The life of Colonel Fred Burnaby

Front matter

THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY

Preface

It has generally been assumed that the age of Romance, in so far as England is concerned, disappeared with the last of the Plantagenets, and that Henry the Seventh's Coronation Service was at once its farewell and requiem ; but a more romantic career than that of Frederick Gustavus Burnaby, though it was passed in the reign of Victoria, can scarcely be conceived. He was a Coeurde-Lion in physique, strength, courage, and magnanimity ; and though he lived in what he himself regarded as a tame and pusillanimous era, when Englishmen were inclined to surrender without protest to the first bully who presented himself the benefits which had come down to them from their clearer-eyed and more heroic fathers, he managed to crowd into a life of only forty-two years as many exciting incidents, accompanied by hair-breadth escapes, as would have satisfied even a Knight Templar. Moreover, the stirring events of that life follow one another with the rapidity of a swiftly moving panorama ; brave deed succeeding brave deed, until lastly there comes the most thrilling scene of all — the terrible passage at arms on the field of Abou Klea — and the hero dead.

' He was the only man whom I have ever met," says his old Harrow friend, Mr. H. H. Finch, " who was totally devoid of fear."

To Burnaby stagnation was insufferable. For years he was one of the most popular men in England. He united in his person precisely those qualities which Englishmen most admire. Of a fertile invention, he never hesitated to take the initiative. He was perspicacious, determined, resourceful, tenacious, amazingly daring. His audacity again and again catches the viii LIFE OF COLONEL BURNABY

breath. He had decided opinions, and he expressed them with a soldier's emphasis. Thanks to his keen sense of the ridiculous, he met the onslaughts of his political opponents with a good humour that blunted every shaft. In a certain sense he belonged to the rank and file ; for he never had opportunities of commanding great bodies of men, either in the field or from the senate. If England could breed a million men like him — with a Titan's frame and strength, a Creighton's hunger for knowledge, and a Roland's passion for adventure — what would not England, with all her present lustihood, yet become ! We need not ask ourselves whether Burnaby was a great man. His was certainly an amazing personality. It has been observed that there was no great man, in the ordinary sense of the term, in Nelson's fleet — save Nelson — and yet what work those rare old sea dogs did for England. Whether on the way to Khiva or among the Devil Worshippers of Armenia ; whether bearding Mr. Chamberlain in his iron den or picking off Arabs at El Teb, he was always the same cheery, determined, courageous, rash, and deadly-earnest Burnaby. " He was one of the very best and kindest officers," says Sir John Willoughby " whom it has been my privilege to serve." The fox-hunting parson and the squire's daughter have not of late years been smothered with eulogy ; but at any rate they bred Burnabys, or men of the Burnaby type, and for them England has had work to do which they, and perhaps only they, were really capable of doing.

Although no polished writer, Burnaby produced bright, humorous and important books, and for many generations to come Englishmen will read with pleasure the account of the most famous of his rides, that in which he penetrated, amid dangers that might well have deterred a Bayard, the mysterious region of Khiva. " His Ride to Khiva," says Lord Roberts,* "excited my admiration at the time, and I regretted that such an enterprising officer

* In a letter written in January 1908 to Colonel Burnaby 's brother.

PREFACE ix

should have been cut off so early in life." Equal in interest is On Horseback through Asia Minor. There is no more picturesque couple in history or fiction than Burnaby and his devoted henchman, George Radford.

This work has been written with the entire sympathy and the most kind assistance of Colonel Burnaby's family. Mrs. Le Blond (formerly Mrs. Fred Burnaby), Mr. Harry Burnaby (Burnaby's only son), the Rev. Evelyn Burnaby, M.A. (Burnaby's only brother), and Mrs. Baillie (his only surviving sister), have all helped in various ways. Letters and other documents have been placed ungrudgingly at my disposal ; moreover — boon, indeed, to biographer — I have been allowed an absolutely free hand. I recall with pleasure an interview with Mrs. Le Blond,and I have to thank her for a number of letters containing important clues. The Rev. Evelyn Burnaby has been indefatigable in his enquiries on my behalf, and I owe to him many an illuminating fact, many a piquant anecdote.

Mrs. Duncan Baillie placed in my hands a number of her brother's letters ; and Don Carlos, Duke of Madrid — one of Burnaby's closest friends — kindly replied to various queries.

