The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-06-05 00:00:00

A PHASE IN REAL LIFE:

Within the last few weeks we have heard of
a young man, a stranger from South Australia,
making anxious enquiries for parties long since
departed, to assist him in proving his identity and
establishing his right to a legacy of £2OO, under
the will of the late Mr. John Richardson, a con fec-

tioner, in the Lower Hillgate, a name which will
be familiar to
,those whose local linoWledge Will
carry them thirty years back. The hero of this
sketch is a Mr. Francis Henry Buislem, the son
of Lieutenant Burslem, of the 56th Regiment
of Foot, who, somewhere about the year 1829,
was stationed with the depot in the barracks,
and while there married, at the parish church.
Sarah, the second daughter of the Mr. Richares
son just mentioned. It was a 'gay affair at the
time—the bells were rung—and the old- maids
were quiet agog at- the excellent " catch " that
the confectioner's daughter had made. The happy
pair lived in some style in a house in Church-
gate, and until about £l,OOO had been expen-
ded in the honeymoon and costly travelling,
and rapid extravagances, there was no lack
of that enjoyment which money is always ex.
petted to command. But the scene soon changed.
He was "sent to Coventry" by his brother offi-
cers; his father, a colonel, we believe, renounced
him for his indiscreet marriage; he sold
his commission for £300; and he retired "used
up" to Liverpool, and after a time, opened a con-
fectioner's shop. The result of the marriage was
Francis Henry Burslem. Business expectations
failing, and friends disappearing, and Mrs.
Bursleni's health giving way, she returned to her
father's house with her boy, two years old, and
*era lingering illness expired without the sym-
pathies of her husband, for it is a fact that he never
gave himself the least trouble about her where-
abouts or her necessities from the moment she left
Liverpool. Time went on, and Mr. Burslem suc-
ceeded, by the influence of others, in obtaining a
Government appointment as civil engineer in the
then new colony of South Australia. Thither-
wards he managed to emigrate, taking with him
his only son, then about four years old, and
receiving an education at Rugeley. In a few
years more the father, who had married a
second time, contrived to get rid of his son
by arranging with a stockman (or cattle-driver),
far into • the bush, to take him into his ser-
vice, and " make the best of him." The dis-
connection between the father and his son now
appeared complete, though the youth was fre-
quently told of the probability of money.contin-
gencies in England, through his (the young man's)
maternal grandfather, including a gold watch,
and family portraits, &c.) Some letters having,
while in Australia, 'passed by some means between
them, the father often had requested, though un-
successfully, that all documents bearing his name
shOuld be destroyed,- kir what reason cannot be
divined, except that it was intended to have
i
reference to a second or third marriage n which
he had been involved, and he never having pub-
licly acknowled his son. But ,
"There's a Providence above that knows
The toad that ill-men tread, and can direct
Inquiring justice."
Young Burslem was now in the bush, in the
midst of native savages or acclithated white men,
—a driver of cattle, and three hundred miles
from any human habitation, without the most
remote expectation of seeing a kinsman's face,
or, still more unlikely, without any hope of
again treading the soil of his native home.
When, suddenly, another "driver," fresh from
the population of Victoria, makes his appearance
in the open and boundless plain, and told young
Burslem that he had seen an advertisement in
a colonial paper, invititing one Francis Henry
Burslem, as the legatee . under the will of a
Mr. Richardson, confectioner, of Stockport, to
apply, &c., and hear something to his advan-
tage. The rest is soon tea. Burslem. knew he
was the lost man ; and the next vessel brought
him to England, after an absence of 24 years.
. He proceeded to Mr, Taylor, of Chapel-en-le-Frith,
formerly a druggist in the Hillgate, as the sur-
viving executor under the will of Mr.. John
Riph-
ardson, who died 14 year ago, and gave iviina
facie evidenee'that he was the long lost son of the
testator's daughter, the living witnesics of per-
sonal identity being Mrs. Froggatt (Miss,-,Pheebe
Jones) of Chtrehgate (a premium apprentice to
Mr. Richardson during-Francis's childhood)'; and
Mrs. Middleton (a Miss Nixon), still residing near
the property. His description and conversation
about the gold watch and the portraits of his
father and mother, painted by Mr. Shuttleworth,
ended in the_ clearest evidence of :leis right, and
probably befOre the end of the week Mr. Francis
Henry Burslem will be in possession of the £2OO
and certain other property bequeathed by .the will
in question to the only son 'of a• heartless parent
'and 'his
,wife Sarah. The fortunate young man,
who is now about thirty. years Old, intends to
return to. Australia as soon as possible, to resume
his employment in the bush, and if pOssible to
institute some inquiries as to the existence of his
father.-- .Stockport Advertiser.

King Leopold of Belgium and the Count de Flaudre,
with their suites, were expected to embark at Ostend on
Thursday' for Englaud, where they intend remaining
4botit a fortnight,