give  great  pleasure  to  any  anti- 
quary who  may  visit  them.  Here  also  we  found  boys 
fishing,  who  had  caught  some  bleak,  dace,  &c.,  and  were 
told  that  there  were  pikes,  eels,  and  some  others.  Called 
upon  my  cousin  Champion,  who  is  a  greasy  relation,  as 
he  sells  hams  and  keeps  a  cook-shop.  Slept  at  the 
Swan  Inn. 

"  Tuesday,  28th. — Breakfasted  with  Champion,  who 
was  vain  enough  to  read  to  us  some  of  his  poetry  about 


136  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

Allington  Castle,  on  which  old  fabric  his  head  seems  to 
have  run  wild.  Took  our  leave  and  walked  by  Alling- 
ton Castle  to  Mr.  Milner's,  where  we  saw  the  largest 
barn  in  England,  fifty-five  paces  long  and  about  sixty 
feet  high,  having  a  date  at  the  end,  over  a  window,  of 
1102,  and  the  initials  T.  C.,  which  are  those  of  Thomas 
Colepepper,  and  his  arms  quartered  with  a  chevron. 
A  similar  date  is  on  a  building  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  road,  but  those  buildings  do  not  agree  with  the 
date,  as  the  figures  made  use  of  there  are  said  to  be 
much  more  modern.  An  old  woman  who  had  lived 
above  forty  years  in  the  parish  had  never'  heard  of 
these  curious  buildings.  Passed  over  Aylesford 
Bridge,  on  which  grows  wall  rue  (Ruta  muraria). 
Visited  the  churchyard,  where  there  is  an  old  yew- 
tree.  Visited  the  Friars,  once  the  seat  of  the  Carmelites. 
Here  we  met  with  a  very  civil  (wished  to  be  polite), 
ignorant  young  man  as  gardener;  treated  him,  and 
walked  to  Boxley  Hill,  and  then  rode  to  Chatham  in  a 
caravan  which  goes  weekly  to  Rotherfield  in  Sussex. 
Proceeded  to  Strood  to  the  turnpike,  where  at  the 
Angel  Inn  we  could  get  no  refreshment  because  the 
landlord  would  not  change  a  Wellington  note,  and 
so  obliged  to  walk  to  Gravesend,  very  much  fatigued, 
and  to  our  mortification  obliged  to  sleep  at  the  Nelson 
Inn,  having  been  shut  out  either  by  accident  or  design, 
not  having  ever  been  treated  so  before  as  I  always 
have  the  key  in  my  pocket. 

"  Wednesday,  29th. — Fine.  Eeceived  a  fine  present 
from  Edinburgh  of  dried  Alpine  plants,  and  engaged 
all  day  with  Mr.  Peen  in  putting  them  away.  Mrs. 
Jones  brought  to  bed  yesterday  of  a  boy,  being  my  first 
grandchild. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  137 

"  Thursday,  30th. — Engaged  again  with,  my  plants. 
Walked  in  the  evening  to  find  my  '  lady's  slipper '  I 
had  put  out  in  the  marsh ;  but  could  not  find  it.  It 
must  have  been  taken,  as  I  certainly  did  keep  the  place 
of  planting  sufficiently  secret. 

"  Friday,  31  st. — Engaged  in  printing  bills  about 
indecent  bathing,  by  order  of  the  mayor.  Supped  with 
Mr.  Blanchard  (brother  to  the  East  India  captain),  at 
the  Falcon  Inn,  on  veal,  green  peas,  &c. 

"  Saturday,  June  1st. — Mr.  Blanchard,  myself,  and 
daughter  Mary  went  to  Cobham  College  and  Church, 
where  Mr.  Blanchard  read  with  much  facility  the 
ancient  French  and  Latin  monumental  inscriptions  in 
the  church  to  the  memory  of  the  Cobham  families,  &c. 
Spoke  to  Mr.  Pemble  about  the  ancient  helmets  in  the 
chance]  (as  the  chancel  is  belonging  to  him).  Mr.  B. 
wished  to  make  an  equivalent  to  the  poor  of  the  parish 
for  the  same;  but  Mr.  Pemble  did  not  grant  the  request. 
Went  to  visit  Cobham  Hall,  where  we  were  refused, 
because  Lord  Darnley's  daughter  Mary  was  going  to  be 
married  that  day  in  the  hall  by  special  licence  to  her 
relation  (I  believe,  cousin),  Mr.  Brownlow,  and  the 
house  was  full  of  company.  Visited  Chalk  Church  to 
see  the  two  figures  on  the  porch,  likely  enough  made  to 
perpetuate  an  obit  or  drink  ale  day.  The  Hudson's  Bay 
ships  fire  their  guns  :  an  annual  custom  at  Gravesend, 
where  their  officers  and  owners  dine,  and  have  green 
peas  for  dinner,  which  this  year  have  come  most  early. 

"  Sunday,  2nd. — Walked  with  Mary  Pocock  to  drink 
tea  with  old  Mr.  Fletcher  of  Claphall.  In  the  morning 
we  rambled  through  the  chalk  cliffs  of  Northfleet,  and 
found  in  bloom  Orchis  latifolia,  &c. 

"  Tuesday,  4th. — Went  to  West  Wood  in  search  of 


138  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

plants.  Found  there  a  bee  orchis,  but  not  in  bloom. 
Anthropophora  in  bloom — nearly  out. 

"  Wednesday,  6th. — Got  orchises  from  Northfleet 
Cliffs  for  Mr.  Neil  of  Edinburgh. 

"  Friday,  7th. — Put  orchis  roots  on  board  the  Forth, 
Captain  Stuart,  for  Leith,  this  morning  about  five 
o'clock,  for  Mr.  P.  Neil,  Secretary  to  the  Wernerian 
Society.  My  daughter  Mary  returned  to  Woolwich. 
Went  over  to  Dartford  to  Mr.  Brewer. 

"  Saturday,  8th. — Mr.  Peen  said  he  went  yesterday  to 
Wanstead  in  Essex,  to  see  the  house  and  gardens,  and 
near  4000  persons  there  to  see  this  fine  place,  now  put 
up  for  sale,  by  thirty  days'  sale.  The  catalogues  were 
sold  at  five  shillings  each,  which  admitted  three  persons 
to  view  the  first  ten  days'  sale,  and  again  the  same  for 
the  second  and  third  divisions.  [Wellesley  Pole.] 

"Tuesday,  \\th. — Busy  all  day  in  '  setting '  Mr. 
Tolhurst's  bill  for  leaving  the  Prince  Regent. 
Heard  at  night,  at  eleven  o'clock,  the  death  watch  for 
the  first  time  this  year.  A  county  meeting  held  this 
day  at  Maidstone  for  a  Parliamentary  Reform. 

"Friday,  I&h. — Heard  Samuel  Johnson,  an  old 
shoemaker,  was  dead.  Went  to  Gravesend  Church 
and  stood  godfather  to  my  daughter  Elizabeth's  (Mrs. 
Jones')  child,  by  naming  it  Shadrach  Edward  Robert. 
The  curate's  name  I  understood  was  Owen,  but  I  had 
never  seen  him  before.  The  child's  name  was  to  please 
all  parties  :  first  Shadrach,  because  my  grandfather 
Pocock's  name  was  such,  and  also  my  eldest  son,  now 
settled  at  Coal  Pit  Bank,  Ketley,  Salop.  The  second 
name  was  to  please  the  family  of  Jones,  and  the  third 
name  is  my  own.  Bought  some  skeletons  and  medical 
book  and  plants. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  139 

(f  Saturday,] 5th. — Busy  in  ' composing'  bills  for  sale 
of  estates,  &c.,  at  Wigzell  Row,  St.  Mary  Cray. 

"  Sunday,  16th. — Frances  visited  me  from  Kings- 
down,  and  told  me  the  storm  at  Kingsdown  on  Monday 
last  was  there  at  three  o'clock,  but  no  four  distinct 
loud  claps.  Cobbett  mentions  this  storm  in  his  Weekly 
Register j  describing  his  tour  to  Maidstone  to  attend  the 
county  meeting,  when  they  petitioned  for  a  reform  in 
Parliament,  &c.,  on  Tuesday  last. 

"  Tuesday,  I8th. — Frances  returned  to  Kingsdown, 
and  took  a  French  book  on  paintings  to  translate  for  me. 
Printed  200  cards  for  Mr.  Chipperfield,  who  removed 
to  No.  1 7,  G-ee  Street,  Clarendon  Square,  Somers  Town, 
saying  Graveseiid  market  had  ruined  the  town;  meaning 
nobody  but  strangers  were  encouraged. 

"  Wednesday,  19th. — Mr.  Mac  Murdie,  from  Epping, 
called,  and  I  gave  him  five  shillings. 

"Thursday,  20th.— Prof.  Henslow,  from  St.  John's 
College,  Cambridge,  called  on  me,  and  bought  a  piece 
of  crystallized  slag  from  Salop.  He  said  he  caught  nearly 
fifty  swallow-tail  butterflies  in  a  meadow  near  Cam- 
bridge one  day  (P.  Machaon).  We  have  none  in  Kent ! 
Mr.  H.  certainly  is  a  pleasant  young  man  and  worthy 
his  professorship. 

"  Saturday,  22nd. — Professor  Henslow  called,  and  I 
gave  him  a  list  of  British  plants  wanted  to  complete 
my  '  Hortus  Siccus/  and  he  promised  to  send  some 
scarce  ones  growing  about  Cambridge. 

"  Monday,  24th. — Busy  all  day  in  printing  particulars 
of  seven  houses  in  Wigzell  Row,  St.  Mary  Cray,  to  be 
sold  by  auction. 

"  Tuesday,  26th. — Harmonic  Society  take  their  usual 
annual  excursion  to  Ifield,  attended  by  a  band  of  music. 


140  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

I  walked  to  Twelve  Step  Stile,  and  found  the  pyramid 
orchis  in  full  perfection  in  bloom,  and  the  lizard 
(which  I  had  transplanted  from  near  Wilmington)  in 
the  height  of  bloom,  having  had,  this  first  year  of  its 
bloom,  above  fifty  flowers  on  its  stem  !  In  my  shorb 
route  I  caught  the  swallow-tail  moth  (Sambucaria) , 
the  marble  (Galatea)  butterfly  (first  seen  this  year),  the 
brown-eyed  (Hyperanthus)  butterfly,  the  Barnet  moth, 
&c.  The  large  stag  beetle  flying  in  the  evening. 

"  Thursday,  27th. — Heard  the  Ablerton,  Indiaman, 
had  arrived  (wherein  was  my  son  Charles)  in  the 
River  Thames.  Mr.  Curd,  the  bricklayer,  buried  in  a 
very  deep  vault,  dug  on  purpose  in  Gravesend  church- 
yard ;  and  it  is  said  the  rector,  Dr.  Watson,  claimed  ten 
pounds  for  breaking  the  ground  without  his  leave.  A 
vestry  held  to  know  if  Mr.  Owen  could  be  the  lecturer, 
he  having  been  appointed  as  curate  by  the  rector. 

"  Friday,  28th. — Mr.  Gardner  from  Chatham  takes 
the  Nelson  Inn. 

"  Monday,  July  1st. — The  Free  Masons  of  the  county 
walk  to  church  (dinners  each  14s.)  for  the  benefit  of 
the  White  Hart,  The  band  of  the  Welsh  Fusileers 
played  (not  very  well).  At  night  at  ten,  saw  rather  to 
the  south  of  Purfleet  a  fire  from  Mr.  Hazard's  end  of 
the  town. 

"  Tuesday,  2nd. — The  Sunday-school  charity  chil- 
dren have  an  afternoon's  recreation  in  a  field  near 
the  hill. 

"  Wednesday,  3rd. — Received  letter  from  my  friend 
Mr.  Blanchard,  saying  he  had  given  directions  to  the 
commanding  officer  of  the  Thames  to  employ  Mr. 
Jones,  my  son-in-law. 

"  Thursday,  4th. — Walked  yesterday  to  Randall  Wood 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  141 

in  search  of  insects;  but  most  surprisingly  found  none 
among  the  brakes  (Pteris  aquilina)  nor  saw  any 
moths  but  what  were  small ;  and  in  the  course  of  the 
afternoon  I  took  only  three  or  four  butterflies  (Papilio 
comma),  which  are  scarce,  and  only  one  of  the 
marble  (P.  Galatea),  which  I  found  in  the  grass  field 
adjoining  the  lodge  at  Thong,  where  I  had  met  with 
them  before  on  the  2nd  day  of  August, — generally  on 
that  day  plentifully  there.  Counted  whilst  at  Thong 
above  750  rooks  going  towards  the  rookery  in  the  park 
to  roost  at  sun-down,  likely  distributed  in  the  day  in  the 
marshes.  During  my  walk  yesterday  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Eashleigh  called,  and  took  away  the  '  Reg.  Roffense ' 
he  lent  me.  Lord  Darnley  to-day  gave  a  silver  cup 
among  his  troop  for  the  best  horse-racer,  and  many 
persons  went  to  see  the  performance.  Mr.  Lloyd,  a 
lecturer  on  astronomy,  gave  out  a  prospectus  that  if 
he  could  procure  fifty  at  9s.  each  for  three  lectures  he 
would  begin.  I  am  told  he  is  not  equal  to  Mr.  Walker. 

"  Friday,  5th. — Sent  Mr.  Pearse  to  the  hall  to 
answer  to  Mr.  Toovey's  debt  of  21.  3s.  5d.  Having  paid 
him  before  II.  and  a  5s.  It  must  be  paid  before  this 
day  month  !  Heard  the  Abberton,  East  Indiaman, 
was  in  Bengal  in  February  last,  wherein  Charles 
Pocock  went.  Mr.  Baker  of  Chalk  began  harvest  by 
cutting  a  field  of  oats  ! — the  earliest  known. 

"  Saturday,  6th. — Mr.  Crafter  tells  me  he  is  re- 
established as  clerk  of  the  works,  and  also  has  his 
father's  place,  who  is  pensioned  off. 

"Sunday,  1th. — Dick  Simmons,  my  boy,  did  not 
come  this  day.  Three  gentlemen  called  and  bought 
some  books  for  12s.  One  was  a  fossilist,  and  the 
name  of  another  was  Fitzroy.  Said  they  were  going  to 


142  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

Cornwall ;  and  the  fossilist  said  he  would  call  again. 
This  day  I  wrote  a  copy  from  a  slate  of  a  letter  I  sent 
to  Mr.  P.  Neil  of  Edinburgh,  when  I  sent  him  the 
plants  last  month ;  and  this  copy,  with  his  letter,  I  have 
put  by  with  Mr.  Scott's  letter  from  Edinburgh  (now 
dead).  The  carpenter  and  armourer  of  the  Thames,  East 
Indiaman,  bound  out  with  my  son-in-law  Jones.  They 
said  they  would  bring  some  shells  and  curiosities 
from  the  East  Indies  for  me. 

"  Monday,  8th. — Fine  and  warm.  Dick  Simmons  re- 
turned. J.  Tolhurst  paid,  having  been  abused  by  Mr. 
Brenchley,  jun.,  at  Milton  Church  whilst  I  was  present. 
Mr.  Bowdler  returned  from  Eamsgate  (having  called 
on  Mr.  Cooseus  of  Margate,  who  has  promised  me 
some  plants  procured  by  a  friend  of  his).  Mr 
Bowdler  brought  me  some  plants  from  Thanet,  but 
nothing  new.  The  10th  Regiment  of  Foot  marched 
into  the  town  from  Woolwich.  The  Odd  Fellows  of 
the  Britannia  lodge,  with  a  band  of  music,  enjoy  a 
day  at  Wombwell  Hall,  with  the  church  bells  ringing. 
Mr.  Chipperfield,  the  baker,  died  this  day  in  the 
hospital,  London. 

"  Tuesday,  9th. — Mrs.  Dominy,  an  old  inhabitant, 
called  and  drank  tea.  A  person  from  Chatham,  known 
to  Mr.  Dadd  of  the  Arcade,  Piccadilly,  called  and 
looked  over  my  fossils,  &c. 

"  Wednesday,  Wth. — Meopham  Fair,  when  Meopham 
played  against  Grillinghara.  Jerry  Tolhurst  put  in 
gaol  for  abusing  Mr.  Brenchley,  jun.,  although  Mr. 
Brenchley  gave  him  sufficient  provocation  for  so  doing 
last  Monday  morning.  Mr.  Eversfield,  jun.,  undertakes 
to  play  the  part  of  Macbeth  at  the  Gravesend  Theatre, 
being  his  first  attempt ! 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  143 

"Thursday,  llth. — Three  gentlemen  going  to  Brussels 
called — one,  a  mineralogist,  bought  some  minerals. 
Employed  in  printing  about  a  prepared  wheaten  food 
for  infants,  by  Jas.  Hards  of  Dartford. 

"  Friday,  12th. — A  young  gentleman  of  the  nam'e  of 
Fletcher  (a  student  in  medicine,  and  nephew,  so 
he  said,  to  Mrs.  Graham,  who  wrote  a  pleasing  and 
learned  account  of  the  East  Indies)  called  in  my  shop, 
and  informed  me  he  was  going  to  St.  Petersburg,  and 
the  interior  of  Russia,  to  travel  for  some  years,  and 
would  think  of  and  write  to  me  on  natural  history,  &c. 
By  him  I  sent  my  compliments  to  Mr.  Etter,  minera- 
logist to  the  Emperor  of  Russia.  He  said  he  promised 
Mr.  Brooks  of  Blenheim  Street  to  collect  for  him. 

"  Monday,  15th.— Paid  Mr.  Wilson  his  bill  of  5s,  6d. 
In  the  afternoon  a  rowing  match  for  a  skiff  of  101.  value, 
given  by  the  players ;  and  it  was  won  by  a  waterman 
named  Dixon.  In  the  afternoon  walked  to  Dartford  : 
called  on  Mr.  Nottley  and  Mr.  Brewer.  Found  Mrs. 
Nottley  died  of  the  same  complaint  as  Mrs.  Pocock, 
and  that  Mr.  Beaumont,  surgeon,  of  Gravesend,  pre- 
dicted the  death  of  both  (a  judgment  which  is  sufficient 
to  establish  the  reputation  of  Mr.  Beaumont).  Came 
home  in  a  return  chaise,  wherein  was  a  Mr.  Knell  of 
Cuxton,  a  wheeler  and  carpenter,  who  informed  me 
he  had  lately,  by  command  of  the  parish,  buried  (or  put 
under-ground)  Miss  Coosens  who  had  lain  above-ground 
in  the  church ;  the  particulars  of  which,  with  her  family, 
may  be  seen  in  the  '  History  of  Gravesend/  No  rain 
to-day,  although  it  was  St.  Swithin's  Day ;  but  great 
show  of  it. 

' (  Tuesday,  1 6th. — Yesterday,  in  my  walk  to  Dartford, 
saw  the  first  wheat  began  to  be  reaped,  and  also  beans, 


144  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

which  show  this  is  the  most  forward  year  I  ever  re- 
member ;  it  being  also  very  heavy  and  fine.  In  coming* 
home  last  night  I  saw  a  glow-worm  shine  brightly  : 
they  appear  about  July  10th.  In  the  evening  Mrs. 
Colepepper  (wife  of  the  elder  Mr.  Colepepper)  called — • 
who  claims  to  be,  and  who  I  believe  is,  the  heir  to  the 
Leeds  Castle  estate,  late  in  possession  of  Martin  and 
Fairfax,  and  now  in  possession  of  a  Mr.  Wykeham — to 
know  what  information  I  could  give  her  respecting 
deeds  and  other  papers  belonging  to  the  family ;  but 
five  or  six  years  ago,  when  I  could  have  given  much, 
her  husband,  in  an  abrupt  manner,  said  he  wanted  none 
of  my  assistance  !  for  he  had  employed  an  attorney, 
who  now  appears  to  have  done  nothing  ! 

"  Thursday,  I8th. — Fine  and  warm.  Innumerable 
numbers  of  Irish  labourers  about,  more  than  I  ever 
remember,  owing  to  their  great  distress  for  want 
of  food  in  Ireland.  Mr.  Preston's  E/ider  called,  and 
I  gave  him  an  order,  the  music  to  be  sent  on  sale 
or  return,  and  he  is  not  to  call  for  a  twelvemonth. 
The  Partridge,  East  India  ship,  returned  home  and 
passed  the  town.  Heard  a  child  of  Mr.  Childs,  car- 
penter, Northfleet,  fell  down  a  well  and  was  killed. 

"  Sunday,  July  2lst. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leadbetter  and 
family  (the  famous  animal  stuffer)  called  on  me,  and 
said  Lord  Darnley  had  a  condor,  or  large  vulture,  which 
he  stuffed  for  him,  and  that  the  large  horn  owl  was 
worth  three  guineas.  Lord  Darnley  bought  one  last 
week  of  Macdonald,  a  fisherman,  for  about  half  the 
money,  which,  was  bought  by  Macdonald  for  fifteen 
shillings  out  of  a  smack  from  Norway. 

"  Monday,  22nd. — Mr.  Lloyd  gives  a  lecture  on 
astronomy  in  the  theatre  house — to  about  fifty  auditors. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  145 

"  Tuesday,  23rd— Mrs.  Willatts  bought  shells. 

"Thursday,  2bth.— Walked  to  Dartford  with  Mr. 
Peen,  and  got  Mr.  Brewer  to  accept  a  note  for 
8/.  10s.  6d.,  payable  at  two  months,  drawn  in  favour  of 
Mr.  Charles  Amherst.  The  harvest  has  become  very 
general  as  some  of  the  wheat  has  been  carried. 

"Friday,  26th. — Paid  Mr.  Amherst,  in  presence 
of  Mr.  Peen,  his  half-year's  rent  to  Midsummer, 
121.  10s. ;  viz.,  by  giving  him  Mr.  Brewer's  note-of- 
hand,  dated  July  17,  1822,  at  two  months  for  2Z.  10s.  6rf., 
which  was  made  payable  at  the  Bull  Inn,  in  Leadenhall 
Street,  and  at  the  same  time  I  gave  him  cash  3?.  17s., 
and  there  was  also  owing  for  a  book  2s.  6d. ;  in  all 
making  up  the  amount ;  but  for  which  he  gave  no 
receipt  until,  he  said,  he  had  received  the  money  from 
Mr.  Brewer. 

"Monday,  29th. — Many  martins  flying  about  at 
five  in  the  afternoon,  apparently  foreboding  a  storm,  or 
about  congregating. 

"  Wednesday,  31st. — Warm.  Taken  very  ill  with  the 
colic  and  cholera  morbus. 

"  Thursday,  August  1st. — Warm.  In  bed  with  the 
colic  all  day  :  very  ill. 

"Saturday,  3rd.  —  Sally  goes  for  me  to  Dart- 
ford,  and  Frances  called  and  said  she  was  going  to 
Dartford  Fair,  and  thence  to  Kingsdown.  Heard  the 
lightning  and  thunder  had  done  damage  to  Hoo 
Church  yesterday.  And  that  at  Brandts- hatch  was  a 
great  fall  of  hail.  It  is  remarkable  that  on  August  2nd 
I  have  known  it  often  thunder  and  lighten,  with 
violent  storm.  It  was  on  that  day,  about  fiftv  years 
ago,  I  remember  seeing  the  mill-post  of  Shorne  Mill, 
with  the  mill,  all  shattered  to  pieces.  The  miller's  name 

I 


146  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

was  Billboe,  one  of  whose  sons  lived  and  kept  a  public 
house  at  Northfleet  a  few  years  since. 

"  Saturday,  10th. — Many  genteel  persons  in  the  town 
in  expectation  of  seeing  the  king,  &c.,  pass  by  in  his 
voyage  towards  Scotland.  Saw  a  curious  printed  bill  for 
a  cricket-match  to  be  played  this  day  at  Shorne  Com- 
mon, for  10Z.,  taken  from  a  list  of  fifteen  persons  of 
Shorne  named  Botting,  against  fifteen  of  Cobham 
named  Baker !  The  Bottings  beat  by  six  runs. 
About  six  in  the  evening,  the  king  in  his  yacht  passed 
by,  when  the  bells  rung  and  the  guns  from  the 
Flamer,  "  alien  vessel/1  moored  off  the  town,  and  the 
guns  from  Tilbury  Fort  alternately  fired  to  make  up 
a  royal  salute.  The  day  was  quite  calm,  and  the  yacht 
was  accompanied  by  the  Lord  Mayor's  barge,  which 
went  as  far  as  the  Round  Tree,  when  it  returned.  On 
this  occasion  two  regiments  came  from  Chatham  who 
stood  with  their  bands  on  the  sea-wall  extending 
below  the  canal  entrance,  which  must  have  had  a  pretty 
appearance  from  the  water.  The  king's  yacht  was 
towed  down  by  a  steam-vessel  and  passed  the  town 
with  rapidity. 

"Monday,  12th. — Heard  the  king  sailed  yes- 
terday morning,  between  four  and  five,  from  the 
Nore,  leaving  all  the  pleasure- vessels  to  follow,  some 
of  which  returned,  not  well  pleased.  (Mem.  The  guns 
at  the  Nore  heard  at  Gravesend,  a.  distance  of  above 
twenty  miles.)  Heard  this  morning  that  Lord  Castle- 
reagh  died  suddenly. 

"  Thursday,  I5th. — A  report  that  Lord  Wellington 
was  killed  by  Marshall  Ney's  son.  This  proved 
false. 

"  Saturday,  17th. — Heard.  Sir  Samuel  Achmuty  was 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  147 

dead.  His  family  by  marriage  was  related  to  Colonel 
Montresor  of  Whitehall,  near  Faversham,  who  died  in 
Maidstone  Gaol. 

"  Sunday ,  18th. — Matthew  Buchinger  from  Dart- 
ford  called  and  dined,  and  said  some  suspicion 
had  fallen  out  about  Lord  Castlereagh/s  death,  and 
that  a  further  hearing  was  to  take  place  yesterday. 
To-day  the  Charles  Grant,  and  two  other  East 
Indiamen,  Lowther  and  Kelly  Castles,  arrived  off 
this  place.  This  afternoon,  as  my  daughters  were 
walking  down  the  canal,  a  man  was  found  drowned, 
and  very  likely  murdered,  having  many  bruises  and 
cuts  about  him.  He  was  taken  to  Chalk  for  the 
coroner's  inquest  to  sit  on  him.  He  was  pulled  out 
of  the  water  by  Mr.  Jones,  my  son-in-law,  and 
appeared  a  navigator  or  labouring-man,  by  his 
Guernsey  jacket,  in  which  was  Is.  6d.  and  a  farthing. 

"  Thursday,  22nd. — Heard  a  death-watch  very 
plainly,  which  I  suppose  is  one  of  those  small  insects 
called  f  wood  lice/  It  was  in  my  bureau.  I  think 
they  are  only  heard  in  warm  weather,  because  I  heard 
one  in  July,  1818,  at  the  death  of  Mrs.  Pocock.  Some 
think  them  a  beetle ;  but  I  am  convinced  the  wood 
lice  have  this  power  of  ticking,  which  I  have  proved 
in  two  instances.  Mr.  Pewtress  called,  and  I  settled  wit  h 
him  by  a  bill  at  two  months.  [Wholesale  stationer.] 

"Monday,  16th. — Went  down  to  the  Hope,  to  the 
Abberton,  Captain  Gilpin,  to  see  my  son  Charles, 
whom  I  found  well.  Squally  wind,  S.W.  He  sold 
his  fat  for  21  16s.  per  tierce  (five  tierces  to  Mr. 
Cooper).  The  ship  had  three  Persian  cats  on  board 
belonging  to  General  Forbes,  who  came  home  in  her 
with  Major  Frazer,  &c. 

L  2 


148  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  Wednesday,  28th. — Warm.  Charles  came  home 
(not  very  sober).  He  sent  home  a  Madras  monkey, 
which  differs  from  those  of  Bengal.  Walked  over 
again  to  Northfleet  to  Mr.  Theobald's,  who  made  another 
will,  which  I  signed  as  witness. 

"  Thursday,  29th. — Windy.  Horse-races  at  Chatham 
Lines  for  a  plate  of  50?.,  when  it  is  said  20,000  persons 
assembled,  and  where  a  poor  woman  was  killed  by  a 
horse  and  cart  going  over  her.  Charles  P.  went  out, 
but  did  not  come  home  all  night. 

"Sunday,  September  1st. — Pleasant.  The  king  re- 
turned about  twelve  at  noon  in  his  yacht,  towed  by  a 
steam-boat,  and  followed  by  another.  The  guns  fired 
a  salute  from  the  Flamer  and  the  fort,  and  Mr.  Rod- 
in ell's  son  had  his  hand  injured  by  the  explosion  of 
a  gun.  Hand  was  cut  off  by  Dr.  Eogers  and  Sanders. 
Mr.  Lee,  a  gentleman  (special  pleader),  of  the  Inner 
Temple  Lane,  called  on  me.  (Mem.  He  is  well  skilled 
in  Latin  and  many  sciences,  and  a  good  botanist  and 
companion.) 

"  Tuesday,  3rd. — Warm.  Busy  papering  Mrs. 
Rhodes'  room  (the  blacksmith). 

"  Wednesday,  4th. — Fine,  sunny.  Mr.  Bennet,  sur- 
geon, of  Edward  Street,  London,  called  (a  good 
botanist),  and  we  walked  over  to  Cobham  Hall  gardens, 
and  on  our  way  caught  some  fine  butterflies  (the 
admiral)  on  the  elms  at  Parrock  and  oaks  on  Randall 
Heath.  We  go  after  them  again  this  day.  Saw  many 
curious  scarce  plants  and  trees  :  among  them  was  the 
willow-leaved  oak  from  North  America,  not  far  from 
New  York,  where  there  it  is  also  scarce.  Another 
scarce  tree,  about  tour  feet  high,  from  Chili,  with 
branches  shooting  horizontally,  and  leaves  like  butchers' 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  149 

brooms,  said  by  Mr.  Wilkinson,  the  gardener,  to  be  a 
species  of  fir.  Ib  is  the  Araucaria  imbricata,  or  the 
Sir  Joseph  Banks  pine,  from  Chili,  introduced  into  this 
country  in  1 796.  I  left  Mr.  Bennet  to  sleep  at  Cobham, 
and  returned  home. 

"  Monday,  9th. — Young  cuttle-fish,  half  an  inch  long, 
brought  me. 

"  Tuesday,  Wth. — Received  letter  from  my  son  George 
at  Oxford.  Mr.  Arlis,  the  publisher,  called,  and  I  gave 
him  an  order  for  10Z.  worth  of  books. 

"  Wednesday,  llth. — Bought  a  new  tea-pot  of  Barnas- 
china'sboy  for  3s.  In  afternoon,  Captain  Weddle,  of  Jane 
brig,  bought  some  books.  He  told  me  he  was  bound  out 
on  the  South  Sea  fishery,  and  that  he  had  been  twice 
to  New  South  Shetland,  lately  discovered  ;  but  that  it 
produced  no  tree,  shrubs,  or  vegetation,  except  a  short 
grass  which  grew  sparingly.  He  had  brought  home 
several  specimens  of  stones  and  minerals  from  thence ; 
but  I  did  not  find  by  his  discourse  any  to  be  of  value. 
It  is  singular,  I  showed  him  a  piece  from  the  same 
place  lately  given  me  by  a  sailor,  who  said  it  was  gold 
ore,  but  to  me  appeared  only  as  yellow  copper  ore. 

"  Thursday,  12th. — Wrote  a  letter  for  Mrs.  Currie  to 
Manchester  to  a  young  man,  her  favourite.  This  woman 
partly  told  me  her  name  was  not  Currie,  and  she  was 
determined  to  leave  him.  A  young  man,  with  his  coat 
all  torn  and  mended,  came  into  the  shop,  and  left  5s. 
deposit  for  a  book  to  read.  I  found  him  a  good  Latin 
and  Greek  scholar  by  his  ready  translation  !  Learning 
appears  not  to  produce  wealth !  but  Mr.  Arlis,  on  the 
10th,  said  fa  writer  of  original  matter  for  the  new 
"Monthly  Magazine"  (edited  by  Dr.  Campbell)  gets 
from  six  to  eight  guineas  per  sheet/  A  gentleman  and 


i5o  ROBERT  POCCCK. 

lady  called  from  Deptford,  who  had  passed  through 
the  tunnel  at  Higham  (where  lately  three  men  lost 
their  lives  by  the  chalk  falling  in),  and  found  a  very 
large  alcyonium  on  which  were  nodules  of  sulphuret  of 
iron  !  It  was  the  largest  I  ever  saw,  with  an  opening 
in  it,  or  a  gash.  Martins  come  to  their  nests  to-day. 

"  Friday,  1 3£/i. — Busy  in  printing  for  the  mayor,  J. 
Millen,  Esq.,  100  bills,  being  an  abstract  from  an  Act  of 
Parliament  made  in  the  56th  of  George  III.,  enforcing 
a  penalty  of  five  pounds  on  the  driving  of  carriages  at 
a  furious  or  improper  rate. 

"  Saturday,  14th, — Windy,  strong  at  east.  Major 
Groves,  the  storekeeper,  carried  yesterday  to  Hamp- 
stead  to  be  buried  there.  Finished  yesterday  and  to- 
day some  bills  for  Newman,  stating  he  had  reduced 
the  fare  to  London  to  eight  shillings  inside  and  four 
shillings  outside. 

"  Sunday,  15th. — Heard  Mr.  Bryan,  of  Swanscombe, 
had  had  his  leg  cut  off  by  Newman's  coach  breaking 
down  on  Thursday  last. 

"Monday,  16th.— Walked  to  Dartford  with  Mr. 
Edward  Helloit,  who  is  quite  a  philosopher,  although  a 
waterman.  We  went  through  Greenhithe  and  by  the 
fields  to  Dartford,  and  both  were  struck  with  the 
delightful  picture  the  Phoenix  Flour  Mills  of  Mr.  Wilks 
afforded.  On  the  east  side,  one  field  off,  several  tall 
drooping  willows,  planted  on  small  islands  in  a  large  pool 
of  water,  added  much  to  the  delight ;  in  fact,  I  never 
saw  such  high  beautiful  willows  nor  such  a  charming 
scene.  Called  at  Mr.  Hurst,  surgeon,  to  see  Mr.  Bryan> 
but  was  refused  by  the  surgeon  seeing  him,  who  said 
his  own  sister  had  been  refused,  as  quietness  was 
necessary  to  a  cure,  and  that  his  life  was  in  critical 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  151 

danger.  Mr.  Brewer  paid  me  81.  10s.  6d.  for  a  bill 
due.  On  coming  home  we  could  see  a  fire  blazing  to 
the  westward,  which  we  conjectured  was  about  Plum- 
stead,  or  east  of  Shooter's  Hill. 

' '  Wednesday,  1 8th. — Sun  very  fine.  My  acquaintance, 
Mr.  Rider,  called  with  his  wife,  and  praises  the  steam- 
boat much. 

