The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-29 00:00:00

k -
SIR CHARLES F. WILLIAMS.''' f\-
The late Sir Charles Frederick Williams int!
senior Commissioner of the Court of Bankruptcy, and
many years have elapsed since he entered pon the - . .
profession of the law. It has been snpposed that he
was a person of humble origin ; at least so little
knowledge was ever current in society with respect
to his descent, that it vas assumed he could not boast `' I,\.:SY
of very dignified ancestry ; for most men take pains
to make such advantages well known, and Sir Charles
Williams was the least likely person in the world to
omit the publication of anything that could redound
to his own honour. Nevertheless, the subject of this
ineireir was a man of respectable parents. His father
was Richard 'Williams' Esq., of Dursley, in Glow
cestershire, of which place it may be presumed that
Sir Charles was a native. He did not possess the ad-
vantages of a university education, and he came to the
bar not very eminently qualified fur the duties of the
legal pror'ession ; he managed, however, in one way or
another, to attain a certain degree of success ; but the
practice which he did enjoy was principally as a pro-
vincial counsel, his business at Westminster Ball
being of moderate extent. He went the Western
Circuit, and for many years practised at the Somerset
and Bristol Sessions. That he displayed unbounded
zeal in the support of every client's interests is
universally acknowledged, and that if perseverance
and care could command success no client of his
would ever have been defeated.
Sir Charles had passed the mature age of forty
before he found it prudent to incur the responsibilities
of married life, but he thought that the time had then
arrived when such a step could no longer be advan-
tageously delayed. On the 22d of April, 1822, he
married Elizabeth, the fourth daughter of Ralph
Broune Wylde Broune, Esq., of Glazeley, in the
county of Salop, by Mary Anne Whitmore, sister of
Thomas Whitmore, Esq., of Apley Park, in the same
county. This event had of course a tendency rather
to increase than to diminish his professional zeal; his
business increased, and in the year 1828 it had
reached so respectable an amount, that by the Goverti•
ment of that day he was deemed worthy to be ir-
vested with the dignity of "one of his Majesty's
counsel learned in the law ;" but as a leader at nisi
prius he was not much distinguished. For one pe-
culiarity he was however noted ; a solicitor might
prevail on him to name the junior counsel with whom
he liked to be associated, with high professional
delicacy he always shrunk from the appearance et
making any such suggestion ; but even twenty years
ago he was accustomed to say to his clients that there
could be no better junior counsel in any cause than
young Follett. Even then Mr. Williams had the sa-
gacity to discern the great powers of the present At-
torney-General.
For four years after, having obtained a silk gown,
Mr. Williams continued at the bar ; but at the end cif
that period he was appointed one of the Commissioners
of the Court of Bankruptcy under Lord Brougham's
Bill. In discharging the functions of that office, he
evinced great quickness of apprehension ; but was
rather ostentatious in displaying it. his judgments
were therefore often hasty ; and his manners were by
no means distinguished for the dignity, or even the
decorum which ought to be observed by every marl
who occupies a judicial seat. So eager was he to
show that he saw at a glance the tendency of questions
put to a witness, that he would spoil a piece of evi-
dence by taking an examination out of a solicitor's et.
counsel's hands, as well as putting ill-considered
questions, and making extra-judicial observations;
but he was perhaps one of the most obliging func-
tionaries that ever lived. If stopped in the street—it
called away from an agreeable party—nay, if called
out of bed—he would kindly and cheerfully transact
any business if required. He once met with an ac-
cident, when riding on horseback, which confined him
some weeks, and so anxious was ho to avoid encroach•
ing upon the time of his brother Commissioners, that
his bed-chamber was converted into a court of bank-
ruptcy. He scarcely or ever omitted an opportunity
of making a civil observation or paying a personal
compliment :
" He browbeat none, nor bore a being odium ;
But fairly blazoned every man's eulogium."
He received the honour of knighthood July 18,
1838 ; and was for some years Recorder of Ipswich,
but resigned that office in 1842. Sir Charles attained
to a good old age, but of the precise year in which he
was born we have not met with any authentic trace ;
it is believed, however, that he could not have been
less than 75 or 76 years of age. The further he ad-
vanced in life the greater was the interest which he
seemed to take in the causes and the influence et
longevity. No elderly witness ever escaped him, and
the most important proceedings were often delayed is
order that Sir Charles might have opportunity of in-
quiring into the habits of life and the constitutional
peculiarities of any curious specimen of the last age
who might happen to enter the witness-box. In this
respect the columns of this journal would have been
a great source of consolation to him. He was a ma-
gistrate for Hampshire, and for some years had a
residence in that county.—Historical Register.

