The highly respected subject of this memoir was the youngest son of Mr.Boswell Brandon Beddome, who for many years filled the office of adeacon at Maze Pond; and grandson of the Rev. Benjamin Beddome, ofBourton-on-the-Water, whose sermons and hymns are still the admirationof the churches. The talents and amiability of Mr. Boswell Beddome beganvery early to develope themselves. He is described by his survivingrelatives as having been a most interesting boy; his intelligence,generosity, vivacity, and principle, inducing them to conclude that hewould prove no common character in after life. The testimony given tohis spirit and deportment at this early period, by his maternalguardian, is worthy of record, as it points to a striking and lovelyexample of filial obedience: "He never gave me a moment's uneasiness;whatever perplexity was sometimes occasioned by the rest, I had notrouble with him; affection and a sense of duty invariably induced hischeerful obedience; and if childish disputes arose between any of theother juvenile members of the family, Boswell was sure to be thepeace-maker." He was educated at a school under the superintendence ofthe Rev. S. Palmer, of Hackney, where he was distinguished for thereadiness and accuracy with which he accomplished the exercises of hisclass, and for that general activity of mind which afterwards became oneof his leading characteristics.
When he was about fourteen years of age, a situation which promised wellfor his secular interests offering itself at a highly respectablemercantile establishment at Dorchester, he was removed from schoolsomewhat sooner than his friends had anticipated. His employers speedilybecame sensible of the worth of his talents and integrity, and as areward for his services and a proof of their esteem, introduced him to avaluable business at Weymouth, which happened to be at their command,two years before the legal term of his connexion with them would haveexpired. This movement had the most important bearing on his spiritual[Pg 78]interests; and had he not been generous almost to a fault, would, in afew years, have been the means of procuring him a retiring competency.
The family, to the full companionship of which he was thus earlyintroduced at Dorchester, was distinguished by its very zealousprofession of Unitarianism. There he saw the system under its mostspecious and delusive aspect: the sabbath was observed with thestrictest decorum; family worship maintained with invariable regularity;habits of private devotion were strongly encouraged; and opportunitiesfrequently occurred of association with some of the most intelligent andinfluential members of the party. Under these circumstances, althoughmatter of regret to the more judicious of his friends, it was none ofsurprise, that he espoused and became the ardent advocate of sentimentsat total variance with those in which he had been previously trained.
Under the preaching of Mr. Rowe, the first pastor of the Baptist churchat Weymouth, and afterwards under that of Mr. Flint, its secondminister, he was gradually restored to the presumed scriptural faith ofhis venerated ancestors. The exercises of his mind on this importantsubject were often deeply distressing and protracted.