, an eminent philanthropist, was born about 1668, bred to the sea,
, an eminent philanthropist,
was born about 1668, bred to the sea, and spent the first
part of his life as master of a vessel trading to our colonies.
While he resided in that part of the metropolis which is the
common residence of sea-faring people, business often
obliged him to come early into the city and return late;
when he had frequent occasions of seeing young children
exposed, through the indigence or cruelty of their parents.
This excited his compassion so far, that he projected the
Foundling Hospital; in which humane design he laboured
seventeen years, and at last, by his sole application, obtained the royal charter for it. He was highly instrumental
in promoting another good design, viz. the procuring a
bounty upon naval stores imported from the colonies; and
was eminently concerned in setting on foot the colonies of
Georgia and Nova Scotia. His last charitable design, in
which he lived to make some progress, but not to complete,
was a scheme for uniting the Indians in North America
more closely to the British interest, by an establishment for
the education of Indian girls. Indeed he spent a great
part of his life in serving the public, and with so total a
disregard to his private interest, that towards the latter
part of it he was himself supported by the voluntary subscriptions of public-spirited persons; at the head of whom
was that truly amiable and benevolent prince Frederic,
late prince of Wales. When Dr. Brocklesby applied to
the good old man, to know whether his setting on foot a
subscription for his benefit would not offend him, he received this noble answer: “I have not wasted the little
wealth, of which I was formerly possessed, in self-indulgence or vain expences, and am not ashamed to confess
that, in this my old age, I am poor.
”