ent way than formerly at the time of his death. His widow (née Harriet Carswell), survived until 1882, when she died, greatly respected, at 83 years of age.
At the time of the lamentable occurrence, the Hastings News had a sympathetic and appropriate article, and as the sentiments therein expressed are equally applicable to similar cases described in the pages of “Local History” and notably to the valuable life, melancholy death and unique correspondence (at page 116, Vol 2, “Historico-Biographies”) of Mr. Thomas Smith, the said article of the News is here reproduced.
“Under a Cloud”
“To those who have passed the greater part of their life in our town, and who have grown up by the side of many whose faces have become so familiar as to be dissociated with almost every thought of their youth and every memory of their native place, the absence of such familiar faces strikes with a chilling and saddening influence. The place from which old friends are dying out scarcely seem the place it once was, and the survivor – especially if he be himself waxing in years – has a feeling sometimes creeping over him as of being away from home. The air grows chilly, strange faces flit about him, the living links of the chain that binds him to the past are becoming broken, the breath of Autumn is scattering the summer leaves, and ‘pale concluding Winter’ gives painful tokens of his quick approach. Feelings like these come over us when one after another of our old townsmen is struck down by Death. We become conscious of a sense of loneliness and half conscious of a sense of dread. Every death of those long known to us brings our own fate nearer, and limits the prospective boundaries of our own life. The most thoughtless are compelled to pause awhile in their folly, and think; whilst the wise and thoughtful are made by such events both wiser and sadder men.
Sentiments like these are common to us all, even when Death crosses our path in the ordinary way; but they become intensified under circumstances of a more painful character. Such circumstances have cast a gloom over our town this week. Mr. Boykett Breeds, whose name has been associated with the trade and history of Hastings for nearly half a century has brought his life to a sudden termination in a mournful way. Apparently in his accustomed health, with little or nothing in his previous demeanour to awaken suspicions or fears of his family , our lamented townsman has -
