JOHN TRADESCANT THE YOUNGER, AN ENGLISHMAN.
Great is the interest attached to the name of Tradescant, and we believe few articles in our journal have been perused with greater satisfaction than those by MR. SINGER and other valued correspondents, which appeared in our third volume (pp. 119. 286. 353. 391. 393.), illustrative of their history. In the same volume (p. 469.) a correspondent, C. C. R., after quoting the following mutilated MS. note, written in pencil in a copy of Dr. Ducarel's Tract on the subject, preserved among the books in the Ashmolean Museum—
"Consult (with certainty of finding information concerning the Tradescants) the Registers of—apham, Kent,"—
suggested that Meopham was the parish referred to, and that search should be made there by some correspondent resident in that neighbourhood. The hint was not, however, taken, and the matter dropped for a time.
At the close of last year we received a communication from a learned and much valued friend, now, alas! no more,[2] telling us that Meopham was the place referred to, and suggesting that we should get extracts from the register for the information of our readers. Upon this hint we acted; but our endeavours, for reasons to which we need not more particularly refer, failed, and it was not until our attention was recalled to the subject by the endeavour that is making, and we trust successfully making, to procure subscriptions for restoring the Tradescant Monument at Lambeth, that we applied to another friend resident in the neighbourhood of Meopham for his assistance in the business. That assistance was (as it has ever been) rendered most cheerfully and most effectually; and we are now enabled to lay before our readers and the Committee of the Tradescant Monument Restoration Fund, the following evidence that John Tradescant the younger was a Man of Kent. It is extracted from the baptismal register of Meopham.
[2] That excellent man and ripe scholar, the Rev. Lancelot Sharpe, who was one of the first, on the appearance of "N. & Q.," to convey to us his good opinion of our paper, and to prove it by giving us his communications. For particulars of his life and literary labours, the reader is referred to the Gentleman's Magazine for January, 1852, p. 99.
"1608 August the iiij daye John the sonne of John Tradescant was baptised eodem die—"
Although we are not without hopes of receiving further information from the same source, we could not refrain from bringing this new fact in the history of the Tradescants at once before our readers.