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IN MEMORIAM: 
 
 William Hickling Me Costa. 
 
 PRIVATELY PRINTED, 
 Charlestown : 
 
 x878. 
 
in Memoriam. 
 
 LLIAM HICKLING DreCOSTA, Son of Ezekiel Carver 
 and Elizabeth DeCosta, was born in Charlestown, Massa- 
 chusetts, October 15th, 1825, and died at Medford, July 
 Ist, 1878. On one side, his remote ancestors were the 
 Phebicneds DaCostas, some of whom were navigators on the Atlantic 
 before Columbus, and prominently connected with the Portuguese 
 
 insular possessions. A tradition has been handed down, to the effect 
 
 that an ancestor of one of the female branches of the family was in 
 the ship of Columbus on his first voyage. Representatives of the 
 family passed into France, and settled at Rouen, where they became 
 not only French but Huguenots, and warm advocates of the Protes- 
 tant Faith, Upon the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, they fled, 
 passing into England and thence to America, Isaac DeCosta settling at 
 
 Boston in 1699, and marrying Mary Temple. At the Revolution, 
 
 part of the family sided with the King, aad took their way to Annap- 
 
 olis, Nova Scotia. In New York, ancther sympathiser with the Royal 
 cause sold tea to Mangle Minthorne, contrary to law, My. Minthorne 
 being dealt with, but escaping with a somewhat humble apology. 
 
4 
 
 On the Hickling side, the deceased was English, and of the same 
 stock as William Hickling Prescott, the Historian. In England the 
 Hicklings are traced for three hundred years. The Puritan element 
 entered the English line through Robert Carver, of Marshfield, who 
 came over in 1638. The Roman Catholic element was revived by Mr. 
 DeCosta’s Aunt, Mary Rebecca Theresa DeCosta, known in Religion 
 us Sister Ste. Claire. This person was the first Novice received into 
 the community of Boston Ursulines, and was a member of the Order 
 at Mount Benedict at the time the Convent was destroyed by an ig- 
 norant mob. 
 
 Mr. DeCosta passed from the schools of his native city, to enter 
 upon fresh training in connection with that school which has formed 
 so many men for usefulness, the Press. For a series of years he 
 studied the profession of Journalism in connection with the ‘Old Col- 
 ony Memorial,” at Plymouth. Eventually, however, being allured by 
 the hope of fortune, he embarked npon the tide of emigration that 
 set out towards California in 1849, thus being amongst the early pio- 
 neers who laid the foundations of modern society within the Golden 
 Gates. He reached San Francisco by sailing around Cape Horn in 
 the ‘‘ Duxbury,” delaying at points of interest like Rio Janeiro and 
 Juan Fernandez, and passing along the Coast: of Peru, which his father 
 visited in 1820. The vovage ocenpied about six months, the tedium 
 being relieved by editing a pen-and-ink newspaper that appeared from 
 week to week, to which he contributed sprightly articles in prose and 
 verse. One number was brought ont at Juan Fernandez, 
 
 Upon reaching San Francisco, the ship, owned by a company of 
 Associates, of whom he made one, was abandoned and left to decay, 
 
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 the most of the adventurers resorting at once to the mines, Mr. De- 
 Costa divided his time between Mining and Journalism, at one period 
 having charge of a department of a daily paper on which Bayard 
 Taylor was areporter, Dr, Ewer, nowaclergyman of New York, being 
 one of the editors. 
 
 In California he was joined by his life-long friend, Daniel Williams, 
 early associated with him at Plymouth, who followed him around Cape 
 Horn and shared his experience in Ei Dorado, With improved for- 
 tunes, they finally set out for home, by the way of Panama, At 
 Jamacia, Mr. DeCosta was left behind, and Mr. Williams came on 
 alone. The next steamer, however, reunited the two friends in 
 Charlestown. 
 
 Having now, in some measure, satisfied the love of adventure, they 
 formed a legal copartnership and established the Charlestown Adverti- 
 ser, Eventually Mr, Williams stndied Law, and was admitted to the 
 Bar of Massachusetts, while his old friend continued to edit the Ad- 
 vertiser for about twenty-five years; though not without the frequent 
 and valued aid of Mr. Williams, who still continues to employ his 
 graceful and facile pen in connection with the public press. In 1852 
 he married Ann Angusta Dennen, having one son and two daughters, 
 
 Mr. DeCosta was appointed Postmaster of Charlestown by President 
 Lineoln, which office he filled for eight years, to the great satisfaction 
 of his fellow-citizens, and the Department. Mr, DeCosta had com- 
 paratively a few intimate friends, although he enjoyed an exten- 
 sive acquaintance, but his strong friendship began with early life and 
 continued unbroken to the end, In his career of journalism, he en- 
 countered those feelings of partisan prejudice which are likely to arise 
 
6 
 
 between men in heated political times, but these passed away with the 
 occasions that engendered them. To indicate how superficial after 
 all are the veriances which spring up amongst public men, it may be 
 mentioned here that the flowers placed upon the coffin of the deceased 
 were brought by the representative of the rival local press, also identi- 
 fied with the opposition in national politics. . 
 
