October 26th, 1787, died, at her seat, Cranham Hall, Co.  Essex,[1] aged 79, Mrs. Elizabeth Oglethorpe, widow of the late General Oglethorpe.  She was daughter of Sir Nathan Wright, Bart., (nephew to the Lord Keeper,) by Abigail, his fourth wife, who survived and married Mr. Tryst.  Sir Nathan, by his first wife, (Anne Meyrick) had two sons; Nathan, who succeeded him in title, and who married a daughter of Sir Francis Lawley, and died in April, 1737; and John, who died without issue.  By his second wife, (Elizabeth Brage) he had a son, Benjamin, who died before him.  By his third wife, (Elizabeth Bowater) he had no issue.  By the fourth he had a son, Samuel, and Mrs. Oglethorpe.  Sir Nathan, the son, had one son and two daughters; and the son dying without issue, his half-brother, Samuel, succeeded to the title and part of the estate.  He dying a bachelor, Mrs. Oglethorpe became his heir, and has died without leaving any child.  September 15, 1744, she married the late General Oglethorpe, who died July 1,1785;[2] and to her magnanimity and prudence, on an occasion of much difficulty, it was owing that the evening of their lives was tranquil and pleasant, after a stormy noon.  Very many and continual were her acts of benevolence and charity; but, as she would herself have been hurt by any display of them in her lifetime, we will say no more.  Not to have mentioned them at all would have been unjust to her memory, and not less so to the world, in which such an example may operate as an incitement to others to go and do likewise.

[Footnote 1:  This old mansion, situated on a pleasant rising ground, was built about the end of the reign of James I. In the hall is a very fine whole-length picture of Mr. Nathan Wright, a considerable Spanish merchant in the beginning of Charles the First’s time, who resided long in that country, by Antonio Arias, an eminent painter of Madrid; and the more curious, as perhaps there is not another picture of that able master in England. Gentleman’s Magazine, LV. 518.]

[Footnote 2:  The date for the time of the death of General Oglethorpe, which is given on the 296th page of this volume, was taken from the public Gazettes.  As it took place late in the night, it might be rather uncertain as to its being the close of one day or the beginning of another.  But the above, corroborated by the testimony of the monumental inscription, must be correct.  I regret, however, that I did not perceive it sooner.  T.M.H.]

By her will, which is very long, and dated May 30, 1786, and has four codicils, the last dated September 11, 1787, she leaves her estate at Westbrook, in Godalming, Co.  Surrey, bequeathed to her by the General, to his great nephew, Eugene, Marquis of Bellegarde, in France, then in the Dutch service, but born in England, and his heirs, with all her plate, jewels, &c.; to her nephews, John and Charles Apreece, and their sister Dorothy, wife of ——­ Cole, an annuity of L100 amongst them, and the survivor