Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 32.djvu/419

Legge easy, and not without a certain kind of dry humour. Legge took the additional surname of Bilson in 1754, pursuant to the will of his father's first cousin, 'Leonard Bilson of Mapledurham in the county of Southampton, esq., by which the inheritance of that ancient family, on the decease of Thomas Bettersworth Bilson, esq., descended to him' (inscription on his monument in Hinton Ampner Church). He became the grantee of the forests of Alice Holt and Woolmer by the purchase of the term which expired in the lifetime of his son. Legge married, on 29 Aug. 1750, the Hon. Mary Stawel, the only daughter and heiress of Edward, fourth and last baron Stawel (created 1683), who by letters patent, dated 30 May 1760, was created Baroness Stawel of Somerton in the county of Somerset. By her Legge had an only child, Henry Stawel Bilson-Legge (1757–1820), who succeeded his mother in the new barony of Stawel, which became extinct upon his death without male issue on 25 Aug. 1820. Legge's widow married secondly, on 11 Oct. 1768, Wills Hill, first earl of Hillsborough, afterwards created Marquis of Downshire [q. v.], and died in Hanover Square, London, on 29 July 1780. Legge's grand-child, Mary Stawel Bilson-Legge married, onn 11 Aug. 1808, the Hon. John Dutton, afterwards second Baron Sherborne, and died leaving issue on 31 0ct. 1864. A portrait of Legge in his robes as chancellor of the exchequer, by W. Hoare, is in the possession of the present Lord Sherborne. It has been engraved by R. Houston. Several of Legge's letters are printed in the Chatham and the Bedford correspondence respectively. His correspondence with the Duke of Newcastle, formerly in the possession of the Earl of Chichester (Hist. MSS. Comm. 3rd Rep., pp. 222, 223). and a number of other letters written by him and his wife are preserved at the British Museum (see Indices to Catalogues of Additions to the Manuscripts, 1836–53, 1854–76, 1882–1887).

 LEGGE, THOMAS (1535–1607), master of Caius College, Cambridge, and Latin dramatist, born at Norwich in 1535, was second of the three sons of Stephen Legge, by Margaret, daughter of William Larke. He matriculated from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in November 1532, but shortly afterwards migrated to Trinity College, of which he became scholar in 1555; he graduated B.A. in 1556–7, became fellow of Trinity, supplicated for incorporation at Oxford in 1566, and proceeded M.A. in 1560, and LL.D. in 1575. In 1568 he became fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, where he was noted as an active tutor, and of the old way of thinking in religious matters. On 27 June 1573 he was appointed master of Caius College, and took with him thither many of his pupils from Jesus College. Some time between 1563 and 1574 he was regius professor of civil law, but he does not seem at any time to have been, as is sometimes stated, regius professor of Hebrew. At Caius Legge's conduct soon brought him into trouble. He secured the election of one Depup to a fellowship, though Dr. Caius disapproved of the appointment because of Depup's leanings towards the old religion. He seems about 1581 to have been committed to the Fleet for treating with contempt certain letters from the queen. These probably had reference to his habit of encouraging north-country Romanists in his college, conduct which formed the subject of an accusation made against him by the fellows, in a letter to Burghley on 31 Jan. 1581–2. The fellows also charged Legge with misappropriating the college funds, and with using ‘continuall and expressive loud singinge and noyse of organs,’ to the disturbance of the students. A visitation was held, and the matter seems to have been settled. About May 1579 Legge had been appointed commissary to the university; in 1587–8 and in 1592–3 he was vice-chancellor. On 16 May 1590 he was admitted an advocate at Doctors' Commons; about 1593 he became master in chancery, and in 1597 he was a justice of the peace for Cambridge. Legge died on 12 July 1607, and was buried in Caius College Chapel, where there is an effigy and an inscription to his memory. His portrait is in the master's lodge, and has been engraved. By his will