TIDE AT DOVER.-DESTRUCTION OF PRO..
PERTY.-DOVER, JAN. 27.—This morning, about Oat
o'clock A.N., one of the highest tides ever remembered
occurred here. At the entrance of the harbour the
water was above twenty-one feet in depth, while the
actual rise from low water was not less than twenty-five
feet I The quays and piers were almost all covered, and
the area of the harbour presented an uninterrupted sheet
of water. At the height of the tide a portion of the new
harbour works, now going on under the Duke of Wel-
lington and the other Harbour Commissioners, gave
way, from the great weight of water in the pent. A
strong granite wall, about sixty fact in extent and many
feet in thickness, was forced down, when a mighty
rush of water, carrying all before it, burst into a large
open space behind, which is being excavated for the
enlargement of the harbour. Blocks of granite, and
masses of brickwork, from two to six tons in weight,
were rolled along ten or twelve yards ; and the Lord
Sidmouth fishing vessel, that happened to be lying along-
side of the quay close to the beach, was torn from her
moorings and swept into the space with great force by-
the resistless current, and laid up at the extreme end,
where, in ordinary tides, she will be " high and dry.'
An attempt was made at high water this afternoon to
float off the vessel with casks, which proved abortive.
as the tide did not rise so hieh as in the morning by
several feet. She has sustained, it is feared, irreparable
damage, by rubbing her bottom against the large stones
she passed over during the accident. It is very fortunate
the accident occurred in the night, for, had it taken
place during the day, while the workmen were engaged
in the excavations, it must have been attended with fatal
consequences.

Although fresh fish, such as flounders, cod, ling,
haddocks, and whitings, are got in abundance on the
west coast, still, soles and turbots are remarkably scarce.
and appar-ritly cannot be had tither on the east or west
coasts, which is altogether unprecedented in the annals
of Scotch fisheries. A number of orders for these fish
were received hero by our principal fishmongers for
supplies to any extent, for the Edinburgh, Dublin, and
Liverpool markets, which could not be executed.—
Greenock Advertiser.

DEATH IN THE REGENT'S CANAL.—A PREDICTION
IN Jzste FULFILLED.--Yesterday the body of a corpus.
lent and rather aged person, named Portington, was
found in the Regent's-canal, near the Camden-town
lock. Five-and-twenty years ago deceased was a
master tailor, in extensive business in Tavistock-
street, Covent-garden. Latterly be held the situa-
tion of collector of rents and general over-looker
on the Agar estate, Camden-town. A week since,
meeting Lamb, an occasional summoning officer for the.
parish of St. Pancres, serving summonses for an inquest
on a person who had died suddenly, he remarked that
such a way of dying was the pleasantest, and added,
jokingly, that some day or other the officer would have
to summon a jury to inquire into the cause of his death.
The prediction has been verified, and Lamb applied yes
terday to Mr. Waklev for a warrant to summon a jury.
SUICIDE OF A II OEKMAN AT NORTHUMHERLANL
HOUSE.—Last evening Mr. Higgs held an inquest at the
Prince's Head, Buckingham- street,Strand, on the bodyta!
John Henry Hollick, aged fifty-seven, in the employ 0,
Mr. Hughes, upholsterer to the Duke of Northumberlane.
It appeared that deceased and others were engaged on Sa-
turday forenoon in preparing the furniture and rooms c.
Northumberland House for the reception of its noble oven
pants. At half-past eleven o'clock he left the dining
room in which he had been working, and, not returning.
in half an hour, the foreman caused search to be Tad*
after him. In a few minutes afterwards ho was disco
vered in one of the water-clotets at the basement
of the mansion, partly suspended (his feet resting oc
thefloor,
water-pipe and fuliastear-rpmso by meansonthe seat
of a piece of tbecloslli
from a service
tied round
and Mr. Bransby
neck. He was
csturtondgowpna,ckta-
kt pack-thread
e aidnto the
too
Cooper called in, who said that deceased had been demi
taken
about a quarter of an hour. Deceased was a tempers*
and steady man, and some of the witnesses considers(
that his mind was affected by an attack of illness be had
intoaty
three months since, and others that it was affected by the
paid, at
udipffo.efreanbtetnimefiets,so7csiet the above society, called the St.T Jraes's
.
Union, to which he had for years belonged.
esociety
Ile ).act
‘o Verdict,u uIG e
Am ps oor
Ca rI
Ay
T insanity.LT"
Et
—lt alenodtounreesd
icoreaature
TIBER IN EDINSIURGH.
SS a ) pro.
chapelh onl the south'
side of the town, which have been attended by numbers
mainly from curiosity. It is stated that the most dis
graceful scenes are enacted within the building, one part
of the audience indulging in vociferous applause, ant
another in equally clamorous dissent. Last Sabbath
evening this riotous spirit came to a head, the female ex-
hibitor being followed from the chapel by an infuriatets
crowd, some of whom attempted to lay violent hand.
upon her. She was ultimately taken under the protec
tion of the police.—Edinhuryit foot.
IVRIT OF INQUIRY.—The writ of inquiry"at Penrith
to assess the damages sustained to the Cahill+ site eetatr
by the Lancaster arid Carlisle Railway, was brouglitt
a close on Saturday, when the jury awarded the sum:
2,150/. for land taken, severance, and damage. As Oil
sum was less than the compensation offered by the Corr
pany, the defendants will have to pay their own costa
The Duke and Duchess of Montrose have arrive:
in Belgrave-square, from his Grace's sporting seal
are expected to remain in town until after hearm(s.re ,
staying on a visit to the Earl and Counac
e
Selby Hall, Northamptonshire. The Duke nod D,uchear
ttl
approching confinement. Lord William Graham
rowl
Walcot, near Lincoln.