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 other 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 others 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 other 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.