 Many who were repelled and prejudiced by the surface of reserve, 
 which was one of his strong peculiarities, in time found their way be- 
 neath it, and learned to know and respect the deep, honorable and 
 sterling qualities of his character, and wondered that they should have 
 been hidden from them for any time. 
 
 During the last years of Mr. DeCosta’s life, financial troubles came 
 thickly upon him, as upon thousands of others, and his closing days 
 were overshadowed by that solicitude which, under similar circum- 
 stances, every thoughtful head of a family must feel; yet there remain- 
 ed to him a source of tender consolation in the deep and strong affec- 
 tions which clustered around him and clung to him to the last, even 
 rebelling atthe thought of separation. He was a loving son, and one 
 over whom bent a mother of more than four-score years, who had lin- 
 gered in the expectation of seeing him spared to smooth her own 
 path to the grave. He was a tender and affectionate husband and 
 father, anda warm, true and unswerving friend, 
 
 There are many, outside of his own immediate relatives, missing 
 him from the daily walks of busy life, who will sympathize with them 
 in their bereavement, and echo the tender words of ancther: 
 
 “Oh! for the sound of a voice that is hushed, 
 And the tonch of a vanished hand,” 
 
7 
 
 Mr. DeCosta was a man of singular industry, uncommon persever= 
 ance and great decision. In conducting the press, he never took 
 counsel of fear. 
 
 It sometimes occurs that, after a wasting sickness, followed by death, 
 the character of the individual takes full possession of the features, 
 which then epitomize the life. Such was the case with him of whom 
 we write. As he lay in the coffin, awaiting the last rites, quiet and 
 peaceful as though reposing in sleep, and with those hands, so accus- 
 tomed to the sacrament of Toil, forever at rest, the soul seemed to 
 have returned, lighting up his countenance with the most remarkable 
 expression, and bringing out the whole character of the man. 
 
 The temperament of Mr. DeCosta was eminently cheerful, his man- 
 ners simple and unostentatious. He was quick to expose and denounce 
 public wrongs, and firm in his support of Republican. institutions, 
 Remarkably fond of Nature, his favorite recreations were found in 
 connection with his rod and gun. The Angler’s Club was one of the 
 few Associations with which, technically, he was connected. In the 
 old forests around Plymouth, in the pathless wilds of the Adirondacks, 
 or upon the Ocean, he was always at home. In the weekly rambles, 
 which he was accustomed to take with his family in the Medford 
 woods, he felt a certain nearness to Nature’s heart, observing all her 
 moods and being sensible to her admonitions. 
 
 After just six months of severe and unremitted suffering, endured 
 with gentle patience and fortitude, and marked by the most delicate 
 thoughtfulness and consideration for those who found it a privilege 
 to minister to him in his last hours, he passed away. Nothwithstand- 
 ing the many warnings, the end was sudden, and, at the moment, 
 
ee 
 
 8 
 
 titlexpected. At the evening hour, Death suddenly stole in, ad with- 
 out a struggle, his calm, courageous spirit was borne away. 
 
 The furieral service; according to the Ritual of the Protestant Epis- 
 copal Church, was said at the family residence in Medford, by his old 
 fiiend and Pastor the Rev: Thomas R. Lambert, 8. T. D., Rector of St. 
 John’s Church, Charlestown; assisted by the Rev. Julius H. Ward, 
 acting for the Rector of Grace Church, Medford, who was absent in 
 Europe. 
 
 The family and numerous friends followed the remains to Mount 
 Auburn, where the tepresentatives of the Charlestown Lodge of Odd 
 Fellows rendered the simple and beautiful service customary at the 
 grave of members of the Brotherhood. 
 
 Some things that the subject of this brief Memoir toiled for were 
 hot gained, yet a great truth underlies the family Motto: 
 
 ‘ST HAT WHICH IS DEFERRED 18 NoT Lost.” 
 
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