Event Comment: Mainpiece: Comedie in 5 Actes de
Mr Baron.
The alleged deposition of
Wm Davison:...he on
the 17th Day of November being
the second Night of
the French Strollers acting at
the Theatre in
the Haymarket, was at
the Sign of the Globe, a Publick House about Nine of
the Clock that Night, where this Deponent saw
John Haines, one of
the Waiters at
the said Tavern, and several o
ther Persons, to
the Number of 16, dressed like Chairmen, each of which had a great Bludgeon in his Hand, which he put under his Coat, in order to hide
the same, but in such a manner as this Deponent was capable of seeing said Bludgeons;...and was informed by several Persons of credit that
they and o
thers to
the number of 30, were hired by
Lord Trentham to protect
the French Strollers from any Attempt that might be made to prevent
their Acting [claims Haines had a list of
their names and told
them Lord Trentham would need
them again on o
ther nights] notarized before
John Waple, 24 Nov. [Lord Trentham offered a fifty pound reward for
the original copy of
the above affidavit.] John Haynes...maketh Oath...that he...never had any Conversation directly or indirectly, with Lord Trentham, relating to
the French Players, nor did
the said Lord Trentham dine at
the King's Arms on 17 Nov., nor did this Deponent see
the said Lord Trentham on that Day, nor for several Days before, nor did
the Deponent make use of
the said Lord Trentham's name, in any conversation at
the Globe Alehouse the said Lord Trentham was not in
the least privy to this Deponent's going to
the said little
Theatre on
the said 17th of Nov. with several Persons as mentioned in
the affidavit or pretended affidavit of Wm Davison...Sworn
the 26th Day of Nov., before me,
H. Fielding. [This notice repeated in
the General Advertiser for a week.
The French players departed for
France on 28 Dec.