shire "God speed 'em well!" is said after the third time of asking. At Laceby the bells ring merrily also at the service in which the third publication of the banns has taken place. The custom was kept up by one old man in the parish of Springthorpe until his death. Since he died no one has taken it up. In a a neighbouring parish it still lingers. The vicer of it published his own banns; the clerk turned round and said, "God speed you well, sir." Nottingham.

J. POTTER BRISCOE, F.R.HS.

A PARLIAMENTAY RELIC.

[1273] A story, which, if true, is very interesting, is told about the robe worn by Mr Gladstone during the proceedings in connection with the opening of the Law Courts. This robe is not private property, but passes on from Chancellor to Chancellor as changes are made. The last time Mr Disraeli was Chancellor of the Exchequer the personal relations between him and Mr Gladstone were so strained that some difficulty arose on the subject of the transmission of the gown. It was applied for in due course, but some difficulty was made about its immediate disposal. Probably Mr Gladstone did not care in the circumstances to be too insistent, and another robe was ordered. This was better because newer. Yet round the other there hung a special interest, since it had been made for Mr Pitt, and was worn by him through his Chancellorship of the Exchequer, and had passed downward in regular succession. Perhaps the oddest thing is that no one knows to this day what has become of the original gown. It might still be worth while enquiring about. Questions of more trivial matters have often been put in the House of Commons. J. THORESBY, Macclesfield.

A REMINISCENCE OF MOUNT BRINKSWAY. [1274] Somewhere about the year 1831 a little book was published in London-"The Law of Reason" which consisted chiefly of extracts from Mirabeau, the curé, Meslier, Hulme, and other freethinkers. At page 23 occurs what the editor styles a most elegant and argumentative "Discourse on the subject of Diety, delivered in the Church of Mount Brinksway, near Stockport, on Sunday, September 9th, 1827, by a philosophical enquirer." The substance of this discourse may be found in Mirabeau's system of nature. This structure was casually mentioned in No. 780 of these "Notes and Queries." The earliest record we have of it is when it was used by those who abjured the use of the flesh and blood of animals as human food. Subsequently, it was used as a meeting dlace by the followers of Detrosier. It is a plain fact

such doctrines as those taught by Detrosier cannot live in the atmosphere of Stockport. Three buildings have been occupied by them at various times, and had to be given up. STUDENT.

BEDOUIN.

[1275] As this word is often used in a vague and varying sense, by newspaper correspondents and others, it may be useful to explain its exact meaning. It is the Anglicised spelling of the plural of an Arabic word signifying "of or belonging to the desert." The term is properly applied to those who inhabit or wander over the desert, as contrasted with those who live in towns or villages. The Bedouins are all nomads,

whether of Ishmaelite blood or not. Such wanderers there were probably before Ishmael was born, although his seed afterwards formed a large portion of the nomad race. All the Bedouins are nominally Moslem, and all speak Arabic and Arabic only. There are many Arabs in Egypt settled in Egypt as Fellaheen but for the most part hal-breeds, and never of pure Arab blood. Even in the nomad tribes there is much admixture of African blood, the sheikhs and higher families being whiter than the mass of their tribal followers. Many nomads move about only in a narrow region, others migrate widely, according to the pastur age for their flocks and corn for their own use. The tribes have their own sheikhs, and their own localities which they frequent, but are always ready to go forth as saleans, or spoilers, over their usual borders. In Egypt the whole Moslem population, including the Fellaheen, or cultivators of the soil, are sometimes, but incorrectly, spoken of as Arab; all in fact who are not Coptic, or nominally Christians. There are settled mongrel Arabs among the Fellaheen, or native Egyptians, but the Bedouins are always tent-dwellers and nomads or wanderers. O.P., Cheadle.

