472
NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. xn. Dm 12, 1903.
churches, and at the last the registers only
commence in 1653. Sir Gifford Thornhurst
died 16 December, 1627, when Frances was
only two years of age, and his young widow
speedily gave her hand to Sir Martin Lyster,
Knt., of Thorpe Arnold, co. Leicester, by
whom she had a large family, the best known
of whom was Martin Lyster, M.D., F.K.S.,
the celebrated medical author.
Mrs. Jenyns bore anything but an enviable reputation. Mr. Steinman quotes several contemporary writers in support of her (bad) character, including Grammont and Mrs. Manley. She figures as Damareta, a character of peculiar infamy in 'The New Atalantis,' and the authoress goes so far as to say that she was conversant with a demon who gave her to understand the future. Swift gives her as bad a reputation as Mrs. Manley, and introduces her as "Mother Haggy" into his squib, 'The Story of the St. Albans Ghost.' Miss Strickland some- where finds that "she was not allowed to approach the Court on account of her in- famous character, although she had laid Charles II. under some mysterious obliga- tion " ( Lives of the Queens of England, 3 1847, x. 249 ; 1848, xii. 206).
The children of this lady were two sons, John and Ralph, who left no issue ; and four daughters : Susanna, who died young ; Frances, first the wife of George Hamilton, and secondly of Richard Talbot, created Duke of Tyrconnel by James II., known as "the white widow" in the romance of history; Barbara, the wife of Col. Edward Griffith, secretary to Prince George of Den- mark ; and Sarah, the celebrated Duchess of Marlborough. Mr. Jenyns died some time in 1668, as his effects were administered to, 29 May in that year, by Anthony Mildmay, his principal creditor, his widow Frances having renounced. She long survived her husband, and on 12 February, 1691/2, made her will (proved 11 January, 1693/4), leaving ail her manors, lands, personalty, &c., to her daughter Sarah, for her sole and separate use, so that her dear son-in-law, John, Earl of Marlborough, u although I love him from my heart," shall not intermeddle therein but be wholly debarred. The exact date of her death is unknown, as the registers of fet. Albans Abbey Church, where she was buried, were destroyed by a fire which occurred in it on 14 September, 1743 ; but it probably took place towards the end of 1693. There is no other portrait of Mrs. Jenyns than that m the Althorp Gallery, and this has never been under the hand of the engraver.
W. F. PKIDEAUX.
SCHOOL LIBRARY IN THE SEVENTEENTH
CENTURY (9 th S. xii. 388, 435). Thomas Leigh,
forty-seven years master of the Grammar
School at Bishop Stortford, was of Christ's
College, Cambridge, B.A. 1617-18, M.A. 1621
(see 2 nd S. xii. 208). During his rule, when
the school flourished exceedingly and pro-
duced many distinguished scholars, he founded
the school library, which afterwards became
famous, and to which the scholars were obliged
to contribute. This, and not necessarily pure
zeal for learning, may account for the in-
scription in the Bodleian copy of Alessandro's
- Geniales Dies,' evidently once there. The
book is not, I think, quite so unknown as MR. DODGSON supposes. There is a copy (e.g.] in this library (same edition as the Bodleian). It was a very popular book in its day, and just such a work as a zealous old-world school- master would recommend for out-of-school reading, being full of erudite, and at the same time entertaining, matter, though it would doubtless be considered anything but light literature in these degenerate days. Amongst Leigh's distinguished pupils was Sir Henry Chauncy, who reverentially refers to him in his ' Antiquities of Hertfordshire ' (i. 333) a reference repeated and extended in Cussans (i. 113). JOHN HUTCHINSON.
Middle Temple Library.
I well remember being present when a por- tion of the Bishop Stortford school library was dispersed by auction at Sotheby's (I believe) some few years ago. The reason of my vivid recollection is because I bought the. following volume and two other books for three shillings and sixpence ; they all had on the title-page " Thos. Leigh," written in a very neat hand. I take this to be the son mentioned at the last reference. My volume contained the following :
1. Amyntse Gaudia. Authore Thoraa Watsono, Londini. Impensis G. Ponsonbei, 1592. 4to.
2. Meliboeus Thomre Watsoni. Lond., 1590. 4to.
3. Principum ac Illustrium Aliquot Encomia
a Joanne Lelando edita. Londini apud I,
Orwinum, 1589. 4to.
Now the first item of these contains a two- page preface to Mary, Countess of Pembroke, and is signed C. M. This is perhaps the only specimen of poor Kit Marlowe's composition which was signed by him, and is undoubtedly his. It fetched ll. 2s. Qd. at Sotheby's a few months ago, and will no doubt rise in price. Hence my good memory. NE QUID NIMIS,
HAWTHORN (9 th S. xii. 268, 334, 437). I am unable to understand the drift of the last communication ; it seems to be a kind of special pleading, ignoring all the evidence. The point is that hawthorn may very well
