The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-10-30 00:00:00

SUDDEN DEATII OF THE REV. DR. BYRTH.

We have to perform to-day a task which has come upon
us with a suddenness for which we were little prepared.
It is to record the demise of an exemplary divine, the Rev.
Dr. Byrth, rector of Wallasey, whose loss will be deplored
by a large and affectionate congregation. The circum-
stances under which this melancholy event took place
were the following. On Sunday last he preached both in
.the morning and afternoon, in his own parish church, and
his discourses were remarked upon both occasions to be
most impressive—his last benediction unusually so. At
the close of the afternoon service, he proceeded home, and
retired to his library, accompanied by his little daughter,
who, from his having suddenly reclined upon the sofa,
became impressed with the fact of his being unwell. Mrs.
Byrth was immediately summoned by her to his side, and
Dr. Donlevy, of Liscard, was at once called in. He was
quickly on the spot, but all was too late. Life was ex-
tinct, and all the medical aids which skill and science
could devise, and which were freely used, were unavailable.
We have remarked that the reverend gentleman preached
in the afternoon with his accustomed efficiency, and it
will afford some idea of the awful suddenness of his
demise when we observe that before many of his congre-
gation had reached their homes their respected pastor,
who had just so faithfully addressed them, was a corpse.
We believe that his demise was owing to an affection of
the heart. His countenance after death assumed, and still
retains, a placid benignity, betokening the calmness of
his last moments.

Dr. Byrth was appointed rector of Wallasey many years
ago, after the resignation of the living by the Rev. A.
Campbell, who had been nominated one of the rectors of
this parish. He had been previously the incumbent of
Latchford, near Warrington, and was preferred to the
rectory of Wallasey by the then Bishop of Chester, (the
present Archbishop of Canterbury,) in whose gift is the
living, (the clerical income of which, there being a lay
improprietor, we believe is about £l,OOO per annum,, and
so highly did his lordship esteem the capabilities of Dr.
Byrth for the important sphere, that be transferred the
reverend gentleman, notwithstanding the inhabitants of
Wallasey had presented an almost unanimous appeal to
his lordship in favourof the gentleman who had officlated as
curate of the parish for many years. Dr. Byrth was for a
length of time the attached friend and constant companion
of the late lamented Dr. Tattershall, and these two emi-
nent divines received almost simultaneously the honour-
able degree of doctor of divinity.
The rev. gentleman has long been known as one of the
best classical scholars and antiquarians in this neighbour-
hood : and his research and habits of study fully entitled
him to be considered as able a logician as he was profound
in theology. His sentiments on some points were, how-
ever, somewhat tinctured with the prevailing opinions of
the liberal school; but this was probably owing in a great
measure to the cast which his mind received fram the
education imparted in his youth, and from other early
associations. We are borne out in this impression by the
fact that, at the recent meeting of the Bible Society in
this town, on the Bth instant, the rev. gentleman whilst
addressing the assembly reminded his hearers that
" when young he had been converted by a speech
from a Bible Society's platform, from a scoffing
opponent to a sincere and determined supporter of the
society." We need make no prominent allusion to the
stirring eloquence of Dr. Byrth, as nearly all our readers
have on more occasions than one been delighted with his
thrilling appeals, as impassioned in their style and deli-
very, as they were classical and adorned in their expres-
sion. Nor need we refer to the exemplary manner in
which he discharged his domestic duties, nor to his Chris-
tian benevolence and sincerity as a friend. His extensive
reading made him a most valuable and interesting com-
panion, and whilst he possessed a fund of anecdote, he
was ever ready to impart to others the stores of his culti-
vated mind on any subject which might form, for the time
being, the topic of conversation.
The reverend gentleman has not left behind him any
published volume to attest his deep and varied acquire-
ments, but we may mention the following amongst other
publications he issued from the press :—" Remarks on an
article in the Ediizburgh Review on Evangelical preach-
ing ;" " A Letter to the Rev. J. H. Thom, on a Sermon
published by him ;" " Sermon on the Unitarian contro-
versy ;" " Transubstantiation contradicted by Scripture,
reason, and experience ;" "Fathers have no authority to
determine articles of faith ;" " God justifieth the un-
godly"—a sermon preached before the University of Ox-
ford. July sth, 1840, &c., &c.
We believe the reverend gentleman was about fifty-six
years of age, and he has left behind him an interesting
family of nine children, six of whom arc girls.
The inquest will be held before Mr. Churton to-day.
In early life, we are told, that the lamented doctor was
connected with trade,—having followed the profession of
a druggist in the town of Plymouth, and subsequently
that of a schoolmaster in the same place; but his reli-
gious convictions led him, no doubt, to relinquish such
avocations, in order to undertake the performance of du-
ties of a more spiritual character, for the discharge of
which he was in every respect so remarkably qualified.

