The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-10 00:00:00

The Last of the Shaksperes,

In a letter addressed to the Times, a Mr. Coleman
writes as follows :
It is generally understood that there is no living
descendant of our great poet's family.
Will you permit me, through the medium of your
columns, to call attention to the fact that there is
now living at No. 6, Great Berry-street, Wolver-
hampton, George Shakapere, of Henley-on-Arden,
the eldest male descendant in the direct line from
Gilbert, William Shakspere's brother,—that very
Gilbert who lived until after the Restoration, and
who was said to have been the actor who told Oldys
that he had seen his brother William act Adam in
" As You Like It ?"

' Poor Mr. George Shakspere's indigent circum-
stances have until recently prevented him from
taking the necessary steps to trace his pedigree (an
L operation surrounded with difficulties); and it is
• only through the kiudness of a gentleman living in
Wolverhampton that he has been enabled to com-
plete the record, which, by the way, may be seen
by any one who will take the trouble to call upon
Mr. Shakspere.
So far back as eight years ago I first met my
client while I was fulfilling an engagement at the
theatre in Wolverhampton. At that period he
lacked one connecting link to enable him to trace
his descent to Gilbert Shakspere. Fur my part, I
needed no other testimony than that his face
afforded, Heaven had written his pedigree in the
plainest characters upon his brow; he was the
living image of our poet, notwithstanding which I
advised him not to publish his relationship until he
had completed every link of the chain.
The work of years is at last accomplished, and
now I venture to suggest that those who have been
endeavouring to do honour to our dead poet should
do something for his living descendant. I am sure
poor Shakspere's condition has only to be known
to be mended. He has a difficulty in obtaining by
hard labour the daily bread for hiy wife and family.
Here is an excellent opportunity for the wealthy to
dispose of a little of their superfluity. The ma-
nagers of the London theatres will, I feel assured,
readily get up a benefit or two, and if you, sir,
would deign to use your powerful pen, perhaps one
of Shakspere's blood might be appointed curator to
Shakspere's house.
Whereupon (adds the 7imes)—Wonderful, if
true.

7HE JOHNSON aus.—This club, the club of
Johnson and Reynolds, celebrated its centenary (it
was founded in 1761) at the Clarendon on Tuesday last. It
was the club not only [of Johnson and Reynolds, but of
Burke, Fox, Sheridan, Windham, Canning, Gibbon, Adam
Smith, &e., not to mention later distianiehed names.
There were present—ln the chair, the Dean of St. Paul's ;
his Excellency M. van de Weyer, Earls Clarendon and
Stanhope, the Bishops of London and Oxford; Lord
Brougham, Stanley, Cranworth, Kingsdown, and Harry
Vane; the Right Hon. Sir Edmund Head, Spencer Wal-
pole, and Robert Lowe ; Sir Henry Holland, Sir C. East-
lake, Sir Roderick Murchison, Vice-Chancellor Sir W.
Page Wood, the Master of Trinity, Professor Owen, Mr
G. Grote, Mr C. Austen, Mr H. Reeve, and Mr G. Rich-
mond. Among the few members prevented from attend-
ing were—The Duke of Argyle (in Scotland), the Earl of
Carlisle (in Ireland), Earl Russell, and the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, Lord Overatone (at Oxford), Lord Glenels
(abroad), and Mr W. Stirling, from indisposition.
THE AL kEELIA.—Again has the Alabama changed
her scene of operations, and has once more appeared
off the Brazil coast, The ship Kent, which arrived at Ply-
mouth on Wednesday, from Melbourne, spoke her on the
24th of April in rat. 15 S, and long. 32 W., or in the parallel
of Bahia. Previous to the Kent speaking her she had de-
stroyed the American ship Rockingham, which left Callao
on the 22d February with a full cargo of guano for Cork for
orders. The Rockingham was a large ship of 97f; tons,
built and owned in Portsmouth, U.S., and was for many
years trading between Liverpool and 'Tew Orleans,