"  Tuesday,  24<th. — Printed  cards  saying  G.  Simmons 
had  succeeded  Loft  Raspison  in  his  business  of  mast, 
oar,  and  pump  maker. 

"Friday,  27th. — Generally  cloudy.  Packed  up  twenty- 
four  scarce  moths,  butterflies,  &c.,  for  Mr.  Lakes,  Clare 
Hall,  Cambridge. 

"  Saturday,  28th.— Walked  and  rode  to  Dartford.  In 
passing  through  Northfl  eet  there  was  a  burial  of  Miss 
Chapman  in  the  church,  said  once  to  have  lived  in  this 
parish,  near  the  river-side,  but  now  no  resident  there 
knew  the  name  or  family,  and  two  gentlemen  with  the 
hearse  (likely  they  were  administrators)  were  making 
diligent  inquiry.  Waited  on  Mr.  Hubbard,  a  new 
auctioneer  at  Dartford,  and  found  his  mother-in-law, 
Mrs.  Munns,  of  Palace  Street,  Canterbury,  a  pleasant 
woman. 

"  Sunday,  29th. — The  mayor,  J.  Millen,  Esq.,  walks 
to  church  in  procession.  Sent  a  letter  to  Mr.  George 
Pocock,  about  Dartford. 

"  Monday,  3Qth. — Fine  day  and  fine  evening,  being 
full  moon.  This  day  Mr.  Medhurst  Troughton  was 
chosen  mayor.  Walked  in  the  morning  into  Clark's 
garden  and  found  in  bloom  antirrhinum,  Michael- 
mas daisy,  &c. ;  but  saw  no  butterflies,  except  a  white 
one,  although  a  fortnight  since  the  Atalanta  were  so 
numerous.  In  the  afternoon  went  down  to  East  Til- 


152  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

bury  in  a  boat  (lately  there  established  by  Mrs.  Smith) 
in  search  of  dwarf  elder,  said  to  have  been  seen  in 
the  chalk  pits,  but  found  it  the  common  elder.  Between 
the  coal  wharf  and  church  saw  abundance  of  Typha 
latifolia,  or  reed  mace,  the  heads  of  which  are  worth 
gathering  for  beds,  &c.  So  is  the  down  of  corn  thistles, 
and  down  of  plowman's  spikenard,  which  grows  in 
abundance  in  the  chalk  pits  here. 

"  Tuesday,  October  ~\.st. — At  home.  My  left  knee 
seems  not  well,  as  if  swelled ;  but  I  know  not  what 
has  made  it.  It  rather  affects  my  walking.  Kead  letters . 
from  Mr.  Walcot  and  Frances  Pocock. 

((  Wednesday,  2nd. — Wrote  letter  to  John  Walcot, 
Esq.,  Highnam  Court,  near  Gloucester,  saying  I  could 
supply  him  with  the  set  of  bound  Botany  for  10Z., 
or  for  5Z.  he  should  have  a  set  of  my  duplicates; 
but  for  particular  plants  from  sixpence  upwards.  I 
have  found  the  Mr.  Walcots  very  civil  gentlemen, 
except  a  younger  son  who  went  to  the  East  Indies. 

"  This  afternoon  Charles  Pocock  went  out  in  a  ship 
or  brig  to  Smyrna,  in  the  Sultan,  Captain  Christopher 
Yeoman.  Had  a  new  pair  of  shoes  of  Mr.  Worsly, 
which  did  not  fit  me,  being  too  little. 

"  Thursday,  3rd. — The  stuffed  'lump  fish'  becomes 
moist.  This  I  have  observed  before,  and  suppose  it 
annually  is  the  case.  It  is  worth  remarking  again. 
When  I  was  at  Dartford  last  week  a  poor  woman, 
Mrs.  Bax's  daughter  (the  simpler),  told  me  she  had 
been  bitten  by  a  mad  dog,  and  that  day  found  herself 
very  unwell,  and  had  been  persuaded  to  try  the  Birling 
medicine  as  an  antidote  !  She  said  she  would  rather 
die  than  be  dipped  in  the  salt  water  !  I  packed 
up  a  parcel  for  Frances  Pocock  of  writing  paper 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  153 

and   a    cyphering   book   to  transcribe    some    French 
therein. 

"  Friday,  4th. — Mrs.  Cabamell  of  Coburgh  Theatre 
bought  a  pink  conch.  Her  husband  is  the  architect, 
and  will  give  a  ticket  of  admission. 

"  Sunday,  (5th. — Sunny,  fine  ;  rain  at  night.  Heard 
that  last  Friday  morn  at  daylight  an  immense  quantity 
of  hirundines  were  seen  flying  towards  the  moon. 
She  at  that  time  was  about  westward.  I  have  said 
before  they  come  and  go  in  a  storm. 

"  Monday,  7th. — The  Royal  Sovereign  yacht  went  past 
last  Saturday  with  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Clarence 
on  board. 

"Tuesday,  8th.— Wind  strong,  W.S.W.  Eain  at 
intervals.  Grafter's  paragraph  appeared  in  the 
Rochester  Gazette  about  the  market  provisions,  &c.,  &c. 

"  Wednesday,  9th. — Received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Wai- 
cot,  Highnam  Court,  near  Gloucester,  for  plants,  stating 
his  son,  who  went  to  the  East  Indies,  died  there. 
Captain  Vanburgh  died. 

"  Thursday,  10th. — Fine,  windy,  clear.  The  bishop 
comes  to  Gravesend,  and  confirms  there.  He  is  blind. 
Took  refreshment  at  Dr.  Crawford 's. 

e( Friday,  llth. — Fine.  Employed  all  day  in  sorting 
my  dried  plants.  Young  Tadman  buried.  This  young 
man  bade  fair  to  be  an  excellent  artist,  as  he  showed 
by  a  drawing  of  the  '  Round  Tree,'  near  Gravesend,  well 
done.  This  remarkable  tree  was  at  its  highest  pros.- 
perity  about  1800  ;  then  being  about  sixty  feet  high 
and  spreading  above  forty  feet.  It  was  injured,  as  so 
many  shots  were  fired  into  it  during  the  war,  and  since 
that  time  has  been  going  visibly  to  decay. 

"  Saturday,  13th. — Settled  with  Mr.  Cooper,  the  milk- 


154  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

man,   by  his  paying  half-a- crown   as    balance.      Re- 
ceived  letter  from  Miss  Lousada. 

"  Monday,  14£A.— A  new  newspaper  announced 
for  to-morrow,  to  be  called  the  Kent  and  Essex 
Mercury. 

"Tuesday,  15th. — Cloudy.  Captain  Yanburgh buried 
at  Milton.  Mr.  Hawkins,  the  waterman,  died  yesterday 
on  board  the  boat.  If  the  cap  fits  me,  there  has 
appeared,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Durham,  a  severe  epigram 
(in  the  Rochester  paper)  against  my  person  and  know- 
ledge. 

"Thursday,  17th.— Rain  all  last  night.  Sent  off 
a  letter  to  J.  Walcot,  Esq.,  Highnam  Court,  near 
Gloucester,  saying  plants  had  been  sent  him  by  New- 
man's coach  to  Bull  Inn,  Leadenhall  Street. 

"Monday,  21st.— Bill  Taylor,  at  Mrs.  Taylor's, 
butcher,  had  his  leg  broken  by  a  horse.  Miss  Rash- 
leigh  called  and  desired  the  parcel  to  be  forwarded  to 
Mrs.  Lakes,  having  paid  6s.  for  it. 

"  Tuesday,  22nd. — Went  to  Dartford,  and  called  to 
see  Mr.  Bryan  who  had  the  accident  to  lose  his  leg 
when  Mr.  Newman's  coach  broke  down  on  Dartford 
Brent.  Met  with  Mr.  Lee,  the  botanist.  Saw  on  the 
road  the  admiral  (red  stripe)  butterfly. 

"  Thursday,  24th. — Gravesend  Fair.  Mr.  Reuben 
Fletcher  and  son  Reuben  called.  Two  gentlemen 
(one  a  botanist)  called  and  bought  some  fossils,  &c. 
At  night,  rain.  A  grand  collection  of  wild  beasts, 
viz.,  an  elephant,  a  lion  and  tiger  (so  tame  as  to 
suffer  the  keeper  to  be  in  the  den),  a  nilghau  (like  a 
horse)  with  two  horns,  &c.,  and  many  other  rarities, 
being  the  largest  fair  known. 

"  Wednesday,  30th. — The  dulness  of  the  day  appears 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  155 

to  have  made  me  very  sleepy,  and  this  symptom  has 
affected  both  Mr.  Durham  and  Mr.  Grafter.  I  think 
the  same  was  so  last  year,  and  it  is  worth  remarking 
next  year.  The  skin  of  the  lump  fish  is  yearly  moist, 
and  when  it  begins  to  be  so  is  a  good  guide,  as  the 
atmosphere  ought  to  be  more  looked  to. 

"  Thursday,  31  st. — Went  to  London  by  boat  and 
spent  the  evening  at  Mr.  Bennetts,  Edward  Street. 
Mr.  B.  and  his  brother  are  excellent  botanists  and 
naturalists.  Slept  in  Oxford  Street. 

"Friday,  November  1st. — Saw  two  elks  from  North, 
America  at  the  Egyptian  Hall,  Piccadilly.  Yisited 
Mr.  Brook's  museum,  Blenheim  Street,  where  I  saw  a 
fine  hippopotamus  and  a  great  collection  of  curious 
anatomical  specimens.  Spent  the  evening  with  Mr. 
Clark,  the  antiquary,  who  promised  to  return  me  my 
folio  book  and  to  give  me  some  manuscript  matter  for 
my  intended  '  History  of  Gravesend.'  His  daughter  is 
an  agreeable  girl  and  an  excellent  player  on  the  piano- 
forte— the  best  I  ever  heard  !  He  has  a  son  an  excellent 
painter  of  landscapes. 

"Saturday,  2nd. — In  bed  resting,  having  been  all 
night  on  the  water. 

"  Sunday,  3rd. — Mr.  Brooks  from  Blenheim  Street, 
London,  with  a  lady,  called  to  see  my  collection. 

"  Monday,  4th. — Two  Atalanta  butterflies  taken. 

"  Wednesday,  6th. — Eead  the  English  Chronicle,  or 
Whitehall  newspaper,  and  thought  it  the  best  1  had 
ever  read,  being  full  of  amusement. 

"  Thursday,  1th. — Minute  white  moths  in  Clark's 
garden. 

"  Friday,  8th. — The  barbers  say  lice  are  numerous 
with  disease  following  always  at  this  time  ! 


156  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"Monday,  llth. — Fine.  Mr.  Spencer,,  sen.,  called 
(from  Chatham),  and  said  his  son.  William,  with  Mr. 
Viuail,  had  given  Mr.  Nugent  Bell,  the  Irish  barrister, 
a  large  sum  (between  two  and  three  hundred  pounds) 
to  make  search  for  pedigrees,  &c.,  and  to  proceed  in 
recovering  the  Selby  estate  from  Mr.  Lowndes,  the 
possessor  ;  but  that  Mr.  Bell  had  died  the  day  a  verdict 
had  been  given  against  him  in  a  cause  wherein  he 
took  more  money  than  the  law  allowed. 

"  Tuesday,  12th. — Mr.  Pitcher  bought  my  curious 
China  jars. 

"  Wednesday,  13£7&. — Dull  at  intervals.  Walked  in 
Clark's  garden,  and  found  the  Silene  armeria  in  bloom. 
It  is  scarce ;  has  a  pink  blossom,  and  crowned  or 
fringed  in  the  crown.  Look  for  it  again  next  year. 

''Thursday,  14^. — Sun.  Mr.  Brown  of  the  Ogil 
Castle,  East  Indiaman,  going  out  November  14th,  1822, 
promises  to  collect  shells,  &c.,  and  to  write  to  me 
when  the  ship  arrives  in  the  Downs.  Old  Mr.  J. 
Sherrass  died  this  day  in  the  poor  house  of  Gravesend. 
His  daughter  married  Mr.  Spencer,  of  Chatham  Dock- 
yard, whose  son  lays  claim  to  the  Selby  estate  of 
Buckinghamshire,  now  held  by  Mr.  Lowndes,  a  member 
of  Parliament.  Many  gulls  in  the  river. 

"  Tuesday,  19th. — Received  a  letter  from  Miss , 

the  intelligent  and  rich  Jewess. 

"  Wednesday,  20th. — Mr.  J.  Finch  (grandson  to  the 
famous  Dr.  Priestley)  called  upon  me,  on  his  way  to 
America.  He  is  going  out  in  the  Acasto,  bound  to 
New  York.  He  bought  some  paper,  and  I  informed  him 
that  when  his  grandfather  was  going  out  to  America 
he  also  bought  some  paper  of  me,  at  which  he  won- 
dered, and  w^  got  into  conversation.  As  he  was  known 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  157 

to  Mr.  Hamper,  the  antiquarian  of  Birmingham,  to 
whom  I  am  known  by  name,  and  from  which  place  he 
had  come,  and  was  going  out  by  recommendation 
of  Dr.  S.  James  Smith,  the  famous  botanist,  we  en- 
tered into  the  subject  of  those  sciences,  and  soon 
became  intimate  acquaintances.  At  night  Mr. 
Pottinger  called  to  bid  me  farewell,  and  took 
my  letter  to  Mr.  Clarke,  the  lecturer  on  botany  at 
Islington. 

"  Thursday,  2lst. — Mr.  J.  Finch  called  again,  and 
I  sold  him  300  chalk  fossils  (on  credit)  for  one  guinea, 
which  sum  he  promised  to  send  over  from  New  York  ! 

"  Sent  two  cards  of  compliments  to  Van  Diemen's 
Land  (yesterday)  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paul,  Mr.  Bradley, 
Dr.  Arnold,  and  Mr.  Elliot,  by  the  Avon  (they  are  all 
respectable  persons),  desiring  they  will  collect  me  the 
curiosities  of  the  island. 

"  Friday,  22nd. — At  sunrise  the  clouds  bore  a 
fine  pinky  tinge,  and  I  thought  before  I  was  up  there 
would  have  been  a  fine  scenery.  Mr.  Grafter  called 
and  told  me  a  sloop  had  arrived  from  Quebec  in 
twenty-one  days,  the  quickest  passage  known.  Was 
only  sixteen  days  coming  from  land  to  land.  Said  they 
made  the  Scilly  Islands,  and  came  at  the  rate  of  nine 
miles  per  hour ! 

"  Saturday,  23rd. — This  day  Mr.  Peen  found  a 
peziza  in  perfection,  south  side  of  Gaily  Hill ;  but  by 
Mr.  Withering^  vol.  iv.  p.  357,  it  is  Nidularia  cam- 
panulata  !  It  is  very  curious. 

"  Sunday,  24<th. — Read  Mr.  Fuzzell's  tour  through 
Kent,  and  found  errors,  having  placed  some  verses 
which  stood  at  the  Hermitage,  near  Gad's  Hill,  to 
Swanscombe.  Yet  it  contained  some  good  criticisms 


158  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

and  judicious  remarks ;  but  it  appeared  written  prior 
to  the  tour,  or  perhaps  no  tour  at  all. 

"Monday,  25th. — Young  Taylor,  the  butcher,  who 
had  his  leg  broken  about  three  weeks  since,  has  this 
day  had  it  cut  off  by  Mr.  Park,  brother  to  Mungo 
Park. 

"  Tuesday,  26th. — Young  Barnard  brought  me 
yesterday  to  see  a  coleoptera  insect,  which  had  eaten 
through  a  roll  of  (twenty- two  yards)  sarcenet  and 
penetrated  into  the  wood  !  I  remember  going  on  board 
an  East  India  ship,  Captain  Birch,  about  five  years 
ago,  and  he  showed  an  insect  which  had  turned  into 
an  aurelia,  taken  out  of  the  mast  of  a  ship  !  This 
Captain  Birch  had  a  brother  an  engineer  at  Gravesend. 

"  This  day  a  gravestone,  weighing  6  or  700  hundred- 
weight was  found  in  the  old  churchyard  field  (de- 
scribed in  the  '  History  of  Gravesend/  page  61),  with 
two  others  of  a  square  form.  All  of  them  were  Bethers- 
den  marble,  and  of  high  antiquity ;  for  of  such  stones 
we  find  the  columns  of  our  ancient  ecclesiastical  build- 
ings made,  being  a  turbinated  greyish  stone,  com- 
posed of  small  shells,  capable  of  taking  a  good  polish. 
The  heaviest  stone,  being  six  feet  three  inches,  was 
evidently  placed  there  for  an  ecclesiastic,  as  on  it 
there  was  the  sign  of  a  cross,  and  made  not  exactly 
square,  but  narrower  at  one  end  and  grooved  with  two 
deep  concaves  at  the  edges.  I  think  it  was  placed 
there  prior  to  1587  as  conjectured  in  '  History  of 
Gravesend/  p.  66. 

"  Wednesday,  27th. — This  morning,  about  three 
o'clock,  a  fire  broke  out  at  Mr.  Murrell's,  Perry  Street, 
in  the  nursery,  which  it  destroyed ;  but  the  children  of 
Mr.  Kobinson,  a  clerk  in  the  Tower,  escaped  with 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  159 

difficulty  by  the  activity  and  perseverance  of  a  person 
at  the  hazard  of  his  life.  The  market-bell  was  rung 
and  the  town  alarmed,  when  two  engines  were  sent 
over,  but  the  fire  was  extinguished  without  them. 

"  Thursday,  28th.— Men  digging  to  trace  the  ruins 
of  the  old  Gravesend  Church. 

"  Friday,  29th. — Miss  Tucker  and  Miss  Rashleigh 
called  and  brought  some  shells  and  fossils.  Miss 
Tucker  is  a  botanist,  and  informed  me  the  spiral  orchis 
grows  about  Wingham.  (Mem.  There  never  has  been 
a  spiral  orchis  in  Scotland  yet :  1822.) 

"  Monday,  December  2nd. — Walked  to  old  churchyard 
[St.  Mary's,  Gravesend],  and  brought  away  paving 
tiles  with  greenish  glaze  upon  them  on  one  side.  They 
carried  somewhat  the  appearance  of  Roman  bricks  or 
tiles,  but  were  not  so  long  and  broad,  nor  thick,  so  we 
may  date  them  of  the  date  of  the  church. 

"  Tuesday,  3rd. — Preparing  chalk  fossils  for 
London. 

"  Wednesday,  4>th. — Bought  two  whiting  pouts  with 
flat-fish. 

"  Thursday,  §th. — Sat  up  last  night  and  counted 
Gravesend  clock  striking  twelve,  and  from  five  to  ten 
minutes  after  I  heard  some  distant  clock  strike,  which 
surprised  me,  as  I  have  read  that  the  church  of  St. 
Paul's,  London,  was  once  heard  about  the  same  dis- 
tance, viz.,  twenty-two  miles.  How  was  the  wind  last 
night  ?  Sent  yesterday  evening  a  box  of  fossils  to  go 
by  Newman's  coach  to  Miss  L. 

"Friday,  6th. — The  Berwick  ship  sailed  for  Yan 
Diemen's  Land.  To-day  made  many  small  boxes  to 
pack  fossils  in. 

"  Saturday,  7th. — Frances  Pocock  came  to  see  me, 


160  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

and  in  the  evening  repeated  a  poem  from  a  newspaper 
about  the  mermaid  to  be  seen  in  London,  which  was 
very  witty  and  laughable.  Heard  the  Thames,  East 
Indiaman,  was  lost  a  second  time,  at  which  I  am  very 
sorry,  as  it  belongs  to  my  friend  Mr.  Blan chard. 

"Sunday,  8th.—~M.r.  Povey  of  Northfleet  brought 
me  a  golden-crested  wren,  knocked  down  in  North- 
fleet.  I  never  recollect  seeing  one  before,  and  it  must 
be  a  scarce  bird,  although  I  have  heard  they  are  about 
Fami  ogham. 

"  Monday,  9th. — Mr.  Moore,  a  clerk  lately  in  the 
Bank  of  England,  brought  me  (he  said)  a  great  curiosity, 
which  he  said  was  a  calf's  head,  or  dog's  head,  petrified, 
which  he  got  from  Greta  Bridge,  in  Yorkshire ;  and 
he  set  a  good  value  on  it,  saying  if  I  could  dispose  of 
it  I  might  have  half.  But  on  my  examining  it,  I  knew 
what  it  was,  and  told  him  he  had  better  not  know 
what  it  was  as  it  would  lessen  its  value;  yet  if  he 
would  read  Van  Helmont's  works,  a  Dutch  physician, 
they  would  tell  him  !  This  Mr.  Moore  is  related  to  the 
Kev.  Mr.  Moore,  of  Kendall,  an  antiquary :  I  believe 
it  is  his  uncle.  I  had  to-day  two  left-handed  whelks 
brought  me,  taken  at  Whitstable,  for  which  I  gave 
sixpence  each,  being  very  rare  shells. 

"  Tuesday,  Wth. — Fine  sun.  Received  a  letter  from 
Miss  Lousada,  thanking  me  for  a  box  of  fossils,  and 
saying  they  were  the  best  she  ever  saw  (except  Mr. 
Mantell's,  of  Lewes,  in  Sussex).  Mr.  Bullock's  daughter 
married. 

"Thursday,  12th. — White  frost  first  observed  this 
year.  Frances  Pocock  returns  to  Kingsdown  by  way  of 
Maidstone.  Sent  by  her  Mrs.  Mark  Noble's  tin  botani- 
cal box.  Wrote  to  Miss  Lousada  for  her  kind  offer,  and 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  161 

expressing  thanks.  Young  Taylor  died  at  the  work- 
house after  losing  his  leg,  although  Mr.  Park  was  the 
Burgeon. 

<l  Friday,  \§th. — Mr.  Amherst  buried  at  Milton. 
Last  night,  one  Barnet,  a  biscuit-baker,  died.  Re- 
ceived present  from  Miss  Lousada. 

"Saturday,  14th.—  Paid  Mr.  Salcote  2s.  for  two 
sheets  of  paper  written  out,  which  he  thought  reason- 
able, and  which  I  thought  was  too  dear  ;  yet  to  him  it 
was  a  charity.  This  afternoon  I  was  called  on  a  jury 
at  the  Town  Hall,  and  appointed  foreman  thereof,  to 
inquire  about  the  death  of  a  young  man,  George  Polley, 
who  fell  from  the  masthead  of  a  ship,  bound  to  the 
West  Indies,  and  was  killed,  his  brain  being  injured 
and  his  skull  dreadfully  broken.  Mr.  Park,  the  sur- 
geon, attended  at  the  Custom  House  Tavern,  where 
the  body  lay;  and  the  jury  brought  in  accidental 
death.  The  young  man  was  taken  to  London  by  his 
father,  who  came  down  on  this  sad  accident.  Golden 
wren  shot. 

tf  Sunday,  \btli. — Received  letter  from  Shadrach 
Pocock,  Ketley  Bank,  Salop,  saying  beef  was  Hd.  to 
2d.  per  Ib. ;  mutton,  2^d.  to  4d. ;  flour,  7s.  per  bushel ; 
eggs,  eight  a  groat ;  fowls,  2s.  per  couple  ;  and  that  the 
weather  was  so  mild  that  wallflowers,  cloves,  stocks, 
carnations,  and  primroses  were  in  bloom  ! 

"Monday,  16th. — Miss  Man's  sale.  She  was  called  an 
old  maid ;  but  she  said,  '  It  is  not  my  fault,  no  person 
has  asked  me  to  marry/  This  she  said  in  my  pre- 
sence (R.  Pocock,  Gravesend).  At  this  sale  a  sword 
was  sold  for  6s.  which  belonged  to  Mr.  Israel  Harri- 
son, storekeeper  at  the  blockhouse,  who  said  it  was 
given  to  him  by  the  Duke  of  Marlborough  when 


162  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

fighting  by  his  side !  Bought  by  Mr.  Grafter,  and 
sold  to  Mr.  Brett  for  14s. 

"Tuesday,  17th.— General  cloud.  Sent  a  letter  to 
Mr.  S.  Pocock,  in  answer  to  his  of  the  8th  inst.  Young 
Taylor  (butcher)  buried  in  the  Princess  Street  Chapel 
ground,  attended  by  the  Comical  Fellows'  Society. 
Sent  a  letter  to  Mr.  Lakes  of  Clare  Hall,  Cambridge. 

"Wednesday,  18th.— Settled  with  Glover  for  all 
cesses  due  to  this  day.  A  blind  worm  brought  alive. 

"  Thursday,  19th. — Professor  Henslow  from  Cam- 
bridge called  and  left  me  some  dried  plants. 

f(  Saturday,  2lst. — Alarmed  this  morning  about  four 
with  the  market-bell  ringing  for  a  fire  at  the  Prince 
Regent  Public-house,  Town  Quay.  Soon  extinguished. 
In  evening  Mr.  Crafter  brought  a  golden  plover,  shot 
at  Tilbury  Fort.  There  were  forty  or  fifty  in  a  flock 
which,  alighting  on  the  ground,  all  separated,  so  that 
two  could  not  be  shot  together.  This  bird  does  not 
seem  to  be  so  well  described  as  it  ought. 

"  Sunday,  22nd. — Sent  a  letter  to  Miss  Lousada 
with  thanks  for  former  favours,  and  sent  her  six  fossils. 

"  Monday,  23rd. — Had  brought  me  by  Neil,  water- 
man, the  smallest  tern,  which  weighed  three  ounces 
(Sterna  minuta),  shot  at  Gravesend. 

"  Tuesday,  24£/i. — Sent  my  tern  and  a  golden  plover 
to  Mr.  By  all's  to  stuff.  Decided  a  wager  by  Walker's 
Gazette,  and  found  it  wrong,  by  stating  that  Sunder- 
land  was  only  204  miles  instead  of  above  290  ! 

"  Wednesday,  25M,.— Mr.  Jerry  C—  died.  This 
man  was  on  board  the  Preston,  man-of-war,  when  the 
English  fleet  fought  the  Dutch.  He  had  been  a 
Gravesend  waterman,  and  once  kept  the  Dundee  Tap 
in  Wapping.  He  was  noted  as  a  reprobate  character, 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  163 

viz.,  a  swearing,  dissolute  person ;  but  for  two  or  three 
years  previous  to  this  had  turned  an  enthusiastic 
follower  of  the  Methodists  or  Dissenters.  Wild  fowl 
about. 

"  Thursday)  26th. — Paid  Mr.  Harris,  executor  to 
Mr.  Amherst,  a  quarter's  rent  to  Michaelmas,  1822. 
Had  a  bat  with  long  ears  brought  me  alive.  It  flew 
into  the  linendraper's  shop. 

"  Friday,  2  7th. — Miss  Beechy  buried.  Had  two 
long-tailed  titmice  brought  me.  Employed  looking 
over  my  plants,  and  selected  out  thirty-one  to  give 
Professor  Henslow  of  Cambridge,  because  he  gave  me 
sixteen  which  he  had  selected  for  me. 

"  Saturday,  28th. — The  Kev.  Mr.  Durham,  full  of 
Greek  and  Latin  questions,  visited  and  puzzled  me, 
by  asking  me  who  the  father  of  Joshua  was ;  when  he 
said  the  answer  was  Nun. 

"  Sunday,  29th. — No  gossipers  to-day  ! 

"  Monday,  30th. — Mr.  Lakes,  a  student  from  Cam- 
bridge, called  and  bought  some  butterflies. 

"  Tuesday,  3lst. — River  at  London  frozen.  In  after- 
noon the  first  snow." 

So  closes  the  Journal  for  1822,  from  which,  amidst 
its  varied  information,  the  reader  has  gathered  (pp.  87, 
148,  149)  evidences  that  Pocock's  versatility  was  equal 
to  combining  the  business  of  paperhanging  and  the 
profession  of  correspondence-writing  with  his  other 
manifold  occupations,  and  these  we  know  included  the 
arts  of  bookbinding  and  type-founder ! 


M  2 


164 


CHAPTER  VI. 

I  saw  from  the  beach,  when  the  morning  was  shining, 

A  bark  o'er  the  waters  move  gloriously  on  : 
I  came,  when  the  sun  o'er  that  beach  was  declining, 

The  bark  was  still  there,  but  the  waters  were  gone. 

Ah  !  such  is  the  fate  of  our  life's  early  promise, 
So  passing  the  spring-tide  of  joy  we  have  known  : 

Each  wave  that  we  danced  on  at  morning  ebbs  from  us, 
And  leaves  us,  at  eve,  on  the  black  shore  alone. 

THOMAS  MOOEE. 

THERE  is  yet  another  year's  diurnal  extant,  the 
final,  and  the  most  complete  portion  which  has 
come  down  to  us ;  and  in  perusing  it  for  the  period 
it  covers,  viz.,  the  whole  of  1823,  it  will  be  obvious 
that  some  entries  have  been  retained  less  on  account  of 
their  general  than  their  local  interest,  and  for  the  pur- 
pose of  more  fully  exhibiting  the  author  in  his  daily  life, 
views,  and  sentiments, — his  business  and  his  pleasures. 
It  is  scarcely  probable  that  journals  of  such  fulness 
as  those  for  the  years  1822  and  1823  would  not  have 
been  preceded,  and,  for  a  time  at  all  events,  followed 
by  compilations  of  the  same  method ;  but  these  which 
are  now  published  are  all  that  have  been  discovered, 
and  all  that  are  supposed  to  exist.  They  have  been 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  165 

given  more  fully,  as  they  constitute  at  this  distance  of 
time  one  of  the  best  means  of  estimating  the  man,  and 
this  the  more  as  it  may  be  most  truly  said  of  those  who 
laid  him  to  rest  as  well  as  of  those  who  followed 
after, — 

We  carved  not  a  line  and  we  raised  not  a  stone, 
But  we  left  him  .  .  .  alone — 

The  entries  in  the  Journal  for  1823,  amidst  the  desirable 
information  which  they  confer,  serve  a  less  pleasing 
office,  since  they  reveal  that  having  sold  his  patrimonial 
house  and  shop  he  dispenses  with  a  composing-room  in 
order  to  save  some  31.  yearly  rent,  reduces  his  printer's 
wages,  disposes  of  surplus  furniture,  and  unsuccess- 
fully appeals  for  time  to  the  tax-gatherer  :  all  ominous 
of  the  future  troubles  which,  already  impending, 
began,  like  other  "coming  events,"  to  '^past  their 
shadows  before/' 

JOURNAL  FOR  1823. 

"  Thursday,  January  2nd,  1823. — Professor  Henslow 
of  Cambridge  called,  when  I  gave  him  about  thirty 
plants  in  exchange  for  his.  Heard  that  Mr.  Beding- 
field,  the  lawyer,  was  dead,  and  that  another  lawyer 
had  run  away ! 

"Friday,  3rd. — Bills  stuck  about  for  the  sale  of  Town 
Clerk  Mr.  John  Mills  Evans'  goods !  Mr.  Evans  not 
seen  lately.  Heard  another  young  lawyer  was  not  of 
the  best  principle.  Had  Mrs.  Thorpe's  son  from  North- 
fleet  to  work  this  day. 

"Monday,  6th. — E/ev.  Mr.  Durham  called  and  in- 
formed me  that  Nicholas  Gillbee,  Esq.,  late  of  Denton, 
was  dead.  So  he  died  a  poor  gentleman,  from  being 


166  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

among  the  first  men  of  credit  in  the  county,  leaving 
by  his  second  wife  an  infant  child.  Mr.  Gillbee  was 
once  an  officer  belonging  to  the  West  Kent  Militia, 
and  his  father  was  a  man  of  considerable  property ; 
but  it  is  very  remarkable  that  all  his  relations,  both 
male  and  female,  have,  within  a  few  years,  been 
insolvent. 

"  Tuesday,  7th. — William  Brean,  a  printer  (from 
Dublin),  came  to  work  at  3s.  6d.  per  day,  giving  me 
the  secret  how  to  make  composition  balls,  viz.,  1  Ib.  of 
treacle,  ^  Ib.  of  best  clear  glue,  \  oz.  of  beeVwax, 
^oz.  of  Burgundy  pitch,  and  a  tablespoonful  of 
Venice  turpentine,  with  sometimes  a  small  quantity  of 
oil.  I  afterwards  made  a  new  ball  of  this  composition. 

"  Wednesday,  8th. — In  afternoon  two  gentlemen 
waited  on  me ;  one,  Mr.  Dunbar,  said  he  was  a  relation 
to  the  Gordon  family  of  Boley  Hill,  through  his  mar- 
riage, and  entitled  to  landed  property  in  the  vicinity 
of  Shorne,  which  had  been  in  Chancery  eight  years. 
The  other  mentioned  his  name  (Rev.  Mr.  Radford),  and 
said  he  was  very  partial  to  history  and  topography. 
Both  promised  to  call  again ;  and  Mr.  Dunbar  said  he 
would  lend  me  any  peerages  or  baronetages  I  may 
want.  Had  a  sparrow  hawk  brought  me. 

"  Friday,  10th. — Walked  to  Northfleet ;  met  with  a 
Mr.  Russel  from  Rolvenden,  who  said  the  church 
floor  of  Rolvenden  was  often  covered  with  water,  and 
was  so  when  the  Rev.  Mr.  Durham  preached  to  a  large 
congregation ;  and  that  a  relation  of  his  came  twenty- 
two  miles  to  hear  him  ;  and  that  RussePs  brother,  now 
at  Greenhithe,  had  some  old  pieces  of  silver  found  in 
Hastings,  when  a  bushel  was  found  and  kept  by  Sir 
Godfrey  Webster.  At  night  Captain  George  Phelan 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  167 

of  the  92nd  Regiment,  lying  in  Jamaica,  called  in,  and 
bought  some  paper  previously  to  his  going  out 
in  the  ship,  Captain  Popplewell.  He  promises  to 
collect  curiosities  for  me. 

"Saturday,  llth. — Two  brent  geese  brought  me, 
shot  in  Burnham  River,  Essex.  They  cost  2s.  6d.  the 
couple.  Length  two  feet,  breadth  three  feet  six 
inches.  Sally's  sweetheart,  James  T.,  with  all  his 
religion,  very  drunk ! 

"  Sunday,  12th. — Sally's  sweetheart  called  to  make 
an  apology.  I  heard  he  was  drunk  at  the  meeting  ! 
So  much  for  his  religion  !  Four  wild  swans  seen. 

"  Monday,  ISth. — Heard  that  Mr.  Parker  had  been 
brought  down  from  London  and  buried  at  Milton. 
This  man  kept  the  Prince  Regent,  and  before  it 
the  New  Tavern,  which  his  father  had  kept. 

"  Tuesday,  14<th. — Had  a  beautiful  duck  brought 
me,  shot  at  Lower  Shorne  :  it  was  called  a  Merganser, 
otherwise  in  the  books  a  sheldrake ;  weighed  2J  Ibs., 
length  2  feet,  width  2^  feet.  It  breeds  in  Sheppy 
Island.  In  the  year  1820  this  day  was  the  coldest. 

"  Wednesday,  loth. — Mr.  Evans'  sale  began,  where  I 
bought  a  mattress  for  10s.,  and  ten  cloths  for  2s.  6d. 

