Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 10.djvu/477

 io s. x. NOV. 14, 1908.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

393

In 1808 Sir Samuel Romilly passed his first Act for abolishing capital punishment for stealing privately from the person to the value of five shillings in other words, for picking pockets and from that date various Acts of Parliament were passed abolishing capital punishment in a large number of cases. See also Sir James Mackintosh's speech, 6 July, 1819 ('Hansard,' vol. xx. p. 1518).

There would be the greatest difficulty in making a correct list of the offences which A. O. V. P. wants. Sir James F. Stephen in his * History of the Criminal Law,' vol. i. p. 470, says that " the 160 offences mentioned by Blackstone might probably be reduced by careful classification to a comparatively small number." Then he goes on to point out that the Black Act, 9 Geo. I. c. 27 (1722), created 54 capital felonies. Blackstone does not give a list of his 160, nor does Walpole give a list of his 200 or 1 80 ; but a list of the principal of those referred to by Blackstone, will be found in Colquhoun's ' Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis,' 7th ed., 1806, p. 437, first published in 1795. In 1839 there were only 14 felonies punishable with death. See Fourth Report of the Criminal Law Commissioners in 1839, Ap- pendix VIII., in which these are enumerated.

I am indebted to my friend Mr. W. F. Craies, the writer of the admirable article on to ' The Encyclopaedia Britannica ' for the chief part of the information contained in this reply. HARRY B. POLAND.
 * Capital Punishment ' in the Supplement

Inner Temple.

CAMPBELL : PRONUNCIATION OF THE NAME (10 S. x. 228, 278, 338). Surely it is a very old joke that Job needed all his patience if (see Job i. 3) he had three thousand Campbells to deal with.

WALTER W. SKEAT.

A significant light on this question is thrown by the story told in Mr. J. M. Bulloch's new book, ' The Gay Gordons ' (p. 3) of the old lady named Gordon who, on hearing her son read from the Bible that Solomon had a vast number of camels, interrupted him with the protest : " The Caumills [Campbells] are an ancient race, but look an' ye dinna see the Gordons."

CONSTANCE SKELTON.

During the Mutiny campaign the Black Watch were waiting, with tents packed and baggage piled, for some six hours, on the ground on which we had encamped the day before. We were told that we were to have

camels for the impedimenta, instead of bullock " hackeries." To our amusement, one of the pipers struck up ' The Campbells are Coming,' and we saw a long string of the " ships of the desert " slowly advancing. This thoroughly Scotch " wut " was much enjoyed by officers and men. The latter always termed Campbell " Cammell."

C. J. DURAND.

The Hearthmoney Roll for co. Cavan, dated 1664, affords evidence that the Campbells had come, by the two entries following, i.e. (1) Hugh Camell of Uragh, Dromlahen parish, Loughtee barony ; (2) James Gamble of Dromall, Killeshandra parish, Tullaghhoncho barony.

J. N. DOWLING.

In Nova Scotia, or New Scotland, as in Old Scotland, where the name is by no- means scarce, it is pronounced as if spelt " Camel," the reason being, as in most cases of abbreviation, that man is naturally a lazy animal. The following incident, which occurred in Nova Scotia, in connexion with a clergyman bearing the name, may interest readers of ' N. & Q.,' and was told to a friend of the writer by a gentleman who witnessed it.

Mr. Campbell, alias Camel, had feet of more than ordinary proportions. He was travelling by coach (inside) along a rough road between Yarmouth and Digby, his trunk being on the top of the coach, and there being three or four travellers " on board " besides Mr. Campbell. Being rather anxious about the safety of his trunk, Mr. C. got up from his seat pretty often, and, putting his head out through the window, inquired of the driver if his trunk was all right. Two or three times in doing so he trod on the toes of a gentleman sitting opposite, who, appreciating neither his toes being pinched nor the restlessness of Mr. C., said at last, with some degree of impatience : " I wish to goodness, sir, you had been born an elephant instead of a camel ; then you would always have your trunk under your nose." Mr. Camel's inquiries about his trunk were not so frequent during the rest of the journey. J. BROWN.

88, St. Leonard's Rd., Hove.

BENNETT OF BALDOCK (10 S. ix. 228, 333, 395; x. 191). With reference to MR. HITCHIN-KEMP'S statement (10 S. ix. 396) respecting a plea recorded in the Court of Requests, Robert Benet v. John Kempe and another, in or before 1541, I have had the matter looked up, and it appears that