THE MARTYRDOM OF THOMAS BENNET AT EXETER.
—ln our last number but one appeared a paragraph detail-
ing the discovery, at Heavitree, Exeter, of a stake partially
charred, and which was supposed to have been used at the
burning of Bennet, the Torrington schoolmaster. This
immolation to Popery was made in the year 1531; the
offence was that Bennet had posted "bills" on one of the
doors leading to the cathedral church, the purport of
which was that the Pope is anti-christ, and that it is un-
scriptural to worship saints. The following particulars of
the consequence of this bold denunciation of idolatry, as
given by an old writer, may be interesting :—" Thus when
these godly canons and priests (the judges) with the monkes
and friers had done what they could, and perceived that
he would by no means relent, then they, proceeding unto
judgement, drew out their bloudie sentence against him,
condemning him (as the manner is) to be burned. Which
being done, and the writ which they had procured, " De
Comburendo," being brought from London, they delivered
him on the 15th of Januarie, 1531, unto Sir Thomas
Denis, Knight, then sherife of Devonshire, to be burned.
The milde martyr reioycing his end to approach so near,
as the sheepe before the shearer, yielded himselfe with all
hurnblenesse to abide and suffer the crosse of persecution.
And being brought to his execution, in a place called
Livery dole, without Exceter, bee made his most humble
confession and prayer unto Almightie God, and requested
all the people to doe the like for him, whom he exhorted
with such granitic and sobriety, and with such a pithy
oration, to seeeke the true honouring of God, and the
true knowledge of him, as also to leave the deuices, fan-
tasies, and imaginations of man's inventions, that all the
hearers and beholders of him were astonished and in great
admiration, insomuch that the most part of the people, as
also the scribe who wrote the sentence of condemnation
against him, did pronoune-.. and confesse that he was God's
seruant, and a good man. Neverthelesse two esquires,
namely Thomas Carew and John Barnehouse, standing at
the stake by him, first with fair promises and goodly
words, but at length through threatenings, willed him to
reuoke his errors, and to call to our Ladie and the saints,
and to say, precor sanctam Mariam, omnes sanctos
Dei, &c. To whom he with all meeknesse answered, say-
ing, 'No, no, it is God only upon whose name we must
call, and we have no other aduocate with him, but only
Jesus Christ, who died for us, and now sitteth at the
right hand of the Father to be an advocate for us, and by
him must we offer and make our prayers to God, if we
will have them to take place and to be heard.' With
which answer the foresaid Barnehouse was so enkindled,
that he tooke a furze bush upon a pike, and being set on
fire, thrust it into his face, saying, Ah whoreson here-
tique, pray to our Lady, and say sancta Maria, ora pro
noble, or by God's wounds I will make thee do it.' To
whom the said Thomas Benet, with an humble and a
meeke spirit, most patiently answered, `Alas, sir, trouble
me not. And, holding up his hand, he said, ` Pater
ignosce Wis.' Whereupon the gentlemen caused the
wood and furzes to be set on fire, and therewith this goodly
man lifted up his eies and hands to heaven, saying, 0
domine, recipe spiritum mem.' And so continuing in
his prayers, did neuer stirre nor sttiue, but most patiently
abode the crueltie of the fire, until his life was ended.
For which the Lord God be praised, and send us his grace
and blessing, that at the later day we may with him enjoy
the blisse and ioy promised and prepared for the elect
children of God. This Benet was burned in a jerkin of
neats leather, at whose burning (such was the ditllish
rage of the blind people) that well was he or she that
could catch a stick or furze to cast into the fire."
A. Sear OF THE PEN.—A Western editor (U. S., of
course) heads his list of marriages—" Noose of the weak."
A letter from Dr. Hooker, the botanist, published in
the Literary Gazette, commences, " I have carried my
point, and stood on the table-land of Thibet, beyond the
Skikkin frontier, at an elavation of 15,500 feet, at the back
of all the snowy mountains."
Quicx.—A magistrate having doubted whether a little
boy, who was offered as a witness, understood the nature
and obligations of an oath, proposed to examine him on
.that point. "My boy, can you repeat the Lord's Prayer?"
" Yes, sir," was the instant reply ; " Can you?"