Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 7.djvu/516

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

vn. JUNE 29, 1901.

business from his descendants. Considering how frequently, as alluded to above, eminent musicians themselves, and sometimes their sons, were engaged in the music publishing trade, perhaps it will not be encroaching on space to mention that there was a John Simpson at the " Bass Viol and Flute in Swithin's Alley, opposite the East Door of the Exchange," to whom relate two adver- tisements in my possession describing " tunes," sonatas, &c., adapted to the violin and " Ger- man Flute " (see Daily Advertiser, 9 February and 22 May, 1742). Possibly this publisher was related to the eminent seventeenth-century musician Christopher Simpson, who, among other able treatises on musical subjects, wrote 4 Chelys Minuritionum,' printed in columns, English and Latin, 1665, folio, and dedicated to his scholar and patron Sir John Bolles. This contains instructions for the viol de gamba, an instrument popular in his time ('Biog. Diet, of Mus.').

J. H.OLDEN MACMlCHAEL. Wimbledon Park Road.

WE must request correspondents desiring infor- mation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, .in order that the answers may be addressed to them direct.

' AMERICAN HUSBANDRY.' Can any one inform me if a work entitled as follows, a copy of which is in the British Museum Library (numbered 43 c 20, 21), is by Arthur Young ? If not, by whom was it written 1

American Husbandry, containing an account of the soil, climate, production, and agriculture of the British colonies in North-America and the West- Indies, with observations on the advantages and dis- advantages of settling in them compared with Great Britain and Ireland. By an American. In two volumes. London, printed for J. Bew, 1775, 8vo.

A reference in Sabin's ' Dictionary of Books relating to America ' indicates Arthur Young as the author of this work, which, though purporting to be "By an American," was very evidently written by an Englishman. The query has been put to me by the sub- librarian of the Cornell University Library, Ithaca, New York. M. BETHAM-EDWARDS.

PORTRAIT OF LADY HARLEY. Can any reader of ' N. & Q.' kindly tell me whether any portrait is known to be in existence of Brilliana, daughter of Edward, Lord Conway, and wife of Sir Robert Harley] She was born in 1600, defended her husband's castle of Brampton Bryan for the Parliament, and

died in 1643. I should be greatly obliged to any one who could let me know whether there is any likeness of her, and if so, where it is to be found.

(Miss) GABRIELLE FESTING. 30, Queen's Gate Terrace, S.W.

SWEENY TODD. Can any reader refer me to the date of the existence of this individual, and also to the best report of his trial ? He was a barber residing near Fleet Street (I believe in the last century), convicted of a series of peculiarly atrocious murders.

M. H. T.

[No record of such personage or crime exists in criminal annals. A drama called ' The String of Pearls; or, Sweeny Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,' was popular at the East-End theatres, and was played so recently as 1878 at the Britannia Theatre, Hoxton. A belief that its story was true, and that the criminal was executed at Tyburn, long prevailed, but is apparently unfounded. The crime has some analogy with that of Sawney Bean in Scotland, which took place more than three hun- dred years ago. A similar history is related by M. Lurine in ' Les Rues de Paris ' as having occurred in the Rue des Marmouzets. M. Lurine adds : " Le temps n'effaga pas le souvenir du patissier homicide qui sert encore d'epou van tail aux petits enfants de la Rue deS Marmouzets." See under 'An Old Cockney Legend,' 5 th S. x. 227, 297.]

PETER DE LA PORT, DIRECTOR OF THE SOUTH SEA COMPANY. I am anxious for in- formation as to Peter de la Port, director of the South Sea Company, who, when tried and convicted with his fellow-directors after its failure in 1721, was, after a division in the House of Commons, allowed 10,0001. out of his estate of 17,7001. In later life he appears to have purchased from a Mr. Latton the estate of Burhill in Walton parish, Surrey, which he bequeathed to General John John- son, who commanded the 33rd Regiment at Dettingen, and died as their colonel in 1757. General Johnson is said to have been the son of a Turkey merchant. Is there any trace of the Johnson family in the records of the Levant Company and of the English factories in the Levant ? What relation was the general to Mr. Peter de la Port, or to the Sir Robert Johnson, alderman of London, who sat for the Monmouth Boroughs in several Parlia- ments of Elizabeth and James I., and who was inquired about ante, p. 413 1 Z.

STEWART FAMILY. On 2 April, 1801, Alexander Stewart, of Gosport or neighbour- hood, died while attending a parade or drill of local volunteers. I believe the Hampshire Telegraph was then in existence, and I shall be much obliged if any one who has access to a file of that paper will kindly let me know