the remains of a British coffin-a hollowed oak trunk or even, it may be, the last long bed of Old Gryme himself. This is carefully preserved in the church. By good fortune the old registers have survived the general wreck, and still remain in tolerable preservation in the safe. I venture to hope that a short description of them may be allowed to occupy the pages of "N. & Q." They were long preserved in the old parish chest, a strong oak box of rather larger size than most of the Lincolnshire chests. The three earliest registers are of parch ment. No. 1 is a book of 130 pages, viz., 51 occupied with baptisms, 21 with marriages, and 58 with burials. It is bound in a limp vellum cover, and joined with string and leather through all the leaves. Though much dog's-eared and at the bottom decayed and discoloured by damp, I think it would be possible, without recourse to chemicals, to transcribe all but a very few pages at the end. This volume is entitled "A regester booke of all the christninges, marriages, and burialls within great Grymsbie from the yeare of our Lorde god 1538." Christenings. October. The first entry is, "Peter and John ye sonnes of John Wright were baptized ye xxxist day." About fifteen christenings take place annually till 1553, when the last is on July 19, and from that time there is a blank till the end of Mary's reign. On the accession of Elizabeth a fresh start is made, the page being headed "Elizabethæ anno primo," though it is added "desunt anni duo," and the first entry is April 12, 1560. The baptisms from this time average twenty or twenty-five (in some years there are nearly forty) till the last entry Sept. 6, 1616. At 1603 is marked "Jacobi anno primo," and from 1595 Robt. Lord, vicar, and two churchwardens sign at the foot of each page. In 1615 there are thirtyfive baptisms. The marriages commence Feb. 1, 1538, and average about six annually till May 20, 1553, when a fresh start is made, headed as before, "Elizabethæ anno primo, a'o d'ni 1558," the first entry being Sept. 10. From this time they average about ten annually till the last entry, July 21, 1616, when there is a note "See the other regis. booke," and "Robt. Lord, vicar; Paule Cooke and John Prime, churchwardens," sign. "Burialls" commence "A'o d'ni 1538, 21st Januarye." There are sixty in 1540, but the average is about twenty till March 4, 1554, when they cease till "Elizabeth Anno Secundo, Anno d'ni 1559," from which time they average about twenty-five (only five in 1576) till the year 1589, when the mortality increases to forty, and in the next year to 103, the following year, 1591, having sixtyeight. There are sixty in 1596; perhaps these were years of some common plague or sickness. The last entries of burial are in 1616, but the leaves at the end of the book are very much discoloured and hurt by damp, so that it will require some treatment to make them legible. Throughout this first register the writing is particularly good, and, with the exception of a few pages only, thoroughly legible. No. 2 is not in such good condition as the older one, and as it includes the "period of barbarism” is not throughout so legible. Some leaves have been cut, and, the cover being torn, the first page is much spoilt by damp. Baptisms commence 1616, and average about twenty-five annually till 1653. During the vicarage of Harbert Hindemarsh (who ob. 1634) the entries are kept with the greatest neatness, but under his successors much less care is taken. Marriages commence Nov. 5, 1616, and average about a dozen during that period. Burials average twenty-five to thirty. Harbert Hindemarsh was vicar 1616 to 1634, William Skelton 1634 to 1636, Liurwell Rampayne 1636 to 1638, Paul Willett 1638 to 1647. They usually sign at the end of each year's entries. In 1653 a fresh page is begun in all three parts of the register. "Grimsbye Magna. A register of such births of children as have beene since the xxixth of September, 1653, accordinge to an act of parliam and their baptizmes." The first entry after this is, "Elizabeth, the daughter of George Lambert and of Elizabeth his wife, was borne the second day of Octob" and bapt. the 8th." The writing, in a copper-plate professional style, is very good and legible for about four years, when it suddenly gets bad and gradually becomes atrocious. Deaths and marriages, burials and births, are mixed up with "collections" during this period. Abraham Bates was vicar 1661 to 1666; Thomas Beatniffe, 1669. At this latter date there is the following: "Memorandum yt Tho. Beatniffe, Master of Arts, y° Vicar of Grimsby magn. in y° county of Lincoln, did read the 39 articles (appointed to be read within two months church of Grimsby. predict. July 8th, 1669. In yo after induction) in time of divine service, in ye parish presence of Wm Tod, Wm Beatniffe, Guardians." After 1676 the writing is better. The last baptism entry is April 8, 1689; the last marriage April 9, 1689; the last burial apparently Oct. 8, 1670. Before the recommencement of marriages, 1653, the following note appears: "These are to certify that Walter Lloyd is elected and chosen Register for the Burrough of Great Grimsbie for the registring of Publications, Marriages, Births of Children, and Burialls, &c., accordinge to an Act of Parliamt bearinge date the 24th day of August, 1653, and discharge the said office according to the purport of the accordinge to the sayd Act was sworne before mee to sayd act.-I. Thomas, Maior." The first entry is: "Thomas Leake, yeoman, and Bridget Stowe, Spinster, made entrye of an intended marriage betwixt them, being both of Waltham, upon the third day of December, 1653, in the presence of Theodore Markham of Waltham, guardian to the sayd Bridget Stowe, whose baynes were published at the market place betwixt the howers of eleven and two in the afternoone upon the seventh, the fourteenth, and one and twentieth dayes of the sayd December, being the market dayes (without any exceptions), and were marryed the foure and twentieth of the same, her sayd Guardian being present." Occasionally, however, these somewhat widely published "baynes" provoked "exceptions," as in the following case: "ffrancis Troabis, yeoman, Alice Tenny, spinster, both of Ashby, made entry of their intended marriage, the eigh teenth day of Aprill last; whose banes were published the said eighteenth, the five and twentieth dayes of April, and the second of May instant in the open Markett place of every the respectiue dayes, at the howers appointed by an Acte of Parliament, and upon the third publication Edward Maddison of Caster made exceptions to the same, and sayd he was her guardian, she had no estate, her friends were unwillinge to the sayd marriage, she beinge under age, further alleadinge that if shee were above the age of one and twentie, then all her friends could not hinder her, since which he sent me word he could made it appeare that she is an heire, all which I leave to consideration, &c. But before the solemnizing the marriage the sayd Alice Tenny made choyce of a guardian, Thomas Neale of Ashbye, who was consenting thereunto, and Mr. Charles Wetherall of Bradley did confidently affirm that in his and others presence the said Edward Maddison, the pretended guardian, did give his free consent to the marriage before any publication And were married the fourteenth day of was made. May. By Mr. Todd." care No. 3 is a long-shaped book in good preservation (except the cover), the writing throughout is very clear and legible, and all the entries are fully made. It dates from 1690 to 1750, and as there is nothing of particular interest, except a pastoral charge by the Bishop of Lincoln to his clergy, and another by the Archbishop of Canterbury to the bishops of his province, a more particular description is unnecessary. 4, Earl Street, Grimsby. C. MOOR. WOLSEY'S PORTRAITS. There are very few portraits of Cardinal Wolsey, yet a great deal has been said and written about them. What all this amounts to may be chiefly summed up in a few short statements. 1. There is said to be no head of Wolsey which is not in profile. 2. It is said that his portraits were done in profile because he had only one eye. 3. The loss of his eye was caused by an infamous disease of an infectious character, affording additional evidence of the depravity of his nature. It has, however, been shown that there is at least. one full-faced portrait of Wolsey, which, though small, is of some authority and considerable interest; it is a drawing of the House of Lords, taken by order of Thomas Wriothesley, Garter King-of-Arms, and shows Wolsey with both eyes on the right hand of the king, and is reproduced by Fiddes (Life of Wolsey, p. 302). Anstis believed that this drawing repre sented the Parliament held at Blackfriars on EDWARD SOLLY. A VETERAN ORGANIST.