"One of the last executions which took place on Kennington Common was that of seven men; three of whom belonged to a notorious gang of housebreakers, eighteen in number. These men kept shops, and lived in credit: of the three who were executed, one made over a sum of 2000l. to a friend, previous to his trial. They confessed that the profits of their practices, for the five years past, had been upwards of 1500l. a year to each. This was in the year 1765."--From a cutting, sent me by a friend, from the _Sunday Times'_ "Answers to Correspondents," March 13, 1853. Here too occurred the Chartist meeting, on the memorable 10th of April, 1848. Now comes my Query. Was there ever a theatre on Kennington Common? In the _Biographia Dramatica_ of David Erskine Baker (edit. 1782, vol. ii. p. 239.), we are told, that the "satyrical comical allegorical farce," _The Mock Preacher,_ published in 8vo. in 1739, was "Acted to a crowded audience at Kennington Common, and many other theatres, with the humours of the mob." Was it acted in a booth, or in a permanent theatre? The words, "many other theatres," almost give one the impression that the latter is indicated. Many more notes might be added, but I fear lest this paper should already be too local to interest general readers. Suffice it to say, that Clayton Street, close to the Common, takes its name from the Clayton family; one member of which, Sir Robert Clayton, was sometime Master of the Drapers' Company, in whose Hall a fine portrait of him is preserved. Bowling Green Street derives its name from a bowling green which existed not very many years since. And White Hart Street from a field, which was so called certainly as early as 1785. On the Common was "a bridge called Merton Bridge, which formerly was repaired by the Canons of Merton {296} Abbey, who had lands for that purpose." (Lysons' _Environs_, edit. 4to., 1792, vol. i. p. 327.) It is due to your readers to state, that the authorities for the statements made in the former part of this paper are these: Lysons' _Environs_, ut supra, vol. i. pp. 325. 327.; Manning and Bray's _Surrey_, Lond., 1809, fol., vol. iii. pp. 484-488.; Stow, _Annales_, edit. 4to., 1601, pp. 432, 433.; and _Bibl. Top. Brit._, 4to., 1790, vol. ii. "History and Antiq. of Lambeth," p. 89. W. SPARROW SIMPSON. Kennington. * * * * * LIFE AND DEATH. I have thrown together a few parallel passages for your pages, which may prove acceptable. 1. "_To die is better than to live._" "I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun."--_Eccles._ iv. 2, 3.