Mr. URBAN,

THE

AN ENQUIRER.

Ipswich, April 18.

HE only one of the family of Wiseman with whom I was ever acquainted, was Sir William, the 5th Baronet, who died a Colonel in the Coldstream regiment of guards, in 1774. My family were, unquestionably, his nearest relations (but in the female line), as my paternal grandmother was a daughter of the second Baronet, and own sister to Sir William's father, John Wiseman; who pever had the title, as he died before his unmarried elder brother Sir Charles, whom Sir William succeeded. Being thus nearly connected with the family, Sir William left his whole fortune to his first cousin, Thomas Slisted, esy. of this place, with remainder to me. It consisted chiefly of an estate at Happisburgh, in Norfolk, which Sir William had purchased the old family-estate at Canfield having been sold long ago.

It is very extraordinary, that Sir William always told my family, he was the last male heir; and no less so, that after his death, in May 1774, no claim was made to the title before the year 1793. How it was then made out, I know not; but understand, thai it was claimed by descent from Edmund, the second son of the first Baronet.

I have always understood, that the person who took up the title lived in obscurity; but not in that wretched state of poverty represented by Indagator.

Upon the whole, it has been matter of astonishment to me, that my friend and kiusman, Sir William Wiseman, who was particularly well versed in Genealogical knowledge, should always have declared, that the title would die with him and that those

Mr. URBAN,

HA

CHARLES STISTED.

Gravesend, Sept. 15. AVING accidentally seen in your Supplement to vol. LXXX. Part I. an answer signed “Veritas,” to some questions respecting the Wiseman family, I was induced to peruse the former papers; and finding that Veritas has not so fully explained as Indagator appears to wish, have therefore taken the liberty (from being perfectly acquainted with the family) to add a few circumstances which have escaped Veritas. Thomas Wiseman (afterward Sir Thomas) did not, as Indagator states, support himself by chipping flints. Sir Thomas was an exciseman here; married in 1757, and had three sons; the eldest (Edmund) was a house carpenter in His Majesty's Naval Yard at Chatham, and died suddenly, as stated by Veritas, in May 1787; the second son (Thomas) from imprudence was necessitated to support himself by chipping flints at North fleet, in which occupation I understand he still continues, though in a larger way. This, I hope, will fully explain to Indagator, that it was not Sir Thomas, but his second son (named Thomas) who was a flint knapper; the youngest was, and I believe still is, a gunner in the Royal Navy,

Sir Thomas's sister married William Saltonstall, esq. an officer in the Ordnance department at Chatham, who very kindly gave the Baronet's two eldest sons, as Veritas states,

an appropriate education;" viz. such as is generally given to boys intended to support themselves by their daily labour. Sir Thomas, when embarrassed in pecuniary matters, always found a friend in his sister, Mrs. Saltonstall, who died lately, and disposed of her property to the present Baronet, with a sipall annuity to his grandfather, Sir Thomas.

As

As this family appears for many years to have been in low circumstances, perhaps Veritas will have the goodness to inform me in what degree of relationship Sir William, who died in 1784, stood to the late Sir Thomas, and the reason of the family-estates being in other hands; it appearing that Sir William must have imagined the title would become extinct in him; and consequently, must have been entirely ignorant of the existence of this present branch. Veritas mentions very little of the poverty of the late Baronet; but speaks much in praise of the honour, valour, and riches of the present.

Having given this explanation, which I hope will be sufficiently clear, in this one instance, for Indagator to write a book of such public utility as the History of decayed Baronets, c. I remain

Dec, 10.

Mr. URBAN, THOUGHTS on the best mode of perpetuating the memory of the completion of the year of Royal Jubilee.

"Blessed be the man that provideth for the sick and needy: the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble." AS our gracious and beloved Sove reign has completed the Fiftieth year of his reign, an event which has occurred only twice before in the annals of English history, it seems incumbent on the far-famed Loyalty and Generosity of the British Nation, to testify their pious gratitude to Providence, in a manner worthy of the first people upon earth; and which may remain to posterity as a monument of national munificence. I will not take up your space by a long encomium upon henevolence and humanity. Liberality is the characteristick of Britons. I will therefore briefly propose, that Charitable Fund be raised, for building and endowing an Hospital, or Infirmary, to be called "The Royal Jubilee Hospital of George the Third."

a

Let some person of consequence step forward as Patron of this truly Christian and humane project; and adequate contributions would, no doubt, soon be paid into the hands of the appointed agents, It is not in

the power of an obscure individual like myself to contribute largely; but I would most gladly give a humble Jubilee donation of Fifty Guineas, towards the proposed Hospital. Yours, &c. CLERICUS,

I

Mr. URBAN,

:

Dec. 14.

