Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Conflicting Accounts About Thomas Dunckerley.
happened to come there , aud paid mo the greatest respect , and hinted that I stood in my own light , or I might be tho happiest woman in England . I knew his meaning , bnt made no reply , nnd wont back to Somerset llonso next day . " A fortnight later , and sho again visited Lady Ranelagh . Mr . L—y was again there , and handed her from the conch to tho parlour , " where , " says Dunckorlev ' s mother , " to my
future uuhappincss , I found tho Princo of Wales , whom I had too well known before my unhappy marriage . At his request ( fori could deny him nothing ) , I stayed several days , during which time he made mo Jice visits , and on Candlemas-day I went home . " The result was that Mrs . Dunckerley found herself enceinte , and on the return , iu May 1724 , of hor husband from Chatsworth , sho told him
what had happened . " He commended my conduct with so much joy thafc I conld not help despising his meanness . " Dunckerley was born 23 rd October 1724 , soon after which a separation between his mother and her husband took place , and "he kept the secret on his owu account , for ho Iind two places , and several considerable advantages as the price of my folly . " The son was never known to
his father , though it miirht havo been , and his mother " might havo lived in as elegant a manner as Mrs . H . or Miss B . " This was tho account which Dunckerley received from Mrs . Pinkney , to whom it Avas communicated by his mother live clays before her death , and in the belief thafc her illness ( gout in tho stomach ) would prove fatal . Mrs . Pinkney added that his Grandmother Bolnest , Mrs . ' Cannon , a
midwife , aud herself were present at his birth on the aforesaid Oct . 23 rd 1791 , " thafc his mother then declared the Princo of Wales was lus father , and that sho and his grandmother requested ifc might bo kept a secret . " Mrs . Pinkney further informed Dunckerley that his mother was a physician's daughter , and was residing " with Mrs . W . when the I ' riuee of Wales debauched her , " aud Mrs . W . having
discovered what had happened " had her married to Mr . Dunckerley , who was then attending tho Duke of Devonshire , on a visit to Sir It . W . " ( Sir Robert Walpole ) " at Houghton . " What follows relates to Dunckerley ' s career in tho navy , in which previous to superannuation in 1701 he served as " teacher of the mathematics on board the Vanguard " for three years , as well as
gunner . In August 1764 , ho left tho kingdom through fear of arrest , his pay as " teacher of the mathematics " having been refused , and his daughter ' s illness having further crippled his resources . Previously , however , ho assigned his " snperannuation-pension " for the benefit of his wife and family during his absence , and then Bailed with Captain Ruthven to tho Mediterranean , on which voyage
he made tho acquaintance of Lord William Gordon , who in the following year befriended him when in distress at Paris . In June 1765 he was put on shore afc Marseilles when suffering from scurvy . On his recovery he received a letter of recommendation to his Excellency Col . T . [ Townsend ] , afc Minorca , by whom he was received " with groat friendship , " and while there " some gentlemen of the Lodgo at
Gibraltar , " knowing his distress , sent him £ 20 . On reaching London , in November , he removed his family "from Plymouth to tho apartment in Somerset House , where my mother had resided near forty years ; and at hor decease it Avas continued to mo by an order from the lato Duke of Devonshire . " In 17 G 6 , several persons of distinction endeavoured to convoy a knowledge of his misfortune to the " Dowager
Princess of Wales and the Princess Amelia , " but without success . In April 1767 General 0 . [ Oughton ] acquainted Lord II . with his situation , and " that nobleman , with the assistance of Mr . W ., " says Dunckerley , " laid my mother ' s declaration before the King . His Majesty read it , seemed much concerned , and commanded that an inquiry shonld be made of my character from Lord C . " [?
Chesterfield ] "and Sir E . W . " [ Sir Edward Walpole ] " who had known me from my infancy . The account they gave of me was so satisfactory to the King , that ho was graciously pleased to order mo a pension of £ 100 a year , from his privy purse , 7 th May 1767 . " Iu the course of this account Dunckerley incidentally mentions that in January 17 G 1 ho asked Sir E . W . if ho were like the late King [ George II ] .
