, esq. of the Middle Temple, a barrister at law, afterwards master
, esq. of the Middle Temple, a barrister at law, afterwards master in chancery, and at the
time of his death, Jan. 8, 1763, accomptaiit-general of
that court, is noticeable as having translated the “Memoirs
of cardinal de Retz,
” which were printed in A Vindication of the New
Calendar Tables, and Rules annexed to the Act for regulating the commencement of the year,
” &c.
Mrs. Hester Gibbon, his pupil’s sister, and Mrs. Elizabeth Hntcheson, widow of Archibald Hutcheson, esq. of the Middle Temple. Mr. Hutcheson, when near his decease,
At what time Mr. Law quitted Mr. Gibbon’s house at
Putney, his biographer has not discovered, but it appears
that some time before 1740, he was instrumental in bringing about an intimacy between Mrs. Hester Gibbon, his
pupil’s sister, and Mrs. Elizabeth Hntcheson, widow of
Archibald Hutcheson, esq. of the Middle Temple. Mr.
Hutcheson, when near his decease, recommended to his
wife a. retired life, and told her he knew no person whose
society would be so likely to prove profitable and agreeable to her as that of Mr. Law, of whose writings he highly
approved. Mrs. Hutcheson, whose maiden name was Lawrence, had been the wife of colonel Robert Steward; and
when she went to reside in Northamptonshire, was in possession of a large income, from the produce of an estate
which was in her own power, and of a life interest in property settled on her in marriage, or devised to her by Mr.
Hutcheson. These two ladies, Mrs. Hutcheson and Mrs.
H. Gibbon, appear lo have been of congenial sentiments,
and now formed a plan of living together in the country,
far from that circle of society generally called the world;
and of taking Mr. Law as their chaplain, instructor, and
almoner. With this view they took a house at Thrapston,
in Northamptonshire; but that situation not proving agreeable to them, the two ladies enabled Mr. Law, about 1740,
to prepare a roomy house near the church at King’s-cliffe,
and in that part of the town called “The Hall-yard.
”
This house was then possessed by Mr. Law, and was the
only property devised to him by his father. Here the
whole income of these two ladies,' after deducting the frugal expences of their household, was expended in acts of
charity to the poor and the sick, and in donations of greater
amount to distressed persons of a somewhat higher class.
And after twenty years residence, Mr. Law died in this
house April 9, 1761.