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  • Nov. 1, 1798
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The Freemasons' Magazine, Nov. 1, 1798: Page 74

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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Obituary.

OBITUARY .

fN the battle of the Nile , Captain Westcott , late of the Majestic . ~— ' Dulct et decorum est pro palria mori , ' The least tribute a grateful nation can pay to the manes of departed merit , is to consecrate tb . 4 memory of real worth , and hand it down to posterity

for the imitation of such as may be excited hy the same ardent zeal to the commission of great and noble actions . The subject of our present memoir finished his career in ' the discharge of his duty , on an occasion too , the fate of which involved the future welfare of Europe .

The parents of our hero lived at Honiton , in Devonshire , where his mother and sister survive his . loss . Kis father was a baker in that town : and being led by his profession fo a connection with the millers , young Westcott used frequently to be sent to the mill : it happened in one of his visits ,

that by the accidental breaking of a rope , the machine was disordered ; and neither the owner nor his men being equal to the task of repairing it , Westcott offered to use his skill in splicing it , although attended with danger and'difficulty . The miller complied , and the job was . executed with such nicety , that

he told him , ' he was 6 t for a sailor , since he could splice so well ; ' ' and if lie ever should have an inclination to go to sea , he would get him a birth . ' Accordingly , an opportunity presented itself , of which the lad accepted ; and lie . began his naval career in the humble capacity of a cabbin-boy : a situation , the most common in the ship , and not much calculated to afford vent to the

expansion of genius . But he contrived to exercise his abilities to such good purposes , and discovered such an acuteness of understanding , that he was , in a veryshort time , introduced among the midshipmen , in which rank hisbehaviour was so conciliating and prudent , that further advancement followed . Since

that time he became so signally conspicuous , both for his skill and bravery , that he gradually or rather hastily continued to be promoted , until he reached Vul . XI . ' '

that honourable station , in which he lost his life . Had he survived the battle , his seniority of appointment would have gained him an Admiral ' s flag : but , alas ! human expectations end in the grave 1 Such was the esteem in which the inhabitants of Honiton held him and

his family , that their affection appeared on the arrival of the account of his death . The feelings of humanity for the loss of a valuable man , and a sympathetic regard for those by whom that loss was so severely felt , checked in some degree the grateful sensations of joy at an event , which deprived them

of their deserving friend , but afforded a most important victory . An illumination , and other demonstrations of joy , were suppressed on the occasion , which proves not only the high esteem in which Captain Wescott was held in his native town , but the sincerity of those' who lamented his death , Ca ' pt .-lieut . Taddy , killed on board the Vanguard , resided at Exeter from his infancy till he went into his Majesty's

service as Lieut , in the Plymouth division of marines , in which he ' had now been twenty years . He served on board Admiral Rodney ' s ship on the glorious izth of April , 17 S 2 ; was onboard the Crescent when captured last war , and retained a prisoner in France . He was one of the first officers sent out

' to guard the convicts at Botany-bay , where he was absent five years . Since which , he served a long while on board the Cerberus frigate , Capt . Drew ; afterwards under Admiral Cornwailis , at Ouiberon-bay ; and died fighting gloriously in his country's cause , under the brave Admiral Nelsonin whose

, ship he commanded the corps of marines . He married a daughter of the late Mr . Joseph Johnson , of Exeter , insurancebroker , whom he has now left a widow , with three children unprovided for , to lament his loss . He was a brave and worthy man , an affectionate husband and father , and an excellent officer .

One of his sons ' , though only twtl ' ve ' years old , was with his father when killedj and had before been serving A a

