Who died the last week

‘The lady of George Bowes, esq., one of the knights of the shire for the county of Durham, was brought to bed of a daughter at his house in London. She was the only daughter of Thomas Gilbert, a merchant in London, and this was her first child after a marriage of six or seven years.’ This is the very first entry - written 270 years ago today - in the diary of one Thomas Gyll, a Durham lawyer. Very little is known of him, other that that contained in the rather impersonal diary - little more than a record of births, deaths and marriages kept for 30 years - published by the Surtees Society in Six North Country Diaries.

Gyll was born in 1700, the only son of Thomas Gyll who owned a patrimonial estate at Barton in the North Riding of Yorkshire. He was educated at Richmond School, and at Trinity Hall Cambridge, before entering Lincoln’s Inn and being called to the bar in 1725. He was appointed solicitor-general of the County Palatine of Durham in 1733, and recorder of the city of Durham in the year 1769. Other than work, he had a strong interest in history, archaeology and the fine arts. He never unmarried, and died in 1780. 

Gyll was buried in Barton, where there can be found the following inscription: ‘Near this wall is interred Thomas Gyll, esq., equally esteemed for his knowledge of the Common and Canon Law, and for his integrity in the practice of both. At the Bar, an advocate in the former, on the Bench a judge in the latter. Nor was he less distinguished for his accuracy in the history and antiquities of his country. By a steady discharge of the duties of his station, both in public and private life, and by a constant and devout attendance on the public worship, he was an example worthy of imitation. He died in his 80th year, 1780. To the memory of his truly valuable character, Leonard Hartley, his nephew and heir, placed this tablet.’

Gyll kept a diary for 30 years, from 1748 to 1778, though it is scarcely more than a brief and intermittent list of events, often enough these are the record of a death with a detail or two about the deceased. In 1910, the Surtees Society (dedicated to the publication of manuscripts illustrative of the history of the ancient kingdom of Northumbria) published Six North Country Diaries including all of Gyll’s extant diaries (several years are missing). J. C. Hodgson, in his preface, introduces Gyll as ‘a sagacious lawyer, whose pithy and analytical comments on Durham people and events are always decided’. Six North Country Diaries is freely available at Internet Archive, and Gyll’s diary can be found starting on page 169. Here are several extracts, including the first few and the last three.

24 February 1748
‘The lady of George Bowes, esq., one of the knights of the shire for the county of Durham, was brought to bed of a daughter at his house in London. She was the only daughter of Thomas Gilbert, a merchant in London, and this was her first child after a marriage of six or seven years.’

23 March 1748
‘The wife of Robert Spearman of Oldacres, near Sedgefield, esq., who died the last week at his house in Old Elvet, having lingered of a palsy, was this day buried with great funeral pomp in Bow church in Durham.

And the same day old Henry Pratt, the bell-ringer, was buried at St. Mary’s, South Bailey, aged near 90. He had formerly been coachman to Dean Comber.’

9 May 1748
‘Sir Ralph Milbank of Halnaby in Yorkshire, baronet, died at London in the 60th year of his age, and was some short time after buried with much funeral pomp in the family vault of Croft church. He left six sons by Ann, his wife, daughter of Edward Delaval of Dissington in Northumberland, esq.; and one daughter, Bridget, by his first wife, Elizabeth, sister to Robert, earl of Holderness, whose daughter was first married to Sir Butler Wentworth, baronet, and secondly to John Murray, esq., of the Isle of Man.’

28 January 1758
‘My friend, David Hilton, was struck with a fit of the palsy: after proper evacuations had a good night, but grew worse the next day and afterwards grew better.’

10 February 1758
‘My old friend, Thomas Garrard, esq., Common Serjeant of the city of London, died at his house in Hatton Garden. I have been much oblidged to him.’

16 March 1758
‘Died Dr. Thomas Sharp, prebendary of Durham and was buried in the Abbey on the 23rd. (Will dated 1 March, 1758, proved at York in April following.)’

11 April 1758
‘Rev. Thomas Drake, rector of Bow church, married to Jenny Clark. Sed prius dictum dedisse fertur.’

12 October 1757
‘Died at Barford in Yorkshire, Mr. John Croft, one of the greatest breeders of horses in the north, as was his father, John Croft, who had been a servant, in the Darcy family at Sedbury and afterwards farmed at Croft under Sir William Chaytor. His wife was an admirer of the diversion of cock-fighting and would bet her money freely.’

7 April 1778
‘Died at Croft, Francis Milbank, rector, after a lingering illness, a son of the first Sir Ralph Milbank; vinous, amator, sic fama volat; unmarried.’

2 August 1778
‘My sister, Hartley, died about 11 in the forenoon after a long confinement in bed, with as little struggle as possible, in the 82nd year of her age, and was buried privately as she desired, and was accordingly interred at Middleton.’

20 October 1778
‘Died at Durham, where he came for the benefit of the air, the Rev. Mr. Robinson, rector of Seaham. He married Alice, one of the daughters of Robert Hartley, formerly of Hartford, in the parish of Gilling, gent.’

The Diary Junction