yet that lord had a better opinion of his conversation than his writings when he said “that if Shadwell had burned all he wrote, and printed all he spoke, he would have shewn more wit and humour than any other poet.” In the reign of William III. he succeeded Dryden, as Poet Laureat, under whose lash he had previously fallen. His works, consisting of seventeen plays, were published in three volumes 12mo. in 1720, with a short account of his life written by his son, Sir John Shadwell, Knight, who was physician to Queen Anne, and resided in a house at Chelsea, which had been previously occupied by Dr. Arbuthnot. Shadwell died at Chelsea in 1692, aged 52, and was buried in the Church, November 24, when a funeral sermon was preached by his friend Dr. Nicholas Brady, in which he assures us that “his natural and acquired abilities made him sufficiently remarkable to all that he conversed with, very few being equal to him in all the becoming qualities and accomplishments of a gentleman.” His widow, who had been an actress, survived him, and resided at Chelsea some years.
Dr. John Arbuthnot, a native of Scotland, had his education in the University of Aberdeen, where he took the degree of Doctor of Physic. He came to London about the year 1695, and at first taught the mathematics for his support. His facetious and agreeable conversation introduced him by degrees into practice; and he became eminent in his profession. Being at Epsom when Prince George of Denmark was suddenly taken ill, he was called in to his assistance; his advice was successful, and his Highness recovering, employed him ever afterwards as his physician.
The Queen’s death, and the disasters which fell upon his friends on that occasion, deeply affected his health and spirits; and, to divert his melancholy, he paid a visit to his brother, a banker, at Paris. He returned to London, and continued his medical profession with great reputation, employing his leisure hours in writing papers of wit and humour.
About this time Dr. Arbuthnot took a house in Church Street, where he at times entertained a select number of his friends. He died in 1735 in Cork Street, Burlington Gardens. In his writings he has shewn himself equal to any of his cotemporaries in humour, wit, and learning. Sir John Shadwell, son of the Laureat, afterwards occupied the house.
Dr. Edward Chamberlayne, it appears from the land tax book of this parish, anno 1704, resided next door to Dr. King, the rector, in a house that is still standing, and which is a few doors north of the White Horse public house, in Church Street. He was descended from an ancient family, and born at Odington, in Gloucestershire, in 1616. During the civil war he made the tour of Europe. After the Restoration he was chosen F.R.S.; and, in 1669, attended Charles, Earl of Carlisle, as secretary to the embassy to Stockholm, with the order of the Garter for the King of Sweden. Shortly afterwards the degree of LL.D. was conferred on him at Cambridge, and also the same at Oxford at a later period. About the year 1679, he received the appointment of tutor to the Duke of Grafton, one of the natural sons of Charles II.; and subsequently he instructed Prince George of Denmark, consort to Queen Anne, in the English language. He died at his house in Church Street in 1703, having been an active magistrate in this parish for many years.