"Friday,  17 'th. — Mr.  Evans'  sale  continued  and 
ended.  His  whole  effects  raised  above  704Z.,  which 
was  more  than  supposed  by  200L 

"  Saturday,  18th. — Snow  on  the  ground.  Fetched 
my  lots  away  from  Mr.  Evans'  sale  to  the  amount  of 
41.  7s.  6d.,  and  among  them  found  one  printed  by 
Franklin,  at  Philadelphia,  1744.  The  '  Encyclopaedia 
Britannica '  of  Edinburgh,  in  twenty  volumes,  fetched 
17/.  17s.  from  Mr.  Barber,  Gravesend.  Hasted's  twelve 
vols.  8vo,  with  Views  in  Kent,  the  folio  plates,  81.  2s., 


1 68  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

purchased  (I  believe)  by  Mr.  Harvey,  calico  printer, 
Crayford;  and  all  other  books  were  equally  high, 
especially  law. 

"  Tuesday,  2lst. — Not  so  cold  as  yesterday.  Last 
night  sent  a  letter  to  Mr.  George  Pocock  at  Oxford,  and 
one  to  Mr.  Spencer,  Chatham,  telling  him  all  Mr.  Bell's 
effects  (the  barrister)  were  to  be  sold,  and  now  lying 
about  his  house  in  confusion.  So  Mr.  Grafter  heard 
at  Mr.  Evans'  sale.  Keceived  a  letter  from  Frances 
Pocock,  saying  she  met  a  friendly  reception  at  the 
Eev.  Mark  Noble's,  where  she  was  introduced  to  the 
company  of  Colonel  Sims,  Mr.  Dominicus  (a  gentleman 
fond  of  flowers),  Miss  Noble,  Mrs.  Noble,  and  Mrs. 
Cress  well  (her  daughter)  ;  and  that  Mr.  Woodward  of 
Kingsdown  wishes  much  for  me  to  come,  as  he 
says  he  will  introduce  me  to  a  lady  of  great  antiquity 
and  pleasant  singularity  ! 

"  Wednesday,  22nd. — A  meeting  in  the  hall,  when  a 
subscription  was  raised  for  relief  of  the  poor  ;  at  which 
Lord  Darnley  gave  201.,  Dr.  Crawford,  10Z.,  Messrs. 
Brenchley  and  Son,  10L,  Mr.  Dennett,  5/.,  Mr.  Wade, 
5L,  and  others,  to  the  amount  of  114Z.  15s.;  and  Mr. 
John  Hooker,  baker,  in  lieu  of  subscription,  gave  forty 
quartern  loaves,  and  Mr.  William  Turner  forty  pounds 
of  meat. 

11  Thursday,  23rd. — The  ships  and  vessels  running 
on  shore  to  avoid  the  ice.  Many  birds  have  died  from 
the  frost,  particularly  bullfinches.  A  vestry  held  at 
Milton  Church  to  choose  a  vestry  clerk.  Candidates, 
Cruden,  with  Southgate  and  Pearson,  attorneys. 

"Friday,  24<th. — Printing  club  articles  for  Green 
Street  Green,  three  and  half  sheets.  Seventeen  wild 
swans  flew  (over  the  town)  up  the  river  yesterday. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  169 

"  Saturday,  25th. — The  frost  has  now  lasted  from 
the  9th  instant,  and  is  very  severe. 

"  Sunday,  26th. — River  filled  with  ice  right  across 
to  Tilbury. 

"  Tuesday,  28th. — Had  two  scarce  birds  brought 
me,  called  bramblings,  shot  at  ClifFe,  about  the  size  of 
chaffinches.  A  few  visit  Kent  yearly,  from  the 
eighteenth  to  the  end  of  the  month. 

"  Wednesday,  29th. — Earl  Darnley's  troop  dine  at 
Gravesend.  Received  I  Ib.  of  printer's  ink  (two  shil- 
lings) from  Pewtress  and  Co. 

"  Thursday,  30th. — Received  a  hare  from  Frances, 
and  a  napoleon.  Had  a  bald-coot  given  me  by  Mr. 
Hawkins.  Coals  are  one  shilling  and  sixpence  per 
bushel,  they  having  risen  six  shillings  per  chaldron 
since  the  frost !  Had  in  half  a  chaldron  from 
Toinlin's. 

"  Saturday,  February  1st. — Read  in  the  paper  that 
a  snow  bunting  had  been  shot  this  last  week  in  Sussex. 

"  Tuesday,  4th. — Bright  sun,  which  is  a  glorious 
sight  after  such  severe  weather.  Walked  to  Southfleet 
and  Green  Street  Green  to  take  home  one  hundred 
club  articles,  31.  14s.,  which  were  paid  for.  Heard 
that  two  uncommon  birds  were  shot  at  Southfleet, 
about  three  weeks  since,  with  strong  beaks;  one  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Rashleigh  had,  the  other  Mr.  Garland  had.  I 
suspect  them  to  be  bramblings.  Bullfinches  are  plenty 
in  orchards,  the  old  birds  having  the  finest  colours. 

"  Wednesday,  bth. — Heard  a  wild  swan  was  shot, 
and  that  Mr.  Hugget  had  bought  it  for  ten  shillings. 
A  merganser  or  sheldrake  shot  by  Mr.  Gladdish. 

"  Thursday,  6th. — Miss  Fuller  called  and  had  some 
books.  Mr.  Simmons  the  stationer's  rider  called,  and 


1 70  ROBERT  POCOCIL 

I  paid  him  the  balance  of  a  note  given,  which  he 
returned.  Heard  that  a  wild  swan  was  worth  twelve 
shillings  at  a  furrier's  for  skin  only,  but  the  body  is  not 
very  salable  in  Leadenhall  Market. 

"  Friday,  7th.— Rain.  Sally  went  to  Skib's  Cottage 
to  work ;  and  I  went  to  Greenhithe,  when  Mr.  Forrest 
paid  through  Mr.  Watson.  Heard  that  my  baskets 
with  fish  had  lain  three  days  at  Gravel  Hill — most 
likely  spoiled. 

"  Saturday,  8th. — Received  an  '  Oxford  Guide '  from 
George  P.,  who  said  nine  compositors  had  been  dis- 
charged from  the  Clarendon  Press,  and  that  no  works  were 
of  value,  except  Aldus,  Wasse,Wesselingius,  Ricobius,  or 
others  of  great  repute,  and  that  the  writing  on  the  long 
leaves  which  I  gave  him  was  Malabar  !  He  appears 
depressed  in  spirits.  My  man,  the  printer,  is  employed 
in  printing  papers  for  the  Rev.  Mr.  Woolmough,  a 
dissenting  minister,  in  order  to  form  a  society  for 
visiting  sick  members  and  praying  to  them. 

"  Sunday,  9th. — My  journeyman  printer  went  from 
me  this  day,  having  been  employed  since  the  7th 
of  January  last,  at  three  shillings  and  sixpence  per 
day,  whereby  he  has  got  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  of  which 
he  is  deserving,  as  I  found  him  very  steady. 

"Monday,  10th. — Went  to  Mr.  Trezise,  Commercial 
Tavern,  and  offered  him  a  bedstead  and  furniture  for 
7Z.  17s.  6d.,  which  twelve  months  ago  cost  HZ.  11s. 

"Tuesday,  llth. — Mr.  Thorowgood  the  letter- 
founder's  rider  called,  and  I  paid  him  for  what  I  had 
had  since  last  journey. 

"  Wednesday,  12th. — Agreed  with  Mrs.  Teasdale  for 
sale  of  a  spinet  for  two  guineas ;  one  of  which  she 
is  to  pay  down  to-morrow  on  delivery,  the  other  at  the 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  171 

return  of  Mr.  Teasdale  from  his  voyage  (on  the  cod- 
fishery)  in  about  three  weeks. 

"Thursday,  13 to.— The  Rev.  Mark  Noble,  Mrs. 
Cresswell,  her  daughter,  and  Miss  Noble  paid  me 
a  visit,  when  I  gave  Mrs.  Cresswell  a  reversed  whelk 
from  Whitstable,  which  is  a  great  rarity,  and  a  Bernard 
crab,  and  an  Helix  pomatia  (found  in  Sir  John  Dyke's 
park  on  May  1st,  about  five  years  ago).  Mr.  Noble 
bought  Fussel's  '  Journey  into  Kent/  octavo,  and 
a  '  Biographical  Peerage/ 

"  Friday,  14th. — Valentine's  Day.  Two  gentlemen 
(unknown)  called  on  me  to  buy  a  '  History  of  Graves- 
end'  (but  they  did  not),  when  they  said  that  a  Mr 
Illingworth  of  the  Record  Office,  Tower,  would  give 
any  information  in  that  office  on  liberal  terms. 

"  Monday,  1 7th. — Sold  Mr.  R — ,  assistant  at  Mr. 
Beaumont's,  surgeon,  Homer's  '  Odyssey '  and  *  Iliad.' 

"Tuesday,  Itith. — Employed  in  "composing"  an 
account  (additional) ,  of  the  subscribers  for  the  relief  of 
the  poor  of  Gravesend,  when  this  second  amount 
was  52Z.  2s.  4d.,  making  with  the  first  amount  a  total 
of  166?.  17s.  4d  distributed  in  and  among  the  towns- 
folks,  &c. :  thus  there  were  relieved  680  families,  and 
2330  persons  in  the  greatest  distress,  by  2741  quartern 
loaves  of  the  best  wheaten  bread,  1313  pounds  of 
meat,  and  24^  chaldrons  of  coals  !  I  cannot  close  this 
paragraph  without  mentioning  the  name  of  Mr.  James 
Wade  (of  Ash),  who  gave  liberally  five  pounds  ;  and  at 
every  such  subscription  he  gives  handsomely,  not  for- 
getting his  native  town  of  Gravesend,  where  his  father 
was  Mayor. 

"  Wednesday,  19th. —  A  gentleman  in  the  shop  whose 
features  so  resemble  Mr.  Blanchard  (part  owner  of 


172  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

the  Thames)  as  to  induce  me  to  think  he  is  his 
brother. 

' '  Thursday,  20th.— Worked  off  the  committee's  job 
about  the  poor.  Heard  Miss  Walsh  was  married  to  a 
Mr.  White  of  the  East  India  House. 

"Friday,  2lst. — My  birthday,  having  completed 
the  sixty- third  year  of  my  age,  being  born  February 
2Jst,  1760,  and,  thank  God,  retaining  my  general 
good  health,  and  having  outlived  most  of  my  enemies, 
and  seen  them  fall. 

"  Saturday,  22nd. — A  lady  called — Mrs.  Browne, 
No.  41,Edgeware  Road,  Paddington — and  bought  two 
conch  shells  for  four  shillings. 

"  Sunday,  23rd — Perused  Mr.  Charles  Clarke's 
quarto  pamphlet  on  '  Ancient  Seats,  Sinks,  and  Re- 
marks on  Chalk  Church,  Kent ; '  but  found  he  had  not 
been  quite  correct  with  the  inscription  on  one  of  the 
bells  in  Chalk  Church,  by  mistaking  a  letter,  and  giving 
in  Roman  capitals  what  ought  to  have  been  in  old  black 
capitals. 

"Monday,  24<th. — Heard  that  a  young  man  was 
drowned  from  a  fishing-smack  belonging  to  Mr. 
Fletcher  on  the  Terrace. 

"  Tuesday,  2Wi. — This  day  Mr.  Dill,  surgeon  of  H. 
C.  S.  Atlas,  out-bound,  called  and  said  he  would  bring 
me  home  a  bird's  nest  from  China,  made  by  a  species 
of  swallow  from  the  foam  of  the  sea,  so  said,  and  used 
in  China  as  a  favourite  dish  or  soup.  He  also  said  if  I 
would  call  at  his  house,  No.  3  7,  Devonshire  Street,  Queen 
Square,  London,  I  might  have  a  bird's-nestin  the  form 
of  a  bundle  of  hay,  and  if  not  at  No.  37,  then  try 
No.  43  in  the  same  street. 

"  Mr.  Peen  called,  and  found  the  ship  Charles  Pocock 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  173 

(my  son)  went  out  in  was  the  Sultan,  Captain  Chris- 
topher Yeoman,  bound  for  Smyrna,  which  sailed  from 
Gravesend  on  the  3rd  of  October,  1822. 

"  Thursday,  27th. — A  person  called  on  me  with  beads 
to  sell,  and  said  he  was  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Mawe 
the  mineralogist,  and  that  Mr.  Mawe  was  in  London 
when  it  was  thought  he  was  in  the  Brazils  !  This 
person  seems  to  understand  minerals,  &c.,  and  takes, 
he  says,  great  delight  in  music  as  a  composer.  The 
Kellie  Castle,  East  Indiaman,  sails  from  Gravesend. 

"Friday,  28th. — Had  a  dog  sent  from  Mrs.  Taylor 
of  Higham  Hall,  to  get  stuffed,  because  it  was  a 
favourite  dog,  which  will  cost  above  a  guinea.  The 
son  is  a  miller,  and  has  Gravesend  Mill  on  a  lease. 
Sent  the  dog  by  Newman's  coach. 

"  Thursday,  March  6th. — "  Composing  "  a  card  for 
Mr.  Ashdown's  niece,  Dartford.  Mr.  Ash  down  lives  on 
Bexley  Heath,  and  is  a  good  bird- staffer.  Election  in 
church  between  Glover  and  Gladwell,  for  assistant 
overseer. 

"  Friday,  7th. — In  the  evening  two  gentlemen  called. 
One  was  P.  C.  Banks,  Esq. ,  of  the  Honourable  Society 
of  the  Inner  Temple,  author  of  the  '  Dormant  and  Ex- 
tinct Baronage  of  England/  '  Honores  Anglicani/  &c., 
whom  I  found  a  very  intelligent,  pleasant  person, 
being  about  to  publish  in  two  volumes  octavo, 
boards,  price  twenty-eight  shillings,  '  Regalia  Curialia ; 
or,  An  Historical  Account  of  all  the  Grand  Solemnities 
and  Public  Ceremonies  ;  as  also  of  all  the  high  offices, 
hereditary  or  temporary,  appertaining  to  the  Royal 
Court  and  Crown  of  Great  Britain  :  the  whole  replete 
with  a  variety  of  novel,  curious,  and  interesting  Re- 
marks, Notes,  Annotations,  &c/  The  other  gentleman, 


1 74  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

I  think,  must  be  a  German  or  Danish  quaker,  and 
dumb,  as  he  never  spoke  a  word,  sat  with  his  hat  on, 
and  spat  on  the  carpet ! 

"  Saturday,  8th. — Paid  T.  Harris  my  rent  to  Christ- 
mas last,  when  he  talked  about  taking  away  the  large 
composing-room.  Bought  new  gridiron  of  a  poor  man 
for  Is.  2d.,  from  Deptford. 

"  Composed  a  bill,  to  print  500  copies,  that  a 
sermon  will  be  preached  in  the  Parish  Church  of 
Gravesend,  on  Sunday,  March  16th,  1823,  in  aid  of 
the  funds  of  the  Incorporated  Society  for  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  by  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Watson,  D.D.,  Rector.  Prayers  will  begin  at 
eleven  o'clock.  Yesterday,  came  into  the  shop  a 
woman  who  lives  at  the  Dover  Castle,  about  three 
miles  from  Gravesend,  who  said  her  mother  was  alive  at 
Ash,  and  108  years  old  !  having  been  born  in  1713 
at  Bexley  parish,  and  for  some  time  worked  for  Lady 
Fermanagh  at  May  Place,  near  Crayford  ;  that  she  had 
been  married  three  times,  and  that  her  maiden  name 
was  West,  and  she  would  die  a  West  (her  first  hus- 
band was  Vaughan,  second  Woodman,  and  third  West); 
that  her  appetite  at  present  was  very  good,  and  she 
could  walk  well  (which  I  know  she  did,  two  or  three 
years  ago,  coming  from  the  Dover  Castle  to  Graves- 
end)  ;  but  now  her  eyes  begin  to  fail,  and  she  is 
getting  blind,  but  she  did  not  want  for  plenty  of 
victuals,  as  Mr.  James  Wade,  of  Ash  (well  known 
for  his  repeated  charity  to  the  Gravesend  poor  people, 
where  he  was  born),  assisted  her. 

"  Printed  off  the  500  bills  announcing  Dr.  Watson's 
sermon  for  next  Sunday,  as  said  yesterday.  Heard 
Mrs.  Evans  was  dead.  She  was  the  mother  of  the 
town  clerk,  and  her  maiden  name  was  Mills. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  175 

"  Tuesday,  llth. — A  man  playing  or  claiming  on  the 
bells  of  Gravesend  Church  many  very  pleasant  tunes,,  as 
'  Oh.  dear,  what  can  the  matter  be  ?  '  &c.,  &c.  The  mode 
he  took  was  to  tie  tight  all  the  bell-ropes  near  him  in  a 
circle,  and  pushing  from  him  the  ropes  very  quickly, 
made  the  bells  strike. 

"  Wednesday,  12th. — At  night  Mr.  Grafter  brought 
a  foreign  round  fruit,  as  big  as  a  man's  head,  full 
of  prickles ;  and  it  resembled  a  hedgehog  rolled 
up,  so  exactly  that  I  was  some  time  (at  first)  before  I 
thought  otherwise.  On  looking  for  its  name  in  my 
botanical  books,  I  could  not  find  it  out  exactly,  but  I 
believe  it  ranks  as  a  cactus. 

(t  Friday,  14th. — Heard  that  a  great  fire  had  been 
at  Canton,  and  all  the  tea  burnt.  Mr.  Grafter  brought 
an  old  almanack,  made  by  twelve  pieces  of  wood,  cut 
out  in  Runic  characters. 

"  Monday,  17th. —  Heard  few  persons  gave  anything 
at  Dr.  Watson's  sermon  yesterday. 

"Tuesday,  18th. — Brenand,  my  late  journeyman 
compositor,  returns  from  a  journey  through  Kent,  and 
I  set  him  to  work  this  morning. 

"  Wednesday,  19th. — Printed  this  morning  twenty- 
five  posting  bills  '  for  petty  officers,  carpenters,  sail- 
makers,  and  able  seamen  to  enter  on  board  the  Albion, 
Captain  Sir  William  Hoste,  Bart.,  K.C.B.,  now  lying  at 
Portsmouth/  He  is  brother  to  Sir  George  Hoste, 
chief  engineer  at  Gravesend,  Tilbury,  and  Purfleet. 

"  Saturday,  22nd. — William  Brenand,  my  journey- 
man printer,  left  me  for  London.  The  assizes 
ended. 

"  Monday,  24th. — Cleared  out  of  the  composing- 
room,  in  order  to  have  my  rent  lowered  three  pounds 
per  year,  from  twenty-five  pounds  per  year. 


176  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  Tuesday,  25th. — Employed  in  placing  my  printing 
types  and  frames  in  the  upper  room. 

"Thursday,  27^.  — Settled  with  Mr.  Glover,  the 
assistant  overseer,  by  his  paying  me  twelve  shillings 
and  sixpence  balance — my  bill  being  21.  14s.  6d.,  and 
his  cesses,  one  church  and  two  poor,  21.  2s. — when  he 
told  me  they  got  about  ten  pounds  for  Dr.  Wat- 
son's sermon  last  Sunday.  Mr.  Pewtress,  stationer, 
called. 

"  Good  Friday,  28th. — Hawkins,  the  waterman,  with 
a  gentleman,  called  to  see  my  collection  of  curiosities. 

"  Saturday,  29th. —  The  new  butchers'  shambles 
occupied  by  the  butchers  the  first  time. 

"  Easter  Sunday,  '30th. — Walked  up  Northfleet 
Cliffs  and  saw  the  first  white  cabbage  butterfly, 
as  well  as  a  yellow  with  red  spots,  and  a  small  tor- 
toise-shell. The  common  bee  on  the  bloom  of  coltsfoot, 
which  this  day  first  expanded.  Got  two  orchis  roots. 
This  may  be  said  to  be  the  first  fine  day  towards 
summer. 

"  Monday,  3lst. — Mr.  Grafter  brought  me  yesterday 
a  small  brass  counter  of  Queen  Anne's,  with  her 
head  well  raised,  and  the  words  '  Anna  Dei  Grat.' 
On  the  reverse  was  the  queen  standing,  and  with  her 
right  hand  pushing  back  the  arm  of  a  seeming 
courtier,  who  is  seen  kneeling,  with  his  left  hand 
touching  the  queen's  knee,  and  holding  his  hat  in 
his  right  hand.  He  has  a  long  beard,  and  his  dress 
reaches  nearly  to  his  feet,  like  a  woman's  gown,  and 
at  the  bottom  are  the  words,  '  All  for  love/  Now  I 
cannot  recollect  any  part  of  the  English  history  that 
alludes  to  or  mentions  any  lover  Queen  Anne  had, 
except  her  husband,  the  Prince  of  Denmark. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  1 7  7 

"Tuesday,  April  1st. — Busy  in  "  composing "  Mr. 
Penman's  card  for  his  fishmonger's  shop  near 
the  market ;  and  also  Mr.  Grafter's  card  for  his  new 
cookshop  near  the  Fountain. 

"  Wednesday,  2nd. — Went  to  Wilmington,  and  got 
five  or  six  roots  of  the  lizard  orchis,  all  of  which 
must  have  grown  in  the  two  last  years,  as  when  I  was 
there  in  1821,  in  March,  only  one  root  was  left.  (Mem. 
I  killed  a  viper  there ;  which  I  have  done  every  time  I 
have  been  there;  although  to-day  it  was  so  cold.)  Came 
home  in  a  caravan  with  a  young  man,  about  twenty- 
seven  or  twenty-eight,  of  the  name  of  Hunt,  of  Borden, 
a  farmer. 

"Thursday,  3rd. — In  my  walkyesterday  I  saw  in  bloom 
besides  primroses,  violets  (white  and  blue),  veronica 
ivy-leaf,  alder,  hazel,  and  a  garden  flower  in  full 
blooni  (white),  I  believe  an  arabis;  but  the  season  on 
the  whole  is  very  backward,  there  being  no  black- 
thorn in  bloom.  The  common  willow  was  in  bloom, 
but  not  the  elm. 

"  Friday,  4th. — Read  the  '  History  of  Glasgow/  an 
octavo,  and  found  in  it  that  St.  Mungo  and  St. 
Kentigern  were  one  and  the  same  person  !  I  found 
also  that  Oliver  Cromwell,  and  several  other  gentlemen 
therein  named,  readily  signed  their  names  towards 
the  relief  of  the  inhabitants  of  Glasgow,  who  had 
suffered  much  by  a  dreadful  fire  which  happened 
there  a  short  time  before,  viz.,  on  June  17,  1652. 
This  document,  as  it  appears  in  the  appendix,  p.  317, 
of  the  '  History  of  Glasgow/  proves  that  Oliver  Crom- 
well was  possessed  of  some  charity  and  well  disposed. 
And  I  have  somewhere  else  read  that  when  the 
Bible  (I  believe  the  polyglot)  was  printed,  the  paper 


178  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

being  had  from  abroad,  Oliver  permitted  it  to  be 
imported  free  of  duty,  which  may  be  called  a  good 
trait  in  his  character  !  Wm.  Brenand,  the  printer,  re- 
turned. 

"Saturday, 5th. — "Went  toNorthfleet,  to  Mr. Locket's, 
when  Mr.  Higgins  paid  me  12s.  for  printing  200 
bills  for  contracts.  Got  some  Orchis  anthropophora  (?), 
and  observed  many  blackish  efts  busy  in  the  water, 
which  water  I  have  observed  rises  in  the  spring-time 
higher  in  those  chalk  pits  and  more  full  than  at  other 
times ;  nor  can  I  conjecture  from  whence  those  black 
efts  originate,  for  they  are  not  found  in  the  autumn. 
Much  rain  in  evening.  The  Duke  of  York  ship  came 
up  from  the  East  Indies. 

"  Monday,  7th. — At  night  I  settled  with  "William 
Brenand  by  paying  him  2s.  4d.,  which  made  up  his 
wages  of  Saturday  and  to-day,  and  he  is  to  stop  with 
me  at  '6s.  per  day,  until  I  get  something  that  will  pay 
well.  Miss  Cooke,  the  blacksmith's  daughter,  married, 
and  also  some  others,  at  Gravesend  Church. 

"  Tuesday,  8th. — Not  a  pleasant  day  yet ;  except 
Easter  Day.  My  man  William  began  setting  my 
Chronology  in  brevier.  William  had  a  shilling. 

"Wednesday,  9th.— Paid  Wm.  at  noon  Qd.  Walked 
with  Mr.  Peen  and  put  out  four  lizard  orchis.  The 
first  two  at  or  near  two  holly-trees,  about  fifty  yards 
to  the  south  of  the  turnpike  road,  in  the  hedge 
leading  to  West  Wood;  and  the  other  two  in  the 
same  hedge,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  up,  where  the 
militaris  orchis  grows  about.  Mr.  Grafter  gave  him  a 
shilling  at  night. 

"  Friday,  llth. — Walked  to  Dartford,  when  Mr.  T. 
Brewer  paid  me  in  full,  14s.  and  7s.  6d.,  and  saw  Mr. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  179 

Ashdown  of  the  Calico  Print  Grounds,  who  says  any 
Saturday  noon  he  is  at  leisure,  and  will  go  down  the 
marshes  to  botanize.  In  my  journey  I  met  many 
coaches  loaded  with  persons  going  down  to  the  ship 
launch  at  Chatham  to-morrow,  of  the  Prince  Regent 
a  beautiful  first-rate  with  a  round  stern,  being  the 
first  on  that  principle.  Gave  William  2s.  6d.  out  of  Mr. 
Grafter's  money.  Paid  Niel,  the  waterman,  a  shilling 
for  putting  on  board  the  Comet,  bound  for  Leith,  half 
a  firkin  of  plants  for  Mr.  Patrick  Niell,  printer,  of 
No.  10,  Old  Fish  Market,  Edinburgh.  Sent  by  post  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Niell,  saying  the  plants  were  forwarded ; 
and  in  the  firkin  was  a  list  of  what  rare  plants  I 
wanted. 

"  Saturday,  1 2th. — The  ship  launch  at  Chatham 
of  the  Prince  Regent — the  largest  ship,  I  believe,  yet 
made  with  a  round  stern.  Heard  a  person  by 
accident  was  there  killed.  Paid  William,  my  man,  9s. 
at  night  on  his  leaving  me.  Frances  Pocock  came. 

"  Sunday,  13th. — Frances  returns.  Put  out  two 
lizard  orchis  in  the  Claphall  Road ;  one  stout  enough 
to  blow  this  year,  and  the  other  with  only  one  leaf,  as 
if  only  one  year  old ;  so  that  I  suppose  it  will  not  blow 
till  1825  (watch it!).  Heard  first  nightingale. 

"  Monday,  14th. — Went  by  boat  to  London.  Waited 
on  Mr.  Simmonds,  and  gave  him  a  new  bill ;  but  the 
old  bill  was  not  returned.  Waited  on  Mr.  Pewtress, 
my  stationer. 

"  Tuesday,  I5th. — Went  to  Paddington,  and  much 
pleased  with  two  new  churches  I  saw  on  the  road.  I 
believe  one  was  Marylebone,  and  the  other  St.  Pancras. 
Slept  in  Bedfordbury. 

"  Wednesday,  \tith. — Wet,  uncomfortable.  Sold  old 
N  2 


i8o  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

type  to  Caslons,  of  Chiswell  Street ;  but  did  not  like 
their  price  or  behaviour.  Found  all  the  founders  in  one 
mind,  as  if  in  combination.  Mr.  Figgins  said  printing 
was  only  six  months  old  !  Bought  the  '  History  of 
Rochester/  and  some  other  books.  Came  home. 

"Friday,  18th. — Miss  Brenchley  married  last  Monday 
or  Tuesday  to  Dr  Day  of  Maidstone. 

"  Saturday,  19th. — Season  very  backward.  Mr. 
Brown  called  and  paid  10s.,  being  the  balance  for  his 
cards. 

"  Sunday,  20th.— The  5Z.  lottery  club  which  I  be- 
long to,  by  my  number  eleven,  viz.,  the  eleventh  week 
from  the  beginning,  is  to  be  found  by  my  day-book 
when  I  am  to  receive  it  from  Mrs.  Jones. 

"  Wednesday,  23rd. — Walked  to  the  boundary-stone 
in  Shinglewell  Lane,  marked  MP,  for  Milton  Parish 
(although  placed  on  the  Gravesend  side,  viz.,  west  side 
of  the  road)  ;  and  there  I  planted  (about  nine  feet  from 
the  said  post  marked  MP),  on  the  west  side  of  the 
hedge,  a  lizard  orchis  to  remain  as  a  breeder,  which 
root  I  had  brought  from  near  Roe  Hill  in  Wilming- 
ton. Those  roots  are  very  scarce,  and  I  want  to  pro- 
pagate them. 

"  Thursday,  24th. — Matthew  Buckinger  (grandson  of 
Matthew  Buckiuger  born  without  hands  or  feet),  having 
been  to  Mr.  Southgate,  the  attorney,  to  relate  his  claim 
to  two  estates,  one  the  house  wherein  Pierce,  the  copper- 
smith at  Dartford,  lives,  and  the  other  the  Arnolds' 
estate  at  Gravesend,  returned  back  to  Dartford. 

"  Friday,  25th. — Heard  it  was  the  Hebe,  brig,  bound 
to  Antwerp  with  shot  and  shell,  which  had  foundered 
off  Margate,  about  November  last,  with  Bentley,  the 
pilot,  on  board. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  181 

"  Saturday,  26th. — Mr.  Grafter  opens  his  cook- 
shop. 

"Sunday,  27th. — Began  my  MS.  book,  'Errata  in 
Past ;  or,  Mistakes  of  Authors,'  observed  by  myself  in 
the  perusal  of  books ;  noticing  my  own  '  History  of 
Gravesend'  first.  In  the  evening  visited  Mr.  Grafter 
to  see  his  new  toy  and  cook-shop  at  New  Tavern,  which 
I  prognosticate  will  not  answer,  but  get  him  in  debt. 

"  Monday,  28th. — Appears  the  first  fine  day  this  year. 
Old  Mr.  Spencer  from  Chatham  called,  and  I  gave  him 
a  direction  to  Mr.  Manning,  to  inquire  for  his  son  (I 
believe  a  special  pleader)  who  is  very  fond  of  heraldry, 
and  who  has  made  a  search  after  the  family  of  Selby  of 
Bucks,  of  which  family  young  Mr.  Spencer  thinks  he  is 
heir! 

et  Wednesday,  ZQth. — Bought  four  pink  conchs  for 
5s.  of  Ogleby. 

"  Thursday,  May  1st. — Elm-tree  just  in  green,  but 
leaves  not  expanded.  Heard  that  Mr.  Miller,  living  at 
Bristol,  near  the  river,  was  a  collector  of  shells. 

"Friday,  2nd. — A  gentleman  called  (I  believe  a 
clergyman),  who  said  Mr.  Streatfield  (I  believe  the  late 
high  sheriff)  is  making  a  collection  for  the  (  History 
of  Kent/  by  illustrating  Hasted  with  portraits,  MSS., 
&c.  The  gentleman  is  fond  of  fossils,  minerals,  &c. 

"  Saturday,  3rd. — Received  a  letter  from  the  Rev. 
Mark  Noble  of  Barming,  with  an  enlarged  pedigree 
and  notes  of  the  Robinson  families,  now  of  Densto.n 
Hall,  Suffolk,  and  formerly  of  Gravesend,  Kent.  Also 
a  letter  from  Mrs.  Noble  to  thank  me  for  some  orchis 
I  sent  her,  among  which  was  a  lizard  orchis  now  rare 
in  Great  Britain. 

"  Sunday,  4th. — Had  a  sad  cold  and  inflammation 


182  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

at  the  nose,  with  every  sign  that  I  should  be  ill.  Stayed 
within  doors,  and  read  over  two  or  three  times  the  letter 
and  communications  of  the  Rev.  Mark  Noble  on  the 
Robinson  families,  which  have  taken  several  branches ; 
and  his  research  for  names  has  been  most  laborious. 
He  is  a  valuable  friend,  and  has  kindly  promised  me 
his  assistance  in  any  of  my  literary  pursuits.  Mrs. 
Sarah  Noble,  his  wife,  is  fond  of  gardening  and  botany. 
So  is  a  daughter  of  theirs,  settled  in  Staffordshire,  a 
complete  botanist.  Another  daughter  is  a  Mrs.  Cress- 
well,  a  widow  with  two  children.  Colonel  Sims's  wife, 
and  a  daughter  unmarried. 

"  Monday,  bth. — A  gentleman  from  near  Tunbridge 
called,  and  bought  a  chalk  fossil, and  confirmed  that  Mr. 
Streatfield,  near  Bromley,  was  collecting  and  making 
illustrations  for  Hasted's  Kent,  as  before  mentioned. 

"  Tuesday,  6th. — Received  a  letter  from  C.  Clarke, 
F.S.A.,  saying  he  had  made  a  collection  of  MSS.,  for 
my  '  History  of  Gravesend/  and  requesting  me  to  come 
to  town  for  them  on  Thursday  next,  to  Nassau  Street, 
Oxford  Road.  He  said  the  Cottonian  MSS.  contained 
nothing  about  Gravesend.  Mr.  Dunbar  of  the  Middle 
Temple  called,  and  promised  books.  Wrote  letter  to  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Noble,  Barming,  to  thank  him  for  his  pedigree 
of  the  Robinsons,  and  to  Mr.  C.  Clarke,  F.S.A.,  saying 
I  would  meet  him  in  London  on  Thursday.  Mr. 
Craf ter  called  and  said  a  serious  charge  had  been  made 
against  him  (by  Wm.  Webster)  to  Major  Kelly; 
all  of  which  appears  to  arise  from  malice  by  Mr. 
Webster,  a  shopkeeper,  because  Mr.  Crafter  has  set 
up  a  shop  next  door  to  him.  I  have  always  found 
Mr.  Crafter  ready  to  do  good. 

"  Wednesday,  7th. — Mr.  Crafter  called,  and  said  Mr. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  183 

Webster  had  delivered  to  Sir  George  Hoste,  the  en- 
gineer, a  written  charge  against  him ;  when  I  told  him 
not  an  instant  should  be  lost  in  trying  to  make  friends 
and  stopping  such  a  serious  accusation,  and  I  was 
willing,  if  any  good  could  be  done,  to  act  as  a  mediator 
and  to  go  directly  to  Mr.  Webster ;  which  I  did,  but 
Mr.  Webster  said  it  was  too  late,  as  the  proceedings 
were  before  the  Board.  I  did  all  I  could  on  this 
occasion,  staying  with  him  till  past  twelve  o'clock  p.m. 

