Page images
PDF
EPUB
[graphic]
[merged small][graphic][merged small][merged small]

Mr. URBAN, Shrewsbury, Aug.13. ILLO's celebrated Tragedy of

L

George Barnwell having by some been imputed to fiction, and by others to an event said to have happened at Camberwell; and the whole still remaining in apparent obscurity; the following observations, which arose from visiting a place near Ludlow in Shropshire, may be deemed worthy of notice by the curious. The place alluded to is called Hucks Barn, a short mile from Ludlow, on the Leominster road, which is said to have been the residence of the Uncle of George Barnwell; and a plot of land near it still bears the appella. tion of Barnwell's-green, so named from his waiting there to rob his uncle, as he returned from Leominster fair; near to this green is a wood, or thicket, in which he perpetrated the horrid deed. The following extract from the old ballad will farther corroborate the fact of its being at or near Ludlow:

"Nay, I an uncle have;

At Ludlow he doth dwell:
He is a grazier, which in wealth
Doth all the rest excell *."

The Uncle might reside in Ludlow, and keep the house and land in his possession at Hucks Barn for the convenience of keeping cattle, and as an occasional residence, which is the case with the present possessor. The house is likewise a pretty clear index to the ballad, it being, according to its general appearance, of the time of King James I. From the above observations it seems evident, that the Play was founded on a sad catastrophe that really happened at this place. Thinking a view of the house, in which the unfortunate Uncle of the infatuated Barnwell occasionally resided, would be worth preserving in Mr. Urban's Museum, I have enclosed one taken at the time I visited the place, July 2, 1805. (See Plate I.)

A

D. PARKES.

Mr. URRAN, Shrewsbury, Aug.14, S you have recorded, and given delineations of many trees, remarkable for size, or some history attached to them, I am induced to send you a drawing of The Shelton

* See Percy's "Reliques of Antjent Poetry," vol. III. p. 260.

GENT. MAG. October, 1810,

Oak (See Plate I.) not more remarkable for its size, than its traditional history.

Mr. Gough, in his edition of Camden's Britannia, introduces the following notice of it:

"About a mile and a half from Shrews

bury, where the Pool road diverges from that which leads to Oswestry, there stands an antient decayed Oak. There is a tra dition that Owen Glendwr ascended this tree to reconnoitre; and finding that the King was in great force, and that the Earl of Northumberland had not joined his son Hotspur, he fell back to Oswestry, and, immediately after the battle of Shrewsbury, retreated precipitately to Wales."... This tree is now in a complete state of decay, and hollow, even the larger ramifications. It is visited by many people, from the above tradition. A gentleman whom I accompanied was so charmed with the old tree, that he gave it the name of Owen Glendwr's Observatory, and wrote the annexed inscription for a brass plate to be fixed to the tree:

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

"Sacred to the memory of Philip Deane, late Commander of His Majesty's Packet King George, and one of the Capital Burgesses of this Borough; who died 29th April, 1806, in the 53d year of his age,

Also of his son Philip Deane, who succeeded him in the Command of the Packet. He was detained at Helvoetsluys at the Commencement of Hostilities in 1803, and marched as Prisoner of War to Verdun in France, where he died on the 5th Sept. 1807, aged 32 years, universally regretted by all his unfortunate fellow-sufferers, to whom his urbanity of manners, and goodpess of heart, had rendered him deservedly

dear."

[blocks in formation]

The mother, as also a brother and sister, of Sir Philip Stephens (see vol. LXXIX. p. 1284) were buried at this place, as appears by the following Inscription upon a neat Altar Tomb, surrounded by light iron palisades, at the Southern part of the Churchyard:

"Here lieth interred the body of Ellis Stephens, widow of Nathaniel Stephens, Clerk, who died 18th August, 1763, aged 75 years.

"Also Tyringham Stephens, esq. (one of the Counissioners for victualling His Majesty's Navy) their son, who died 10th February, 1768, aged 53 years.

"Also Grace Stephens, spinster, their daughter, who died 14th March, 1783, aged 65 years."

The following List of Benefactions is transcribed from a board over the South door of the Chapel:

"Benefactions to the poor of y3 parish,

1667. Mrs. Offley by her win, £. 8. gave to the Poor of Harwich for ever, out of the rents of the Unicorn Inn in Holbourn, an annuity of....

