Mr. Cunningham was mistaken in supposing that I had overlooked Catherine
Pegge, for I was well aware that she could not have been Pepys's "pretty
Lady." She must, in fact, have attained her fortieth year, and there is
no record of her being on the stage; whereas Margaret Hughes had, when
Pepys saluted her, recently joined the Theatre Royal, and she is
expressly styled "Peg Hughes" by Tom Browne, in one of his "Letters from
the Dead to the Living." Having disposed of this question, I am tempted
to add that Morant does not confirm the statement that Catherine Pegge
married Sir Edward Green, for he says that
"Sir Edward Greene, created a Baronet, 26 July, 1660, was seated at
Little Sampford in Essex; he had 3 wives, the first was Jeronyma,
daughter and coheir of William Everard, of Linsted, Esq., and by
her he had 6 daughters; by Mary, daughter of ---- Tasborough, he
had a son; and by the third lady ----, daughter of ---- Simonds, he
had a daughter. He was the last of the Greenes that enjoyed this
estate, having lost it by gaming."--Morant's _Essex_, vol. ii. p.
525.
This account of the Greene family is stated in a note to have been taken
from a fine pedigree on vellum, penes T. Wotton, Gent.
If Catherine Pegge was one the three ladies mentioned above, she must
have changed her name previously to her marriage, in hopes of concealing
her former history; but the circumstance of the baronetcy being
conferred upon Sir Edward is very suspicious. Probably some of your
correspondents can settle the question.