14 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
London. This lady, who resided at Dulwich, in the neighbourhood of the
metropolis, was in the perfect enjoyment of all her faculties, though in her ninetyfourth
year.
The coachman, who declares he " will not spare them," is a striking likeness
of MR. GEORGE BOYD, a clothier, who had his shop at the head of Gosford's
Close, He in some measure deserved the elevation he has obtained by the
great interest he took in originating the design of the Mound. The inscription
on the post-" G. B.'s Bridge "-is in allusion to this. He was a brother of the
late Dr. Boyd, solicitor-at-lam, author of " The Nature and Offices, and Duty
of a Justice of the Peace.'' 2 vols. Quarto.
The footman, MR. WILLIAM YETTS, who is urging '' Geordie " to whip
hard, kept a hairdresser and hosier's shop at the head of Forrester's Wynd.
The building is now taken down. He possessed a great fund of humour ; and,
although a member of the Club, used to indulge very frequently in ridiculing
their transactions.
Although he had a wife
and family,' with whom he lived reputably for many years, he thought proper to
fall in love elsewhere ; but the object of his attachment (a married lady) not
exactly comprehending his unusually liberal principles,indignantlyrejected his suit.
The discarded lover, as in duty bound, instantly became inspired with the
despair of an ancient hero of romance ; and, amongst other notable results of
distracted love, imitated the well-known Kitty Fisher, who, in the zenith of her
charms, ate a Bank of England hundred-pound note between two thin slices of
bread and butter. But his meal, though less expensive, must have been more
difficult to swallow ; for he actually took Jive $veqound notes of Sir William
Forbes' Bank from his pocket, and devoured them, without, however, the
head and butter accompaniment of Miss Kitty. As a suitable termination to
this folly, the infatuated barber crowned the whole by leaving his family in a
destitute condition, and entering himself on board a man-of-war.*
The newly-shipped tar soon found himself exposed to all the perils of active
service. He fought on board the Bellerophon at the battle of the Nile in 1789 ;
and, in the dreadful conflict which that ship maintained with her stupendous
opponent, the Orient, he had several narrow escapes. While engaged in supplying
ammunition, a tall comrade by his side had his head carried off, and the
ball passed so near to Yetts that he said he actually felt himself lifted up from
the deck.
The history of poor Yetts is somewhat romantic.
The family consisted of one son and two daughters. They emigrated, we believe, to New
South Wales.
!a A friend who felt interested in the welfare of the destitute family, called on Sir William
Forbes, to whom he told the circumstances of the case ; and, on his single testimony alone, obtained
from that humane gentleman the sum of twenty-jveppounds in lieu of the notes destroyed by Yetts.
This act of generosity, it may well be conceived, proved a moet seasonable and unexpected supply
for the family.
