ROBERT POCOCK. 119 



te Sunday, February 3rd. In evening a man called 

 on me for information about Hume, the ropemaker, who 

 lays claim as the presumptive heir to the earldom of 

 March mont. 



" Monday, 4th. Dull, but fine. Settled with John 

 Hobcraft. Heard the Thames, East Indiaman, was 

 lost near Eastbourne, in Sussex : very sorry to hear 

 this, as the principal owner, Mr. Blanchard, is a worthy 

 gentleman, an acquaintance of mine. Settled with 

 Mr. Thorowgood's Rider, and spent the evening at the 

 New Inn. 



tc Tuesday, 5tli. Clear morning ; windy in night. In 

 evening Mr. Stevens (the dean of Rochester's brother) 

 and a Mr. Smith called to know if I could give them 

 any account of the old Mr. Hume's papers (which are 

 lost), by which it is said the younger Hume is kept 

 out of his estate and title to the earldom of 

 Marchmont ; but as they would not pay me for my 

 trouble in searching over my papers I declined looking 

 for them, observing to the dean's brother that as Hume, 

 the claimant, was borrowing money from many 

 persons and spending it lavishly among the watermen 

 at Billingsgate, and riding about the country, I 

 thought I might have some for my trouble as well as 

 his throwing it away so profusely. They left me 

 Hume's pedigree. 



" Thursday, 7th. Fine, sunny. Heard that Mr. 

 George P. was dead in the workhouse. He had 

 long been very poor, and had been in the gaol of 

 Maidstone, where it is said he refused money sent him 

 from his brother, as his proud spirit would not brook 

 receiving any from that quarter, since he said his 

 brother unjustly withheld what he was entitled to. 



