record of when he left. He never took a degree.

He took holy orders shortly before his death. One afternoon in April he was out riding, and walked his horse into a pond for the purpose of giving him drink, but both suddenly disappeared. The horse got out, but the man was drowned. This was in 1783 (i. 251).

Frederick Reynolds was born 1 Nov., 1764, and he says (i. 52) he entered Westminster School at the age of eleven; but Barker and Stenning give the date as 22 Jan., 1776, when he was twelve. He got to the head form (where he had several dukes as schoolfellows) in 1781 (i. 135), but I do not find when he left the school. The next fact he chronicles is that his father placed him in his own office, which Frederick did not consider exactly the best place to learn law (i. 4, 146), and entered him as a student of the Middle Temple 12 Jan., 1782. He married Miss Mansel the day after his brother Richard was married, namely, 16 March, 1799 (Gent. Mag., p. 251). He never cared for the law, and soon gave it up, becoming a successful dramatist, in which capacity he has obtained a notice in the 'D.N.B.' from the careful pen of Mr. W. Prideaux Courtney, who also signs a notice of the son Frederic Mansel Reynolds.

Frederick's Life is to a biographer a most annoying publication. It has taken me many hours to guess at dates from the desultory particulars he gives, and many weeks to get them as exact as possible from other sources. His book is interesting and amusing, but some of his anecdotes are so free that no publisher in the present day would offer them to his readers. A curious incident is that, when the family break-up came, he and his brother lived in chambers in the Temple for several years (at ii. 16 he says four years, and at p. 293 fifteen years, but ten years was the time) without paying any rent, nor could they find out who the landlord was!

The piece that most interested me is where he describes his sufferings and torture as a boy at a school at Walthamstow, for these tally with my own terrible experiences in every particular, though mine were some seventy years subsequent. Many a boy's whole life has been darkened from this cause, and I regret to say the frightful system of bullying referred to still continues in certain schools.

There are some things Frederick ought to have explained, and others which I do not understand. Why, for example, did he

spell his name Frederic all through the two volumes of his 'Life,' and only discover at the end, when he came to the title and dedication, that it ought to have been Frederick ?

It seems to me strange that the wherries (the water cabs of those days) at the Adelphi were such a novel sight to him (i. 65) when the Westminster School boys bathed in the Thames at Millbank (see Swimming,' by Ralph Thomas, p. 108); and he used to go to Battersea Fields to shoot with his schoolfellow the Duke of Bedford (i. 82). must have seen plenty of boats on these occasions. RALPH THOMAS.

He

THE GREEN PARK AVENUE. -It is of interest to note that the new avenue running north to Piccadilly from the Victoria Memorial approximately covers the site of the great pavilion erected for the display of fireworks celebrating the Peace of Aix-laChapelle. It was 410 ft. long and 114 ft. high, and was 'invented and designed by the Chevalier Servandoni, and all the framing was performed by Mr. James Morris, Master Carpenter to the Office of Ordnance." These particulars are provided in A Description of the Machine for the Fireworks, with all its ornaments and a detail of the manner in which they are to be exhibited in St. James's [sic] Park, Thursday, April 27, 1749, on account of the General Peace signed at Aix La Chapelle, October 7, 1748. This rather scarce pamphlet was printed by W. Bowyer and published by Dodsley.

Many prints of these public fireworks were published by Overton, Bowles, and Dicey, but probably the scarcest is that depicting the scene when, after a grand overture by Handel had been performed, and the King and a dense crowd were watching the fireworks, the pavilion caught light and was nearly destroyed by the flames. The title

runs:

"The Grand Whim for Posterity to Laugh at: being the Nigh View of the Royal Fireworks, as Exhibited in the Green Park, St. James's, with the Right Wing on fire and the cutting away the two middle arches to prevent the whole fabrick from being destroyed. London: Printed for T. Fox, near Ludgate. Price Sixpence."

Several of the prints show Buckingham House and the surrounding scenery, and it is by one of these" prospects" taken from the Library at St. James's Palace, that I identify the site as being on the line of the new avenue.

ALECK ABRAHAMS.

22

66

92

From analogy with cases in other parishes, I should imagine it was more likely that the payments were really made for not doing the office than for doing" it, fines for refusal to act as "My Lord" or "My Lady on Hocking Day, or to accept the responsible post of warden of a local gild, being a recognized source of profit to the common stock of the parish.

Having last summer enjoyed the privilege of thoroughly examining the Chagford accounts-a long array of volumes dating back to 1481, which the present Rector, with exemplary care and generosity, has caused to be strongly rebound-I can offer a few more extracts therefrom, one of which, I think, affords a key to the puzzling term in question, viz., in 1555, Received....of

66

No doubt the members of the "Young Men's " gild, or a certain contingent of them, formed themselves into a "Robin Hood's Company," for the practice and encouragement of archery, representing the military element in that parish, just as in some other parishes we find the "Young Men " doing. Such bands were often enrolled under the name of St. George, the red cross of St. George on a white ground being the distinctive badge of all soldiers at that period.

