The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-09 00:00:00

THE WILDERSPIN TESTIMONIAL
7loni-I.ay* last a sdect party of Mr. Willer-pin',
Str 3LiL for the Fut -
p.).>e of presenting to him a timepiece, purchased by the
Tvachers and Children's Per.ny Tribute Fund. It
was the workmanship of Mr. J. Bennett, Cheapside,
a simple and extremely handsome article, with a group
of children, at study on the top. The inscriptions
were-

.. •
The Teachers' and Children's Gift to Samuel Wilderspin,
Juventutis Amator et Amer. June 7, 1847."
" For thee, kind trainer of the infant mind,
Teachers and taught, in grateful love combined,
Would bid this votive dial's silvery bell
Record the hours by thee employed so well,
And friendly memories o'er thy future shed,
Whose life's long-past in love's best work has sped."
The kilt was presented by Mr. DANIEL GASKELL.
lie said —Mr. Wilderspin had been engaged more than
a quarter of a century in promoting the improvement of
infant education, and in the laborious occupation of
opening infant schools. In this cause he had made
a great sacrifice both of health and property; and
having been so eminently successful in the art of
teaching, and having introduced a system so be-
neficial in its results, it did appear to us that in his ad-
vanced age he was fairly entitled to somo valuable proof
of national gratitude. Under this impression a sub-
scription was entered into. Mr. Wilderspin had been no
sectarian in his views—he had opened schools for all
without distinction of sect or party; and on the list of
subscribers will be found the names of persona of almost
every phase of political and religious opinion—many of
the highest rank, both in Church and State, and many,
amongst the humbler classes of society. The subscrip-
tions received up to this time amount to nearly 1,8001.--
a small sum if regarded as a compensation for the labours
and services of Mr. Wilderspin; bat, coupled with the
pension of lOU. a year which her Majesty has graciously
conferred upon him, it will be sufficient to relieve him
from much present anxiety, and prove a great comfort
in his declining years. In presenting this offering to
you, sir, I know you will not estimate it according to ite
pecuniary value, but that in your estimation it will de-
rive its chief value from the source whence it proceeds.
Teachers and taught have long been the object of your
peculiar care, and this tribute of affection and respect
from them will often recal to your mind the sweetest
recollections. I hope it may descend to your children's
children, and may prove a stimulus to them to employ
their talents (as you have employed yours) in promoting
the improvement of mankind.
Mr. WILDERSPIN replied in terms of affectionate gra-
titude to the donors, and giving a slight but most inte-
resting sketch of the progress of his early career—how
he had suffered from the persecution which so frequently
attends those who stand aloof from party, who hold all
in the wide embrace of Catholic humanity. He alluded
to the result of his labours. He saw on the roll before
him, inscribed with the autograph or name of 1,000
children, the sympathy of the Church of England, the
Wesleyan the Independent, the Catholic, the Unitarian,
the Jews (who in one poor school had subscribed 160
farthings), and the Friends. He hailed the prospect of
an old age, not of poverty nor yet of affluence, but of
ease and comfort, and he thanked the Source of Every
Good for the prospect.
Mr. MONCJETON MILNES, though all he felt had been
so ably and clearly expressed by Mr. Gaskell and Mr.
Wilderspin, could not withhold the sympathy he had in
the object of the meeting. Mr. Wilderspin was a man
of genius, and he had devoted it to the highest object
—the cultivation of the human race from its earliest
youth. Every day added conviction of the importance
of his mission, and every day unhappily added a sense of
its difficulty: obstacles to any plan of general education
seemed to increase with the knowledge of its necessity,
the persecuted were becoming the persecutors; but he
would not despair, for on looking around him, and find-
ing the subject was becoming one of universal interest
and perpetual discussion, hope brightened the horizon of
the future.
Mr. CHARLES DICKENS regretted that a severe cold
and hoarseness would prevent hi n saying half he felt.
fie was grateful for the information he had received, not
being before aware of the extent of Mr. Wilderspin's
labours and services. He rejoiced that a subject so con-
nected with the wants of infancy, and the threatened des-
titution of a public benefactor, was brought forward by a
woman, and with the expression of his cordial satisfac-
tion he united his hopes that Mr. Wilderspin might long
live to enjoy his well-merited honours.
Mr. THORNTON HUNT briefly, but most heartily, con-
gratulated Mr. Wilderspin's friends on the success of
their persevering labours and untiring exertions; after
which the party separated.

THE LATE ACCIDENT ON THE
NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.