-The following instance of early adoption and lengthy pursuit of the musical profession is, I think, deserving of record in the pages of "N. & Q.," and I very much doubt whether a parallel can be found among living professional organists in England. Mr. Edward Simms was born on Feb. 10, 1800, and performed his first service at Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, when only ten years old, for his uncle, under whom he received his earlier musical instruction, and whose assistant he became. Since this date he has continued for the long period of seventyfour years in the constant exercise of an organist's duties. When thirteen years of age he was appointed organist at Wombourne (Staffordshire), a position he held for three years. In 1816 he went to London, and studied the organ under Mr. Thomas Adams, organist of St. Dunstan's-in-theEast, and was also a pupil under Kalkbrenner for the pianoforte, to whom he dedicated his first composition for that instrument. In 1821 he filled the office of organist at Holy Trinity Church, Coventry, where he introduced an independent pedal key-board on the German principle, the first instance of its attachment to an organ in that city. The following year he received the appointment to a church in Birmingham, and in 1825 was elected organist of St. John Baptist Church, in Coventry. At Easter, 1828, he was appointed organist of St. Michael's Church, Coventry, a position he continues to hold. In 1835 the organ was reconstructed, under his superintendence, by Bishop, and reopened by him in April the year following. He established the Coventry Choral Society about half a century ago, and conducted it for many years on his own responsibility, thus creating and encouraging a musical taste and choral training the effect of which has had some considerable influence on the various choirs in the city and its neighbourhood. I stood beside him recently as he played the concluding voluntary after the morning service, which he had accompanied without assistance; and as I watched his rapid execution, I thought it would be difficult to find another instance of an organist who, at eighty-four years of age, is still able to conduct a full choral service with like success. WM. GEO. FRETTON, F.S.A. 88, Little Park Street, Coventry. LIDDELL AND SCOTT'S LEXICON.-I observe that a mistake, which I already have pointed out elsewhere, is retained in the new edition (1883) of this standard work. This is the citation of Fr. outarde under the word ris (p. 1773), as if, apparently, it were derived from this through the Lat. otis tarda, the great bustard. Notwithstanding the spelling of Old French otarde and Ital. ottarda, outarde has nothing to do with Tis, but stands for autarde, and, like Sp. aoutarda, Prov. austarda, is derived from Lat. avis tarda, the slow bird, a name given to the bustard in Pliny. Compare French autruche, from avis struthio. Woodford. A. SMYTHE PALMER. AN EARTHQUAKE FIVE CENTURIES AGO.-In any list of former earthquakes I do not think I have seen mention of one that occurred five centuries ago, which appears to have been exceptionally severe. In a volume called the Vernon Manuscript, in the Bodleian Library, at Oxford, there is a poem on the unhappy events that dis turbed the early years of Richard II.'s reign. After reference to the insurrection headed by Wat Tiler, there is a description, in the following stanzas, of an earthquake :— "And also whon this eorthe quok, Was non so proud he n' as agast, And thougt on God whyl that hit last. Men wor as wel as thei dude are. This was a warnyng to beware. And al was warnyng to beware." As the description of the earthquake follows the account of the insurrection (1381), we may reasonably conjecture that it happened after the rebellion, and so probably about five hundred years ago. We may also suppose, as chambers and chimneys were burst asunder, churches and castles demolished, and pinnacles and steeples thrown down, that the shock was very severe; seemingly, indeed, more severe than that lately experienced in Essex. F. THE REGICIDES LUDLOW, PHELPS, BROUGHTON, LOVE, AND COWLEY.-The new volume of the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (vol. v. New Series, Edinburgh, 1883) contains an interesting paper (pp. 286-289) on the graves in St. Martin's, Vevay. The writer, the Rev. R. R. Lingard Guthrie, F.S. A.Scot., visited the church in the summer of 1882, when it was undergoing restoration, and after carefully copying the inscriptions relative to Ludlow, Phelps, and Broughton, he prevailed on the workmen to make an opening in the raised wooden platform which covered the floor of the chapel, and his research was rewarded by discovering in the pavement beneath two gravestones commemorating Nicholas Love and William Cowley. Mr. Guthrie gives exact copies of the five inscriptions. WILLIAM GEORGE BLACK. 