The Sun.
London, England, 1828-06-14 00:00:00

ORIGIN of the LONDONDERRY FAMILY

The history of this family is curious, and merits
particular notice. The real name is Gregor, the
first of whom, who figured in Ireland, was one Rob
Gregor, a Scotch pedlar, who had been in the prac-
tice of trading to the county Down, in cast clothe;
but having, in a broil at the fair of Dumbarton,
knocked out a man's eye, he fled his country alto-
gether, and became a pack-carrier through Ulster,
in the service of one Robinson-, a shopkeeper, in
Newtown Ards, with whom, heretofore, he used to
do his little traffic on his own account. After a
while, Robinson died childless, leaving,his shop and
a Bishop's lease of a couple score rounds a-year
value, to his widow, who married Rob. They had
a son bred to the father's and mother's business, who
grew up, and, in process of time, paid his addresses
to a girl of Newtown Ards, of the name of Orr, a
kind of -mantua-maker, to whom the youth was
attracted by a prospect she was said to have
from a man of the name of Stewart, her maternal
uncle, who had been gone some years to seek his
fortune in India, where, report said, he had been
successful ; and who, at length, died abroad, and left
his niece a considerable property—so much beyond
Gregor's anticipation, that he even wanted assurance
to continue his suit. The true-hearted girl expressed
to a mutual friend her surprise arid regret at her
lover's absence, in terms which modesty did not
forbid, nor could decorum censure. They were mar-
ried, and Gregor, thereupon, °Awned the Royal
name of Stewart, without licence of the Herald's
office—not so much in respect to the memory of his
wife's benefactor, as to gratify a pride from which the
poorest and meanest are often found not to be exempt.
They had a son, Rob,orßobert,who was to be educat-
ed as a genlleman,now a great name; and who, in pro-
cess of time, was sent to the Temple to study the
law—or rather to eat his way to the bar. Stewart,
the father, had purchased estates with Miss Orr's
money, and had gained some footing in the borough
of Newtown Ards. A great man of land in county
Down, at that time, was the Earl of Hertford, an
English nobleman. To him our young Stewart be-
came known, and actually obtained one of his daugh-
ters in marriage. His father dying, he was now a
man of property, With a great alliance,—owner of a
borough ;—in fact, one V us;—and at length being
raised to the peerage, became of so much influence
that, in the year 1790, his son Robert was a candi-
date for the representation of the county Down, on
what is humorously called the popular interest ; op-
posed even to the powerful leading of the Marquis
of Downshire, to whose servants' hall the grand-
father of Robert would have had a difficulty to gain
admittance. This son of Lord Londonderry was
the famous Castlereagh ; or, as he was jocosely
called in the county Down, Castle-rag, in allusion
to the occupation of his grandfather, the dealer in
old clothes. His appointment by the late oligarchy
to the prominent situation of manager of the theatre
of St. Stephen, proves what a very small portion of
talent is requisite for the office.—Captain Rock's
suppressed Volume.

We arc authorised to state that all the boats
for conveying the company invitt d to the breakfast to he
given by his Royal Highness the Duke of CLARENCE, oil
the water, on the 18th inst. will be assembled at the stairs
of Somerset House (instead of Whitehall stairs, as before
announced) ; and the comp:tuy is therefore requested to
order their carriages to set down and take up iu the great
square of Somerset House.
At a late trial in the High Court of Justiciary
in Scotland, PETER HENDERSON, a stamper in the general
Post-office, at Edinburgh, Was convicted on his own con-
, fession, of having, upon several occasions, abstracted money
from letters, and was sentenced for execution on the 16th
of July next.
- - • •

MRS. SIT EL LtY.-:---We regret-to hoar that this
lady is at present suffering from severe illness in France.
As one of the coaches was approaching Scale
Inn on Monday last, a hoy about 10 years. of age. ran into
the inn-yard, calling out, " the coach is corning," and int-
' mediately after uttering the words, dropped down and ex-
pired !-IVorfolk Chronicle.
THE IRON TRADE.—WC understand that
Messrs. CLARKE and Co. of this town, are sow :selling
excellent bar iron at the low price of 8/. 10s. per ton.—
Shrewsbury Chronicle.
PROLIFIC BIRTH s.—A poor widow residing
in Barker-street, in this town, was delivered on Saturday
morning of a tine boy, and in the evening of another boy
and a girl. One of the boys died on Monday.—Shrews-
bury Chronicle.
Last week the wife of a labouring man, named
HATTER, residing at Grays, near Henley, was delivered
of three children, two boys and a girl. One of the boys is
since dead ; the •mother and the other two are likely to do
well.—Berks Chronicle.

On Wednesday a match of cricket was played
in the playing-fields at Eton, between eleven young gen-
tlemen of Eton College and eight gentletmed of the garrison
,at Windsor, with three of the tutors of the College. The
young gentlemen won the match by 24 runs.—Kerbs
Chronicle.

Two incipient Philoniaths, from Oxfonl, were
this week " cleared out" of about 20 sovereigns, in a house
of a "certain iescription" in this borough : bad calcu-
lation this. —.Berks Chronicle.
It is expected that the Assizes for 13er1;. shire—
before Mr. Justice GASELEE: and Mr. Baron VAUGHAN,—
will commence at Abingdon, on the 14th of July.—lt is
not, perhaps, generally known, that Baron VAIIGIIAN is a
col later al, descendant of the celebrated OWAIN 61,Y Nowa,
whose paternal name was.VvorAN, or VAtrupp.l4.—Berks
Chronicle. , ,