ear; which office (a sinecure) has ceased with his death.
" In 1823 he was requested to undertake the superintendence of the Duke of York's household, in the hope that by the same system of economy and regularity which had been introduced at Windsor, His Royal Highness 's affairs might in some measure be rescued from the state of disorder into which they had fallen. For his services in the execution of this last employment he declined accepting any salary.
" In 1830 he was raised to the rank of Major-General in the Hanoverian Service, and created a Knight Commander of the Guelphic Order of Hanover, and in 1834 he received the Grand Cross of the same Order.
"To no one but a man endowed wdth the qualities which Sir B. Stephenson possessed, could duties so onerous and so confidential have been safely confided. He was indeed gifted — singularly gifted — with many valuable endowments: a clear understanding, a sound and candid judgment, quickness of capacity, a gentlemanly spirit under the nicest rules of discretion, unfailing zeal, perfect disinterestedness, and spotless integrity.
" In all his transactions every thought of self was forgotten. His time — (alas, the too needful repose required by a weakened frame and by advancing years) — were all devoted to the service of his country, and of those whom he considered to have
4 SIR B. C. STEPHENSON
claims upon him; and it may with truth be stated, that no man occupying his position in society, and advanced to his period of hfe, allowed himself fewer hours of relaxation. From the time of his appointment as Surveyor-General he never absented himself from the duties of his office, with one exception, for more than a few days, in any one year.
" In society Sir B. Stephenson was acceptable to persons of every age and every rank: shrewd, intelligent, with a vein of humour as original as it was delightful, possessing also a fund of information and of anecdote, the result of various and accurate reading, and close observation of men and manners. The characters of distinguished individuals and the events of past days were familiar to him, and he communicated his anecdotes and remarks in that simple and unaffected manner which heightened their intrinsic value.
" But in this faint sketch of a beloved and honoured friend his religious character must not be passed over in silence.
" It might be supposed that the early life of a soldier, spent in a foreign land, especially half a century ago, and the unceasing toil of business in after-life, were little calculated to induce strong religious principles and feelings; but, as regards the character before us, this was not the case. A firm conviction of the truths of Christianity, professed with humility, and evidenced by its fruits, together with a sincere reverence for the doctrines and ordinances of the Established Church of his country, were among the strongest features of Sir B. Stephenson's character. In these principles he lived, he impressed them sedulously upon his children, and with these his last hours were soothed.
" For the world which benefited by his active and useful life, and for the numerous class of relatives and friends who loved and esteemed him, his death has occurred suddenly and prematurely. To himself, with a constitution ill calculated to bear the shock of further attacks or a continuance of mental labour, let us hope that it has been ' a gentle wafting to immortal life.' This thought must allay the keen regrets of an affectionate and attached family, and of those who, with the writer, have long regarded his friendship and society as amongst their highest enjoyments.
" Sir B. Stephenson married, in 1805, Maria, the second daughter of the late Sir Peter Rivers Gay, Bart., by Martha, sister of the late Ven. Archdeacon Coxe, and by her he left two sons and six daughters.
" His body was interred in the family vault in Kensington Churchyard, on Saturday the 15th June. His funeral was, by his own express desire, conducted with the strictest privacy, and in the manner most suited to the simplicity of his character.
M."
Sir Benjamin had a family of twelve children, three sons and nine daughters. The eldest son, Arthur, born in 1 8 10, died at the age of five years. He was buried in the nave of Winchester Cathedral, where on the stone which marks the spot there is, besides the name and dates, the single word " Eheu." Six of the daughters survived their father, only two of whom married — Mrs. Melvil Wilson and Mrs. Henry Giffard.
Sir William Henry Stephenson
Sir Benjamin's eldest surviving son, William Henry, was born on November 18, 1811, and his brother Frederick ten years later.