6 umbrella under his arm and goblet in his left aware of the fact that for a figure to come hand; and on the extreme right is the out right-handed he must draw it leftsame actor, as Grojan, a character in a long handed on the copper, since a proof taken since forgotten farce, which seems never to from a copperplate represents everything have been printed, called Quite Correct,' the reverse of what it is in the drawing on adapted from the French by Joseph Ebs- the copper. Any one who wishes to see worth, and first produced at the Haymarket, these prints can do so, at the Students' July 29, 1825. There can be no doubt Print Room at the British Museum, where, about Liston's features or the characters, for an occasional visit, no ticket is required. because he is saying to Elliston, who with his left hand is giving a slice of cake to the engraving represents the cutting of the It is quite clear that this copperplate monkey, “That's not correct," which is a Drury Lane Baddeley Twelfth Night cake, catch-phrase of Grojan's, just as "I hope I well known in theatrical circles. I presume don't intrude" is of Paul Pry's. It seems it was intended as a Twelfth Night card, of curious that Liston should be twice repre- which at that time great numbers were sented, but he was so popular that he fre-issued every year. There is a good article quently acted both these parts on the same night. a of On Twelfth Night as a Religious Period,' of celebrating the twelfth night after Christcommenting on the decay of the custom mas, in Household Words for Dec. 26, 1896, p. 156. RALPH THOMAS. (To be concluded.) SIR JOHN SCHORNE. The monkey figure is intended for little George Wieland as the Chimpanzee in 'La Perouse,' a part which he had acted at Drury Lane, and which Edmund Kean is said to have played when he began, about 1809, but which had, no doubt, been completely forgotten. Wieland acquired unique position as a representative monkeys and sprites, and continued on the stage almost to the time of his death, which occurred on Nov. 6, 1847, at the age of 35. FOR a good many years past the Rector of He was a member of the Acting Committee Long Marston, that Master John Schorne, of the Theatrical Fund. One of West's 'gentleman born," who conjured the devil best sets of characters is to be found in into a boot and was canonized by the voice of "The grand historical ballet called La the people, if not by the authority of Rome, Perouse, or the desolate Island, as performed has been a standing subject of interest to at the English Opera House, published readers of N. & Q. The late Dr. Sparrow 25 October, 1819." T. P. Cooke was La Simpson, in particular, was assiduous in Perouse, and Miss Leonora Pincott, after-collecting anything relating to the Buckingwards Mrs. Alfred Wigan, is representing the chimpanzee. The figures of Punch on the left and Judy on the right, holding their goblets in their left hands, are simply allegorical. It only remains to mention the figure holding the goblet in his left hand immediately above Elliston, which may be intended for John Charles Hughes, an actor of humorous parts, and for some years Secretary to the Drury Lane Theatrical Fund. Ebsworth, who is mentioned above, married an elder sister of Miss Fairbrother, afterwards Mrs. Fitzgeorge, the wife of the late Duke of Cambridge. The late Rev. J. Woodfall Ebsworth was the son of this Joseph Ebsworth. 66 hamshire worthy, and there is but little known upon the subject which is not included in his articles in vols. xxiii., xxv., and xli. of the Journal of the British Archæological Association. Of later date there is a good summary in the number of The Reliquary for January 1901, not, however, adding anything fresh to what was already known about this saint. During the last few months I have been so fortunate as to come across a second copy of the Office for Sir John Schorne which was printed by Dr. Sparrow Simpson in the Journal of the British Archæologica I Association for 1885 (vol. xli. p. 262). Dr. Simpson's version was taken from Sloane MS. No. 389, folio 92, and was obviously the The artist who drew this Twelfth Night work of an illiterate person whose bad handprint was William Heath.