An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

IO AUTOBIOGRAPHY grandfather sent him away into the country into a month's seclusion to avoid the consequences of an imaginary homicide in a tavern broil are family memories. A wild story that my grandfather killed a barrister with a sword– stick (exhibit produced as evidence!) in an election dispute in the Castle Ditches, Norwich, seems absolutely un– founded, for he had no county or city qualification, and never voted for N orfo1k or Norwich. 9. Edward Rye the younger, was born February 2nd, 1803, was baptized at St. Andrews' Hubbord, in the City of London, and was educated at St. Omer, in France, then at "Mr. Mason's Academy," Knightsbridge, where he took the writing prize 1 , in 1814, a silver medal now in my possession. On September 4th, 1816, his father obtained a nomina– tion for him to St. Paul's School, to which his grandsons afterwards went, and there also he took a silver pen for hand-writing.2 On March 18th, 1819, he was articled to Thos. Bland, of the well-known firm of Jones & Bland, of 34, Gt. Maryle– bone Street, the predecessors, I have been told, of White, of Marlborough Street, the late Queen's solicitor, where he read with Thomas Smith (afterwards his clerk, a most eccentric man), whose sister married the Duke de Saldanha 3 and G. W. W. Bramwell, afterwards Lo~d Bramwell, to whom he gave his first brief (see published Life of Lord Bramwell), and who afterwards did me mauy a good turn, and especially in advice when I was in one of the imaginary fears as to liability, which were the curses of my life, just as they used to be of my father's. He was admitted a solicitor on the 19th June, 1824, and began practice at 107 Quadrant, of which he took the mezzanine floor, and next year took a lease of 2, Lower James Street. In 1830 he bought the lease of No. 16, 1 His Latin Grammar and vocabulary, with his signature and date 1812, are before me, so he began his studies early. 2 The value of such prizes is shown by the fact that in later life he wrote the most illegible hand of any of the family, except his grandsons, F. G. Rye and A. L. Rye. His sons, Edward C. Rye and F. Rye wrote extremely legible hands, and so did I till I spoiled mine by overwork. 8 This was a very romantic story. Smith and his sister had befriended him when he was a refugee in very low water in London, and in fact lodged him gratuitously for a long while.