WOLVERTON, TUESDAY NlGHT.—lmmediately after
the termination of the inquest on Monday, Mr. Rodgers,
the surgeon, assisted by Mr. Freeman, of Stoney Strat-
ford, in pursuance of the order of the coroner, proceeded
to make a post mortem examination of the bodies, in
order to ascertain the precise cause of death. On ex-
amining the body of Clifton, one of his arms was found
fractured, as also his ankle, but not so severely as to
cause death. The leg of the gentleman supposed to be
Smith was also found fractured, the bone nearly pro-
truding through the skin. On opening the heads of both,
the brain and the ventricles were found gorged with
blood. Two other bodies were afterwards examined,
when the appearances of the brain were similar. The
other three were not opened, but merely examined ex-
ternally, the medical gentlemen being eatiafied that the
cause of death arose from suffocation, the whole of the un-
fortunate persons having been pressed so closely together
as to deprive the respiratory organs of all power of ac-
tion, and producing instant death.
This morning Mr. Blott, the station-master, for-
warded to London the following official report of the
names of the persons killed and injured by the acci-
dent:

"PERSONS KILLED.
" No. 1. Cope, London or Wolverhampton.
" No. 2. J. B. Rattrey, Dundee.
" No. 3. Miller, of London.
" No. 4. A person unknown, linen marked ' H. Smith.'
" No. 5. Clifton, of Coventry.
" No. 6. T. Makinson, Bolton.
" No. 7. J. S. Sherratt, Lichfield.
" PERSONS INJURED.
" W. Turner,- of Bythefield-hall, Staffordshire.
" Henry Shannon, Oldham-street, Manchester.
" Thomas Eades; cook at Regent's-hotel, Leamington.

. .
" James Finden, of Dublin.'r
Since this was forwarded to London the following
correct particulars relating to the deceased parties have
been obtained:—

Mr. Cope was a clerk in the London and Westminster
Bank, and having obtained leave of absence, was pro-
ceeding to Wolverhampton to spend a few days with his
family, who reside in that town.
Mr. Rattrey was the principal of a large foundry at
Dundee, employing 500 hands, all of whom, it is stated
on the best authority, will by his untimely death be
thrown out of employ.
Mr. Miller was secretary to the South London Ragged
Schools, and personally known by his zealous advocacy
of the " Industrial System of Education" to Lord Ash-
ley. He was proceeding to Manchester to attend the
funeral of his mother, which was to have taken place on
the following day. This gentleman was the only one
married, and he unfortunately has left five children, the
eldest 14 years, and the youngest nine months old, with
a widow, to lament his loss.

Mr. Smith.—Of this gentleman nothing further is
known. He is not yet identified; but as he was only
going to Birmingham, it is supposed he is related to a
highly respectable :solicitor of that town of the same
name.

Mr. Clifton is the son of a respectable tradesman re-
siding at Acton, Middlesex, who this morning identified
the body. This young man was in the service of Messrs.
Smith and Debenham, linendrapers, of Crawford•street,
Marylebone, and with another young man, named
Cooper, also in the same employ, was proceeding to
Coventry, to spend the Sunday with Cooper's friends.
The latter escaped by a miracle: he was sitting next the
door, which when the collision took place flew open, and
he was thrown on to the embankment. He was much
shaken, and now remains at Coventry, under medical
treatment.
Mr. Sherratt was proceeding home to Lichfield; and
Mr. Makinson was going on a visit to his relatives at
Bolton.

Nothing can exceed the sympathy evinced by the offi-
cials of the company in all the departments, from the
highest to the lowest, for the survivors of this melan-
choly accident. Those injured and who are lying at the
inn near the station are visited almost every hour by
Mr. Rodg.rs, the surgeon, and the greatest solicitude is
shown for their speedy recovery. This afternoon the
report was that they were progressing favourably. Fin-
den, who was much cut and contused about the head,
was able to get up. Mr. Shannon, who is about sixty
years of age, has received a severe contusion of the leg;
Mr. Turner is much hurt about the legs and chest, and
Eades similarly cut about. On Monday a number of
the carpenters belonging to the factory at this place were
empl9yed in making coffins for the bodies of those
killed; and after the examination by the surgeons they
were placed in them.
The Coroner, on the adjournment of the inquest, made
oat his warrants for burial, and on Monday night the
bodies of Makinson and Sherratt were removed to Bol-
ton and Lichfield. Those of Miller and Clifton were
brought by the York mail to London, at two o'clock this
day, and that of Cope was forwarded by the half-past:
two down train from this (Wolverton) station to Wol -
verhampton. The body of Mr. Rattrey is not ..yet
coffined, the company having ordered a leaden one to
place it in, in consequence of the distance it will have t(
travel. The body of Mr. Smith also remains coffined,
and should it not be owned, it will be buried in Wolver-
ton churchyard, on Thursday, the company having taken
upon themselves the expense attendant on the funeral o t.
all the sufferers.
Fossey, the constable who caused the accident, ha
been placed in the custody of the superintendent c
the Bucks constabulary, and is confined in the Newpor t
Pagnell station-house, where he will remain until afte r
the inquest.

. CEYLON RAILWAY.—The directors of this TOW ay
company have called a meeting of the shareholders for
the 18th instant. The report, it is understood, will ,be
very interesting and satisfactory.
THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND.—The tenth volume of
Miss Strickland's " Lives of the Queens of Engla' td,"
which has been impatiently looked for, has at length .sp-
peered. It contains the conclusion ori the biography of
Mary Beatrice, the amiable consort e.f James 11., den Fedi
almost entirely from manuscript wurces in the royhie
archives at Paris ; and a vonsieltreble portion of the
Life of his daughter Marss, the wife of Willie'"
which throws much new 111.ght on the history
of tine
T new
re-
volution that drove Jv.oes from the throne.
t.n,
as
o puwbhki t
of our
volume tends still fu'rther to s-amp
this
one of the most enticestaining end instructive works