John Chamberlayne, (son of Dr. Chamberlayne,) who resided in the house formerly occupied by his father, was a learned and worthy man. He was admitted into Trinity College, Oxford, in 1685, and was gentleman usher to George Prince of Denmark. He translated, from the French and Spanish: 1. The Manner of making Tea, Coffee, and Chocolate. 2. From Italian into English, A Treasure of Health, written by Castor Durant de Gualdo, physician of Rome. 3. The Arguments of the Books and Chapters of the Old and New Testaments, with Practical Observations, written originally in French by the Rev. Mr. Ostervald, Professor of Divinity, and one of the members of the church at Neufchatel, in Switzerland, and by him presented to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, of which society he was a member. 4. The Lives of the Members of the Royal Academy of Sciences; translated from the French of M. de Fontenelle; republished since, in 1721, under the title of “Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Paris, Epitomized, with the Lives of the late Members of that Society.” 5. The Religious or Christian Philosopher; or, The right Use of Contemplating the Work of the Creator; translated from the Dutch of Dr. Nieuwentyt, with cuts. 6. History of the Reformation in and about the Low Countries; translated from the Low Dutch of Gerard Brandt. 7. The Lord’s Prayer, in 100 Languages. 8. Dissertations, Historical, Theological, and Critical, on the most memorable events of the Old and New Testaments, wherein the Spirit of the Sacred Writings is shewn, their authority confirmed, &c. Mr. Chamberlayne was Fellow of the Royal Society, to whom he communicated several papers on important subjects. He augmented and improved his father’s book of “The Present State of Great Britain,” to the latter editions of which his name is prefixed. He was not only learned but pious, earnest at all times in promoting and disseminating religious principles. In the old churchyard, facing the river, are inscriptions to the memory of this distinguished family. [82]
Mr. Bowack, to whom we are so much indebted for his valuable information, resided near Dr. Chamberlayne’s house in Church Street. In 1705 he began to publish, in folio numbers, “The Antiquities of Middlesex; being a Collection of the several Church Monuments in that County; also an Historical Account of each Church and Parish, with the Seats, Villages, and names of the most eminent Inhabitants.” The work extended through the parishes of Chelsea, Fulham, Kensington, Chiswick, and Acton, and was then discontinued. It is much to be regretted that he could not complete his design. He has preserved many monumental inscriptions, since destroyed. Mr. Bowack was writing master to Westminster School. “I have,” says Mr. Faulkner, in reference to his own work, “carefully embodied the greater part of the information contained in his (Bowack’s) folio volume, now become extremely scarce.”
John Martyn, Esq., who resided in Church Street, next door to Dr. Chamberlayne, was the son of a merchant of London. He was born in 1699. With him it was a subject of frequent exultation, in after-life, that Providence had thrown him into a country, and produced him at a period so fertile in genius and literary accomplishments. “It was truly the golden age of learning,” says Mr. Faulkner, “and to converse with those heroes who adorn it was deemed no mean privilege, or glory, by one who well knew how to value mental wealth.” He was sent by his father to a private school (his mother died when he was scarcely a twelvemonth old), and here by his own industry rather than by any advantage of instruction, he made a tolerable proficiency in school learning, but was taken away from his beloved books to engage in the business of a counting house. Most youths of his age, in such an occupation, would have found their minds sufficiently employed, but he, insatiate of knowledge, after the labours of the day, dedicated most of those hours which are usually given to bodily rest to the improvement of his understanding.
Mr. Martyn’s propensity to the science of botany was first excited by an acquaintance with Mr. Wilmer, an apothecary, who afterwards became the reader in the Botanic Garden at Chelsea, and by an intimacy contracted with Dr. Blair and Dr. Sherard. In the year 1732, he published a translation of “Tournefort’s History of Plants about Paris,” and in the same year a “Catalogue of the Plants about London,” but he did not complete it. From a strong conviction that observations made upon plants in their natural places of growth were the least liable to error, he about the same time began his botanical excursions, which were mostly performed on foot, and were continued for a long period with unwearied diligence. His “Hortus Siccus,” containing 1,400 specimens, is a sufficient testimony of his industry. Nor did he confine himself wholly to the contemplation of vegetables, and their hidden virtues; the numerous insect tribe began to attract no small share of his attention. In 1721, he principally instituted the Botanical Society, in London. Dr. Dillenius was president, and Mr. Martyn was secretary. This society kept together till 1726. About this time he became a member of the Royal Society, and now began to apply himself most seduously to the practice of physic. For this purpose he was admitted of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and kept five terms, with an intention to have proceeded regularly with his degrees, but from peculiar circumstances he was prevented from finishing his design. He had now lived and practised physic in Great St. Helen’s, Bishopsgate Street, during three years; but, finding the air of London disagree with his constitution, he embraced a favourable opportunity which offered of removing to Chelsea, where he practised physic with success and great reputation for above twenty years.
In 1733, he was chosen Professor of Botany in the University of Cambridge, where he had given several courses of lectures, and had greatly restored the study of that science.