The Press.
London, England, 1856-12-06 00:00:00

Obituarl.

GENERAL SIR HENRY JOHN CUMMING died yester-
day week, at his residence in Upper Grosvenor-street,
in his eighty-fifth year.
REAR-ADMIRAL FREDERICK W. BEECHEY, who died
on the 2nd inst., from an attack of paralysis, was the
son of the late Sir William Beechey, R.A., portrait-
painter in ordinary to their Majesties Queen
Charlotte and William IV. He was born in
February, 1796, and entered the navy in 1806, in the
Hibernia, 110. In 1811, whilst serving in the
Astrea, 42, under Captain Schomberg, in company
with the Pheebe, Galatea, and Race Horse, he
assisted, after a long and gallant action, in the cap-
ture of the French frigates Renommie, Cloriude, and
Nereide. On his return to England after some
Channel service, he was appointed to the Vengettr,
74, forming part of the expedition against New
Orleans, where be served in the boats which dashed
across the Mississippi with a detachment of troops,
seamen, and marines, as a successful diversion in
favour of the general attack upon the American line.
His first commission bore date on the 10th March,
1815 ; and in September following he was appointed
to the Niger, 38, on the North American station. It
was on the 14th January, 1818, that Lieutenant
Beechey commenced the first of those four voyages
to the Arctic regions, the hardships of which,
doubtless, laid the foundation of that constitutional

derangement which subsequent years of indefatigable
bodily and mental exertion have brought to its

present premature termination. He was appointed
to the Trent, under Lieutenant Commander Frank-

lin, with whom he was one of the earliest com-
panions, as he always remained his warmest friend.
An interesting account of the cruise of the Dorothea
and Trent on this occasion in the direction of

Spitzbergen was published by Admiral Beechey in
1843. In January, 1819, he was appointed to the
Hecla, under the command of Lieutenant (after.
wards Sir Edward) Parry, with whom he penetrated
to longitude 113.54., within the Arctic circle, and
wintered at Melville Island. In both the above
Arctic expeditions Lieutenant Beechey rendered
great service by his artistic attainments and general
observations. On the sth November, 1821, he was
appointed to the Adventure, Captain W. H. Smyth,
who was then preparing to resume his survey of the
northern coast of Africa. Whilst attached to this
ship Lieutenant Beechey was promoted to the rank
of commander, and appointed, in conjunction with
his brother, H. W. Beechey, Esq., to examine and
report on the antiquities of Cyrenaica, and of the
ancient cities composing the Pentapolis. Com-
mander Beechey executed a survey of the entire
coast from Tripoli to Derns; and the narrative of
the expedition and description of the country, ruins
and antiquities, was published by that officer and his
brother. In January, 1825, Commander Beechey
was appointed to the Blossom, 24, in which he pro-
ceeded to the Pacific and Behring's Straits, to co-
operate with the Polar expedition under Captains
Franklin and Parry. During the three and a half
years that he was absent from England he proceeded
twice to Behring's Straits, and in August, 1826,
penetrated to a point northward of Icy Cape, whence
the ship's barge, under Mr. Elson, the master,
reached lat. 71.23., long. 156.21., only 146 miles
from the extreme point reached by Captain Franklin
overland. In the interval he pursued his researches
in the Pacific (thus passing more than once from
Arctic to Tropical climates), where he discovered
and took possession of several new islands, amongst
which he once more brought to notice the crew of
the Bounty on Pitcairn's Island (lately removed to
Norfolk Island). It was in 1827 Commander
Beechey, now appointed to the rank of captain, dis-
covered in a final Arctic voyage Cape Prince of
Wales, which he named after his godfather, William
IV., Port Clarence. After a voyage of 73,000 miles,
and rendering most essential service to the science
of navigation, the Blossom arrived at Spithead in
1828. The narrative of this voyage was also pub-
lished by Captain Beechey. In 1835 Captain
Beechey was appointed to the Sulphur, for the pur-
pose of continuing the same valuable surveys in the
Pacific, but his health gave way before he reached
Valparaiso, and he was compelled to return home.
From 1837 to 1847 Captain Beechey was con-
tinuously employed in the survey of the Bristol and
Irish Channels, and it is difficult to say whether his
minute and accurate charts, or his valuable tidal ob-
servations, have rendered the more useful service to
his country. From this important occupation Cap-
tain Beechey was removed by the Government to
constitute and superintend the Marine Department
of the Board of Trade, in which he was actively and
usefully employed up to the date of his death. He
was promoted to the rank of rear-admiral in 1854,
and filled the office of President of the Royal
Geographical Society. He only lately delivered his
report of the proceedings of that society, and an in-
teresting obituary of those eminent members who
had died during the past year, leaving a name to be
added to the future list, than which few can lay
claim to the merit of a more laborious, zealous, and
useful life in the service of his country.
The REV. ROBERT HUSSEY, D.D., of Christ Church,
Oxford, and Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical
History, died on Tuesday, after an illness of a few
hours, at his residence in Beaumont-street. Mr.
Hussey was one of the most accomplished scholars
of the day, and by his death a void is left in the
professorate not easily to be tilled. In Mich-
aelmas term, 1824, he obtained a first-class " In
Literis Humanioribus," and also "In Disciplims
Mat. et. Phys." In 1838 he was public examiner.
In 1842 her Majesty founded two additional Regius
Professorships in Theology, one in Pastoral Theology,
the other in Ecclesiastical History and the Study of
the Ancient Fathers; "such professorships to be
endowed with two canonries of Christ Church ; the
University in the meantime undertaking to provide
the professor's stipend from the public chest." Dr.
Ogilvie, the other professor, is now a canon of
Christ Church; and Mr. Hussey would, had he lived,
have filled up the next vacancy. In 1854 he was
elected a member of the Hebdomadal Council, as
one of the professors. In 1825 Mr. Hussey pro-
ceeded to the degree of 8.A., in 1827 to that of
M.A., and in 1837 to that of 8.D., and up to the
time of his death he held the perpetual curacy of
Binsey, Oxford, to which he was appointed by the
Dean and Chapter of Christ Church in 1845, where
he was much beloved by his parishioners.