290
NOTES AND QUERIES. [io* s. in. APML is, IMS.
the county which gives the title to the Duke of
Richmond the latter, erroneously also, claimed by
some south-country folk to refer to Surrey.
"The song was sung by Incledon at Vauxhall Gardens, then in the last days of their glory. Incledon is said to have sung the song in such a fascinating manner that it led to a superior and permanent engagement at Covent Garden Theatre, where he first appeared in October, 1790, as Dermot in the ' Poor Soldier.' The heroine of the song was Frances I'Anson. She was born at Leyburn, \ork- shire, on October 17th, 1766, and was baptised at Wensley on November llth, 1766. These dates, and also the date of her marriage and death, are on record in the College of Arms. The heralds also officially recognise Frances I'Anson as the heroine of the above song. In vol. vii. of 'The Visitation of England and Wales,' edited by the late Dr. Howard, Maltravers Herald Extraordinary, and Mr. Crisp, F.S.A., of Denmark Hill, London, pub- lished in 1899, there is a portrait of Frances I'Anson.
" Frances was the daughter of William I'Anson, who had married Miss Hutchinson, of Hill House, Richmond, Yorkshire, where they afterwards re- sided. Miss Hutchinson was an heiress, and brought her husband a fortune of lO.OOOZ. A few years later the family removed to Bedford Row, Bloom sbury, London, where he was known for many years as an eminent attorney of the Court of King's Bench. They retained Hill House, Richmond, as their country house. It was at the house of her father VI XT ord Row that Miss I'Anson first met Leonard MacNally. The words of the song which MacNally wrote in her honour sufficiently express his feelings towards her, and it is satisfactory to learn that the pair were shortly afterwards married, and, we hope,
- lived happy ever after.'
"The family of I'Anson is, according to Burke, descended from a family of that name in France, with the title of Marquis or Count de Tourban. bir Bryan I'Anson was knighted by King James. He was living in 1633. The I'Anson family is con- nected by marriage with the following families : Marquess of Normanby, Hampton-Lewis (of Bodior, Anglesey), and Biddulph. The nearest representa- tive at this day of the ' Lass of Richmond Hill' is Dr. William A. I'Anson, of Dentou Hall, North- umberland.
Hill House, the old family seat of the I'Ansons at Richmond, stands on the highest point of ground above the town. In later years this house was occupied by Sir Ralph Milbanke Noel, whose only daughter became the wife of Lord Byron, the cele- brated poet. Many of the poet's letters and verses were addressed to Miss Noel at the Hill House, Richmond.
n/ <T n he brother of the 'Lass of Richmond Hill,' ,noX T T mas I Anson was Mayor of Richmond in 1780. He lived in the Priory House at Richmond, which was built by Mr. Wynn, grandfather of another celebrated Yorkshire lass Dorothy Wynd- low Pattison, better known as ' Sister Dora '
"London." "G. SEVERS, M.R.C.S.
CHAS. F. FORSHAW, LL.D.
Baltimore House, Bradford.
This complex subject is divisible into three sections, viz., the individual "Lass." *^~ locality, the " song."
I 'd crown resign to call her mine,
Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill.
the
Claimants herein are Miss Cropp, of Rich-
mond, Surrey (she formed the subject of a
song, with a pun on a "plentiful crop" of
babies) ; Mrs. Fitz - Herbert ; Miss Smith ;
Lady Sarah Bunbury, nee Lennox, so a
Richmond in propria persona, ; Hannah
Lightfoot; Miss I'Anson, of Richmond, Yorks.
Of these, the "crown" commemorated in
song applies to King George III. when
young, as confirmed by the Lennox and
Lightfoot insertions. The question of locality
is limited to the two counties here defined.
The "song" has been ascribed to Leonard
McNally, an Irish barrister, born 1752, died
1820 ; it was produced at Vauxhall in 1789,
from music set by James, father of the mer-
curial Theodore Hook : and rival claimants
to the verses are named Maurice and Upton.
But McNally married the Miss I'Anson above
named, to whom he ascribed his inspiration.
I am informed that a distinguished ecclesio-
logist named Warren, who contributed to
4 N. & Q.,' was connected with the I'Ansons,
and his relatives may be induced to produce
evidence herein. A. HALL.
" THE GENTLE SHAKESPEARE " (10 th S. iii. 69,
169). As the propounder of the query on the
above subject, may I be permitted to thank
those writers, including the contributor of
the editorial foot-note, who have so kindly
endeavoured to remove the doubts and satisfy
the "obstinate questionings" which sug-
gested it, and to explain why none of their
kindly efforts has brought me peace of
mind ?
And first as to the friendly foot-note. I was aware, of course, of the dictionary mean- ing of the word "gentle," as indicative "of a character appropriate to good birth." But my difficulty in regard to its application to Shakespeare was that he (if the Stratford man) was not "a man of good birth." I was also aware that the adjective was a term of compliment applied (chiefly by poets) to ladies, maidens, and certain classes of persons as shepherds engaged in callings for which gentleness of manner and disposi- tion was a conventional qualification. But Shakespeare (of Stratford) was not one who could be included in this category. And if he was not this, and if he was not (according to Jonson) either heraldically or naturally " gentle," I am still left in dubiety.
MR. REGINALD HAINES seeks to reassure me, apparently, by disputing the facts out of which my doubts arise. He maintains that the Shakespeares of Stratford were entitled to bear arms, and that William was, both in that respect and by disposition, entitled to
