246
NOTES AND QUERIES, no s. vm. SEPT. 28, 1907.
John Foxton died 14 Feb., 1829, aged
sixty. The Gentleman's Magazine, xcix,
pt. i. 282, states that he had been chief exe-
cutioner at Newgate for sixteen years, but
adds that he officiated at the hanging of
Bellingham in 1812, which, if true, points to
a longer period of office. This does not
agree with the statement in The Morning
Chronicle that Botting did not retire till
about 1820. Foxton executed Thistlewood,
Fauntleroy, Hunton the Quaker, and Corder.
On the last occasion he had an altercation
with the authorities of Bury St. Edmunds
Gaol, who ventured to criticize his methods,
and whose interference he resented. See
- An Authentic and Faithful History of the
Murder of Maria Martin,' J. Curtis, 297- 302.
John Cheshire. This individual, yclept "' Old Cheese," who is referred to in The Morning Chronicle, 1 Oct., 1837, as the assistant of Botting, is said to have been the assistant also of Foxton, whom he suc- ceeded (Gent. Mag., xcix. pt. i. 282). His term of office must have been brief, for Cal- craft was appointed hangman soon after Foxton's death. In the article in ' Many- Coloured Life ' Cheshire is described as " a wretched ruffian " much addicted to drink ; and Major Griffiths has given him a similar character. " Horrible stories are yet told of the fiendish delight, even when a feeble old man, which he seemed to take in his wretched office," wrote MB. W. PINKERTON at 2 S. xi. 315.
William Calcraft. The career of this celebrity, who was public executioner for a period of forty-five years (1829-74), is set forth in the 'D.N.B.'
William Marwood, who succeeded Cal- craft, has also received a notice in the " D.N.B.' He died in September, 1883.
HORACE BLEACKLEY.
HODGSON'S, 1807-1907. No more interest-
Ing celebration has been held in the commer-
cial book world than that which took place
last night at the house of the Hodgsons,
.the well-known book auctioneers in Chan-
cery Lane, when friends met to com-
memorate the centenary of the founding of
the business. The Hodgson firm has been
entirely a family one since 1828, a fact
almost unique in the history of the book
trade.
In the little budget of history presented to each guest at the celebration dinner a short history of the firm and its founders is
given. With the exception of Kobert
Saunders, who began the business, the
members of the firm have been Hodgsons ;
and among the valuable records possessed
by them is a complete file of catalogues
(with the exception of a single year) of all
the sales they have held, priced through-
out. How interesting it would be to make
a selection from the entries, say, of the first
fifty years, and place against the amounts
then obtained the prices realized in the
present day ! As readers of ' N. & Q.' know
well, there has been a large advance almost
all round. Especially has this been the
case with the First Folio Shakespeare. In
the booklet is quoted Dibdin's remark as to
the sum obtained (121Z. 16s.) in 1812 : " The
highest price ever given, or likely to be
given, for the book " ; yet, as will be remem-
bered, 3,6002. has recently been paid for a
copy, and Messrs. Hodgson rightly remark
that " he would be a bold man who would
say, even now, that the highest limit has
been reached."
How different were the prices obtained when Lilly, of King Street, Covent Garden, was wont to pride himself on having the largest collection of early Shakespeares of any bookseller!
Saunders's first rooms were at 14, Old Compton Street ; but in May, 1808, he moved to 39, Fleet Street, formerly the site of " The Mitre Tavern," and exactly opposite the old church of St. Dunstan, where crowds constantly collected, as my father has often told me, to see the two life-size savage figures strike the hour. As mentioned in our obituary notice of Lord Aldenham last week, these were bought by Lord Hert- ford when the church was pulled down in 1830.
The first sale of importance at the Fleet Street house was that of the library of John Mac Diarmid, author of ' The Lives of British Statesmen.' This was followed by the dispersal of many other private collec- tions ; but the most important of all was the David Garrick Sale, the books being removed for the purpose from his villa at Hampton and his house in Adelphi Terrace. The sale began on Shakespeare's birthday, 1823, and lasted ten days. Among the lots was a copy of Hogarth's works which fetched 100Z. It is curious to relate that a few of the books then sold were again sold by the Hodgson firm as recently as Feb- ruary, 1902.
On Lady Day, 1829, Messrs. Hoare the bankers, requiring to extend their premises, bought 39, Fleet Street, and the Hodgson
