—Some years ago, I saw an oil-painting of this celebrated singer at an auction-room in Leicester Street. Can any of your readers give me a clue to its discovery?
EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.
Thomas Durfey.
—Is there any other engraved portrait of this "distinguished" wit, besides the one prefixed to his pills?
EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.
Audley Family.
—Can any of your correspondents inform me whether there are any male representatives still existing of the family of Audley (or Awdeley) of Gransden, in Huntingdonshire; or, if not, when it became extinct?
Thomas Audley, created Lord Audley of Walden, Lord High Chancellor, and K. G. by Henry VIII., had an only daughter and heiress, married to the Duke of Norfolk. He had also two brothers, Robert and Henry. Robert was of Berechurch, in Essex; and, on the chancellor's death without male issue, inherited from him large landed property. His line flourished for several generations, and ended in Henry Audley—a weak and vicious spendthrift, who ruined himself, and died (without issue) in the Fleet Prison, in 1714, having married a daughter of Philip, Viscount Strangford. Henry, the chancellor's youngest brother, had the manor of Great Gransden, in Huntingdonshire, by a grant from Henry VIII., where his descendants were fixed for several generations. In the Visitation of Hunts, made in 1613, under the authority of William Camden (Clarencieux), there is a pedigree of the Audleys of Gransden, which comes down to Robert Audley, married to Elizabeth, daughter of John Marbury, who had two sons then living, Robert and Francis, of the respective ages of three and two (in 1613): a daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1614, and married William Sneyd, Esq., of Keele, co. Stafford; she had issue, and died 1686, aged seventy-two.
Gransden must have passed from the possession of that family not long after this visitation; for, in Charles II.'s time, it belonged to Sir Julius Cæsar: and in the catalogue of lords and gentlemen who compounded for their estates (1655), the only Audleys of Hunts who were mentioned, are, Wheatehill Audley, of Woodhurst; and Molineux Audley, of St. Ives (both in Hunts). The parish registers of Gransden throw no light on the fate of the family. The church contains no memorials, and local tradition is silent.
Can any of your correspondents supply any information? My object is to ascertain whether the above-mentioned Elizabeth, married to Wm. Sneyd, did, or did not, become the representative of the family, by the death, without issue, of her brothers.