"  Thursday,  8th. — Overslept  myself  by  staying  out 
later  than  usual  last  night,  and  so  lost  the  boat.  Got 
on  board  the  Sally,  an  oyster-vessel,  from  Queen- 
borough,  employed  with  three  others  in  bringing  upon 
an  average  about  300  bushels  from  that  place,  the 
grounds  of  which  extend  from  near  Sheerness  to 
King's  Ferry.  Oysters  they  said  were  four  years 
coming  to  growth.  The  young  are  brought  from 
the  westward,  as  few  of  the  natives  live  !  Met  Mr. 
Clarke,  who  gave  me  my  books  and  MSS.— one  of 
which  related  to  Shorne — and  also  an  accurate 
drawing  of  Gravesend  Church,  which  I  shall  have  en- 
graved in  my  intended  second  edition.  One  of  Mr. 
Clarke's  sons  is  a  good  landscape  painter,  another  a 
surgeon,  who  went  a  voyage  in  1822  to  Greenland, 
and  another  afflicted  with  St.  Vitus7  dance.  Mr. 
Clarke  has  also  two  daughters. 

"Friday,  §th. — Heard  the  Thomas  Coutts,  East  India- 
man,  had  got  aground  coming  up  the  river  yesterday. 
Waited  on  Mr.  Coreton  and  sold  him  an  ancient  gold 
coin,  when  he  offered  me  good  Roman  copper  at  3s.  6d. 
per  pound !  Visited  Mr.  Manning,  of  John  Street, 
Adelphi, — Mrs.  Saxter,  a  distant  relation, — and 
Mrs.  Cross  of  Exeter  Change,  who  gave  me  some  of 


184  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

the  best  Scotch  ale  I  ever  tasted,  and  commissioned 
me  to  buy  (if  possible)  two  New  Zealand  heads  at 
three  guineas  each,  for  Mr.  Norman,  for  a  museum  in 
Dublin,  there  being  some  about  Gravesend !  One 
was  lately  sold  in  a  sale  for  thirty  shillings. 

"Saturday,  10th. — Visited  with  Mr.  George  Man- 
ning the  library  of  the  Inner  Temple  (about  ten 
o'clock),  which  is  the  neatest,  best,  and  most  elegant 
I  ever  saw.  Made  some  extracts  from  Sir  Henry 
Chauncy's  '  History  of  Hertfordshire ' — a  very  scarce 
work,  and  most  valuable  ! — and  from  others.  Stayed 
two  hours,  but  not  a  person  came  into  the  room,  except 
the  under-lib rarian,  and  the  librarian,  who  passed 
through,  saying,  <  I  hope  you  gentlemen  have  found 
what  you  wanted.'  Keturned  home  by  the  boat  from 
Billingsgate,  by  John  Creed,  and  found  my  cherry- 
tree  had  been  dug  up  and  taken  away. 

t(  Monday,  1  2th. — Fireworks  in  evening  in  the  field 
opposite  the  Globe,  or  Ordnance  Field.  Mr.  Grafter 
called,  and  said  on  Thursday  morning  last  he  went 
over  to  Major  Kelly,  and  brought  a  note  from  him  to 
Colonel  Sir  G.  Hoste,  purporting  that  it  was  not  the 
wish  of  Major  Kelly  to  proceed  with  any  charge 
against  Mr.  Grafter,  and  that  Sir  George  Hoste  had 
returned  to  Webster  his  charge  against  him ! 

"Tuesday,  13th. — Windy.  Waited  on  Yiggers 
about  the  taxes  due,  34s.,  who  behaved  very  violently, 
saying  he  would  not  give  me  any  indulgence ! — no, 
not  an  hour !  Walked  over  to  Northfleet  with 
some  parish  receipts,  but  came  away  without  the 
money. 

"Wednesday,  14*7*.— Sale  at  White  Hart  of  the 
property.  Got  some  bills  to  print  about  young  Francis 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  185 

Jewiss,  drowned  yesterday  off  the  town.  May  ready 
but  not  expanded  in  bloom.  Young  Jewiss  found. 
Walked  to  Northfleet. 

"Thursday,  16th. — Walked  on  the  hill,  and  found 
on  south-west  side  corn  salad  in  bloom,  with  the  small 
scorpion  grass  and  serrated  leaf  veronica,  in  the  road 
to  the  Blue  House.  The  leaf  resembles  the  Yeronica 
chamedrys,  but  is  not  so  large,  and  is  in  seed-pod 
this  day,  while  the  V.  chamedrys  has  but  just  come  in 
flower. 

"Friday,  16th. — An  East  Indiaman  (the  Clyde) 
expected,  wherein  is  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Scott,  of 
Twickenham.  This  gentleman  is  a  descendant  of  a 
Scott  family  of  Kent,  and  also  of  Fair  Rosamond. 
He  has  been  high  up  in  the  interior  of  the  East  India 
territories — to  Nepaul  and  Almorah — and  has  seen  the 
long  range  of  snowy  mountains  whose  heights  are 
much  above  the  clouds.  I  first  met  him  in  Mr. 
Prall's  shop,  the  chemist,  where  he  related  many 
anecdotes.  One  was  of  Admiral  Pocock,  whose  son 
having  married  a  Miss  Long,  was,  at  the  dinner, 
handing  her  to  the  chair  at  the  top  of  the  table ;  but 
the  old  gentleman  said  '  Stay/  and  seated  himself  in  it 
to  the  great  discomfort  of  the  lady — who  (Dr.  Scott 
said)  was  much  given  to  gaming)  to  the  hurt  of  the 
family.  I  think  he  said  she  was  a  clergyman's 
daughter ;  but  this  does  not  agree  with  my  pedigree, 
it  being  there  as  Miss  Long,  daughter  of  Edward 
Long,  Esq.,  of  Wimpole  Street  (?).  Dr.  Scott  related 
many  curious  anecdotes  whilst  we  were  in  the  shop  : 
one  was  that  the  late  king  going  into  a  mill,  and  the 
miller  opening  a  trap-door  above  him,  got  his  clothes 
all  over  flour,  which  the  miller  perceiving  came  down 


i86  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

and  tried  to  clean  off.  The  king,  so  far  from  being 
angry,  called  Lord  Chesterfield  and  another  lord  (I 
think  Goldsworthy)  to  come  and  look  up  at  the  place, 
when  the  king  desired  the  miller  to  open  it  again,  and 
down  came  much  on  them,  to  the  sport  of  his  Majesty  ! 
Another  time  a  Mrs.  Scott,  nurse  to  Queen  Charlotte, 
lay  in  an  adjacent  room,  whilst  nursing  his  present 
Majesty,  King  George  IV.  The  king,  who  loved  a  joke, 
slipped  out  of  bed,  and  took  away  from  the  nurse,  un- 
perceived,  the  child  to  his  own  bed,  much  to  the  wonder- 
ment and  dismay  of  the  nurse,  of  whom  the  queen  was 
jealous, — perhaps  not  without  some  cause. 

"Saturday,  17th. — Mr.  Pachefrom  Mardyke,  Hot- 
well  Koad,  Bristol,  called  and  bought  some  shells,  &c., 
lls.  Mr.  Watts,  a  gentleman  (from,  I  believe,  North- 
amptonshire), called  and  bought  some  shells,  and  said 
his  sons  were  botanists. 

"Sunday,  18th. — Mr.  Chambers  and  Mr.  Johnson 
called,  and  I  went  with  them  botanizing  to  Thong 
and  Shorne.  They  both  were  good  draughtsmen,  and 
wanted  plants  only  to  draw.  We  found  in  bloom  at 
Shorne  Eabbit  Warren  the  Narcissus  poeticus  ;  and 
on  the  verge  of  a  chalk  pit,  one  field  south  of  Shorne 
Workhouse,  going  up  Gad's  Hill,  the  Orchis  fusca, 
hitherto  called  Orchis  militaris  ;  on  the  bank  under 
a  broom  in  flower,  viz.  about  three  feet  off.  In  the 
field  above,  being  the  west  side  of  Gad's  Hill  Wood  on 
the  south  side  of  the  Dover  road,  I  planted  a  spider 
orchis  as  a  breeder.  On  the  north  side  of  the  turnpike 
road,  in  a  small  wood,  or  part  of  a  wood,  called  Chapel 
Wood,  we  found  the  Orchis  fusca,  the  bird's  nest,  the 
oxslip,  the  cowslip,  and  other  scarce  plants.  Caught 
the  grizzle  butterfly  in  Thong  Lodge  Field. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  187 

"Monday,  l$tli.— Mr.  Fitz  Strathern  (Mr.  Hume's 
lawyer)  called  about  the  Marchmont  title  and  estate ; 
when  I  told  him  that  some  years  ago  I  bought  of  old 
Mr.Hume  a  piece  of  magnetic  iron-ore,  when  I  believe 
he  at  that  time  related  a  story,  that  he  supposed 
himself  entitled  to  an  estate  and  title.  This  Mr.  F. 
said  he  went  from  Edinburgh  to  Stronsa  to  see  the 
sea-snake,  which  had  two  spinal  piths,  or  marrow, — an 
uncommon  thing  in  nature, — and  that  it  was  fifty-five 
feet  long,  and  its  mane  or  bristles  shone  very  much. 
He  was  sent  from  Edinburgh  by  order  of  the 
College  of  Surgeons  there.  I  told  him  Miss  Jane 
Burgess,  of  St.  Margaret's,  Hope,  had  sent  me  a 
drawing  of  it ;  which  surprised  him  as  he  knew  the 
young  lady,  whom,  he  said,  had  married  a  Mr.  Calder, 
a  surgeon,  who  used  her  very  ill ;  but  that  they  were 
now  both  dead. 

"  Tuesday,  20th. — A  regiment  of  soldiers  marched 
out.  Busy  in  printing  some  bills  for  the  sale  of 
'Frail's  superior  ginger  beer/  This  sort  of  drink 
has  only  come  into  fashion  within  a  year  or  two. 

"  Wednesday,  21,9^. — Betsom  Fair.  Paid  Mr.  John 
West  yesterday  8s.  Gd.  Settled  with  Mr.  Prall, 
chemist,  by  paying  him  for  the  pill  boxes,  and  he  for 
my  printing  200  bills  for  ginger  beer. 

"Thursday,  22nd.— Walked  to  Southfleet  with  Mr. 
Simmonds,  coast  inspector  in  the  Customs,  and  saw 
the  private  and  mourning  coach  of  Rev.  Mr.  Rashleigh 
(aged  77J  returning  from  Boxley,  having  been  there 
with  Mr.  Rashleigh,  senior,  and  his  son,  Mr.  Rashleigh, 
minister  of  Horton  Kirby,  and  a  Mr.  Brookes,  an  ac- 
quaintance, as  mourners ;  to  deposit  there  Mrs.  Frances 
Rashleigh  (aged  67),  who  died  on  the  14th.  She  was 


i88  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

a  Miss  Barville,  an  heiress,  and  has  left  one  son  and 
two  daughters.  Mr.  Peter  Rashleigh,  senior,  is  of 
Cornwall,  having  a  brother,  Thomas,  of  Blackheath,  a 
barrister.  Another  lately  dead,  Charles,  an  attorney. 
Another  a  merchant ;  and  another  possessor  of  a  valu- 
able collection  of  minerals,  at  Menavilley,  in  Cornwall. 
Charles  Kashleigh,  lately  dead,  Mr.  Simmonds  said 
was  very  unfortunate  by  being  involved  in  a  law- 
suit, the  expense  of  which,  he  thinks,  cost  above 
20,000?. ! 

"Mr.  Simmonds  was  much  delighted  with  the  prospect 
and  variety  of  scenery  in  our  walk  ;  and  coming  near 
to  Scotbury,  in  the  road  from  Southfleet,  in  looking 
to  the  north,  a  beautiful  scene  presents  itself  of  North- 
fleet  Church,  Fiddler's  Eeach,  and  part  of  Essex,  worthy 
the  attention  of  the  artist ! 

"Friday,  23rd.— Grays  Fair.  Mr.  Fitz  Strathern 
called  about  Hume's  business,  and  I  made  a  deposition 
that  when  old  Mr.  Hume  sold  me  a  piece  of  magnetic 
iron-ore,  he  said  that  he  was  entitled  to  an  estate  in 
Scotland.  I  made  this  deposition  before  the  justice  of 
Gravesend,  Mr.  Thomas  Johnson  (aged  76),  in  presence 
of  Mr.  Fitz  Strath ern,  and  have  a  copy  left  with 
me. 

"  Sunday,  2oth. — Mr.  Dadd  from  Chatham  called, 
and  bought  some  fossils  and  minerals.  He  is  collecting 
the  minerals  of  Kent.  Walked  to  White  Hill  and 
found  burnet  in  bloom. 

"  Monday,  26th. — Young  John  Whitbread  came  to 
do  anything  about  the  house.  Mr.  Scoones  called 
and  said  Colonel  Dalton  had  travelled  in  Russia 
and  Italy,  and  been  introduced  to  the  high  persons 
there."  [This  gentleman,  Col.  Dalton,  believed  to  be 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  189 

a  native  of  Graveseud,  was  colonel  of  the  West  Kent 
regiment  of  militia,  and  held  office  as  Equerry  in  the 
Duke  of  Gloster's  household.  He  built  and  resided  in 
Parrock  House,  now  used  as  an  industrial  school, 
in  Milton.]  "  Mr.  S.  has  an  elder  brother,  an  attor- 
ney, and  said  that  it  was  his  great-grandmother, 
Mrs.  Whatmore,  who  was  drowned  in  the  tilt-boat. 
His  sister  married  a  Mr.  Crawford,  an  engineer, 
and  he  has  a  brother,  an  attorney,  and  two  dead. 
Mr.  Warren's  rider  called,  and  I  paid  him  17 s.  for 
blacking. 

(t  Tuesday,  27th. — Mr.  Scoones  called  and  bought 
two  chalk  fossils  (5s.).  Bought  of  Mr.  Prall,  spirits 
of  salts,  1\d.,  in  exchange  for  clam-shells. 

"  Wednesday,  28th. — Bought  crescent  oyster  of  boy 
Penman  for  2s.  A  gentleman  at  the  New  Inn  cut 
his  throat  in  two  places,  but  by  my  assistance  re- 
covered ! 

"  Thursday,  29th. — Charles  Pocock,  my  son,  has  just 
arrived  in  a  ship  passing  the  town  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean. I  hope  he  will  be  more  grateful  than  he  was 
on  his  return  from  the  East  Indies.  Received  a 
nosegay  from  Mr.  Russel,  Swanscombe,  containing  200 
varieties  of  flowers.  Bought  some  chalk  fossils  at 
Northfleet. 

"  Friday,  3Qth. — Walked  into  Greenhithe  Marshes, 
and  coming  home  bought  some  chalk  fossils,  among 
which  were  teeth  of  h'sh.  Bought  shells  and  cement 
stones  of  Mrs.  Bennet,  Stone  Bridge  Hill.  Received  a 
letter  from  Mrs  Roe,  Woolwich,  saying  her  brother 
wanted  21.  worth  of  chalk  fossils  and  shells. 

"  Saturday,  3lst. — Sally  received  a  letter,  post  paid, 
from  Harwich.  Mr.  Champion  from  Maidstone  called 


IQO  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

to  show  a  MS.  of  his  on  Penhurst.  Charles  Pocock 
came  home  from  sea,  dirty  enough !  Shameful ! 
Sent  a  letter  to  Mr.  Eobinson  of  Denston  Hall, 
Suffolk,  about  his  family,  by  Mr.  Champion,  my 
nephew/' 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  announce  that  Pocock 
was  never  able  to  realize  his  hope  of  publishing  a  second 
and  improved  edition  of  his  "  Gravesend,"  for  which  he 
had  obtained  the  additional  materials  mentioned  at 
pp.  155  and  182 — 183  above,  and  at  p.  220  post. 


191 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Can  gold  calm  passion,  or  make  reason  shine  ? 
Can  we  dig  peace  or  wisdom  from  the  mine  ? 
Wisdom  to  gold  prefer,  for  'tis  much  less 
To  make  our  fortune  than  our  happiness 

The  man  who  consecrates  his  hours 

By  vigorous  effort,  and  an  honest  aim, 
At  once  he  draws  the  sting  of  life  and  death  : 

He  walks  with  nature,  and  her  paths  are  peace. 

EDWAED  YOUNG,  1780. 

THUS  have  we  accompanied  Robert  Pocock  through 
the  first  five  months  of  the  most  complete  of  his 
few  and  fragmentary  Diaries  which  remain  extant, 
namely  :  that  for  the  year  1823.  In  the  following 
pages  it  will  be  resumed  and  carried  to  the  close  of 
that  year.  Its  entries  will  afford  the  reader  many 
salient  opportunities  of  judging  of  his  character,  its 
defects  and  merits. 

It  may  be  thought  that  these  diurnal  entries,  follow- 
ing each  other  throughout  the  year,  are  tedious  in 
perusal  as  they  are  necessarily  detached  and  broken  up 
in  subject;  but  upon  the  most  careful  considera- 
tion it  has  been  felt,  as  indeed  has  been  previously 
observed,  that  where  the  means  of  exhibiting  the  course 
of  life,  character,  and  occupation  are  so  mainly  to  be 
derived  from  the  few  written  remains  which  have^sur- 


n)2  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

vived,  and  which,  have  been  here  with  difficulty 
gathered,  it  was  on  the  whole  the  more  faithful  work 
to  set  them  forth  and  to  let  the  reader  judge  of  the 
man  at  first  hand,  rather  than  for  the  author  to  have 
compiled  a  diagnosis  of  his  own,  and  to  have  withheld, 
as  would  then  be  excusable  and  even  necessary,  a  great 
part  of  the  data  upon  which  his  appreciation  or  depre- 
ciation had  been  based. 

"  Sunday,  June  1st. — Wrote  a  letter  to  Mr.  Spencer, 
junior,  Chatham,  that  the  Manor  of  Hertingfordbury,  in 
Hertfordshire,  in  1700  was  in  the  possession  of —  Selby, 
Esq.,  of  the  Inner  Temple,  to  whom  he  pretends  to  be 
the  right  heir. 

"  Monday,  2nd. — Wrote  a  letter  to  Mr.  Thatcher,  No. 
51,  Newman  Street,  London,  saying  I  could  supply  him 
with  shells  and  curiosities.  Also  to  Mr.  Miller,  near 
the  river,  Bristol,  saying  I  could  send  him  100  speci- 
mens in  chalk  for  a  guinea — I  mean  a  pound  note. 
Sent  a  love-letter  to  Mrs.  S.,  at  Mrs.  D.,  wishing 
for  an  interview.  Mr.  Aldersley,  with  a  (rent  well 
versed  in  reading,  called  and  read  MS.  of  Cobham 
Hall. 

"  Tuesday,  3rd. — Bought  a  palate  of  a  fish  in  chalk, 
single,  but  to  be  perfect  they  ought  to  be  conjoined, 
and  a  series  of  them. 

"  Saturday,  7th. — Settled  with  a  poor,  honest  woman 
of  Northfleet  by  giving  her  a  shilling. 

"  Sunday,  8th. — Mr.  Peen  returned  from  a  journey  to 
the  Isle  of  Oxney,  having  found  some  scarce  plants. 
Drunken  Millingham  from  Greenwich  (called  Tipsy 
Austen)  and  his  iriend  refused  seeing  my  curiosities. 

"  Wednesday,  llth. — Mr.  Hally,  nurseryman,  Black- 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  193 

heath  (Sir  Gregory  Page's),  called  and  offered  to  show 
nursery  and  garden. 

"  Thursday,  12th. — Professor  (Henslow)  of  Mine- 
ralogy from  Cambridge  called,  and  I  gave  him  some 
plants,  and  he  promised  some  from  Cambridge.  I  in- 
troduced Mr.  Peen  to  him. 

"Friday,  13th. — Mr.  Warwick,  dealer  in  shells, 
called  from  a  voyage  in  Van  Diemen's  Land,  &c.  He 
was  sent  out  by  the  British  Museum  to  collect  shells, 
&c.  He  is  here  waiting  the  arrival  of  the  Castle 
Forbes,  as  he  left  the  ship  off  the  Land's  End  ;  and  now 
has  bought  of  me  a  left-handed  whelk,  and  two  purple 
oysters  from  Scotland.  His  residence  is  in  Eoebuck 
Place,  Great  Dover  Road,  London.  Monsieur  Nodd- 
geriezn  Pfefferkorn  (pronounced  Peppercorn)  called, 
wanting  old  armour,  weapons,  &c.  He  is  captain  and 
aide-de-camp  of  the  second  brigade,  Dantzic.  Has  an 
acquaintance,  Heidegger,  colonel,  knight,  and  consul 
in  the  service  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  wanting  Greek 
and  Roman  medals. 

"Saturday,  i^th. — Sent  last  night  letters  to  Mr. 
Marshall,  druggist,  Vauxhall  Walk,  and  A.  B.,  there 
to  be  delivered  by  Mrs.  Hanson.  Walked  to  Green 
Street  Green,  and  waited  on  clergyman  at  Swanscombe. 

"  Monday,  16th. — The  sturgeon  brought  up  alive 
by  the  Favourite  smack  is  ten  feet  long,  and  weighs 
about  two  hundred  pounds. 

"Tuesday,  17 th. — Sam  Mud  (an  almost  idiot)  lies 
dead,  through  bite  of  Mr.  Brenchley's  dog. 

"  Thursday,  IVth.— Went  to  Hole  Haven  with  Mr. 
Peen  and  Mr.  BrowD,  and  drank  tea  with  Captain 
Kelly,  on  board  the  oyster- vessel ;  and  6n  shore 
Captain  Webb  gave  me  a  piece  of  peacock  copper-ore. 


194  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

I  walked  near  three  miles  in  the  island,  but  did  not 
find  the  common  stinging-nettle.  The  island  not 
favourable  to  botanical  excursions.  Saw  there  only 
the  mustard  in  bloom,  with  the  scarlet  vetch,  not  200 
yards  from  the  house  in  the  high  road.  Narrow- 
leaf  typha  to  eastward  of  house,  two  miles  off.  Heard 
from  Captain  Kelly  that  the  water  in  the  harbour  gets 
of  a  reddish  colour,  which  rain  dispels  ;  and  that  when 
of  this  colour  it  is  not  good  for  the  lobsters.  This  colour 
(the  cause  of  it)  is  to  be  inquired  into.  Was  only 
one  hour  and  two  minutes  coming  from  Hole  Haven. 
The  landlord  of  the  public-house  always  has  been  repre- 
sented as  an  uncouth,  disobliging  man ;  but  I  found 
him,  though  something  of  an  ignorant  man,  more  civil 
than  I  expected. 

"Friday,  20th. — Mr.  Daniel  Mackintosh,  a  young 
gentleman,  with  another  (lately  attending  Dr.  Corpue's 
lectures),  of  Port  of  Spain,  Trinidad,  West  Indies, 
promises  to  collect  and  send  me  butterflies,  hum- 
ming birds,  &c.,  for  part  of  a  woman's  head  I  let 
him  have.  Write  to  him  in  three  or  four  months  for 
his  promise. 

"Saturday,  2lst. — Spoke  to  Mr.  Gowers,  of  Essex, 
whose  female  relation  (Miss  Baldwin,  of  Grays,  Essex) 
I  went  to  court  thirty  years  ago  (viz.,  prior  to  my 
marrying  my  second  wife),  and  would  have  had  her ; 
nor  did  she  object,  but  for  some  secret  reasons  best 
known  to  herself.  Hence,  the  more  I  wanted  to  be 
married,  the  more  she  prolonged  the  time,  and  at  last 
suddenly  left  Grays  much  in  debt,  which  accounted 
for  her  behaviour,  for  if  she  had  been  so  disposed 
I  should  have  been  ruined  by  such  marriage ;  and  for 
this  conduct  I  have  often  said  she  was  the  most  honour- 
able woman  I  ever  met  with.  I  have  not  seen  her 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  195 

since ;  but  was  surprised  to  hear  she  was  alive,  and 
now  at  Shorne,  as  Mr.  Gowers  thinks. 

"Monday,  23rd. — Bought  two  puffins  of  a  boy 
found  on  Faro  Island,  near  Holy  Island,  sitting  on  the 
egg,  which  is  white,  and  one  only.  They  would  not 
get  off  their  egg,  but  suffered  themselves  to  be  taken 
by  the  hand. 

"  Tuesday,  24£/i. — A  young  gentleman  from  Derby- 
shire, a  mineralogist  and  botanist,  called  with  a  lady, 
who  said  she  had  some  bills  printed  by  me  a  few  years 
ago,  when  she  was  at  Gravesend,  with  a  reward,  to 
find  her  father  (who  had  strolled  away,  he  being  of 
weak  intellect)  and  found  him ;  but  he  is  since  dead. 
Bills  handed  about  for  forming  a  new  association  at 
Gravesend  for  protection  of  property,  on  the  dissolu- 
tion of  the  Northfleet  society.  The  lady  (my  confi- 
dant) whom  I  intrusted  with  a  letter  to  make  inquiry 
for  Mrs.  A.  B.,  at  Mr.  Marshall's,  druggist,  Lambeth 
Walk,  returned,  saying  she  had  seen  him,  and  the 
lady  whom  I  sought  for  had  been  married  very  well 
above  a  twelvemonth.  So  here  ends  my  hope  of 
happiness  with  her.  It  is  a  good  lesson  not  to  lose  an 
opportunity  when  in  your  power.  Mrs.  Angles  paid 
me  a  visit :  she  is  an  agreeable  woman. 

"  Wednesday,  25^. — Lord  Darnley's  daughter,  who 
married  Mr.  Brownlow,  I  hear,  lies  dead. 

"Thursday,  26^.— Walked  in  Clark's  garden  and 
gathered  specimens. 

"Friday,  27th.— Drank  tea  with  Mr.  Galton,  at 
Northfleet  (a  young  botanist),  and  his  aunt,  Miss 
Golding,  whose  brother  married  Miss  Pitcher. 

"  Monday,  QQth. — The  first  fine  summer's  day  this 
year.  Returned  Mr.  Lamburn  his  books  and  Mr. 
Rackstraw  his  magazines. 


196  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  Tuesday,  July  1st. —  Fine.  Grand  dinner  at  New  Inn 
for  eighty  people,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  who  danced 
on  the  bowling-green  Went  into  Essex  and  found 
the  flowering  rush  in  bloom ;  also  the  yellow  iris. 

"  Saturday,  bth. — Visited  Mr.  Scoones  at  Parrock. 
Saw  Colonel  Dalton's  library  :  only  Hasted  and  Fisher's 
edition  of  '  Rochester  '  belonging  to  the  county. 

"  Sunday,  6th. — Found  in  bloom  yesterday  the  Vicia 
crassa,  going  to  West  Wood  by  Denton's  Fields  (alias 
Baker's).  Also  common  cow -parsnip  (Heracleum 
spondylium), 

"  Monday,  7th. — Walked  to  Kingsdown.  Found  in 
field  next  Buffet's,  towards  Southfleet,  the  Campanula 
hybrida ;  and  took  two  brassy-thighed  insects,  feeding 
on  a  flower.' 

"  Tuesday,  8th. — Walked  toKnole,  through  Kemsing 
and  Seal.  Saw  at  Kemsing  a  most  curious  house,  or- 
namented with  box  and  yew,  worth  seeing  again.  Found 
growing  between  Kemsing  and  Seal,  water  dropwort 
(CEnanthe  fistulosa),  in  road  and  footpath,  near  a  place 
called  Noah's  Ark.  Saw  the  paintings  at  Knole  House, 
and  greatly  admired  the  portrait  of  Countess  of  Des- 
mond, and.  a  painting  of  the  present  Duchess  of  Dorset. 
The  eyes  of  the  Countess  of  Desmond  are  done  admir- 
ably, and  the  elegant  figure  of  the  duchess  is  lovely. 
The  number  of  rooms  took  up  two  hours  in  showing, 
and  the  collection  was  greater  than  I  supposed.  Called 
on  Mr.  Morris,  an  attorney,  in  Sevenoaks,  and  returned 
to  Kingsdown,  by  Kemsing,  where  we  had  tea  in  a 
miserable  public-house,  and  not  much  civility.  Found 
the  pomatia  snail,  going  to  Kemsing. 

"  Wednesday,  9th.— Walked  to  Otford,  a  better  place 
for  accommodation  than  Kemsing.  Called  on  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Waters,  who  lay  claim  to  the  estates  of  Waters, 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  r97 

at  Gravesend,  but  for  want  of  money  are  likely  to 
lose  them.  Heard  at  Otford  that  Mr.  Pain,  who  once 
lived  with  Lord  Frederick  Campbell,  was  alive  at 
Westerham.  Went  there,  and  found  him  just  returned 
from  a  journey  out  of  Lancashire.  Drank  tea  with 
him,  and  viewed  the  church  of  Westerham,  where  we 
saw  General  Wolfe's  monument ;  but  it  wants  a  much 
better  one  for  the  credit  of  the  person  and  town. 
Found  the  road  from  Brasted  to  this  place  the  best, 
and  the  country  also,  it  being  one  continuation  of  a 
delightful  spot.  The  like  before  I  never  witnessed — 
nothing  but  gentlemen's  seats,  fine  farming,  and  de- 
lightful shrubberies.  Returned  to  Kingsdown. 

"  Thursday,  1  Ota.— Walked  to  South  Ash,  to  see  the 
pinks  and  flowers  of  Mr.  Hodsoll,  a  very  ancient  family 
in  the  parish,  who  lived  in  a  very  ancient  house  (now 
being  modernized,  with  marble  chimney-pieces  and 
furniture,  because  Mr.  Hodsoll,  junior,  had  married  a 
Miss  Kettle,  from  Wateringbury,  with  a  fortune) . 

1 ' Friday,  llth. — Tired  with  walking  yesterday,  so 
placed  my  plants  in  paper.  At  a  court  burghmote 
this  day  Mr.  Matthews  was  chosen  town  clerk.  Lord 
Darnley  was  present,  and  much  opposition  prevailed 
against  his  Lordship's  interest. 

"Monday,  14ta.  —  Walked  to  Southfleet,  and  drank 
tea  with  Rev.  Mr.  Rashleigh,  his  son  (Rev.  Mr.  Rash- 
leigh  of  Horton),  and  his  two  daughters  (the  youngest 
of  whom  is  a  good  botanist),  who  gave  me  two  speci- 
mens of  Sibthorpia  Europea  in  bloom,  brought  by 
themselves  out  of  Cornwall.  They  were  going  to 
visit  Sir  Howard  Elphinstone,  settled  near  Cox's 
Heath,  and  then  to  Worthing.  Mr.  Townsend, 
from  Herald's  College,  called  about  a  picture  of 
Gravesend,  1692. 


198  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  Wednesday,  16th. — Dull,  windy.  Among  the 
paintings  at  Knole,  which  I  saw  last  week,  the  fine 
painting  in  the  hall  of  the  procession  of  the  Lord 
Warden  (Lionel,  Duke  of  Dorset)  after  taking  the 
oath  of  office,  at  a  court  of  Shepway  held  on  Breden- 
stone  Hill,  exceeded  for  grandeur  all  the  others ; — there- 
fore Haydon  is  right  that  historical  paintings  should 
rank  above  portraits,  and  be  the  chief  aim  of  the 
artist ;  but  pursuing  this  opinion  has  got  Haydon  into 
a  gaol,  viz.,  the  King's  Bench  !  But  if  one  portrait  ex- 
celled another,  it  was  her  Grace  the  Duchess  of  Dorset's, 
whose  full  length,  easy  style,  and  beautiful  figure  were 
the  admiration  of  the  writer. 

"Thursday,  17 th.— Sent  letter  to  Rev.  Mr.  Rash- 
leigh,  Horton,  that  reeds  for  thatching  were  sold  at 
40s.  per  100. 

"Friday,  18th. — Went  to  Mr.  John  Rackstraw's 
burial  (son  of  Gaynam),  aged  seventy-four :  buried 
in  Gravesend  Churchyard 

"Monday,  2lst. — Walked  through  Swanscombe 
Wood  and  drank  tea.  A  Rider  fond  of  fossils,  &c., 
called ;  dealt  in  tea. 

"  Tuesday,  22nd. — Mr.  Kemp's  son-in-law,  Mr. 
Turner,  called  and  bought  some  shells.  Walked  into 
Clark's  garden  and  saw  the  carrion  flower  in  bloom 
(Sterculia  hirsuta).  It  stinks  abominably,  and  appears 
to  be  fly-blown,  as  it  is  said  to  breed  live  maggots* 
It  comes  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

"Wednesday,  23rd.— Walked  with  Mr.  Turner  to 
the  mausoleum  in  Cobham  Park.  Saw  the  great 
chestnut-tree  (not  horse  chestnut),  said  to  be  thirty- 
two  feet  in  circumference.  Saw  a  kingfisher  bird 
about  the  pond,  in  the  poultry-yard.  Saw  a  heron 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  199 

on  its  nest  in  the  park,  the  others  having  bred  and 
gone.  Heard  Lord  Darnley's  daughter.  Mrs.  Brown- 
low,  died  in  child-bed,,  and  that  the  child  was  living 
at  Cobham  Hall ;  but  that  Mrs.  Brownlow  was  taken 
to  Ireland  to  be  buried.  At  Shorne  a  great  storm  of 
thunder  and  lightning,  with  a  beautiful  rainbow. 

"  Thursday,  24£/i. — In  our  way  through  Shorne  called 
on  old  Mr.  Chipps,  who  had  been  twenty -five  years 
in  Lord  Darnley's  service  as  poulterer,  but  had  left  him. 

"  Friday,  25th. — Lord  Mayor  of  London  at  Rochester, 
having  been  to  view  the  city  bounds,  gave  a  ball. 

"  Sunday,  27th. — Heard  Tilbury  Fort  was  in  the 
Duchy  of  Lancaster,  a  jury  having  sat  on  the  body  of 
an  infant  found  dead  in  a  closet  there  ! 

"  Monday,  28th. — Wrote  a  letter  and  sent  a  list  of 
British  plants  wanted  to  Mrs.  Smith  of  Gamer,  saying 
I  intended  to  publish  a  volume  of  Kentish  botany. 

"  Tuesday,  29th. — Paid  Mr.  Holderness  eighteen- 
pence,  balance  due  to  him  for  a  pair  of  breeches.  Mr. 
George  Pocock  from  Oxford  came  last  night."  [He  had 
a  printing  employ  at  the  Clarendon  Press.] 

"  Wednesday,  30th. — A  jury  sat  on  a  child  found 
drowned  in  the  Swan  Inn  well,  the  child  was  supposed 
to  have  been  stolen.  The  mother  had  travelled  from 
Manchester,  where  the  child  had  before  fell  down  a  well 
and  cut  a  gash  in  its  eyelid  :  otherwise  it  was  a  very 
pretty  child.  Walked  into  Northfleet  Brooks,  where  I 
found  growing  the  yellow  loosestrife,  a  beautiful  tall 
plant. 

"  Thursday,  3lst. — Charles  Pocock  going  to  Sierra 
Leone  in  Africa,  but  could  not  fetch  the  ship. 

"Friday,  August  1st. — Mr.  George  Pocock  returned 
from  Woolwich. 