* He did hun-writing made some passages quite uninteldreds of prints for West. Heath was quite *For information about him see 'N. & Q.,' 1908 (10 S. ix. 385, 473; x. 13, 93). light is contained in a fifteenth-century ligible. The new version which has come to collection of prayers, offices, &c., of English origin, belonging to Robert Berkeley, Esq., Aue diuini puerorum consolator miserorum qui sunt in tristicia Aue aux peregrinorum esto ductor viatorum ad superna gaudia. Ora pro nobis sacerdos Ave tu que sunt in tris- 66 A comparison of the two versions shows that the Spetchley MS. is much better than the Sloane copy, though it is not altogether free from the mistakes of an ignorant copyist. In stanza 7 the " VOS of the former should evidently be bos"; but the ninth stanza (Spetchley) and eighth (Sloane) offer most difficulty. The MS. leaves no doubt as to the word "divini' but this is obviously incorrect. "Dnū (in the same place in the Sloane MS.) was read by Dr. Sparrow Simpson as 66 domnus," which seems equally unlikely. Mr. Herbert (of the Department of MSS., British Museum) suggests that in both places the original word was dulcis," which became corrupted by a succession of ignorant scribes. Spetchley MS. enables us to make sense of the absurdities of the last stanza and the collect as given in the Sloane MS. sidering the extreme rarity of local offices in England, it is satisfactory to possess this record of the popular devotion to Sir John Schorne in a fairly complete and accurate form. 66 The Con As some confusion exists with regard to the representations of the famous miracle of the devil and the boot, it may be of interest to give a list, corrected by personal inquiry, of paintings which are still extant. Sir John Schorne figures on the following rood screens: Alphington, Devon; Cawston, Norfolk; Gateley, Norfolk; Suffield, Norfolk; Wolborough, Devon. Ave dux peregrinorum hannes. Et nos a cunctis febri- R. Ut a cunctis febrebus defendat nos gracia bus defendat gratia Christi. Christi. figures are so much effaced that it requires a good deal of imagination to see a representation of Sir John Schorne in them; at Barton Turf, Binham, and Ludham his figure is not to be found, so probably the note in Messrs. Bond and Camm's book has been misplaced. To end with a query. In the Proceedings of the Bury and West Suffolk Archæological Institute (vol. i. p. 222) there is described a representation of Sir John Schorne which is said to have come from a rood-screen at Sudbury. In 1850 it belonged to Mr. Gainsborough Dupont. In The Archaeological Journal (vol. xxv. pp. 334-44) a description is given of a stained-glass panel with a figure of Schorne, which in 1838 belonged to a resident of Bury St. Edmunds. And in The Reliquary for 1902 (p. 40) mention is made of the leaf of a vellum Antiphoner at Clare, in private possession, with an illumination or miniature of Sir John. Can any one say where these are now to be found? WM. BARCLAY SQUIRE. THE printing of almanacs in England can be traced back to pre-Elizabethan times, for the earliest one known was printed by Richard Pynson in 1497. Afterwards the exclusive right to sell almanacs and prognostications was granted by Queen Elizabeth to the Stationers' Company, and James I. extended the privilege to the Universities of and poorer Partridge is well known; the calendar itself is derived from the old authority. To show the growth of these slender ephemerides I subjoin a list of almanacs for the county of Huntingdon, with a few notes detailing the local uses and some of their contents. My list commences with a small volume published by the Stationers' Company in 1782, but the county is yet more closely connected with the Company than this implies, for in the year 1802 the latter consigned to "Mr. Gregory the editorship of the Gentleman's Diary and another of the almanacs." From the year 1817 he had the general superintendence of the almanacs published by them, which had been for a long time conducted by Dr. Hutton. "Mr. Gregory" was the famous mathematician, Dr. Ölinthus Gregory-born at Yaxley, Huntingdonshire, Jan. 29, 1774, died at Woolwich in 1841; so the pleasure of perusing these slight works is enhanced by their recalling some interesting historical associations. Mr. J. Wright of St. Neots kindly sent me a list of those in his collection, which added to mine and the B.M. sheets make up the total. (1) The earliest almanac connected with Huntingdonshire is one in my possession dated 1782. It is printed in red and black, size 5 in. by 3 in., and called— "The Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire Almanack For the Year of Our Lord God 1782. Second after Bissextile or Leap Year." After the repeal of the stamp tax, almanacs became much more numerous, and some of them published from