The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-29 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CHARACTER.

• •
THOMAS I)ntsaELL, the miser, who died a few
days ago io Clerkenwell workhouse, wuburied in the ground be-
longing to St. James's parish, on Thursday last, in thepresence
of a vast concourse of persons, who were anxious to see his re.
mains consigned to the earth. The funeral was conducted in
a very respectable manner, and the corpse was followed by
four couple ; and Mary Ann Thompson, a little girl about
thirteen years of age, a natural daughter of the deceased, to
whom he has bequeathed the whole of his hoarded wealth, at.
tended as chief mourner. As the history of this extraordinary
man is singularly interesting, we lay it before our readers :
Drisdell was by trade a journeyman scale-maker, and worked
for many years with Mr. Wood, in Smithfield. He was
always remarkably • industrious, but was disliked by the other
workmen and most of his acquaintances for his penuriousness.
lie was always ready to join them in carousing, but was
never Mond to contribute towards defraying the costs, which
he would avoid by saying he could not afford it, and that he
was deeply in debt. By this method he contrived to hoard
the whole of his wages i • and whatever sustenance he partook
of was obtained from different individuals who were in the
habit of associating with him. His disposition became so gene.
rally known, that he was called amongst the trade " Poor Tom,"
and at other titles " Tons the Cadger;" but it was never conjec.
tured that lie had saved any money, and hisoonduct was supposed
•to be on account of distress. A few years back ho was discharged
from Mr. Wood's service, he having got to b* a very slow work.
man, which was attributed to his age ; and from that time, till a
short period of his death, he travelled about town as an itinerant,
cleaning and keeping shopkeepers scales in order, and wherever;
he apphed for a job, and did not succeed, he would implore the
charity of the people of the house, and, by stating himself to be
pennyless and in the most urgent want, he would obtain the
broken victuals, and in this way he existed. On Friday, the llith
inst., information was given to Mr. Scott, the churchwarden of
St. .lames's Clcrkenwell, that Dristlell was perishing for want
of sustenance and medical attendance, at a house in Paradise.
court, Turninill-street, and that unless immediate assistance
was rendered, he would not survive many hours. Mr. Scott
forthwith dispatched Brown, the beadle- with a chair and two
carriers for the dying man, in order that he might be taken care
of in the house, and receive the attendance of the arish doctor.
On the beadle entering a two.-pair of stairs
wretched spectacle presented itself. The floor did not appear
to have been cleaned for year*, and in one corner of the hovel
was Drisdell stretched on a few old rags, and covered with a
piece of filthy blanket. This, with an old deal table, Iwo bot-
tomless chairs, and a small deal box made sill the entire of the
furniture. The box appeared to be filled with oldeffithecutar.
nients, and that, together with Drisdell, who was s ere,
were removed to' the workhouse. Mr. Scott human y ordered
every comfort to be administered to him, and medical aid was
promptly rendered, but lie only lingered till neat day when
he expired. After his dissolution the contents of the deal box
were explored by Mr. Scott and other gentlemen belonging to
the parish, when, amongst a heapof filthy rags they found 3 silver
watches, each wrapped in a piece of rag; on further search
they discovered l 5 sovereigns, an old stocking half filled with
silver, crowns, half-crowns, shillings, and idxpences, and some
of them quite black from age; and a bundle of papet,i tied round
with a piece of string, which on being opened turned out to con.
tail Navy 5 per Cent. Bonds to a very large amount and other
sureties, together with his will, appointing Mr.Wood,his former
employer, at sole executor and guardian to his natural daughter,
the little girl abOvementioned, end leaving her the whole of his
property amounting to 17001. When the documents were found,
some doubts arose as to their validity, the deceased having led
such a wretched life, but on inquiry they were found to be genuine.
Mr. Scott immediately set about making inquiries for the little
girl amongst those persons who knew herand the deceased ; and
after much trouble lie found her living with a poor woman who
obtained a scanty existence by selling water-creases about the
streets. She was forthwith taken from her distressed abode
and comfortablclad, and is now under the protection of the
executor, Mr. Wood, the scale-maker, in Smithfield, end it Is
his intention to send her to boarding-ischool for instruction.—
What is most extraordinary, the child had never received the
least assistance from the deceased whilst livinA, although she
was wandering about the streets an outcast and without a shoe
to her toot or a rag to cover her. Dristiell was 56 years of age
when hedied, and was a bachelor.

Du. JeNNER.—With unfeigned sorrow we
have to announce the death of our distinguished
countryman, Dr. J ENNUI, the discoverer of Vac-
cination. lie expired on Sunday last, after a
very short illness, at his house at Berkeley, in
the 74th year of his age. An event so awful
from its suddenness, and so impressive and
mournful, front the eminent qualities of him who
has thus been removed from among us, demands
an ampler notice than we now can give ; but we
cannot refrain from expressing our ardent hope,
that due and ample honour will be paid to the
memory of an individual, not less worthy of love
for his private virtues, than of esteem and admi-
ration as one of the greatest benefactors of man-
kind.---(Gloucester Journal.)
Letters Patent have passed the Great Seal of
Ireland, appointing the Hight Hon. Lord MARY-
uottoncin, one of his Majesty's Ministers, Master
of the Mint, &c. to be Custos Itotulorum for the
Queen's County.
Sir G Witta Lxe has given to his numerous
tenantry in Bucks in the whole fifty-five per
cent. since a valuation was taken of his estates
about ten years ago. Sir Grottoes estate is of
the first quality, consisting of feeding, dairying,
meadow, and arable land.

C. Sttlnn, Esq. of liedgerley, Bucks, imp-
plies the poor of that parish with a good hot
dinner of roast and boiled beef alternately every
Sunday, front Christmas to Lady-day.
The Earl of ROSIDERRY has directed Wt. to
be distributed among the poor of each of the
Parishes of Dalmetty, Cramond, Linlithgow,
Livingston, Carrington, and Temple ; and a
supply of clothing, meal, and coals to the poor in
Dalmeny and Queensferr7.