The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-11-03 00:00:00

THE LATE REV. DR. TATTERSHALL

When a good man dies, we too oftea discover, for the
first time, his value. If this is true abstractedly, it is
certainly so in the case of the rev. gentleman of whose
career on earth we are about to attempt a humble me-
moir. We have had the Rev. Dr. Tattershall amongst
us for many years, labouring faithfully and unostentati-
ously as a minister; and it is only when we are deprived
of his talents and zeal, that we learn how much they have
been prized both by his friends, and by those in religion
and in politics opposed to him.
The late Dr. Tattershall was the son of a Wesleyan
minister. He was entered as a sizar at Queen's College,
Cambridge, and took the degree of B.A. in 1816, standing
amongst his clever competitors, Dr. Whewell, &c., as the
7th wrangler. Upon this part of his career an intimate
and rev. friend thus remarks :

"It was in 1814 that I first became acquainted with
Dr. Tattershall. He was then an undergraduate of
Queen's College, Cambridge. We frequently met at the
rooms of a mutual friend. Althoughvery young, his clas-
sical and mathematical attainments were considerable ;
and great expectations were formed of his ultimate success,
both by men of his own College, and others who had the
happiness of his acquaintance. I remember on one occa-
sion, while breakfasting with that profound mathema-
tician, Dr. Milner; the Dean of Carlisle, and Master of
Queen's, that my late friend became the subject of con-
versation. The Dean, in his characteristic manner re-
marked, that he was greatly mistaken, if that lad did not
prove more than a match for most men of his year. Nor was
he much wrong in his anticipations ; for in the January
examination of 1816 for his B. A. degree, he attained the
distinguished place of seventh wrangler, when competing
with such men as Jacob of Caius, and Whewell of Trinity,
and some others scarcely less eminent, and was made
Fellow of his College. During his undergraduatcship,
at least, that part of it, in which I was resident in the
University, he was most regular in his attendance to all
the rules of the College, and bore the character, not only
of a moral, but of a religious young man. He never
shrunk from avowing his sentiments, while be was never
offensively forward in making them known. From the
liveliness of his disposition, his good-humoured affability,
and his sterling good sense, he was a universal favorite
among his friends and companions.
"On leaving College, I lost sight of him until our
acquaintance was renewed on his coming to Liverpool.
It is well known with what ardour and energy he entered
upon his charge at St. Matthews' in Key-street ; how
soon his schools became among the largest in Liverpool,
and how attached and affectionate were the congregation
among whom he ministered; an attachment and affection
in no way diminished by his removal to St. Augustine's,
where he closed his earthly career.

" Dr. Tattershall was a man ready to do every good work.
To his power—yea, beyond his power—he laboured for
the benefit of Jew and Gentile ; and many, especially of
the seed of Abraham, will call him blessed.
" As a scholar, he was profound rather than brilliant ; as
a reasoner, clear and perspicuous; as a friend, affection-
ate and constant ; as a Christian, holy and devout ; as a
minister, active, energetic, and useful. He descends to
the grave embalmed in the affections of his brethren and
friends, and honoured and beloved by all who knew him."
The concluding portion of this communication is the
tribute of a faithful friend, and contains not a line which
is not honourable both to the deceased and to him who
offers the record of his worth. _

On leaving college, which was not until four years after
taking his degree of B A., during which time he was a
private tutor—and at the present day some of his quondam
pupils look back with pleasure upon the information de-
rived from his geometrical lectures delivered by him in
that capacity—he took a curacy, we believe in Glouces-
tershire. His father and mother he buried in the church
yard of All Saints, Huntingdon. In 1820, he took the
degree of M.A., and in 1821 was elected fellow of his
college. In 1838 he took the degree of D.D.
When he first entered upon his ministerial duties in Li-
verpool, in 1824, there were difficulties for an evangelical
clergyman to struggle against, which now happily, through
God's blessing, have been re coved. He, with two more
dear friends—one of whom is still spared to his flock—
stood in a manner quite alone ; and surely no better
testimony could be tendered of his simplicity in
preaching Christ, than the crowded aisles of St. Mat-
thew's Church ; especially when the poor and destitute
condition of the people in that district is considered. He
was instrumental in establishing day and Sunday schools
for that part of the town, and nothing gave greater plea-
sure to his benevolent mind than, on the recurrence of
the annual meeting of the teachers and friends of these
schools, to be able to join in their anniversary of gra-
titude for the Lord's mercies. Even after he had removed
to his later sphere of duty at St. Augustine's, to which
he was appointed in 1830, he was not forgetful " of his
first love." His extensive charity led him to countenance
and support most of the institutions in the town, which
have for their object the temporal or spiritual welfare of
man, based upon true Christian principles, and not
opposed to the spirit of God's holy word. There
are few clergymen in Liverpool who have been found so
accessible, when called upon to lend their aid to any work
of charity, or to preside over any effort to ameliorate the
condition or advance the temporal or eternal happiness of
his fellow-creatures. To the call of the Bible Society, the
Jews' Society, the Church Missionary Society, the Pro-
testant Association, and other similar appeals upon a
Christian minister, he ever readily responded; and his
countenance was in every case heartily greeted by men of
every persuasion, as is evidenced by the frequency with
which he was called upon to preside over such meetings in
the capacity of chairman, and the marked deference
which was always paid to his opinions on such occasions.
In this sense the lamented deceased had no bias, party, or
religious. He was the friend to every man who sought
to find God, or to confer a benefit upon his kind.
Upon his performance of his ministerial functions
in Liverpool, we need scarcely offer a word. His

