Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

NORTH SIDE OF BUCK STREET. 227
quite amusing, and made very many sensible remarks to'those who traded with him in the store, in which he exposed
for sale a great variety of goods. IHe was distinguished
as the seller of Irish linens, of which he was an excellent
judge of quality, so that who bought linen of him was sure
it was wholly of flax. In teas he was also renowned as a
good judge, so much so that the remark was frequently
made when tea of the right flavor was served at table,
"this is Mr. Neil's tea." Mr. Neil took a hint from this,
and had some nice wrapping paper prepared for putting up
the tea he sold, and the folloving neatly printed upon the
paokage:"This is very good tea. And where did you buy it'?
At Mr. William Neil's store, Bucck street, Portsmouth.
You will call and get some of the same."
William Neil was a native of Belfast in Ireland, and a
graduate of Glasgow College. His children were three
sons and four daughters. Thomas, Charles and Robert G.;
Ann, married George Andrews of Dover; Elizabeth, married Mr. Wheeler of Dover; Sarah, married Daniel Melcher
of Boston, and Margaret was the first wife of John Nutter,
of Rochester. The children of his son Thomas (who married Sarah, daughter of Capt. Hector McNeil of the Navy,)
were William, who died single; Mary A.; Jane, widow of
S. II. Sise of New York, and Thomas, now of this city.
The latter, of the firm of Neil, Tarlton & Co., is the only
descendant which now bears the name of Neil.
The same store was previously occupied for a short
period by Pomroy & Maynard, from England, for the sale
of hard-ware goods. They soon returned to England.
The venerable W[illiam Neil was very sensitive to arly
renmalrk.wicll unvorably reflected upon the Irish or his
native land, Ireland. So sensitive was he to the publication of any Irish bull, that for many years when aMr. Turell
had charge of the Oracle, he never admitted any of the