Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 1.djvu/292

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. i. APR. 9, 1910.

and Walter White's ' All Round the Wrekin of later years, ' Memorials of Shrewsbury, by Henry Pidgeon, Treasurer of the Shrews bury Corporation, 2nd ed., 1851 (1st ed., 1837) describes 41 a tabernacled niche, containing a fine statue of Richard, Duke of York, in complete armour one hand. . . .pointing to a device of three roses carved as growing on one stalk, and which armears on the Duke's great seal."

On another page it says :

" The Duke of York visited Shrewsbury with his son the Earl of March (afterwards Edward IV. ) .... A continued intercourse seems subsequently to have been maintained between the great Duke and the inhabitants of Shrewsbury, who evinced such attachment to him as to cause his statue to be placed over the gateway of the Welsh Bridge, and which, on the demolition of this structure, was removed to the end of the Market House, where it still remains."

I have seen no mention of any personal connexion of Edward III. with Shrewsbury ; and an itinerary prepared by competent hands at that place in 1906 stated that the statue is that of Richard, Duke of York.

W. B. H.

JOHN REYNOLDS, WILKES'S ATTORNEY.

IN the number of ' N. & Q. 1 for 15 March, 1862 (3 S. i. 210), questions were asked as to who was the Mr. Reynolds mentioned below, and where was his country house, and a reference is given to the following note of news from The Town and Country Magazine, 1770, p. 221 :

" Yesterday (18 April) the Committee of the supporters of the Bill of Bights settled all Mr. Wilkes's debts ; about six o'clock the same even- ing that gentleman was discharged from the King's Bench Prison, and immediately set out in -a postchaise, accompanied by his daughter, to the country house of Mr. Reynolds his attorney in Kent."

There was a general illumination all over the kingdom to celebrate his release.

To obtain his release his debts had to be paid. One account puts these roughly at 17,000?. ; but as many were compounded for (Almon's ' Wilkes,* 1805, vol. iv. pp. 7, 14), I should estimate them at nearer 30,000?.

Almon says that out of Wilkes's private income of 700?. a year an annuity of 1501. was payable to " Mr. Reynolds " his attorney, he having purchased the same for 1,000?. ; and 1,2002. was paid to him for law charges.

The answers to the questions asked are not easy unless one has the key. This I have lately found, and am able to give the informa- tion desired.

When we have the Christian name in place of " Mr." many difficulties are removed; but John Reynolds is quite a common name.

The ' ' Mr. Reynolds " inquired for was father to Frederick Reynolds the dramatist, whose 'Life 2 by himself was published in two volumes in 1826; a so-called "second edition," dated 1827, is simply the first edition with new title-pages, and a slight alteration in the dedication to the King. In the first he says : "I lay the present work at your Majesty's feet." In 1827 this is altered to " I humbly dedicate the present work." An engraved portrait of the dramatist, drawn in 1814, faces the title in the National Library copies ; but it is fre- quently missing. When I cite a volume and page, it is to this work I refer; and as there is no index, I have given exact refer- ences, which will enable any other inquirer to check my statements.

John Reynolds was born in 1728 (i. 4). His father was a rich merchant at Trow- bridge, Wiltshire, where he died at the age of one hundred years (i. 3, ii. 15), about 1789, leaving John Reynolds's three sons Richard, John, and Frederick 2,000?, between them.

John was articled in early youth (as was the custom in those days) to a London attorney named Pickering, but I have not been able to find any entry of this in the roll of attorneys at the Record Office. In 1750 he probably began to practise for himself.

About 12 Aug., 1752, he married "Miss West, ?i the daughter of a retired merchant in the City. When the merchant died, and what became of his fortune, Frederick does not say, but he sets out the bridegroom's receipt of 5,000?. as Miss West's dowry (i. 5).

Reynolds was a very popular man, of extraordinary humour and vivacity in con- versation ; captivating in his manners, and handsome in his person (i. 4) ; and though not much of a lawyer, he succeeded in getting clients. He always looked at the bright side of everything (i. 174).

His practice became so large that he took a house in Lime Street, his income then Deing some 5,000?. a year (i. 5, 8). Thomas afterwards Lord) Erskine called him the 'great attorney " (i. 119). Reynolds bought a country house called Southbarrow at Bromley, Kent, keeping his horses and carriages.

I have looked at several Law Reports in order to see if the name of Reynolds was mentioned, but it is not. Names of counsel are given, but not attorneys. In the trial ~ r " John Wilkes, Esq., against Wood " in

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