200  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  Saturday,  2nd. — Charles  Pocock  goes  out  as  baker 
to  New  South  Wales  in  a  ship  called  the  Asia, 
Captain  Lindsey.  He  is  to  have  21.  5s.  per  month ;  but 
if  he  comes  home  in  the  ship  then  21. 10.9.  Witness  to 
this,  Mr.  Richard  Raspison  and  Mr.  Eliot,  waterman. 

"  Sunday,  3rd. — Mrs.  Cleveland  buried  from  the 
Compass. 

"  Monday,  4th. — Rainy.  Walked  to  Ivy  House  and 
first  saw  the  field  opposite  laid  out  as  a  garden  in  plots 
of  ground,  with  canary-beet,  &c.  &c."  [Now  part  of 
the  grounds  of  Milton  Hall.]  "  In  evening,  200  swifts 
flying  about  (high). 

"  Wednesday,  6th. — Horse-races  at  Chatham  Lines. 

"  Saturday,  9th. — Walked  to  Dartford  with  George 
Pocock,  and  took  home  300  club  articles  to  Mr.  Allchins, 
the  Two  Brewers,  Lowfield,  who  paid  me  41.  10s.  for 
the  same. 

"  Sunday,  \0th. — Mrs.  Rowe,  my  daughter,  came 
from  Woolwich. 

"  Monday,  llth.— Fine.  Went  to  Cobham  Hall  with 
Miss  Fuller,  Miss  Couves,  Mr.  George  and  Kezia 
Pocock  from  Oxford,  and  Sarah  Pocock,  my  daughter; 
when  we  found  the  days  of  viewing  the  hall  were 
Tuesdays  and  Fridays;  but  upon  my  writing  a  note 
to  Lord  Darnley  we  were  granted  permission,  and 
hurried  over  the  rooms  by  the  housekeeper,  who 
was  glad  enough  to  accept  of  2s.  6d.  for  ten 
minutes'  haste  !  Drank  tea  in  the  college  at  the  room 
of  Mrs.  Grant,  who  by  the  polish  on  her  goods  shows 
she  is  a  good  housewife. 

"  Tuesday,  1 2th. — Went  with  Mrs.  Rowe  in  a 
boat  from  Northfleet  to  Long  Reach  Tavern,  and  put 
her  on  shore  on  the  other  side  of  Dartford  Creek  to 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  201 

walk  to  Woolwich.  In  this  voyage  we  lost  our 
oar. 

"  Wednesday,  13th.- — Printed  some  bills  to  find  the 
oar  lost  yesterday  by  George  Pocock  and  myself. 

" Friday,  15th. — Attempted  to  reach  Dartford,but  got 
no  farther  than  Greenhithe  with  George  Pocock. 

"Saturday,  16th. — Cherries  IJeZ.  per  pound  in  the 
market. 

"  Monday,  1 8^.— Fine.  Walked  to  Dartf  ord  by  way 
of  Greenhithe,  and  fell  in  company  with  Mrs.  Backley, 
or  Bagley  (whose  husband  is  of  Apothecaries'  Hall), 
who  related  a  remarkable  story  of  her  child,  about 
seven  years  old,  falling  down  a  well  at  Northfleet  last 
year,  and  in  falling  pulled  the  well  lid  down,  and  so 
was  hid  in  the  well  about  two  hours,  until  a  woman 
came  to  draw  water,  when  the  child  cried  out,  '  I  am 
in  the  bucket,  draw  me  up ;'  but  when  nearly  up  the 
rope  broke  and  he  fell  to  the  bottom  again,  where  he 
remained  until  a  new  rope  was  got  and  a  person 
obtained  to  go  down,  who  brought  the  child  up.  The 
child  is  now  alive  at  the  same  house,  behind  the  India 
Arms,  where  the  accident  happened  last  year ! 

"  Thursday,  21  st. — The  walking-man  Wright,  aged 
fifty-eight,  is  passing  through.  He  has  a  shuffling  walk. 
He  starts  from  the  Montpelier  Gardens,  Walworth, 
through  Gravesend  to  the  twenty-third  mile-stone,  and 
returns  to  the  above  place ;  thus  making  fifty  miles  a 
day  at  fifteen  hours  per  day  for  fourteen  successive 
days. 

"Saturday,  23rd— Dull;  close.  My  stuffed  fish 
gives  out  moisture.  It  does  so  yearly.  Mr.  Turpin, 
an  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Elliot,  New  Road,  called  and 
bought  articles. 


202  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"Monday,  25£/z, — Very  hot.  The  first  sunny  harvest 
day.  Walked  with  my  son  George  to  Mr.  Baker's,  Orsett, 
and  there  saw  an  ancient  bedstead  made  of  thousands  of 
pieces,  and  I  believe  the  identical  one  which  Queen 
Elizabeth  slept  in  when  she  visited  Horndon  and  slept 
at  Mr.  Rich's.  Now  if  Mr.  Rich  was  ever  in  possession 
of  those  premises  it  will  confirm  the  idea.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Baker  behaved  with  great  civility,  and  gave  us  a 
general  invitation.  On  our  way  called  in  at  the  Cock, 
where  Mr.  George  Pocock  showed  how  two  ovals  could 
be  made  out  of  a  circle  or  round  table  without  wasting 
any  stuff ;  viz.,  make  a  circle  half  the  diameter  of  the 
other  and  cut  each  in  four  parts,  when  the  smaller  four 
pieces  will  exactly  fill  up  the  vacancies  of  the  larger. 

"  Tuesday,  26th. — A  fine,  red,  beautiful  fish  brought 
me,  with  large  scales  all  over;  the  dorsal  fin  18  rays, 
the  caudal  fin  20  rays,  the  ventral  9  rays,  the 
pectoral  14  rays,  and  the  anal  6  rays.  It  was  caught  off 
the  Town  Quay  this  day,  and  appears  to  be  the  Cyprinus 
nilotus.  None  of  the  fishermen  at  Gravesend  knew  it. 
Its  length  was  7  inches;  breadth  3  inches. 

"  Wednesday,  2  7th.— Walked  to  Dartford  with 
George  Pocock,  and  settled  with  Mr.  Samuel  Elliot. 
Saw  a  man  whose  hands  and  arms  above  elbow  were 
full  of  large  blisters  by  weeding,  he  said,  or  pulling  up 
May-weed  and  wild  parsnip  in  a  marsh  near  the  Powder 
Mill  Creek  and  River  Thames  (Long  Reach) ;  but  not 
seeing  the  weeds  I  cannot  tell  the  identical  species.  He 
was  put  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Hurst,  an  apothecary 
and  surgeon,  who  asked  the  man  if  he  felt  any  pain 
tinder  his  arm-pit,  and  seemed  to  say  if  the  blisters 
broke  there  would  be  a  sore,  and  it  was  a  dangerous 
case  !  Wasps  numerous. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  203 

"  Friday,  29th. — George  Pocock  goes  to  Southfleet, 
to  meet  Frances  Pocock. 

"  Saturday,  30th. — Frances  and  Mrs.  Jones  go  to 
London ;  George  Pocock  to  Dartford  with  Mr.  Brett,  to 
take  a  house  there. 

"Sunday,  31  st. — Mr.  Brett  came,  and  quite  abused 
me,  because  I  would  not  give  the  staff  out  of  my 
hand  ! 

"  Tuesday,  September  2nd. — George  goes  to  London. 

"Sunday,  7th. — Walked  to  Luddesdown  by  myself. 

"  Monday,  8th. — George  and  Kezia  go  to  settle  at 
Dartford  in  the  printing  line. 

"Thursday,  llth. — Walked  through  Swanscombe 
Wood  with  Mr.  Martin,  and  found  a  scarce  grass 
in  field  opposite  Spring  Head  Lane  (Polypogon  mon- 
speliensis). 

"Friday,  12th. — Fine.  Wright,  the  pedestrian, 
walked  (from  twenty-second  to  twentieth  mile-stone) 
fifty  miles  in  twelve  hours,  nearly  losing  by  about 
seven  minutes. 

"  Tuesday,  16th. — A  young  man  (of  the  name  of 
Wickham)  walking  fifty  miles  in  twelve  hours  (from 
twenty-second  to  twentieth  mile-stone),  which  he  did  in 
eleven  hours  and  a  quarter  !  I  walked  to  the  Tele- 
graph in  Swanscombe  and  drank  tea. 

"  Saturday,  20th. — Heard  Mr.  Christopher  Pottinger 
had  died  at  Canterbury.  He  was  a  singularly 
pleasant  man ;  friendly  to  Cobbettfs  works,  and  an 
enemy  to  most  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Government ! 
an  acquaintance  also  of  Capel  Loft.  The  early  part  of 
his  life  he  spent  in  hunting  and  shooting.  He  had 
travelled  in  France;  and  was  in  general  well  in- 
formed. 


204  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  Tuesday,  23rd. — Fine.  A  hornet  brought  me,  and 
a  monk  fish. 

"  Monday,  29th. — Printed  bills — 'Beer  4<d.  per  pot  at 
the  White  Hart/ 

"  Tuesday,  30th. — Sally  leaves  me,  to  live  at 
Woolwich. 

"  Saturday,  October  4>th. — An  insect  from  a  water- 
butt,  with  a  pair  of  oars  or  long  legs  and  two  black 
eyes,  and  hairy  under  the  belly  in  rows,  was  brought 
me  to  name. 

"  Monday,  6th. — Choose  Mayor  Day,  when  Mr.  Med- 
hurst  Troughton  went  out  of  office  and  Mr.  J.  Dennet 
was  chosen  mayor.  The  court  was  near  seven  o'clock 
before  it  broke  up,  never  known  so  late. 

"  Tuesday  ,7th. — Mr.  Oakes  and  Cruden  had  a  quarrel. 

"  Thursday,  9th. — In  the  night  died  Mrs.  Cruden, 
Mrs.  Pattinson,  Mrs.  Cleverly,  Mrs.  Eglintine,  and 
Mrs.  Nash  of  Chalk;  with  Mr.  Smithers  of  Parrock 
Farm,  who  some  years  since  was  footman  to  Mr.  Dalton 
of  Gravesend  (now  Colonel  Dalton). 

"Friday,  10th. — Miss  J.  Kashleigh  sent  me  two 
dried  plants,  viz.,  the  Cornish  heath  (Erica  vagans) ,  and 
the  sea-pea  from  Walmer  Beach,  near  Deal.  Busy  to- 
day in  printing  300  bills  (fcap.  size)  for  the  mayor 
(J.  Dennet,  Esq.),  about  violation  of  the  Sabbath  by 
publicans  suffering  tippling  on  the  Lord's  Day. 

"Saturday,  llth. — Last  night  Mr.  Nicholson,  shell- 
dealer,  No.  110,  Strand,  called  and  bought  170  chalk 
fossils,  at  one  penny  each,  and  a  flute. 

"  Monday,  13th. — Rain.  Wrote  a  letter  last  night  to 
Frances  Pocock,  saying  I  had  had  a  quadruple  dinner — 
viz.,  one  sausage,  one  potato,  one  piece  of  apple-dump- 
ling, and  one  piece  of  damson-pudding — by  myself,  and 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  205 

quarrelled  with  no  one,  because  no  one  was  near  me  to 
quarrel.  In  afternoon  paid  Mr.  Washer  of  Northfleet 
five  shillings  for  his  oar  which  I  lost  overboard  when 
with  George  Pocock,  &c.,  going  to  Long  Eeach  Tavern, 
through  fear  of  the  steam-boats  running  foul  of  us  ! 

"Wednesday,  15£/i. — Mr.  Smithers  buried:  Colonel 
Dalton  attended.  The  corpse  came  from  the  meadow 
down  King's  Lane,  and  Pennycoat  Lane1  into  the  road 
opposite  the  Globe,  and  so  to  Milton  Church.  At 
Gravesend  was  buried  Mrs.  Cruden,  aged  sixty-four  : 
Mr.  Harman  of  Croydon  attended. 

"Friday,  17th.— Mr.  C.  Clarke,  F.S.A.,  called,  on  a 
tour  in  France,  from  Boulogne,  where  he  had  resided 
three  months,  and  had  made  some  drawings  of  the 
ancient  churches.  &c.,  in  the  neighbourhood.  He  wit- 
nessed a  young  woman,  about  twenty-five,  taking  the 
black  veil  (with  much  sanctity)  for  a  period  of  five 
years,  assisted  by  some  nuns  who  pinned  into  her  head- 
dress a  few  artificial  flowers,  as  roses,  &c.  Mr.  Clarke 
observed  that  the  English  at  Boulogne  did  not  associate 
BO  much  together  as  might  be  expected,  most  of  them 
retiring  there  for  economy.  A  French  woman  called 
Boulogne  '  Little  England/  or  Little  London,  as  the 
inhabitants  imitate  the  Londoners.  At  Boulogne  they 
are  in  politics  Bonaparteans  ;  at  Calais  Bourboneans. 

"  Sunday,  l$th. — A  louse  seen,  with  black  eyes  ! 

"  Monday,  20th. — Fine.  Heard  the  discovery  ships, 
Fury  and  Hecla,  had  arrived,  and  were  coming  up  the 
river  !  They  went  out  about  May  1st,  1821. 

"  A  flock  of  wild  fowl  seen  flying  up  past  the  town. 

1  These  thoroughfares  meet  opposite  South  Hill  Bank,  the 
residence  of  Charles  Chad  wick,  Esq. 


2o6  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

A  gourbill  fish  brought  me  picked  up  near  Cleverly's 
Wharf. 

"  Tuesday,  21st: — Heard  the  discovery  ships  are  near 
Hull.  But  in  the  afternoon  they  both  (Hecla  and  Fury) 
passed  Gravesend  in  good  order:  I  went  on  board  the 
Fury,  and  the  commanding  officer  (Mr.  Henderson)  be- 
haved with  much  civility;  but  the  Hecla  proceeded  so  fast 
with  the  easterly  wind  that  I  could  not  overtake  her, 
whereby  I  lost  the  opportunity  of  seeing  Mr.  Fisher, 
the  surgeon  of  the  Hecla,  who  promised  to  bring  me 
home  some  curiosities.  Saw  several  large  Esquimaux 
dogs  alive  on  board.  Mr.  Henderson  said  they  had 
discovered  about  600  miles  of  coast,  dragging  their 
ships  along  and  proceeding  about  forty  miles  per  day. 

"Thursday,  28rd. — Busy  printing  200  bills  to  prevent 
gaming  and  holding  the  fair  after  half-past  eleven  at 
night,  by  order  of  J.  Dennet,  Esq.,  mayor. 

"  Friday,  24<th. — Gravesend  Fair.  Yery  fine  sunny 
and  dry  day.  This  day  is  generally  very  disagreeable 
weather.  I  remember  it  snowing  on  this  day,  and  fre- 
quently raining. 

"  Mr.  Storbuck,  pilot  of  the  Heda,  discovery  ship, 
called  and  said  he  had  the  following  account  from  the 
officers  on  board  her ;  viz.,  that  the  ships  were  frozen 
up  the  first  winter  from  October  6th,  1821,  to  the  2nd  of 
July,  1822 ;  and  the  second  winter  from  the  24th  of 
September,  1822  to  the  12th  of  August,  1823,— and 
that  they  saw  the  wrecks  of  two  ships,  the  stern  of 
one  and  part  of  a  cask  or  staves  from  another  ;  but  the 
name  and  time  when,  no  account  could  be  given  !  That 
the  first  winter  they  were  frozen  up  in  lat.  66°  1 1'  1 1", 
long.  82°  52'  80";  and  the  second  winter  at  Igloolik, 
lat.  69°  20'  42",  long.  81°  44'  34".  North-West  Straits, 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  207 

69°  48'  16"  highest  latitude,  and  the  greatest  distance 
83°  37'  15"  west  longitude.  That  they  found  inhabitants 
very  civil  and  useful,  about  sixty  in  number,  round- 
faced  and  greasy ;  and  that  they  discovered  about  600 
miles  of  coast,  but  many  days  not  more  than  forty 
miles  per  day.  They  brought  home  in  the  Hecla  seven 
dogs  and  in  the  Fury  fifteen,  which  dragged  an 
anchor  of  great  weight  from  ship  to  ship  !  The  dogs 
are  large,  with  erect  ears,  yet  appear  docile,  as  they  were 
unconfined  in  the  long-boat  and  the  ships — very  clean. 
Mr.  Fletcher  and  son  from  Rochester  called. 

"  Saturday,  25th. — Yery  fine  sun ;  second  day  of 
Gravesend  Fair.  Mr.  Fisher  of  the  East  India  House 
(formerly  of  Rochester),  an  able  antiquary  and 
historian,  called. 

"Monday,  27th. — Boa-constrictor  and  crocodile  at  the 
fair. 

"  Tuesday,  28th. — A  masquerade  ball  at  the  fair. 

"  Wednesday,  29^.— Heard  a  Hudson's  Bay  ship  had 
arrived  south  !  and  put  into  Falmouth  damaged  ! 

"Friday,  31st. — Hard  rain  in  the  night.  Many 
young  cod-fish  (four  inches  long)  caught  in  Lower 
Hope.  More  rain  fell  in  these  two  days  than  all  the  year. 

"  Monday,  November  3rd. — Rather  foggy  morning  : 
afternoon  dull.  George  and  apprentice  came  over. 
Mrs.  Wallace  gave  rent  to  Mr.  Harris  near  ten  at  night. 

"  Tuesday,  4th. — Very  fine.  Sun ;  wind.  Had 
brought  me  the  little  puffin  (Alca  alle),  a  very  scarce 
bird,  shot  near  Gravesend  ! 

"  Wednesday,  6th. — Abused  by  Mr.  Walton,  junior, 
toyman.  (Mem.  Never  deal  with  him  again.)  Busy 
to-day  assisting  George  P.  "setting  "  a  folio  bill,  sale  of 
Gore  House  effects,  Darenth. 


2o8  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  Thursday,  6th. — Casting  letters  for  George 
Pocock."  [Type  for  George's  Dartford  press.] 

"  Friday,  7th.— Sent  letter  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paul, 
settlers,  Van  Diemen's  Land. 

"  Saturday,  Sth. — Sun.  Paid  Mrs.  Deare,  for  making 
me  a  new  shirt,  Is. 

"  Sunday,  9th. — Sun.  Dry ;  fine.  Geo.  A.  Pocock, 
viz.,  George  Admiral  Pocock,  did  the  first  postingbroad- 
side,  demy,  for  Thomas  Braves  of  Gore  House  Farm. 

"  Tuesday,  llth. — Water  rail,  2£  ounces,  brought, 
shot  in  Lower  Hope. 

"Friday,  l^th. — Boring  in  market  for  a  fountain 
spring. 

"Sunday,  16th. — Bead  in  newspaper  of  the  death 
of  my  friend,  P.  Kerkman,  at  Ealing  on  the  7th. 
It  was  my  intention,  the  first  time  I  went  to  London, 
to  call  and  see  him ;  bu  t  delays  are  very  bad  !  Mr. 
Kerkman  was  a  compositor  at  Mr.  Nicholas,  Red  Lion 
Passage,  and  married  the  widow  who  kept  the  respect- 
able public-house  adjoining.  He  then  dealt  in  printing 
materials,  of  whom  the  writer  (K.  Pocock)  first  pur- 
chased his  press  and  types  on  commencing  printer  at 
Gravesend  ;  and  Mr.  K.  wanted  to  have  put  his  brother, 
a  stout  Irishman,  apprentice  to  (me)  R.  P. ;  but  he  did 
not  appear  bright  enough  for  that  business,  so  Mr. 
P.  K.  got  him  a  commission  in  the  East  London  militia 
(I  think  this  was  the  regiment).  Mr.  P.  K.  quitted 
the  public-house  and  got  into  the  firm  of  Lackington 
and  Co.,  booksellers,  Finsbury  Square,  and  afterwards, 
I  understand,  commenced  coach  proprietor,  and  re- 
sided at  Baling,  where  he  died.  He  has  a  son  a  bar- 
rister, who,  I  am  told,  promises  fair  to  become  an 
ornament  to  the  law. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  209 

"  Tuesday}  \8th. — Received  a  packet  from  Mrs, 
Smith,  Gamer,  containing  dried  specimens  of  plants 
and  confirming  the  grass  I  found  near  Swanscombe 
Wood  (S.E.  part  of  field)  to  be  the  Panicum  viride,  as 
I  thought;  and  that  the  sea-pea  is  peculiar  to  Wal- 
mer  (near  Deal)  in  Kent.  And  that  the  rare  specimen 
I  sold  her  (in  chalk)  is  called  '  Lunulites '  by  Mr, 
Mantel,  of  Lewes,  who  has  given  a  plate  of  it  in  his 
works  on  fossils.  Prize-fight  at  Dartford. 

"  Wednesday,  19^. — The  men  boring  for  water  in 
the  Market  Place  have  got  down  140  feet  through 
chalk  and  flint  only ;  but  now  have  come  to  some  hard 
substance,  which  they  have  not  been  able  to  penetrate 
these  two  last  days.  Exchanged  with  Mr.  Ryan, 
surgeon  at  Mr.  Warren's,  six  medical  books  for  No. 
12  picture,  '  Human  Life/  Mr.  Berry  (a  gentleman 
going  out  to  settle  at  Kingston,  in  Jamaica,  as  secre- 
tary to  Beckford  Wildman,  Esq.,  M.P.)  drank  tea  with 
me,  and  promised  to  send  humming-birds,  &c. 

"  Friday,  2lst. — Sun.  The  men  have  bored  1 51  feet 
in  the  Market  Place,  the  wages  for  which  come  to  30Z. ; 
viz.,  Qd,  for  every  ten  feet  boring,  viz.,  advancing 
from  the  first  ten  feet  6d.  per  foot  extra  every  ten  feet. 

"  Saturday,  22nd. — Mr.  Alder,  a  learned  and  scien- 
tific gentleman,  called  and  had  some  conversation, 
saying  he  had  had  a  public  disputation  at  Newcastle, 
at  the  request  of  the  mayor  and  corporation,  to  con- 
fute the  principles  of  Sir  Humphrey  Davy's  safety- 
lamp.  He  informed  me  the  high  sheriff  of  Northum- 
berland,—  Selby,  Esq.,  was  writing  a  '  History  of  British 
birds,'  &c.,  &c. 

"  Sunday,  23rd. — Went  in  evening  to  spend  an  hour 
with  Mr.  Alder,  and  with  much  pleasure  saw  his  draw- 

p 


210  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

ings  of  the  coal-pits  and  their  various  strata.     Drank, 
for  the  first  time,  whisky. 

"Monday,  24th. — Had  three  more  twelve-rayed 
star-fish  from  Whitstable  Bay,  brought  me.  Mallarn's 
sale,  where  I  bought  nails  at  threepence-halfpenny  and 
fourpence-halfpenny  per  pound. 

"  Wednesday,  26th. — Read  letter  from  Frances 
describing  Dulwich  College,  &c. 

"  Thursday,  27th. — Dan.  Bryant  bought  steps  of 
Mallam  for  a  shilling,  which  were  mine. 

(C  Monday,  December  1st. — George  Pocock  came 
and  "  set "  a  job  for  the  Mayor  about  the  watermen's 
apprentices  being  so  rude. 

"Friday,  5th.—  Walked  to  Grays  to  Mr.  Blaker's. 
Visited  the  brick-fields,  where  many  bones  of  the 
mammoth,  or  elephant,  were  found  about  a  fortnight 
since,  in  the  clay-earth,  fourteen  feet  down.  Mr. 
Ingram  of  Little  Thurrock,  just  by,  has  a  very  large 
one  found  there;  and  in  the  spring  of  1823,  a  socket 
bone  of  this  animal  was  found  there  which  measured 
four  feet  in  circumference  ! — so  I  was  told  to-day.  The 
men  who  were  at  work  sold  me  two  large  pieces  for 
a  shilling ;  and  in  the  brick-earth  were  nodules  of  a 
roundish  form,  and  hollow,  which  the  men  said  were 
called  '  race/  or  '  rase/  and  often  met  with  in  brick- 
earth,  and  if  put  into  the  brick  would  make  it  blow  or 
spoil  the  brick.  They  always  remembered  it  being 
called  'rase/  I  shall  call  it  a  tophus  for  the  present,  until 
I  am  contradicted  by  superior  judgment.  It  has  much 
the  appearance  of  a  bubbled  ball,  hollow  within,  and 
of  a  calcareous  substance. 

"  Sunday,   7th. — Observed  in  my  walk  to  Grays  on 
Friday  only  two  birds  on  the  sea-wall — viz.,  a  chaffinch 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  2 1 1 

and  a  lark — except  gulls,  although  the  sun  shone  de- 
lightfully; then  whither  are  the  birds  emigrated? — 
this  is  worth  an  inquiry.  I  think  the  history  of  birds 
very  imperfect !  I  forgot  to  mention  that  upon  wash- 
ing one  of  the  large  bones  I  brought  home  on  Friday, 
it  frothed  like  soap.  In  afternoon  visited  Mr.  Alder 
and  looked  over  the  numerous  views  he  had  got  to- 
gether of  Kent  placed  alphabetically,  and  although  I 
was  there  five  hours  could  only  look  over  letters  A, 
13,  C,  and  his  portraits. 

"  Monday,  8th. — Served  on  a  jury  on  a  sailor  killed 
by  a  block  during  the  storm  on  Thursday  last,  coming 
out  of  the  Firth  of  Forth,  about  twenty  miles  from 
the  Isle  of  May,  the  inquisition  stated  it  was  on  board 
the  Prompt,  Captain  Miller,  of  Leith,  about  two  ante- 
meridian, which  words  the  foreman  of  the  jury,  John 
Hopcraft,  senior,  did  not  understand,  and  asked  Mr. 
Matthews,  the  town  clerk,  their  meaning,  which  made 
a  smile  among  the  other  jurymen.  The  verdict  was 
'  accidental/  The  deceased,  John  Banes,  had  a  wife 
and  three  children  living  at  Leith,  and  through  the 
motion  of  Mr.  Hubbard,  one  of  the  jurymen,  the  seven 
shillings  coming  to  the  jury  was  given  to  the  widow 
and  children  :  the  other  expense  of  nineteen  shillings 
the  captain  readily  paid. 

"Friday,  12th. — Went  by  Newman's  coach  to  Dart- 
ford. 

"  Saturday,  13th. — Windy.  Mr.  Nelson,  the  under 
water-bailiff,  called  on  me  for  information  about  the 
open  navigation  of  Yantlet  Creek  into  the  Medway. 
He  said  Mr.  Smith,  a  person  of  the  Isle  of  Grain,  had 
indicted  the  City  of  London  because  they  had  ordered 
him  (some  short  timo  since)  to  open  the  communication, 

p  2 


2 1 2  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

which  lie  effected  by  thirty  men  in  twenty-four  hours  ; 
and  that  Mr.  Isaac  Starbuck,  an  aged  pilot  of  Graves- 
end,  remembered  about  sixty  years  since  goiug  through 
a  bridge  of  eighteen  feet  span  on  his  way  to  Snodland 
Paper  Mill  with  paper  stuff, — and  as  he  (Nelson),  in 
cutting  open  the  bar  or  communication  between  the  Isle 
of  Grain  and  the  hundred,  had  found  the  foundation 
of  the  former  bridge,  he  desired  me  (R.  Pocock)  to 
give  him  what  information  I  could  about  any  ancient 
map  or  document  relative  to  Kent  in  favour  of  the  said 
city,  which  I  did  by  saying  that  Symon's  map  of  the 
county  I  thought  the  best;  but  it  is  very  surprising, 
although  so  many  have  been  published,  not  one  yet 
(1823)  may  be  called  even  nearly  perfect,  as  they  are 
very  defective  by  not  pointing  out  the  different  ferries, 
locks,  impediments,  improvements,  and  many  other 
remarkable  things  worthy  of  notice. 

te  Mr.  Nelson  lives  at  Barge  Yard,  Lambeth,  and 
has  been  a  very  active  officer  for  many  years  to  the 
City  on  the  Courts  of  Conservancies.  When  the  great 
whale  was  taken  to  London  (which  I  accompanied  to 
sell  its  description,  on  a  speculation  that  answered 
well,  having  measured,  named,  and  described  it),  Mr. 
Nelson  daily  visited  it,  and  I  spent  the  evenings  with 
him  and  the  proprietors  of  it  until  it  was  ordered 
away  by  the  City  and  Admiralty  as  a  nuisance  (each 
claiming  it  as  their  privilege). 

i(  Wednesday,  Ylih. — George  went  to  Rochester, 
having  been  disappointed  by  Mr.  Evans,  the  book- 
binder, in  his  work.  At  about  nine  at  night  the  storm 
so  violent  as  to  blow  several  bricks  off  the  chimney, 
and  the  General  Harris,  East  India  ship,  ashore,  on 
the  north  side  near  Grays. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  213 

"  Thursday,  18th. — George  P.,  came  over  to  acquaint 
me  that  he  had  pacified  Mr.  Caldecote  about  his 
books  which  he  wanted  to  have  bound.  Mr.  Caldecote 
is  an  author  and  a  barrister,  but  now  old — above 
eighty  (?). 

"Friday,  19th. — Heard  that  one  Pallet  was  hung 
in  Essex,  on  Monday  last,  for  the  murder  of  Mr.  Mum- 
ford,  which  he  had  done  on  the  Monday  before  !  Quick 
work  ! 

"  Sunday,  21st. — Dull.  Spent  the  evening  in  looking 
over  more  of  Mr.  Alder's  views  of  Kent,  but  could  not 
get  farther  than  the  letter  G.  Many  are  very  rare ; 
and  among  this  copious  collection  saw  the  conduit  of 
Maids  tone,  drawn  by  my  friend  Mr.  T.  Fisher  of  the 
East  India  House,  who  favoured  me  with  a  visit  about 
a  month  since ;  and  others  by  my  friend  Mr.  Tracy  of 
Brompton,  the  bookseller,  who  always  wore  a  three- 
cornered  hat ! 

"  Tuesday,  23rd.~-Read  a  letter  from  Dungarvon,  in 
Ireland,  only  written  there  on  Saturday  last,  and  re- 
ceived at  this  place,  Gravesend,  this  morning  !  giving 
an  account  of  the  cheapness  of  living,  viz.,  a  goose  for 
9<i.,  8  Ibs.  weight ;  two  fat  ducks  for  3d ;  beef,  2d.  per 
pound  ;  mutton,  If  d. ;  sheep's  head  and  pluck,  3d.; 
whisky  and  brandy,  3d.  per  quartern;  porter,  3d.  per 
quart;  a  large  cod-fish,  Is.;  potatoes,  2d.  per  stone ; 
and  other  articles  in  proportion.  Received  a  latitat 
from  Rose. 

"  Thursday,  25^.— Went  to  Dartford  (walked)  and 
eat  a  Christmas  dinner  with  George  P.,  and  drank 
tea  with  Mrs.  Saxton,  who  is  a  very  frank  woman, 
with  a  large  family,  widow  of  Lieut. -Colonel  Saxton, 
and  keeps  company  with  all  the  principals  in  Dartford. 


2i4  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

Heard  that  the  man  had  died  whose  legs  were  broken 
by  the  caravan  the  other  day.  Very  mild  ;  I  may  say 
warm.  Saw  furze  in  bloom,  with  many  other  flowers 
there  .having  been  no  frost  or  snow  yet  to  hurt  any  flower. 

"  Sunday,  28th. — Mr.  George  Pocock  came  over,  and 
we  drank  tea  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alder,  both  of  whom 
we  found  scientific  persons,  well  acquainted  with 
chemistry,  geology,  and  biography,  in  which  last  Mr. 
Alder  has  made  a  great  collection  of  the  natives  of 
Kent,  and  also  Northumberland  !  Mr.  George  P.,  was  to 
have  been  home  to  have  heard  a  charity  sermon  in  Dart- 
ford  Church,  by  the  Kev.  George  Musgrave  Musgrave, 
AM.,  of  Brasenose  Coll.,  Oxford,  chaplain  to  the  Bight 
Hon.  the  Earl  of  Bessborough.  Mr.  George  Pocock 
married  Miss  Kezia  Smith  of  Brasenose  College ! 

"  Monday,  2,9th. — A  comet  said  to  have  been  seen 
this  morning,  but  it  is  more  likely  to  have  been 
Jupiter  rising  just  before  the  sun,  as  I  hear  Jupiter  is  in 
conjunction  with  the  sun  (?) .  Lightning  in  the  evening, 
but  distant.  Jupiter  is  said  in  the  Weeldy  Despatch 
to  be  in  conjunction ;  but  Mr.  Peen  finds  by  White's 
1  Ephemeris '  it  ought  to  be  opposition  ! 

"  Tuesday ,30th. — Received  a  letter  from  my  daughter 
Sally,  saying  she  had  engaged  herself  to  a  lady,  Mrs. 
Parker,  No.  12,  Terrace,  Clapton,  and  that  she  goes  on 
Thursday  next.  Received  letter  from  George  Pocock, 
desiring  me  to  lend  him  the  great  hammer,  rolling 
tools,  lettering  tools,  backing  hammer,  some  basil, 
and  anything  else  in  the  binding  business.  Mr.  R. 
Peen  called  this  evening,  saying  it  again  lightened  in 
the  S.E.,  and  that  the  comet  had  been  seen  three 
nights,  about  one  or  two  in  the  morning,  in  the  E. 
or  E.S.E.,  with  its  tail  perpendicularly,  but  not  high 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  215 

from  the  horizon.  The  late  comets  brought  very  warm 
weather,  and  within  this  last  week  it  has  been  warm, 
or  very  mild  !  Sent  a  caravan  box  to  Sarah  Pocock 
(by  Mrs.  Wallace),  by  Newman's  coach,  to  be  left  at 
the  Flower  Pot,  Bishopsgate  Street,  until  called  for. 

"  Wednesday,  31st. — Heard  that  the  comet,  first 
seen  about  the  29th,  had  been  announced  in  the  news- 
papers. This  morning  Mrs.  Saxon  (wife  of  Lieut.  - 
Colonel  Saxon,  of  the  East  India  Company's  Artillery) 
called  and  breakfasted — and  I  went  with  her  on 
board  the  Berwickshire,  Bast  India  ship,  with  her  son 
Charles,  to  get  him  a  berth  in  any  capacity,  but  without 
success.  I  gave  her  a  letter  of  recommendation  to  Henry 
Blanchard,  Esq.,  No.  1,  Broad  Street,  near  the  Eoyal 
Exchange,  whose  brother  is  an  East  India  captain/' 

Referring  to  the  whale  mentioned  under  date  the 
13th  December,  the  "Encyclopaedia  Britannica  "  tells  us 
that  "  an  ancient  perquisite  belonging  to  the  Queen 
Consort,  mentioned  by  all  our  old  writers  (and  only 
therefore  worthy  notice),  is  this  :  that  on  the  taking 
a  whale  on  the  coasts,  it  being  a  royal  fish,  it  shall  be 
divided  between  the  King  and  Queen,  the  head  only  of 
it  being  the  King's  property  and  the  tail  of  it  the 
Queen's.  (De  sturgione  observetur,  quod  Rex  ilium 
habebit  integrum,  de  balena  vero  sufficit  si  Rex  habeat 
caput  et  Regina  caudam.'  The  reason  of  this 
whimsical  division,  as  assigned  by  our  ancient  records, 
was  to  furnish  the  Queen's  wardrobe  with  whale- 
bone." 

