142 



NOTES AND QUEKIES. 



[2nd s. No 86., Aug. 22. '57. 



The gentle Jamie never perhaps dreamt that his 

 favourite book might act as a double-edged tool, 

 but so it has ; and the book which by royal pro- 

 clamation almost deified the Stuarts, is now made 

 to serve the ends of George I., who, with his suc- 

 cessors, and armed with this authority prepared 

 to their hands, finally put down the claims of the 

 family ;. so divinely set up by Dr. Mocket, or 

 whoever wrote the book.' J. O. 



JUDGE JEFFEETS S HOUSE IN DUKE STREET. 



One of the objects of " N. & Q." being to pre- 

 serve any literary waifs and strays which a reader 

 may come across, I send for insertion in its co- 

 lumns the following curious history of the building 

 of the house in Duke Street, Westminster, which 

 was formerly occupied by Lord Chancellor Jef- 

 freys. It is contained in a little 12mo. volume, 

 devoted to the history of the sufferings of prisoners 

 for debt, which bears the title of, — 



" TTie Cry of the Oppressed, being a True and Tragical 

 A.ccount of the UnparalleVd Sufferings of Multitudes of 

 poor Imprisoned Debtors, in most of the Gaols in England, 

 under the Tyranny of the Gaolers, and other Oppressors, 

 lately discovered upon the occasion of this present Act of 

 Grace, For the Release of Poor Prisoners for Debt, or Da- 

 mages ; some of them being not only Iron'd, and Lodg'dwith 

 Hogs, Felons, and Condemned Persons, but have had their 

 Bones broke ; others Poisoned and Starved to Death ; others 

 denied the Common Blessings of Nature, as Water to Drink, 

 or Straw to Lodg on ; others their Wives and Daughters at- 

 tempted to be Ravish'd ; with other Barbarous Cruelties, not to 

 be parallel'd in any History, or Nation ; All which is made 

 out by undeniable Evidence. Together with the Case of the 

 Publisher. London : Printed for Moses Pitt, and sold by 

 the Booksellers of London and Westminster, 1691." 



The copy from which I quote is an imperfect 

 one, not having any pictures (which I believe 

 ought to be in it, though the announcement of 

 them on the title-page is defaced), and concluding 

 abruptly at p. 148. 



The quotation from it which I enclose is from 

 The Case of Moses Pitt, Bookseller, which forms 

 the second part of the work, and I venture to 

 forward it, believing it will be of interest to the 

 future historian of Westminster, and to Mr. Foss 

 or any future biographer of Jeffreys. Ts. 



"Among several Houses I built, both in King-street, 

 and Duke-street, Westminster, I built a great House in 

 Duke-street, just against the Bird-Cages in St. Jame's- 

 Park, which just as I was a finishing 1 Lett to the Lord 

 Chancellor JefFeries, with Stables and Coach-Houses to it, 

 for 300/. per Annum. After which, when he the said 

 Chancellor came to see the House, (Alderman Duncomb 

 the great Banker being with him,) and looking about 

 him, saw between the House and St. James'-Park an idle 

 piece of Ground: he told me, he would have a Cause- 

 Koom built on it. I told him, that the Ground was the 

 King's. He told me, that he knew it was, but he would 

 Beg the Ground of the King, and give it me ; he also bid 

 rae make my own Demands, and give it him in Writing, 



the which I did, and unto which he did agree, and com- 

 manded me immediately to pull down the Park- Wall, 

 and to build as fast as I could, for he much wanted the 

 said Cause-Eoom. My Agreement with him was, That 

 he should Beg of King James all the Ground without the 

 Park- Wall, between Webbs and Storeys inclusive ; which 

 said Ground is Twenty Five Foot in bredth, and near 

 Seven Hundred Foot in length, (to the best of my Me- 

 mory,) for Ninety Nine Years, at a Pepper- Corn per An- 

 num, which he the said Lord Chancellor was to make over 

 the said King's Grant to me for the said Number of Years, 

 without any Alterations, with liberty to pull down, or Build 

 on the King's Wall, and to make a Way and Lights into 

 the King's Park, according as I pleas' d. In Consideration 

 of my Building on the said Ground of the King's, and the 

 said Lord Chancellor's Enjoyment of it, during his Occu- 

 pation of the said House. All which the Lord Chancellor 

 Agreed to. For that purpose sent for Sir Christopher 

 Wren, Their Majesties Surveyor, and myself, and Ordered 

 Sir Christopher to take care to have the said Ground 

 Measured, and a Plat-form taken of it, and that Writings 

 and Deeds be prepared for to pass the Great Seal. Sir 

 Christopher Ask'd the said Lord Chancellor, in whose 

 Name the Grant was to pass, whether in his Lordship's, 

 or Mr. Pitt? The Chancellor Reply'd, That the King 

 had Granted him the Ground for Ninety Nine Years, at a 

 Pepper-Corn per annum, and that he was to make over 

 the said Grant to his Landlord Pitt for the same Term of 

 Years, without any Alteration, in consideration of his 

 said Landlord Pitt Building him a Cause Room, &c., and 

 his the said Lord Chancellor's Enjoying the same, during 

 his living in the said Pitt's House ; and withal urg'd him 

 the said Pitt immediately to take down the King's Park- 

 Wall, and to Build with all Expedition, for he much 

 wanted the Cause-Room, and that I should not doubt 

 him, for he would certainlj' be as good as his Agreement 

 with me. My Witnesses are Sir Christopher Wren, Their 

 Majesties Surveyor, Mr. Fisher deceased, who belong'd 

 to Sir C. Harbord, Their Majesties Land-Surveyor, Mr. 

 Joseph Avis my Builder, Mr. Thomas Bludworth, Mr. 

 John Arnold, both Gentlemen belonging to the said Lord 

 Chancellor, and several others ; upon which I had a War- 

 rant from Mr. Cook, out of the Secretary of State's Office, 

 in the Lord Chancellor's Name, with King James Hand 

 and Seal, to pluck down the King's Wall, and make a 

 Door and Steps, Lights, &c., into the Park, at Discres- 

 sion ; which said Warrant Cost me 6/. 5s. Upon which, 

 in about Three or Four Months time I Built the Two 

 Wings of that Great House which is opposite to the Bird- 

 Cages, with the Stairs, and Tarrass, &c., which said 

 Building Cost me about Four Thousand Pounds, with all 

 the inside -work; my Work-Men being imploy'd by the 

 said Lord Chancellor to fit up the said House, and also 

 Offices, and Cause-Room, for his Use ; for all which he 

 never paid me one Farthing. 



" When I had finished the said Building, I demanded 

 of him several times my Grant of the said Ground from 

 the King ; he often promis'd me, that I should certainly 

 have it ; but I being very uneasie for want of my said 

 Grant, I wrote several times to him, and often waited to 

 speak with him, to have it done ; but at last 1 found I 

 could have no Access to him, and that 1 spent much time 

 in waiting to speak with him, altho' I Liv'd just against 

 his Door; and also I considered, that he could not be 

 long Lord Chancellor of England, King William being 

 just come, I got into the Parlour where he was, many 

 Tradesmen being with him that he had sent for, I told 

 him, that I did not so earnestly demand my Rent of him, 

 which was near half a Year due, but I demanded of him 

 my Grant from King James of the Ground we had agreed 

 for, in consideration of my Building. He told rae, That 

 he would leave my House, and that he should not carrj' 



