—I expect that A. N. is labouring under a mistake in inquiring about an account of the "conversion" of "William Hone, THE COMPILER of the Every-day Book;" and that he means
"The Early Life and Conversion of William Hone, a narrative written by himself, edited by his SON, William Hone, author of the Every-day Book, &c. London, J. Ward & Co., Paternoster Row, 1841. One Shilling."
I have no doubt that the work may be procured at the publishers'; but should not that be practicable, I shall be happy to lend your correspondent my copy. It may perhaps be neither unjust nor uninteresting to add, that I know (from his own communication, shortly after the memorable trials) he was so affected by the celebrated Parodies being charged as "blasphemous," that he immediately stopped the sale of them; that, though money was then of some consequence to him, he refused tempting offers for copies; and that he did so, because he declared he would rather suffer any privations than be considered as having sought to revile the religion of his country, or to do aught to injure Christianity, which he deemed to be the hope of all, and the poor man's charter. In making those observations, he emphatically placed his hand on a Bible which lay upon my table.
A HERMIT AT HAMPSTEAD.
The Rev. Mr. Gay (Vol. iii., p. 424.)
—The name of Gay is not very common in the West of England, and MR. TAGART may possibly obtain some account of the Rev. Mr. Gay from the descendants of Gay of Goldworthy, near Bideford, in the county of Devon, who sprang from Hampton Gay in the county of Oxford, but became seised of the manor of Goldworthy, about the year 1420, by marriage with the daughter and heir of Curtis of Goldworthy, a branch of the ancient family of Curtis of Lostwithiel, in the county of Cornwall.
The latest representative of this family of Gay, of whom I have met with any notice, is Mr. Lawrence Gay, who, according to Lyson, was living in the year 1822 at South Molton, in the county of Devon. Lyson also says that "John Gay, the poet, was of this family."
LLEWELLYN.
Lady Mary Cavendish (Vol. iii., p. 477.)
—I know nothing of any Lady Mary's having married Mr. Maudsley, or Mosley of the Guards; but it is certain that she could not have been, strictly speaking, of the same family as Sir Henry Cavendish of Ireland, whose wife was created Lady Waterpark, with remainder to her issue by Sir Henry, who was descended from a natural son of the Devonshire family, and even, I believe, before it was ennobled; so that it cannot be said that any Lady Mary Cavendish was of the same family as Sir Henry.