1717. Mr.John Rolfe by his will gave the summ of £50. the interest thereof to be for pplyed yearly towards the Education of Two Foor Children....

ever

1727. Mr. Dan. Smyth, sen. by his will gave the sumin of £60. the interest thereof to he for ever applyed yearly towards the Education of Three Poor Children.....

1730. Mr. William Godfrey by his will gave the sumin of £25. the interest thereof to be for ever applyed yearly towards the Education of One Poor Child...

..

210

50 Q

60 0

25 0

Mrs. Mary Wiseman, by her will dated Jan. 3, 1758, bequeathed £30. capital part of her joynt stock in the Old S. S. Annuities, the annual interest to be equally distributed between 24 Poor Widows of this Parish."

And on another board directly opposite to the above, "Henry Bickerton, Churchwardens. Giles Baker,

}

This Chapel was repaired An.Dom. 1712-13. The Charges amounting to £350. Benefactions: Sir Thomas Davall, knt. late Burgess in Parliament.

50

[blocks in formation]

The steeple of this Chapel *, in consequence of its being, at a late survey, pronounced in a decayed and dangerous state, was taken down, nearly in a level with the Dials, in March last, and at a meeting lately convened to take the subject of rebuilding it into consideration, it was resolved, + that, in place of re-erecting, it in its original form, the part which still remains should have a parapet raised round its sides, and be roofed over; in consequence of which, only three of the six bells that formerly hung in the tower, are now to be re-hung; and therefore, as long as this steepie (the spire lately on which, from time immemorial to the period. of its being demolished in March last, has tended "to guide the skilful mariner through his devious course") continues in that state, we shall be deprived of their melodious sound on all national rejoicings, as well as at every other tome of public festivity.

These bells are all modern, bearing the date 1752, with the founder's name (Thomas Gardiner of Sudbury), together with the names of the then Churchwardens. On one of them is the following lines:

"Tho. Gardiner ded us cast,

Will sing his praise to the last.
1752."

Since writing the above, a neat Mural Monument has been erected on the South side of the Chancel, to the memory of Lieut.-Col. Donaldson, of the Ist regiment of foot-guards, who fell a victim to the fatigues he underwent on the Expedition to Walcheren.

"To the memory of
Lieutenant-Colonel

Gordon Graham Donaldson, of the first regiment of foot guards, this Monument is erected by direction of his brother-officers, as a testimony of their esteem. He died, most sincerely regretted, on the 7th of September, 1809, on his return from the Scheldt, in the 34th year of his age." Henry Westmacott, London. R. R. B.

Yours, &c.

* See a View of this Chapel in Gent. Mag. vol. LXXVL. p. 1097.

+ This Resolution is now carrying into execution.

Mr. URBAN,

August 28.

YOUR Correspondent D. H. in his

description of Hornsey Church, p. 17, mentions "two angels holding shields, with the see of Canterbury; impaling, Gules, three Escalops, with a Goat's head, above a fess Or;" which he takes to be the armorial bearings of William Warham, Bishop of London, and Archbishop of Canterbury; and, although not blazoned in the most correct manner, are evidently intended for the arms of that Prelate. But in the Plate annexed to that article there is a remarkable difference: the first angel supporting a shield, containing the see of Canterbury, impaled with a field lozengé (that being the nearest guess I can make); and the second, the see of London, impaling three Escalops, on a Chief a Mullet. The contradiction of the print and description being so great, I would be glad to be informed which is to be referred to, as most resembling those at Hornsey. I should rather take those which are impaled with Canterbury to be the arms of either Archbishop Morton or Dean, who possessed that see while Warham was Bishop of London. Warham succeeded Thomas Savage as Bishop of London, A. D. 1500 (who was translated to York), and Henry Dean, as Archbishop of Canterbury, 1504, and held that see twenty-nine years. HENGIST.

Yours, &c.

