Obituary William PENNELL the Gentleman's Magazine, March
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Obituary. — 1861.] William Pennell, Esq. 311 fested great urbanity of manners and British vesstls captured by the Brazilian kindness of heart, and leaves many friends men-of-war, and it was through the judi who will feel deeply the loss they sustain cious suggestions and intervention "' the in his death. —Exeter Oazette. Consul-General that the making reprisals was averted, and the consequent injuries W. Pennkll, Esq. which would have resulted to our trade Dec. 29, 1860. At East Moulsey, Sur were avoided. During his residence in rey, aged 95, William Pennell, Esq., for- Brazil, through a time of great political merly Consul-General for the Empire of excitement, revolution, and danger, Mr. Brazil. Pennell had the good fortune to command Mr. Pennell was Consul at Bordeaux at the esteem and respect of all parties : and that interesting period of European history there are those living both in Portugal when the first Bonaparte made his escape and Brazil who still entertain a grateful from the island of Elba in 1815. On this recollection of the asylum afforded them occasion there was in that place upwards under his roof whin their lives were of £80,000 worth of property belonging to jeopardized by the madness of opposing the French government, which had been factions. Of Mr. Pennell's hotpitality it " captured by the British army, and which may be truly said it was that of the fine was in danger of falling into Bonaparte's old English gentleman," without stint, and hands. given with unostentatious liberality ; once This property Mr. Pennell, at great a week he kept open house, and these re personal risk, obtained possession of, and unions were crowded by the British, French, paid the amount into the British Tr. usury and other foreign naval officers on the the day before General Clausel with the station, as well as by the British and dis French army entered Bordeaux, and to his tinguished natives and foreigners resident great disappointment found the treasure in the country. Alas ! these are now re gone. For this important service Mr. miniscences of bygone days. Through some I'ennell never received any salvage, and mysterious and unknown agency the cli was only allowed the paltry reward implied mate, which was formerly one of the most in a commission of 2i per cent, from the healthy within the tropics, has of late British Government, although at that time years become infected with fever and diar no salary was attached to the office of rhoea, which have in a great measure put consul and the fees were altogether insig an end to those agreeable and happy meet nificant. His services were highly appre ings, where there was such pleasurable and ciated by the Royal Family of France, and exalted interchange of sentiment and in the Duchess d'Angouleme presented him formation. with a ring, containing a single diamond of It is a curious and singular fact that the value of a £1,000, as a souvenir. This during the long career of Mr. Pennell as ring he has left as a heir-loom in the a public servant, he has not cost the family. country a single shilling, as the interest In 1817 Mr. Pennell was appointed o!' the money saved by him at Bordeaux Consul at Bahia, and was promoted to be from the clutches of Bonaparte's general Consul-General at the court of Brazil in would more than doubly pay the whole of 1829, which office he continued to fill till his salary and retiring pension up to the its abolition. On many occasions during time of his death. This was a great satis his official career he received the warm faction to him, and we trust his country commendation of his superior officers, and will not think he has been an unprofitable more especially the strongest expressions servant. of approbation from those enlightened In politics Mr. Pennell was of the Can statesmen, Mr. Canning, Lord Aberdeen, ning and Huskisson school. He was a and Mr. Gordon. After the war with Brazil man of a most happy disposition, and his and Buenos Ayres a warm dispute arose great pleasure and delight through life between England and Brazil respecting was to promote the happiness and con 312 Obituary. — The Dean of Exeter. [March* tribute towards the prosperity of others. the Chapter of an English Cathedral. At With the exception of his eyesight, which the time there was a contest between the rather failed towards the last, he retained Crown and the Chapter as to the right of his fiicnl' ies to the end. appointment —the Crown nominating the Mr. Penuell was sprung from a very Rev. Lord Wriothesley Russell, half-bro respectable family in Devonshire. Ho ther to Lord John Russel, and the Chapter married Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. appointing Mr. Lowe. After a trial, how James Carrington, Prebendary of Exeter, ever, the i-uit terminated in favour of the by whom (who died at an advanced nge Chapter, and the deceased was duly in in 1854) he had twenty-two children, stalled. By a recent Act of Parliament many of whom Burvive him ; upwards of the patronage of the Deanery is now a hundred lineal descendants are now vested in the Crown. In the year 184© living to mourn his loss. Of his daughters, tne Dean resigned the living of Trinity, the eldest married, in 1806, the Right and became Vicar of Littleham, a living Hon. J. W. Croker; another married Sir of small value, which he held for a short Anthony Perrier, for many years English time only with his Deanery. Mr. Lowe Consul at Brest j and the youngest is the was a thorough gentleman, an accomplished wife of Sir George Barrow, Bart. scholar, and a well-read and thoughtful theologian. His principal literary works The Dean of Exeteb. are a volume of sermons published in 1840, Jan. 17. At the Deanery, aged 79, the another work on the Absolving Power of Very Rev. Thomas Hill Peregrine Furye the Church, and several tracts and essays Lowe, Dean of Exeter. in literary and theological reviews. No The deceased was the eldest son of one could be personally acquainted with Thomas Humphrey Lowe, Esq., of Broms- him without esteeming ami loving him. grove, by Lucy, eldest daughter and co His unvarying cheerfulness, lis great heir of Thomas Hill, Esq., of Court-of-Hill, fund of information, his retentive me Salop, MP. for Leominster, and grand mory and aptness at quotation, above son of the Rev. Thomas Lowe, Rector of all, his large- heartcdness and genial tem Chi'lsea, by Elizabeth, daughter and co perament, made him a delightful com heir of Col. Furye, of Fernbam, Berks, panion at all times. As a preacher, he who was killed at Belleisle. He was born dwelt chiefly on the divine love as mani at his father's seat, Dec. 21, 1781, and fested in the Incarnation and Atone was educated at Westminster, and at ment j and in some of his later discourses Trinity College, Oxford. He was or he was very happy in replying to the iu- dained deacon in 1808, and priest in fidel and pantheistic sophistries of the day. 1810, both by the Bishop of Worcester. For some years Dean Lowe had been pre His first cuiacy was at Shelscy in that vented by several severe accidents from .diocese. In 1812 he became chaplain to taking any share in the public duties of Viscount Gage. In 1820 he was preferred the cathedral ; his patience under suffering to the Vicarage of Grimley with Hallow. was exemplary, his spirits even, and indeed In 1832 he was nominated Precentor of lively, to the very last. An acute attack Exeter Cathedral, and immediately after of bronchitis on the eve of his eightieth wards elect* d Canon Re-ideutiary by the birthday proved to be his last illness. Chapter; thereupon he relinquished bis Mr. Lowe married, Feb. 25, 1808, Ellen preferment in the diocese of Worcester. Lucy, eldest daughter of George Pardoe, In the year 1837 he became Rector of the Esq., of Nash-court, Shropshire, by whom parish of the Holy Trinity in Exeter. he had issue four sons and five daughters. When the Deanery became vacant in Lucy, the eldest daughter, is married to 1839, on the death of Dr. Landon, Pre her cousin, the Rev. T. J. Rocke, now centor Lowe was elected to that dignity ; Vicar of Littleham with Exmouth. The the occasion having become memorable as Dean's brother, Arthur Charles, of Court- that of the last free election of a Dean by of-hill, is a Colonel in the army, and also.