1, Alfred Terrace, Glasgow. MARRIAGE CUSTOM.-It was the custom in the little village of Thursby, in Cumberland, for the schoolboys to fasten the church doors during the wedding ceremony, and not allow the party to come out until they gave money. This was conveyed through the keyhole, and applied to the purchase of coals for the use of the school during the winter months. E. F. B. THE CONSONANT POWER OF W.-It has interested me greatly to read MR. KERSLAKE'S statement as to the pronunciation in Wessex of words commencing with wr, for the usage he men tions in the south is the same as exists in the dia- the mayor and corporation, accompanied by the lect of my native county, Aberdeenshire, in the civic officials"; and that the "burial office was north. In Aberdeenshire such words as wrong, likewise said in the parish church at Esher at the wretch, write, writing are invariably pronounced hour of the funeral." Is the recitation of the Servrang, vratch, vreet, vreetin'. See Johnny Gibb of vice for the Burial of the Dead absente corpore deGushetneuk, passim. I do not know a single ex-functi a common Anglican practice? ception to this rule. J. B. A. Watt. H. SCHERREN. 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 the answers may be addressed to them direct. "THE NEWCOMES." - In chap. xlix. (1879) Thackeray speaks of "the Regent, Brummel, Lord Steyne, Pea Green Payne, and so forth." The last name should be Hayne, but I find the error still uncorrected in the Standard edition, just published. In 1824 Mr. Hayne, nicknamed "Pea Green," was sued for breach of promise of marriage by the celebrated actress Miss Foote, who gained her cause, with three thousand pounds damages. In the Standard edition The Newcomes is in two volumes, and the passage therefore appears at vol. ii. chap. xi. p. 154. JAYDEE. FIFTEENTH CENTURY MENU.-In the Ordinaire de la Feste of an election dinner of the Brewers' 68, Lamb's Conduit Street, W.C. SIR N. WRAXALL.-The republication of his Memoirs reminds me of some lines which I once heard, but do not profess to recollect exactly:"Misdating all, Misstating all, Here lies after all, Sir Nathaniel Wraxall." Perhaps some of your readers can correct the above SOURCE OF QUOTATIONS WANTED.—" Præmia non ad magna pervenitur nisi per magnos labores" (Hooker, Serm. vii., vol. iii. p. 874, ed. Oxford, 1836, by Keble). "Ex amore non quærunt," saith Bernard (Ibid., p. 875). "Vere et absque dubio,” saith St. Bernard; "hoc Company, given at their hall in the City, Sept. 5, quisque est pessimus, quo optimus, si hoc ipsum 1419 (17 Henry V.), occurs mention of the follow-quo est optimus adscribat sibi" (Ibid., p. 880). No references are given by Keble. ing dishes: "Swan standard," coney standard," "venison in broth with white mottreids," "doucetts with little parneuses." Can any of your readers give the English equivalents for the NormanFrench terms I have italicized, describing also the nature of these viands; and will they likewise explain the significance of the adjunct standard to swan and rabbit? J. J. W. W. SPECIAL FUNERAL SERVICES.-In the accounts of the general mourning for the late Duke of Albany I find that special services were held in St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and York Minster; at Salisbury Cathedral "a special service had been arranged by the Dean and Chapter"; "at Peterborough Cathedral there was a special funeral service"; at Brighton "the Service for the Burial of the Dead was read in several of the churches"; at Canterbury "a funeral service was held in the cathedral, which was attended by W. E. BUCKley. STAFFORD BARONY.-Can any of your readers tell me whence I may obtain trustworthy information respecting the barony of Stafford, i.e., a pedigree of the barons, their possessions, &c.; what books or documents should be consulted for this information; and where are such books kept? INDOCTUS. AWAY OR OWAY.-What means this termination, e.g., Galloway, Alloway, Scalloway, Stornoway, Kennoway, Darnaway, Carloway, Hamnaway? They are all in the northern parts of our islands, and the position of some of them suggests Scandinavianism. W. M. C. C. BROADBRIDGE, OIL PAINTER : W. CHARLES, WATER-COLOUR PAINTER.