Bij the Rev. A. C. Smith. 



9 



Newton, still sanguine of success, urged me to persevere, and con- 

 fidently predicted ultimate triumph : and sure enough I had no 

 sooner addressed a letter of enquiry to the Editors of the two 

 principal local newspapers, the " Devizes Gazette " and " Devizes 

 Advertiser " when a Mr. and Mrs. Brown, of Market Lavington, 

 replied, and gave the welcome information that the unknown author 

 was Mr. John Legg, and this was soon afterwards corroborated by 

 two other independent witnesses, who very kindly wrote to the same 

 effect. 



The name of our author once ascertained, of course it was easy to 

 follow up his history so far as it could be gathered, though very 

 meagre and scanty are all the particulars I could gain. Indeed the 

 marble tablet, erected to his memory in the chancel of Market 

 Lavington Church, gives the chief details as follows : — " Sacred to 

 the memory of J ohn Legg, son of the late Richard and Jane Legg 

 of this town, who departed this life April 5th 1802 aged 47," and 

 then follow the names of his sisters, " Jane Legg, who died Nov. 

 14th, 1816 aged 68." "Mary Legg, who died Deer. 29, 1830, 

 aged 80." And " Elizabeth (widow of the Rev. John Palmer, 

 Vicar of Fordington, Dorset), who died Nov. 13, 1829, aged 71." 



The property which once belonged to our author at Market 

 Lavington still remains in the possession of his family, and though 

 there are no members of it who bear his name now residing in the 

 parish, the lands and houses are still owned by a lady of advanced 

 age, whose mother before her marriage bore the name of Legg ; and 

 at her decease will, I understand, revert to one of the same name, 

 his great nephew, Mr. Henry J. Legge, now residing at Hollyfield, 

 Surbiton Hill, Surrey, where I believe the family have for gene- 

 rations been settled. 



The only other relatives of whom I can learn anything were his 

 brother the Rev. Joseph Legg, who was for about fifty-four years 

 Perpetual Curate of Maddington, also his son, Richard Henry 

 Legge (nephew to our author) ; and his niece, the late Mrs. Fowle, 

 of Market Lavington, whose sole surviving child (Mrs. Ludlow, of 

 Dorchester) at present holds the Legg property at Market Lavington. 



It has been stated that John Legg belonged to a branch of the 



