Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 12.djvu/381

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ii s. xii. NOV. is, 1915.] NOTES AND QUERIES.


373


LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1915.


CONTENTS.-No. 307.

NOTES : Leaves from the Diary of Viscountess Palmerston, 373 A Dean's Adventurous Journey in the Eighteenth Century, 374 Bibliography of Irish Counties and Towns, 375 Tonson Newgate Prison, Dublin, 376-Derivation of Hanwell. Middlesex Plays at Hampstead. 1709 " Dispatch " or "Despatch "George Wilkins and Shake- speare's ' Pericles ' ' The House that Jack Built,' 377 Rex, or St. George Rex Shelley's "Pecksie," 378.

QUERIES : Royal Artillery : Swedish Medal, 378 Matheus ap Ely as. Archdeacon of Anglesey Authors' Names Wanted Gavelkind in England James Hor- rocks Cornaro : Corner Eighteenth-Century Artist in Stained Glass Ledineton " Poverty Corner," Hyde Park "A stricken field "Samuel Douse of London, 379 Biographical Information Wanted Gospel for the Feast of the Assumption Shipton- under - Wyckwood, Oxfordshire An Essex Place-NameBarley and Blind- ness Verulam " Esses "Author Wanted " All's fair in love and war," 380 George III.'s Interest in Farming, 381.

HEPLIES : Knights made at the Coronation of Queen Anne Boleyn, 381 Churchill, 382 Coral and its Owner Napoleon's Bequest to Cantillon, 383 Rev. William Oughtred Authors Wanted ' Morte d' Arthur ' : K.n- chanted Troops of Horse, 384- Songs Wanted The Split Infinitive Tavern Signs: " Mother Huff Cap," 335 Swallow Street Chapel Inwood Family, 386 Theological Disputations by Means of Signs " Before one can say Jack Robinson," 387 Memorials : George Fox Anthony Twichener or Tuchenor Effect of Opening a Coffin "Podden Place," 388 Skull and Iron Nail The Collie - Cat Queries, 389' The Lady of Elche ' ' The Norman People,' 390 "To go west "Sisters of Bennet Langton Mr. Savory The Patients of Shakespeare's Son-in-Law, 391.

1SOTES ON BOOKS : 'Epigrams' ' Burlington Magazine.'

Books on America.

.Notices to Correspondents.


LEAVES FROM THE DIARY OF MARY, VISCOUNTESS PALMERSTON.

ON the publication of an article entitled ' Some Notes on Broadlands ' in the Hampshire Field Club Archaeological Society's volume for 1906, the writer received a very interesting packet of MSS. from " a former resident of Romsey,' 1 containing, among other notes, a small, neatly-bound diary for the year 1796, 41 once the property of the great Lord Palmerston's mother," in which there are many references to the youth of the famous statesman.

In Dr. J. Latham's MS. ' Collection for a History of Romsey,' under ' Broad- lands,'* it is stated that the estate passed

  • Add. MSS. British Museum, Nos. 26,774,

Dr. Latham was buried at Romsey in 1738. aged 97.


in 1736 from the executors of Sir John St. Barbe (first baronet) to

" Henry Temple, first Viscount Palmerston,* who died at the age of 84, and was succeeded by his grandson, Henry Temple, on June 10th, 1757. The latter, who was born December 4, 1739, married Miss Fanny Poole on the 16th of Sept., 1767, who died June, 1769. His lordship remained a widower until January 5, 1783, when he married Miss Mee, the daughter of Benjamin Mee, a merchant of London, by whom he had Henry John, born Oct. 20th, 1784, William, bom Janu- ary 20th, 1788, Frances, and Elizabeth."

In ' A Short History of Romsey,' edited by the Rev. F. G. Walker (1896), the second Lord Palmerston is described as

" a fashionable and much -travelled gentleman, a connoisseur and art patron ; his friend Sir Joshua Reynolds bequeathed to him his cele- brated painting 'The Infant Academy.' ... .The second marriage of this Viscount was a romantic one. Falling from his horse one day when riding in Dublin, he was carried into the house of a Mr. Mee, a complete stranger to him. The daughter of this gentleman became Lord Pahnerston's second wife, and the mother of the Prime Minister."

The Diary opens on 1 Jan., 1796, and continues day by day until the close of that year.

DIARY.

19th January. "Went with Thomas to ye Southampton Assembly. Very hot and crowded. Came away tired. Mr. Thomas slept at Broad- lands."

20th January. "Went to the Romsey As- sembly. A very good meeting of eighty-four people. "t

21st January. "The Prince changed horses at Romsey. Lord Palmerston asked him to come up " (to Broadlands), " but he " . . . (The rest is illegible.) " An hour afterwards Mr. Dane arrived with Mrs. Fitzherbert."

It will be remembered that " Mrs. Fitzherbert " was the daughter of Walter Smyth of Brambridge House, near Win- chester, and that her brother resided near Broadlands, at Little Somborne, adjoining Stockbridge. Her father, who was a younger son of Sir John Smyth, Bart., at his death in 1788 left her a considerable fortune. She was respectively the widow of Edward Weld of Lulworth, and of Thomas Fitzherbert of Swynnerton, and is said to have been married J to George, Prince of Wales, in 1785.

23rd January. " Captain Thomas. Lord Pal- merston, and myself dined at Cranbury Park"

  • Creation 1722.

t The Romsey Assemblies were held in a room in the old " Angel Inn," and were advertised in the local papers to take place in winter during " moonlight nights."

t 'Mrs. Fitzherbert and George IV.,' by W. H. Wilkins, 1905.