If Burnaby added to our Geographical Knowledge, he also deserves our gratitude on account of his efforts in behalf of aeronautics. He was the one strong man who stood up and struggled for aeronautics at a period when the balloon was regarded as a toy, and the whole subject was treated with levity, not only by the general public, but also by men in authority. His purse and his brain were alike at the service of his beloved science. People at the present day have not the faintest idea of the tremendous battle the aerostat had to fight in the sixties, seventies, and even the eighties ; but the efforts of Burnaby and the little band associated with him will not be forgotten when England has her fleets in the firmament, as well as on the high seas.

My account of Burnaby's connection with ballooning

a2 x LIFE OF COLONEL BURNABY

has been compiled partly from his book A Ride Across the Channel, and partly from Mr. J. W. Prowse's articles in the Daily Telegraph ; but my mainstay under this head has been my kinsman and almost life-long friend, Mr. Thomas Wright, the distinguished aeronaut, who for many years was intimately connected with Burnaby ; while his elder daughter has often lightened my labours by services performed very cheerfully, though at no little inconvenience to herself.

If Burnaby was a Colossus in stature, a Milo in strength, a soldier and an aeronaut, he was also a remarkable linguist, being able to speak fluently no fewer than seven languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Russian, and Turkish.

The story of that ding-dong fight — Burnaby's attack on Birmingham— with its humours and its sequel, will also, I think, deeply interest the public. Llad he lived only a few years longer he and Mr. Chamberlain would have found themselves in the same camp ; and the shafts forged for the breasts of each other would have been discharged, shoulder brushing shoulder, at the common enemy.

For the story of Burnaby's political career I am indebted to Mr. J. Percival Hughes, of the Central Conservative Office, Westminster, who was Burnaby's secretary, Sir Benjamin Stone, Sir James Sawyer, Mr. Joseph Rowlands, and Mr. Robert Buckley. Sir Benjamin Stone kindly placed at my disposal the documents relating to the early days of the Primrose League, of which Burnaby was one of the founders. No one previously had had access to these papers, consequently the story of the founding of the Primrose League is now told in its entirety for the first time.

Still, the salient fact in Burnaby's story is that he died for England ; and if a man dies for his country it does not behove his compatriots to attempt to belittle him just because he happened not to be politically at one with them. The whole of the Liberal party — to their

PREFACE xi

honour — took this view at the time of Burnaby's death. All Englishmen now cherish Burnaby's memory, as they cherish the memory of Gordon and other unselfish heroes. To think of such men is to be moved to the very centre, to be lifted above ourselves, to recall with pride that we too are of their stock and nationality. It must strike even the most cursory reader in respect to the fights of El Teb and Abou Klea — that they were more like Homeric battles than incidents in modern warfare. Herbert Stewart, Burnaby and others stand out scarcely less conspicuously than the most illustrious heroes before Troy Town ; which shows that personality counts for nearly as much in the days of the machine-gun when you fight for England as it did in the old time, when " shields jostled shields, and lances lances crossed," all for the sake of a wanton.

England's indebtedness to Burnaby as a soldier is brought out very forcibly in a letter written to me by Mr. Thomas Gibson Bowles — Burnaby's bosom friend — whom I had the pleasure of meeting in London, and who has since rendered me much valuable help. It is headed Khartoum under date 26th January, 1908, and it runs as follows : Dear Sir,

It is a strange and sad coincidence that your letter should have followed me to find me in Khartoum — the Khartoum for which, and for Gordon, my dear friend gave his life twenty-three years ago. At the time it seemed to have been given uselessly and his blood to have been poured with no effect on the unslakable desert. Yet it was not so. For the misdeeds of those who sent out Gordon and refused him the aid he asked for in any one of the ways he asked for it, the blunders of those who conceived and carried out the expedition that failed at Abou Klea, the sacrifice of the precious lives there lost — these it was that bred in England that stern silent determination that led to the other and better effort that succeeded, and all too tardily carried out Gordon's injunction xii LIFE OF COLONEL BURNABY

to " smash the Mahdi." And if to the spirits of Burnaby and Herbert Stewart and the unnamed who fell with them, it be given to see Khartoum now — Khartoum peaceful, prosperous, and growing under the Union Jack, they would say " It was not in vain we gave our lives, it was for this."

