WILLIAM CUMING, M.D. 39 



(Cuming's MS. heading) comprises the names of " Thomas 

 Pitman, Captain-Commandant John Gale, Lieutenant," and 

 thirty-three members. The names of five members were added 

 in Dr. Cuming's hand. He drew his pen through eighteen 

 names and wrote " d'^' " or " dead " against four and "resigned " 

 against one. Among the members were a postmaster, three 

 yeomen, two labourers, and a journeyman. The rest were 

 tradesmen and artisans. 



A scrap of paper (endorsed " Ale house Supper Bills on 

 Mr. Foster's Account whilst a Candidate for Dorchester") 

 suggests that in the Dorchester taverns of the last age such 

 revellers were to be seen as Hogarth drew in his contemporary 

 picture of "An Election Entertainment." Pencilled on the face 

 of the paper are the words : " Expenses of IMr. Foster's Enter- 

 tainm^s at the difft Inns to his Voters." 



The whole amount disbursed was £"^3 15s. The inns 

 benefited by the outlay were: "Feathers" {i.e., Plume of 

 Feathers), Black Horse, Oak, Greyhound, Green Dragon, 

 Antelope, Crown, King's Arms, Phoenix, Red Lion, and 

 " 3 Tons" {sic). The largest sum {£12'^ 15s. 3d.) was secured 

 by the Phoenix; the smallest {£'^3), by the King's Arms. I have 

 merely to add that Mr. Thomas Foster, of Egham, Surrey, was 

 one of the members returned for Dorchester in the General 

 Election of 1761. 



Enough of such politics ! Another document in Dr. Cuming's 

 hand concerns an innovation which perhaps roused little less 

 warmth than did the plots of Gallithumpians. Four folio pages 

 (nearly filled) are endorsed : " Copy Petition presented to Dr. 

 Hume, Bp. of Bristol, 1757." The petitioners affirm " that the 

 old solemn Tunes, adapted to the Translations of the Psalms in 

 Metre," are " no\v-a-days in a manner quite laid aside, so that 

 they are seldom or never sung in Churches, particularly those of 

 this place (We would not be understood to mean that the Abuse 

 here complain'd of is confin'd to this place, since it has spread 

 itself over most of the Churches within your Lordship's Jurisdic- 

 tion in this County), where a few persons who, from what 



