The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-10-19 00:00:00

THE CAREER OF GIBSON THE SCULPTOR.

At a time when we have just reared as one of the per.:
manent ornaments of our town a Statue executed b) one
of the most distinguished sculptors of the day, whose
fame we regard as belonging to us, it may be interestin.,
to our readers to learn a few particulars of his early life
and professional career. John Gibson was born in 1790,
at Gyffyn, near Conway, in North Wales ; and his baptis-
mal certificate, which we have before us, runs—" Baptized
John, son of William Gibson, of the parish of Gyffyn
by Jane Roberts, his wife, June 19." His father occupiei
the situation of a gardener upon the estate of R. Griffiths,
Esq., by whom upon his growing up to boyhood, it is pre-
sumd from some manifestation of superior talent con-
siderable interest was shewn in the young Gibson ; for we
learn that it was by his advice that he was brought to
Liverpool, only however, to be bound apprentice to the
comparatively humble trade of a cabinet-maker and
carver in wood, his masters being Messrs. Southwell and
Wilson, of this town. Here he very early manifested a
turn for the sculptor's art, excelling in carving and the
modelling of small wooden figures. The first work which
attracted notice beyond the immediate sphere of his em-
ployer's shop, and his own friends, was a small model in
wax of Time, executed in the year ]BOB, when the artist
would be in his eighteenth year. This attracted the ob-
servation of Messrs. T. and S. Franceys, sculptors, of
Brownlow-hill, who at that time occupied the premises,
at present those of Mr. Spence, who was a fellow-appren-
tice with Gibson, and has in his possession the model
referred to. The Messrs. Francey's appear to have fully
appreciated the ability of the youth ; for we learn that
they immediately purchased his indentures, giving the .
sum of £7O for them, and employed him in the higher .
branches of their own business. Whilst with them he
executed (in 1810) a model representing the Seasons, and
a figure of Cupid, both of which were for John Gladstone,
Esq., and are no doubt in the possession of and highly
prized by that gentleman. The Cupid is considered one
of his finest productions.
Ei7After having served six years—the remainder of his
term of apprenticeship—to the satisfaction of these gentle-
men, he was noticed by the late William Roscoe, Esq.,
no mean judge of talent, by whom he was reconimendel
to the patronage of Michael Angelo Taylor, Esq., M.P.
at the time for the city of Durham ; and he accordingly
arrived in London in 1818. He was immediately set to
work in the execution of a number of models of that
gentleman's family. An introductionto Lord Castlereagh
followed, from whom he received letters of introduction
to Canova, the sculptor ; and in 1820 he started for Rome,
where he devoted himself to the study of the old masters.
It was here that he met first the Duke of Devonshire, a
nobleman ever anxious and munificent in encouraging
native English talent, from whom he received an order
for the execution of the celebrated piece of statuary,
Mars and Venus. The admiration attracted by this work
gained him the patronage of the King of Bavaria, one of
the greatest supporters of the arts and sciences in Italy
since the time of Leo the Tenth, for whom he chiselled
several groups, which were approved by the most eminent
connoiseurs. Since then his fame has become a patent
fact, and many of the Italian and English nobility, with
some of our own merchant princes have employed hint
and prize his productions.

In disposition Mr. Gibson is mild and unassuming,
amiable and humane ; and it is a circumstance which may
be recorded to his honour. that in his affluence at Rome
he never forgot the duty of sharing his means with his
parents in Liverpool.

CHARGE OF CHILD MURDER AGAINST
FEMALE.

Yesterday, an inquisition was held before the borougk
coroner, on view of the body of a new-born female child,
found in the house of Mr. Samuel Marshall, 38, Moon-
street.

Mrs. Eliza S. Marshall, wife of the gentleman alluded
to, said that a young woman, (aged about thirty,) the
mother of the child, had been with them as servant fer
six or seven years, with the exception of a period of a few
months. About six months ago witness observed a change
in her appearance ; and she frequently came in laughing,
and saying she had been accused of being in the family-
way ; but added that she had got a cold, and that it had
turned into dropsy. On Thursday she complained of
being ill, and said she had a cramp in the stomach. She
went to bed about two o'clock, and said in the evening
that she was better, and would not require the doctor..
She appeared better on Friday, but on Saturday refused to
have the bed made, and witness's suspicions were conse-
quently excited. Mr. John Burroughs, surgeon, was
sent for, and on examination said there vvere evident
symptoms of recent delivery. He also advised a strict
search to be made for the child, which was done, and be-
tween two beds, on a bedstead in the same room with the
mother, but not that on which she lay, was found the body
of a full-grown female child, with a yellow silk ribbon
tied very tightly round its neck. The accused (Eliza
Matchan) was then charged with being the mother of it,
but refused to answer any questions. She was the only
servant in the house.