“The Freemasons' Magazine: 1798-11-01, Page 74” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 8 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fmm/issues/fmm_01111798/page/74/.
  • List
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Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
LONDON: Article 1
TO CORRESPONDENTS, &c. Article 2
PRICES OF BINDING PER VOLUME. Article 2
Untitled Article 3
THE LIFE OF OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE BARON NELSON OF THE NILE, &c. &c. &c. Article 4
ON RELIGION, MORALITY, AND GOVERNMENT. Article 6
OBSERVATIONS ON THE CAUSE OF OUR LATE NAVAL VICTORIES. Article 7
REVIEW OF THE THEATRICAL POWERS OF THE LATE MR. JOHN PALMER. Article 10
MONODY. Article 11
THE LIFE OF BISHOP WARBURTON. Article 16
CURIOUS ACCOUNT GIVEN BY THE DUMB PHILOSOPHER. Article 19
THE LIFE OF PRINCE POTEMKIN. Article 25
OPTIMISM: A DREAM. Article 32
THE MIRROR OF THESPIS. Article 34
NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION OF BUONAPARTE. Article 38
MEMOIR AND TRIAL OF THE CELEBRATED THEOBALD WOLFE TONE, Article 44
THE FREEMASONS' REPOSITORY. Article 51
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 55
REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS . Article 58
POETRY. Article 64
BRITISH PARLIAMENT. Article 66
PARLIAMENT OF IRELAND. Article 69
MONTHLY CHRONICLE. Article 73
OBITUARY. Article 74
Untitled Article 78
LONDON: Article 78
TO CORRESPONDENTS, &c. Article 79
PRICES OF BINDING PER VOLUME. Article 79
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Page 74

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Obituary.

OBITUARY .

fN the battle of the Nile , Captain Westcott , late of the Majestic . ~— ' Dulct et decorum est pro palria mori , ' The least tribute a grateful nation can pay to the manes of departed merit , is to consecrate tb . 4 memory of real worth , and hand it down to posterity

for the imitation of such as may be excited hy the same ardent zeal to the commission of great and noble actions . The subject of our present memoir finished his career in ' the discharge of his duty , on an occasion too , the fate of which involved the future welfare of Europe .

The parents of our hero lived at Honiton , in Devonshire , where his mother and sister survive his . loss . Kis father was a baker in that town : and being led by his profession fo a connection with the millers , young Westcott used frequently to be sent to the mill : it happened in one of his visits ,

that by the accidental breaking of a rope , the machine was disordered ; and neither the owner nor his men being equal to the task of repairing it , Westcott offered to use his skill in splicing it , although attended with danger and'difficulty . The miller complied , and the job was . executed with such nicety , that

he told him , ' he was 6 t for a sailor , since he could splice so well ; ' ' and if lie ever should have an inclination to go to sea , he would get him a birth . ' Accordingly , an opportunity presented itself , of which the lad accepted ; and lie . began his naval career in the humble capacity of a cabbin-boy : a situation , the most common in the ship , and not much calculated to afford vent to the

expansion of genius . But he contrived to exercise his abilities to such good purposes , and discovered such an acuteness of understanding , that he was , in a veryshort time , introduced among the midshipmen , in which rank hisbehaviour was so conciliating and prudent , that further advancement followed . Since

that time he became so signally conspicuous , both for his skill and bravery , that he gradually or rather hastily continued to be promoted , until he reached Vul . XI . ' '

that honourable station , in which he lost his life . Had he survived the battle , his seniority of appointment would have gained him an Admiral ' s flag : but , alas ! human expectations end in the grave 1 Such was the esteem in which the inhabitants of Honiton held him and

his family , that their affection appeared on the arrival of the account of his death . The feelings of humanity for the loss of a valuable man , and a sympathetic regard for those by whom that loss was so severely felt , checked in some degree the grateful sensations of joy at an event , which deprived them

of their deserving friend , but afforded a most important victory . An illumination , and other demonstrations of joy , were suppressed on the occasion , which proves not only the high esteem in which Captain Wescott was held in his native town , but the sincerity of those' who lamented his death , Ca ' pt .-lieut . Taddy , killed on board the Vanguard , resided at Exeter from his infancy till he went into his Majesty's

service as Lieut , in the Plymouth division of marines , in which he ' had now been twenty years . He served on board Admiral Rodney ' s ship on the glorious izth of April , 17 S 2 ; was onboard the Crescent when captured last war , and retained a prisoner in France . He was one of the first officers sent out

' to guard the convicts at Botany-bay , where he was absent five years . Since which , he served a long while on board the Cerberus frigate , Capt . Drew ; afterwards under Admiral Cornwailis , at Ouiberon-bay ; and died fighting gloriously in his country's cause , under the brave Admiral Nelsonin whose

, ship he commanded the corps of marines . He married a daughter of the late Mr . Joseph Johnson , of Exeter , insurancebroker , whom he has now left a widow , with three children unprovided for , to lament his loss . He was a brave and worthy man , an affectionate husband and father , and an excellent officer .

One of his sons ' , though only twtl ' ve ' years old , was with his father when killedj and had before been serving A a

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