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Wolverhampton Chronicle of 31 March, 1790, was also copied from these sources.

Can any one supply the exact date of Hartop's death, and any further information ? What has become of the portrait by Cooper? And where are Hartop's letters and papers? These would be very valuable from an historical and literary point of view.

J. B. WILLIAMS.

Charles Fleetwood (d. 1692) the soldier married

(1) Frances Smith, by whom he had Smith Fleetwood (1644-1709), who married Mary, daughter of Sir Edward Hartopp, Bart., and Elizabeth Fleetwood, who married Sir John Hartopp, third baronet (1637 ? 1722), the Nonconformist and only son of Sir Edward, from whom the existing CradockHartopp family is descended.

(2) Bridget Cromwell, the Protector's eldest daughter and widow of General Ireton. (3) Mary, daughter of Sir John Coke of Melbourne, co. Derby, the widow of Sir Edward, and mother of Sir John Hartopp

mentioned above.

A. R. BAYLEY.

that over which 2 is placed is Millions of Millions

or Billions, that over which 3 stands is Millions of
Millions of Millions, or Trillions, &c.
321631 Octillions, 543261 Septillions, 701810
above Number may be read thus, 614 Nonillions,
Hence the
Sexillions, 718432 Quinquillions, 171816 Quad-
rillions, 743215 Trillions, 407184 Billions, 321718
Millions, 765671.”—P. 6.

But the French and others give very different
meanings to these fantastic words.

million of millions, a trillion a million of billions, "With us [i.e. in England] the billion is a and each denomination is a million times the one preceding. With the French and other writers, at least among the Italians) [and also in Continental nations (except some of the older the United States], the billion is a thousand millions, and each denomination is a thousand times the preceding."- The English Cyclopedia,' quoted in Webster's Dictionary, 1889 edition,

8.v. Numeration.'

ROBERT PIERPOINT.

LOMBARD STREET BANKERS: SIR STEPHEN EVANCE (11 S. ix. 230, 272, 298, 373).—I am much obliged to the REV. A. B. BEAVEN for calling my attention to the identification of this London banker at p. 128 of the second edition of Mr. F. G. Hilton Price's 'Handof this useful work was at hand. book.' When I wrote, only the first edition

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[The letters of this "very extraordinary old man," as he is called in the article quoted by MR. WILLIAMS, Would justify that description of him if they could be discovered, and it was found that they as the phonetic spelling for "Evance" is not The statement that Evans substantiated the statements in The General Maga altogether acceptable. It is probable the was adopted zine. When did Oliver Cromwell give this "ille-banker's family was of French origin, and gitimate daughter" her dowry? Hartop was only five years of age when the Protector died, and this the name therefore "Evence." Between this daughter is described as the centenarian's third and Evans there is too great a disparity to wife. How old was Hartop when this marriage allow of any confusion. took place?

Again, Hartop was but seven years of age when the Restoration occurred, and "soon after" he lent Milton fifty pounds. How soon after? The lender

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was only twenty-one when Milton died.
From MR. WILLIAMS's researches it appears that
the paragraph went the round of the press."
hope that MR. WILLIAMS or some other corre-
We
spondent may be able to trace its first appearance
and genesis]

"BILLION," "TRILLION," &c. (11 S. ix. 228, 278, 315). The following extracts from A New Introduction to the Mathematicks,' by Benjamin Donn of Biddeford, London, 1758, may be of use :--

"A Million of Millions a Billion, a Million of Billions a Trillion, a Million of Trillions a Quadrillion, &c."-P. 4.

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7

"We shall now shew him [i.e. the learner] how to read a very large Number, e.g. 614. 321631. 543261. 701810. 718432. 171818. 743215. 407184. The Method is thus: Over the seventh Figure, counting from the Right-hand toward the Left, put 1; from which count six, and over it put 2, &c. as in the above Number: Then the Figure over which 1 stands is Millions,

321718. 765671.

ALECK ABRAHAMS.