-I have a painting of head of an old man, signed by above and dated 1876, and would be glad of any information as to him-whether he is living or dead, and if his paintings are known or valuable. I have also three water-colour paintings (marine subjects), all very well done, signed by W. Charles and dated 1876. Would be glad of information concerning him also. A. R. C. INVERTED CHEVRON.-Can any one tell me the proper heraldic term for an inverted chevron? A chevron proper has, as we all know, the peak uppermost. Is any bearing known of an inverted chevron with the peak pointed downwards to the base instead of upwards to the chief? M. MRS. BROWNING'S "COURT LADY."-A friend and compatriot of the late Contessa Maddelena Papadopoli, by birth Aldobrandini, tells me that that lady was the original of Mrs. Browning's Court Lady. Is there any foundation for this statement? Ross O'CONNELL. 54, Lancaster Gate, W. SHROVETIDE RHYME.-I send you an old West Somerset rhyme, which a lady had from an old woman, who perfectly remembers that the people in her neighbourhood lit no candles at night after Shrove Tuesday: "Come Shrovetide, high or low, I am puzzled by the words, "high or low." Do MARKET FOR WIVES.-Can any of the readers of "N. & Q." explain the allusion in the Vicar of Wakefield, chap. xvii. p. 68 (Tauchnitz edit.), to Fontarabia: "I know but of two such markets for wives in Europe, Ranelagh in England, and Fontarabia in Spain. The Spanish market is open once a year, but our English wives are saleable every night." When was the Spanish market open? Does the custom still exist; and in what book can an account of the same be found? Castellammare. B. E. H. a MILITARY MOURNING.-What is the precise meaning of the band of crape worn on the left arm by officers in the army and navy as a sign of mourning, and when and where did the custom originate? Was it intended to veil a badge, or the marks distinctive of rank, such as are still borne by non-commissioned officers? Within comparatively recent period-say the last twenty years or so-owing doubtless to the volunteer movement, this crape band has been very generally adopted by civilians wearing coloured clothes as a cheap substitute for a black coat; and I now observe that its use is extending also to the ladies, who exhibit this sign of woe on their ulsters and waterproofs. It may be difficult to fix the precise time when the custom was introduced into the army and navy, but, as it has become general, and seems likely to last, it may not be uninteresting to those who come after us to note when it came into common use among civilians. The return to the wearing of beard and moustache dates from the close of the Crimean War. E. McC Guernsey. DECANI AND CANTORIS.-Is it correct to use these terms as distinctive of the north and south sides of the chancel of a parish church? I am under the impression that they are applicable to in cathedrals. the positions occupied by the dean and precentor F. W. J. Bolton Percy. HERALDIC CRESTS.-Will some of your correspondents versed in the rules of heraldry inform me if it is a breach of the laws or usages of the art for persons who have no grant of arms to use simple crests with or with mottoes? I find there is a divergence of opinion on the point among those using crests, some maintaining that they infringe no heraldic rule so long as they do not assume a full coat of arms. Apropos of this question, I should like to know if there is any list published by the Heralds' Colleges of the arms granted year by year. If not, I throw it out as a hint that some such publication might be found very efficacious in checking the unauthorized use of arms by the public. A. A. DISFRANCHISED BOROUGHS.-In Thoma Smithi Angli de Republica Anglorum Libri III. (Lug Batavor., 1641), is a list, at p. 311, of English and Welsh counties, and the boroughs then in each. Durham does not appear; but the following names are puzzling. Among the twenty-one boroughs of Cornwall are Dunchevit, Pewyn, and Killington; among the thirteen of Devonshire are Hardnesse, Berealston, and Asperton; and among the twelve of Hampshire is "New towne." Where were these boroughs? E. L. G. A AGE OF IVY.-I am curious to know whether any estimate of the age of the ivy referred to in the following memorandum can be made. spruce fir tree was blown down in the grounds of a friend of mine in Oxfordshire. My friend is aged between eighty and ninety, and recollects the tree as a large full-grown tree when he was a boy. The spruce fir was about 82 ft. high, 9 ft. circumference near the ground, and 7 ft. circumference 20 ft. above the ground. The ivy covered the tree, and the stem near the ground measured 2 ft. 1 in., |