A-Z of Entries

Laval 29.12.1799 at Lanesborough's / 19.1.1800 again

Perhaps Anne Alexandre &c, duc de Laval, 1747-1817 will PCC 1817 marshal of France 1783, who was certainly in England in August 1799 as the Oracle of 14.8.1799 reported his departure for Switzerland with his two sons, one of whom, Anne Pierre Adrien 1767-1837, succeeded him as duke and would have been styled marquis de Laval at the time (Hoefer, Nouvelle Biographie Generale). There are biographies of father and son in Adolphe Robert's Dictionnaire des Parlementaires Francais which I haven't yet seen

call on Fell (Laver's) 13.1.1804 / 13.4.1804 Fell at Laver's / 20.12.1813 Day writes to Pattison & Laver

The first two entries above referred to Godwin's friend Ralph Fell who'd been arrested for debt. Three of the Laver family were officers of Giltspur St Compter, William of 1-9 Chancery Lane, Joseph of Took's Court Cursitor St and Benjamin of 92 Chancery Lane, the last two kept safe custody houses. See work notes below for others of the name in London

3.10.1809 call on Law / 4.10.1809 again / 9.10.1809 calculations for Law / 10.10.1809 call on Law / 16.10.1809 Law calls / 15.11.1809 call on Law / 22.12.1809 again / 19.2.1810 again / 11.7.1810 again / 3.11.1810 again / 6.11.1811 meet Law / 30.12.1812 call on Law / 9.7.1813 again / 1.2.1814 again / 16.9.1814 call on Law (not seen) / 20.9.1814 call on Law

Probably Charles Law bookseller 13 Southampton-row & 13 Ave Maria-lane. Several of the above calls were in a round of booksellers, but others like the calculations in 1809 suggest a more particular business arrangement

miss Lawless's 8.8.1800 at Burne's / 6.5.1825 Lawless calls

Valentine Lawless (Lord Cloncurry) DNB 1773-1853, who was imprisoned at this time, in 1800 had two unmarried sisters, and one sister married to Thomas Whaley (see Whaley) who was also present at this dinner. Valetina Letitia was to marry in Merrion Row June 1801 the Hon Francis Nathaniel Burton, and Charlotte Louisa married Edward Plunkett 4th Baron Dunsany in 1803. John Lawless DNB c1773-1837 Irish nationalist was one of 21 children so probably had some sisters too. A Mary Lawless travelled to France with Lady Mountcashell…

13.9.1796 call on Saunders, Cliffords Inn & mr J Lawrence with Holcroft & Nicholson

GD website has this entry coded to Lawrence, which it says is for those who might be Thomas, James or William Lawrence but it is unclear which. Obviously (from the initial) this could only be James of those three. James Henry Lawrence (known as Chevalier Lawrence) DNB 1773-1840 suggests he was on the continent at this time. All the other (plain) Lawrence entries before and shortly after this one were very likely Thomas Lawrence, except just possibly Godwin called again on mr J Lawrence the…

meet Lawrence, ST 16.6.1802

This entry has been coded in GD website to the artist Thomas Lawrence DNB 1764-1830, but in asking what did ST stand for I thought of Somers Town. There was a John Lawrence of Brill Path in St Pancras Land Tax assessments 1802 and in Holden's Directory 1811 John Laurence Esq 10 Brill Row, Somers Town. John Lawrence mason of St Pancras left a will PCC 1814. ST cannot have meant Sir Thomas because the artist wasn't created a baronet until 1815.

Lawson 20.4.1798 at (Samuel) Lister's / 5.5.1798 again

As Lister (see Lister, Samuel) was an attorney and so were most of his guests, Lawson was likely William Lawson attorney of 5 Holborn Court Grays Inn or William Lawson attorney with David Smith at 22 Gt St Helens (Law List 1800). William son of Hannah Lawson widow of Stokesly, Yorks was articled 18.7.1791 to James Coates of Stokesly and transferred 11.6.1795 to Wm Spear of Grays Inn. A William Lawson attorney of Grays Inn took on a clerk 5.3.1790, The will PCC 1801 of William Lawson of Grays Inn mentioned his wife Elizabeth, and…

Mlle Le Canu 29.01.1799 (& Mary Hays & miss Reid) / 8.6.1799 E Le Canu calls (not in) / 14.6.1799 E Le Canu calls

le Cronier 6.1.1805 adv at dinner

Probably a merchant and ship's captain from the Channel Islands, Peter or Philip Le Cronier, sailing often to Plymouth, Padstow and Bristol also to Spain (search newspapers). At Bodmin sessions in 1805 Elizabeth wife of Philip Le Cronier was involved in an assault. Le Cronier's ships were taken by the French several times in the 1790s. Likely to have been an acquaintance of Mary Jane, Godwin's wife, from her earlier days. In France there was a Commissaire de Police of the name mentioned in 1825, and also painters called Le Crosnier in that period…

