23. Robert Hamilton, M.D. F.R.S. and F.R.C.P. Edinb. was another of the former inhabitants of Lynn who deserved well of his fellow townsmen and of the public at large. He was born at Edinburgh Dec. 17. 1721; and was a younger son of James Hamilton, who was bred to the law, and was at one time deputy keeper of Holyrood-House, under James Duke of Hamilton, its hereditary keeper. He was educated at the High School in his native city, and was there at the time of the memorable affair of captain Porteus. When of a proper age he was placed with a surgeon and apothecary at Leith, where he remained three years. After having attended the lectures of different professors at the university, upon the materia medica, pharmacy, botany, anatomy, surgery, &c. he was at length obliged to quit these studies, and procured a birth on board the Somerset man of war in 1741, having previously undergone the usual examination at Surgeon’s Hall, London. He continued in that line, or as a navy-surgeon, for about seven years, when the peace of Aix-la-chapelle put him out of employment. He came to Lynn in 1748, to see a brother who was married here and settled as a merchant; and having heard of, and engaged a situation at the neighbouring village of Great Massingham, where there was a vacancy for a surgeon and apothecary, he settled there in August that same year, but continued there only till October 1749, when he removed and settled at Lynn: and not long after he married a Miss Hawkins, the sister of his brother’s wife. He now went into business, in partnership with Mr. Young, a grandson of Dr. Hepburn. A vacancy for a physician happening here in 1765 by the death of Dr. Lidderdale, he was advised to procure a doctors degree, in order to become his successor, which advice he at length complied with, and in May 1766 received that honour from St. Andrew’s, the diploma being signed by no less than ten professors.—Not long after he relinquished the practice of pharmacy, and pursued those of physic and midwifery, which he followed the remainder of his life, with considerable applause, and general approbation. He died Nov. 9. 1793, and was buried in St. Nicholas’ chapel, regretted by a large portion of the community. [1081]
Before we entirely close this part of the work, and proceed to the conclusion, or to give a view of the present state of the town, it may not be improper here, by way of Postscript, to rectify some slight mistakes, and to supply certain omissions that have been discovered in different parts of the preceding sections, since the sheets have been printed off.
In the first place, the author wishes he had, at page 137, somewhat enlarged the memoir of that eminent president of the R. S. Martin Folkes Esq; the maternal grandfather of Martin Folkes Rishton Esq; of this town; and especially that he had more particularly noticed that ingenious, elaborate, and masterly publication of his, the Tables “of the English Silver-coins, from the Norman conquest to the present time;” and “of the English Gold Coins from the 18th. of Edward III, when gold was first coined in England, to the present time.” The work is comprised in one volume quarto, and was printed in 1745, for the society of Antiquaries. It is a work of the highest authority, and of the greatest use and importance to those who wish to be thoroughly acquainted with the subject there treated of; and might, perhaps, he consulted with no small advantage by our senators and others in the present precarious state of our currency.
At page [961], the author now finds that he was mistaken in saying that both the old members were returned at the contested election 1784. Walpole indeed was returned with Molineux, yet not the old member of that name, but a relation of his, who for a long while after continued to be one of our representatives; to what benefit or advantage to the town or nation, the present writer is not able to say.—The author has been blamed for passing over in silence the Ball and Supper given at our Town-Hall in commemoration of the Revolution, on the 14th. of November 1788, pronounced, as it is said, by both Mr. and Mrs Coke to have been “equal in Splendor and more comfortable than that given at Holkham.” The fact is, the author had quite forgotten it; and as it was kept so much out of time, he is still inclined to think that it was given more out of vain parade, than, out of real gratitude for that great and interesting event.—Another omission the author has been reminded of is, “that in April 1797, prince William (now duke) of Gloucester visited Lynn, and after reviewing the Volunteers, and dining with the mayor, was presented with the freedom of this ancient borough.”—The execution of Peter Donahue, serjeant in the 30th. regiment of foot, for forgery at Lynn in 1801 is another omission suggested to the author; and also the condemnation of Robert Nichols, the year after, for sheep stealing: to which might have been added the fatal disaster of the Ferry-boat, this present year, by which ten persons at least perished.—It will be the author’s endeavour to set all these matters right in a Table of remarkable events at the end of the work.
