Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 2.djvu/501

 ii. NOV. 19, low.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

413

the Banner,' quoted in the Universe about a month ago as " Anon." JOHN S. CRONE.

GRIEVANCE OFFICE : JOHN LE KEUX (10 th S. ii. 207, 374). I am greatly obliged to MR. WATSON for his reply ; but it is clear that John Le Keux of the Grievance Office in 1746 was not John Le Keux the engraver born in 1783. It is possible that he was the bank- rupt of 1733, but not probable, and in any case would require proof. Once more, then, I venture to ask, What was the Grievance Office? J. K. LAUGHTON.

I remember, somewhere about thirty-five years ago, hearing the expression "Grievance Office "made use of by a gentleman who held a superior position in the Inland Revenue Office at Somerset House. He was at that time acting as chief clerk in the Statistical Department of the Privy Council Office, popularly known as the Cattle Plague Office, then located at H.M. Stationery Office, Prince's Street, Westminster, where I was then a clerk. The gentleman alluded to Mr. Alfred Gibbs had received a deputation of dissatisfied clerks upon a question of remuneration for work done, and in the course of his reply he said, "Gentlemen, if

SDU go on like this it will become a second rievance Office." The expression he used has remained in my memory, and I should say that it is not unlikely that some of the older clerks in the Civil Service must have heard the expression, and be able to say something upon the point, as it would appear that a first "Grievance Office" must have been known to Mr. Gibbs, who has, however, been dead for many years.

With reference to John Le Keux, I would state that the burial register of St. Mar- garet's Church, Westminster, under 17 April, 1754, records the interment of a person of this name ; and on the wall of the south aisle of the church there is a very large and im- portant monument to the memory of the same individual. It has a bust under a kind of canopy, but as it is close up to the roof it is not easy to inspect it for the purpose of giving full details. The inscription is as follows :

" Near this place lies the Body of John Le Keux Esq r . | Whose Sphere of Action when alive, tho not exalted was extensive, For it comprehended | Whatever is endearing in Behaviour ; upright in Conduct; or amiable in Life | virtues that recom- mended him to | the Affections of his Friends, the Approbation of the Publick, y e Patronage of y e Great | By all whom he was lov'd, regarded, and esteem'd f Yet he liv'd to know by Experience | That y most usefull Abilities, with goodness of Heart alone to Support them | Are not always the

most Profitable to their Possessors | If he is now conscious of any Occurrences that now passes [sic} in this Life he must | be pleas'd to see this Monument erected by | Mrs. Margaret Grahame | At a time when in so doing, she could be influenc'd by no motive | But regard to his Memory. | Obt xii Die Aprilis A.D. MDCCLIV. ^tatis Ixxv."

The name of Le Keux is uncommon, and there- is little doubt that if the inscription is not to the memory of the person about whom PROF. LAUGHTON inquires, it is to a member of the same family ; or, indeed, it may be the same John Le Keux, "of London, merchant,"" who, MR. CHR. WATSON says at the latter reference, was in the list of bankrupts. The monument is very elaborate, and was un- doubtedly costly, and appears to have been placed here, as the inscription carefully points out, by a person outside the family circle, and one who must have experienced much pleasure in his friendship. I fear that) PROF. LAUGHTON may consider this as closely approaching the " guess " which he does nob want ; but it may perhaps throw a sidelight* and so be of some little assistance.

W. E. HARLAND-OXLEY. Westminster.

DUCHESS SARAH (10 th S. ii. 149, 211, 257,. 372). It would be very interesting to know the exact authority upon which trie extract from Mrs. Colville's book, 'Duchess Sarah/ p. 362, Appendix i., is based. This extract is headed, "A copy of St. Alban's Abbey Re- gister, showing date of Sarah's birth." A parish register, so far as I am aware, is never drawn up in the form of a chart pedigree, nor was it usual in the seventeenth century to enter the date of birth as well as that of baptism. But supposing the pedigree has- been compiled from information supplied by the register, when was the copy made, ana by whom ? According to Mrs. Thomson, who- says that Sarah Jennings was born on 29 May, 1660, the register of St. Alban's Abbey was destroyed by a fire which occurred on 14 September, 1743. This is confirmed by Mr. Steinman, who says (' Althorp Memoirs,' 1869, p. 52), u The date of * great Atossa's ' baptism, interesting to all, is for ever lost." It follows, therefore, that the notes, if any, on which the pedigree was drawn up, were- compiled before September, 1743. I presume that Mrs. Colville's book explains the doubt- ful points connected with the extract ; but as not only the date, but the place, of Sarah's birth, has often formed the subject of inquiry in * N. <fe Q.,' it is desirable that the authenti- city of the extract should be assured beyond nuestipn in these columns. Until this is done, it cannot be said that the evidence is