JA, the Shakesperian scholar is to the fore in Letter 28:or, should I say that the joky "History of England" Shakesperian scholar is present.....

I have been here ever since a quarter after three on thursday last, by the Shrewsbury Clock, which I am fortunately enabled absoutely to ascertain, because Mrs Stent once lived at Shrewsbury or at least at Twekesbury...

Here is the passage from Henry IV, Part I, which makes mention of "The Shrewsbury Clock":

PRINCE HENRY
Why, Percy I killed myself and saw thee dead.

FALSTAFF
Didst thou? Lord, Lord, how this world is given to
lying! I grant you I was down and out of breath;
and so was he: but we rose both at an instant and
fought a long hour by Shrewsbury clock. If I may be
believed, so; if not, let them that should reward
valour bear the sin upon their own heads. I'll take
it upon my death, I gave him this wound in the
thigh: if the man were alive and would deny it,
'zounds, I would make him eat a piece of my sword.

LANCASTER
This is the strangest tale that ever I heard.

Ja is obviously quoting The Bard and making fun of the sligthly deranged, or so it seems to me ,Mrs Sstent. Living in Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire is not really living near Shrewsbury.......they are some distance apart .But they have similar sounding name so JA would be tempted to play about with them...or, so it seems to me....