" As ho was pleased to say that he saw no resemblance , I did not , at that time , acquaint him with my reason for asking such a question . " Ho also says that being obliged to return to his ship after his mother ' s funeral , he made known tho account he had received from Mrs . Pinkney "to no person at thafc time but Captain Swanton , " aud the latter remarked that those " who did not know "
him " could look on it to be nothing more than a gossip ' s story . " Such is an outline of this very circumstantial account of Dunckerley ' s parentage , and what strikes mo principally about it is , its apparent truthfulness . Moreover , there are some important particulars in which ifc is , to a certain cxteut , confirmed by the Gentleman ' s Magazine . Tims we are told in tho latter , that his mother was a
servant maid in the family of Sir Robert Walpole afc Houghton , whence his father mamed her , and got a place of porter at Somerset Honse . Dunckerley ' s version , based on Mr . Pinknoy's statement , is , that his mother was " a physician ' s daughter , and lived with Mrs . W . " ["? Mrs . Walpole , mother of Sir Robert , or possibly Sir Robert ' s wife , as he was not knighted till later : for there would be
nothing singular in describing a man in 1760 by the title ho was best known by in his lifetime , though it had not been conferred upon him at the timo of a particular recurrence ] ; and Mrs . Walpole discovering sho had been debauched by the Prince , had her married to Mr . Dune " keWoy , then in attendance ou the Duke of Devonshire , who was visiting Houghton at tho time . Moreover , their residence at Somerset House
is mentioned , and Dunckerley afterwards occupied tho same apartments , till his removal to Hampton Court Palace , where apartments were assigned him by the King [ George 111 ' } . Then as to the discrepancy in tho dates variously assigned to hia mother ' s death . Tho Geatlemo n ' s says she died when he was very young , and his grandmother took care of him till he was put apprentice to a "barber . "
Dunckerley himself writes , " 9 th January 1760 , soou after my return from the singe of Quebec , I received an account of my mother ' s death : aud having obtained permission from my captain to bo absent from duty , I went to London and attended her funeral . " Are we tiucharitably to suppose that this man , a distinguished Mason , aud having hosts of friends woyiug ja good , society , even though , he " died over
Conflicting Accounts About Thomas Dunckerley.
eighty years ago , " deliberately manufactured this lie about his mother ' s funeral , and tho accounts he received of her deathbed confession from Mrs . Pinkney ? Ho was in correspondence with Lord Chesterfield , General Oughton , Graud Master of Masons in Scotland , 1709-70 . Ho was assisted pecuniarily by Lord William Gordon iu 176 ") , who begged ho " would givo him leave to present" hint
with £ 200 . His mother ' s apartments iu Somerset House wore continued to him " by an order from the lato Duke of Devonshire , " no doubt tho samo who had visited Honghton years before with Mr . Dunckerley senior in attendance on him . Even Sir Edward Walpole—though , according to tho Gentleman ' s , ho had no knowledge of tho story of his parentage— " had known him all his
life , " and " believed him meritorious in tho capacity in which ho had served . " Moreover , when Dunckerley , as tho writer in tho Gentli'mit / i ' s states , ran away to sea and got on board Sir John Norris's ship , Sir-Edward wrote and interested himself iu that youngster ' s behalf ; while he , as Phave shown , admits that Sir E . W . failed to see auy likeness between him and tho lato King George II ., when tho
question was asked . Moreover , the account was kept secret , and Sit Edward may bo pardoned if ho made a mistake as to tho early death of tho mother , when sho had gone away , shortly after her seduction , to reside in London—whether sho wero " a physician's daughter " living with Mrs . W . or a " servant maid in tho family of Sir Robert Walpole . " Again , why should George III . give Dunckerley a pension
of £ 100 a year , afterwards increased to £ 800 , and apartments at Hampton Court Palace , if ho had beeu only known to Sir Edward Walpole , and had served meritoriously as a gunner in the Royal Navy ? Ifc strikes me so handsome a pension , equal to what was then and is now conferred on titled persons , would nofc have been conferred on a mere naval gunner without somo excellent reason ,
