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NOTES AND QUERIES. fio s. XL J A *. so, im

EWEN MACLACHLAN. The account of Ewen Maclachlan, the Gaelic scholar, in the ' Dictionary of National Biography ' is unsatisfactory. Is a bibliography of his writings to be found elsewhere ?

J. M. GBANT.

Inverness.

VALENTINE DOUGLAS, O.S.B. Can any contributor to ' N. & Q.' tell me anything as to the parentage and biography of the above ? He was a monk of Saint -Denis-en- France, Abbot of Saint-Remi-de-Sens, and finally Bishop of Laon from 1581 down to his death, 5 Aug., 1598.

JOHN B. WAINEWKIGHT.

COFFEE - DBINKING IN PALESTINE. At what date was the drinking of coffee intro- duced into the Holy Land ?

A. R. BAYLEY.

St. Margarets, Malvern.

STBATTON FIGHT, CORNWALL. I should be glad if any of your readers could give me an account of the Stratton fight, Cornwall (which took place in 1643), with the names of the officers in command.

T. WOLFENDEN.

Lower Broughton, Salford.

RUCKHOLT HOUSE.

(10 S. xi. 47.)

RUCKHOLT OB ROOKWOOD was a messuage in the parish of Low Leyton, Essex, and the seat of William Hicks, Esq., of Beverston, who was created a baronet in 1619. Here Sir William Hicks entertained King Charles II. after hunting (vide Pepys's ' Diary,' 11 and 13 Sept., 1665). Sir Michael, father of Sir William, and apparently the first of the family to possess the estate, was secretary to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh. The mansion was reputedly a sometime resi- dence of Queen Elizabeth. The following announcement appeared in The London Evening Post of 21-23 June, 1733 :

To be Lett or Sold, Pleasantly situated

The Capital Mansion-house, called Ruekholt, in the Parish of Layton in the County of Essex, with very large Stables and Coach-houses, new-built and convenient Outhouses of all Kinds, with large Fish- ponds, and several Acres of Garden Ground well planted and walled in ; as also 80 Acres of Land or more if required, lying contiguous.

Enquire of Mr. Billirigsley near the Rolls Gate, Chancery Lane.

Ruekholt was opened to the public in 1742, and the zenith of its fashionable glory was from that year to 1745, when the mansion was pulled down.

The Daily Advertiser of 2 June, 1742, said :

"Great Numbers of the Nobility and Gentry resort daily to Ruckholt-House, and express them- selves highly delighted with the Magnificence of the House and Gardens ; particularly on Monday last at the Concert were upwards of two thousand Persons. This House was one of the Palaces of Queen Elizabeth ; round the great Hall are Galleries for Musick, with several Rooms for the Accomoda- tion of Company, in which Rooms and in the Hall sixhundredPersons may beconvenientlyplaced. The Gardens are laid out in the modern Taste, and con- sist of about twelve Acres of Ground, diversified with shady Walks, Groves, Fountains, and beauti- ful Canals. In a Word, this Place is universally allow'd to exceed anything of the Kind in England."

Ruekholt was, in fact, of a reputation equal to, even it if did not excel, that of Ranelagh and Vauxhall, as the following stanza from 'Musick in Good Time,' 1745, indicates :

That Vauxhall and Ruekholt, and Ranelagh too, And Hoxton and Sadlers both Old and New, My Lord Cobham's Head and the Dulwich Green

Man May make as much pastime as ever they can.

Concerts were announced as follows : Ruekholt House, Essex,

April 29, 1742

On Monday Morning next will be a Concert of- Musick, consisting of Violins, Hautboys, Bassoons, Violoncellos, French Horns, Trumpets, and Kettle Drums, by the best Performers from each Theatre. The whole to be continu'd till the Evening, with a Ball for the Ladies, if requir'd. Note, There \vill be a Breakfast-Room open d ; and all proper Care taken to keep Persons of ill-Repute out of the House and Gardens. Daily Advertiser, 30 April, 1742.

And again in The Daily Advertiser of 26 June, 1742 :

At Ruckholt-House,

On Mondays and Saturdays, during the Summer Season, will be a Concert of Vocal and Instrumental Musick, with the Addition of an Organ. The Vocal Part by Mr. Lowe.

The Morning Musick to begin at Nine o'Clock, and continue till Two ; the Evening Musick at Four, and continue the usual Time.

Tickets to be deliver'd at the Door, and at Wen- man's Punch House for the Breakfasting only, at One Shilling and Six Pence each ; and for the Evening Entertainment, each Person on Admittance to pay Six-Pence.

There are Conveniences to entertain the largest incorporated Company, as well as any other Com- pany, who are so kind as to order their Entertain- ment there.

Proper Cooks are provided every Day in the Week as well as on those publick Days.

Note, During Breakfast-Time no Person to Smoak in the Hall. ,