Yet the sadness of Khartoum is great to me — for Gordon was a friend of mine too, and when he fell a light went out such as had never before been, nor ever after will be, lit in modern England. The whole splendid blaze of English history shines not so bright and pure. With no king, statesman, soldier or prophet, can he be matched who outmatches them all together ; and though what he did was and is but one tenth known, and his name even but one half remembered and fading, yet some portion of his truly Divine spirit lives in the men of his generation, consciously and unconsciously inspired by him, lives and, please God, will spread and grow till it shall make England what she should be — the light of the world in its dark places. For that he gave his life and, however it seem, that too was not given in vain.

Sincerelv vours,

Thos. Gibson Bowles.

My account of the battle of Abou Klea has been built up from letters and other documents supplied me by Lord Dundonald, Colonel Marling, V.C., Trooper George Murray, and other soldiers who were near Burnaby when he fell; while Mr. Bennet Burleigh* and Mr. Melton Prior, one of whose pictures we are able to reproduce, have also kindly furnished particulars of interest. ' I shall never forget Burnaby's charming personality, coolness and kindness," says Mr. Prior, " and the marvellous courage he exhibited when he dashed out from the square at Abou Klea to save the lives of two men, and lost his own in doing so. Those two men, if now alive, ought to be able to testify (on their knees) to his sacrificing

*I have, of course, made use of Mr. Burleigh's account of the battle which appeared in the Daily Telegraph for January 22nd, 1885.

PREFACE xiii

pluck and daring. I am not a writer like Bennet Burleigh, but I feel what I write."

To Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Binning I am indebted for a most moving narrative (written for me at the request of the Rev. Evelyn Burnaby), for a plan of the battle, and also for a number of letters, including the following :

Mellerstain,

Kelso, N.B.

Dear Mr. Burnaby,

I send you my MS. in the hope of its being found serviceable. I will send an old photo of '85 in a few days, as you have so flatteringly asked me to, and shall be very pleased that it should appear in a book which will be widely read, and I am sure appreciated.

May I make this one stipulation ? i.e., that it may be taken verbatim as written, with all faults of grammar and diction, as I have attempted to write the true unvarnished history and account of a memorable fight from a point of vantage which probably few had, as I was out till the last moment rallying the rear face of the square, and the accounts of newspaper men who were not actually on the field, as also those of Sir C. Wilson and Count Gleichen must, from their positions in the field, have been written to a great extent from hearsay. The implication that the men of the Heavies gave way or allowed the square to be broken is one which should certainly be set at rest once for ever.

Believe me, Yours very sincerely,

Binning.

I have to thank Sir Francis Burnand for the section (No. 52) entitled " Concerning Absalom "; Mr. John Payne for writing specially for this book a fine sonnet on Burnaby ; Mr. H.W. Lucy (Toby M.P. of Punch) for permission to use the particulars of the balloon ascent recorded in Chapter VI. ; the Rev. G. E. Britten, Vicar of Somerby, for various information and the loan of photographs ; Mr.

xiv LIFE OF COLONEL BURNABY

Stephen Solly, for the account of the visit to the Vienna Exhibition ; Sir Redvers Buller, for replies to queries respecting the Nile Expedition ; and Mr. Henry Storey, for particulars of the battles of El Teb, at both of which he was present. I am indebted for miscellaneous information to the Earl of Erroll, Mr. Thomas Davie, of Somerby, who lent me some of Burnaby's letters ; the Headmaster of Harrow, the Rev. R. Nutt, Miss Rose, Miss Hornsby, the Rev. Paul Wyatt, and Mr. Robert Haskins, of Bedford. I have to thank the Editors of Punch, the Illustrated London News, The Graphic, The Strand Magazine, for use of illustrations ; and Mr. H. Pilter, proprietor of the Birmingham Dart, for the use of a very interesting series of political cartoons, which appeared in that periodical. The good-natured satire of The Bart has for many years been the amusement of the Midlands, and the clever cartoons of Mr. Mountfort, who I am glad to say is still living, and Mr. G. F. Sershall, are prized by collectors. Lastly, I owe particular thanks to the Proprietors of The Owl, for permission to use cartoons from that paper, and to the courtesy of Mr. C. J. Moore Martin, who kindly replied to my questions concerning them.

