its own wiser counsels. Every one concerned at the time suffered by the non-recognition of Stewart's feat. I know, because my own little honour in connexion therewith was delayed about four years, and then granted in a shamefaced, backhanded manner to save the face of the powers that were at the time.
It is all nearly forty years ago now, and not very important history, but still your question has reminded me of an old controversy. Hence this note.
I do not give my name, as both Sir Donald Stewart and Lord Roberts were persona friends, and I worked for both. Therefore I do not wish to be drawn into any fresh controversy about them.
'The Vicar of Bray' (11 S. xii. 453; 12 S. i. 12, 72, 139).—In 1885 (6 S. xi. 167) Mr. G. H. Palmer wrote that the song refers to a
"period commencing in the reign of Charles II. and lasting until 'the illustrious House of Hanover.'"
He went on:—
"Now it is not so well known that there was a Vicar of Bray, unknown to fame, who was vicar during the exact period covered by the song …… His name was Francis Carswell …… He died in 1709."
A little later (ibid., p. 255) G. F. R. B. wrote:—
"If Francis Carswell died in 1709 …… I fail to see how he could have been the Vicar of Bray 'during the exact period covered by the song'; for as George I. did not come to the throne until Aug. 1, 1714, Francis Carswell would have been apparently unable to acknowledge him as his 'lawful king.'"
This year (ante, p. 12) Mr. Palmer writes:—
"It is not perhaps generally known that there was a Vicar of Bray who to a great extent coincides with the song."
He gives a copy of the very interesting inscription on Carswell's tombstone, in which it is recorded that he was Vicar of Bray for 42 years, and died in his 70th year, Aug. 24, 1709.
I wrote (ante, p. 72) that the dates of Carswell (and others) do not fit in with a vicar alleged to have lived temp. Charles II-George I. Now (ante, p. 139) Mr. Palmer writes: He [Carswell] therefore, as I said before, is contemporaneous with the song." Presumably "before" refers to 1885.
There are six stanzas in the song. The fifth begins:—
When George in pudding-time came o'er.
The last refers to the "illustrious House of Hanover," and to "George my lawful king." I cannot see how a vicar who died five years before George I. landed in England can have been contemporaneous with a song of which two-sixths concern George I., who at the time of Carswell' s death was merely Elector of Hanover. That Carswell "to a great extent coincides with the song," i.e., with four-sixths of it, is evident, but he does not coincide with the whole song.
In November last the present Vicar of Bray wrote to me, in reply to an inquiry about Carswell, saying:—
"If Kerry's statement is true that Carswell's successor was instituted to the vicarage Sept. 29, 1709 ('Hundred of Bray,' p. 59), this seems further evidence that Carswell did not remain Vicar of Bray till 'George in pudding-time came o'er.'"
There was a little error in my reply (ante, p. 72). Cuthbert Bede was not the only correspondent in 6 S. xi. who went to the original source of the story about the "officer of Col. Fuller's regiment." A correspondent using the initials H. S. (p. 255) also went to the source.
The date of the institution of Simon Allen's predecessor was not, as Mr. Palmer supposes, 1522-3, for William Staverton was instituted 1548-9. Allen graduated at Oxford, 1539. These two facts should but of course will not finally dispose of the tradition that Allen was the "versatile" vicar.
Mr. Palmer may learn some of Simon Allen's story from an article by myself in The Home Counties Magazine, ii. 181.
Richard Wilson (12 S. i. 90, 158).—I am much obliged for the reply of your well-informed correspondent W. B. H. It had not occurred to me to identify the "Dick" Wilson, said by John Taylor to have been "an early friend" of Lord Eldon, with the Richard Wilson who is said to have "married" a daughter of Lord Rodney, and who seems to have been a tempestuous character. This Richard Wilson appears to be the hero of the tête-à-tête history in The Town and Country Magazine of May, 1789, vol. xxi. 3. 195, entitled 'The Treacherous Host and Miss R,' i.e., Rodney. According to his account, he was a married man and eloped with the admiral's daughter from Bath, which is corroborated by a paragraph in The Rambler's Magazine of May, 1789, vol. vii. 199:—
"[May] 15. The daughter of a noble Lord has eloped from Bath with a married man! The seducer, who had previously dissipated a fortune of 30,000l. received with his wife, has since aggravated this outrage by writing to his Lordship, and