As at South Tawton, so, I believe, in many other places the wardens of the Young Men's, or St. George's, or the Hogner's stores frequently undertook the responsibility of getting up the church ales"; and indeed at Chagford Mr. Ormerod remarks that the receipts from the "Howde Young Men are mostly from the sale of ale. The following items require no further explanation :—

22

1555. The accompte of the yongemen of the p'ysshe of Chagford, John Northecott and others for the Howde, made the vijth day of Ap'ell in the yere......

1556. To R. L., W. F., and others of the houde ys men of the p'ysshe of Chagford...... 1556. To Henry Hyll for fetheryn and heddyng of arowys. 1564. [Receipts from]......Howde men. ETHEL LEGA-WEEKES.

LAUNCESTON AS A SURNAME. (See 8 S. vi. 348; ix. 78 ; xi. 111.)—A further instance of the adoption in fiction of Launceston as at least a titular name is furnished by the Earl of Launceston being given as the father of the heroine, Lady Molly Ffolliot, in a serial story, Lady Molly,' by Mr. Eric Clement Scott, just begun in the London Evening News. But I would venture once more to emphasize the fact that my original query (at the first reference) as to whether the surname of Phil Launceston, described in The Athenæum of 6 Oct., 1894, as an Australian poet and a friend of Adam Lindsay Gordon's," was genuine or assumed, remains unanswered. DUNHEVED.

66

Queries.

WE must request correspondents desiring information on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that answers may be sent to them direct.

MAY BASKETS AND JUNE BOXES.-There is a May Day custom in some parts of the United States which I do not remember hearing of in England. On the 1st of May the young folks fill baskets with flowers and cookies" or other toothsome dainties, and hang them on the door-knobs of the friends they delight so to honour, or rather of those who are the most likely to call them in and regale them with good things in return for the compliment. The same thing is done on the 1st of June, boxes instead of baskets being used.

22

Can any one tell me of the origin of the custom? Is it an offshoot of the maypole customs, and of the Jack-in-the-green which I remember seeing in the early fifties at Ramsgate in Kent? One occasion is particularly vivid in my recollection. I was put in the corner for some childish offence committed in the dame's school to which I went. My punishment was easy to bear because I was able to see from a window the Jack-in-the-green and the maypole dancing a sight denied to the betterbehaved, but less lucky scholars than

Scranton, Pa.

CHARLES WELSH.

AS DEAD AS QUEEN ANNE."-Would it not be worth while to gather in the hospitable columns of N. & Q.' all that has hitherto been ascertained as to the origin of this curious phrase, or at least, since this principal point seems to be as yet unsettled, to collect there references from various times and authors, so that the student gets a firm footing for further research?

As the 'N.E.D.' does not mention it either s.v. 2 Anne or Dead,' the question cannot be simple. G. KRUEGER. Berlin.

JOHN HENNING, SCULPTOR, 1771-1851.Soon after the arrival in England of the Parthenon and Phygaleian friezes Henning began his reduced models of them, restoring the missing parts. The work, which occupied him during twelve years, is stated to have been performed with great skill and minute accuracy. This opinion is borne out by the plaster casts of Henning's labours which are occasionally to be met with in

broken or fragmentary state. The sculptor also modelled in relief the Cartoons of Raphael, a translation naturally not SO successful artistically.

Is it known where the original (? wax) models of Henning's efforts are now preserved ? ALBERT HARTSHORNE.

SCULPTURES TAKEN AT SEA.-Is anything known concerning the sculptures mentioned in the following, or the pictures ?

1766. Now exhibited at the Falcon, in Painswick, Glos., from 8 in the morning till 8 in the evening, Mr. Motetts six curious pieces of marble sculptures representing the sufferings of our Saviour, from his last supper to his Crucifixion, in upwards of 400 fine figures in relievo; being designed as a present to the French King, but taken in the year 1745, and carried into Bristol. They are now highly polished and solemnly ornamented. To which are now added some fine paintings on the same subject done by the most eminent masters, finished in the year 1577, and taken at Vigo in 1702. Admission to Ladies and Gents 1s. each, and servants 6d.”—Advertisement in The Gloucester Journal.

The show, it is believed, passed on to Ross and Leominster. ST. CLAIR BADDELEY.

ST. MARGARET AND JOAN OF ARC.-There are thirteen St. Margarets recorded in the Supplement to Potthast's Bibliotheca Historica Medii Evi.' I am anxious to know which of these is the one mentioned in Mr. Andrew Lang's The Maid of France' as appearing to the Blessed Jeanne d'Arc. EDWARD PEACOCK. Wickentree House, Kirton-in-Lindsey.