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On Tintock-tap there is a mist,
And in that mist there is a kist,
And in the kist there is a caup,
And in the caup there is a drap;
Tak up the caup, drink aff the drap,
After stating that there is a great accumula-
And set the caup on Tintock-tap.
tion of stones on the hill-top, and giving
the legendary reason for their presence there,
Chambers writes as follows:-

mist; and the kist mentioned in the rhyme
"The summit of Tintock is often enveloped in
rest of the heap for having a hole in its upper
was perhaps a large stone, remarkable over the
side, which the country-people say was formed
by the grasp of Sir William Wallace's thumb, on
the evening previous to his defeating the English
at Boghall, in the neighbourhood. The hole is

place them where they may be consulted with ease. If the slips are then printed, to prevent risk of loss by fire or otherwise, so much the better. Parish register entries by themselves do not, however, go far enough. They must be supplemented by a collection of the evidence of relationships and ages which in our churchyards. Much has already been is to be found in the monumental inscriptions done to record these inscriptions on the slip system, but more voluntary workers are required.

generally full of water, on account of the drizzling nature of the atmosphere; but if it is meant by the caup mentioned, we must suppose that the whole is intended as a mockery of human strength; for it is certainly impossible to lift the stone and drink off the contents of the hollow.' In his charming paper entitled Jeems the Door-Keeper, Dr. John Brown of Rab and his Friends' utilizes the verses, ingeniously investing them with allegorical significance. Discussing them line by line, he gradually unfolds from them a vivid and impressive homily, designed to emphasize the necessity and importance of steadily "BUSHEL AND STRIKE" (11 S. ix. 330, pursuing a lofty ideal. His interpretation 392). In reference to this question, it may of the drap is that it is the highest be of interest to note that the same practice attainable truth, and he encourages his readers-originally it was his hearers, for the essay was first an address to young people by reminding them that, as truth is perennial, the drop after each successive quaffing will inevitably be renewed. THOMAS BAYNE.

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OID ETONIANS (11 S. ix. 389).--John Barrington, b. Red Lion Street, London, 8 Dec., 1752; M.P. for Newtown, Isle of Wight, 1780-96; succeeded his father as ninth baronet, 24 Sept., 1792; and d. unmarried, 5 Aug., 1818.

Anselm Yates Bayley was probably son of the Rev. Anselm Bayley, musician and Sub-Dean of Chapel Royal, London, 1764, who was born 1719, and d. 1792.

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SIR RICHARD BERNIE (11 S. ix. 369). Sir Richard Birnie (not Bernie) was chief magistrate at Bow Street from 1821 till his death, 29 April, 1832.

JOSEPH BRANWELL. (11 S. ix. 389).-This man is nearly certain to have been Joseph Branwell, many years manager of the Launceston branch of the East Cornwall Bank, who died at Penzance, 7 April, 1857, aged 62. FREDERIC BOASE.

PARISH REGISTERS (11 S. ix. 344, 415).— If all our parish registers were in print, it may be conceded that we should be better off than we are at present, but the end would

not have been reached. The modern school of genealogists has recognized that we do not want the addition of a huge mass of undigested matter to our already overburdened bookshelves. What we do want is the scientific collection and arrangement of data. The ideal is the development, on national lines, of the Consolidated Index of the Society of Genealogists. Set to work to copy on to slips of paper of standard size the entries in all existing parish registers, arrange these slips in dictionary order, and

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M.

of "striking a measure of corn was usual
in antiquity. It is very common in Greek
papyri from Egypt to find it specified that
an artaba of grain was reckoned μéτpo
EvoT, i.e., that the grain was shaved
off" with a stick, corresponding to the
English strike. In an unpublished metro-
logical papyrus in the British Museum I find
it stated that the artaba contained 3} μódło:
έvoroi, but only 3 μόδιοι κουμούλατοι
(modii cumulati). The modius is, of course,
the Roman dry measure.
H. I. B.

G. QUENTON (11 S. ix. 389).—Redgrave gives a note of "Quinton, George, engraver, as having been born in 1779 at Norwich. He also painted some portraits. This may be the man inquired about.

HAROLD MALET, Col.

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W. B. H.

CENTENARY OF THE CIGAR (11 S. ix. 89, tainly was in use in the fifties, for I saw it 235).-The erroneous spelling segar cerdaily in the shop of a tobacconist on the left side of Holborn Hill on my way to St. Paul's School. It struck me then as being peculiar.

"TROD " (11 S. ix. 27, 116, 158).—"Trod " is used in Yorkshire parlance as a noun meaning a path or way. A steeplejack wished an elderly clergyman of my acquaintance to ascend a series of ladders fixed against the tower and spire of his church, saying: "It's a very good trod."

