472 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2°d s. VII. June 11. '59. 



the less said the better. The next note upon the 

 History oC Bartholomew Fair is upon the trial of 

 Harper, founded on aifairs of the Royal Theatre 

 in 1733. It has no kind of association with my 

 narrative. 



It is then said that " Bullock is spoken of as the 

 proprietor of a booth, but we are not informed 

 that he was the celebrated actor William Bul- 

 lock." Dr. Rimbault quotes a note on this 

 actor from Steele (omitting to inform us that he 

 was the celebrated Richard). So did I;. only I 

 chose what I thought the most graphic allusion I 

 could find. I quoted also a contemporary dia- 

 logue, in which Bullock is called " the best come- 

 dian that has trod the stage since Nokes and 

 Leigh, and a fellow that has a very humble opinion 

 of himself." The accidental omission of his Chris- 

 tian name shall be repaired on the first opportu- 

 nity. Though clearly enough displayed as the 

 Bullock of Tatler and Spectator, I will mark 

 him off from possible or impossible confusion with 

 Christopher, his son, by special mention of his 

 Christian name in any new edition of my book. 



As to Gibber in the Fair, I am disposed at once 

 to accept Dr. Rimbault's correction. The only 

 authority just now within my reach is Geneste's 

 History of the Stage, which cites the Bartholomew 

 Fair booth for 1733 as "Gibber's," &c., without the 

 T., and I had other evidence misleading in the 

 same direction. But Dk. Rimbault's possession 

 of a bill which says expressly " T. Gibber," I take 

 to be decisive. All probability was against Gib- 

 ber's acting at the fair in any year, and I am 

 thankful to have good authority for making this 

 correction. 



Dr. Rimbault next says that I take great cre- 

 dit to myself for " the discovery of Fielding's con- 

 nexion with Bartholomew Fair." I should as 

 soon think of taking credit to myself for the dis- 

 covery of gravitation. That Fielding, in the early 

 part of his career, had a booth in the fair was known 

 as an indefinite fact. My "researches, very imper- 

 fectly carried out," show how early Fielding began 

 to keep a booth in Smithfield, and account for him 

 at BartholomewFairforeveryyearfrom 1728, when 

 he began, to 1 736 ; stating what he produced on each 

 occasion. There was no record accessible to me 

 for 1737, but after this date it could be shown 

 that Fielding (who had joined an Inn of court) 

 ceased to maintain his booth at the George Yard 

 in Smithfield. That was all I could possibly have 

 had to say of Fielding without passing beyond the 

 limits of my subject. Dr. Rimbault says that he 

 had a booth at Tottenham Court Fair in 1738, and 

 refers to Geneste. I have looked into Geneste, 

 and am unable to find the fact under that date ; 

 but if it be there, I can only say that however 

 interesting in itself, I have, as far as concerns 

 Bartholomew Fair, nothing to do with it. The 

 verses from the Grub Street Joiaual, with which 



Db. Rimbault closes his corrections, tell only at 

 great length, and with much dulness, what I had 

 said enough about in briefer prose. 



To the other papers promised us by Dr. Rim- 

 bault I shall look forward with pleasure. Infor- 

 mation that I want is welcome always ; informa- 

 tion that I do not want, other people may be glad 

 of; and an author, if be be at all in earnest, when 

 he has made any mistakes, can desire nothing 

 more fervently than that there should be some- 

 body at hand willing to correct them. 



Henry Mohley. 



4. Upper Park Road, 

 Haverstock Hill. 



OLIVER CROMWELL AND HIS SONS. 



In The Kentish Mercury of Saturday, April 15, 

 1859, a correspondent states, under the head of 

 " Felstead Vicarage and School : " — 



« On Sunday last, the Rev. R. B. P. Stanley, formerly 

 for seven years curate of the parish church of Greenwich, 

 was inditcteS into the living of Felstead, Essex. The 

 late vicar was presented to the living in 1797, and ceased 

 to reside in 1815. The village of Felstead is a long and 

 somewhat straggling one. In its churchyard," says the 

 writer, " are the mortal remains of three of the sons of 

 Oliver Cromwell, one of whom was educated at the 

 Grammar School ; the new buildings of which are now 

 about to be erected at a cost of about 15,000/. The 

 school, which is of three lumdred years' standing, and has 

 at present seventy-five boys and live masters, four of 

 whom are in Holy Orders, will then have one hundred 

 and fifty, and double the number of tutorial staff. It is 

 one of the best charities in the count3\" 



Some of your numerous statistical and clerical 

 readers, — perhaps the new incumbent of Felstead, 

 whose removal from this parish is I'egretted, both 

 as a neighbour and a pastor, — may afford some 

 information as to these "sons" of England's great 

 Protector ? As I never read of his having more 

 than two sons — Richard, his successor in the Pro- 

 tectorate, and Henry, whose Memoirs, with those 

 of their distinguished father, were published about 

 thirty years since by their descendant Oliver 

 Cromwell, great-grandson of Henry, Lord-Lieu- 

 tenant of Ireland, who inherited the paternal pro- 

 perty of the second Protector, of Theobalds, and 

 died at Cheshunt Park, Hertfordshire, May 21, 

 1821, in the eightieth year of his age. 



Living in my boyhood .with my father in the 

 adjoining village of Broxbourne, I knew these 

 celebrated residences well, and have often heard 

 tell of the old gentleman, of whom all spoke well, 

 although with the qualification of his being the 

 descendant, and bearing the same name as the 

 chief of English regicides. King Charles's Mar- 

 tyrdom was always kept as a solemn fast, and 

 Royal Oak Day as a grand festival. 



James Elmes. 



Greenwich. 