VALUABLE PATENTS. [1276.] Some investigating person has furnished the New York Times with a brief list of patents on smal things, and which I think is worthy a corner in your Notes and Queries. Many of the patents, it states, have proved great mines of wealth to the lucky discoverer. Among these is the favourite toy, the "return ball," a wooden ball with an elastic string attached, selling for 10 cents each, but yielding to its patentee an income equal to £10,000 a year. The rubber tip on the end of lead pencils affords the owner of the royalty an in. dependent fortune. The inventor of the gummed newspaper wrapper is also a rich man. The ginaletpointed screw has evolved more wealth than most silver mines, and the man who first thought of putting

copper tips to children's shoes is as well off as if his father had left him £400,000 in United States bonds. Although roller skates are not so much used in countries where ice is abundant, in South America, especially in Brazil they are very highly esteemed, and have yielded over £200,000 to their inventor. But he had to spend fully 125,000 dollars in England alone fighting infringements. The "Dancing Jim Crow," a toy, provides an annual income of £15,000 to its inventor and the common needle-threader is worth £2000 a year to the man who thought of it. The "drive-well" was an idea of Colonel Green, whose troops, during the American Civil War, were in want of water. He conceived the notion of driving a twoinch tube into the ground until water was reached and then attaching a pump. This simple contrivance was patented after the war, and the tens of thousands of farmers who have adopted it have been obliged to pay him a royalty, a moderate estimate of which is placed at £600,000. The spring window shade yields an income of £20,000 a year; the stylographic pen also brings in £20,000 yearly; the marking pen for shading in different colours, £20,000; rubber stamps the same. A very large fortune has been reaped by a Western miner, who 10 years since invented a metal rivet or eyelit at each end of the mouth of coat and pants pockets, to resist the strain caused by the carriage of ore and heavy tools. WARREN-BULKELEY.

A NORTHWICH LIGGER.

66

[1277.] Some years since, during the period of my holding the office of Medical Superintendent of the Chester County Asylum, a man was admitted as a patient whose occupation was designated as a ligger." As I had never before heard this term used, I made enquiry of the parish officer who accompanied him; and who informed me that the name was given to a class of men who got their livelihood by pushing boats (on which they had to lie on their backs) through a tunnel that carried the water of the canal at Northwich. None of the dictionaries and glossaries I examined threw any light on the word, although in Halliwell's dictionary there were four other different meanings attached to it. Judging from the position of the men so employed, the suggestion that it was derived from the A.S. licgan or ligan, to lie down, appeared to be probably the correct one. Being in the vicinity of Northwich a few months ago, I took advantage of the opportunity to visit the village from whence my patient came to obtain some additional information about the word. I found that it (Barnton) was situated at the end of a tunnel on the Grand

Trunk Canal. One of the female residents of the place told me that formerly all the boats had to be "legged" through by men, and which was carried out thus:-A plank was laid across the bow of the boat, upon which two men lay down on their backs, and as the tunnel was of very narrow dimensions, they were able to push against the sides with their feet, and so to propel the boat through. Hence they were called liggers or leggers, the latter nam being apparently the proper one. Of late years a stea n tug has been substituted for this manual "legging." On learning, however, that it was not used on Sundays, I asked her, if it were found absolutely necessary for any boats to traverse the tunnel on that day, how it was accomplished? My informant replied. "Why then they has to leg them through as they used to do." So that we have here the words to leg, legged, and legger (or ligger), all coined to meet a special purpose; their use probably confined to one Cheshire village; and dating no further back than the construction of the canal in the last century. T. N. BRUSHFIELD, M.D.

Budleigh Salterton, Devon.

CHESHIRE FARMING CUSTOMS.

1278.] Mr R. Holland, in a lecture before the Chester Archeological Society, had the following in reference to Cheshire farming customs:-Marling was out of fashion before my time, so I cannot speak personally of the customs which attended it; and they have been described many times. But a gang of marlers always selected one of their number to be the recipient and dispenser of all the money they collected from passers by. I suppose, also, he directed the work, and acted generally as head ganger.

He was,

at any rate, called Lord of the Marl Pit; and I mention it because I knew an old man in Mobberley some 25 years ago, who in his younger days had acted in this capacity, and who was never spoken of by any other name than "Lord Lowndes" until the day of his death. Almost every farmer formerly had to do a certain amount of what was called boon-work for his landlord. In farm agreements, of 30 or 40 years ago, there was almost invariably a clause binding the tenant to do a certain number of days' boon-work for his landlord, the number of days being regulated by the size of the farm. The following clause is taken from an agreement from year to year, dated 1854; and the tenant, un to the time of his death, last autumn, was farming under the original agreement, but the clause had dropped into disuse. "The tenant to deliver to the landlord on the 1st of October, yearly and every year, one good and marketable cheese, with

