P.S.—I received the Paper [Alnwick Journal] with thanks.
C. Hindley, Esq.,
76, Rose Hill Terrace, Brighton.
It was at this particular date of our history—1876—that we had the good fortune to get acquainted with Mr. George Skelly, of Alnwick—who, like ourselves, is possessed of the cacoethes scribendi, and was at the time supplying, con amore, an article to the Alnwick Journal, entitled “John and James Catnach,” which we found to contain certain information relative to the elder Catnach, and also of the earlier portion of the life of James, of which we had no previous knowledge. At our solicitation to be allowed to make a selection from the same, we received a most courteous and gentlemanly letter, which, in addition to containing several pieces of information and answers to many queries we had put to Mr. Skelly, he wound up by saying:—“You have full liberty to make use of anything that I have written, and it will afford me much pleasure if I can further your intentions in any way.”
From that date, Mr. George Skelly continued to correspond with us on the subject of the “Two Catnachs,” nearly up to the last moment of our going to press with our own “Life and Times of James Catnach,” and to him we are greatly indebted for much of the information therein contained. And it was at his suggestion that we wrote the following letter to the Alnwick Journal—Mr. Skelly at the same time furnishing the local paragraph.
Letter to the Editor.
To the Editor of the Alnwick Journal.
76, Rose Hill Terrace, Brighton,
June 16th, 1876.
Sir,—Your townsman, Mr. George Skelly, in the concluding chapter of his excellent article of “John and James Catnach,” makes mention of my name as being engaged in preparing for publication “The Life and Times of James Catnach, formerly of Seven Dials, printer of ballads, &c.” Such being the fact, I shall therefore be glad if you would allow me sufficient space in the Alnwick Journal, to ask your readers and correspondents who possess any additional facts, sayings, doings, or letters of the two Catnachs—John and James—to supply me with the same, when I shall have much pleasure in assigning to any such contributions a proper chronological place in my work, and of acknowledging the source of the same, while all documents or books will be faithfully returned by yours, &c., &c.,