Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 10.djvu/253

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

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years before he had seen her mother, his future wife. He wrote them at my grandfather's, and gave them to Lucy in the presence of my mother, to whom he showed them on the instant."

Mr. Hector not only stated that the verses in question were written in 1731 to oblige a friend of his own, to whom a lady had presented a sprig of myrtle, but added :

" I most solemnly declare, at that time, Johnson was an entire stranger to the Porter family ; and it was almost two years after that I introduced him to the acquaintance of Porter, whom I bought my clothes ot?'

Against this Mr. White urged :

" To the house and table of his intelligent and worthy master, young Johnson had ever familiar access, and was, consequently, well known to Mrs. Hunter, a daughter of the Porters, during those seven years which preceded the time from which Mr. Hector dates Dr. Johnson's first know- ledge of the Porter family. During those preceding seven years Mrs. Hunter's niece, Lucy Porter, visited her aunt at Lichfield, and became the object of Dr. Johnson's schoolboy love."

This sounds most reasonable, and I am inclined to believe it, without doubting the truth of Mr. Hector's statements. Johnson may have met Harry Porter's sister, as well as his little girl, some years before at Lich- field, and yet have remained " an entire stranger " to him and his wife, who lived in Birmingham. But this biings me no nearer to believing Miss Seward's tale as to the verses, the evidence against which seems conclusive.

Mrs. Elizabeth Seward, mother of Anna, and daughter of the Rev. John Hunter, died in July, 1780, aged sixty-six, so that in 1731 she would be about seventeen. But Anna Seward always dated Johnson's attachment to Lucy Porter as an incident of his "boyish days," or "schooldays," when both Elizabeth Hunter and Lucy were children of about ten or less. Mr. White, in his letter, says that Lucy Porter was four years younger than Johnson ; but aa she was baptized on 8 Nov., 1715, and died 13 Jan., 1786, aged seventy, we may assume that she was about six years his junior, which does not make Miss Seward's tale more credible.

The following were Mr. Hector's actual words of explanation as to the verses :

" The true history (which I could swear to) is aa follows: Mr. Morgan Graves, the elder brother of a worthy Clergyman near Bath, with whom I was acquainted, waited upon a lady in this neighbour- hood, who at parting presented him the branch. He showed it me, and wished much to return the compliment in verse. I applied to Johnson, who was with me, and in about half an hour dictated the verses which I sent to my friend."

Morgan Graves, I find, was the eldest son of Richard Graves, of Mlckleton, co. Gloucester, by Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Morgan. Richard Graves (1677-1729), who was an antiquary >f some distinction, had anticipated Dr. Johnson by leaving Pem- broke College without a degree. Morgan Graves matriculated on 10 May, 1727, aged eighteen, at University College, Oxford. In 1735 he was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple, and became a bencher in 1766. He succeeded his father at Mickleton, and died on 27 Dec., 1770. The lady in the Birmingham neighbourhood who presented him with the myrtle branch does not appear to have captured his affections, for he married Anne, daughter of James Walwyn,. M.P., of Longworth, co. Hereford. This, lady died on 11 July, 1791, "at her house in Worcester, in an advanced age," and leaving issue. The " worthy Clergyman near Bath " was the Rev. Richard Graves (1715-1804), poet and novelist, who was a Pembroke man. It may be noted that Mrs. Morgan Graves' s niece Anne, daughter of Richard Walwyn, married the Rev. Robert Foley,. and had a third son, the Rev. John Foley, who in 1804 married Martha, youngest daughter of Edward Hickman, J.P., of Oldswinford, son of Gregory Hickman, whose Johnsonian connexions are fully treated o in my book.* ALEYN LYELL READE.

Park Corner, Blundellsands, near Liverpool.

(To be continued.)

TURSTIN DE WIGMORE : TlJRSTIN FLAN-

DRENSIS. In the new ' Victoria History of Shropshire ' it is affirmed of Turstin d& Wigmore (p. 288) that

his tenure in Wigmore is unnoticed in Domesday,, at the date of which Earl William's castle there- was (like Cleobury) in the hands of Ralph de= Mortimer."

This is verbally correct, but his previous tenure of Wigmore is as fully declared in Domesday as his tenure before Domesday of Cleobury, e.g. from Domesday :

" The land of Ralph de Mortimer in the Hundred of Hezibree. Ralph de Mortimer holds the Castle. of Wigmore In Hesitree Hundred Ralph Mor- timer holds Duntune (Downton) This land was.

given by Earl William to Turstin Flaridrensis." " This land " refers to both Downton and Wigmore, and the two statements come together.

are derived from the 'D.N.B.'; Foster's 'Alumni Oxonienses ' ; Nash's * Worcestershire,' vol. i. p. 198 ;. Gent. Mag., 1771, p. 47, and 1791, p. 684; and Burke's ' Commoners,' vol. iii. p. 681.
 * The particulars of Morgan Graves arid his wife