The following is, I believe, a complete list of those who have helped me, and I wish to express to each my hearty thanks :

Mrs. Duncan Baillie, (formerly Miss Annie Burnaby), Mr. Duncan Baillie, Mr. Charles Bayley, Lieutenant Colonel Lord Binning, Mr. A. C. Bishop, Mr. J. Blaiberg, Mr. T. Gibson Bowles, Rev. G. E. Britten, Mr. Robert J. Buckley, Sir Redvers Buller, Rev. Evelyn Burnaby, Sir Francis Burnand, Mr. Frank Chater, Rev. Arthur Cross, Mr. Thomas Davie, Mr. William Davis, The Earl of Erroll, Mr. William Field, Mr. H. N. Field, Rev. J. E. Gilbert, Mr. Charles Godfry, Mr. R. Haskins, Mr. T. W. E. Higgins, Miss Hornsby, Mr. J. Percival Hughes, Mrs. Le Blond (formerly Mrs. Fred Burnaby), Mr. Charles Litchfield, Mr. Henry W. Lucy, Mr. Gilbert Mackenzie, Colonel Percival Marling, Mr. J. C. Moss, Mr. George Murray, Mr. Henry W. Nutt, Rev. R. Nutt, Mr. George Rose Norton, Mr. Herbert Page, Mr. Walter Pepys, Rev. J. T. W. Petley, Rev. John Pickford, Mr. H. Pilter, Mr. B. Redstone, Field Marshall Lord Roberts, Rev. F. Roberts, Mr. Frederick Rolls, Miss Emma Rose, Mr. Joseph Rowlands, Sir James Sawyer, Sir John Willoughby, Mr. K L. Shepherd, Mr. A. Shaken, Miss K. Simkin, Mr. Stephen Solly, Sir Benjamin Stone, Mr. H. Storey, Mr. Stephen Webber, Mr. Walter Wisdom, Rev. Canon Wright, Mr. Thomas Wright (the aeronaut). Miss Bessie Wright, and the Rev. Paul Wyatt.

PREFACE xv

I have been indebted to the following works :

Baker Pasha, War in Bulgaria, 2 vols., 1879.

Bnrnaby (Colonel Fred), His Works. See Appendix I.

Burnaby (Rev. Evelyn), Memories of Famous Trials, Land's End to John 0' Groat's House.

Coxwell (Henry), My Life and Balloon Experiences, 1887.

Gordon, Life of General. W. P. Nimmo.

Gordon, Colonel, in Central Africa, 1874-1879. Edited by G. Birkbeck Hill.

Graphic, The, 31st January, 1885.

Mann (R.K.), The Life, Adventures and Political Opinions of Frederick Gustavus Burnaby, 1882.

Nevill, Lady Dorothy, The Reminiscences of, 1906.

Nevill, Lady Dorothy, Leaves from the Note-Books of, 1908.

Ware (J. Redding) and Mann (R.K.), The Life and Times of Colonel Fred Burnaby.

Wolff, Sir Henry Drummond, Rambling Recollections, 1908.

CHAPTER I 3rd March, 1842 — 30th September, 1859 PAGE

i . Childhood at Bedford ...... l

2. Bedford in the Forties ------ 5

3. St. Peter's Church : Letters, Bedford Grammar School (1849) 7

4. "A respectable middle-aged man " - - - - 16

6. Oswestry : The Goose ------ 22

7. Dresden : He joins the Blues - - - - 25

CHAPTER II 30th September, 1859 — 31st December, 1867

8. A Balloon Ascent from Cremorne, 21st July, 1864 - - 29

9. A Descent at Bedford, July 1864 - - - 33

10. Feats of Strength - 34

11. A Shooting Fracas, about 1865 - - - - _ 39

12. The Rev. Gustavus removes to Somerby, 2nd June, 1866 - 39

13. An Accident in the Air, 1S67 ----- 42

14. Schwalback : The militant Pole - - - - - 45

CHAPTER III 1 st January, 1868— November, 1870

15. Mr. T. Gibson Bowles : Vanity Fair, 7th November, 1868 - 47

17. In Seville, nth January, 1869 - - - - 50

18. Burnaby as a Troubadour, 1 8th February, 1869 - 51

19. At a Tentadero ------- ^2

20. The Moorish Dancing Girls, 17th March, 1869 - - 56

B xviii LIFE OF COLONEL BURNABY

CHAPTER IV December, 1870 — November, 1874 IN RUSSIA AND ITALY : ADVENTURES IN THE CARLIST WAR

