[TO THE EDITOR Or THE "SPECTATOR."] SIBf.4 should like to
give some parallels to the facts about Lady Sidmouth, mentioned in the Spectator of January 27th. (1.) I had the privilege of knowing a lady who lived in this parish till a fewiears ago,—Miss Fanny Mayow, the sister-in-law of Mr. Daores Adams, who had been private secretary to Mr. Pitt. Miss Mayow was born in 1782, and died in 1874 in full possession of her faculties. She had been in Sir Joshua Reynolds's studio before his death, with her aunt,--" and I think my aunt was more frightened than I was." She had seen Nelson twice ; once going to St. Paul's, walking behind the King's coach in the middle of a party of sailors ; and once in the Strand, coming out of Contts's Bank, when he was much embarrassed to hold his banking-book and umbrella, and take off his hat to return the salutations, all with one hand. She had seen Bonaparte on the 'Bellerophon' in Torbay harbour, when the captain of the ship got him to come down to a port nearly on a level with their boat. "He took off his hat to us, which I thought very civil of him, and I noticed that the hair on the top of his forehead was thin and soft like a baby's." (2.) An old gentleman named Hutchins, formerly a dentist in London, also lived near me. He was in the House of Com- mons the night after the news of the death of Louis XVI. arrived, and every one was in black except Mr. Fox and Lord Grey. (3.) Miss Lewis, the sister of Mrs. Grote, lived a few miles off. She had been told by Lord Onslow that he had spoken with "Jack Harris" (I thought the name was), who had been on the King's scaffold. (4.) We have in Sydenham an ancient postman named Remington, now relieved from active service (and I hope pensioned). He was born in the neighbourhood of Maidstone in 1815, and his grandfather lived near, and was good friends with the children. The grandfather died in 1822, ninety-six years old, and was therefore born in 176. He told Remington that his grandfather had told him that he was in Whitehall the day that Charles I. was beheaded. (5) Shortly after the opening of the Crystal Palace in 1854, Lord Richard Cavendish, brother of the Duke of Devonshire, came to Sydenham for a few weeks. He stayed at Rockhills, then Sir Joseph Paxton's house, and I frequently saw him. He told me this story. His brother and he were reading with a tutor before going to college, and were living at some place near Strathfieldsaye. The Duke of Wellington now and then had them over to dinner. On one occasion, they dined alone with him on the anniversary of the Battle of Assaye : after dinner, he told them the story of the battle, and then went on through the whole of his military life, ending with Waterloo. He illustrated the stories with bits of biscuits on the dining. table (as Nelson did with the wine). Of Waterloo, he said that the only thing he was afraid of was lest the French should get between him and the sea.—I am, Sir, &c., Lower Sydenham, S.E., January 30th. G. GROVE.
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