no matter how meritorious his services . Taking , then , tho tacts aa narrated in tho Freemasons' Magazine , Vol . VI ., the grant of the pension , the testimony of eminent personages , and the points of agreement , slender though thoy be , between tho Gentleman ' s aud tho Freemasons' Magazines , I incline to the latter ' s version of the
parentage of Dunckerley . Ifc was common enough for a girl who had yielded to tho importunities of a princely or noble suitor to be married to somo convenient attendant on the latter , a snug office being oftentimes the portion of the poor girl . Readers of Percival Kcene will remember that the hero of that entertainim ? novel was
tho son of his mother by Captain ( afterwards Lord ) Delmar ; and that sho was married to Kcene tbo Marine for the purpose of coucealing her shame . This , of course , is a mere tale of fiction , but ifc serves to illustrate a common practice . However , my letter is running to
a great length , and therefore I shall ask your permission to state a few other points iu connection with Dunckerley ' s career iu a second letter . Fraternally yours , " Q . "
A . M . B . —Shall be pleased to hear from you afc all times . We hope your Consecrations will pass off enjoyably .
Consecration Of The Lodge Of Perseverance, No. 1743.
CONSECRATION OF THE LODGE OF PERSEVERANCE , No . 1743 .
ON Saturday , at tho Imperial Hotel , Holborn Viaduct , was consecrated the Lodgo of Perseverance , No . 1743 , the gathering iri honour of the event being numerous and well worthy of the occasion . Tho duty of consecrating tho now Lodge had been entrusted to Bro . Hervey , the Grand Secretary , and we noted with pleasure nofc only thafc ho performed his allotted task as impressively as usual , but thafc he was in excellent spirits and took a kindly iuterest in the ceremony .
He was assisted in his duties by the Rev . A . F . A . Woodford M . A ., Past Grand Chaplain , and Bros . H . G . Buss , Assist . Grand Secretary ) E . Bowyer , aud Jas . Terry Secretary to the Royal Benevolent Institution . Bro . Hervey having taken his seat , appointed Bro . Buss td fill the chair of S . W ., and Bro . Bowyer that of J . W ., while Bro . Terry acted as Director of tho Ceremonies . In his address , he referred
briefly to the changes recently introduced into tho Constitutions of the Grand Orient of France , and fully justified tho action taken b y our Grand Lodgo in relation thereto . He also deprecated change even in cases where ifc mi ght seem desirable . Haviug further remarked on the importance of tbe occasion on which they were assembled , Bro . Hervey called ou Rev . Bro . Woodford to deliver
an oration , and the latter promptly obeyed the summons . Iu doing so , he pointed out that considering the frequency with which the ceremony of consecration had been celebrated * lately , ifc was hardly possible for one in his position to say anything that would be now ; and , after all , perhaps , ifc would bo bettor for him to traverse the same ground over again , especially as he felt that ho was addressing
a lenient audience , who would make every allowance for tho lack of novelty which distinguished his address . Bro . Woodford then went on to insist on the necessity there was for firmly establish ! n" the ancient foundations of Freemasonry iu all new Lodges , and conspicuous among those foundations was that of belief in God , and love of our brethren , tho acceptance of which was absolutely necessary , in
order to ensure the exclusion of tho stupid atheist and tho irreligious libertine . He enlarged ou the virtu . es of Freemasonry and the leading features which distinguished it , and especially referred to that hatred of all persecution which was one of its principal characteristics . He spoke of the hi" -h code of
morality it inculcated , and the innumerable blessings which had been the most conspicuous result , aud coucluded an able and instructive address by congratulating all present on . the fortunate circumstance that Bro . Hervey had presided on the occasion . Tl" > rest of the ceremony having been performed , Bro . Hervey proceeded to iiiStaj . Bro . Louis . A , L . eiua P . M . 65 , 1364 , and . 1471 , as t he first
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Conflicting Accounts About Thomas Dunckerley.
