THE LATE COLONEL SIR DIGBY MACKWORTH, BART.

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 117, 2 April 1853, Page 4

THE LATE COLONEL SIR DIGBY MACKWORTH, BART.

[From the ' Hoharton Courier.'l

The death of this true Christian and in many respects very remarkable man, took place on the 22nd Sept., at his seat Glen Noke, in New South Wales. There are few, probably, of our readers to whom his name is not familiar as one taking an active and very important part in maintaining our Protestant institutions and resisting Papal encroachment. But before we touch upon that portion of his life, we must not omit to chronicle those earlier events in his career, when as a companion in arms of our recently lost hero, Wellington, he was no undistinguished unit in that gallant host which so no'Wy fought the battles of their country. Sir Digby, then Mr. Mackworth, entered the 7th Fusiliers as lieutenant, from. Mariow. Ue was first engaged at Talavera, when he earned, in front of the regiment, the colours which had been thrown down by a junior officer. Heyvas in that charge at Albuera in which, out of the 1,500 men composing the 7th and 23d, only 150 escaped; the brigade going into action (air L. Cole, General) under three colonels, and coming out under only one captain, and wuii three battalions-each commanded by a lieutenant. There was no parallel slaughter of British officers and soldiers during the war. Attei this engagement he accepted the offer of j* 01" Hill to make Mm his aide-de-camp, and,re-

mained on his staff till the conclusion of the war. -He'was present at Vittoria and other important battles in the Peninsular campaign, as well as in that on the French territory, and when, not long ago, the medal was granted for those campaigns; Sir Digby's had attached to'it the names of seven general engagements. He was employed before the battle of Waterloo to carry to Lord Hill the Duke of Wellington's orders, and had 'his horse killed under him in Lord Hill's last charge on that memorable day. He afterwards joined the 13th Light Dragoons, then serving at Madras, and on returning retired on half-pay ; but on Lord Hill's becoming Commander of the Forces, Sir Digby was again placed on the staff, and remained on it till his Lordship's death. In-1830,he was employed by the Government in putting down agrarian disturbances in the Forest of Dean, and it was then, at the head of his gallant band of soldiers, to whom his firm, yet mild, character had endeared him, that there grew up between them that knowledge and confidence which enabled him to render that remarkable service to his country, whereby he saved from utter destruction the shipping and greater part of the city of Bristol.' It would be useless now minutely to record the fatal havoc which, in 1831, took place in that city, when, owing to the culpable negligence of the military authorities, the town was, for more than 48 hours, in possession of the lowest of the mob, who, bent on pillage and destruction, had already set fire to and burnt several public edifices and private dwellings, breaking open the cellars of the latter, dressing themselves in the ladies' bonnets and gowns which they found in the houses, and, in scores of instances, dancing, shouting, reeling drunk, thus dressed in womens' clothes, they sunk alive into the flames which their equally drunken companions had kindled in the apartments beneath them.

Such for three days was the state of. the second- city of England, notwithstanding that there was a military force within its walls capable of arresting in an hour (as events proved) the whole disturbance. It was on the third day that Sir Digby Mackworth happening to come to Bristol placed himself by the side of the commanding officer, and urged him to action. He was,,unhappily, a Radical Reformer, and nothing could induce him to do more than to request the mob civilly to desist. With an unwarrantable perverseness he shrunk from the discharge of his duty, whilst the inactivity of the troops only served to encourage the rioters to acts of further violence. The public edifices and private dwellings were still burning—the mob were masters of the town, and were preparing to fire the houses on both sides of the canals where all the shipping of Bristol lay ; the destruction of life and property which must have ensued from such a catastrophe is incalculable ; the ruin of the city seemed inevitable; it was in vain that Sir Digby urged the cornniander of the troops to interfere to avert so awful a calamity—he declined the responsibility. Sir Digby was in plain clothes, but fortunately the troops were those who had served under him in the Forest" of Dean, they knew his person, and did not hesitate to obey his commands. Indignant at the scenes which he was witnessing, regardless of consequences to lnmsravv Q . at once determined to save the city. After a last eftoiv~t„ induce the officer to do his duty, he sprang forward a^d commanded the troops to follow him. They gladly and readily obeyed the well known voice, ana m' one quarof an hour the mob were everywhere arrested in their fell purpose, in another they were dispersed in every direction, and within two hours the city was restored in safety and comparative tranquillity. A more important service was never rendered by a private individual to any single community. Sir Digby's life furnished a striking proof that a good soldier may be a good Christian, and that, there is nothing in the profession of arms which is incompatible with Christian doctrines, A man more deeply imbued with faith in his Saviour never lived—nor one more zealous to obey his precepts. In his own neighbourhood his loss will be most deeply felt. Wherever an opportunity offered of doing good there was Sir Digby to be found—time, labour, money, all were devoted with'a willing heart to promote the interests and happiness of those around him. Such was Sir Digby Mackworth. To those who knew him this tribute to his memory must appear (as, indeed, it does to the writer) to do very inadequate justice to the great excellencies which adorned his character.