Sir James Thornhill was in the habit of making sketches and descriptive memoranda in his various travels and excursions.  Some years ago one of his pocket-books was lent to me, in which he had not only written notices of the places visited, but made very clever pen sketches of several objects.  Whilst in my possession, I copied many pages, and also traced some of the drawings.  Among the latter is a Market Cross at Ipswich, long since destroyed, also the Sessions House and the Custom House of Harwich, with various antiquities, &c., at Ryswich, Delph, Tournay, Brussels, and the Hague.  I have often regretted that I did not copy the whole volume, as it contained many curious facts and anecdotes.  I have tried in vain to ascertain the name and address of the possessor.  He was a country gentleman, and lodged in Southampton Row, Russell Square.  The volume is dated 1711, and contains full accounts of buildings and works of art.  He says, “Killigrew told King Charles that Ipswich had a large river without water, streets without names, and a town without people.”

In July, 1817, I published a small volume entitled Antiquarian and Architectural Memoranda relating to Norwich Cathedral, in which were two copper-plates, a ground-plan of the church, and a view of the west front; with woodcuts of the font, and of the Erpingham gateway, both engraved by John Thompson.  The plates and cuts were sold by auction (by Mr. Southgate of Fleet Street), with the stock of the work, and have been resold by the purchaser.  I have sought in vain to re-obtain the woodcuts, and shall be gratified to find that it is still practicable.

After many years’ search for the documents, &c., referred to in this and my preceding letter, I am still reluctant to abandon their pursuit.  That valuable collections are sometimes protected from destruction, in obscurity, for years, is shown by the loss and recovery of the well-known collection of Architectural Designs and Drawings by John Thorpe, now in the Soane Museum.  That singular and interesting series was in the possession of the Earl of Warwick, in the latter part of the last century.  In 1807 I applied to his lordship for permission to examine it; but he informed me that Richard Cumberland, the author, had borrowed it many years before, in order to submit it to Lord George Germaine, and that it had not since been heard of.  Thus, from before 1785, when Lord George Germaine died, the drawings were lost until about thirty years afterwards, when I purchased them for Sir John Soane, at the sale of the library of ——­ Brooke, Esq., of Paddington (probably a relative of the Earl of Warwick), into whose possession they had unaccountably passed.

JOHN BRITTON.

* * * * *

THE MIDDLE TEMPLE.

In Mr. Frederick Devon’s Pell Records, vol. iii. p. 34., there is an entry in the Issue Roll of Easter, 41 Henry III. 1257, of a payment.