The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-13

oxford Union and in the House OF Com
mons. and many facts OF interest bearing
upon the opaning Of his political experience
arc now. for the first time. made known.
The chapter On Gladston-'s ancestry AMI
early years is contributed by Mr.. Alfred +.
Robbins. Gladstone himself proclaimed the
fact that not a drop OF blood ran in his
veins except what was derived from Scot
fish ancestors: II am" he said, "a man
Of Scotch blood only half Highland and
half Lowland" For some six centuries.
the name OF Gladstone may be traced
through Iowlanh history in great variety
OF spelling when the last OF the Glad
stone lairds had sold his estates. the son
adopted the calling of a mals'er. in which
he so flourished that his son, carrying on
the business with increasing prosperity, be-
came an elder of the Kirk and Il burgess
of Riggar. 1t was Thomas. the fourth sou
OF this John Gladstone OF Biggar. who made
the stride which brought the family out
OF the ancestral shire Of Lanark, to Leith,
with which the name of Gladstone VIII be
henceforth associated This Thomas. the
grandfather OF the statesman, was first
corn and -four merchant. and, afterwards,
a ship owner. His eldest son, John. mi
grated in his turn from Leth to Liverpool.
where. in 1856. he entered the firm OF Cor
RE Bradshaw Company, corn dealers
We are assured that John Gladstone was
as truly born to be a king OF commerce
as was his youngest son to be a leader OF
men. The formers extraordinary business
ability. to which was due the accumula-
ton OF large fortune, seems to have been
the precursor of the financial genius which
devised the most striking budgets OF mo-
dern times on the other hand. the future
statesman's breadth Of sentiment and I'M
aginative power were undouhted derived
from his mother Ann Robertson. his faith
er's second wife. The Robertsons aver
red that they were OF the clan Donna
chaida, children OF Duncan. King OF Scot
land and that their own branch came IN
direct line from the last Celtic Earl OF
Atboll Both Ann Robertson's grandfather
and father had adopted the legal profess
sion. and had practised it with such sn'-
and the other Sheriff Substitute of Ross
The fourth son OF this union was the BOY
christened William Ewart, who was de-
stined to be four times Prime Minister
he was born at So Rodney Street. Liver
pool on December 90, 1909
BY the time nSls) John Gladstone entered
the House Of Commons. his youngest son.
William, had reached an age at when sys-
tematic teaching became needful. AFTER MS
nursery training he had some tuition from a
clergyman named Jones but his first efficient
instructor was William Rawson. also cier-
gyman. under whom came subsequently TWO
boys who were to be known to pubic tame az
Dean Stanley and Lord Cross. II Is SAN that
the future Chancellor Of the ENcheqner
grasp for figures was so weak that ka"soh
despaired of teaching him arithmetic But
the boy gave better promise OF acquiring the
CLASSICS. In September, 1921, he i.In"'i ms
two eldest brothers to Elton. where" according
to the Edinhmgh Rcriow. the quality OF the
instruction was az inferior as the quantity
was small At the time Gladstone entered
Elton. John Kcatc. the last of a long line OF
logging hcadmasters which had Busby OF
Westminster as its most ilustrous exemplar,
held the rod 1t was applied TO Gladstone in
due time but the future statesman bro the
schoolmaster no III will for the Castigaion.
When the Eton NiSC'llnnv was launched In
June, 1927. it's editor was announced to be
bartholomew Bouvere" Gladstone having
chosen that pen-name His contributions,
both in prose and verse. to this magazine
were numerous but the verse poor and
the prose even less readable, 1t was already
evident that his true medium OF expression
was to be not the pen but the tongue. Scope
was found for his oratorCal powers in the
meetings OF the Elton Society. AS to the in
huence OF Eton upon Gladstone there remains
ample testimony 1t was the studies. howev-
or. rather than the pastimes Of the place by
which he was affected. Although fond of
boating, and somewhat assduous with the
sculls he was great oarsman. and his
principal outdoor JOY walking with an
Argumentative companion. He and Arthur
Hallam, who was but year his junior. were
much together. He shone in Latin at the
school. hut he was not so dilgcnt in Greek;
he is himself the authority for the assertion