His father was a Colonel Edward Wolfe who was born in 1685, in the north of England and who had served with Marlborough in Flanders as brigade major in the year 1708. Being but twenty-three years of age at this time, he must have been an officer of singular ability, and as he had no family connections or influence of any kind to give him aid to promotion, we must suppose that he rose upon his merits, and that had opportunities offered he would have gained greater distinction.

With the treaty of Utrecht came a long period of peace and national prosperity under the administration of Walpole, but the renowned victories of peace brought neither glory nor reputation to the soldier. At forty years of age, Col. Wolfe married Henrietta Thompson, of Marsden, Yorkshire, a woman of unusual beauty, intelligence and force of character. To these were born two sons, James and Edward, the latter being but a year younger than his brother. The hero of Louisbourg and Quebec would appear then to have been of pure English parentage. However, such is not the case. So far as can be learned, the Wolfes were a Welsh family who migrated to Ireland, possibly to repair their broken fortunes or to better their condition as so many others did some three hundred years ago. At any rate, they are known to have been an influential family in Limerick in the 16th century. In 1605, a James Woulfe, a bailiff of Limerick, and in 1613 a George Woulfe a Sheriff, were deposed for refusing to take the oath of supremacy. Evidently they had become Irish in their sympathies. Later, during the war of the Commonwealth (1651) a Friar Woulfe and his brother Captain George

Woulfe, grandsons of the Sheriff just mentioned, gave so much trouble at the siege of Limerick that they were not included in the general amnesty after the capitulation. The Friar was executed, but his brother escaped to England, the very place which one would expect him to avoid.

He settled in the north of England, married, became Protestant, and was, it is said, the great-grandfather of General James Wolfe. Those who are interested in the study of national characteristics can easily see in the life and actions of Wolfe the impetuosity, dash and brilliancy of the Irish, combined with the more stolid and not less courageous Anglo-Saxon nature.

His early youth was passed at Westerham where he attended the school kept by a Mr. Laurence, till about eleven years of age, when his father removed to Greenwich. Here he finished his school life under the tuition of the Reverend S. F. Swindon," an excellent scholar and a capable teacher. In his school work, he showed none of that precocity of intellect that has distinguished the youth of so many great men, his great rival Montcalm, for instance. He appears in fact to have been an ordinary lad of feeble constitution, great filial affection and with a taste for his father's calling.

While at Westerham, he formed a life-long attachment for George Warde, a youth some two years his senior, who was destined for the army, and at Greenwich he shared

(1) The Reverend Samuel Francis Swindon, "the much esteemed friend and tutor " of Wolfe, was Rector of Greenwich. (See note by Miss Armstrong on "Highmore " portrait of Wolfe, in Notes to Illustrations.)

his scholastic toils with John Jervis, afterwards Lord St. Vincent. (1)

The piping times of peace came to an end with the death of Queen Caroline. She had exercised a restraining influence over the King's politics, if she could not direct his morals. She had steadily supported Walpole and his policy of peace though the King was a soldier and inclined to a vigorous foreign policy.

A quarrel with Spain that should have been settled by diplomacy forced Walpole into an imprudent, but a popular war, which was proclaimed with all the enthusiasm and jubilation of a latter day victory.

Six additional regiments of Marines were raised and Lt. Col. Wolfe received his commission as Colonel and assumed command of one of them. Perhaps young Wolfe felt more interest in the war than his father did, for he was permitted to see a camp upon Blackheath, for him no doubt a stirring sight.

Certain it is that when the father was made adjutant general of the 10,000 troops that were about to embark for Cartagena he was prevailed upon to take James, then thirteen years of age, with him. Mrs. Wolfe had protested in vain against an action so frightful to a mother's heart, and had changed her tactics in order to play upon the tenderest feelings of the youth to induce him to stay with her. How she succeeded may be seen from the following extracts from Wolfe's first letter to her:

(1) It is stated on good authority that on the eve of the battle of the Plains General Wolfe entrusted to John Jervis, afterwards Lord St. Vincent, the miniature of Miss Lowther, which was delivered to the general's mother by Captain Bell, A, D, C. (see Notes to Illustrations).

Her Grace the Duchess of Bolton. From the miniature by Gasway in the possession of Lord Barnard of Raby Castle Darlington.