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FOR LEIGH AND SOTHEBY, W. J. AND J. RICHARDSON, R. FAULDER,

T. PAYNE, AND J. WHITE.

1808.

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EDWARD EDWARDS was born March 7th, 1738, in Castleftreet, Leicefter-fields. His father was a chair maker and carver, and a native of Shrewsbury, but fettled in London, where he married, and had two fons and a daughter. Of these children Edward Edwards was the cldeft. He was naturally a very weakly child, which was expreffed, while he was an infant, in his form, it gradually becoming diftorted. To this, it was alfo believed an accident contributed. At an early age he was fent to a Proteftant School, eftablished for the education of the children of French refugees: here he learnt the French language, and acquired it fufficiently to be able to speak it tolerably well.

When he was fifteen years old, he was taken from school, and began to work with his father at the fhop of Mr. Hallet, an upholsterer at the corner of Great St. Martin's Lane, Long Acre, where he continued till he was eighteen years of age. While he was in this fituation, he indicated an inclination to drawing, and drew patterns for furniture. His father's intention was to make him a carver and gilder; but he foon had wishes beyond that employ, and fought every opportunity of looking at works of art; but happening to be thus occupied, he was

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harshly treated by one of the partners, which caufed his father to remove him, and to leave him at liberty to exert himself in acquiring more fcientifically the rudiments of art. For this purpose, he took leffons at a drawing school; and in 1759 he was deemed qualified to be admitted a ftudent at the Duke of Richmond's gallery, which contained excellent cafts of many of the fineft antique ftatues.

In 1760, he sustained a great lofs in the death of his father, who was a very ingenious man, but of a referved and fhy difpofition, which prevented him from profiting, as he might otherwife have done, by his ingenuity. He left his widow and children wholly unprovided with means for a maintenance, except what they might be able to procure by their industry. Edward Edwards was now but twenty-two years of age, and with but a flender foundation in his art, he had to fupport his mother and a brother and fifter. He had lodgings in Comptonftreet, Soho, and with other efforts to obtain the means of living, he opened an evening school, (at his lodgings) and taught drawing to feveral young men who either aimed to be artifts, or to qualify themselves to be cabinet or ornamental furniture makers.

But under all his difficulties, he fteadily perfevered in his endeavour to acquire power in the art to which he had devoted his mind, and in 1761 he was admitted a member of the academy in Peter Court, St. Martin's Lane. Here he had the advantage of ftudying the human figure with the principal artifts of that period, and made fuch progrefs as to be encouraged to offer a drawing for a premium propofed by the Society established for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce; and fucceeded.

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