WAS much pleased with your account of Rivalx Abbey, in the Supplement to the First Part of your present Volume, and can speak to the accuracy of it, being just returned from a tour in Yorkshire, when I had an opportunity of visiting these fine Monastic ruins. I am no advocate for dressing up and ornamenting such scenery; but it is to be wished that the proprietor would direct somewhat more care to be taken to prevent the mischief done by the cattle, which have free ingress and egress to all parts of the remaining buildings but this by the way; The chief object of my present address to you is, to request that some of your Correspondents would favour your Miscellany with an accurate Drawing of this Abbey, as it now exists. It would be a very proper and suitable addition to the description given by an Observer; for, though your Editor refers to a View of it in a former Magazine (vol. LXXIV. p. 613) that View gives only a very imperfect idea of the ruins of Rivaulx Abbey, which, instead of being 7 miles, as the accompanying account in that Magazine states, may be considered as part of Duncombe park, within two miles of the house, and within three of the town of Helmsley. Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN,

SCRUTATOR.

Upper Grosvenor→ street, Dec. 31. RE you close your volume for

E 1910, I trust you may think the

following observations on Part 11. worthy of being inserted.

Fragmina de variis ex omni parte de

ceased, for whom he acts as execu tor) by laying a full and exact account of every particular respecting the business before the publick, through the medium of your widely-circulating pages; and this would, no doubt, save him the trouble of answering numerous enquiries which will be made, as the allotted time draws near.

P. 14. The letter of your Correspondent relating to Precedence, carries with it, in my mind, complete conviction. Though originally dis posed to differ with him, I am led, from the perusal of his able reply, and weighing the arguments adduced against it in p. 308, to say, that I cannot hesitate closing with the opinions of the former.

P. 39. The hint of S. H. C. respecting Duelling, is admirable; and, if passed into a law, would effectually check that vice, against which he speaks in so masterly a manner.

Ibid. Is the Correspondent in this page, Lord Stanley, son of the Earl of Derby? If not, he is very reprehensible in using his Lordship's signature. Many persons have of late adopted the foolish practice; particularly in the orders of vestries, city orders, resolutions, &c. of signing themselves with their surname only; a privilege legally used by Peers alone.

P. 103. Antiquarius, vol. LXXX. Part I. p. 610, was certainly in an error in his statement respecting the founder of the Folkes family; but he was right in affixing their settlement in England subsequent to the Revolution.

P. 207. The question of a Subscriber for a Quarter of a Century is not solved by Mr. Faulkner, as to the particular points which the enquirer sought after, relative to the family connexions, &c. of Sir Hans Sloane,

P. 309. In the 9th line from the bottom, instead of what we read, I am inclined to think it should run thus: The line from the second marriage of the first Viscount hath been to this day carried on by several families of Ireland, &c. because D. B. before said, when speaking of the marriages of the daughters of the first Viscount (viz. one to Lord Dormer, and the other to Sir Stephen Cassan) that he conceived it was from one of the three sons by the Viscount's second

ness.

P. 437. I agree with the intelligent Correspondent in this page, that the Current Coin might, with ease, and with wonderful advantage to Government, be made to pass at a value much beyond its real one. Such a measure might be adopted at the rate of 20 per cent. on a new Coinage; which would yield a tax double the amount of that on incomes, and might cause the suspension for some years, or entire abolition, of that very heavy tax, at least as far as relates to the deductions made from the interest of funded property, and from pensions under £70 or £80. a year, which, it stands to reason, ought not to be taxed at any time. This discount of £20. per cent. was some time ago in the contemplation of an able Financier, and it was supported by several opulent and leading men in the city. By it the real value of the Guinea would be 16s. 91d.; the Half-guinea 8s. 44d; the Dollar 4s. ; and the Shilling, about 94d; which would be more than a penny above the value of many now in circulation, cut out by silversmiths, and others. Who is there, let me ask, that would experience the least inconvenience in such a deduction? The common pur pose of traffick, whether amongst great traders, or amongst shop-keepers and their customers, could, to the full, be as easily carried on: add to this, the adoption of the plan would effectually bar the exportation of our coin. It has been justly remarked by a great Constitutional Lawyer, that

Mr. URBAN,

HE matter in

Dec. 10.

between a

Mr. URBAN,

Dec. 10.

AGRICOLA Surriensis, p. 533, no doubt means well by his friendly information about the · Plaid;” but Macpherson's "partycoloured garments" (no way described) cannot satisfy me in my doubts, whether Macbeth, in the 11th century, wore a dress similar to what Scotch soldiers do at this day. Look at Mr. Kemble's manner of dressing the Play of Macbeth. Nor will Sir Joseph Ayloffe's account of the antient Historical Painting at Cowdray ease me on this head. The " Bagpiper playing on his drone, followed by a number of men dressed in Plaids," is totally misconceived, as not one of them shew the least indication of a Plaid dress. I have this moment examined the Society of Antiquaries' engraving of the Painting; and I well remember the original at Cowdray, before it was destroyed by fire; and on re-visiting the spot in 1802, this very Scotch party was then remaining on the walls in tolerable condition. Each time I viewed the place, I always expressed my surprize, that the figures had nothing like the Scotch costume of our time. I sketched a few of the figures, which I have still by me, where was only

the