Event Comment: Benefit for the
Colleges of Philadelphia and New York. Mainpiece a
Sacred Ode written by
Dr Brown set to select Airs, Duets and Choruses from
Mr Handel, and other Eminent Composers, with the addition of several new songs. Pit and Boxes to be put together. No Persons to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd at the Office of the theatre at 1!2 a Guinea each; and also at the following Coffee House, viz: the
Smyrna,
Pall Mall; the
Mount,
Grosvenor St;
George's,
Temple Bar;
the Rainbow,
Cornhill, the
New York,
Sweetings's Alley; and the
Pennsylvania,
Birchin Lane. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallerp 3s. 6d. Galleries to be opened at half past Four, Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at 1!2 after Six (playbill). This philanthropic enterprise, of which the theatrical benefit was but a part, seems not to have born much fruit for the respective Colleges. See
Letter to the Governors of the Colleges of New York, respecting the Collection that was made in the Kingdom in 1762 and 1763, for the Colleges of Philadelphia and New York, to which are added Explanatory notes and appendix. By
Sir James Jay, M. D. (
London, 1771). The funds collected seem largely to have been used up in a law suit. The Governor of the
College of New York,
Rev. Dr Johnson, asked Jay to collect funds, which he did.
Alderman Trecothick wrote
Dr Johnson that the funds were not safe in Jay's hands. The Governors insulted Jay, and when they found they were wrong refused to apologize. They entered a bill against him in Chancery to gain the funds. It dragged out for four years. When the power of Attorney had been given to
Trecothick, he claimed that a sum of #1437 15s. 6d. was unaccounted for by Jay, and was supposed to be in Jay's hands. Jay explained the Governors had not reckoned on reimbursement for his time and expenses for two years.