early proficiency in mathematics and geometry we
have already referred to. He was undoubtedly a first-
rate geometrician ; and in fact this may easily be inferred
from his discourses in the pulpit, their characteristic being
deep thought combined with close reasoning. However,
the chief value of his discourses consisted in the setting
forth of Jesus Christ and Him crucified—the doctrine of
justification by faith alone—and good works as the neces-
sary evidence of a saving faith.
In his decease the Church has lost a standard bearer;
the rich, a kind but faithful reprover and instructor; the
poor, a sympathising pastor. His beloved wife has been
called to lose a most tender and affectionate husband ;
his children have been deprived of a loving and pious
father; and the district of St. Augustine has to mourn
the loss of a faithful minister.
The rev. gentleman preached on Sunday week, much
against the wish of his friends, a sermon in behalf of the
schools connected with St. Augustine's Church, in the
prosperity of which he was deeply interested, himself tak-
ing occasionally the direction of a class. In the evening
he was seriously indisposed ; and on Thursday morning he
breathed his last, his complaint being, we believe, in-
flammation of the kidneys.

The deceased will be interred this (Tuesday) morning,
at Everton Church, and no doubt numbers of his bereaved
flock and friends will follow his remains to their last
earthly resting place; and on Sunday morning next the
Rev. Hugh M`Neile will preach his funeral sermon at St.
A ugustihe's.

The services at St. Augustine's, on Sunday, were taken,
in the morning by the Rev. Dr. Booth, late Vice-Principal
of the Collegiate Institution, and the Rev. Mr. Towline.
We regret to say that the shock of the decease of his
revered incumbent had seriously affected the health of
this gentleman, and his physical powers were considerably
taxed by the labour of reading the morning service. The
sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. Booth, from Ist
Thessal. chap. iv. ver. 13. In the course of the discourse,
which was a review of the support given by Christianity
to the saints under affliction, the Rev.. Doctor alluded in
most feeling terms to the irreparable loss the congregation
had so suddenly been called upon to sustain. They might
succeed, he said, in replacing their lamented pastor by a
more eloquent minister, but one more affectionate, pains-
taking, and learned, he boldly said it, it would be impos-
sible to find. The Rev. Doctor improved the occasion,
we hope to the spiritual comfort of all who heard him.
Not one dry eye was in the church ; and the weeping and
tears will continue with many " till time and death shall
be no more." The melancholy event was improved in all
the other churches in the town—the Rev. John Jones, of
St. Andrew's, paying a special tribute to the memory of
his old and highly esteemed friend.

Dr. Tattershall, though a forcible writer and an acute
thinker, had not the ambition of appearing before the
world in the professed character of an author. Never-
theless, the persuasion of his friends, and the desire of
the public, brought him into print, though not so often
as, for the cause of Christian literature and of science,
we could have desired. Many persons must recollect the
earnestness with which, in numerous speeches at the
Music-hall, the Amphitheatre, and in other places, be
defended the principle of religious education against the
Irish system—a system of which we well Femernaer him
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involved. His addresses at the various Protestant meet-
ings:'l have frequently been reported in this paper, and they
may yet be referred to as models of sound doctrine, con-
veyed in the best language. The following is a list of his
published works, as far as we know. The list probably
is imperfect ; but it contains all, we believe, that the
Doctor published during his incumbency of St. Augus-
tine's :
The Deity and Personality of the Holy Ghost.
Justification. A Sermon preached in St. Andrew's
Church, Liverpool.
The Scripture Doctrine of Election ; being the Sub-
stance of Five Sermons, preached in St. Augustine's
Church, Everton.
The Right of Private Judgment. A Sermon preached
in St. Michael's.
The Integrity of the Canon of Holy Scripture main-
tained against Unitarian Objections.
On the Lawfulness of Rulers Employing their Official
Influence for the Promotion of True Religion. A Sermon
preached in St. Augustine's Church, Everton, at the re-
quest of the Young Men's Established Church Society.
The Scripture Doctrine of the Atonement.
An Elementary Treatise on the Differential and Inte-
gral Calculus.
Dr. Tattershall's reputation as a scholar may be inferred
from the fact that scions from noble and aristocratic
families were for many years confided to his care. Some
of his pupils have already achieved college distinctions;
others are progressing in that difficult but enviable path ;
and all will, we hope, reflect the lessons they received
from their lamented master in a life of virtue like his.

A splendid new ship, to be named the "Serapbina," will
be launched from the yard of Mr. Boyden, Baffin-street,
Queen's Dock, at 4 quarter past ten this ( Tuesday )
mormag.