happened to come there , aud paid mo the greatest respect , and hinted that I stood in my own light , or I might be tho happiest woman in England . I knew his meaning , bnt made no reply , nnd wont back to Somerset llonso next day . " A fortnight later , and sho again visited Lady Ranelagh . Mr . L—y was again there , and handed her from the conch to tho parlour , " where , " says Dunckorlev ' s mother , " to my
future uuhappincss , I found tho Princo of Wales , whom I had too well known before my unhappy marriage . At his request ( fori could deny him nothing ) , I stayed several days , during which time he made mo Jice visits , and on Candlemas-day I went home . " The result was that Mrs . Dunckerley found herself enceinte , and on the return , iu May 1724 , of hor husband from Chatsworth , sho told him
what had happened . " He commended my conduct with so much joy thafc I conld not help despising his meanness . " Dunckerley was born 23 rd October 1724 , soon after which a separation between his mother and her husband took place , and "he kept the secret on his owu account , for ho Iind two places , and several considerable advantages as the price of my folly . " The son was never known to
his father , though it miirht havo been , and his mother " might havo lived in as elegant a manner as Mrs . H . or Miss B . " This was tho account which Dunckerley received from Mrs . Pinkney , to whom it Avas communicated by his mother live clays before her death , and in the belief thafc her illness ( gout in tho stomach ) would prove fatal . Mrs . Pinkney added that his Grandmother Bolnest , Mrs . ' Cannon , a
midwife , aud herself were present at his birth on the aforesaid Oct . 23 rd 1791 , " thafc his mother then declared the Princo of Wales was lus father , and that sho and his grandmother requested ifc might bo kept a secret . " Mrs . Pinkney further informed Dunckerley that his mother was a physician's daughter , and was residing " with Mrs . W . when the I ' riuee of Wales debauched her , " aud Mrs . W . having
discovered what had happened " had her married to Mr . Dunckerley , who was then attending tho Duke of Devonshire , on a visit to Sir It . W . " ( Sir Robert Walpole ) " at Houghton . " What follows relates to Dunckerley ' s career in tho navy , in which previous to superannuation in 1701 he served as " teacher of the mathematics on board the Vanguard " for three years , as well as
gunner . In August 1764 , ho left tho kingdom through fear of arrest , his pay as " teacher of the mathematics " having been refused , and his daughter ' s illness having further crippled his resources . Previously , however , ho assigned his " snperannuation-pension " for the benefit of his wife and family during his absence , and then Bailed with Captain Ruthven to tho Mediterranean , on which voyage
he made tho acquaintance of Lord William Gordon , who in the following year befriended him when in distress at Paris . In June 1765 he was put on shore afc Marseilles when suffering from scurvy . On his recovery he received a letter of recommendation to his Excellency Col . T . [ Townsend ] , afc Minorca , by whom he was received " with groat friendship , " and while there " some gentlemen of the Lodgo at
Gibraltar , " knowing his distress , sent him £ 20 . On reaching London , in November , he removed his family "from Plymouth to tho apartment in Somerset House , where my mother had resided near forty years ; and at hor decease it Avas continued to mo by an order from the lato Duke of Devonshire . " In 17 G 6 , several persons of distinction endeavoured to convoy a knowledge of his misfortune to the " Dowager
Princess of Wales and the Princess Amelia , " but without success . In April 1767 General 0 . [ Oughton ] acquainted Lord II . with his situation , and " that nobleman , with the assistance of Mr . W ., " says Dunckerley , " laid my mother ' s declaration before the King . His Majesty read it , seemed much concerned , and commanded that an inquiry shonld be made of my character from Lord C . " [?
Chesterfield ] "and Sir E . W . " [ Sir Edward Walpole ] " who had known me from my infancy . The account they gave of me was so satisfactory to the King , that ho was graciously pleased to order mo a pension of £ 100 a year , from his privy purse , 7 th May 1767 . " Iu the course of this account Dunckerley incidentally mentions that in January 17 G 1 ho asked Sir E . W . if ho were like the late King [ George II ] .
