Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 8.djvu/343

 10 s. VIIL OCT. 12, 1907.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

281

LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1907.

CONTENTS. No. 198.

NOTES -Dr. Johnson's Ancestors, 281 Taxes in the Six- teenth Century, 283-Hoclgson's, 285 -Squire Bancroft- Sir William Treloar and B. L. Farjeon " Diabolo, 287 Vicar and Rector Old London Signs, 288.

OUEEIES : Warner Tombstone Burne- Jones Marshal

v Ney _'The Failures of Civilisation,' 288 Fitzroy, Duke of Northumberland Fleming : Lloyd: Wood Count Robert of Paris '-Camel Bibliography " Dys- peptic" History of Staff ord Eton House One- Act Plvs " World Turned Upside Down " " Politica del Carciofo "Gordon of the Surtees Society " Drive : " Ride "Sixteenth-Century Toys, 290.

REPLIES :' Sobriquets and Nicknames,' 290 "Balzo," 291 Unroofed Railway Carriages - Gerard Langbaine, 092 "Bumble-puppy" Hampstead Omnibus ' bnam Abraham," 293 "Rapids": " Water-break" "Jag Mahony Family Beer sold without Licence Clara Reeve, 294 Bidding Prayer Robin Hood Plays 'Bus, 29 5 "Goumiers" "Moral courage" ' Thiggyng Sheep Fair on Ancient Earthwork, 296-Nonjurors-Silk in the Bible Servius Sulpicius-Edward de V ere, 297- 'Nose of wax "-Botha-" Pot-waller "-"Place" in the House, 298.

NOTES ON BOOKS :-'Henslowe Papers' Bells Cathe- dral Series Reviews and Magazines.

llotes.

DR. JOHNSON'S ANCESTORS AND CONNEXIONS.

SINCE I issued my privately printed work on ' The Reades of Blackwood Hill and Dr. Johnson's Ancestry,' in June of last year, I have collected some more notes in illustra- tion of the Johnsonian section. My book was fortunate enough to win very high praise from a variety of critics, and I hope that these additional memoranda, slight though many of them be, may be considered worthy of record in the pages of ' N. & Q.'

Nathaniel Johnson. As long ago as 6 Oct., 1855, T. G. L., of Lichfield, communicated to 'N. & Q..' a brief note (1 S. xii. 266) saying that he possessed a letter written by the Doctor's brother, Nathaniel Johnson, to his mother at Lichfield, in which he alluded to Samuel " scarcely using him with common civility," and expressed his intention to " go to Georgia in about a fortnight. Dr. Birkbeck Hill mentions this in his edition of Boswell (vol. i. p. 90, foot-note). Mr. A. C. Lomax, J.P., of Lichfield, a veteran Johnsonian who treasures many precious relics of the Doctor bequeathed to him by his father, the writer of the note alluded to, has kindly supplied me with a tracing of this most interesting letter, carefully made by Mrs. Lomax. Mr. Lomax believes that Dr. Birkbeck Hill, when staying at Lichfield, made a copy of the letter ; but I am not

i .. '

aware that it has ever been printed before now* :

M Johnson Bookseller in

Lichfield.

HoN d MOTHER

I did not receive your letter soon enough Yesterday to send the Burton Shop Book by y e Carrier but I will send it next Week & with it all y e Bills that I can recollect to be Due either on Burton side or any where else. M r Gresley owes Nothing besides y Bill due to my Father you will find it in M r Gresleys Book I think y* Books where

y* State fof Salmon, Bibliotheca Bis bound

up in a Dark plain on y e Back is for M r Pincher

besides three or four Magazines Numbers of

Stackhouse's History in y* Shop both for Him

M r Wh of Egington M r Philips owes Not

They that want Magazines M r Morrice he owes

for a be M r Nichols he owes for 3 befor M r

Huchinson M r Whitam owes for an old Hudibras

2" these live all..:... Burton...... You may send to

M r Dymoke by ordering it to be left at M r Town- rows in Burton & to M r Philips by ordering it to be left at M r Shorthouses white Smith in Burton, I have neither Money nor Credit to buy one Q r of paper, It is true I did make a Positive Bargain for a Shop at Stourbridge in which I believe I might have lived happily & had I gone when I first de- sired it none or these Crimes had been committed which have given both you & me so much trouble. I dont know if you ever denied me part of y e Work- ing Tools but you never told me you woulq give or lend them me. As to My Brothers assisting me L had but little Reason to expect it when He would scarce ever use me with common civility & to whose Advice was owing y' unwillingness you shew d to my going to Stourbridge. If I should ever be able I would make my Stourbridge friends amends for y e trouble and charge I have put them to. I know not nor do I much care in what Way of life I shall hereafter live, but this I know y l it shall be an honest one and y* it cant be more unpleasant y" some part of my Life Past, I believe I sliall go to Georgia in about a fortnight, Cottons things I will send.

I thank you heartily for your generous forgive- ness & your Prayers which pray continue. Have Courage my dear Mother God will bear you through all your troubles If my Brother did design doing any thing for me I am much obliged to him & thank him give my Service to him & my Sister I wish them ooth well, I am Dear

Mother your Affectionate

and obedient Son

the letter was printed (though not in full, and with some trifling errors) in The Evening Standard for 7 Oct., 1904, in an article on 'Dr. Johnson and Lichfield,' by the Rev. H. B. Freeman, Vicar of Burton-on-Trent.
 * Since this was set up in type I have learnt that

t This omission, and those that follow, arise from the fact that one section of the letter is miss- ing, having split off at the folds.

I'lTwrll " ! ^