Page:Notes and Queries - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/16

8 NOTES AND QUERIES. something new to tell, and about whom I am still desirous to know more.

Sir John was buried in that masterpiece of Protestant church architecture, St. Stephen's, Willbrook, in London, as appears by the parish register:

"1726. March 31. Was buried S r John Vanbrough in y c North Isle."

Why was he buried in Walbrook? The inference is that his family was in some way connected with the parish; and this inference is confirmed by the parish register, for the following extracts from which I am indebted to Mr. Crosby:

1628. Sept. 25. Was bapt d William y sonn of Gillis Van Brugh and Mary his Wyff.

1631. Aprill 27. Gyles, the sonn of Gyles Vanbrugh, Marchaunt, and Margarett his Wyfe, was baptysed.

1656. Nov. 13. Was borne a still borne child of Mr. William Vaubruggs.

1657. Jan. 1. William, the sonn of Mr. William Van Brugg, Marchant, and Mary his wife, was baptised.

1659. July 6. Was born Dudley, the sonne of Mr. William Vanbrugge, Marchant, and Mary his wife, and was baptised the 13 th July."

These, I am informed, are the whole of the entries in the register of St. Stephen's, Walbrook, relating to the Vanbrugh family.

These extracts are important. Of Giles Vanbrugh, the son of a merchant in Walbrook, we sire told that he married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Dudley Carleton, of Imber Court in Surrey; hence doubtless the Christian name of Dudley mentioned in the above extracts.

Mr., of Chester, tells us ("N. & Q.," 1 st S. viii. 232.) that Giles Vanbrugh died at Chester, and was buried in Trinity Church, in that city, July 19, 1689.

Was this the father of the dramatist and architect? I suspect he was. Has his will been looked into?

I have examined Sir John Vanbrugh's will in Doctors' Commons. In his will he mentions two brothers, Charles and Philip (Captain Philip Vanbrugh is a subscriber, with Sir John, to Tickell's Addison, 4 vols. 4to., 1721), and three sisters, Mary, Robina, and Victoria. Two of these names are unusual. They should serve as a clue to the discovery of the father of the dramatist. Will Mr., of Chester, kindly inform me if Robina and Victoria are among the names of the daughters of Giles Vanbrugh, baptized in Trinity Church, Chester?

Let me add, that the extract from the Life and Death of Matthew Henry (1716), printed in "N. & Q." (1 st S. viii. 480.), confirms the supposition that the father of the dramatist was connected with the city of Chester.

Sir John wrote his name in three different ways: Vanbrook, Vanbrug, and Vanbrugh. I have seen instances of all three.

There were yet other ways of spelling the name. I have seen it as Vanbergh, Vanbright, Van Beringbrooke, and Van Berenbrocke.

Philip Van Berenbrocke was made one of His Majesty's Falconers by warrant under the signet, dated April 22, 14 Charles II., and was paid as such by the Treasurer of His Majesty's Chamber. Giles Vanbrugh (we are told by the biographers of the dramatist) was Comptroller of the Treasury Chamber. But this I doubt. Was there such an officer?

I will ask leave to add another note about the Vanbrugh family, hitherto unnoticed:

Register of Requests, 16601670, Add. MS., Brit. Mus., 5759.

"5 May, 1663. "John and James Vanbergh.

"That y r Pet rs are both twinnes, and borne in London, and for some yeares past have employed a stock left them by their grandfather in a course of merchandizing. Yet some, out of spight, go about to hinder their trading, in regard their rather was an alien, though their mother an English woman, and themselves have not attained y e full age of xxj yeares. P raves y r Ma'y^dispensacon w th their innocent disability, and that they be permitted to trade, &c. His Ma'y having beene moved in this Peticon, his pleasure is, that Mr. Attory, or Mr. Sol. Gen 11, doe pre- pare a Bill for his Ma'y royal signature, conts a grant and liberty to y e Pet" to traffiq, as by them is humbly desired."

{{right|{{sc|Peter Cunningham.}} {{sm|Kensington.}}

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{{c|ADDITIONS TO POPE.}}

In a certain periodical work which made its first appparance in the early part of the reign of George the third, and bore a title which somewhat reminds one of royalty, there are three pieces ascribed to Mr. Pope elsewhere yclept Alex- ander Pope, esquire, of Twickenham.

Two of the pieces are in verse, and the other is in epistolary prose. As the former are not in the editions of Wsirburton and Warton, nor in the sup- plementary volume *f 1807, nor in the Aldine edi- tion of 1851, they may have escaped notice, and I therefore give them the benefit of a re-impression :

" Lines written by Mr. POPE, in an arbour at a yent/eman' s country seat.

What are these noon-tide bowers, and solemn shades ?j Those gliding streams, and evening colonnades? But soft recesses for th' uneasy mind, To sigh unheard in, to the passing wind. So the struck deer, in some sequester'd part, Lies down to die, the arrow near his heart ; There hid in shades, and pining day by day, Inly he bleeds, and melts his soul away."

Dialogue on a birth-day in October, by Mr. POPE.

" MAMMY.

Pretty little baby stay Why come out on this cold uav ?