Le Grice 16.9.1800 at Lamb's

Brothers Samuel Le Grice 1775-1802, Charles Valentine Le Grice 1773-1858 see Letters of Charles & Mary Lamb. Winifred F Courtney "Young Charles Lamb" p282 gives a good reason why this entry was Samuel

Le Maitre 2.11.1803 at Joseph Johnson's / 14.6.1807 coach to Wimbledon with Le Maitre

Both the above entries should probably be added on GD website to the person record for Paul Thomas Le Maitre

Le Texier's 8.5.1799 with Fell / 25.5.1799 Este & Le Texier adv at theatre

Anthony A Le Texier DNB c1737-1814. Children of Anthony Stephen Peter le Texier & Mary bapt St Anne Soho 28.8.1784 Horatio 21.4.1787 Anthony / Sun F 1791 Le Texier 4 Lisle St Leicester Fields (insured by Sarah Dickinson widow 80 Gt Russell Bloomsbury) / Nat Arch HO42/23/313 Jacobin clubs 1792 / bankrupt 10.4.1797 / Chancery case between Le Texier and Margravine of Anspach 1796 Nat Arch C12/685/1, 1798 C12/681/2, 1799 c12/687/15 1807 C13/633/32.

24.10.1788 Le Vade at Robinson's. Jean David Paul Etienne LeVade (A de Montet, Dictionnaire Biographique des Genevois et des Vaudois) born Lausanne 2.10.1750 died there 9.1.1834 was a minister in England then Amsterdam. His translation of Tristram Shandy into French was published 1786 in York and Paris, and a translation of his True and Surprising Account of a Natural Sleepwalker, given as a lecture in Lausanne 6.2.1788, was published in Edinburgh in 1792

Lea 24.10.1797

Joseph Godwin was agent to the carpet manufacturer brothers Francis and Thomas Lea of Kidderminster whose London warehouse was at 10 Bagnio Court (oldbaileyonline E18040912-86). Lea appeared in the diary on 24.10.1797, 27.10.1797, 29.10.1797, 30.10.1797, 4.4.1798, 25.1.1801, 9.8.1801, 18.2.1803 and 17.9.1803 often with Joseph Godwin, and was mentioned in Joseph Godwin's letter to Godwin of 16.7.1801 (Abinger c.7 f49). The GD website has been edited to take account of my information on the Leas but missed the entry on 30.10.1797 Lea's

21.4.1796 at Tobin's

24.9.1794 Lutwich at Northmore's / 14.10.1794 again / 14.11.1794 again / 11.3.1795 again / 8.12.1794 meet / 15.7.1800 meet Ledwick (in Ireland). Edward Ledwich DNB 1739-1823 lived mostly in Ireland but joined Whig Club 1.3.1791 of Gerrard Street (i.e. gave a London address) and was Fellow of Society of Antiquaries like Northmore

1798 Rev William Ledwich LLB Vestry House, St Michan's, Dublin subscr to Works of D R O'Conor
 

Lee, Somt calls 26.10.1799 / 12.8.1801 Lee at Reynolds' (North Cray, Kent)

Probably two one-off Lees, though Godwins friends the misses Lee of Bath were of course from Somerset (if that is what Somt was short for)

at Martineau's 10.12.1794.

Rather than Richard 'Citizen' Lee, a master hatter in the London Corresp Socy (as per GD website), this was likely to have been James Lee, Turkey merchant of London, who married the Martineaus' sister Sarah in 1799 and also (along with the Martineau brothers) subscribed to the fund for state prisoners in 1794. The later Lee entries at Powel's are most likely Richard 'Citizen' Lee
 

call on H & A Lee 6.3.1798 (in Bath) / 8.3.1798 call on S & H Lee (in Bath) / 9.3.1798 tea miss Lee's with Lefanus, Thompson & Losh (in Bath) / 13.6.1798 call on Lees (in Bath) / (2.6.1798 Abinger c4 f28 Godwin to H Lee) / (4.6.1798 Abinger c4 f29-30 Godwin to H Lee) / 6.61798 call on H Lee (in Bath) / 8.6.1798 again / 9.6.1798 Conference (in Bath) / 12.6.1798 Letter / (16.6.1798 Abinger c4 f31-2 H Lee to Godwin) / 25.6.1798 Chez elle / 26.6.1798 chez elle:....Conference / 27.6.1798 call on (not in).....S Laney calls. Letter on Religion / 28.6.1798 Water, with H & A / 29.6.…

Leeds 19.4.1797 at theatre

May have been Francis Godolphin Osborne 8th Duke of Leeds DNB 1751-1799