Stationers' Hall, about this time and later, contained information relating to many counties, so that their was Oxford and Cambridge, circulation extensive, whilst others and for about two centuries these bodies limited their scope to a district or just a few were the only ones permitted to issue counties. printed calendars. It was not until 1834, when the heavy stamp duty of one shilling and threepence per copy was repealed, that local printers were able to publish their own productions; and even up to the present day most of the locally printed almanacs contain the calendar and other matter supplied by the Company, and used for the inside," having added thereto advertisements and much local information to make up the little volumes, which are mostly small octavos. It is this extra material, or Companion to the Almanac, that I am here most concerned with and interested in, for I wish to indicate how useful it is for topographical and genealogical purposes a point which has not been sufficiently noted. Yet a small collection of such annuals of any county should be most instructive and may well be consulted for the above information. These little records of a year's work are still popular, and their genesis from the official sheets and later forecasts and prognostications of Old Moore, Poor Robin, It has an engraved view of Stationers' Hall and the Stationers' arms, and gives a list of the fairs in Huntingdonshire, and the names of members of Parliament, &c. This particular copy belonged to some one in St. Neots, and he made almost daily entries about the weather. The forecast in the almanac for Feb. 11 was “mild and temperate weather for the season," and the observer writes: "Very windy, high wind"; and on May 16 the forecast was: 'Hot and dry weather." He noticed that it was 'Rainy weather to the 28th," and on the 31st, River out of its banks." 66 66 66 This copy seems of quite a recent date for weather fore compared with the Lincoln 66 It gives lists of the fairs and members of Parliament. From 1822 to 1849 the almanacs were sold by George Greenhill; from 1850 to 1883 by Joseph Greenhill; and from 1884 to 1894 they were 'published by the Stationers' Company." The price of each was two shillings up to 1834; the next year and subsequent years the price was reduced to sixpence, the result possibly of the repeal of the stamp duty. (3) Hannay & Dietrichsen's Almanack for 1844 amongst other counties includes Huntingdonshire, but gives only the usual local information of that period. 6.66 (7) The St. Neots Chronicle" Almanack,' a sheet 17 in. by 22 in., was presented to subscribers to the St. Neots Chronicle by F. Topham. The almanac was issued yearly from about 1856 to 1871. (8) Evans & Wells succeeded Topham, and they issued a similar almanac from 1872 to 1886, when the Chronicle was absorbed by the Hunts County News. (9) Handford's Family Almanack, 1863,' is the next book almanac, printed and published by Robert Wm. Handford, Market Place, St. Neots, ld. He was in business as a stationer for only about a year. (10) The Rev. E. Bradley ("Cuthbert Bede ") was curate of Glatton with Holme, 1850-54, and Rector of Denton with Caldicote, 1859-71. He presented his parishioners with an almanac, as the following note shows: (11) The Denton and Caldicot Almanack, 1872,' was dated by Harry M. Wells from Denton Rectory, November, 1871. "Continuing a practice established by your late Rector, the Rev. E. Bradley, I have resolved to present you with a sheet almanack.' The one for the year 1873 had the same address and the same illustrations dated November 1871. (12) The Caldicote Almanack,' 1873, a large single sheet, was also dated from Denton Rectory by Harry M. Wells, Dec. 7, 1872. (13) Foster's Illustrated Huntingdonshire Almanack,' St. Ives, 1872-82, 8vo.-The year 1881 has advertisements only. That for 1882 (the eleventh year) was called ' Foster's Huntingdonshire Almanack, and gave St. Ives local information, a list of carriers from St. Ives, and a calendar of local events. (4) The first of the locally published almanacs was a folio sheet, 14 in. by 24 in., (14) Hankin's Huntingdonshire Almaprinted by David Richard Tomson, Market nac and Fireside Companion,' St. Ives, Square, St. Neots, who had recently succeeded 1882-1916, 8vo.