PAGE

21. In Russia, December 1870 ----- 59

22. With the Prince of Wales to Vienna, May 1872 - 61

23. Death of the Rev. Gustavus Burnaby, 15th July, 1872 - - 63

24. George Radford : Illness at Naples - - - 64

25. In the Carlist War : Autumn, 1874 - - - - 68

CHAPTER IX Spring, 1877 — February, 1878

BURNABY AND RADFORD AT THE SEAT OF THE WAR IN TURKEY

38. Burnaby and Radford proceed to the seat of the War,

39. At the Battle of Task-kesan, 31st December, 1877 - 135

40. Death of Radford, February 1878 - - 142

CONTENTS xix

CHAPTER X February, 1878 — 31st December, 1881

MARRIAGE, AND THE BIRMINGHAM ELECTION

PAGE

41. Candidate for Birmingham : Mr. J. B. Stone, 1878 - - 147

42. Burnaby and Gladstone, 29th October, 1878 - 153

44. Comedy at Wolverhampton ... - 163

45. A Merry Mill at Leicester - - - 164

46. The Birmingham election, 31st March, 1880 - 167

CHAPTER XI 10th December, 1881 — 4th March, 1882

THE POWELL AND THE BRINE AND SIMMONS ATTEMPTS TO CROSS THE CHANNEL BY BALLOON.

47. Tragic Balloon Accident, Death of Mr. Walter Powell, M.P.,

48. The Brine and Simmons' Balloon Misadventure, 4th March,

1882 -------- 177

CHAPTER XII 4th March, 1882— 5th June, 1882

49. Burnaby crosses the Channel, 23rd March, 1882 - - 179

50. The Proposed Ascent from Bedford, 5th June, 1882 - - 193

CHAPTER XIII 5th June, 1882 — December, 1883 TRAVELS IN SPAIN AND TUNIS \ BURNING SPEECHES

51. In Spain with Mr. Henri Deutsch, March, 1883 - - 197

52. Concerning Absalom, August, 1883 - - - 200

53. Speeches at Birmingham, October 2nd, and Wednesbury,

54. His last visit to Spain, October, 1883 ... - 205

55. Speeches at Bristol, Preston, Bradford and Birmingham,

November 13th — December 20th ... - 205

CHAPTER XIV December, 1883 — 10th January, 1884 THE FOUNDING OF THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE

