TO DAY IN HISTORY

Southland Times, Issue 20497, 28 May 1928, Page 6

TO DAY IN HISTORY

MAY 28. Born: James Sforza the Great at Cotiguola, 1639; George I. of England, 1660; John Smeaton, engineer, at Aristhorpe, 1724; William Pitt, Minister to George 111., at Hayes, Kent, 1759; Thomas Moore, poet, at Dublin, 1780. Died: St. Bernard of Savoy, 1008; Thomas Howard, Earl of Suffolk, at Walden, 1626; Admiral de Tourville, at Paris, 1701; Madame de Montespan, Mistress of Louis XIV., 1708; Electress Sophia of Hanover, 1714; William Eden, Lord Auckland, 1814; Sir Humphrey Davy, chemist, at Geneva, 1829; William Erskine, author, at Edinburgh, 1852. Events: Defeat of Mr Fox’s Ministry (N.Z.), 1856; defeat of Sir Robert Stout’s Ministry (N.Z.), 1887; Battle of Souchez and La Bassee, 1915 ; General Pershing left America for France, Polish Conference at Cracow declares Poland must be united and independent and have access to the sea, 1917; U.S. Ist Division in Battle of the Aisne, Armenia declares her independence, 1918; Mr Baldwin elected leader of the Conservative Party, 1923. SIR HUMPHREY DAVY. Dr John Davy, in his interesting “Life” of his brother, Sir Humphrey Davy, relates with much feeling the latter days of the great man. A short while before his death, being at Rome, he mended a little, and as this process went on “the sentiment of gratitude to Divine Providence was overflowing and he was most amiable and affectionate in manner. He often inculcated the propriety, in regard to happiness, of the subjugation of self, as the very bane of comfort, and the most active cause of the derelection of social duties, and the destruction of good and friendly feelings; and he expressed frequently the intention, if his life were spared, of devoting it to purposes of utility (seeming to think lightly of what he had done already) and to the service of his friends, rather than to the pursuits of ambition, pleasure or happiness, with himself for their main object.” A BISHOP’S GHOST. Henry Burgwash, who became Bishop of Lincoln on May 28, 1320, is chiefly memorable on account of a curious ghost story recorded of him in connection with the manor of Fingest in Buckinghamshire. Until 1845 Buckinghamshire was in the diocese of Lincoln, the bishops possessing considerable estates and two places of residence in the county. One of these residences was at Fingest, a small secluded village near Wycomb. It was of no great size but, though no particular reason has been given for it, the olden day prelates liked to reside there. It may have been quiet for meditation but one old writer drew attention slyly to the fact that the country was well stocked with deer and was suitable for hunting. Henry Burgwash left reminiscences of his days at Fingest, some of the incidents he recalls being hardly what one would associate with a bishop. “He was,” says Fuller, “neither good for church nor state, sovereign nor subjects; but was covetous, ambitious, rebellious and injurious. Yet he was twice lord treasurer, once chancellor, and twice sent as ambassador to Bavaria. He died in 1340. Such as may wish to be merry may read the pleasant story of his apparition being condemned to be viridis viridarius—a green forester.” Fuller includes this story in his “Church History”: This burgwash was he who, by mere might; against all right and reason, took in the common land of many poor people (without making the least reparation), therewith to complete his park at Tinghurst (Fingest). These wronged persons, though seeing their own bread, beef and mutton turned into the bishop’s venison, durst not contest with him who was Chancellor of England, though he had neither law nor equity in the proceeding. He persisted in this cruel injustice to the day of his death, but having brought on himself the hatred and maledictions of the poor, he could not rest quietly in his grave; for his spirit was doomed to wander about that land which he had, while living, so unjustly appropriated to himself. It so happened, however, that on a certain night he appeared to one of his former familiar friends, apparelled like a forester, all in green with a bow and quiver, and a bugle horn hanging by his side. To this gentleman he made known his miserable case. He, therefore, entreated his friend to repair the canons of Lincoln and in his name to request them to have the bishop’s park reduced to its former extant and to restore to the poor the land which he had taken from them. His friend duly carried his message to the canons, who with equal readiness complied with their dead bishop’s ghostly request and deputed one of their prebendaries, William Bacheler, to see the restoration properly effected. The bishop's park was reduced and the common restored to its former dimensions; and yhe ghostly park-keeper was no more seen.”