314
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Quaker children, and in later years all Payne's pupils were
reputed to hold their old tutor in vast respect.
One schoolfellow of Doubleday's was Henry Deane, a man who
later set up as a chemist and druggist at Clapham Common. He
came from Stratford, and was the son of Moses and Elizabeth
Deane. Deane, in his autobiography, said that at Isaac Payne's
he was "systematically taught, and knew the value and pleasure
of learning". He wrote in high praise, although perhaps in
extravagant language, of the Doubleday brothers,
"who", he said, "have since attained a world-wide notoriety
as entomologists. I was occasionally favoured with an
invitation to go home with them to tea, occasions which
were highly prized as affording opportunities for seeing
their collections and illustrated books of Natural History.
From collecting insects, collecting plants and drying them
—without regard to names, but for their intrinsic beauty—
seemed naturally to follow. Thus habits of observing the
beauties of creative wisdom were early fixed in my heart,
and I often look back with thankfulness to that now far
distant day when my friends, the Doubledays, sowed that
seed which was to keep out many temptations to evil, and
prove such a lasting source of pure enjoyment".
About twenty years after Henry Doubleday's death, an
interesting discovery was made at Epping which brought to light
a little incident in the life of the Doubleday boys, an extract
from a local Essex paper, of December 1894, reading as follows : —
"Mr. Joseph Hills, who is having extensive alterations made
to his establishments, has a relic of considerable interest
which the builder (Mr. Whiffin) found secreted in one of
the chimneys. It was enclosed in a strong old blacking
bottle, carefully sealed, and consists of a parchment, which
sets forth that it and nine copper coins were placed there
by Henry Doubleday, aged 10 years, and Edward Double-
day, aged eight years, sons of Benjamin and Mary
Doubleday, on April 26th, 1819. It also gives the prices of
goods then current, as follows : —Flour, 65s. Od. per sack;
wheat, £18 per load; bread, 1s. 0d. per quartern loaf;
candles, 1s. Od. per lb.; soap, 11d. per lb.; cheese, 7d. to
1s. Od. per lb.; and butter, 10d. to 1s. 4d."
Although not mentioned in this newspaper paragraph, it is
recorded elsewhere that Henry Doubleday also left a memorandum
in the blacking bottle, reading as follows:—
"Scarce any gold in circulation owing to the restriction of
the bank, which is prevented by Government from issuing
any gold in exchange for their notes, which are as low as
20 shillings. Written on the 26th of fourth month 1819".
A list of the principal inhabitants of the town was also
enclosed.