Major Cartwright.
The Times, 1824-09-25T00:00:00

This eeCentric individual has at length paid the common debt of nature, at the advanced tcrm of nearlj 83 years. AIajor Cartwright had lately much declined il bodily health, and, during the last few days, Po hopes wese entertained of his recovery. Ilis decay was so gradual, that the moment of his death was scarcelv marked. He died at half-pastB o'clock on Thursday evening. flis family was ancient and respectable. Wliile a boy, 14ajor (Cartwright left his paternal roof to eeagage in the service of Frederic the Great of Prussia ; whence, ho*ever, he returned in 1758, and entered that of his own country. In 76f2, he becarne a Lie-utenant. In 1771, he quitted his ship fbr the recovery of his health ; but sickness could not repress the activity of iis mind. Ile tIrew up a plan for a. perpetual supply of English oald to the navy,bv cultivating the Royal forests. Ile was afterwards invited by l,nrd owe to become ene of the lieutenants of the Queen, which he accepted; but the dispute with Spain being adjusted, he retired from the navy, after a service of 13 years. In 1774, he wrote his first treatise on politics, which was r2pidly followed by several others. In 1731 he vwas at the capture of Cherbourg anid the destruction of its naval basin; and in 1759 was in the glorious action oH the Freftcli coast, when Sir Edward Hlawvke defeated Conflans. When Lord Ho ve, who commanded the Magnanirne in the aboveaction, was se- lected by the Admiral to make an attack on that part of the French fleet which escaped into the river Vilaine, only one lieutenant and two midshipmen were taken by his Lordship out of his own ship to attend him on that important service. MIr. Cartwright was one of the latter. It was while withi his Lordlship that he shewed his da- ring spirit, bv leaping from a 74-gun ship into the sea, as the ship was under sail, in order to save the life of a young gentleman who had fallen overboard. He distinguished himself under Sir Hugh Palliser an(i Admiral Byron, at Newfoundland, for five years suc- cessively, by hit able and upright administration of justice in the extensive districts committed to his jurisdiction: and he will also be remembered in that settlement as the discoverer of the country to the very centre of the island, to which he penetrated through un- explored woods and retreats of hostile savages,with the view, amongst other generous purposes, of rendering them friends, and affording them the means of becoming Christians. In 1775 he published a pamphlet entitledA,nerican Independence, te Infte est adl Glory of Great Britain. In the same year AiMr. Cartwright received his commission as 3lajor of theNottinghamshire Militia, then raised for the firsttime sincethepassing of the Mltilitia Act in 1757. It was in this year, also, that he published a letter to Edmund Burke, Esq., controverting the principles in his speech of AprIl 19, 1774. ,ord howe, in 1776, sent an invitation to Air. Cartwright, to ac- company him on service 2 such an invitation was certainly most alluring; but he preserved his principles, and did rcally forego all those splendid advastages which wonld evidently have attended his services. In 1777 the Mfajor published his Lettor to the Bart of A4v 1igdon, expostelatinig with his Lordship on certain constitutional Points. On the 2d of April, 1777, the Major presented to the King, at his Levec, Proposals for reco-vcriug America, and saving Great Bri- tatv. Early in the Spring of 1778, the Major published Take your Choice, 4-c.; and seain in July, a second edition, under the title of The Lre,iskative Right/ of tI/e Commonalty vindicated; or, Take your Choice, 4-c. In 1778, the Mlilitia being then embodied, the Major was with his reeiment at Hull, where he drew up standing orders and instructions, wvhich were printed of a pocket size, and distributed to all the com- missione(d and non-commissioned officers. In 1779, the reginent marche(d fromn Hull to Portsmouth, and en- campetl on South Sea Common, wvhere it witnessed the retreat of the British fleet into port before the combined fleets of France and Spain. In the year 1780, Major Cartwright was the original mover of a general meeting in the countv of Nottingham, for a redress of griev- ances; and a petition to Parliament and a Committee of Corresnon- dence were voted. ft was in this year, also,that ;11 aior CaTtwright effect. ed, vith the asaistance of Slr. Capel Lofft and Dr. John Jebb, the formation of the societv for constitutional infbrnmation, and its first address was of the iMajor's composition. In th1e spring of the year 1780, Major Cartwright published rite People's Barrier g-iinst itLt- dI,,e Influeucc and Corruption. At the close of this year the AMjor marrie(l hissR Dashwoo:l, the eldest daughter of Samuel Dashwood, F.sq., of Well, in the county of Lincoln. AIrs. Cartwright's rno- titer was sole heiress of James Bateman, Esq., of Well aforesaid. The summner of the years 1780 and 1781 were spent by the Ainjor in camp at (Gosport; andi about tite ena of the latter year he lost hi5 father. In 1782, he publishe(l Give its our Ri4&t.; or, a Letter to the preent I.'lectors of MKidd e.r attd thae Metropolis, and in August of the same year, he took a leading part in promotinga county meet- ing in Nottinghamshire, to petitin for a reform in Parliament. In this year. also, appeared the Lear.ttion of Rights, withoutt which no kzglisltnsan canO he a free rttn, star the Englis 7nation a free people. In 1713, iiIajor Cartwrizlit purchased a farm at Darlton, in Not- tinghamshire, which,. in 1788, he sold, and purchasei an estate in Iincolnshire, wvhere he fixed his residence, and cultivated his fdirm with rreat taste and ittlgment. Tn 1784, the Dlajor vindicated the eause of P-arliamnentary Re- fonn, in answer to a witty attack of Soame Jenniny%. In 1791, Major Cartwright met the friends! ot freedom at the Crown and Anchor Taverm, in the Strand, on the 14th of July, to celebrate tilC Anniversary of the Fall of the Bastile; ani for which the wvorthy N3laor received so many insults antd provocations from the Lordlieutenant, that he was provoked to resign the ofSice of Alstior of the Nottirgham3hire Militia; bhut the Deputy Lieutenants " Resolveth unanimouslv, that the thanks of this meeting be given to John Cartwright. ?Psq., for his services in the Nottinghamsltire reginmentof Militia." At the time of the state trials. in 1794, he commenced Thzec Coni- monwealth in Danngr, which waS published in 1795. In 1796, Dlr. Cartwright published his Corstitution'al Defence of Ettglatd, Ittcrwinl o nd Eaternal. In 1799, Alr. Cartwright published a new edition of the Appeal Frosi that period the exertions of M1r. Cart;-right have been in- cessant towards obtaining a reform in the House of Commons: and in 1821, h was indicted, together with Sir Charles Wolseley and Mlr. Vooler, for illegally meeting and proposing resolutions nt Birmingham; and shortly afterwards appeared in the Court of King's Benct, wI"re he was sentenced to pay a fine of 1001. The last production of Air. Cartwright is a voluminous Treatise on the Constitution of Endand. In 18120, some friends of Mr. Cartwright proposed hiim to repre- sent WVestminster; rbtt, eon account of a misunderstanding between hi. frienls anti those of Sir Francis Burdett, he polled butt a very few votes. MAJOR CAT2TWIt7CFfG.