Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 8.djvu/550

 452 ...NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s.vm. JUNE 4. 1921. Katherine Legay (dau. of Isaac and Esther Behout), married, Aug. 2, 1631, at St. Nicholas Aeons, Tho. Butler. (See the Registers by W. Brigg.) Their son, Jacob Butler, bap. 1633, became a wealthy Barbados merchant. In 1637-8, Feb. 24, Jacob Legaye, brother-in-law to Mr. Tho. Butler, and Katherine had "Banes" pub- lished : " Mistaken " (sic). Jacob Butler of London, merchant ; will dated 1669, p. 1670 (45 Perm), names cozen Samuel Legay son of cozen Isaac Legay. Cozen Isaac Legay had 120 and was overseer. In the churchyard of St. Michael's Cathedral, Barbados, is a slab recording the deaths of Benjamen Le Gay, merchant and ensign of Militia, June 7, 1676, eel. 27 ; Eliza, wife of John Legay, Sept. 25, 1677 ; also John, husband of Eliza, July 14, 1685. St. Anthony Montserrat. Buried, 1725-6, March 19, Valentine, a Slave of John Legayes. Jamaica. John Legay : will recorded in 1731 in the island. Barbados. 1721, Jacob Le Gay (205 Buckingham). Barbados Record Office. In the Probate Office are the following wills : Jacob Legay, 1685 and 1688. John Leggay, 1685. Jacob Legay, 1728 ; Benjamin, 1736 ; Jonathan, 1738; Ann, 1747; Jane, 1787. (No more names to 1800.) V. L. OLIVER, F.S.A. Weymouth. PETTY FRANCE (12 S. viii. 407). - M. E. W. credits me with thinking that the name Petty France is far older than the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. In my little book on Westminster to which M. E. W. refers, I stated it as a fact, not an opinion merely, though, as M. E. W. justly says, I did not give any reason. The earliest instance I have so far met with is in a lease dated 1518 from the Abbot and Convent of Westminster of a tenement in Le Petty- ffraunce by St. Mary Magdalene's Chapel. The thanks which M. E. W. conceives to ba due to the L.C.C. should be sent to the Westminster City Council. H. F. WESTLAKE. To the very pleasant [note at 'this reference permit me to add that' the derivation of the name is said to be (Mackenzie Walcot, 'Memorial of Westminster,' p. 288) "where the French Merchants lived who came over to trade at the Staple " (Petty Calais). Before me is a pencil drawing of the house, garden, and neighbouring garden, made in 1834, which shows the tablet referred to by M. E. W,, then above a ridge and wall which partly fronts the roof. ALECK ABRAHAMS. THE NEW THEATRE, HAMMERSMITH (12 S. viii. 408). The existence of this theatre at the date of its playbill (1785) need not be questioned if it is realized that only a " fit -up " or short season in some existing building was the requirement. Such " ex- pedient' theatres were not uncommon. Hampstead had at least one season of the drama in Hampstead Square, but the most remarkable instance was the thea re at Parkgate in Cheshire. There was no local requirement ; the village was more insigni- ficant even than Hammersmith ; but numerous and wealthy possible patrons were constantly en route to and from Holy- head and Dublin. Perhaps some such body of patrons en route to Bath was the reason of the exist- ence of the theatre at Hammersmith.- ALECK ABRAHAMS. In The Times of May 5, 1921, was printed a facsimile of the playbill of the first per- formance in this theatre from a copy in the possession of Mr. Nigel Playfair, of the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith. It an- nounces : The New Theatre, Hammersmith, Will be Open'd on Friday next, June 10, 1785, with The Beggar's Opera. ... To which will be added a Farce, call'd All the World's a Stage. The actors were Mr.. Wright, Mr. Waldron, Mr. Follett, Mr. and Mrs. Benson, Mr. Payne , Mr. Macdonnel, Mr. Alfred, Mr. Brown, Mr. Howard, Mrs. Monk, Mrs. Wellman, Mrs. Davenett, Miss Clark and Miss Cran- ford. FREDK. A. EDWARDS. SIR HANS SLOANE'S BLOOMSBURY HOUSE (12 S. viii. 211, 277, 312). One letter in the Sloane MSS. is addressed to Sir Hans " 3 doors from the Duke of Bedford's in Bloomsbury Square." This is the most specific direction so far noticed, and still places his house in Great Russell Street, as Bedford House occupied the whole of the north side of the square. The contents of the letter are not devoid of interest, as evidence that at least one prejudice has been killed in the course of two centuries : 25 Jan. 1727. I most humbly take the liberty of writing to you knowing that you are very ready to give your advice. I am a young man about 18 years of age who has always been sub- ject as long as I can remember to a great weak-