344 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. .
shortly after, and recognising the shoes, brought one of them in his hand into
the hawing-room, and presenting it to another of the guests, Mr. John Bachan,
Writer to the Signet, who was of very diminutive stature, said to him-" Hae,
Johnny, there's a cradle for you to sleep in."
The personal history of Mr. Osborne affords few particulars either peculiar
or interesting. His father, Alexander Osborne, Esq., Comptroller of Customs at
Aberdeen, and who died there in 1785, was a gentleman of even greater dimensions
than his son.
After having filled an inferior appointment for some years at one of the outports,
Mr. Osborne obtained the office of Inspector-General and Solicitor of
Customs. He was subsequently appointed one of the Commissioners of the
Board ; and, latterly, on the reduction made in that establishment, retired upon
a superannuated allowance.
Mr. Osborne was never married ; and, being of frugal habits, he amassed a
considerable fortune, and made several landed purchases. Besides a pretty
extensive tract of land in Orkney, he was proprietor of a small estate in Ayrshire.
Gogar Bank, a few miles west of Edinburgh, belonged to him, where he
had a summer house, and a very extensive and excellent garden. Here he often
contemplated building a handsome villa, but the design was never carried into
execution.
Xlr. Osborne died about the year 1830, at the advanced age of seventy-four ;
and it is understood the bulk of his property was bequeathed to a gentleman of
the west country. He lived at one time in Richmond Street ; but latterly, and
for a considerable number of years, in York Place.
The small figure to the left represents the late MR. RONALDSON of the
Post Office. He was one of the least men of the regiment, but a very zealous
volunteer. He is placed in the same Print with Osborne, in order to record an
anecdote of Sergeant Gould. In forming a double from a single rank, at a
squad drill, Francis became Osborne's rear man. Poor Francis was never seen ;
and Gould, addressing the next man, continued to call out-" Move to the right,
sir ; why the devil don't you cover 1" Little Francis at length exclaimed, with
great na;ivet&'' I can't cover-I do all I can !"
Mr. Ronaldson was Surveyor of the General Post Office, which situation he
held for upwards of forty years. He was a most active, spirited little personage,
and remarkably correct in the management of his official department. He kept
a regular journal of his surveys, which, on his demise, was found to have been
brought up till within a few days of his death.
In private life, Ronaldson was exceedingly joyous, full of wit and anecdote,
and was withal a man of rare qualifications. He had also some claims to a
literary character. He was a votary of the muses, and a great collector of fugitive
pieces. He left upwards of two dozen volumes of Xcraps--culled principally
from newspapers-consisting of whatever seemed to him valuable or
curious. He was also deeply versed in divinity j and, strange as it may appear,