Sarah Serjeant, a married woman, who had attended
temporarily to do the work of the accused for a day, dur-
ing her illness, took breakfast to the latter on Saturday.
morning, and observed marks upon the linen which ex-
cited her suspicions. She and Mrs. Marshall made a
search, and found the body of the child as described. The
accused (who was not yesterday in custody, being yet con-
fined to her bed), immediately before the body was found,
said, "If I must tell you, it is there." Accused after-
wards said, ".I could not bring it away in giving it birth,
and I tied the ribbon on its neck to enable me to do so."
The ribbon was produced in court, and identified as the
same.
Mr. Burrough, surgeon, said the accused had called
on him on Wednesday, and asked rim whether she
•Thould not be bled.. He charged her with being preg-
nant. Four months ago she had called on him on
account of attacks of vomiting, and he was then of
opinion that the cause was pregnancy. When he
saw her on Wednesday, he was satisfied she was in the
family-way. She seemed at first a little confused, but,
recovering herself, said that her relatives were subject to
dropsy, and that she was not in the family way. On Satur-
day morning, he was sent for by Mrs. Marshall to
see her. He afterwards saw the body, and the ribbon
round its neck, in two circles, and tied in a single knot..
He had examined the body, and found deceased had
arrived at maturity. and had been born alive. The
head presented a double fracture of the parietal bone
on each side, the result of external violence. He found
a layer of blood under the scalp. The violence could not
have been produced by any natural efforts on the part of
the mother during parturition, and the fractures were the
immediate cause of death. The tying of the ribbon was
not the proximate cause of death, but might have accele-
rated it. .

The Coroner charged the jury, who almost instantly
returned a verdict of "wilful murder," against the
mother, Eliza Natchan. The witnesses were bound over
to appear at the assizes, and the coroner issued his war-
rant upon Mr. Inspector Boyd, who was present, for her
safe custody and transmission to Kirkdale Gaol, when fit
to be removed, preparatory to her trial at the next
assizes.

THE HIISKISSON STATUE.—The visit of Sir Robert
Peel to Liverpool was appropriately chosen for the
elevation to its pedestal in front of the Custom-house of a
bronze statue of Huskisson. The statue, which .is of
light bronze, was cast in Holland, from a statue executed
in Rome, by Gibson, and is a present from Mrs. Huskisson
to the town on which the deeply lamented deceased re-.
fleeted so much lustre as its representative. It is eight
feet four inches in height, and, although not of solid metal,
weighs 18 cwt. From the smallness of its pedestal, the
statue, at first sight, appears very unprotected. The
position is dignified and imposing, and the drapery is
arranged with grace and freedom. There is, we think*
more than natural muscular development ; but, probably,
this will in a great measure wear off in the course
of time. A plain substantial cast iron.palisade, from the
foundery of Messrs. P. E. Weber and Co., was on Friday
(the morning of elevation) fixed on the outer side of the
raised freestone basement, and encloses an area of about
twelve feet square. The pedestal is a granite, and bears
in plain bronze letters the simple but sufficient ins-ription
" William Huskisson." He holds a document, rolled up*
in the right hand, which rests upon the thigh. The head
considerably reclines, and the figure appears looking down
upon the spectators. t.

ROBBERY- FROM •THE PERSON.—At the Police-court,
yesterday, it robust.seafaring man, charged a female w tit
robbing him of his watch and .13 103., in a house of ilt
repute. The evidence not being complete, the priscmer
was remanded.

NOVEL TRAVELLING CARRIAGE.—There is now-exhi..
biting at the Assembly-room, Bold-street, a patent tra-
velling carriage, the invention of Mr. Archibald Farries,
of Preston. It is worked by the hand, without at! er
horse or steam power, and will travel, it is said, on a com-
mon turnpike-road, at the rate of ten miles an hour. ,It
is easily managed by one person, and can be steered in
any direction, and turned round by an exceedingly simple
process. We are assured it will also ascend an incli el
plane, with a weight of upwards of a ton, at the same
speed. It is calculated to carry twelve persons; We
doubt-not that this singular invention will be numerously
visited. We have not yet had an opportunity of minutely
•
inspecting it, .but hope next week to be able to give a full
descriptive account of it. It was advertised to •he seen
yesterday, but in consequence of some inadvertence-on the
part of the railway officials, it was detained at Wapping
from Saturday afternoon until last evening, and the exhi-
bition consequently opens this day. :
ROYAL ADELPHI THEATRE.—The audiencei at this
theatre since the opening have not been great.- - As a
melo-dramatic 'company, the performers certainly stand
second to none among the many now before the Liver-
pool public ; and if there is'any proof of the future to be
gained from the past, we may venture to prognosticate
that, they'will improve upon acquaintance. A good deal
of the success of a manager, nowadays, depends on his
tact in producing pieces suited to the times ; and though
the representations of last night were not exactly new to
the theatrical world, they are nearly so to Liverpool, and
are so replete with well carried out plot and expressive
language, as to be classed amongst the first of modern
productions, whether for interest or stage efiect. The
performances commenced last night with the drama of
the "Tower of Neste." Capt. Burden (formerlra page
to the Queen) was admirably sustained by Mr. Edwards-
That cool sarcastic haughtiness with which the character
is replete was admirably conveyed. Mrs. Campbell
(her first appearance) played the part of Margeuritte
de Bow-goy/le in a style quite equal to that which eli-
cited for her so much applause when produced here
some years since. • Philip D'Aubery and Gaultier
D'Aubery were respectively well sustained by Mr, Mon..
tague and Mr. Young. "Mr. Rice, as Count Javoisey,
was the fop and the character complete. The afterpiece,
" Tom Starboard," AN'hich is from the pen of Mrn.t arEd-
wards, who sustained the pzincipal character, we
excellently, but want of ilo:we prevents u$ plug int*
detail more minutely.