"The  editor  of  the  (  Encyclopaedia'  is  ignorant  upon 
the  subject  of  whales,  as  the  whalebone  is  taken  from 
the  mouth  not  from  the  tail." 


2l6 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Harsh  poverty ! 

That  moth,  which  frets  the  sacred  robe  of  wit, 
Thousands  of  noble  spirits  blunts,  that  else 
Had  spun  rich  threads  of  fancy  from  the  brain  : 
But  they  are  souls  too  much  sublimed  to  thrive. 

WILLIAM  CHAMBERLAYNE. 

IN  the  before-going  Journals  which  have  been  set  forth 
so  fully,  and  perhaps  even  wearisomely,  a  very  good 
means  of  gauging  both  the  general  course  of  life,  and 
to  some  extent  the  character  of  their  author  is  afforded. 
The  reader  must  remember  that  he  had  never  received 
any  education  except  as  a  stripling  at  the  Gravesend 
Free  School,  and  all  he  afterwards  acquired  had  come 
by  his  own  unaided  powers  of  observation.  But  these 
powers  had  enabled  him  to  amass  no  inconsiderable 
knowledge  upon  many  subjects  with  which  the  public 
mind  was  not  then  so  conversant  as  at  present;  indeed  it 
would  be  an  act  of  injustice  to  estimate  his  attainments 
according  to  the  lights  and  advantages  of  this  day, 
when  the  diffusion  of  books  and  other  means  of 
popular  instruction  brings  knowledge  almost  to  every 
threshold.  He  was  looked  up  to  by  many  of  the 
poorer  of  his  townsfolk  much  as  Goldsmith  writes  of 
the  Schoolmaster  : — 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  217 

Yet  he  was  kind,  or  if  severe  in  aught, 
The  love  he  bore  to  learning  was  in  fault ; 
The  village  all  declared  how  much  he  knew, 
'Twas  certain  he  could  write  and  cypher  too  ; 
Lands  he  could  measure,  terms  and  tides  presage, 
And  e'en  the  story  ran  that  he  could  gauge. 

Having  now  completed  all  that  has  been  recovered 
of  his  Journals,  we  come  to  the  MS.  which  our  unwearied 
author  had  (p.  199  supra)  expressed  his  ^intention  of 
publishing.  It  is  entitled — 

OBSERVATIONS 

and 
MEMORANDA 

in 

BOTANY. 

By  Robert  Pocock, 

Printer  and  Bookseller, 

Gravesend, 

Kent. 

1821. 

And  in  a  later  part  of  this  MS.  he  has,  amongst  other 
information,  made  the  following  entry  : — 

et  Rare  plants  found  by  R.  Pocock,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Gravesend,  not  generally  mentioned  by  authors, 
nor  in  his  (  History  of  Gravesend  :' — 

"  Scirpus  sitaceus.     At  reservoir,  Randall  Wood. 

"  Caucalis  daucoides.  White  Hill  Field,  near  to 
Thong  Lane. 

"  Echinophora  spinosa.  Marshes,  bottom  of  Gaily 
Hill  Lane,  north. 

"Isatis  tinctoria.  In  Randall  Wood,  five  or  six 
plants  (1820). 

"  Lepidium  ruderale.     Northfleet  Dockyard. 


218  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

" Avenaria  verna.  Buffet  field  (south  side),  Southfleet. 

"  Orchis  hircina.     About  Wilmington  and  Eoe  Hill. 

"  Ophrys  aranifera.  Waste  ground  about  Green- 
hithe  chalk-pits. 

"Centauria  solstitialis.  In  Old  Road,  between 
Gravesend  and  Northfleet. 

"  Myosurus  minimus.  In  ditch-side  north  of  Shorne 
Battery. 

"Plantago  (proliferus  ?  ).  Two  roots  apparently 
distinct,  or  perhaps  come  from  one  root  joined  under- 
ground. I  have  observed  them  four  or  five  years  past 
on  the  saltings  (next  the  river)  between  Mr.  Rosher's 
house  and  Red  Lion  Wharf. 

"  Milium  lendigerum.  In  old  gravel-pit  near  East 
Tilbury. 

"  Symphytum.     About  Dartford  Paper  Mill. 

"  Erysimum  precox.  In  walk  from  church  to  Mill 
Hill,  Shorne.  This  plant  is  not  mentioned  by  Dr. 
Withering  in  his  3rd  edition. 

"  Campanula  hybrida.     In  Chalk  gravel-pit. 

"Pencedanum  silans.    Greenhithe  Marshes,  east  side. 

"  Anagallis  cerulea.     Fields  about  Luddesdown. 

"  Sordylium.     From  Tilbury  Fort  to  Chadwell. 

"Euphorbium  exiguum.     Fields  to  Swanscombe. 

"  Typha  angustifolia.     Ditch  at  Lower  Shorne. 

"  Jasione  montana.     Tilbury  (East)  gravel-pit. 

"  Papaver  hybridum.  White  Hill,  towards  Thong, 
September  30th. 

"Antirrhinum  orontium.     White  Hill  to  Thong. 

"  Lithospermum  purpuro-ceruleum.  Swanscombe 
Wood,  April. 

"  Anagallis  tenella.  Northfleet  Brooks,  September 
12th,  1813. 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  219 

"  Scilla  autumnalis.  Chalk  gravel-pits,  Aug.  20th 
to  October. 

"  Samolus  valerandi.     Tilbury  Marshes  to  Chadwell. 

"  Turritis  glabra.  In  Randall  Wood.  This  is  what 
I  supposed  was  the  wood  Isatis  tinctoria. 

"  Veronica  montana.     Grades  Hill  Wood. 

"  Ruppia  maritima.     In  ditches. 

"  Panicum  viride.  Field  next  or  near  Swanscombe 
Wood,  by  Spring  Head  Lane,  wherein  is  the  halk  hole, 
September,  1823. 

"  Erysimum  cheiranthoides.  In  Mr.  Pete's  garden, 
November  5th,  1824." 

The  reader  will  have  noticed  a  reference  in  the  Journal 
for  1823  (on  p.- 181)  to  his— 

ERRATA; 

or, 
A  Peep  into  some  Books : 

Whereby 
Many  errors  of  Authors 

are  pointed  out, 
And  the  volume  and  page  noticed ; 

So  that 
The  mistakes  can  be  easily  corrected 

with  a  pen, 
As  a  benefit  to  truth  and  future  readers. 


Motto. — Before  one  Author  finds  fault  with  another, 
he  should  correct  himself — 

WHICH  IS  DONE. 

By  (me)  K.  Pocock, 

Author  of  the  "History  of  Gravesend," 

"  Memorials  of  the  Tufton  Family," 

"  Margate  Water  Companion," 

&c.,  &c.,  &c. 

London : 
Sold  by  Sherwood,  Neely,  and  Jones,  Paternoster  Row — 


220  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

in  which,  treating  of  his  own  "History  of  Graves- 
end/'  he  says, — ee  The  author  now  regrets  that  this 
volume  is  neither  printed  with  a  good  pica  type,  nor 
of  a  fashionable  size.  In  it  we  find  page  165 
wants  to  be  transposed  to  164,  because  the  occurrences 
do  not  follow  in  regular  order  of  time  (the  narrative 
of  the  Duke  of  Albemarle  being  in  1667,  and  the 
building  of  Tilbury  Fort  in  1683).  Secondly,  in  page 
119,  so  much  as  relates  to  the  Manor  of  Melestun 
should  be  cancelled ;  because  the  author,  by  closely 
following  Hasted's  *  History  of  Kent/  has  fallen  into 
that  historian's  error.  The  mistake  perhaps  was 
originally  made  by  the  transcriber  of  Domesday  using 
an  I  for  anr,  and  so  Melestun  for  Merestun, — Merestun 
being  in  the  Hundred  of  Shamel,  whilst  Melestune  is 
in  Toltingtrough  Hundred.  Mr.  Hasted  thought 
Melestun  meant  Parrock,  but  on  looking  over  Hen- 
shall's  '  History  of  Britain,'  I  find  no  mention  of  Par- 
rock  in  Domesday :  hence  Mr.  Hasted  made  a  wrong 
conjecture. 

"  As  an  apology  for  the  type  made  use  of  in  the 
'  History  of  Gravesend '  (since  which  time  type- 
founders have  greatly  improved  its  beauty),  the  author 
assures  the  public  that  on  a  second  edition,  for  which 
he  is  preparing,  and  should  be  glad  to  receive  hints 
for  its  improvement,  they  shall  have  no  cause  for  com- 
plaint :  nor  yet  of  the  paper,  which  shall  be  a  quarto 
demy  size/' 

This  second  edition  never  saw  the  light,  nor  is  it 
believed  that  the  author  ever  completed  his  "  Errata ;" 
but  it  will  not  be  inappropriate  to  follow  up  his  self- 
accusations  in  reference  to  the  Gravesend  History 
by  stating  that  he  has  really  little  to  charge  himself 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  221 

with,  considering  his  opportunities  of  information. 
We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  W.  H.  Hart,  F.S.A.,  for 
pointing  out  that  the  foundation  by  Roger  Orger 
(p.  126)  of  a  daily  mass  in  Milton  Parish  Church 
upon  an  endowment  of  two  messuages,  two  oxgangs 
and  a  half  of  land,  &c.,  was  really  a  foundation  in 
the  parish  church  of  Melton  Mowbray;  but  in  this 
Pocock  did  but  follow  Hasted,  and  it  was  only  by 
recently  turning  to  the  inquisitions  of  February  20, 
11  Edward  II.,  No.  101,  that  the  error  was  detected,  as 
the  name  of  the  county  is  suppressed,  while  Milton-next- 
Gravesend  used  to  be  written  Melton.  Again,  it  might 
perhaps  here  be  added  that  the  reference  to  the  first 
meeting-house  for  Protestant  Dissenters,  at  p.  93  of  his 
History,  is  inadequate,  since  on  the  6th  of  July,  1702 
(1  Queen  Anne),  a  meeting-house  for  Baptists  is  cer- 
tified in  the  "  Bishop's  Registry"  at  the  instance  of  nine 
of  the  inhabitants,  whose  names  are  recorded. 

But  the  discovery,  which  would  most  have  pleased 
our  historian,  was  denied  him,  viz.,  the  will  and  the 
executorship  accounts  of  his  great  fellow-townsman 
of  1280,  Richard  of  Gravesend,  who  then  ascended  the 
episcopal  throne  of  St.  Paul's,  upon  which  he  sat  for 
twenty-three  years,  until  1303 ;  great,  not  for  his 
occupation  of  that  important  see,  but  for  his  personal 
character  and  attributes.  Especially  would  he  have 
yearned  in  sympathy  at  the  Prelate's  taste  for  books. 
His  Holy  Bible,  laboriously  and  painfully  written  out 
in  thirteen  volumes,  and  even  at  the  then  currency 
valued  at  forty-one  pounds  sterling,  he  appropriately 
bequeathed  to  his  nephew  Stephen ;  and  his  other 
works,  no  less  than  fifty-five  volumes  MSS.,  were 
valued  in  the  same  early  currency,  according  to  the 


222  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

executors'  inventory,  at  116Z.  14s.  6d — and  com- 
prised,, besides  three  other  copies  of  Holy  Writ, 
books  upon  theology,  and  canon  and  civil  law. 

Indeed  a  few  lines  may  well  be  devoted  to  the 
interesting  will  of  this  local  precursor  of  Pocock,  as  a 
lover  of  books ;  and  no  reader  who  takes  up  the 
Bishop's  will  fails  to  cull  many  evidences  of  his 
kind,  domestic,  and  amiable  character;  his  recog- 
nition of  his  obligations  to  his  predecessor  in  the  See 
of  London,  so  emphatically  expressed  by  the  word 
"  promoter ; "  his  touching  wish  to  be  laid  side  by 
side  with  him  on  the  floor  of  their  common  cathe- 
dral, with  the  stony  record  cut  into  the  pavement 
(as  in  fact  his  remains  were),  until  in  subsequent 
troublous  times  both  remains  and  the  memorial  were 
destroyed,  either  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  or  early 
in  that  of  Elizabeth. 

In  the  same  testament  the  Bishop  gave  to  his  niece 
Alice,  daughter  of  his  brother,  Sir  Stephen  Gravesend 
(living  at  Parrock,  then  the  local  squire),  one  hundred 
marks  for  her  marriage  portion;  while  to  his  brother 
himself  he  forgave  whatever  he  owed  him.  And  to 
his  nephew,  Eichard  Gravesend,  forty  shillings. 

Nor  indeed  could  a  testamentary  document  of  the 
kind  scarcely  be  indited  which  expresses  in  simpler  and 
more  touching  words  the  hopes  of  the  testator  in 
regard  to  the  life  to  come ;  and  as  Pocock  would  have 
given  this  record  (had  it  been  known  to  him)  promi- 
nence in  his  History,  so  its  present  disinterment  may 
now  be  not  inappropriately  dedicated  to  him,  if  it  be 
to  some  small  extent  reproduced  in  these  pages. 
The  Will  runs  in  the  usual  official  Latin  of  the  day, 
of  which  the  following  is  a  free  and  fair  translation  : — 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  223 

"  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  Amen:  A.D.  1302,  the  second 
day  of  September :  I,  Eichard,  the  unworthy  Minis- 
ter of  the  Church  of  London,  make  and  establish 
my  will  in  the  following  way.  In  the  first  place,  to 
Thee,  0  Holy  Redeemer  and  powerful  Saviour  of  souls, 
my  Lord  Jesus  Christ !  I  commend  my  soul.  To  Thee, 

0  great  High  Priest   and  true  Pontiff  of  souls,  I  com- 
mend the  whole  people  of  London  City  and  Diocese, 
beseeching  Thee  by  the  medicine  of  Thy  wounds  upon 
the  cross,  both  for  me  and  for  them,  that  full  pardon 
of  our  sins  being  granted,  Thou  wilt  grant  us  in  Thy 
mercy  to  enjoy  the  beatitude  promised  to  Thine  elect 
for  ever ! 

"  I  give  and  bequeath  my  body  to  be  buried  in  the 
Church  of  St.  PauPs,  London,  next  the  tomb  piously 
recording  the  memory  of  my  Lord  Henry  of  Sand- 
wich, my  patron"  [Bishop  of  London  from  1262  to 
1273],  "  so  that  my  tombstone  be  side  by  side  with 
his  on  the  pavement,  that  is  if  I  should  happen  to 
die  near  my  cathedral  church.  If  however  at  any 
distance,  then  I  elect  to  be  buried  in  the  nearest 
conventual  church. 

"  For  the  uses  I  have  made  of  earthly  things,  I  beg 
pardon  from  the  Creator  of  all  things,  and  that  by  what 

1  have  retained  I  may  not  increase  my  sins,  but  it  may 
the  rather  lead  to  salvation/' 

Further  on,  in  remembrance  of  the  poor  of  his  native 
town,  he  says,  "  To  the  poor  of  Milton  and  Gravesend 
I  bequeath  ten  pounds/ '  a  bequest  altogether  distinct 
from  the  twenty-seven  pounds  (or  more  if  necessary)  to 
be  distributed  to  the  general  poor  at  his  funeral.  Nor  is 
the  Bishop's  appeal  at  the  end  of  his  will  to  Robert 


224  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

Archbishop  of  Canterbury  devoid  of  interest,  when 
he  says,  "  I  humbly  beg  out  of  kindness,  as  for  old  com- 
panionship and  our  common  country's  sake,  that  he 
will  undertake  the  burden  of  this  executorship,  be- 
seeching him  and  the  other  executors,  by  the  sprinkling 
of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  they  would  be  such 
true  dispensers  of  my  goods  as  they  would  themselves 
wish  to  have  when  their  own  turns  come." 

Thus  Bishop  Grravesend  expresses  himself,  dying 
the  9th  of  December,  1303;  and  his  body,  taken  to 
London  on  the  15th,  was,  after  an  impressive  funeral 
on  the  day  following,  quietly  laid  under  the  floor  of  his 
cathedral,  below  a  simple  stone  of  "  ten  pieces." 

Though  it  does  not  appear  in  his  will,  he  founded  and 
endowed  the  Divinity  Lecture  at  St.  Paul's,  originally 
attached  to  the  chancellorship  of  the  church. 

Pocock  had  traced  out  (as  the  fact  was)  that  the 
Bishop's  same  nephew  Stephen,  of  Gravesend,  to 
whom  his  uncle  had  bequeathed  his  best  Bible,  became, 
in  A.D.  1339,  curiously  enough  (after  three  other  in- 
tervening prelates),  himself  Bishop  of  London,  a  see 
he  occupied  till  1398.  Being  a  man  of  inflexible 
probity  he  felt  unable  to  recall  his  oath  of  allegiance  to 
King  Edward  II.  after  his  deposition,  and  for  this  he  was 
imprisoned ;  and  while  the  Earl  of  Kent  lost  his  life  on 
the  same  account,  Stephen  was  ultimately  released  and 
pardoned  by  Act  of  Parliament  in  1336,  his  previous 
accusation  being  that  after  the  death  of  the  king, 
September  21st,  1327,  he  had  disseminated  rumours 
that  Edward  II.  was  still  living. 

Returning  to  Pocock's  career  as  a  topographer,  it  is 
believed  to  have  been  a  few  years  afterwards  that  our 
indefatigable  author  drew  up  his — 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  225 

PERAMBULATIONS  THRO'  KENT; 

or, 

Objects  in  that  County 
worth  seeing 

near 
The  Principal  Towns 

in  1827. 

By  R.  Pocock,  Gravesend. 
Describing  a  Kentish  Journey  of  about 

330  miles, 

Performed  in  days, 

With  the  probable  expense 

attending  the  same. 

The 
KENTISH  BOOK  OF  ROADS ; 

or, 
The  Traveller's  Companion 

through 
The  Turnpike  Roads 

in  the 
County  of  Kent. 

Describing 

The  different  cities,  towns,  villages,  gentlemen's  seats, 

remarkable  buildings,  fine  views,  and  other  objects 

worthy  of  attention  in  the  neighbourhood, 

With  the 

Distance  in  miles  from  London  to  the  several  towns,  &c.,  and  from 
one  town  to  another  on  the  several  roads;  the  rates  of  postage, 

market-days,  &c. 
By  R.  Pocock,  Gravesend,  Kent. 

London  : 

Sold  by  Sherwood  &  Co., 
And  by  all  Booksellers  and  Turnpike  Keepers. 
Price  Sixpence. 

But,  alas !  for  his  own  ways  and  means  !  His  Journal 
entries  of  the  month  of  May,  1823,  clearly  show  the 
bourne  to  which  Pocock's  worldly  affairs  were  rapidly 

Q 


226  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

hurrying.  What  an  insight  does  not  the  following 
entry  afford  ? — 

"  Waited  on  Yiggers  about  the  taxes  due,  34s., 
who  behaved  very  violently,  saying  he  would  not  give 
me  any  indulgence ! — no,  not  an  hour  !  Walked 
over  to  Northfleet  with  some  parish  receipts  "  [which 
he  had  printed  for  that  parish],  "  but  came  away  with- 
out the  money." 

In  February,  1822,  he  had  presumably  asked  the 
mayor,  Mr.  Millen,  for  a  little  pecuniary  help,  who 
appears  to  have  assented  if  he  could  find  a  surety  for 
repayment;  and  the  extract  from  the  Journal  conveys 
his  clear  apprehension  of  the  considerable  difference 
between  the  number  of  his  literary,  antiquarian,  and 
natural  history  acquaintances,  visitors,  and  customers, 
and  those  of  his  true  friends,  real  and  judicious.  The 
entry  runs  as  follows  : — 

"Saturday,  February  9th,  1822.— Fine  day.  Mr. 
Millen  (the  mayor)  kindly  offered  to  be  my  friend  (in 
case  I  could  find  a  friend) .  Some  author  has  observed  a 
man  may  think  himself  happy  if  he  finds  six  friends  in 
his  life.  I  have  often  said  I  keep  three  books  :  a  little 
one  for  my  friends,  a  large  one  for  my  acquaintances, 
and  a  small  one  for  my  customers.  My  late  wife  used 
to  say  our  acquaintances  were  so  numerous  that  we 
kept  a  public-house  without  profit.  The  best  senti- 
ment to  give  in  company  is,  '  From  injudicious  friends, 
good  Lord,  deliver  me/  " 

And  two  years  later  we  find  that  the  printing  of  the 
third  edition  of  the  "  Guide  for  Gravesend,"  the  first  edi- 
tion of  which  was  printed  by  Pocockin  1817,  had  passed 
out  of  his  hands,  and  had  gone  into  those  of  his  respected 
competitor,  Mr.  T.  Caddel,  his  declining  means  now  ex- 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  227 

hibiting  ail  the  symptoms  of  early  financial  dissolution 
and  catastrophe.    [This  work  was  written  by  a  visitor.] 

The  mischief  culminated — this  burden  of  impe- 
cuniosity — this  terrible  scourge  of  poverty,  to  which 
unworldly  men  knowing  little  of  that  which  is  sordid 
are  ever  so  prone  to  fall  victims — this  mischief  with 
which  Pocock,  like  others  of  his  class,  knew  no  mode 
of  grappling,  was  advancing  with  sure  and  steady  steps, 
and  was  now  about  finally  to  engulph  him.  It  came  at 
last,  when  his  furniture  and  household  effects  were  taken 
in  execution.  This  he  would  have  borne,  and  borne 
perhaps  with  equanimity;  but  his  museum  and  his 
deeply-prized  and  laboriously-formed  collections — 
his  fossils,  his  butterflies — were  sold  and  dispersed 
(see  p.  243);  and  he  himself,  alas!  became  houseless 
and  a  wanderer. 

Fortunately,  as  his  Journal  has  shown  (p.  203),  he  had 
lately  established  his  son  George  as  a  printer  at  the 
neighbouring  town  of  Dartford,  and  there  he  himself 
found  a  resting-place  for  the  soles  of  his  feet,  cast  out 
of  his  native  town,  impoverished  and  ruined  !  Happy 
privilege,  which  gave  to  the  son  to  be  a  refuge  to  his 
broken-down  father  ! 

But  this  refugee  was  not  a  man  to  surrender  his  at- 
tachment to  the  pursuits  of  his  life,  or  give  up  the 
practice  of  them  by  self-prostration.  On  the  contrary, 
he  began  to  repay  his  new  neighbours  by  sedulously 
setting  to  work  to  complete  a  singularly  full,  complete, 
and  exhaustive  history  of  that  town  and  its  adjacent 
parish  of  Wilmington  (forming  together  a  separate 
hundred,  one  by  no  means  unentitled  to  the  attention 
of  the  antiquarian  and  the  topographer),  and  he  followed 
up  this  labour  of  love  with  so  hearty  a  good- will  that 

Q  2 


228  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

even  now  it  is  computed  that  the  MS.  materials  re- 
maining extant,  are  equal  to  an  octavo  of  600  pages. 
The  difficulty,  however,  with  him  was  not  the  labour — 
not  at  all, — his  industry,  and  his  love  of  information, 
whether  ancient  or  modern,  impelled  him  forward  in 
spite  of  ordinary  obstacles  ;  but  it  was  his  poverty — 
here  was  the  bane. 

We  offer  no  excuse  for  presenting  the  prospectus, 
title-page,  and  preface  of  this  latter  work,  with  which  he 
may  truly  be  said  to  have  ' '  been  in  labour,"  asking  that 
it  may  be  remembered  that,  owing  to  circumstances,  they 
are  but  rough  drafts,  which  he  would  have  corrected 
and  improved  had  events  permitted.  He  was  a  great 
admirer  of  Hasted,  the  historian  of  Kent,  and  had  de- 
fended his  good  name  and  fame,  as  we  have  seen,  in 
the  "  Gentleman's  Magazine,"  especially  in  1812,  and 
he  wished  this  new  work  in  the  land  of  his  adoption,  or 
of  his  proscription,  to  have  corresponded  in  type  and 
character  with,  and  to  have  formed  an  extra  volume 
to,  Hasted's  "  Kent "  (in  eight  volumes  octavo). 

It  is  considered  that  Pocock's  flight  to  Dartford 
occurred  in  the  spring  of  1827,  as  the  author  has  seen 
a  letter  from  his  friend  and  fellow-antiquary,  Mr.  Clarke, 
addressed  under  date  the  31st  of  March  in  that  year 
to  him,  "  under  the  care  of  his  son,  George  Pocock, 
printer,  Dartford ;"  though  it  is  equally  clear  that  the 
poor-rate  receipts  for  Gravesend  for  use  subsequent  to 
Easter  were  printed  by  the  father,  and  bore  on  the 
foil  of  each,  "  R.  Pocock,  printer,  Gravesend,  Kent  j" 
such  receipts  are,  however,  invariably  prepared  and 
printed  several  weeks  in  advance. 

It  may  savour  of  encroachment  upon  the  reader  to 
set  forth  in  esctenso,  not  alone  the  draft  prospectus 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  229 

but  the  dedication  also,  and  the  somewhat  singular 
prefatory  remarks  to  this  "  History  of  Dartford  and 
Wilmington ; "  but  the  extenuation  is  to  be  found  in 
the  circumstance  that  these  lines  will  constitute  all 
which  will  ever  appear  of  this  his  last  abortive  and 
strangled-for-want-of-means  compilation;  and  as  we 
have  very  sparsely  dealt  with  his  printed  works,  since, 
having  been  published,  they  are  so  far  accessible; 
so  in  the  case  of  an  unpublished  MS.,  as  it  never 
can  be  otherwise  known  or  come  at,  a  little  more 
licence  seems  permissible. 


230 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Ah,  worthless  wit !  to  train  me  to  this  woe : 
Deceitful  arts  that  nourish  discontent ; 

111  thrive  the  folly  that  bewitch'd  me  so  ! 
Vain  thought,  adieu  !  for  now  I  will  repent — 

And  yet  my  wants  persuade  me  to  proceed, 

For  none  take  pity  of  a  scholar's  need. 

Ah,  friends ! — no  friends  that  then  ungentle  frown 
When  changing  fortune  casts  us  headlong  down. 

THOMAS  NASH. 

WHIN,  alas !  it  is  remembered  that  all  the  care- 
ful preparation  of  600  pages  octavo  for  this  Dartford 
History  was  doomed  to  fall  flat,  prostrate,  fruitless, 
and  still-born  for  want  of  a  few  pounds,  how  forcibly 
we  are  struck  by  the  marvellous  and  chilling  de- 
pendence of  mind  upon  matter.  Such  failures,  in- 
deed, enable  one  to  appreciate  the  value  in  bygone 
days  (before  the  vast  increase  of  readers  supplied  a 
remedy),  of  that  encouragement  which  wealth  and 
position  offered  to  talented  poverty — a  relation  which 
admits  of  being  as  dignified  as  it  may  be  degraded ; 
for  what  fair-minded  judgment  would  fail  to  recog- 
nize, in  such  kindly  and  timely  encouragement  of 
letters,  that  the  needy  author  far  more  than  repaid  the 
patron  by  linking  him  as  a  joint  tenant  in  the  in- 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  231 

heritauce  of  gratitude  of  the  future.  Without  fur- 
ther delay,  let  us  produce  Pocock's  own  words : — 

"1827. 

"  PROSPECTUS  FOE  THE  HISTORY  OF  DARTFORD. 
"  Printed  for  the  author ;  a  poor  old  man  with  a 
proud  spirit  of  independence  which  do  not  agree  and 
who  can  ill  afford  it.  He  is  obliged  by  his  loyalty 
and  duty  in  obeying  the  laws  of  the  land,  to  make  a 
present  of  eleven  books  when  finished  (value  above 
eleven  guineas)  to  the  British  Museum  and  other 
public  bodies. 

"  Ready  for  the  Press  and  will  be  published,  for 
subscribers  only,  when  a  sufficient  number  of  names 
are  obtained  to  cover  the  expense,  in  one  volume, 
price  one  guinea,  in  boards,  illustrated  with  plates  and 
copious  notes — the  type  to  correspond  with  Hasted's 
octavo  edition  of '  Kent/  to  which  it  may  be  deemed  an 
extra  or  supplementary  volume — 

THE  HISTORY  OF 

DARTFORD  AND  WILMINGTON, 

IN  THE  COUNTY  OF  KENT  ; 

extracted  from  parish  records,  registers,  wills,  and 
documents  of  authenticity,  comprising  various  depart- 
ments ;  viz.,  ecclesiastical  churches,  chapels,  priories, 
buildings,  monumental  inscriptions,  chantries,  an- 
tiquities, cemeteries,  medals,  coins,  tournaments,  traffic, 
commerce,  manufactories,  government,  biography, 
heraldic  information,  geology,  sewers,  agriculture, 
botany,  natural  history,  military  stations,  bowmen, 
palace  customs,  manors,  views,  walks,  recreations, 
chronology,  and  other  miscellaneous  information; 
with  some  account  of  the  environs,  by  R.  Pocock, 


232  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

author  of  the  '  History  of  Gravesend  and  Milton  in 
Kent ;'  '  Memorials  of  the  Tufton  Family,  Earls  of 
Thanet/  '  Margate  Water  Companion/  &c.  Subscrip- 
tions received  at  the  Banking  House  of  Messrs.  Master- 
man  and  Co.,  Gracechurch,  London. 

"  PEOSPECTUS. 

"  Our  topography  commenced  in  the  reign  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,  and  was  at  that  time  considered  a  new,  prin- 
cipal, and  leading  feature  in  fashionable  literature ;  it 
has  embraced  attention  and  employed  the  pens  of 
several  eminent  writers  from  the  days  of  the  respected 
Lambarde,  the  famous  Camden,  the  useful  Thorpe,  the 
decorative  Gough,  Grose,  &c.,  down  to  the  laborious 
Hasted,  with  his  own  contemporaries,  Denne,  Cousens, 
Parsons,  Noble,  &c. 

<f  The  numerous  events  which  have  happened  in  the 
county  of  Kent  have  caused  many  topographical  pub- 
lications, and  although  most  of  the  considerable  towns 
in  that  opulent  and  pre-eminent  county  have  been 
written  on  and  particularly  described,  yet  the  much- 
frequented  and  thriving  town  of  Dartford  has  had  no  • 
Historian  to  commemorate  its  various  occurrences. 
The  noble  persons  who  have  resided,  passed  through, 
and  assembled  there  at  different  periods  as  warriors, 
soldiers,  Eoyal  bowmen,  cricketers,  &c.,  make  the  sub- 
ject well  worthy  of  inquiry.  The  monastery  or  nun- 
nery with  its  religious  community,  the  once  royal 
palace,  its  antique  church,  its  ministers,  one  of  its 
singular  cemeteries,  its  numerous  charities,  its  exten- 
sive manufactories,  commerce,  traffic,  famous  mills, 
manors,  descent  of  manorial  property,  pedigrees  of 
principal  families,  illustrious  passengers,  anecdotes, 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  233 

biography,  coins  and  medals,  heraldic  bearings,  natural 
history  (Dartford  warbler,  a  bird  but  little  known), 
antiquities,  well-frequented  market  (Horticulture  and 
agriculture),  scarce  botany,  customs,  sewers,  societies, 
chronology,  walks,  recreations,  &c., — all  combine  to 
form  materials  sufficient  to  make  a  volume  of  interesting 
matter  enough  to  make  above  600  pages ;  all  which 
substance  was  by  Mr.  Hasted,  for  want  of  local  know- 
ledge, time,  and  assistance,  contracted  into  only  nine 
pages.  No  more  perhaps  was  then  possible  considering 
the  bulk  of  his  great  provincial  work ;  but  it  would 
be  unpardonable  in  a  local  historian  did  he  not  extend 
all  the  information  in  his  power,  by  elucidating  and 
enlarging  on  many  points  in  history  which  remain 
obscured  and  partially  treated  with,  whilst  he  found 
subjects  of  either  utility  or  entertainment,  particularly 
on  the  commonly  talked-of  rebellion  under  Wat  Tyler, 
the  origin  of  paper-making  by  Sir  John  Spilman 
(whose  tomb  as  such  is  daily  shown  in  Dartford  Church, 
and  whose  story  is  followed  through  tradition  from  one 
historian  to  another  without  any  one  having  had  the 
boldness  to  break  this  link  of  error  and  set  truth  in  the 
right  path).  Therefore  the  present  author  has  under- 
taken this  desideratum,  hoping  the  volume  will  fre- 
quently be  referred  to,  and  that  it  may  be  favourably 
received  by  the  public. 

"  Whilst  the  author  flatters  himself  he  has  done  his 
duty  with  respect  to  collecting  materials  and  introduc- 
tion of  several  interesting  plates,  the  engraving  of  which 
have  come  very  expensive,  yet  he  would  wish  to  make 
a  still  further  addition  (provided  circumstances  afforded 
the  means)  in  order  to  render  the  work  more  valuable. 
A  few  more  plates  might  be  judiciously  placed,  and  by 


234  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

some  thought  requisite,  towards  which  he  humbly 
solicits  aid ;  many  valuable  and  scarce  records  yet  lie 
with  much  dormant  information,  hid  in  our  churches, 
public  libraries,  and  private  families,  especially  with  the 
clergy  of  the  adjoining  parishes,  whose  assistance  in 
this  undertaking  he  humbly  requests,  by  referring  to 
the  register  books  of  their  parishes,  where  many  curious 
memoranda  are  frequently  discovered,  which  he  begs  to 
solicit,  and  which  may  be  forwarded  to  the  printer  prior 
to  the  publication. 

"  Whoever  employ  themselves  in  works  of  this  nature 
are  well  aware  of  the  perplexity  and  mortification  which 
accompanies  the  labour.  The  impatience  of  some ; 
the  lukewarmness  of  others  ;  the  sneer  of  the  self-con- 
ceited ;  the  austere  behaviour  and  the  silent  contempt 
which  authors  experience,  is  enough  to  dishearten 
an  attempt  to  be  useful.  Kepeatedly  has  the  author  of 
the  present  work  sent  letters  without  having  answers 
returned.  His  presence  upon  asking  for  information  has 
been  thought  troublesome.  Others  wait  to  have  the 
opinion  of  reviewers  ;  others,  more  cunning,  say  we  can 
read  it  at  the  circulating  library  for  a  few  pence ;  but 
the  author  retaliates  on  this  class  of  readers  by 
endeavouring  to  keep  the  book  from  their  sight, 
assuring  them  most  faithfully  that  no  more  copies  will 
be  printed  than  subscribed  for,  and  that  after  the 
period  of  publication  no  copy  can  be  procured  or  seen 
unless  through  the  favour  of  a  subscriber.  Nor  can  a 
subscriber  individually  have  more  than  one  copy  in  one 
name,  which  name  will  be  printed  on  the  title-page.  This 
novel  mode,  although  attended  with  additional  expense 
and  trouble,  will  be  adopted  to  secure  the  subscriber,  and 
render  his  copy  more  scarce  and  valuable,  to  which  he  is 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  235 

entitled  as  the  friend  of  the  author,  for  without  his  sub- 
scription the  work  never  would  have  appeared. 

