I think it likely that your correspondent may find further information upon the subject of this note, in the Life of Dr. Humphrey Prideaux, Dean of Norwich (born 1648, died 1724), published in 1748.
J. B. Colman.
Eye, March 18. 1851.
Polwhele was clearly wrong in designating Edmund Prideaux, the Attorney-General, a Cornishman, as he belonged to the family long seated in Devonshire, and was fourteenth in descent from Hickedon Prideaux, of Orcharton, in that county, second son of Nicholas, lord of Prideaux, in Cornwall, who died in 1169.
The four Queries of G. P. P. may be more or less fully answered by reference to Prince's Worthies of Devon, ed. 1810, p. 651.; and an excellent history of the Post-office in the Penny Magazine for 1834, p. 33.
Is it too much to ask of your correspondent, who writes from Putney under my initials, that he will be so good as to change his signature? I think that I have strong reasons for the request, but I will only urge that I was first in the field, under the designation which he has adopted.[[2]]
J. D. S.
Footnote 2:[(return)]
[Would J. D. S. No 1, and J. D. S. No. 2, add the final letter of their respective names, h n s y, or whatever it may be, the difficulty may probably be avoided. We have now so many correspondents that coincidence of signature can scarcely be avoided.]