E. I. H. TEW.

A BOOK OF FABLES (11 S. ix. 348).Your correspondent asks for information concerning a book which contains cuts by W. Kent and J. Wootton, engraved by B. Barron, P. Fourdrinier, and J. Vdr. Gucht, and whose introductory fable is 'The Shepherd and the Philosopher.'

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The fables in question, i.e., the Introduction and Fables 1-50, were written by John Gay, and form the first series of his Fables' (the second series was published posthumously in 1738, and is outside of the query). This first series was published in 1727 by "J. Tonson and J. Watts," who on 6 Feb., 1727/8, paid Gay 947. 10s. for the copyright of these Fifty Fables' and his 'Beggar's Opera. The first edition was a handsome quarto, and was rapidly followed by the second, third, fourth, and fifth editions, which were all octavos, and were dated 1728, 1729, 1733, and 1737. Since then the 'Fables' have been reprinted at least 200 times, and translated into Bengali, French, German, Italian, Latin, Russian, and Urdu.

a

is Unless your correspondent's copy quarto, in which case it is the first edition and dated 1727, it is impossible to assign more than an approximate date, c. 1727-37, and an approximate edition, first to fifth, to it, because his copy lacks the title-page. The editions which I have noted are the only ones whose plates are signed with all the names mentioned in the query.

The cuts (not counting the tragic mask on the title-page) are fifty-one in number, and are placed in rectangular frames at the head of the introductory fable and each of the fifty fables in the volume. They were designed and drawn by two of Gay's friends, William Kent and John Wootton. Both were painters of some note, but Kent excelled as an architect, while Wootton was chiefly known as an animal and landscape painter. Their fortes are clearly shown on their respective plates. The designs were so excellent and so well adapted to their subjects that practically all of the succeeding illustrators of Gay's Fables' have been content merely to copy, or at the most to modify, the original designs.

The illustrations were cut in the best manner of the time by the well-known engravers B. Barron, Peter Fourdrinier, and Jan Van der Gucht. The cut to Fable 49 is signed "A. Motte, sc.," and apparently was not noted by your correspondent. Gay thought that they were a bit slow with their work, for in his letter of 18 Feb., 1726/7, to

Swift he writes: "My Fables are printed, but I cannot get my plates finished, which ERNEST L. GAY. hinders the publication."

University Club, Boston, Mass.

The particulars given indicate "Fables. By the late Mr. Gay. The Sixth Edition. London: Printed for J. and R. Tonson and J. Watts.

MDCCXLVI.' Very likely MR. RATCLIFFE'S copy is of an earlier edition, In mine the name Baron (not Barron) appears once only, viz., at Fable VIII., The Lady and the Wasp,' and the initial of the Christian name is illegible, consisting of nothing but two little marks.

With my copy is bound "Fables. By the Volume the Second. The late Mr. Gay. Fifth Edition. London: Printed for J. and and J. P. Knapton in Ludgate-street; MDCCLV." This Hinton in Newgate-street. latter has full-page illustrations, drawn by H. Gravelot, engraved by G. Scotin.

ROBERT PIERPOINT.

GENERAL BEATSON (11 S. vi. 430, 516; vii. 57, 135, 237; ix. 397).-Is not MR. TEW somewhat in error in speaking of General Scarlett's" too forward advance at Balaclava

after the charge of the Light Brigade" ? If I remember rightly, the glorious charge of the Heavy Brigade preceded the charge of the Light Brigade, and was in its way as success as that of the Light splendid a Calvalry was a splendid failure. A third cavalry charge was, I think, made by the French Chasseurs d'Afrique, serving in great degree to cover the retreat of our Light

Brigade.

W. S-RR.

FEAST OF SHELLS (11 S. ix. 108, 175).— Will MR. PEET or any other reader kindly say in what sort of shells the ancient Gaels drank when they feasted together?