"  In  the  progress  of  this  History,  whilst  some  small 
obstacles  and  delays  have  occurred  on  one  side,  it  is 
but  just  to  acknowledge  the  kind  friendship  and 
assistance  the  author  has  received  from  the  communi- 
cations of  Charles  Clarke,  Esq.,  F.S. A.;  John  Latham, 
Esq.,  M.D.;  —  Rute,  Esq.,  F.L.S.,  &c.,  surgeon  of  Dart- 
ford,  for  his  list  of  rare  plants  in  the  neighbourhood ; 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Carrey,  of  Wilmington ;  the  lately  de- 
parted and  much-lamented  Rev.  Mark  Noble,  vicar  of 
Barming,  &c.;  with  other  gentlemen  and  ladies, — to  whom 
the  author  will  always  consider  himself  under  obligation. 

"  To  announce  a  work  of  this  nature  we  must  have 
recourse  to  advertisements,  letters,  packets,  and  many 
thousands  of  handbills  printed  and  distributed  to  gain 
subscribers.  The  carriage  of  a  single  packet  is  not 
an  object  -,  but  many  come  expensive  (especially  when 
paid  by  an  author  not  abounding  in  riches).  There- 
fore he  humbly  solicits  that  early  communications 
and  subscriptions  may  be  forwarded  free,  or  at  as 
easy  a  rate  as  possible,  and  the  mode  pointed  out 
by  which  the  book  may  be  conveyed  when  finished,  for 
which  purpose  he  has  appointed  agents  at  various 
places,  and  named  persons  to  receive  subscriptions  on 
the  three  principal  roads  leading  through  Kent — viz., 
to  Dover,  Ashford,  and  Tunbridge  Wells — whose 
receipts  will  be  proper  vouchers. 

"If  this  undertaking  is  accomplished  with  any 
small  profitj  the  author  will  proceed  to  describe  the 
other  parts  of  the  county  of  Kent." 

It  may  be  here  stated,  by  way  of  parenthesis,  that 
the  author  was  quite  competent  to  have  performed, 


236  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

had  he  received  encouragement,  the  contingent  promise 
thus  made,  since  his  collections  for  a  "  Topography  of 
Maidstone"  alone  were  advanced  and  considerable. 
Indeed  these  pursuits  had  been  the  labour  of  his  life, 
the  collection  of  material  illustrating  the  past  history  of 
Kent,  and  its  considerable  towns,  was  ever  and  anon 
a  work  interthreaded  in  his  business  and  recreation. 

We  will  now  give  the  dedication  of  his  Dartford 
volume : — 

"  DEDICATION. 

"  To  Thomas  Caldecote,  Esq.,  Barrister-at-Law. 

"  Sir, — Be  pleased  to  accept  this  dedication  as  a  tri- 
bute of  respect  due  to  yourself,  for  three  reasons  :  first, 
that  you  are  the  only  gentleman  I  have  found  on 
record  (as  a  barrister)  having  honoured  the  town  of 
Dartford  with  his  residence ;  secondly,  your  ready  com- 
pliance to  lend  me  those  scarce  and  valuable  books  the 
Eegistrum  and  Customale  Koffense,  and  also  Hasted's 
volumes  of  '  Kent,'  &c.,  from  which  I  availed  myself  by 
making  several  relevant  extracts,  which  acts  of  kind- 
ness convince  me  you  are  a  true  promoter  of  literature; 
and  thirdly,  you  having  been  an  author,  an  arduous 
task,  well  know  the  tedious  research  and  perseverance 
which  is  requisite  to  put  a  book  of  this  sort  into  print. 
Also,  my  sincere  thanks  are  due  to  those  ladies  and 
gentlemen  who  have  favoured  me  with  their  names,  not 
only  as  subscribers  but  with  genuine  information.  They 
truly  may  be  called  friends  who  have  so  readily  come 
forward  to  patronize  the  present  volume  by  their  sub- 
scription ;  for  without  that  kind  assistance,  prematurely 
paid  through  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Biidgen  and  Co., 
bankers,  Dartford,  and  their  agent  in  London,  this 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  237 

work  could  not  have  been' completed  !  The  wov^friend 
is  often  mentioned  by  persons  in  discourse,  and  nearly 
as  often  misapplied ;  it  was  not  understood  by  Dryden, 
Shakespear,  Peachem,  or  Mathew;  South  only  ap- 
pears to  have  given  it  some  value  and  its  true  sense ; 
Johnson  himself  is  silent,1  although  he  justly  hinted 
at  it  in  his  preface  to  Lord  Chesterfield,  otherwise  he 
would  have  repeated  it  on  his  return  from  Scotland  ; 
and  Sheridan  also  would  have  been  glad  to  have  found 
it,  just  previous  to  his  death,  among  the  numerous 
train  who  followed  his  remains  to  the  grave!  For -this 
mockery  of  friendship  and  empty  honour  he  is  not  alive 
to  resent  by  his  pen ;  neither  is  Professor  Person  ! 
Permit  me  now,  dear  friends,  whilst  I  have  life  and 
gratitude  left,  to  subscribe  myself 

' '  Your  most  thankful  historian, 

"  ROBERT  POCOCK." 


The  following  is  the  title-page  and  preface  : — 

THE  HISTORY 

of 
THE    HUNDRED    AND    PARISHES 

of 

DARTFORD  AND  WILMINGTON, 
IN  THE  COUNTY  OF  KENT  : 

Comprising 

Their  Antiquity,  Commerce,  Manufactures,  Customs,  Ecclesiastical 
Buildings,    Charities,    Societies,    Monumental     Inscriptions,    Re- 
creations, Biography,  Botany,    Geology,  Views,   Walks,  Natural 
History,  with  some  account  of  the  Environs  ; 

viz. 
Erith,Chiselhurst,  Darenth,  Sutton,  Horton,  Farningham,  Eynsford, 

1  See  "  Johnson's  Dictionary,"  8vo  edition,  1760. 


238  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

Erith,   Crayford   Stone,    Greenhithe,   Swanscombe,    The    Grays ; 

and  Miscellaneous  Information. 
Illustrated  with  Plates,  price  One  Guinea  (the  Volume), 

in  extra  Boards. 
By  ROBEET  Pococz,  Senr. 

Author  of  the  Margate  Water  Companion  ;  Memorials  of  the 
Tufton  Family,  Earls  of  Thanet ;  History  of  Gravesend,  &c. 
Motto. — "  Pro  captu  Lectoris  habent  sua  fata  Libelli." 
"  Books  take  their  doom  from  each  peruser's  will ; 
Just  as  they  think,  they  pass  for  good  or  ill.'' 

Gibson  s  Camden,  Preface. 

"  If  books  are  well  chosen,  they  neither  dull  the  appetite  nor  strain 
the  capacity," — "  but  polish  and  perfect  at  the  same  time  they 
please  and  entertain." — Gent's  Mag.,  June,  1802,  p.  15. 

"  Whoever  thinks  a  perfect  piece  to  see, 
Thinks  what  ne'er  is,  ne'er  was,  and  ne'er  can  be." 

Printed  by  G.  A.  Pocock,  Lowfield  Street,  Dartford. 

PBEFACE. 

"  Topographical  information  is  as  important  to  the 
district  it  describes,  as  the  history  of  England  to  the 
Kingdom  of  Great  Britain.  Hence  arises  a  due  con- 
sideration of  its  value,  for  if  a  fictitious  ideal  novel  of 
three  hundred  pages  large  type,  written  in  haste,  is 
worth  seven  shillings,  what  ought  double  the  number 
of  pages  of  true  historic  composition  to  be  worth,  ex- 
tracted with  care,  collected  by  scraps,  copied  out  fairly, 
written  and  rewritten  repeatedly  with  much  labour  and 
great  loss  of  time  by  the  author,  who  has  endeavoured 
to  introduce  all  the  original  matter  he  could  obtain  ? 
The  reader,  therefore,  himself  can  now  calculate  about 
what  price  the  volume  before  him  should  be  charged 
to  the  public. 

"  From  the  perusal  of  history  and  biography,  we  are 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  239 

able  to  judge  the  actions  of  our  ancestors,  whereby  we 
can  avoid  their  vices,  reject  their  follies,  and  improve 
our  morals ;  such  documents  exhibit  excellent  lessons 
by  showing  the  rise  and  fall  of  princes,  or  the  revolu- 
tions of  states,  all  which  changes  have  been  chiefly 
brought  about  by  the  pride  of  man,  who  too  often  for- 
gets himself  in  good  health,  and  only  knows  when  on 
a  bed  of  sickness  the  proper  duty  he  owes  to  his 
superior. 

"  Since  the  commencement  in  forming  this  volume 
some  doubt  has  arisen  whether  it  would  be  proper  to 
notice  what  Mr.  Hasted  (thp  historian  of  Kent)  has 
written  (his  work  being  already  in  the  hands  of  the 
nobility  and  principal  gentlemen  of  the  county),  to 
incorporate  it  with  what  we  have  gleaned  ;  or  to  strike 
out  a  new  plan  by  giving  the  whole  in  the  form  of  a 
biographical  and  chronological  history.  At  last  the 
incorporation  preponderated,  in  consequence  of  the 
number  of  years  elapsed  since  Mr.  Hasted' s  death, 
the  scarcity  of  his  voluminous  work,  and  the  many 
therefore  who  have  it  not  in  their  possession : 
besides,  our  subscription  being  one  guinea  for  an 
octavo,  we  are  unwilling  the  subscriber  shall  have  any 
cause  of  complaint ;  but  that  he  shall  have  enough  for 
his  money,  we  have  illustrated  the  work  with  several 
interesting  plates,  and  also  introduced  (we  hope  not 
irrelevantly)  some  pleasing  digressions,  extending  the 
volume  to  above  600  pages,  as  we  promised  in  our 
prospectus. 

"  Among  the  various  publications  extant,  few  have 
appeared  as  a  helping  rule  for  topographers  and 
authors;  therefore  we  have  inserted  our  synopsis, 
which  will  serve,  not  only  as  a  partial  index,  but  a 


24o  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

guide  for  the  departments  which  a  local  history  should 
contain. 

"  To  understand  this  history  clearly,  first  think  what 
England  is  in  the  present  reign  of  King  George  the 
Fourth,  and  what  it  was  at  the  most  early  period 
on  record ;  and  note  the  progressive  changes  and  im- 
provements it  has  undergone.  In  1829  we  have  every 
kind  of  fruit,  vegetable,  art  and  science,  known 
throughout  the  world,  and  brought  (it  may  be  said)  to 
this  land  of  milk  and  honey.  Our  ancient  forests, 
woods,  and  waste  lands  have  been  mostly  grubbed  and 
turned  into  cultivation  for  corn,  grain,  and  useful 
herbage,  of  which  there  are  now  produced  more  than 
ever  known  at  any  period  before.  Only  revert  to  the 
time  Queen  Elizabeth  came  to  the  throne,  in  1558,  this 
great  pride  of  English  history  (far  more  praise  has  been 
given  to  this  tyrannical  lady  than  perhaps  she  deserved). 
We  had  then  no  cherries,  but  the  little  common  black 
indigenous  berry  of  our  country.  No  variety  of  vege- 
tables, but  what  were  brought  from  the  Netherlands ! 
We  had  then  no  potatoes  to  feed  our  people,  nor 
mangel  wurzel  to  feed  our  cattle.  No  turnips,  for  they 
were  first  introduced  into  England  by  Lord  Townsend, 
secretary  to  King  Charles  I.  Mangel  wurzel  was 
brought  over  by  Doctor  Lettsom.  Although  potatoes 
were  brought  to  Ireland  in  1565,  by  John  Hawkins, 
from  Santa  Fe  in  New  Spain,  they  did  not  become  the 
general  food  of  the  Irish  until  after  the  Revolution. 
We  had  no  East  India  trade !  No  West  India 
trade  !  Lean  meat  and  fish  of  the  coarsest  sort  was 
the  daily  food  !  Porpoises  we  find  brought  to  table  ; 
and  bull  beef  (tough  enough  we  have  no  doubt)  was 
frequently  a  prominent  dish  (every  parish  kept  a  bull, 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  241 

which  was  let  out,  the  profits  going  to  the  parochial 
revenue,  as  seen  in  many  of  our  churchwardens'  books), 
but,  to  make  the  beef  more  tender,  prior  to  the  death 
of  the  animal  permission  was  given  to  bait  it  with 
dogs,  a  sport  which  afforded  the  vulgar  a  treat,  but 
which  is  now  looked  on  as  a  cruel  pastime,  and  seldom 
resorted  to  by  the  more  refined.  Queen  Elizabeth 
seldom  had  a  meal  without  red  herrings  and  salt  fish. 

"  If  we  add  more  to  the  deficiencies  in  the  reign  of 
this  female  monarch,  we  shall  say, 

"  No  gas  to  light  our  palaces,  streets,  or  houses. 

"  No  telegraph  (which  was  invented  by  Claude 
Chappe,  a  Frenchman,  who  died  in  1805). 

"No  telescopes  (they  being  invented,  in  1590,  by 
Jansen,  a  Dutchman). 

"No  observations  for  navigators  (Jupiter's  moons 
being  not  discovered  till  1610). 

"  No  spring  pocket  watches  (they  being  invented  by 
Dr.  Hook  in  1658). 

"  No  tea  from  China,  nor  fine  China  pottery  ware. 

"  No  coaches  to  ride  in,  they  only  coming  into  fashion 
in  1588. 

te  No  coffee,  it  not  arriving  in  England  till  1652. 

"  No  mustard. 

"  No  porter  ;  no  carp  fish. 

*  For  hops,  pickerel,  carp,  and  beer 
Came  to  England  all  in  one  year.' 

"  No  umbrella  to  screen  the  face  from  the  rain  or 
sun  ;  a  large  cloak  with  a  hood  was  the  only  covering 
to  protect  the  head. 

"  No  daily  post  to  communicate  at  a  distance. 

"  No  surgeon  in  the  land  with  skill  enough  to  ampu- 
tate a  limb, 


242  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  No  Alpine  strawberries,  for  they  only  came  in  1760. 

"  No  magic  lanthorn  to  amuse. 

"  No  comfortable  Bath  stove  to  warm  by  sea  coal. 

"  No  microscopes  to  expand  the  mind  by  viewing 
the  millions  of  animated  nature  heretofore  unknown. 

"  No  British  writing  paper,  till  John  Spilman  in 
1588  made  it  in  Dartford. 

"  No  feather  bed  to  sleep  on,  the  chambers  then 
having  clean  straw  laid  down  in  lieu.  (Copy  from 
Chalk  Church  book.) 

"  No  steam  vessel  to  convey  quick  intelligence. 

"  No  mahogany,  rosewood,  or  satinwood  chairs  or 
tables,  nothing  but  chestnut,  oak,  or  walnut-tree 
chairs  or  stools. 

"  No  Royal  Society  to  reward  inventions. 

"  No  Geological  Society  to  investigate  the  strata  of 
the  earth. 

"  No  f ossilist,  conchologist,  or  natural  historian. 

"  No  Horticultural  Society  to  adorn  the  garden  and 
please  the  eye. 

"  No  Hard's  Royal  Farinaceous  Flour,  as  made  at 
Dartford,  and  extolled  throughout  the  kingdom  for 
making  the  best  puddings,  of  which  the  Queen,  if  now 
living,  would  often  have  a  taste. 

"  No  rich  graziers  like  the  present,  nor  cattle  shows, 
nor  oil-cake  as  made  at  Dartford  to  feed  them. 

"  No  carpet  to  ornament  the  floors,  straw  being  then 
used  and  green  rushes. 

' '  If  then  we  had  no  such  luxuries  of  foreign  trade,  of 
what  goods  did  our  merchandise  consist  ?  Who  were 
then  our  merchants  ?  I  believe  at  that  time  very  few 
English;  but  Jews  abounded  in  every  part  of  the 
world,  and  appear  to  have  taken  the  lead,  as  they  do 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  243 

to   this    day   in    the    principal    parts    of    Asia    and 
Africa. 

"  And  as  to  our  buildings  :  to  glimpse  at  ancient 
times,  the  Romans  came  after  the  Phoenicians  and  built 
edifices,  but  with  what  materials  ?  We  have  none  of 
their  fine  Corinthian  or  ornamented  columns  remain- 
ing, as  are  seen  in  Rome  and  Italy.  No,  the  buildings 
are  mostly  of  rough  stones  of  our  own  country,  with  a 
few  Roman  flat  tiles  worked  in  with  them,  made  or 
collected  on  the  spot,  or  brought  from  some  neigh- 
bouring lord  of  the  soil,  to  whom  a  fee  or  grant  fo  r  such 
permission  must  have  been  previously  obtained.  Hence 
a  partial  commerce  in  building  materials  commenced, 
while  Eastern  produce  was  in  the  hands  of  infidels  and 
Jews,  who  made  annual  excursions,  resting  in  certain 
places  for  disposal  of  their  commodities  (among  which 
we  find  spices  as  one  of  the  most  ancient)  at  a  certain 
period  of  day,  from  whence  originated  the  festivals, 
fairs,  and  marts,  of  which  a  further  account  will  be  given. 

"  When  we  behold  an  old  castle,  or  building,  and 
observe  that  the  materials  with  which  it  is  constructed 
are  not  the  produce  of  its  soil,  a  natural  question 
arises,  from  whence  were  the  bulky  substances  ob- 
tained ?  by  what  means  ?  by  whom  ?  and  how 
paid  for  ?  Here  the  study  of  lithology  and  geology 
will  arise,  and  the  author  congratulates  himself  that 
the  pleasure  and  knowledge  he  gained  from  the  study 
of  fossils,  by  Dacosta,  procuring  also  a  specimen  of 
each  sort  described,  with  some  choice  minerals  and  a 
copious  museum  which  he  collected  (all  lost !  this  will 
be  explained  in  the  life  of  the  author,  about  to  be 
written),  tended  to  fix  on  his  memory  the  different 
indigenous  substances  of  different  countries  ! 

R  2 


244  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

"  On  entering  Westminster  Abbey  at  the  great  door, 
and  looking  up  on  the  right  hand  to  a  monument,  we 
hardly  know  which  most  to  admire,  the  courage  of 
the  hero,  the  grandeur  of  the  pyramid,  or  the 
judgment  of  the  artist,  who  has  gone  in  unison  with 
the  design,  for  it  is  the  monument  of  that  naval  con- 
queror who  took  Gibraltar  I  The  sculptor  has  not 
only  displayed  his  taste,  but  has  brought  over,  and 
actually  employed  his  chisel  on,  part  of  that  famous 
Rock  itself! 

"  In  the  Conqueror's  time,  and  shortly  after,  we 
find  Caen  stone,  from  Normandy,  introduced  into  our 
castles  and  buildings,  many  instances  of  which  are 
seen;  for  example,  the  base  of  a  window  iu  Stone 
Castle,  also  at  Rochester  Castle,  the  White  Tower  of 
London,  &c.  This  trade  continued  with  France  until 
the  Gothic  architecture  was  introduced,  when  we  find 
Kentish  rag  stone,  with  flints  interspersed ;  then  came 
a  period,  about  1400,  when  flint  stones,  flat-faced  and 
squared,  were  used.  This  pretty  species  of  ornament 
reached  to  King  Henry  the  8th.  And  in  all  those 
centuries  we  find  the  English  procuring  many  of  the 
above  materials  from  a  distance,  and  at  great  expense, 
without  once  using  bricks  like  the  present,  there  being 
none  in  old  Stone  Castle,  although  they  might  have 
been  made  near  the  spot,  and  would  have  worked  in 
more  squarely  and  easily.  Thus  the  art  of  brickmaking 
in  England  appears  of  modern  invention.  Small  c)  inker 
bricks  were  imported  from  Holland  and  the  Nether- 
lands ;  and  English  bricks,  made  of  no  particular  size. 
Afterwards  came  in  use  Act  of  Parliament  bricks  (so 
called),  made  in  England  of  a  certain  dimension,  the 
duty  from  which  and  the  quantity  made  has  been 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  245 

within  the  present  century  immense,  and  seems  to  be 
rapidly  increasing,  especially  in  the  years  1824  to 
1828. 

"  During  the  time  Calais  was  in  our  hands,  wool  was 
the  staple  commodity,  and  those  who  dealt  in  it  were 
persons  of  great  credit,  for  it  paid  a  considerable 
revenue  to  the  Crown  at  Sandwich,  which  was  the 
chief  port  for  its  exportation.  Other  textile  articles 
have  come  in  gradually  as  the  fashion  has  infected  the 
nation.  At  one  time  many  mortgaged  their  lands  to 
go  to  the  holy  war.  Another  time  the  building  of 
churches,  chantries,  and  nunneries  engrossed  their 
thoughts.  In  Queen  Elizabeth's  reign  great  differences 
arose  between  Papist  and  Protestant.  In  King 
Charles  Ist^s  time  an  obstinacy  reigned  on  the  part  of 
royalty  and  its  adherents.  In  Charles  2nd's  time  levity 
and  immorality  prevailed  (yet  we  pray  and  rejoice  by 
ringing  bells  for  the  glorious  Restoration  ;  surely  it  is 
high  time  to  drop  the  festival  of  this  day  and  also 
November  the  5th,  which  only  keep  up  a  party  spirit). 
In  King  George  3rd's  reign  a  thirst  for  art  and  science 
flourished,  particularly  geography,  topography,  balloon 
flying,  and  novel  reading.  In  King  George  4th's 
time,  brickmaking,  building  houses,  and  speculative 
companies,  accompanied  with  failures  of  bankers,  and 
bankruptcies,  especially  among  the  booksellers  and 
printers ;  at  the  same  time  Bible  societies,  missionary 
meetings,  anniversaries,  preaching  sermons,  with 
National  Schools,  abounded,  whilst  the  public  were 
accommodated  by  gaslights  and  steam-packets. 

(<  The  author  most  deeply  regrets  the  loss  of  numerous 
ancient  deeds,  old  armour,  and  manuscripts,  from  the 
church  of  Dartford,  sold  by  the  parish  officers  (a  few 


246  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

years  since)  for  a  paltry  sum.  A  sum  may  fairly  be 
paltry,  but  ought  the  conduct  of  any  parish  officer  to  be 
such  ?  No,  they  who  are  the  guardians  of  the  parish 
should  endeavour  to  maintain  our  trade  and  support 
the  poor  within  it,  but  not  encourage  foreigners,  when 
the  work  can  be  done  equally  cheap  and  masterly  by 
workmen  within  the  parish.  The  above  manuscripts 
would  have  elucidated  and  added  much  to  the  history, 
not  only  of  the  parishes  but  of  the  country,  because 
formerly  there  was  the  habit  of  depositing  valuable 
records  in  churches  and  religious  houses,  as  a  greater 
security  from  whence  it  was  presumed  no  sacrilegious 
person  would  attempt  to  rob  or  disturb  them. 
"  0  Tempora  !  0  Mores ! 

"  In  this  compilation,  for  compilation  it  may  mostly 
be  called,  the  author  has  culled  the  sweets,  and  made 
extracts  in  words,  from  those  well  skilled  in  the  history 
of  the  country,  in  preference  to  anything  he  could  him- 
self write  or  suggest,  for  if  he  had  ventured  to  amend, 
he  should,  in  many  instances,  have  failed  altogether. 
'  He  will  not  pretend  this  collection  is  free  from  mis- 
takes; no  wise  man  will  expect  that,  for  he  that  copies 
after  others  (as  collectors  of  histories  must  do)  cannot 
always  be  sure  he  writes  truth.  Who  is  so  careful  (says 
Camden)  that,  struggling  with  time  in  the  foggy  dark 
sea  of  antiquity,  he  may  not  run  upon  rocks  ? ' 

"  The  author  thought  to  have  found  a  treasure  of 
ecclesiastical  information  on  looking  into  Bishop 
Gibson's  '  Camden's  Britannia/  2  vols.  folio,  but  to 
his  surprise  and  disappointment  the  Rev.  Prelate  was 
quite  silent  under  the  head  of  Dartford  Nunnery.  And 
even  the  laborious  Hasted  has  been  very  scanty,  only 
giving  the  name  of  one  nun  with  a  few  prioresses  ! 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  247 

These  desiderata  have  been  most  kindly  supplied  from 
Coles  and  from  other  MSS.,  through  the  means  of  Mr. 
Dunkin,  of  Bromley,  to  whom  the  public,  and  the  author 
especially,  are  under  great  obligation.  Also  to  such 
other  gentlemen  who  have  endeavoured  to  assist  the 
author 

"  There  was  a  period  when  prayers  were  publicly 
offered  up  for  the  dead  ;  and  although  the  custom  is 
nearly  obsolete,  yet  the  author  cannot  forget  the  names 
of  Thorpe,  Camden,  Lambard,  Kilburne,  Denne,  Noble, 
Hasted,  and  many  others,  hoping  they  exist  with  God, 
enjoying  more  bliss  above  than  when  on  the  terra- 
queous globe.  Thanks  are  also  due  to  the  living  for 
assistance  in  this  work ;  particularly  to  my  old  friend 
Charles  Clarke,  Esq.,  F.S.A.,  my  young  friend  Wil- 
liam Craffcer,  Esq.,  junior,  in  repeated  instances, 
William  Upcot,  Esq.,  of  London  Institution,  for  be- 
ginning my  subscription  book,  &c.,  B.  Tanner, 
Esq.,  of  Maidstone,  and  others,  for  their  kind  endea- 
vours, especially  T.  Fisher,  Esq.,  whose  name  commands 
respect." 


248 


CHAPTER  X. 

From  sorrow  here 

I'm  led  by  Death  away — why  should  I  start  and  fear  ? 
If  I  have  loved  the  forest  and  the  field, 
Can  I  not  love  them  deeper,  hetter  there  ? 
If  all  that  Power  hath  made,  to  me  doth  yield 
Something  of  good  and  beauty — something  fair — 
Freed  from  the  grossness  of  mortality, 
May  I  not  love  them  all,  and  better  all  enjoy  ? 

KOBEET  NlCOLL. 

So  much  for  the  Prospectus,  Dedication,  and  Preface  of 
this  great  work,  of  Pocock's  defeated  hopes  !  He  had 
too  early  rejoiced  over  the  circumstance  that  the  artists 
lived  at  Dartford  who  had  furnished  the  drawings  and 
plates,  that  there  also  the  work  had  been  written  and 
the  type  composedly  himself;  the  pages  to  be  printed, 
imposed,  and  worked  off  by  his  son  G.  A.  Pocock,  and 
also  bound.  A  combination,  he  says,  scarcely  to  be 
paralleled ;  but  in  point  of  fact  cruel  fate  drew  a  hard 
and  fast  line  between  the  preparation  of  the  drawings 
and  of  the  MS.  text,  and  all  that  was  to  follow  of  the 
fair  performance. 

It  was  not  until  1844  (to  forecast  the  future)  that  a 
history  and  antiquities  of  Dartford  was  published,  and 
then  by  Mr.  John  Dunkin,  to  whom  the  above  graceful 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  249 

reference  (p.  247)  was  due,  and  who,  in  his  Preface, 
referring  to  Pocock  and  these  his  labours  in  the  same 
field,  writes : — 

"  The  late  Mr.  Robert  Pocock  some  years  since  cir- 
culated proposals  for  a  History  of  Dartford  which  his 
death,  and  then  the  dispersion,  if  not  destruction,  of  his 
collections  prevented  ever  being  fulfilled." 

In  the  preceding  preface  grateful  allusion  is  made 
by  Pocock  also  to  Mr.  Charles  Clarke,  F.S.A.,  who  in 
the  History  of  Gravesend  is  mentioned  also  as  a  literary 
person  settled  at  that  town  ;  but  in  neither  statement 
did  it  appear,  as  the  fact  was,  that  Pocock  had  equally 
and  laboriously  devoted  himself  to  the  acquisition  of 
antiquarian  details  for  his  friend  in  connexion  with 
Rouen  and  other  towns  in  Normandy — a  friendly 
assistance  which  was  well  repaid  by  Mr.  Clarke  in 
aiding  Pocock's  researches  into  the  earlier  historical 
transactions  connected  with  the  county  of  Kent. 
Another  kind  friend  (a  friend  departed  during  the 
work)  finds  mention  and  acknowledgment,  to  whom 
Pocock  had  opened  some  of  his  trials,  viz. :— The  Rev. 
Mark  Noble,  Incumbent  of  Banning,  Kent,  F.S.A.,  who 
wrote  to  Pocock,  in  September,  1826,  in  reference  to 
the  projected  History  of  Dartford  and  Wilmington,  as 
follows  : — 

"  DEAE  SIR,—-  I  shall  answer  your  letter  as  methodically 
as  I  can.  I  am  extremely  hurt  that  you  have  been 
in  any  distress.  The  best  consolation  I  know  is  the 
Book,  which  is  given  us  in  mercy  to  comfort  us  here 
and  lead  us  to  where  only  true  joys  are  to  be  found.  I 
applaud  your  intention  of  writing  an  history  of  Dartford 


2so  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

and  Wilmington.  I  desire  you  to  make  me  a  sub- 
scriber for  a  copy." 

This  writer  is  the  accomplished  author  of  "  The 
House  of  Medici,"  "  The  Genealogy  of  the  House  of 
Stuart,"  and  many  similar  works. 

His  wife,  Mrs.  Sarah  Noble,  was  ever  sensible  of 
our  author's  ready  assistance  in  her  botanical  tastes, 
and  an  appreciation  of  it  is  shown  by  many  acknow- 
ledgments, of  which  the  following  is  an  instance  : — 

"  April  28th,  1828. 

"  SIR, — I  feel  myself  very  much  obliged  by  the  great 
trouble  you  have  taken  to  procure  me  the  lizard 
orchis,  which  I  prize  very  highly ;  and  I  assure  you 
they  look  quite  well  after  their  remove.  I  carefully 
preserved  the  chalk  rubbish  you  sent  with  them,  and 
planted  them  on  the  same  bed  on  which  you  saw  the 
military  orchis  when  you  were  here  last  summer.  I  was 
very  glad  of  the  military  one  you  sent,  which  I  shall 
send  in  the  autumn  to  a  daughter  I  have  in  Stafford- 
shire, who  is  really  and  scientifically  a  botanist.  The 
other  plants  I  have  taken  care  of,  and  they  all  seem 
likely  to  grow,  and  I  hope  you  will  see  them  nourishing 
when  your  promised  visit  takes  place  in  the  summer.  At 
present,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  my  daughters  have  not  found 
any  of  the  plants  enumerated  in  your  list,  but  I  hope 
the  spring  and  genial  weather  will  introduce  some  of 
them  to  us  ;  but  I  suspect  that  plants  which  have  not 
already  a  place  in  your  collections  must  be  very  scarce 
indeed.  Mrs.  Cresswell  requests  I  will  return  her 
compliments  and  thanks  for  your  valuable  present  of 
shells,  which  she  admires  exceedingly,  and  has  in  part 
arranged  them  in  drawers  ;  the  others  are  carefully  put 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  251 

up,  as  she  cannot  extend  her  liberality  so  far  as  to  part 
with  them  to  her  collecting  friend.  Our  youngest 
daughter,  and  two  of  Mrs.  CresswelPs  children,  are 
much  indisposed  with  the  hooping,  which  disturbs  the 
fond  and  anxious  mothers  night  and  day.  You  are  the 
only  person  I  have  ever  known  that  succeeded  in 
transplanting  the  orchis  tribe.  The  bee,  the  fly,  and 
birds'  nest  were  frequently  found  in  the  woods  around 
us;  but  owing  to  cultivation  on  the  one  hand,  and 
ignorant  and  pretended  botanists  on  the  other,  they 
are  become  very  scarce.  I  find  great  difficulty  in  keeping 
the  fly  alive ;  I  had  two  in  the  garden  last  summer, 
but  both  died  in  the  winter,  and  one  I  placed  under  a 
cucumber  frame  with  my  auriculas  is  alive  and  hearty. 
"  I  am,  Sir, 

"  Your  very  much  obliged, 

"  SARAH  NOBLE.-" 

These  letters  have  been  set  out  the  more  readily  since 
the  former  of  them  shows  that  Pocock  had  to  some 
extent  "  opened  his  griefs "  to  the  venerable  and 
accomplished  clergyman  (his  kind  correspondent);  but 
although  a  member  of  the  Established  Church,  the 
times  in  which  Pocock 's  lot  was  mainly  cast  were  not 
those  in  which  the  Church  of  England  was  characterized 
by  any  general  religious  fervour  or  activity,  and  we 
shall  search  in  vain  for  any  indication  in  his  Annals 
that  he  personally  exhibited  any  exception  to  the 
fashionable  lethargy  of  the  day  in  this  respect.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  religious  reflections  to  which  he  gave 
utterance  in  his  "  Dartford  "  Preface,  at  p.  239,  are  of 
unimpeachable  propriety  and  force,  and  of  appropriate 
application. 


252  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

In  his  poverty  and  dejection  there  is  evidence  that 
our  author  formed  the  design  of  writing  his  auto- 
biography, the  record  of  his  life,  its  pleasures  and  its 
trials  (indeed  he  interpolates  as  much  in  the  above 
Preface,  see  p.  243).  Of  this  there  have  been  collected 
snatches  and  extracts  such  as  the  following,  but  they 
are  few  and  meagre;  still  their  reference  to  himself 
is  sufficiently  shown  by  the  prefix  of  et  Pocock's  Life," 
in  his  own  hand : — 

"  POCOCK'S  LIFE. 

"  How  happy  is  he — born  or  taught — 
That  serveth  not  another's  will ; 
Whose  armour  is  his  honest  thought, 
And  simple  truth  his  utmost  skill." 

These  lines  are  very  characteristic  of  the  indepen- 
dence, not  to  say  impatience  of  character,  which 
Pocock  exhibited  throughout  his  career,  and  which  is 
often  indicative  of  that  struggle  for  leisure  and  means 
of  study  against  which  he  had  ever  to  contend. 
Impecuniosity  carried  with  it  then  greater  and  more 
formidable  consequences  than  now  exist,  and  the 
actual  confinement  for  debt  was  not  a  contingency 
which  poor  Pocock  could  exclude  from  his  thoughts. 
In  another  extract,  headed  by  him  with  the  words 
"  Pocock's  Life,"  we  find  the  following  : — 

"  POCOCK'S  LIFE. 
"  A  prison  is  a  place  of  care, 

Wherein  no  man  can  thrive ; 
A  touchstone  sure  to  try  a  friend, 
A  grave  for  men  alive. 

