PREFACE. The following Reminiscences of an individual whose wellearned celebrity is, in various ways, identified with the town and neighbourhood of Sheffield, including especially the adjacent village of Norton, are published with unaffected diffidence, as to their particular interest and value, though without any misgiving on the ground of their general truthfulness. Their appearance at this particular moment is mainly due to a perusal of "Recollections of Sir Francis Chantrey," by George Jones, R.A., a work which, however acceptable in some respects, shows how many original mistakes, in relation to its subject, are passing from periodical to permanent publications, and thus suggesting to the present writer the propriety of at once giving to his own notes some form less restricted and fugitive than that of MS. memoranda. He was the more inclined to this course, inasmuch as the matter which he had collected was wholly distinct from that which forms the staple of Mr. Jones's book-three of the following sections, relating chiefly to periods in the life of Chantrey preceding, and the greater portion of the others to that subsequent to the term formally comprised in the "Recollections." Of course, neither separately, nor together, have these Collections any claim to be considered as-nor will they, it is hoped, be allowed long to stand in the place of a regular "Life" of the great English Sculptor; while, for such a work, whenever or by whomsoever worthily undertaken, even these pages may yield some hint, or afford some clue of value to a competent biographer. Less doubtful about the propriety of preserving, in some way, memorials of the early life of so distinguished an individual as the late Sir Francis Chantrey, than confident as to the best mode of doing so, some apology is felt to be necessary for the styleif not for the substance-of this volume. In the first place, it may be alleged, that many matters absolutely or comparatively |