-Contains Companion to his uncle J. Stott. It is called Tomson's the Almanac (tales), conundrums, &c., Almanack for the Year 1852,' and printed all printed at St. Ives-at first by James in blue. Tomson's St. Neots Almanac, G. Hankin, and after 1885 by James G. 1854,' gave an engraving of St. Neots Church; Hankin & Son. The following years have and another one entitled 'Almanack for rather interesting frontispieces :1869' was 21 in. by 28 in., and all were issued gratis. (5) Tomson also printed the "Family Paper" Almanack, 1855,' a sheet 9 in. by 14 in., printed in red and blue; the similar one for 1856 was printed in black. Issued gratis with the St. Neots Family Paper. (6) Tomson also printed the first book almanac, small 8vo, in the county- Tomson's Household Almanack, 1856,' ld. 1888. 1889. 1890. 1891. 1802. The Old Bridge, St. Ives. By C. R. B. The Old House, St. Ives. By C. R. B. The Waits, St. Ives. By C. R. B. Barrett. Skating Match at Chatteris, 1823. 1893. Congregational Church, St. Ives. May I be allowed to mention that in 1884 appeared my Notes on the History of printed by McCorquodale & Co., Ltd. Portrait of A. H. Smith Barry, M.P., and another copy with portrait of Hon. Ailwyn Fellowes, M.P. St. Ives,' and in 1886 Municipal History of Huntingdon'? This was about the commencement of any attempts at writing anything about the county, and, so far as I know, these were the only local articles in the series. (24) ‘The “Huntingdonshire Post" AlAlthough I was told by my friend the late manack and Diary,' 1895, Huntingdon, 8vo. Theodore Watts-Dunton that he had contri--This is a specially interesting number, buted to it, I have failed to find anything by him. 6 containing several outline sketches, and a Calendar of local events' as the Calendar; (15) St. Neots Parish Almanac,' 1883-98. Carlyle's description of St. Ives; and verses (16) Free Church Sunday School, St. by E. J. Naish of St. Ives, viz., Hemingford Ives, Illustrated Almanack.' Sheets, 1886-9, Abbots Church,' Hemingford Grey Church,' Sunday School Union, 56 Old Bailey, and A Summer's Day.' (Even some early London, E.C.. German almanacs contained pieces by (17) Jarman & Gregory's "Hunts poets.) County Guardian' Almanack and Direc- (25) Wrycroft's Almanack for St. Neots tory,' St. Ives, 1888-93, 8vo (with County and District,' D. S. Wrycroft, St. Neots, Map, 4d., I have not seen).—It has lists of 1900-1905, 8vo.-Contains original articles: fairs, members of the County Council. Historical Notes. Trades Directory. The carriers, magistrates, and clergy of HunTown of St. Neots, with illustrations. James Toller, the Eynesbury Giant, and tingdonshire. portrait frontispiece. 1900. 1901. 1892. Frontispiece, Church of St. Peter and 1902. St. Paul, Fenstanton. 1893. Frontispiece, North Hunts Constitutional Club, St. Ives. (18) The Hunts County Guardian" 1903. Almanack and Directory.' Sheets, St. Ives, 1889-93. (19) The Saint Ives Wesleyan Sunday 1904. School Almanack for 1889.' Sheet, 2 Castle Street, City Road, E.C. (20)"Hunts County News" Almanack and Year-Book for Huntingdonshire,' Huntingdon, 1891-1903, 8vo.-Contains full information as to the various county authorities and local bodies, public institutions, places of worship, &c.; and 1903 adds "a Gazetteer of the whole county." (21) Wells's Almanack and Directory for St. Neots and District,' St. Neots, 1891-1901, 8vo. Zachariah Wells, 1891-7; Wells & Son, 1898-1901.-Contains full information as to the various local authorities, places of worship, public institutions, &c., in St. Neots and neighbourhood. 1893, 1894, 1897, 1898. Very useful record of local events. 1895. Local chronological landmarks; and a short account of the stained-glass windows in St. Neots Church, and by whom presented. 1896. A thick-paper edition, 2d. (fifth year of publication); and an Édition de Luxe, 28. (Two only printed.) (22) 'Mrs. Wallis's Kimbolton Almanack,' 1890-94, 8vo. (Mrs. Adelaide Selena Wallis, Post Office, Kimbolton.)-Kimbolton local information. (23) The "Huntingdonshire Post " Constitutional Almanack, 1894. Large sheet, 1905. A Short Sketch of the Life of the celebrated A Brief Account of the Circumstances The Great Frost of 1814, Snowed Up.' 1902. 1903. 1906. 1907. 1909. 1910. 1912. 1913. 1914. 1915. 1916. The Windows of St. Neots Parish Church Links with the Past. By J. Wright. The The Great Robbery at St. Neots in 1829. St. Neots Bridge (illus.). Interior of St. Neots Church (illus.). A Musical Genius who lived at St. Neots Huntingdonshire and the Volunteer Move- (27) W. Goggs & Son's Almanack and Year-Book,' Huntingdon, 1904, 8vo.-Contains Huntingdon Directory, Magistracy, &c. (28) South Hunts Liberal Calendar,' 1905. Large sheet, with five portraits. |