An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

AUTOBIOGRAPHY 57 Isham, and on the Suppression of Norfolk Monasteries, in which be came to conclusions with which I could not at all agree for reasons which I gave on pp. 440-3. My views have since been shown to be right by Mr. Coultou and others. This part also introduced to the public the Rev. George Crabbe, \ who had been working at the Merton records, and was a most loveable and modest man, but who, died too soon aftrrwards 9th August, 1884, before he had fulfilled the promise his work gave. During 1884, I nearly lost my life, for I caught typhoid from an open drain, and recovering too soon took liberties with myself and had a bad relapse. I was given over twice, bnt the most assiduous nursing of my wife and sister Annie pulled me through. I was away from business for 1 many months, and it was lucky I was so well nursed, for qaving gone to Norfolk to recuperate, I received the pleas11nt news that. by recovering, I hacl saved quite a large lega/cy by surviving a testator. This was perhaps the strangest thing that ever happened to me, for my client, the testator, bad many years before, made me and his doctor his executors, and divided practicalJy all his property among charities, leaving us the "residue" for our trouble, at which we demurred at the time. He, however, lived on, and very economi– cally and none of us thought any more about it till he died, and I received a letter from my partner that I was to benefit to the extent of some thousands by the division of his" residue" which had grown from nothing to something very substantial. My second daughter, Frances Elizabeth, was born at Selhurst, 7th November, I884. My next move was a lucky one for finding that Winchester House, Putney, was to be sold on my birthday, 31st October, 1884, I bought it very cheap, and it was and still is a beautiful old house with, elaborately panelled rooms, very fine mantelpieces, and ample accommodatio1., It had been built by a French Huguenot family called de Ruvigny, and thot1gh most of the garden had been sold off had enough left incl nding a very big mulberry tree and an enormous may tree to make it a very pleasant residence, with a long balcony overlooking the Thames and nearly opposite the Bishop's Palace, and the