SOME ACCOUNT OF JOHN WEBSTER AND HIS WRITINGS. SELDOM has the biographer greater cause to lament the deficiency of materials for his task than when engaged on the life of any of our early dramatists. Among that illustrious band JOHN WEBSTER Occupies a distinguished place; and yet so little do we know concerning him, that the present essay must consist almost entirely of an account of his different productions, and of an attempt to show that he was not the author of certain prose pieces which have been attributed to his pen. It is said that he was clerk of St. Andrew's, Holborn, and a Member of the Merchant Tailors' Company.* * Gildon, I believe, was the first who asserted that our author was clerk of St. Andrew's. I searched the registers of that church, but the name of Webster did not occur in them; and I examined the MSS. belonging to the Parish Clerks' Hall, in Woodstreet, with as little success. VOL. I. b He Like some other of his contemporaries, he was perhaps an actor as well as a dramatist; but, when He is said, I imagine, to have been a member of the Merchant Tailors' Company because one of his pieces, (to be noticed afterwards,) The Monument of Honour, bears on its title-page "By John Webster, Taylor." It was of course desirable that the Court Books of the Merchant Tailors' Company should be examined; and the important information, illustrative of personal history, which is afforded by wills, was too obvious not to cause a search to be made in Doctors' Commons. Although something has been found in both places, which perhaps relates to the poet, or to his family, it is impossible to identify him with any of the individuals of whom notices have been discovered in those registers. The following extracts from the Court Book of Merchant Tailors' Company were made for me by the Clerk, 26th Dec. 1828, strangers, by a new regulation of the Company, not being allowed to inspect their documents : From Court Book, vol. i. fol. 557; "Lune X° die decembris 1571. "Item Anne Sylver, Widdowe, pñted and made free John Webster her late Apprentise." From Court Book, vol. ii. fol. 48; "Lune XX° die Januarij Ao dm 1576. "Item John Palmer pñted John Webster his Apprtize and also made the saide Webster free." From Court Book, vol. vi. fol. 633; "Lune Decimo Septimo die Novemb "Anno Dm 1617. "John Webster made free by Henry Clinckard his Mr." From AND HIS WRITINGS. iii in a tract (hereafter to be mentioned) callel Histriomastrix, &c. Hall and his coadjutor term him "the From Index Book to Freemen ; "Webster Johes Webster Johes - 1576 Annam Silver, wid. 10 decembr 1571 "There are no other entries about any John Webster between the years 1571 and 1617." The following memoranda are derived from the Prerogative Office: JOHN WEBSTER, clothworker, of London, made his will on the 5th August, 1625. He bequeaths to his sister, Jane Cheney, dwelling within seven miles of Norwich, 107, with remainder, if she died, to her children, and if they died, to his sister Elizabeth Pyssing; to whom he also left 107., with remainder to her children. To his sister, Anne Webstar, of Holand, in Yorkshire, the same sum, with remainder to her children. To his father-in-law, William Hattfield, of Whittington, in Derbyshire, 157., and to his four children 47. each. To his cousin, Peter Webstar, and his wife, dwelling in Doncaster, 40s. each. To his cousin, Peter Webstar, of Whittington, in Derbyshire, he gives 10., and if he died before it was paid, it was to be given to his brother, who was a protestant, for I hear that one brother of my cousin Peter is a papist.' To William Bradbury, of London, shoemaker, 57. To Richard Matthew, his (the testator's) son-in-law, 167. He mentions his father-in-law, Mr. Thomas Farman. He gives his cousin, Edward Curtice, 17. 2s. To his cousin, Edward Curtis, son of Edward Curtis, senior, 31. He leaves the residue of his property to his brothers and sisters in law, by his wife; specially providing that Elizabeth Walker should be one. He constitutes Mr. Robert Aungel, and his cousin, Mr. Francis Ash, citizens, his executors; and his cousins, Curtis and Tayler, overseers of his b 2 will, quondam player," they appear only to have meant "writer of plays." will, which was proved by his executors on the 7th October, 1625. JOHN WEBSTER, of St. Botolph's-without-Aldgate, citizen and tallow-chandler, of London, made his will on the 16th February, 1628, and orders by it, that his body should be buried in the churchyard of that parish, as near to his nephew, John Webster, as might be. To Katherine, his wife, he gives some freehold and copyhold lands in Clavering, in Essex, for life, with remainder to his nephew, James Webster; together with some property in Houndsditch, she paying 50s. quarterly to Mary Lee, wife of James Lee, of London, Merchant Tailor. To his nephew, James Webster, he bequeaths lands in Sabridgeworth, in Herts, with twothirds of his printed books, sword, pike, and other arms, when of full age, with reversion, if he died without heirs, to William Webster, alias Wilkinson. To his three sisters, Dorothy Wilkinson, Susan Nettleton, and Alice Brookes, his lands at Clavering, after the decease of his wife; they paying to Mary Wigge, Barbara Brend, Agnes Loveband, widow, and Clement Campe, his wife's four sisters 47., each yearly. He afterwards describes the beforementioned William Webster, alias Wilkinson, as the eldest son of my eldest sister, Dorothy Wilkinson, late wife of Richard Wilkinson, of Yorkshire.' If the said William died without issue, the property so given him was to go to the testator's nephews, Thomas, son of Thomas Nettleton, and Edmund, son of Robert Brookes. He also mentions his nephew, Henry Wilkinson; his niece, Isabel Nettleton, then under age; his apprentice, John Wigge; his niece, Elizabetn Brend, and her father, George Brende; to the children of John Alderston, of Chelmsford, he gives 107. each; and to his cousin, Benjamin Crabtree, 27. And directs that the beforementioned James Webster, when of age, shall surrender to Michael Wilkinson a close in Cawood, in Yorkshire, |