*** We shall be obliged to this gentleman for the Drawing he mentions.

Mr. URBAN, LLOW me

V

Sept. 10. the liberty of correcting a small error in the description of Rivalx Abbey, given in your vol. LXXX. p. 602. After specifying the dimensions of the Nave and Choir, which shew them to be of unequal lengths, it is added, "the Transept and Tower form, therefore, an exact cross in the centre of the building;" whereas the figures in the statement demonstrate the contrary. The fact is, that, being unacquainted with the exact size of the building, I mentioned in that account, as a matter of conjecture, the above two parts to be of the same length, and drew the inference accordingly as to the Transept; but Mr. Buckler kindly supplied the dimensions after the paper had passed into your hands, which occasioned the contradiction alluded in a series of ages.

to.

:

to. I am glad thus to acknowledge exertion or talent of venturing from my obligations to him for this valua-home, or increasing their patrimony ble addition, as well as for his pointing out in the account some Anglo-Norman remains in the Transept, which had escaped my attention. And I may well congratulate the publick on the excellent illustrations which have appeared in his Engravings of our Cathedrals and Monastic Buildings, amongst which, that of Rivalx ranks as a very interesting one.

Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

AN OBSERVER.

Aug. 31.

CONSTANT Reader, p. 14,

I write this, Mr. Urban, in a hurry, being at this moment unable to refer to books; but, as Heraldry has occasionally formed a part of my reading, I am almost certain that, in Guillim's Display, he gives to Colonels the Precedence of simple Knights; but what matters his authority, or Blackstone's, or any other? for your Correspondent, the "Constant Reader," has candidly confessed he will not allow of any opinion that does not coincide As for Here

A expressed himself very unhands ditary worth, in despite of ten mil

somely when speaking of the Precedence of Military men. He seems to forget that the greater part of the Colonels in the Army, and Post Captains of the Navy, are the sons and relatives of the most noble and respectable families of the United Kingdom. When he tauntingly speaks of the sons of tailors and stone-masons, &c. &c. attaining that rank, so far am I from under-rating the pretensions of these gentlemen, that I consider them in the first class of subjects, and infinitely more honourable in their pursuits and claims, than one hundred generations of Country Squires, even though they had displayed a coach and four at every County Election for the greater part of that period. It appears to me very rational and just, that a Captain of the Navy, or a Colonel in the Army, should have considerable rank in that State in whose defence he exposes his life in every quarter of the Globe, and to whom is entrusted the charge of a ship or a fort, and the constant superintending management of a thousand of our fellow countrymen.

When the active worth and weighty responsibility attached to these gentlemen is duly considered, it is very possible that the publick will allow them the Precedence of the Hidalgo breed of mere Country Squires, whose greatest exertion has most probably been in promoting a Turnpike Bill; or a florid display of Elocution at a Parish Vestry. As Honours are, generally speaking, the only rewards of Military men, Country Squires may allow them undisturbed possession, and quietly doze away their lives in their imagined consequence; because, forsooth, they have neither had the

lions of quotations, daily instances occur of the woeful degeneracy of families; nor do I know a more execrable wretch than he, who, born with every advantage of family and wealth, cannot preserve his fame and respectability; nor a more contemptible man than he who piques himself on his consequence, because he possesses what belonged to his family ten centuries ago: it is at best but a negative qualification, if unattended with active worth. MILES TRIM.

Mr. URBAN, HE following

TH

Sept. 13. notices of the fa

mily of Browne, and their marriages, previous and subsequent to their settlement in Ireland, will, I trust, prove interesting to some of your Readers, extracted from an antient book of pedigrees in my possession, Dugdale, Camden, and others. The first person of much note of this family, which has been long settled in England, though now extinet in this country, was Anthony, who, in the reign of Queen Mary, was created au English Peer by the title of Viscount Montacute, or Montague; he was commissioned by Parliament to go on an Embassy to the Pope, in order to reduce this realm to an union with the Church of Rome; and in the 2d of Elizabeth, his Lordship, and the Earl of Shrewsbury, were the only Peers who voted against the abolition of the Pope's Supremacy. Hemarried twice; first, Jane, daugh.of the Earl of Sussex; and had Anthony, his son and heir, and a daughter Mary, married to Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton; next to Sir Thomas Heneage; and thirdly, to Sir William Hervey, created afterwards Lord

Ross

« PreviousContinue »