56. The Primrose League ------ 209

57. Anecdotes (The Man in Peascod Street : Others like Her :

Life worth Living) - - - - - -213 xx LIFE OF COLONEL BURNABY

CHAPTER XV ioth January, 1884 — 29th March, 1884

THE TWO BATTLES OF EL TEB

PAGE

58. First Battle of El Teb, 5th February, 1884 - - 215

59. Storey's Miraculous Escape - 218

60. Second Battle of El Teb, 28th February, 1884 - - - 221

61. Anecdotes (Harry Burnaby : The Prayer Burnaby never

CHAPTER XVI 30th March, 1884— ioth November, 1884

62. " The El Teb Speeches," 15th April, 1884 - - - 229

63. Burnaby and the Sweep - 233

64. The Banquet in the Assembly Rooms : Mr. Rowlands, 14th

65. The Great Riots : Mr. Buckley clears the Platform, October

67. Brompton and Somerby ------ 248

68. The Blues proud of him - - - 252

69. He plans a journey to Timbuctoo .... 256

CHAPTER XVII ioth November, 1884 — 17th January, 1885

70. " Very Unhappy " . - 260

71. His last Letter, 28th December, 1885 ... - 266

Conclusion

PAGE

77. Reception of the News in England - - - 307

79. Burnaby's friends and acquaintances - - - - 308

APPENDICES

Bibliography of Burnaby ----- iii

2. Bibliography of Mrs. Fred Burnaby (Mrs. Aubrey Le Blond) - iv

3. Burnaby's Promotions ------ iv

4. A Note respecting Burnaby's mother - - - iv

5. Administrations from 1868 v

6. Vicars of Somerby from 1759 - v

7. Rectors of St. Peter's, Bedford, from 1835 - - - vi

8. Memorials to Burnaby ------ vi

LIST OF PLATES i. COLONEL FRED BURNABY - - Frontispiece

2. REV. GUSTAVUS BURNABY, MRS. BURNABY,

AND ST. PETER'S, BEDFORD - - Page 3

3. ST. PETER'S RECTORY, BEDFORD 9

4. SOMERBY HALL ------ 13

5. SOMERBY CHURCH 17

6. BEDFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND INTERIOR

OF SOMERBY CHURCH ... 23

7. MRS. MANNERS-SUTTON ----- 37

8. THE ASCENT WITH M. GODARD 43

9. MRS. EVELYN BURNABY, DON CARLOS (DUKE

OF MADRID) AND MRS. PAGE - - - 65

10. STOPPED BY THE CARLISTS 71

11. MR. THOMAS WRIGHT, THE AERONAUT - - 77

12. MAP : THE JOURNEY TO SOBAT 83

13. MAP : A RIDE TO KHIVA 97

14. "VANITY FAIR" CARTOON - - - - 103

15. AN ASCENT WITH MR. LUCY - - - 107

16. THE DESCENT ------ u3

17. MAP : JOURNEY THROUGH ASIA MINOR - 119

18. MAP : THE RETREAT FROM KAMARLI - - 139

19. GEORGE RADFORD AND HENRY STOREY - 145

20. SIR BENJAMIN STONE - - 149

21. ERDINGTON GRANGE - - - - - 151

22. MRS. FRED BURNABY - - - - - 155

23. THE BIRMINGHAM ELECTION (CARTOON) - 159

24. DON QUIXOTE (CARTOON) - - - 161

25. THE TORY PLATFORM AND THE NEW PRO-

FESSOR OF LANGUAGE (CARTOONS) - - 165

26. A VALENTINE (CARTOON)- - - - - 169

27. JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE - - - - 171

28. MAP : BALLOON VOYAGE ACROSS THE CHANNEL 1S3

29. FRED'S NEXT ATTEMPT (CARTOON) - - - 189

30. BURNABY AT EL TEB - - - - - 219

31. WELL DONE FRED (CARTOON) - - - 225

32. CARTOON FROM "PUNCH" - - - - 231

33. OPENING THE CAMPAIGN (CARTOON) - - 23;

34. BEARDING THE LION (CARTOON) - - - 241

35. A COUNCIL OF WAR (CARTOON) - - - 245

36. SIR JAMES SAWYER AND MR. ROBERT BUCKLEY 249 xxiv LIST OF PLATES (Continued)

37 MR. PERCIVAL HUGHES - - - 253

38. MR. HARRY BURNABY - - - - - 257

39. THE SQUARE AT ABOU KLEA - - - 269

40. BURNABY AT ABOU KLEA (FROM " THE GRAPHIC ") 273

41. BURNABY AT ABOU KLEA (FROM "THE ILLUS-

TRATED LONDON NEWS ") - - - - 275

42. COLONEL MARLING AND MR. JOSEPH ROW-

43. LIEUT-COLONEL LORD BINNING AND CORPORAL

MACINTOSH 279

44. THE BATTLE OF GUBAT - - - - 281

45. THE DART MOURNS 283

46. THE DAVID AND JONATHAN WINDOW AND THE

BURNABY VAULT 287

47. THE REV. EVELYN BURNABY, M.A. - - 291

48. TROOPER GEORGE MURRAY - - 295

FREDERICK GUSTAVUS BURNABY

By JOHN PAYNE

He was of those with heart and hand who reared Our England to her high imperial place And her therein maintained, despite the base

Curst crew that fain upon the rocks had steered,—

Her constant son who none and nothing feared Nor at life's hand asked any greater grace Than leave to look far danger in the face

And pluck rebated peril by the beard.

As first, so last, the Fates to him were kind, Vouchsafing him the true man's most desire, Occasion for the land he loved so well, Fighting, to fall and on the desert wind Pass, borne of Battle's chariots of fire,

To where, death-shrined, the high-souled heroes dwell.

THE LIFE OF COLONEL FRED BURNABY

Chapter I

3rd March 1842 — 30th September 1859. Early Days at Bedford.

