MAYOR OF GARRATT.

Harry Dimsdale, or as he was called Sir Harry, the mock Mayor of Garratt, was a well-known character some years since at all the public houses in St. Pancras. He was a poor diminutive creature, deformed, and half an idiot. He was by profession a muffin seller. The watermen at the Hackney coach stands throughout the parish used to torment him sadly; almost every day poor Harry was persecuted, and frequently so roughly used by them that he often shed tears. Death released poor Harry from his persecutors in the year 1811. There are several portraits of him.

ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S CHURCH.

It is a

This church is situated on the east side of Gray's Inn Road, nearly opposite, Guildford Street. plain square building of brick with stone facings, standing back from the road. It was originally built in the year 1811, by the church and congregation of Mr. William Huntington, the expenses being defrayed by voluntary contributions. The whole amount being paid off, his devoted followers generously gave the building to their pastor as his private property. Here he continued to preach to crowded congregations till his death in 1813. After his decease the pulpit was supplied for some years by Mr. Thomas Burgess, of Deptford; Mr. Beaman, of Cranbrook; Mr. Chamberlain, of Leicester; and Mr. Lock, of Somers Town. Subsequently the chapel was purchased by Mr. Daven

port, and given by him to the Rev. Thomas Mortimer, then officiating in St. Mark's, Middleton Square; but on a statute of lunacy being obtained against Mr. Davenport, it was sub-leased to that clergyman by Mr. Davenport's trustees, at a rental of £320 per annum. It was opened by Mr. Mortimer as an Episcopal chapel, by two sermons, that in the morning by the Vicar, and that in the evening by himself, in which he most indecorously referred to his "coalheaver" predecessor, and bitterly inveighed against non-episcopal preaching his sermon was severely animadverted on by one of the late Mr. Huntington's deacons. On the retirement of Mr. Mortimer in 1849, the present incumbent, the Rev. E. Garbutt, became the officiating clergyman. After labouring for many years to discharge the heavy debt for the purchase of the building, he at length removed all obstacles to its consecration as a district church, and on Monday, February 13, 1860, it was formally consecrated by the Bishop of London, and nominated the Church of St. Bartholomew. It is not necessary to say anything about the estimable clergyman who now occupies the pulpit, his works of faith and labours of love testify his usefulness and energy in his holy calling.

LIFE OF WILLIAM HUNTINGTON.

This remarkable man was born in the year 1744, in Cranbrook, Kent. His reputed father was a day labourer, but his real parent a farmer in the district. He received what little education he possessed from a free school in his native place. As he grew up, having no fixed occupation, he "turned his hand" to any thing

that offered. He was at times a day labourer, cobbler, gardener, or coalheaver. It was at Ewell, in Surrey, when in service as a gardener, he was first impressed with the idea that he was called to preach, and his first attempts were in his own little cottage at Ewell Marsh. "At this place," he says, "I continued preaching until the little thatched house became full of hearers." Losing his situation at Ewell through a conscientious refusal to work on the Sunday, he removed to Thames Ditton, where he worked as a coalheaver at ten shillings per week.

It was while here, a gentleman having given him an old suit of black, that he first put on the parson's attire, and now he often preached five or six times during the week. At this time he rented a little cottage at £3 18s. per year, and possessed as much furniture as a porter could carry in one load. Thus circumstanced, he decided to give up his secular employ and live on his ministry alone. This resolution was at first a sad trial to his faith, but he persevered in his resolution, and his fame spreading abroad, he was invited to preach in London at Margaret Street Chapel. "At this," he says, "he was more afraid for various reasons ; he had heard the place abounded with errors, and as he had no learning, nor knew anything of Greek, Hebrew, or even English, he felt he would be exposed to the damaging tongue of every critic." However, he came, and he found, as many had found before him, that eccentricity conjoined with talent and earnestness, and a seeming belief in what they preach, effects more in London than in the provinces. He met with wonderful success, numbers flocking to hear the unlettered preacher. The numerous calls attendant on his ministry necessitated his having a horse to carry him to and from Thames Ditton, where he still lived, which

induced one of his hearers to give him a horse. Reflecting on this gift, Mr. Huntington remarks, "I believe this horse was the gift of God." Prayer was his resource in all emergencies, and the simplicity of his faith is well worthy of imitation. As an instance, he writes, "When Providence had been exercising my faith and patience till the cupboard was empty, in answer to a simple prayer He sent me one of the largest hams I ever saw." This may appear puerile to the rich man or the prosperous tradesman, but it shows a confidence in Providence, and a full dependance on Him who says, "Ask and ye shall receive."

At length, in consequence of a dream, in which he was commanded to "prophesy upon the thick boughs," he felt it suddenly impressed upon his mind to leave Thames Ditton for London. "On removing," he says, "my effects had so increased that I loaded two large carts with furniture, besides a post-chaise well filled with children and cats."

Soon after coming to London he commenced building a chapel in Tichfield Street, which, when finished, left him a debt of £1,000. His friends, however, were not few, and the account of their free-will offerings to defray the debt is given in his usual characteristic style :-" The first brought me eleven sovereigns, and laid them on the foundation-stone when we commenced building. A good gentleman, with whom I had but little acquaintance, and of whom I bought a load of timber, sent it in with a bill and receipt in full. Another came, with tears in his eyes, and desired to paint my pulpit desk; another gave me half-a-dozen chairs for the vestry," and so on. After a while this new chapel needed enlargement, but the exorbitant demand for ground-rent deterred him; but even in this his ingenuity found a remedy, and he said,

Finding nothing could be done with the earth holders, I turned my eyes another way and determined to build

stories in the heavens, where I should find more room and less rent." To this his friends agreed, and another story was added to the chapel, chiefly paid for from the sale of his works. They sold extensively, for they were both quaint and talented.

After some years this two-storied chapel was burnt down, but it only incited his followers to build him another, and the site they chose was in Gray's Inn Lane, of which the chapel is now the church of St. Bartholomew. The day was fixed for the opening, but the eccentric preacher refused to officiate unless they made it his own freehold; and so great was the devotion of his infatuated followers that the building was unanimously assigned over to him as his personal property. This was the worst trait in this wonderful man's character, and so antagonistic to his repeated "entire dependence on Providence."

In this chapel he continued to preach until his decease, which occurred at Tunbridge Wells, July 1, 1813. His remains were removed to Lewes for interment, of which the following account is given in the Coventry Herald of July :

FUNERAL OF REV. WILLIAM HUNTINGTON.

"Last Thursday, July 8th, 1813, the remains of Mr. Huntington were brought from Tunbridge Wells to Lewes in Sussex, and interred, in the presence of some hundreds of spectators of all denominations, in Jireh Chapel. The hearse was followed by eight mourning coaches and a considerable number of carriages. Lady Sanderson and her two daughters, and the children of the deceased by a former wife, were the chief mourners. A stone at the head of his grave exhibits the following epitaph, dictated by himself a few days prior to his death:—