out any allowance for the same, and to do six days' team-work for the landlord." The boon-work is of course to be done without remuneration, and in some agreements was so specified. On the Mobberley Hall Estate the tenants had to keep a dog and a fightingcock for the landlord. Before the present Highway Act came into force farmers used to work off a portion or even the whole of their highway rates by doing boon-work on the roads. The larger farmers used to send theicearts and horses to cart materia's for roadmaking; the very small farmers, who had no teams, used to do manual labour. This is now prohibited by the Act, so far that the rates must be paid in money, and any farmer who works for the surveyor of highways must be paid for his work. The time for entering upon a farm is Candlemas Day as regards the land in general; but the out-going tenant retains possession of the house, buildings, and a boozing field as it is called, until the 12th of May. At first sight this seems a curious arrangement; but I have no doubt it has been adopted to suit the requirements of a purely dairy county, The Candlemas entry of the land enables the in-coming tenant to get on with spring ploughing. The May-day entry of the homestead enables both tenants to keep their cattle at their old homes until the critical calving season is over; and they can be turned out to grass immediately on reaching their new quarters, and thus the necessity of taking a large supply of hay and straw for the cattle is avoided. The boozing, or boozy field mentioned is an outlet retained by the out-going tenant in order that his cattle may be turned out to water and for daily exercise. It is selected by the landlord, but it is always conveniently situated as regards the shippons. Its contiguity to the booses, or stalls where the cows are tied up, has no doubt suggested the name of Boosy field.

Replies.

CHILTERN HUNDREDS.

(Nos. 1256,1265 )

ED.

[1279] According to the law, a member of the House of Commons, not in any way disqualified, can only vacate his seat by accepting an office of emolument under the Crown. For the convenience of the House, tl erefore, the Crown is always willing to con fer the Stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds upon members wishing to resign their seats. This office derives its name from the Chiltern Hills, a range of halk eminences separating the counties of Bedford and

Hertford, passing through the middle of Bucks, from Tring in Hertfordshire to Harley in Oxfordshire. Formerly, these hills were covered with thick beechwood, which sheltered numerous robbers. To put down these marauders an officer was appointed under the Crown, and was called the Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, which were Burnham, Stoke, and Desborough. The necessity for such an office disappeared long ago, but a steward can still be nominally appointed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, at a salary of 20- and the fees of the office. The proceeding is altogether a mere formality; for the office is no sooner accepted than it is resigne4.

J. G. SHEARD, Levenshulme. HOLY ROOD.

(No. 12 5.)

[1280] The Holy Rood, or Rood of Grace, as it was sometimes called, a representation of the cross upon which our Saviour suffered, was a frequent and power ful agent in the hands of the religious teachers of monastic times. In many of our ancient churches a rood screen, or rood loft, was provided for the recep tion of the crucifix, or Holy Cross, and not a few churches had been dedicated at various times to the Holy Rood. Holy-rood Day was one of sacred observance all through the middle ages.

S. HALLAM, Edgeley.

Queries.

[1281.] KNUTSFord Races.--I should be glad if some correspondent could supply me with any informa tion relating to Knutsford Races, when and why they were discontinued. J. E. B., Mobberley, [1282.] DIVING BELL.-Who was the inventor of the diving bell, and when was it, invented?

A. HARRIS, Macclesfield.

COOLNESS OF A SERGEANT OF THE SEVENTH.-It was towards the close of the battle (Inkermin) and Lord Raglan was returning from taking leave of General Strangeways, and was going up towards the ridge, a sergeant approached us carrying canteens of water for the wounded, and as Lord Raglan passed he drew himself up to make the usual salute, when a rund shot cam› bounding over the hill, and knocked his torage-cip off his head. The man calmly picked up his cap, dusted it on his knee, placed "it" carefully on his head, and then made the military salute, and all without moving a muscle of his countenance. Lord Raglan was delighted with the man's co dness, and said to him, "A neat thing that, my man!' "Yes, my lord," replied the sergeant, with another salute, "but a miss is as good as a inile."

SATURDAY, MARCH 17TH, 1883.

Lotes.