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Formerly the Chinese made it a fashion to drink out of the shells of the pearly nautilus and Tridacna gigas. The latter is said by the celebrated savant Yang Chin (1488-1559) to possess a singular characteristic of never spilling, should it be made into a cup and so overfilled with wine as to exceed its brim by a tenth of an inch (Li Shi-Chin, Pantsau-kang-muh,' 1578, tom. xlvi.). The Japanese sometimes drink from the Venus'sear shell (Haliotis gigantea), which they deem an emblem of longevity and good fortune. From the 'Makura no Sôshi,' written in the eleventh century, we understand the then even ladiesJapanese noblemen — nay, occasionally to have drunk from the shell of Turbo marmoratus, a usage which has not

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GRIMOL (11 S. ix. 410).-St. Annes-on the-Sea is part of the old parish of Lytham where in the time of Richard I. (1189-99) was founded a cell dependent upon the Priory of Durham. In the foundation charter the boundaries of the lands forming the endowment are clearly defined, of which the following is a portion :—

"To wit, from the ditch on the western side of the burial yard of Kilgrimol, above which I have erected a crop, westward unto the sea.'

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In an agreement as to the boundaries between Lytham and Laton, dated 9 Feb., 1271, between the Sheriff of Lancashire and the Prior and monks of "Lithum," mention is made of pasture land lying between Kelgrimoles and Laton, and reference to the ancient cross on the Croshowe, and another cross erected by the Prior between Lytham and Laton. It is well known that, centuries ago, many acres of land on either side of the Ribble became submerged, and were said to have been "drowned and adnichilate,' as one old record puts it. The original church of Lytham shared this fate, and all that was left of it was the old burial-ground named in the above charter (History of Lytham,' Chetham Soc., lx., New Series). As to the meaning of Grimol, authorities may differ. Several other places in the district had the terminative mèols, meles, melys, all of which were situate on the sandy shore of the river. In Domesday Book one Wilbert held lands in West Derby known as Erengermeles in 33 Hen. III. (1248-9). Thomas de Betham died seised of Argarmell: this latter place was, before the end of the fourteenth century, swept away by the encroachment of the

river.

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HENRY FISHWICK.

Domesday Book tells us of five thanes who held Otegrimele or Otringemele, which Dr. Farrer identifies with North Meols in his History' of that parish. He suggests that they were descendants of Odda, son of Grim, a Norse settler among these sandhills, or mels, and states that these names occur in the Landnama-bok,' iii. 17, as ancestors of one Mark de Melis. The Rev. J. Sephton, in his 'Handbook of Lancashire Place-Names,' says the first

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theme of Otegrimele is Ohthere (see Searle's Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum,' 365), which name is found, he says, in King Alfred's Orosius. Argarmeols (the Erengermeles of Domesday) is now partly represented by Birkdale. The first theme of this, according to Mr. Sephton, is a personal name Earngaev, the Norse Arngeirr. Dr. Wyld and Mr. Hurst, in their Place-Names of Lancashire,* agree in this, and also that Meols is from melr, a sandhill, but do not appear to notice Otegrimele. No such form as Grimol seems to occur.

R. S. B.

viii. 270, 315).-In case my query at the THE AGE OF COUNTRY BRIDGES (11 S. the following gleanings which I have made first reference may have interested others subsequently may also be of interest.

The Act regulating the construction of country bridges, which my query was probably in search of, was the County Bridges Act, 1803, or Lord Ellenborough's Act, 1803 -to give its two popular names-otherwise Act 43 Geo. III. cap. 59. In its section v. it provides

built in any county....shall be deemed....to "That no bridge hereafter to be erected or be a county bridge....unless such bridge shall be erected in a substantial and commodious manner, under the direction or to the satisfaction of the county surveyor."

It is to be noted that no measurement is given, but old by-laws of different counties might give minimum measurements as a definition of "the satisfaction of the county surveyor." In any case, it is evident from the above extract that county bridges which are not "substantial and commodious are older than 1803 at least.

and far between, and a good authority informs
Acts bearing on country bridges are few
me that he knows of none which prescribes
for them a minimum width.
given me by the above authority, of Acts
Here is a list,
relating to country bridges: 22 Henry VIII.
cap. 5; 14 Geo. II. cap. 33; 43 Geo. III.
cap. 59; 54 Geo. III. cap. 90; 5 & 6
William IV. cap. 50; 33 & 34 Vic. cap. 73.
T. LLECHID JONES.

Yspytty Vicarage, Bettws-y-Coed.

