" TOTTENHAM IN HIS BOOTS."
[To THE EDITOR or THE "SPECTATOR.") Sin,—As a connexion, by marriage, of the family of "Tottenham in his boots," perhaps I may be allowed to contribute an exact version of the historic incident related by your correspondent of her " great-grandfather," whose relationship, however, must extend, I think, further back to a more remote degree, as the ancestor in question has been dead for more than a century and a half. The traditional and authentic version of the story is this : Charles Tottenham, " Sovereign " (as it is inscribed on the Town Hall) and M.P. for New Ross in the reign of George L, was residing at Tottenham Green, in the County of Wexford, in the year 1731, when he heard that a proposal was to be made, earlier than he had expected, in the Irish House of Commons with reference to the allocation of a surplus of £60,000. The question was whether this surplus should be retained in the Irish or forwarded to the English Exchequer. Whereupon, it is said, Tottenham mounted his horse and rode all night up to Dublin, a distance of sixty miles, arriving at the Parliament House just in time for the division. The Serjeant-at-arms objected to his entrance, on the ground that be was in his boots and splashed from head to foot, whereas members generally were attired in uniform or Court dress, with a sword by the side rather than a horsewhip in the baud. The Speaker, however, on being appealed to, decided that he bad no power to exclude him, and Tottenham was able thus to give the casting vote, which by a majority of one kept the money in the country. This proceeding made him for the time almost as popular as Dean Swift himself. The portrait, jack-boots and all, is to be seen in the Historical Portrait Gallery in Dublin, and engravings of the same, inscribed "Tottenham in his boots," are still to be found in some old Irish houses. I may add that six Charles Tottenhama in succession have represented New Ross in Parliament, the last of these, Colonel C. G. Tottenham of Ballycurry, who served with the Scots Fusilier Guards in the Crimean war, was member for New Rosa until Mr. Redmond appeared upon the scene and turned people's heads.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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