AGRICULTURAL PRICES IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY. [1283.] We lately printed some examples of the prices paid for agricultural work in the south of Here are a few England some two centuries since. figures of the same kind relating to five centuries and a half ago, which we glean from the old Latin Fleta, which is supposed to have been written by certain lawyers while prisoners in the Fleet in the year 1340. We are told that if an acre of wheat yield no more than three times the seed sown, the farmer will be a loser, unless corn should happen to be dear. Three ploughings of an acre of land at that time cost is 61; harrowing, ld; two bushels of seed, Is; wee ling, one halfpenny; reaping, 5d; carrying, 1d; miking a total of 3s 11⁄2d—11⁄2d more than the then value of six bushels of wheat. The rental averaged about a twelfth of the produce, and seldom exceeded sixpence

an acre.

ED.

TOAD IN THE POT: CURIOUS EFFECT OF SUPERSTITION. [1284.] Amongst our northern superstitions there are, perhaps, few which are viewed with such fear, dread, and horror as the one known as "Toad in the pot." From this, no doubt, has arisen the manufacture of pint drinking mugs, containing a fac-simile of a toad.

Many

The writer of this article can well remember the sickening repugnance produced when he unwarily used one of these vessels for the first time. At one time they were very common in the servants' halls of the country gentlemen, and it was considered a good joke to give a stranger a mug of beer in one of them. It is not very pleasant, when you have taken a hearty drink and look into the bottom of the pot, to see a huge toad couchant, ready to spring. nervous people have suffered very severely from the shock arising from this foolish and reprehensible practice. The superstition from where these emanate was very widely believed in a few years ago, and believers One inin such practices may be found even yet. stance fell under the writer's own observation about 20 years ago, and occurred in one of the villages near Stockport. A young married woman had incurred the pleasure of a vindictive elderly woman who resided in the neighbourhood, and she vowed dire venShortly geance on the unfortunate young woman. after she had been confined of her first child and became convalescent; the old woman watched her As the woman with opportunity and laid her plans.

her baby pissed her door, she called her attention to a large toad in an earthen pot. She closed and sealed it, and then pretended to mutter some invocation from the Bible which lay on the table. The superstition is, that as the toad dwindles and dies from want of air and food, the same fate will befall the victim of the invocation. The young woman, who had been educated at the Sunday school and well brought up, laughed at the threat, but whether proceeding from natural causes or from a nervous dread of this wicked woman, the result of fear, the mother and child both fell ill and died. Of course every effort was made to undo the mischief, but it was in vain. She died in a very short time afterwards.

STUDENT.

THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. [1285.] "For sale, the Prison-house of the Man in the Iron Mask!" Time was when such an announcement would have put all Europe on the qui vive, but the Iron Mask controversy is somewhat musty to-day. We have all made up our minds that we shall never know who the prisoner of the Ile Sainte Marguerite really was. His identity will remain one of the mysteries of history, like the personality of the executioner of Charles I., and the authorship of Junius. No less than nine solutions have been offered, ranging from the Duke of Vermandois to the Duke of Monmouth, who, however, happened to have been beheaded on Tower Hill in 1685, the year before the illustrious prisoner found himself on the island. The French Government have decided to sell the Ile Sainte Marguerite, which must always be memorable as the place of confinement of this mysterious personage. A number of French sportsmen are desirous of converting it into a stag-hunting resort, and the Government is about to give these devotees of "le sport" the chance of buying it. S. J. G., Stockport.

JOHN JACKSON, THE MACCLESFIELD POET [1286.] It is a great pleasure to write the personal history of men in our beloved county who have achieved a name and position by dint of their own industry and perseverance. man Such a was John Jackson. He was born at Harrop Wood Cottage, Shrigley, near Macclesfield, on the 1st of September, 1789. His father held a small farm under Edward Downes, Esq., of Shrigley, who was the first to observe in the shy, retiring boy a genius of no ordinary quality. He had noticed the gentle, sensitive disposition of the boy, and from various circumstances he became greatly endeared to Mr Downes, who was himself a kind-hearted, genial old gentleman.