"  Mem. — I  think  this  verse  was  written  by  Mr. 
Cotton,  when  confined  in  gaol." 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  253 

At  one  time  lie  indited  his  own  epitaph,,  in  a  hope- 
ful strain,  trusting  that  his  memory  might  live  in  his 
native  town  as  the  author  of  its  annals.  Thus  he 
wrote, — 

"  An  Epitaph. — The  register  of  this  parish  records 
the  birth  and  death  of  Robert  Pocock  (son  of  John 
and  Martha).  He  made  his  exit  on  18  ,  having 
existed  the  space  of  years  j  but  in  that  time 

he  produced  a  '  History  of  Gravesend  and  Milton/ 
with  other  works,  which  will  perpetuate  his  memory." 

At  some  other  period,  when  haunted  by  his  em- 
barrassments and  apprehensions  of  arrest,  he  wrote, — 

"  The  Gravesend  historian    finished  his  writing  on 
18     ,  when         years  old,  being  arrested  by 
Death." 

Under  his  own  hand,  and  speaking  of  himself,  we 
have  the  following  painful  retrospect  of  these  his 
later  days ;  he  says, — 

"  After  being  driven  from  house  and  home,  destitute 
of  money,  furniture,  &c.^  and  experiencing  more  dis- 
tress and  mortification  than  falls  to  the  lot  of  many," — 

His  son  George  lingered  at  Dartf  ord  near  his  father's 
tomb  till  about  1835,  when  whatever  few  relics  re- 
mained  were  presumably  sold  by  auction,  and  he 
himself  left  for  South  America.  He  had  seen  service 
in  his  youth  under  Sir  Gregor  McGregor,  and  he  died 
in  the  service  of  Queen  Isabella,  at  Santander,  in 
1836,  six  years  after  his  father. 

The  scant  memory  which  yet  lingers  at  Dartf  ord— 
Jbhe  retreat  of  this  reduced  and  broken-hearted  man — 


254  ROBERT  POCOCK. 

points  to  a  man  of  an  independent  spirit,  of  a  mien  and 
deportment  above  the  accessories  by  which  he  was  there 
surrounded.  Already  conspicuous  and  solitary,  in 
the  rapidly  shifting  fashions  of  the  day,  by  the  per- 
sistent retention  of  his  pig-tail,  he  was  there  baited  and 
brought  to  bay  by  fortune,  and  languished  under  ever- 
receding  hopes.  His  efforts  to  float  his  "  History  of 
Dartford  "  failed  for  want  of  subscribers,  though  the 
scanty  list  was  extended  by  the  pathetic  introduction 
of  the  names  of  all  his  children — an  extension  of  its 
length  of  little  advantage  to  its  strength.  The  poor 
old  man  having  thus  battled  with  adversity  with  a  per- 
severance beyond  praise,  and  having  pushed  his  last 
literary  load  up  to  the  summit  of  attainment — all  in 
vain — a  sense  of  pity  seems  to  cry  out  for  some  release 
from  the  unequal  struggle.  The  lines  of  Thomson 
come  to  our  thoughts  involuntarily  : — 

Come,  ye  who  still  the  cumbrous  load  of  life 

Push  hard  uphill ;  but  as  the  farthest  steep 
You  trust  to  sain,  and  put  an  end  to  strife, 

Down  thunders  back  the  stone  with  mighty  sweep, 
And  hurls  your  labours  to  the  valleys  deep, 

For  ever  vain  !  come,  and,  withouten  fee, 
I,  in  oblivion  will  your  sorrow  steep, 

Your  cares,  your  toils,  will  steep  you  in  a  sea 
Of  full  delight ;  oh,  come,  ye  weary  wights,  to  me  ! 

His  son  George,  of  whom  he  had  made  a  practical 
printer,  and  who  was  ready  and  willing  to  assist,  pos- 
sessed no  funds  by  which  this  goodwill  could  be  realized. 
His  filial  duty  had  already  provided  his  homeless  parent 
the  covering  of  a  roof ;  and  possibly  still  further 
troubles  would  have  supervened,  had  not  death,  in 
kindly  pity,  noiselessly  and  quietly  eased  the  harsh 


ROBERT  POCOCK.  255 

strain,  and  closed  the  old  man's  career,  with  all  his 
cares  and  disappointments.  For  on  the  morning  of 
the  26th  of  October,  1830,  there  they  find  him  as  he 
lay  in  his  bed,  stricken,  so  the  doctors  said,  by  heart 
disease. 

His  body  was  quietly  laid  in  the  neighbouring 
churchyard  of  Wilmington.  Little  notice  was  taken 
of  his  death,  and  no  record,  either  of  wood  or  stone,  ever 
marked  the  place  where  they  laid  him. 

And  here  also  we  will  leave  him,  peacefully  laying 
down  his  freight — three  score  years  and  ten  of  final 
disappointments,  struggles,  and  cares — in  the  little  pic- 
turesque churchyard  of  his  old  friend  and  fellow- 
antiquary,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Denne,  in  the  midst  of  that 
rural  scenery  which  (student  of  nature  as  he  was)  he 
traversed  so  oft,  and  which  he  loved  so  well. 

Farewell,  ye  blooming  fields  !  ye  cheerful  plains  ! 

Enough  for  me  the  churchyard's  lonely  mound, 
Where  melancholy  with  still  silence  reigns, 

And  the  rank  grass  waves  o'er  the  cheerless  ground. 

MICHAEL  BEUCE. 


FINIS. 


APPENDIX. 


THE  following  is  a  list  of  most  of  the  works  actually 
printed  or  published  by  Robert  Pocock  :  — 

"Pocock's  Child's  First  Book,  or  Reading  made  Easy. 
Bound  in  embossed  paper,  price  sixpence. 

Pocock's  Child's  Second  Book,  being  a  further 
improvement  in  learning. 

Pocock's  Spelling  Book,  or  the  Children's  Reading 
and  Spelling  united.  Strongly  bound  in  leather  or 
canvas,  being  the  two  preceding  articles  bound  together, 
price  one  shilling. 

A  Chronology  of  the  most  Remarkable  Events  that 
have  occurred  in  the  parishes  of  Gravesend,  Milton, 
and  Denton.  To  which  is  added  a  list  of  the  Mayors 
for  the  last  forty  years;  also  an  obituary  taken  from 
the  monumental  inscriptions  in  the  cemeteries  of  the 
parishes  of  Gravesend  and  Milton.  By  R.  Pocock, 
8vo,  pp.  38.  Gravesend,  1790. 

Giles'  English  Governing  or  Parsing ;  recommended 
to  schoolmasters,  and  private  teachers  of  Grammar,  as 
the  most  easy  method  of  attaining  a  thorough  know- 
ledge of  that  science.  Nothing  of  this  sort  has  ever 
appeared  in  print.  Bound  in  leather,  12  mo  size  for 


APPENDIX.  257 

the  pocket,  and  printed  on  good  paper  and  type,  price 
two  shillings. 

The  History  of  the  Incorporated  Town  and  Parishes 
of  Gravesend  and  Milton,  in  the  county  of  Kent,  se- 
lected with  accuracy  from  topographical  writers,  and 
enriched  from  MSS.  hitherto  unnoticed;  recording 
every  event  that  has  occurred  in  the  aforesaid  town 
and  parishes,  from  the  Norman  Conquest  to  the  present 
time.  (By  Robert  Pocock.)  4to.  Gravesend,  1797. 

Kentish  Fragments,  gleaned  from  the  Hustings  on 
Penenden  Heath  ;  a  Poem,  containing  Sketches  of  the 
most  eminent  Characters,  and  of  the  Events  and  Disas- 
ters, at  the  late  General  Election  of  1802,  for  the  county 
of  Kent,  with  a  state  of  the  poll  in  1796.  8vo. 
Gravesend,  1802.  Sixpence. 

The  Picture  of  Human  Life :  or  variety  of  food  for 
the  mind ;  consisting  of  valuable  matter  calculated  for 
the  pleasure  and  instruction  of  readers  of  every  class, 
among  which,  besides  those  articles  selected  from  the 
best  authors,  are  interspersed  many  original  pieces 
never  before  published.  In  twelve  numbers,  price  six- 
pence each. 

Clarke's  Observations  on  the  Tunnel  or  Road  intended 
to  be  made  under  the  River  Thames  at  Gravesend. 
4to  stitched,  price  four  shillings.  Much  learning  is 
displayed  in  this  pamphlet.  4to,  three  shillings 
and  sixpence.  Gravesend,  1799." 

[In  reference  to  which  Sir  Wdward  Knatchbull,  Bart., 
writes  to  Pocock  as  follows : — 

"January  27th,  1799; 

"  SIR, — Yesterday  I  received  your  letter,  dated  the 
1st,  and  also  Mr.  Clarke's  book  with  Observations  on  the 
intended  Tunnel  under  the  Thames,  for  which  I  am 


258  APPENDIX. 

much  obliged  to  you.     I  wish  it  may  answer ;   I  have 
very  much  my  doubts  about  it. 
"  I  am,  sir, 

"  Your  most  obedient  servant, 
"EDWD.  KNATCHBULL."] 

"  Memoirs  of  the  Tufton  Family,  Earls  of  Thanet ; 
containing  not  only  an  historical  account  of  that 
family,  but  many  digressions,  replete  with  anecdotes 
&c.  8vo,  in  boards,  price  seven  shillings,  18  .  { 

The  Everlasting  Song-Book,  with  original  Rules  for 
Behaviour  in  Convivial  Societies.  Bound  in  red,  price 
two  shillings. 

G-ravesend  Water  Companion,  describing  all  the 
towns,  churches,  villages,  parishes  and  gentlemen's 
seats,  as  seen  from  the  river  Thames,  between  London 
Bridge  and  Gravesend  town.  In  two  parts,  12mo,pp. 
60.  Gravesend,  printed  by  R.  Pocock,  1798.  Re- 
printed in  1802.  Also,  Margate  Water  Companion, 
see  page  28,  supra. 

Sea  Captain's  Assistant,  or  Fresh  Intelligence  for 
Salt  Water  Sailors;  containing,  among  a  variety  of 
maritime  articles,  a  naval  chronology,  the  list  of 
Trinity  House  pilots,  with  those  of  Deal,  Dover,  &c. 
Price  one  shilling. 

God's  Wonders  in  the  Great  Deep,  giving  an  account 
of  the  most  wonderful  and  amazing  deliverances  of 
sailors  at  sea.  Price  one  shilling. 

The  Antiquities  of  Rochester  Cathedral,  with  the 
monumental  inscriptions  ;  decorated  with  a  plate  of  the 
Cathedral.     Stitched,  price  one  shilling. 
The      Toast  Master,  and  Directions  for  Conducting 
Yourself  like  a  Gentleman.     Stitched,  price  sixpence. 


APPENDIX.  259 

"  Memoirs  of  the  Families  of  Sir  E.  Knatchbull,  Bart., 
and  Filmer  Honey  wood,  Esq.,  8vo,  price  sixpence. 
Gravesend,  1802. 

The  Charter  of  Gravesend,  with  all  the  laws  relating 
to  the  watermen  using  the  ferry  between  that  town 
and  London.  4  to,  stitched  in  marble,  three  shillings. 
Gravesend,  R.  Pocock. 

Eules  for  Playing  the  new  and  fashionable  Game  at 
Cards  called  Boston,  introduced  into  this  kingdom  by 
the  Russian  officers  who  visited  Chatham.  Price  six- 
pence. 

Laws  of  the  manly  Game  of  Cricket.  Price  three- 
pence. 

The  Royal  Soldier  :  a  sermon. 

The  Life  and  Death  of  John  Carpenter.  Printed  by 
R.  Pocock,  Gravesend,  and  sold  by  all  other  booksellers, 
1805.  12mo,  Gravesend,  1805. 

A  Guide  for  Gravesend,  by  a  visitor.  Printed  for  the 
author  by  Robert  Pocock,  High  Street,  1817." 

Numerous  parish  and  business  papers,  of  which  on 
the  8  August,  1787,  are  his  earliest  known  printed 
particulars  and  conditions  of  sale  (auctioneer,  Anthony 
Peck)  of  Roger  Man's  properties  in  High  Street  and 
Church  Street ;  sale  to  be  held  at  the  Catharine 
Wheel,  in  High  Street. 


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INDEX. 


Aetochoe,  Princess 
Alder,  Mr        *      •.-', 
Allen,  Captain 
Allington  Castle 
Anderson,  David     . 
Angel,  good     ..     '. 
"  Annual  Register  " 
Arnold,  Anthony 


PAGE 

.  55 
.  209 

.  18 
.  136 

.  48 
.  16 
.  25 
.  106 

Arnold,  George  "  10,  106,  108,  120 
Arnold,  Lieutenant  .  .  90 
Asparagus  .  .  .  .68 

Asthma 66 

Atterbury,  Bishop  .  .27 

Aurora  borealis  .  .  .47 
Aylesford  .  >-'..,..  -  136 

Banks,  P.  C.,  Esq.  .  .  .173 
Barming  ....  135 
Batavia  taken  .  .  .57 
Bedingfield,  Mr.  .  .  .  51 

Beer 241 

Betsom  Fair  ....  187 
Billingsgate  ...  28,  30 
Bird's  nest  (edible)  .  .  172 
Birling  Hill  .  .  .  .111 
Birling  remedy  (hydropho- 
bia) .  .  .  .  41,  54 

Bittern 98 

Black  Prince  ....  90 
Blue  Bell  Hill  •  .  .134 
Blockhouse  Platform,  Essex  .  20 
Bodleian  Library  .  .  .30 
Botany  Bay  .  .  .65, 109 
Boston  game  ....  259 


PAGE 

Bradley,  Rev.  Mr.  .  .  .  56. 
Brickmaking  ....  244 
Brightlingsea .  .  .  .54 
British  Museum  .  .  .  231 
Brook's  Museum  .  .  .  155 
Bruce,  George  (New  Zea- 

lander)  .  .  .  .55 
Bruce,  Michael  .  .  .255 
Buckinger,  Matthew,  120, 121, 147, 

180 
Butterfly  catcher    ...     73 

Caddell,  Mr.  T.  .  53,  226,  236 
Caen  stone  .  ,  .  .244 

Calais 245 

Caldecote,  Mr.  .  .  213,  236 
Camden  .  .  .  .21,  247 
Canal  machine  boat  .  .  53 
Canterbury,  Archbishop  of  .  224 
Canterbury  Paper  .  .  24,  25 
Canvey  Island  .  .  .194 
Carpenter,  John,  Life  of  .  259 

Carpets 242 

Castlereagh,  Lord  .  .  146,  147 
Catherine  Wheel,  The  .  .  259 
Chadwick,  Charles,  Esq.  .  205 
Chalk  .  .  86,  105,  147 

Chalk  Church .  .  63,  137,  172 
Chamberlayne,  William  .  .  216 
Chimes  .....  175 
Charles  I.  ...  240,  245 

Charles  II 245 

Chatham  .  .  .  .22 
Chatham  Eace  .  .  .  148 


262 


INDEX. 


Chesterfield,  Lord  . 
Child's  First  Book  . 
Child's  Second  Book 
Chimes  (church) 
China,  Embassy  to  . 
Chronicle,  JUnglish . 
Chronology 
Circulating  Library 
City  Solicitor . 
Clare,  John 
Clarence,  Duke  of   . 
Clarendon  Press 


PAGE 

.  186 
7,256 
7,  256 
.  175 
.  47 
.  155 
.  5,9 
5,  25 
.  41 
.  99 
.  153 
.  130,  170 


Clarke,  C.,  Esq.,  F.S. A.  155,182, 

183,  205,  235,  249 

Clarke's  Tunnel      .         .         .257 

Coaches 241 

Coal  Company  .  .  .  124 
Coal  fires  .  .  .  241,242 
Cobbett's  Register .  .  132,  139 
Cobham  Church  .  .  84,137 
CobhamHall.  .  148,199,200 
Cock  Robin,  &c.  .  .  .8 
Cofiee  .  .  .•  .  .  241 
Cole,  Joe  ..-  .  .  81,137 
Comet,  1811  38,  44,  48,  50,  53 
Compass,  The  .  .  96 

Composing-room  .  .  .  175 
Coosens,  Miss.  .  .  .143 
Corporation  of  Gravesend  .  47 
Courts  of  Request  .  .37 

Cowper,  William  ...  59 
Crayford  .  .  .  .42 
Cresswell,  Mrs.  .  .  .251 
Cricket  .  .  .  .83,  259 

Crimps 45 

"  Critical  Review "  .  .  25 
Crofter,  Mr.  W.  50,  53,  91,  247,  &c. 
Cronebane  .  .  .  .97 
Crossing  the  line  .  .  .  126 


Dacosta  . 
Daily  post 
Dallaway,  Mr. 
Dalton,  Colonel 
Dane  Holes 


.  243 
.  241 
.  110 

188,  205 
.  Ill 


Danson,  Matthew,  Life  of       .     98 

Darnley,  Earl  of,   47,  86,  141,  144, 

197,  199 


PAGE 

Dartford  Church      .         .         .245 

Dartford  History       229,  231,  237, 

248,  253 

Dartford  Nunnery  .  .  .  246 
Dartford  warbler,  The  .  .  233 
Davies,  Rev.  Mr.  .  .  62,  65 
Davy,  Sir  Humphrey  .  .  209 
Day,  John  .  .  .  .30 
Dean  of  Rochester  .  .  .  119 
Death  .  .  .  .254 

Death  watch  .  .  .  .147 
Death's-head  moth  .  .  51 
Denmark,  Prince  of  .  .131 
Denne,  Rev.  S.  .  12,  247,  254 
Desolation,  Isle  of  .  .  .57 
Dissenters  ....  221 
Dorset,  Lionel,  Duke  of  .  .  198 
Dorset,  Duchess  of.  .  .198 
Dover,  Castle  Inn  .  .  .  174 
Dryden  .  .  •  .  .  •  237 

Duels 131 

"  Dulce  Domum  "  .  .  .60 
Dunkin,  A.  J.  ...  8,32,247 
Dunkin,  Miss  ....  8 
Durham,  Rev.  Mr.  154,  155,  165 
Durling, Master  ("simpler")  70,  87 
Dutch  soldiers  .  .  .27 


Eardley's,  Lord,  garden .  .  39 
Earl  of  Kent  .  .  .  .224 
East  India  Company's  charter  68 
East  Tilbury  .  .  .  .152 
Edmeades,  Captain  .  .  42 

Edward  II 224 

Edward  the  Black  Prince  .  90 
Egyptian  Hall  .  .  121,  123 
Elizabeth,  Queen,  17,  20,  240,  241, 
245 
Embassy  to  China  .  .  47 

Erith 38 

Errata  .  .  .  181,  219,  220 
"  European  Magazine  "  .  .25 
Evans,  John  Mills  .  .  165,  167 
"  Everlasting  Song  Book"  129, 258 


"  Farmer's  Assistant " 
Female  historian    . 


10 
16 


INDEX. 


263 


Fisher,  Bishop         .         .  26,  27 

Flitch  of  Bacon       .  .14 

Fooks,  E.  J.,  Esq.  .         .  .127 

Fooks,  T.  B.,  Esq.  .         .  .127 

Fooks,  W.,  Esq.,  Q.C.      .  .       8 

Fountain  Tavern     .         .  .  104 

"  Foxe's  Martyrs  " .         .  .30 

France 101 

Free  School     ...  3,  216 

"  Frisky  Songster  "         .  .16 

Frog  fish          .         .         .  .95 

Furniture  and  effects      .  .  227 


Gad's  Hill  Wood  .  .  186,  219 
Gas  ..,-  .  .  .  .240 
"  Gentleman's  Magazine  "  25,  36, 
50,  88,  90,  95,  228,  238 
Geological  Society .  .  .242 

George  III 245 

George  IV.      .         .    186,  240,  245 

Gerelius,  Dr 110 

Gibbon,  Arthur  .  ^  .26 
Gibraltar  ....  244 
Giles'  English  parsing  .  4,  256 
Giles,  James,  Jun.  ...  4 
Giles,  James,  Sen.  ...  4 
Giles' portrait  ..  »  .97 
Gillbee,  Mr.  Nicholas  .  17,  165 
Gladdish,  Mrs.  .  ...  .  122 

Glasgow 177 

God's  Wonders  in  Deep  .  .  258 
Goldsmith  ....  216 
Grain,  Isle  of  .  .  .  .  211 
Grapes  .  .  .  .  41 

Gravesend,  Alice  .  .  .  222 
Gravesend,  Bishop.  .  .  221 
Gravesend  Bridge  .  .  .29 
Gravesend  coaches  .  .  31 

Gravesend,  Corporation  of  .  47 
Gravesend  Fair  .  52,  92,  154 
Gravesend  Free  School  3,  216 

Gravesend  Guide  .  .  226,  259 
Gravesend,  History  of  .  2, 11 
Gravesend  Lecturer  .  .  140 
Gravesend  Market  Place 

(well) 209 

Gravesend  Old  Churchyard        27, 
158,  159 


PAGE 

Gravesend,  Sir  Stephen  .  .  221 
Gravesend  Water  Company  228, 

258 

Grays  brick-fields  .  .  .  210 
Grays  Fair  .  .  .  .188 
Gregor,  Sir  Gregor  .  .  253 
Greig's  astrography  .  .  49 
Guildhall  Library  ...  8 
Guy  Fawkes  .  .  .  .94 

Hards,  Jamea  ....  143 
Harrison,  Israel  .  .  .  161 
Hart,  W.  H.,  Esq.,  F.S.A.  .  221 
Hasted  (Kent)  34,  117,  220,  228, 

239 

Hastings  ....  166 
Haviland,  Mr.  .  .  109,  110 
Hecla  and  Fury,  The  .  206,  207 
Henry  VIII.  .  20,  27,  30,  244 
Henslow,  Professor  116,  139,  162, 
163,  165,  193 

Hermitage  (Gad's  Hill)  .  .  157 
Herschell's  Telescope  .  .  42 
Higham  Tunnel  .  .  .  150 
Hignam  Court  .  .  153,  154 
Hinde,  Mr.  John  .  .  9,  57 
Hinde,  Mr.  E.  .  65,  68,  73 
Hinde,  Frances  .  .  .  260 
History  of  Gravesend  11,  257 

Hogg,  James  .  .  .  .33 
Holy  Bible  .  .  .  .221 
Holy  Haven  .  .  .36,  193 
Holy  Island  .  .  .  .195 
Honduras  Bay  .  .  .  130 
Honeywood,  Filmer,  Esq.  .  23 
Honeywood  Memoirs  .  .  259 
"  Honores  Anglicani"  .  .  173 
Hook,  Dean  ;  ...  26 

Hops 241 

Horn  books  ....  7 
Horticultural  Society  .  .  242 
"  Hortus  Siccus  "  .  .  112, 139 
House  of  Medici  .  .  .  250 
House  of  Stuart  .  .  .  250 

Howard 110 

Hudson's  Bay  ships         .         .  137 


Ifield  harmonics 


.    76 


264 


INDEX. 


Inner  Temple  Library 
Irish  Volunteers 
Israel  Harrison 


PAGE 

184,  264 
.  70 
.  161 


James  II.  .  .  .  .20 
Jews  .....  242 
Jones,  Mrs.  .  .  .  136,  138 
Jones,  S.  E.  K.  .  .  14,  260 
Jupiter's  moons  .  .  .  241 

Katterfelto,  Dr.  .         .     61 

Kemsing 196 

Kentish  fragments .  .  .  257 
Kilburne  ....  247 
King,  Death  of  the  .'  .76 
King's  accession  (anniversary)  118 
Knatchbull  Memoirs  .  .  259 
Knatchbull,  Sir  Edward  23,  258, 
259 
Knole  House  .  .  .  .  196 

Lace,  Seizure  of  .         .74 

Lambarde  ....  247 
Lambert's  "Notes  on  Botany  "  56 
Landman,  Colonel  .  .  .  130 
Lavater  .  ."  .  .  .17 
Leeds  Castle  ....  144 

Leigh 36 

Lewis  Island  .        .        *        .53 

Library 24 

Lloyd,  Kev.  John  .  .  .26 
Lloyd's  List  .  .  .  .25 
Lousada,  Miss  126,  160,  161,  162 
Luddesdown  ....  Ill 
Lump  fish  .  .  .  .49 

Mackenzie,  Alexander    .         .     92 

Madder 42 

Madrid  .  .  .  .  .84 
Magic  lantern  v .  .  '  .  242 
Maidstone  .  .  .  135,  236 
Maidstone  Gaol  ...  69 
Maidstone  Paper  .  .  .25 
Mangel  wurzel  .  .  .  240 
Marchmont,  Earldom  and 

estates  of     ...  119,  187 

Margate,  Water  company  in,  28, 

258 

Market  Place  .  ,  209 


PAGE 

Marlborough,  Duke  of  .  .  161 
Matthews,  John  (Town  Clerk)  197 
Meopham  Fair  .  .  .  142 
Microscopes  ....  242 
Millen,  Mr.  .  .  120,  123,  226 
Milk  and  water  .  .  .39 
Mil  ton-next- Gravesend  .  .  220 
Milton  Church  ...  .  221 
Milton,  Poor  of  .  .  k  .223 
Minster  .  .  *  ,  .45 
Mock  Mayor  .  . .  .  -  .  48 
Moth  catching  .  .81 

Monk,  General         ...     17 
"Monthly  Magazine"  64,  67,  78, 
149 

"  Monthly  Eeview "  ,.  .25 
Montresa,  Colonel  .  .  .  147 
Moore's  Almanack  .  .  .37 
Morant's  "  History  of  Essex  "  54 
Morhall,  Mrs.  ...  17 

Mudie's  Library  ...  .26 
Mungo,  St.,  shrine  .  .  .  121 
Murray's  Guides  v  .  .  29 
Museum,  British  .  .  .  231 
Museum,  Mr.  Brook's  .  .  155 
Museum,  Mr.  Ball's  .  .  79 
Museum,  Mr.  Jefferies'  .  .  80 
Museum,  Mr.  Pittard's  .  .  80 

Mustard 241 

Mutiny  at  Nore  (see  Nore)      .  107 

Nash,  Thomas        .         .         .     230 

Natural  History  of  Kent        30,  33 

Natural  History  Society  26,  77, 89, 

96,  120 

Navy  List  .  .  .  .32 
Nero  .  .„";'.  .44 
Newbury  ....  7 
Newcastle,  Duke  of  .  .22 
New  Zealand  heads  .  .  184 

Niagara 92 

Nicoll,  Eobert,        .        .        .248 

Noble,  Mrs.  Sarah  .        .        .250 

Noble,  Eev.  M.  171,  181,  182,  235, 

247,  249 

Notes  and  Queries  ...  7 
Nore,  The  (see  Mutiny)  .  .  64 
Northfleet  Church  .  .  .65 
Northfleet  Volunteers  .  .  18 


INDEX. 


265 


"  Nundinae  Cantianae  " 

PAGE 

.    32 

PAGE 

Pocock,  Robert,  pedigree        .  260 

Pomona  frigate        .         .         .71 

Oliver  Cromwell 

.  177 

Port  of  Leigh  ....     53 

Orange,  Prince  of   . 

.    75 

Port  of  London        .         .        53,  61 

Orkneys  .         • 

41,  43,  81 

Porter     241 

Orloff,  Count   . 

.  110 

Pottinger,  Mr.         ...  121 

Ormskirk  Church    . 

.     37 

Powell,  George        .         .        .  120 

Otford 

.  196 

Priestley,  Dr  156 

Oysters    .         .         ^ 

.  183 

Prince    of     Orange     (public- 

house)  75 

Painted  lady  cardinal 

.    50 

Printer's  ink   ....  166 

Paperhanging  .         . 

.     87,  148 

Printing-press,  First       .         .       5 

Park,  Mungo  . 

.     77,  158 

Public  Ledger  .         .         .         .24 

Parker's  Mutiny  at  the 

Nore.  107 

Punish  Hill      .         .         .         .104 

Parr,  Lieutenant 

71,  72,  78 

Purfleet  75 

Parrock  . 

.  148,  220 

Paul's,  St.,  Cathedral 
Peck,  Mr  Anthony 
Perambulation  of  Kent 
Percival,  Mr.  (shot) 

.  223,  224 
.  259 
.        .225 
.        .    69 

Queen  Anne    .         .         .    176,  221 
Queen  Charlotte      .         .         .186 
Queen  Elizabeth  17,  20,  240,  241, 

OA  tZ. 

Phelps,  Rev.  Mr.     . 
Philadelphia  Museum 
Phillips,  Rev.  Mr.   . 
Phoenicians,  The     . 

.       81,  94 
.    49 
.    65 
.         .243 

tno 

Queen  Elizabeth's  bed    .         .  202 
Queen  Isabella        .         .        .253 
Queen  of  Scots        .         .         .17 

Picture  of  Human  Life 

.  257 

Pigtail              .         , 

.  254 

Rainham          .         .         .         .22 

Pil  cher's  ship-yard 

.        61,  62 

Randall  Heath        ...     74 

Pocock,  Admiral 

.  185 

Randall  Wood          .   141,  148,  219 

Pocock,  Frances       . 

15,  24,  115 

Rare  plants     ....  217 

Pocock,  John  . 

2,61 

Rashleigh,  Miss  J.  .         .         .  204 

death 

.      3 

Rashleigh,  Rev.  Mr.  117,  141,  169, 

epitaph  . 

.      3 

187,  188,  197 

will 

.       2 

"  Reading  made  easy  "   .         .       6 

Pocock'  s  Life  . 

.  252 

Roads,  Book  of        ...  225 

Pocock,  Martha 

.  3,  23,  61 

Robinson  (Dunston  Hall)        .  190 

Pocock,  Mary  Ann  . 

.  133 

Rochester  Cathedral        .  134,  258 

Pocock  pedigree 

.       5 

Rochester,  Dean  of         .        .119 

Pocock,  Robert,  birth 

.      2 

Roger  Mann    ....  259 

first  marriage  . 

.       5 

Rolvenden        .         .         .         .166 

death  of  first  wife 

.      9 

Romans,  The  ....  243 

second  marriage 

.       9 

Round  stern  ship    .         .         .  179 

issue 

.       9 

Round  Tree     .         .         .    146,  153 

waste-book 

.     14 

Royal  Soldier  .         .         .        .259 

will 

.     24 

Royal  Society          .         .      35,  242 

sale  of  house    . 

.    57 

Rum        74 

age  .         . 

.     61,  172 

Runic  characters     .         .         .  175 

.         furniture  and  effec 

ts        .  227 

epitaph 

.  253 

Russia     110 

death       . 

.  255 

266 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

St.  George's  Chapel,  Gravesend  27, 

Stronsa   .... 

PAGE 

.  187 

158,  159 

Sturgeon 

193,  215 

St.  Mary's,  Gravesend    . 

.    27 

Swanscombe  Wood  . 

.  117 

St.  Mungo's  shrine  . 

.  121 

Sydall,  Kev.  Arnold 

.    27 

St.  Paul's 

223,  224 

Salamanca,  Victory  of   . 
Sanders  and  Lemon 

.     81 
.     17 

Talbot  Inn,  Borough 
Tea  from  China 

.     60 
.  241 

Sandwich 
Santander 

.  245 
.  253 

Telegraph  (semaphore)  . 
Telescopes 

.  240 
.  241 

Saunders,  Ann, 

.     17 

Thanet,  Earls  of     . 

.     19 

Sawyer,  E.  B.,  epitaph    . 

.       6 

Thanet,  Thomas,  Earl  of 

.     22 

Saxton,  Lieutenant-Colonel    .  213 

Thompson 

.  254 

Scott,  Dr.        ... 
"  Sea  Captain's  Assistant 

.  185 
"  29,  30, 

Thong     .         .         65,81, 
Thornton,  Dr. 

133,  218 
.    49 

258 

1     4-4- 

CO 

Seal         .... 

92 

T1Vl/-VT»T\£i 

OO 

"  Selborne,  History  of"  . 

.  127 

±norpe    .... 
Tiberius  Ca3sar 

'.    87 

Selby's  British  Birds 

.  209 

Tilbury,  East  . 

.  152 

Selby  Estate  . 

118,  156 

Tilbury  Fort   .       20,  29, 

146,  162, 

Severus  .... 

.     83 

218,  220 

Shake  spear      .         .         . 

.  237 

Tilbury,  West          .        '. 

.     65 

Sharland,  Lord 

.    46 

Times,  The 

.     24 

Sheerness   '     . 

.    97 

Toast  Master  .         .         . 

258 

Sheppey  .         .        .  •  •    -  -• 

.    45 

Town  Mailing  . 

104,  105 

Shooter's  Hill  . 
Shorne     .        .    166,  167, 

.     29 
183,  186 

Tracy,  Mr.  (Brompton) 
Tufton,  Col.     . 

11,  213 
.     20 

Shorne  cricket  match 
Shorne  Mill     . 

.  146 
.  145 

Tufton  Family         .   .    '. 
Turnip  fly 

19,  258 

.     82 

Singlewell  Lane 

.  180 

j.  M»«ug*   jj^               ... 

Turton,  Dr.     .         .-     '(. 

.     34 

Smith,  Mrs.  (Gamer) 

199,  209 

Tyler,  Wat      .         .        '. 

.  233 

Smithers,  Mr. 

204,  205 

Type  founders         * 

.  180 

Sondes,  Lord  .         . 

.  124 

South  America 
Southfleet 

.  253 

.  187 

Umbrellas       .        .        . 

.  241 

Spectacles 
Spelling-book  . 
Spelman,  Sir  John 

.     49 
7,  8,  256 
.  233 

Van  Diemen's  Land 
VarchelFs  charity   . 

.  129 
.    97 

Sphinx  moth    .         .         . 

.    49 

Very  true         .         . 

.     18 

Springhead 

83,87 

Viggers,  Mr.    . 

184,  226 

Steam-boats    .         , 

.  242 

Steel's  List      . 

25,32 

Wade,  Mr.  James    . 

.  174 

Stevens  .         .         ... 

.     83 

Wadman,  Major       .        , 

.     18 

Stillard,  Ann  . 

5,  260 

Waltham  Abbey      . 

.     60 

Stink  Weed     . 

.  133 

Wanstead  House     . 

.  138 

Stone  Castle    . 

.  244 

Watches 

.  241 

Strawberries  . 

.  242 

Water  Bailiff  . 

211,  212 

Stray  cock,  Mr. 

.     29 

Water        Companion, 

The 

Streatfield,  Mr. 

181,  182 

(Gravesend) 

3,28 

Strood  Fair     . 

.     83 

(Margate) 

.     28 

INDEX. 


267 


Wat  Tyler 
Watson,  Dr.  S. 
Weaver   . 

Wesleyan  Chapel    . 
West,  Mr. 
West,  Mrs. 
Westminster  Abbey 
West  Tilbury  . 
West-Wood     . 
White  Hart  Inn 
Whalebone 


PAGE 

.  233 

Wildman,  Beckford,  Es 

PAGE 

q.,M.P.  209 

.    47 

Wilmington     .         .    1 

77,  227,  255 

.    21 

Wrekin  Hill    . 

.  135 

.     62 

Wombwell  Hall 

.   125,  142 

.    18 

Woodgate,  Mr. 

.     44 

.  174 

Woolwich 

.    42 

16,  224 

.    65 

.  178 

Yantlet  Creek 

.  211 

.    15 

Young,  Edward 

.  159 

.  215 

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