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 o
ther Eminent Composers, with
the addition of several
new songs. Pit and Boxes to be put toge
ther. 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.