After

attending the village school, he was sent out to learn the art of weaving, and thus gained his own livelihood. Whenever opportunity served, he would set off and walk miles to the small towns in the neighbourhood, and stand and read the books lying on the market stalls for sale, being the only books to which he could gain access. He was a great admirer of the beauties of nature, and took great delight in walking through the woods, and listening to the babbling of the waters of his native place. Full of inventive. genius he began to put his thoughts into verse. He was of delicate constitution, and these rambles contributed very much to the resuscitation of his health. He composed a poem addressed to a redbreast, which, by some lucky chance, fell into the hands of Mr Downes. He was very much pleased, and having a party of gentlemen dining at his house, the poetic effusion was exhibited, and produced a most favourable impression. Amongst the company was Dr. Davies, then headmaster of the Macclesfield Grammar School. It was agreed by the company assembled to seek out the writer of the poem, and finding him a youth of great promise, about 18 years of age, and of blameless character, Dr. Davies offered to educate him and the rest of the party agreed to send him to Oxford. In the year 1808 he published, by subscription, a small volume of poems entitled "An address to time," with other poems and letters to his friends, which I remember having seen some years ago. They were well written, and exhibited much natural feeling. He was entered at Brazenose College about 1810 or 1811, was ordained deacon in 1815, and held for some time the curacy of Christ Church, Macclesfield. He afterwards became the curate of Witney, in Oxfordshire, and in 1847 he was appointed to the perpetual curacy of Pott Shrigley. Mr Jackson married the daughter of Mr Molineaux in July, 1817, and afterwards became curate of Bowdon. Whilst there, he had a number of pupils to educate, with whom he toiled hard. He had the great pleasure to return to the several gentlemen who advanced the money for his education a college the whole sum, with interest thereon. Mr Jackson was presented to the small living of Over, which at that time was valued at £120 per annum. It was then (1821) in the gift of Bishop Law. There was no house in which the vicar could reside. He built the vicarage house, and in addition to this he rebuilt a great part of the farmhouses on the glebe, which were then in a ruinous condition. Не had 11 children, and lived to see four of them ordained, who, after educating them himself, sent them

to college at Oxford. He died, honoured and esteemed by all who knew him, in the month of January, 1863. He was interred in the churchyard of Over, where he had so ably ministered to the spiritual wants of his congregation, and, it has been said, seven of his sons officiated as clergymen at the funeral. In his life we have an example of what perseverance, industry, honesty, and integrity of purpose can accomplish, and in his death the lesson of humility and love to human kind, which won for him their regard and affection. E. H.

[1287.]

Replies.

KNUTSFORD RACES, 1801.

(No. 1281.)

The following is a copy of a “correct card" of the races which took place on Tuesday, the 28th July, 1801, nearly 80 years ago, at Knutsford. The small document, which is as "brown as a berry," is printed on paper seven inches by six and a half, and was found in a drawer of a piece of furniture belonging to the late Mr Postles, Toft Boad, Knutsford. "Knutsford Races, 1801. On Tuesday, the 28th of July, a Maiden Plate of Fifty Pounds, by any horse, mare, or gelding, that never won a £50 plate (matches and sweepstakes excepted), four year olds, 7st. 12lb., five year olds, 8st. 6lb, six years old and aged horses, 8st. 101b., the best of three mile heats; mires and geldings allowed 2'b. C. Cholmondeley, Esq., brown horse, Mobberley Crab, 5 years old. C. Smith, Esq., grey horse, Nautilus, 4 years old. Same day, Lord Grey's ch. colt, Edgar, by Trumpeter, 3 years old, 8st., against Mr Legh's b. filly, sister to Haphazard, 7st. 11lb., two miles, for 100 guineas each. Match to be the first race. On Wednesday, the 29th, a sweepstake of ten guineas each, for all ages; three year olds to carry 6st. 10lb., four year olds, 8st. 5lbs., five year, 8st. 10lb., six year olds and aged horses, 8st. 12lb., mares and geldings allowed 2lb. 1 three mile heat. This to be the first race. Lord Stamford's brown horse, Alfred, 5 years old. T. L. Brook, Esq., grey horse, Biron Nile, 5 years old. T. Cholmondeley, Esq., grey horse, Knutsford, 3 years old. Sir Peter Warburton, Mr Egerton, and Mr Crewe are subscribers, but did not name. Same day, a subscription of five guineas each, with forty guineas added, for three year olds only: colts to carry 8st. 12lb., and fillies 8st. The best of three two mile heats. A winner of one plate of the stakes in the present year to carry 3lb. extra, and of two or more 5lb. The owner of the