PETER WILCOCK.-Can any of your readers give me information about Peter Wilcock, who published a translation of The Lives of the Abbots of Wearmouth and Jarrow,' from the original of the Venerable Bede, in or about 1818? I think that he was a clergyman, but am not sure. J. PATTERSON. Sunderland.

BISHOPS' LANDS IN 1660: PROCEEDINGS On 7 Oct., 1660, OF COMMISSIONERS. to Charles II. appointed Commissioners inquire into the sales of bishops' lands that had taken place under the Commonwealth, presumably with a view to settling any disputes that might arise. Are there any records of the proceedings of those Commissioners in existence, and, if so, where are they to be found? There are one or two references in the State Papers, but they relate to one property only.

I feel sure there must be some official documents, because Bishop White Kennet in his 'Register' quotes certain "Orders"

made by the Commissioners, which he apparently took from a MS. book among the muniments of Peterborough Cathedral.

HENRY R. PLOMER.

44, Crownhill Road, Willesden, N.W.

STOWMARKET: EFFIGIES ON TOMB.-I am anxious to learn whether secular coats of arms and brass effigies of females are ever found on the tomb of an ecclesiastic. There is a tomb in Stowmarket the brasses of which are gone, but there was one central figure of a woman or robed abbot. Three coats of arms are over her head, and there are twelve small effigies-(brasses) four on each side of her, and four under her feet.

I claim that it is a sixteenth-century tomb, and the tomb of a woman, as I think that kind of tomb-decoration (big and small brasses) peculiar to that period. I shall be glad of help from readers of N. & Q.' H. C. BIRCH.

Preston Hill, Stowmarket.

BARFRESTON CHURCH.-This church in Kent was, I have heard, reconstructed on a new site. Where can particulars of this occurrence be obtained ?

J. HARRIS STONE.

SIR NICHOLAS CRISPE: ARMS IN HAMMER

SMITH CHURCH. On the original lid of his

stone coffin, which now forms a headstone to the grave of Sir Nicholas Crispe, "K. and Barronett," under the north wall of the choir of the parish church of Hammersmith, is an impaled shield with a blazon of a chevron and three owls. This also occurs, in both cases above the Crispe arms (Arg., on a chevron sa. five horseshoes or), on the shield upon the column inside the church which bears the heart of the baronet and the bust of King Charles. Whose arms are these, and how do they come to be on the Crispe shield? H. C. FANSHAWE.

72, Philbeach Gardens, S. W.

HERALDIC MS. IN BRITISH MUSEUM.

William Herbert, the Corporation librarian, refers, in a foot-note appended to p. 227 of his History of the Goldsmiths' Company,' to" an ancient heraldic MS." in the Museum, which he describes as detailing the arms then existing in the church of St. John Zachary, in addition to arms depicted on the windows of Goldsmiths' Hall. Can any one supply the reference to this MS. ? I made recently a cursory examination of all MSS. that appeared (from the catalogues) to be likely, but could find nothing answering the description. Herbert gives no precise date

GEORGE ROMNEY, 1611: JANE ROMNEY. -Can some one tell me where the will is of a George Romney, alive in 1611, a recusant late of St. Clement Danes, London, whose property was estreated? He was, I think, about Appleby and Carlisle c. 15801590, and probably belonged there, being a cousin of Andrew Hylton of Burton, recusant, and martyr at Carlisle. I want the names of the property and of George Romney's father. Was the latter of Tetbury or Ullswater?

Also, are there descendants alive, and where, of Jane, only sister of Romney the painter ? 44, Upper Mall, Hammersınith, W.

MRS. LAW.

CHURCHYARD RECORDS.-Is there any society or club for the collection or printing of epitaphs and inscriptions? Wishing to systematize my collection, I should be glad to learn what system is adopted to represent different forms and locate the position of stones, &c. C. R. S.

[See the notes by MR. GERISH and MR. STAPLETON, ante, pp. 205, 251.]

RICHARD TEMPLE, M.D.-Can any reader give me information about Richard Temple, M.D., who died 1826 ? He was author of 1792-3, and physician to St. Marylebone 'The Practice of Physic,' 8 vols., London, whom he married, and what children he had. Dispensary in 1802. I want to find out direct. I should be much obliged for answers R. GORDON SMITH.

2, Manor Road, Brockley, S.E.

LADY WILLIAM STANHOPE : CAPT. C. MORRIS.—I should feel most grateful to any reader who could inform me, of the maiden name of Lady William Stanhope, who, after her husband's death, married my greatgreat-grandfather, Capt. Charles Morris.