DRAKE, THOMAS, brother of William Drake (adm. 1738, qv); b. 25 Jul 1727; adm. Sep 1735 (Playford's); KS 1741; Brasenose Coll. Oxford, matr. 23 Feb 1744/5; BCL 1751; DCL 1759; ordained; Rector of Amersham, Bucks. , from 26 Oct 1753; Rector of St. Luke’s, Chelsea, Middlesex, from 3 Aug 1770; m. 31 Mar 1755 Elizabeth, dau. of Isaac Whittington MP, Orford, Suffolk, a Clerk in Chancery; d. 12 Apr 1775.
Playford's
18 People & Organisations results for Playford's
COWPER, WILLIAM, son of John Cowper (qv), and his first wife; b. 15 Nov 1731; adm. Apr 1742 (Playford's); left 1749; articled to a solicitor 1750-2; adm. Middle Temple 29 Apr 1748, called to bar 14 Jun 1754; fell in love with his cousin Theodora, but the marriage was forbidden by her father; contributed verses to various papers; a member of the Nonsense Club, chiefly composed of Westminster men who dined together weekly; migrated to Inner Temple, adm. there 17 Jun 1757; owned chambers Inner Temple 1757 - still 1781; a Commissioner of Bankrupts (occurs in annual lists 1758-65); Clerk of Journals, House of Lords c. May - Nov 1763; the stress brought on by his acceptance of the appointment caused a suicide attempt and nervous breakdown; an inmate of Nathaniel Cotton’s private lunatic asylum at St. Albans, Dec 1763 - Jun 1765; lived with the Unwins at Huntingdon 1765-7 and subsequently with Mrs Unwin at Olney, where he was employed by the Rev. John Newton as a sort of lay-reader and district visitor; composed hymns, a number of which are printed in Newton’s Olney Hymns, 1779; became engaged to Mrs Unwin; again deranged 1773-5 and for part of that time a guest in Newton’s house; occupied himself in gardening and writing verse; published Anti-Thelypthora, 1781, an anonymous attack on the defence of polygamy written by his cousin Martin Madan (qv) in the previous year; published Poems, Feb 1782; wrote the famous ballad of John Gilpin, first published in The Public Advertiser, Nov 1782; began translating Homer 1784; published The Task, 1785; removed to Weston, Nov. 1786; again became insane 1787; published his translation of Homer, 1791; undertook to edit Milton; removed in 1795 to East Dereham, Norfolk, where Mrs Unwin died in the following year; a complete edition of his works was published in 15 vols. by Robert Southey (qv) in 1834-7; Cowper’s schooldays, to which he frequently refers in his correspondence, were probably the happiest days of his life, and his recollections of them afforded him much pleasure; he appears to have enjoyed playing cricket and football; his favourite friend was Sir William Russell, Bart. (qv), but he was “much intimate” with Walter Bagot (adm. 1739/40, qv); he had a “particular value” for Warren Hastings (qv), to whom he addressed some lines on his impeachment, and he showed his friendly feeling for Robert Lloyd (qv) in the verse epistle which he addressed to him in 1754; his poem Table Talk contains an interesting allusion to the custom in his time of awarding pieces of Maundy Money for a good copy of verses (lines 507-11); d. unm. 25 Apr 1800. Memorial window in baptistery of Westminster Abbey. DNB.
CLERKE, FRANCIS, only son of Francis Carr Clerke MP, Weston on the Green, Oxfordshire, and Catherine, sister of Charles Montagu Bertie (qv); b. 23 Sep 1724; adm. Sep 1735 (Playford's); left 1742; Worcester Coll. Oxford, matr. 18 May 1742, MA 21 Aug 1745; High Sheriff, Oxfordshire 1750; m. 3 Mar 1746/7 Susanna Elizabeth, dau. of Thomas Henry Ashhurst, Waterstock, Oxfordshire, Vice-Chancellor Duchy of Lancaster, Recorder of Liverpool and Wigan; d. 30 Apr 1760.
BROMLEY, WILLIAM THROCKMORTON, elder son of William Bromley (qv); b.; adm. (aged 10) Apr 1737 (Playford's); left 1744; Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 16 Jun 1744; of Baginton, Warwicks.; MP Warwickshire from 6 Feb 1765; m. May 1756 Bridget, eldest dau. of Richard Davenport, Davenport and Calveley, Cheshire; d. 4 Mar 1769.
BROMLEY, THOMAS, younger son of William Bromley (qv); b.; adm. (aged 10) Sep 1738 (Playford's); KS 1743; left 1744; Oriel Coll. Oxford, matr. 7 Jul 1750. [note will Rev. Thomas Bromley, Corley, Warwicks., proved PCC 31 Mar 1760]
BOOTH, CHARLES EVERARD, son of Rev. Charles Everard, Rector of Brereton, Cheshire, and Mary, dau. of Lawrence Booth, Twemlow, Cheshire; b.; adm. (aged 16) May 1742 (Playford's); left 1743; Queen’s Coll. Oxford, matr. 22 Oct 1741; BA 1746; migr. to Brasenose Coll.; MA 1748; ordained deacon 14 Jul 1751, priest 21 Jul 1751 (both Hereford); Rector of Greatworth, Northants., from 30 Dec 1752; Rector of Middleton Cheney, Northants., from 17 Jul 1764; Prebendary of York from 16 Oct 1779; Prebendary of Salisbury from 10 Dec 1779; Rector of Llangwm, [check county : Denbighshire ?] from 1783; assumed the additional surname of Booth on inheriting the estates of his uncle Thomas Booth in 1786; m. Sarah Maria Eyre, London; d. 7 Mar 1792.
BARRY, HON. JOHN SMITH, brother of Hon. Arthur Barry (qv); b. 28 Jul 1725; adm. (aged 13) Jan 1738/9 (Playford's); left 1742; assumed additional name of Smith; inherited unsettled estates of father in Cheshire and Co. Cork; of Marbury Hall, Cheshire; High Sheriff, Cheshire 1765; m. 18 Apr 1746 Dorothy, dau. of Hugh Smith, Weald Hall, Essex; d. 9 Sep 1784.
BAGNALL, JOHN, only son of John Bagnall, Hatton Garden, London, and Anna Maria --- (IGI); bapt. St. Andrew, Holborn 19 Sep 1723 (IGI); adm. (aged 15) Jun 1738 (Playford's); left 1740; apprenticed to Nathaniel Cole, Basinghall Street, London, attorney, 26 Feb 1740; adm. Middle Temple 25 Feb 1740/1; adm. Inner Temple 5 Nov 1746; tenant, chambers in Inner Temple 7 Nov 1746 until he sold the lease 19 May 1772; of Early Court, Sonning, Berks., acquired by him in 1766; m. 24 Feb 1749/50 Mary, dau. of Charles Downing, Comptroller of Customs, Port of London; buried Sonning, Berks. 8 Jan 1803.