Frederick Gustavus Burnaby, the distinguished soldier, traveller and aeronaut, the modern Hercules, " the bravest of the brave," was born 1— Childhood at the old Rectory, situated on the

at Bedford, north side of St. Peter's Green, Bedford, on 3rd March, 1842, his father being the Rev. Gustavus Andrew Burnaby, Rector of the adjoining St. Peter's Church* ; his mother Harriet, one of the three beautiful daughters^ of Henry Villebois, the Squire of Marham, Norfolk. The Burnabys were of aristocratic lineage, and Frederick claimed as an ancestor no less distinguished a person than King Edward I., who, indeed, was ever his great hero and model. Both Longshanks and his putative descendant were physically magnificent men ; but the former, with all his inches, was well distanced by Burnaby's six feet four in stockings.

'-;: The Rev. Gustavus and Mrs. Burnaby were married at St. Mary's, Bryanston Square, 27th November, 1833.

+ The others were Lady Sykes and Maria Vicountess Glentworth, who died in 1904, in her 101st year. Mr. Burnaby was for a time Canon of Middleham, in Yorkshire.

Besides being Rector of St. Peter's, Bedford, the elder Burnaby was Lord of the Manor of Somerby* in Leicestershire, which he had purchased from Lord Paulet in 1844, and patron of the livings of Somerby and the adjacent Burrough-on-the-Hill. He had acquired his rights at Burrough through his mother, who was daughter and heiress of the Rev. William Brown, Rector of that parish and patron of the living ; and who for many years resided at Somerby Hall. The Rev. Gustavus Burnaby had four children, namely, Mary Jemima (May),| Ann Glentworth (Annie), % Frederick, the subject of this work, and Evelyn.§ A fox-hunting parson of the old school, and a man of haughty and proud bearing, the Rev. Gustavus enjoyed, nevertheless, the respect, the love, and even the reverence of the members of his congregation. Though hasty and masterful, he was at the same time generous, magnanimous and well-intentioned. He kept up considerable state, and used to drive to the racecourse on the Ampthill Road and elsewhere in his carriage with coachman in livery and footman hanging to loopstrap behind. With an unimpeachable cellar and a baronial table, he bore throughout the county a reputation for hospitality, and Her Majesty's judges, when on circuit, and the Duke and Duchess of Bedford and other notables, when they visited the town on important occasions, used to stay with him, while he was often a guest at Woburn Abbey and at Mentmore, the seat of Lord Rothschild. Among his friends he numbered Mr. Robert Arkwright, Mr. Maniac, Mr. Littledale,

* Previous to his acceptance of the living of St. Peter's (7th February, 1835) he for a time resided at The Grove, Somerby, a house owned by Major and the Honorable Mrs. Candy, parents of the Duchess of Newcastle. Occasionally Mr. Burnaby officiated at Somerby. Thus on 8th March, 1835, he baptised a child there, and his name appears again in the register under date 21st July, 1848.

f Born at Somerby, 8th December, 1834; baptised at Somerby 1st January, 1835. She became Mrs. Manners-Sutton.

% Born at Bedford, 20th March, 1837 ; baptised at St. Peter's, Bedford, 21st April, 1839. She became Mrs. Duncan Baillie.

§ Born at Bedford, 7th January, 1848. He became Rector of Burrough, 1873-1883.

Rev GUSTAVUS BURNABY

Mrs. BURNABY

ST. PETER'S CHURCH, BEDFORD, IX 1850, AND COUNT DE VISMES' HOUSE.

Lent by Mr. Herbert Page, Bt i

Mr. Harry Thornton, Lady Wensleydale, Mr. James Wyatt, and Mr. George Hurst,* most of whom were supporters of the Oakley Hunt ; and to these should perhaps be added the Rev. James Donne, Vicar of St. Paul's, Bedford, and the Rev. William Monkhouse, of Goldington. He boasted an excellent library, and a garden and paddock with charming vistas formed by magnificent walnut and other ornamental trees, a fine rosery and a spacious aviary well-stocked with foreign birds. His dependants found him affable and indulgent, and this is, perhaps, the more to his credit, as several of them were staunch dissenters. He was particularly partial to his gardener, a good old fellow, who spent the week-days at the Rectory and Sundays in his native village, Ravensden, three miles from Bedford, where he donned a black coat and acted as local preacher — among his congregation being another of Mr. Burnaby's servants — the laundress.