Notes and Queries, Number 197, August 6, 1853

The church at Stratford-upon-Avon was repaired about the year 1839; and some of the workmen having their attention directed to the fact, that many persons who had attained to the full age of man were buried in the churchyard; and, wishing "for the honour of the place," to improve the note-books of visitors, set about manufacturing an extraordinary instance of longevity. A gravestone was chosen in an out-of-the-way place, in which there happened to be a space before the age (72). A figure 1 was cut in this space, and the age at death then stood 172. The sexton was either deceived, or assented to the deception; as the late vicar, the Rev. J. Clayton, learned that it had become a practice with him (the sexton) to show strangers this gravestone, so falsified, as a proof of the extraordinary age to which people lived in the parish. The vicar had the fraudulent figure erased at once, and lectured the sexton for his dishonesty.

These facts were related to me a few weeks since by a son of the late vicar. And as many strangers visiting the tomb of Shakspeare "made a note" of this falsified age, "N. & Q." may now correct the forgery.

    Robert Rawlinson.

Barnacles in the River Thames.—In Porta's Natural Magic, Eng. trans., Lond. 1658, occurs the following curious passage:

"Late writers report that not only in Scotland, but also in the river of Thames by London, there is a kind of shell-fish in a two-leaved shell, that hath a foot full of plaits and wrinkles: these fish are little, round, and outwardly white, smooth and beetle-shelled like an almond shell; inwardly they are great bellied, bred as it were of moss and mud; they commonly stick in the keel of some old ship. Some say they come of worms, some of the boughs of trees which fall into the sea; if any of them be cast upon shore they die, but they which are swallowed still into the sea, live and get out of their shells, and grow to be ducks or such like birds(!)."

It would be curious to know what could give rise to such an absurd belief.

    Speriend.

Note for London Topographers.—

Extracted from Rawlinson MS. A. 170, fol. 132.

    J. Yeowell.

The Aliases and Initials of Authors.—It has often occurred to me that it would save much useless inquiry and research, if a tolerable list could be collected of the principal authors who have published their works under assumed names or initials: thus, "R. B. Robert Burton," Nathaniel Crouch, "R. F. Scoto-Britannicus," Robert Fairley, &c. The commencement of a new volume of "N. & Q." affords an excellent opportunity for attempting this. If the correspondents of "N. & Q." would contribute their mites occasionally with this view, by the conclusion of the volume, I have little doubt but a very valuable list might be obtained. For the sake of reference, the whole contributions obtained could then be amalgamated, and alphabetically arranged.

    Perthensis.

Pure.—In visiting an old blind woman the other day, I was struck with what to me was a peculiar use of the word pure. Having inquired after the dame's health, and been assured that she was much better, I begged her not to rise from the bed on which she was sitting, whereupon she said, "Thank you, Sir, I feel quite pure this morning."

    Oxoniensis.

Oakridge, Gloucestershire.

Darling's "Cyclopædia Bibliographica."—The utility of Mr. Darling's Cyclopædia Bibliographica is exemplified by the solution conveyed under the title "Crellius," p. 813, of the following difficulty expressed by Dr. Hey, the Norrisian professor (Lectures, vol. iii. p. 40.):

"Paul Crellius and John Maclaurin seem to have been of the same way of thinking with John Agricola. Nicholls, on this Article [Eighth of the Thirty-nine Articles], refers to Paul Crellius's book De Libertate Christiana, but I do not find it anywhere. A speech of his is in the Bodleian Dialogue, but not this work."

Similar information might have been received by your correspondent (Vol. vii., p. 381.), who inquired whether Huet's Navigations of Solomon was ever published. In the Cyclopædia reference is made to two collections in which this treatise has been inserted, Crit. Sac., viii.; Ugolinus, vii. 277. With his usual accuracy, Mr. Darling states there are additions in the Critici Sacri printed at Amsterdam, 1698-1732, as Huet's treatise above referred to is not in the first edition, London, 1660.

    Bibliothecar. Chetham.

Queries

DELFT MANUFACTURE

I am extremely desirous of obtaining some information respecting the Dutch manufactories of enamelled pottery, or Delft ware, as we call it.

On a former occasion, by your connexion with the Navorscher, you were able to obtain for me some very valuable and interesting information in reply to some question put respecting the Dutch porcelain manufactories. I am therefore in hopes that some kind correspondent in Holland will be so obliging as to impart to me similar information on this subject also. I should wish to know—

When, by whom, at what places, and under what circumstances, the manufacture of enamelled pottery was first introduced into Holland?

Whether there were manufactories at other towns besides Delft?

Whether they had any distinctive marks; and, if so, what were they?

Whether there was more than one manufactory at Delft; and, if so, what were their marks, and what was the meaning of them?

Whether any particular manufactories were confined to the making of any particular sort or quality of articles; and, if so, what were they?

Whether any of the manufactories have ceased; and, if so, at what period?

Also, any other particulars respecting the manufactories and their products that it may be possible to communicate through the medium of a paper like "N. & Q."

    Octavius Morgan.

Minor Queries

The Withered Hand and Motto "Utinam."—At Compton Park, near Salisbury, the seat of the Penruddocke family, there is a three-quarter length picture, in the Velasquez style, of a gentleman in a rich dress of black velvet, with broad lace frill and cuffs, and ear-rings, probably of the latter part of Queen Elizabeth's reign. His right hand, which he displays somewhat prominently, is withered. The left one is a-kimbo, and less seen. In the upper part of the painting is the single Latin word "UTINAM" (O that!). There is no tradition as to who this person was. Any suggestion on the subject would gratify

    J.

History of York.—Who is the author of a History of York, in 2 vols., published at that city in 1788 by T. Wilson and R. Spence, High Ousegate? I have seen it in several shops, and heard it attributed to Drake; and obtained it the other day from an extensive library in Bristol, in the Catalogue of which it is styled Drake's Eboracum. Several allusions in the first volume to his work, however, render it impossible to be ascribed to him. It is dedicated to the Right Honourable Sir William Mordaunt Milner, of Nunappleton, Bart., who was mayor at the time.

    R. W. Elliot.

Clifton.

"Hauling over the coals."—What is the origin and meaning of the phrase, "Hauling one over the coals;" and where does it first appear?

    Faber.

Dr. Butler and St. Edmund's Bury.—Can any of your readers give me any information respecting the Mr. or Dr. Butler, of St. Edmund's Bury, referred to in the extracts from the Post Boy and Gough's Topography, quoted by Mr. Ballard in Vol. vii., p. 617.?

    Buriensis.

Washington.—Anecdotes relative to General Washington, President of the United States, intended for a forthcoming work on the "Homes of American Statesmen," will be gratefully received for the author by

    Joseph Stansbury.

26. Parliament Street.

Norman of Winster.—Can any of your correspondents afford information bearing on the family of Norman of Winster, county of Derby?

"John Norman of Winster, county of Derby, married, in 1715 or 1716, to Jane (maiden name particularly wanted). The said J. Norman married again in 1723, to Mary" (maiden name wanted also).

I shall be particularly obliged to any one affording such information.

    W.

Sir Arthur Aston.—I shall be much obliged, should any of your very numerous correspondents be able to inform me in which part or parish, of the county of Berkshire, the celebrated cavalier Sir Arthur Aston resided upon his return from the foreign wars in which he had been for so many years engaged; and previously to the rupture between Charles I. and the Houses of Parliament.

I believe one of his daughters, about the same period, married a gentleman residing in the same county: also that George Tattersall, Esq., of Finchampstead, a family of consideration in the same county of Berkshire, was a near relative.