CHAP. VII.
Impartial view of the present state of the town and its vicinity: containing introductory observations, brief account of churches, chapels, almshouses, workhouses, charitable and social institutions, religious sects and confraternities, the corporation, the shipping, trade and commerce, exports and imports, population, &c. &c.
This town, or at least its western vicinity, being that part of Marshland that lies contiguous to the town, has of late experienced an unexpected and most striking change, in the sudden resort thither and settlement of a number of characters in high life, consisting of peers, courtiers, statesmen, nabobs, royal physicians, naval and military commanders, &c. This may be reckoned among the wonders of these eventful times. It is marvellous in the eyes of most people, and has filled all Marshland with astonishment, so as to make its homely and unlettered inhabitants ready to lift up their voices and cry out with the ancient Lycaonians, “The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men!”—or with a celebrated English poet, “Descending gods find their Elysium here!” [1085]—The enormous price given by these new-comers for the estates they have purchased has greatly astonished the whole country, being about double the current valuation, or what lands usually fetched here before: and as some of them are said to be deep in political and state secrets, these purchases have excited strong suspicions of the tottering existence and depreciating state of all funded property. For had such property been really safe and good, these sagacious persons would hardly have withdrawn theirs and thus deliberately bury it in the bogs of Marshland.
Those changes also that have recently taken place within the town are many of them very curious and striking. The late improvements in the Streets, by the new paving of them, &c. might indeed be pronounced proper and commendable, had not the expense fallen so heavy upon that large portion of the community who were quite unable to bear the pressure of any additional imposts, and could hardly stand under the weight of those that had been previously imposed. Here the projectors and promoters of the scheme appear in a very unfavourable light—inconsiderate and unfeeling in a very high degree. But it is in their rage for innovation they appear in the queerest light. Considering what they have done in that way, it seems really a wonder that the very name of the town itself has escaped them, or that they did not take it into their heads to bestow upon it some new and whimsical appellation, as they have done to almost every part of it, and even some of principal Streets. Checker Street, for instance, has been by them called King Street, though it had borne the former name for many ages. The Grass Market and Damgate, which were always before considered as two distinct Streets, (and had borne those names perhaps 500 years, if not much longer) are by them converted into one, and called Norfolk Street; a name that might with equal propriety have been given to Broad Street, or High Street, or any other Street in the town. All this, if not superlatively fantastical and absurd, is certainly childish and ridiculous enough. But we will pursue the subject no further.
Among the recent changes in the town, those that have taken place in the Workhouse and the Hall must not be here forgotten or overlooked. The new order of things in the former place, (the Workhouse,) is expected to produce a saving to the town, to no small amount, without any material detriment to the paupers, that are there maintained: and this expectation, it is to be hoped, will not issue in disappointment, like too many of our former golden dreams. As to the Hall, the spirit of economy and retrenchment seems to have become there now quite triumphant. Such public days as those of St. John and St. Michael, so remarkable heretofore for festivity and hilarity, are now become like days of fasting and humiliation. Not only the sumptuous dinners and convivialities of former times have now totally disappeared, but even the poor pittance of a bit of cake and a glass of wine, has been actually withheld, even from the worshipful members whose attendance on those days was indispensable, and who may be looked upon as the very pillars and atlases of our ancient municipal constitution. After all it is not meant here to censure this new frugal plan. It may be very necessary and highly proper, as the world goes; for it certainly corresponds with the complexion and exigencies of the times, which require the strictest economy and utmost frugality from almost every description of our dear countrymen, to enable them to go on with any prospect of success or comfort. But here it was only meant to state a historical fact, too remarkable to be entirely overlooked.