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Some account

DR. JOHN SAMUEL PHENÉ (11 S. ix. 407). Cockerham Registers from 1597 to 1619 as of parishioners living in Wyresdale. The river-In The Morning Leader for 29 Sept., 1905, Wyre drains the north part of Bleasdale a drawing of Dr. Phené's house, 76, Oakley Forest, and at the headwaters there is Street, Chelsea, of which the scaffolding was Hand- then said to be down, is given, and Bleasdale Moss. In Sephton's this public" had a view of what is book of Lancashire Place-Names' Bleasdale is said to be derived either from doubtedly the most astonishing front in the Old Norse blár, dark blue, or from London." It certainly has a most picturesque appearance as there shown. Blaes, Blees, a personal name. I would suggest that Blezard has arisen of this new house is also given; but to "a 22 "Blees and the word request to be allowed a view of the interior from this name No one has been 66 assart, which means land cleared of Dr. Phené replied: wood and rendered arable. Assart was used admitted to see it.' thus we find in the Lan cashire Assize Rolls in 1262 that a Juliana de Assarto was charged with a breach of the forest laws. When these stringent laws were relaxed "Assarts" would become more common, and have to be distinguished from each other by some prefix; hence Blees-Assart might arise, which would soon be modified to Bleessart, from which the transition to Blessard would be easy.

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as a surname;

In 1702 and 1748

In 1666 Blizard appears in Chester's Lon-
don Marriage Licences.'
Bleazard is found in the Richmond Wills.
In 1764 we find Bleazerd, in 1802 Blezard,

in the same wills.

Kirkby Lonsdale.

W. H. CHIPPINDALL, Col.

MISSIONARY SHIP DUFF (11 S. ix. 410). The title of the book alluded to in my reply at 10 S. xi. 112 is "A Missionary Voyage to the Southern Pacific Ocean performed in the Years 1796, 97, 98, in the Ship Duff, commanded by Capt. James Wilson," published 1799. It contains an exhaustive in all prolist of subscribers who were

66

bability " interested in that most worthy
enterprise. The book can scarcely be con-
sidered rare, although it is seldom met with.
The exact date of sailing from the Thames
was 10 Aug., 1796, at 6 A.M.; and just a
month later (10 Sept., at 9 A.M.) the final
departure with the East India convoy,
place from Spithead where the ships lay
waiting for a fair wind. If H. H. will com-
shall be pleased
municate with me direct,
to send any particular details required.
FRANK PAUL.

61, Marmion Road, Southsea.

took

The following book is entered in Lowndes under Wilson, James:

"A Missionary Voyage to the Southern Pacific Ocean performed in the Years 1796, 1797, 1798, in the Ship Duff, commanded by Captain James Wilson," &c. London, 1799. 4to, with 13 maps and views. J. F. R.

He died, at the age of 89, on 9 March, 1912, and The Evening Standard of 12 March gave some details in regard to his life, under Chelsea Hermit's the general heading of Death: Vagaries of a Strange Career,' as well as a description of the house (there described as 32, Oakley Street).

A cutting from The Standard a few months later (unfortunately not dated in ny cutting, but it is one of the months ending in r, 1912) says that his will was proved at 31,5291., of which the net personalty was sworn at 29,2677. Among many provisions he left to the French Protestant Hospital, Victoria Park, two pictures one of Huguenot lady (Miss Hillier), by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and one of a Huguenot minister (name not mentioned in The Standard). He also left instructions for

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a

a proper and efficient biography with illustrations of my life and travels, with a consideration of 100 guineas to John Murray, Esq., of Albepetent fee for compiling such biography." marle Street, to suggest a compiler, and a comDetails are given as to the disposal of his property, and at the death of his residuary legatee or legatees, his books, manuscript lectures, drawings, and photographs (after having been used for the preparation of his Life) are to go to the library of the Chelsea Polytechnic, Manresa Road, Chelsea. Money was also left for several of his servants and other assistants. The bulk of the property was left to two relatives. In this will the house is described as 5, Carlton Terrace, Oakley Street, Chelsea; but see above as to the two different numberings in the reports. F. J. HYTCH.

The following appeared in The Daily News of 29 Oct., 1912 :

"Sir Joshua Reynolds's portrait of Miss Hillier, a Huguenot lady, has been bequeathed to the French Protestant Hospital, in Victoria Park Road, N.E., by the late Dr. John Samuel Phené, of 5, Carlton Terrace, Oakley Street, Chelsea. Dr. Phené, whose estate has been valued at 31,5291. for probate, was a member of several learned societies, and he claimed to trace

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