" As ho was pleased to say that he saw no resemblance , I did not , at that time , acquaint him with my reason for asking such a question . " Ho also says that being obliged to return to his ship after his mother ' s funeral , he made known tho account he had received from Mrs . Pinkney "to no person at thafc time but Captain Swanton , " aud the latter remarked that those " who did not know "
him " could look on it to be nothing more than a gossip ' s story . " Such is an outline of this very circumstantial account of Dunckerley ' s parentage , and what strikes mo principally about it is , its apparent truthfulness . Moreover , there are some important particulars in which ifc is , to a certain cxteut , confirmed by the Gentleman ' s Magazine . Tims we are told in tho latter , that his mother was a
servant maid in the family of Sir Robert Walpole afc Houghton , whence his father mamed her , and got a place of porter at Somerset Honse . Dunckerley ' s version , based on Mr . Pinknoy's statement , is , that his mother was " a physician ' s daughter , and lived with Mrs . W . " ["? Mrs . Walpole , mother of Sir Robert , or possibly Sir Robert ' s wife , as he was not knighted till later : for there would be
nothing singular in describing a man in 1760 by the title ho was best known by in his lifetime , though it had not been conferred upon him at the timo of a particular recurrence ] ; and Mrs . Walpole discovering sho had been debauched by the Prince , had her married to Mr . Dune " keWoy , then in attendance ou the Duke of Devonshire , who was visiting Houghton at tho time . Moreover , their residence at Somerset House
is mentioned , and Dunckerley afterwards occupied tho same apartments , till his removal to Hampton Court Palace , where apartments were assigned him by the King [ George 111 ' } . Then as to the discrepancy in tho dates variously assigned to hia mother ' s death . Tho Geatlemo n ' s says she died when he was very young , and his grandmother took care of him till he was put apprentice to a "barber . "
Dunckerley himself writes , " 9 th January 1760 , soou after my return from the singe of Quebec , I received an account of my mother ' s death : aud having obtained permission from my captain to bo absent from duty , I went to London and attended her funeral . " Are we tiucharitably to suppose that this man , a distinguished Mason , aud having hosts of friends woyiug ja good , society , even though , he " died over
Conflicting Accounts About Thomas Dunckerley.
eighty years ago , " deliberately manufactured this lie about his mother ' s funeral , and tho accounts he received of her deathbed confession from Mrs . Pinkney ? Ho was in correspondence with Lord Chesterfield , General Oughton , Graud Master of Masons in Scotland , 1709-70 . Ho was assisted pecuniarily by Lord William Gordon iu 176 ") , who begged ho " would givo him leave to present" hint
with £ 200 . His mother ' s apartments iu Somerset House wore continued to him " by an order from the lato Duke of Devonshire , " no doubt tho samo who had visited Honghton years before with Mr . Dunckerley senior in attendance on him . Even Sir Edward Walpole—though , according to tho Gentleman ' s , ho had no knowledge of tho story of his parentage— " had known him all his
life , " and " believed him meritorious in tho capacity in which ho had served . " Moreover , when Dunckerley , as tho writer in tho Gentli'mit / i ' s states , ran away to sea and got on board Sir John Norris's ship , Sir-Edward wrote and interested himself iu that youngster ' s behalf ; while he , as Phave shown , admits that Sir E . W . failed to see auy likeness between him and tho lato King George II ., when tho
question was asked . Moreover , the account was kept secret , and Sit Edward may bo pardoned if ho made a mistake as to tho early death of tho mother , when sho had gone away , shortly after her seduction , to reside in London—whether sho wero " a physician's daughter " living with Mrs . W . or a " servant maid in tho family of Sir Robert Walpole . " Again , why should George III . give Dunckerley a pension
of £ 100 a year , afterwards increased to £ 800 , and apartments at Hampton Court Palace , if ho had beeu only known to Sir Edward Walpole , and had served meritoriously as a gunner in the Royal Navy ? Ifc strikes me so handsome a pension , equal to what was then and is now conferred on titled persons , would nofc have been conferred on a mere naval gunner without somo excellent reason ,
