BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 151
Prior to his departure, on the 18th of August, the following advertisement
appeared in the newspapers :-“ Mr. Henderson, before leaving this city, begs
leave must respectfully to express his grateful sense of the indulgent and liberal
patronage he has received from the public of Edinburgh, and to assure them
t,hat he shall ever retain a lively remembrance of the polite and flattering attention
with which they have been pleased to honour him.”
During the summer of 1785 he performed a few nights at Dublin, and was
invited to the Castle, where he read the story of “Le Fevre,” and some other
select passages from his favourite Sterne, to the Duke and Duchess of Rutland
and their Court.
Previous to his voyage to Dublin, some little difference betwixt him and Mr.
Harris had been accommodated, and he again entered into an engagement for
four years, which he did not live to fulfil. His last performance was Ewatius
in the Roman Father, on the 3d November 1785. He was soon after seized
with a disorder-ossification of the heart-which terminated his life on the
25th of that month, in the fortieth yeas of his age.
On the 3d December following, the remains of John Henderson were interred
in Westminster Abbey, near Dr. Johnson and Garrick, the Chapter and Choir
attending to pay respect to his memory. His pall was supported by the Hon.
Mr. Byng, Mr. Malone, Mr. Whitefoord, Mr. Stevens, and Mr. Hook
MR. CHARTER18 was admirably fitted for the personification of Barddph,
in which character he is represented in the Print. This arose not only from
the possession of genuine talents as a comic actor-but from another advantage
more peculiar to himself, in bestowing which nature had been extremely prodigal
-we mean his remarkably long nose. The pencil of Kay may be suspected of
at least having done nothing to lessen the appearance of this protuberance ; but
certain it is, Mr. Charteris’ nose was so wonderful as to be an object of general
attention when he appeared on the streets. One day a party of country people
were strolling along the High Street, viewing whatever might appear to them
curious, when the actor, happening to be proceeding in the opposite direction,
met them somewhere about the Cross. The clowns, attracted by his huge
proboscis, stood staring at it, as if riveted with astonishment. -“ Gentlemen,”
said Charteris, good-humouredly, suiting the action to the word, “ if you can’t
get past, 1’11 hold it to a side.”
Mr. Charteris was a popular actor, and his comic powers have formed the
subject of four lines of doggerel in “The Edinburgh Rosciad for 1775.” They
run thus :-
U Charteris, for comic merit, need not yield
To any hero in thentric field :
In the poor starved Apothecary, you
Deserve great praise for looks and action tnw.”
He died about the year 1798-but of this event, or any thing relating to
his private history, we have been unable to procure authentic information. The
152 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
death of his wife, which occurred in September 1807, is thus recorded in one
of the Edinburgh periodicals of the day :-'' Died on Monday last, with the
well-merited reputation of an honest, inoffensive woman, Mrs. Charteris, who
has been in this theatre for more than thirty years. She succeeded the muchadmired
Mrs. Webb, and, for many years after that actress left the city, was an
excellent substitute in Lady Dove, Juliet's Nurse, Debmah Woodcock, DOTCUMST,S .
Bundle, etc., etc."
To her succeeded Mrs. Nicol, whose merits are too well known to require
any comment from us. She retired from the stage in 1834, after a career of
twenty-seven years, and died the year following. Her daughter at present (1 837)
fills her range of characters in the Edinburgh theatre, and bids fair to become
as excellent and as popular an actress as her mother.
No. LXIV.
THE REV. JOSEPH ROBERTSON MACGREGOR,
FIRST iWINISTER OF THE EDINBURGH GAELIC CHAPEL.
THE old Gaelic Chapel at the Castlehill was erected in 1769, principally by
the exertions of Mr. William Dickson, then a dyer in Edinburgh, who set on
foot subscriptions, and purchased ground for the purpose, which was afterwards
conveyed to the Society for propagating Christian Knowledge. In the course
of seven years afterwards, owing to the rapid influx of people from the Highlands,
it was found necessary to enlarge the building, which was then done so as to
accommodate eleven hundred sitters ; and although in connection with the
Established Church, the subscribers and seat-holders chose their own minister,
and provided him with a salary of €100 a-year. The same method of choosing
a pastor still exists. The management of the chapel is placed in the hands of
elders, who pay over the seat-rents to the Society for Propagating Christian
Knowledge, and the Society takes the responsibility of making good the
minister's stipend, which is now considerably increased.
MR. JOSEPRHOB ERTSONM ACGREGORth, e first minister of the chapel,
was a native of Perthshire. For some time after he came to Edinburgh he
was employed as a clerk in an upholstery warehouse ; but in a few years was
enabled,' by great industry, to push himself forward. He became a licentiate
of the Church of England, but subsequently joined the Established Church
of Scotland.
Previous to the erection of the Gaelic Chapel he was employed as a Lecturer
and Catechist to the Highland families, who obtained the use of the Relief
Chapel, in South College Street, to assemble in after sermon, for the purpose of
instruction. Mr. Macgregor was originally known by the name of Robertson,
