The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-10-23 00:00:00

TFTE STOMIBRIDGE OI3SERVER.

day bond employment for Edwards in the stamping
department of Somerset-house, and from which estab-
lishment, upon his retirement, he received a superan-
nuation of £66 13s. 43. per annum.
During the time he was at Somerset-house he was
remarkable among his fellow employsis as a very liti-
gious, irritable sort of man, flying into a paroxysm of
rage at the slightest provocation. Amongst those
with whom he was officially associated he would some-
times have allusions made to him of the part he took
in connection with the Cato-street conspiracy, allusions
always most distasteful to him, and which led to the
issue of an order by the Lords of the Treasury of the
day, threatening with dismissal any employ 6 who per-
sisted in doing so. The annoyance continuing, how-
ever, Edwards left London and came down to Windsor,
where, having a natural gift in carving figures in
stone, which he had practised as a recreation when
he was at Somerset-house, he made it, with
his pension a source of livelihood, and took the
small house at Eton !above indicated. He used to
imitate the ancient grotesque carving of Windsor
Castle and Eton College, and sell them to visitors
and the Eton boys as antiquities. Mr. Robert
Smith, of Eton, has now some of them in his possession.
Edwards was then about 30 years of age, and used to
linger about the Lower Ward of the Castle and "The
Wall" at Eton College, with his basket of so-called
antiquities. He was as already stated, a man of
morose temper, which the Eton boys for •` a lark,"
would excite, calling him " blood and thunder "—no
inappropriate cognomen— enraging him tremendously,
and causing him to use the most horrid imprecations.
Mr. Charles Knight. in his delightful work, "passages
in the Life of a Working Man," which abounds in
local allusion, has the following in reference to the old
image-maker :—"This Edwards was not an itinerant
vendor of images. I have spoken with him in his small
shop in the High-street of Eton, when he would talk of
the Cato-street conspirators. He had some ingenuity
as a modeller ; and produced a very tolerable statuette
of Dr. Keate, in his cocked hat. His sale of this Lttle
model was considerable amongst the junior boys of the
school, not exactly out of reverence for their head
toaster, but as a mark to be pelted at. If I remember
rightly, the face of the spy George Edwards said he
was a rogue by nature. He was a diminutive animal,
with democrat looks, and stealthy face, and seemed
capable of any eviL" Little did our illustrious towns-
man think when he penned these almost prophetic
words, that the subject of them, when he had " come
to fourscore years" and more, would end his eventful
life as a murderer and suicide.

all high, diep, t.iiiy troth; but yet not all that party division
so prevalent among us. Heresy indeed was rejected—but
there was a great Catholic element—a great Evangelic ele-
ment, and even a considerable freedom of discussion, both in
philosophy and in hitilical criticism. Differences there now
are, no doubt, on very serious questions. Yet beneath
the strong surface we may hope that there is a tranquil
deep of truth and rem,. Aleny can remember nbeo the
distinction of parties was said to be, that one party exalted I
Christ, whilst the other dwelt only on morality. This is not
so now. Much and fiercely as the two parties are opposed,
even their distinctive symbols and watchwords which so
offend each other are devised for the very mimes.) of honour-
tag Christ and His cross? and must they treat one another as
deadly foes who profess to have one common object of
faith, and love, and worship. Can we not unite in the faith
and Church of Christ in peace and love, instead of uniting in
Church Unions, Church Associations, and the like for well
Can we pot refuse to make our mission societies scenes of con-
Met Can we not repudiate the bitterness of religious news-
papers, whose one mission has been to net brother against
brother, and heart against heart, and so all against the cause
of Christ? If we are to survive the present crisis in the
Church it must be by some sacrifice of individual self-will,
and uniting for general good. Clergy and laity too most
unite The Church's tutu, e is as wools a layman's question
as a Churchman's. We have a great unknown future before
us. Some think the end of all things is at hand. If no, the
believing, loving Christians, and the united, loving Church,
are those who can best say, as St. John said, "Amen, even so,
come Lord Jesus.'
After the conclusion of his lordship's charge the
clergy and churchwardens present were entertained by
his lordship to luncheon at the Lion HoteL This
concluded, a number of Church questions were dis-
cussed, of which the meet particular was, "How may
we best help the Irish Church?" Numerous sugges-
tions by the local clergy were male in this respect.
The Bishop will address the representatives of the
other respective deaneries within his diocese at New.
market, Huntingdon. Bury St Edmunds, Sudbury,
Bedford, Luton, and Ely, on dates appointed, ranging
up to the sth of November.