no matter how meritorious his services . Taking , then , tho tacts aa narrated in tho Freemasons' Magazine , Vol . VI ., the grant of the pension , the testimony of eminent personages , and the points of agreement , slender though thoy be , between tho Gentleman ' s aud tho Freemasons' Magazines , I incline to the latter ' s version of the
parentage of Dunckerley . Ifc was common enough for a girl who had yielded to tho importunities of a princely or noble suitor to be married to somo convenient attendant on the latter , a snug office being oftentimes the portion of the poor girl . Readers of Percival Kcene will remember that the hero of that entertainim ? novel was
tho son of his mother by Captain ( afterwards Lord ) Delmar ; and that sho was married to Kcene tbo Marine for the purpose of coucealing her shame . This , of course , is a mere tale of fiction , but ifc serves to illustrate a common practice . However , my letter is running to
a great length , and therefore I shall ask your permission to state a few other points iu connection with Dunckerley ' s career iu a second letter . Fraternally yours , " Q . "
A . M . B . —Shall be pleased to hear from you afc all times . We hope your Consecrations will pass off enjoyably .
Consecration Of The Lodge Of Perseverance, No. 1743.
CONSECRATION OF THE LODGE OF PERSEVERANCE , No . 1743 .
ON Saturday , at tho Imperial Hotel , Holborn Viaduct , was consecrated the Lodgo of Perseverance , No . 1743 , the gathering iri honour of the event being numerous and well worthy of the occasion . Tho duty of consecrating tho now Lodge had been entrusted to Bro . Hervey , the Grand Secretary , and we noted with pleasure nofc only thafc ho performed his allotted task as impressively as usual , but thafc he was in excellent spirits and took a kindly iuterest in the ceremony .
He was assisted in his duties by the Rev . A . F . A . Woodford M . A ., Past Grand Chaplain , and Bros . H . G . Buss , Assist . Grand Secretary ) E . Bowyer , aud Jas . Terry Secretary to the Royal Benevolent Institution . Bro . Hervey having taken his seat , appointed Bro . Buss td fill the chair of S . W ., and Bro . Bowyer that of J . W ., while Bro . Terry acted as Director of tho Ceremonies . In his address , he referred
briefly to the changes recently introduced into tho Constitutions of the Grand Orient of France , and fully justified tho action taken b y our Grand Lodgo in relation thereto . He also deprecated change even in cases where ifc mi ght seem desirable . Haviug further remarked on the importance of tbe occasion on which they were assembled , Bro . Hervey called ou Rev . Bro . Woodford to deliver
an oration , and the latter promptly obeyed the summons . Iu doing so , he pointed out that considering the frequency with which the ceremony of consecration had been celebrated * lately , ifc was hardly possible for one in his position to say anything that would be now ; and , after all , perhaps , ifc would bo bettor for him to traverse the same ground over again , especially as he felt that ho was addressing
a lenient audience , who would make every allowance for tho lack of novelty which distinguished his address . Bro . Woodford then went on to insist on the necessity there was for firmly establish ! n" the ancient foundations of Freemasonry iu all new Lodges , and conspicuous among those foundations was that of belief in God , and love of our brethren , tho acceptance of which was absolutely necessary , in
order to ensure the exclusion of tho stupid atheist and tho irreligious libertine . He enlarged ou the virtu . es of Freemasonry and the leading features which distinguished it , and especially referred to that hatred of all persecution which was one of its principal characteristics . He spoke of the hi" -h code of
morality it inculcated , and the innumerable blessings which had been the most conspicuous result , aud coucluded an able and instructive address by congratulating all present on . the fortunate circumstance that Bro . Hervey had presided on the occasion . Tl" > rest of the ceremony having been performed , Bro . Hervey proceeded to iiiStaj . Bro . Louis . A , L . eiua P . M . 65 , 1364 , and . 1471 , as t he first