Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 11.djvu/145

 10 s. XL FEB. 6, 1909.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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length for a furrow before turning the oxen). And, of course, four rods \vide by one furlong deep constituted one acre. The pole or rod was 16 \ feet or 5J yards. The length of the rod or pole differed in parts of the country with the differing soils and agriculture, but gradually the differences grew less, and finally the statutory acre was evolved. The present Gunter's chain of 66 feet, ten square chains to an acre, was invented by the Rev. Edmund Gunter (1581-1626), a pro- fessor of astronomy at Gresham College. It was ingeniously adapted to facilitate decimal calculations in land measurement.

The use of the rod in superficial measure- ment of masonry and brickwork, and lineally in hedges, ditches, and fences, followed, as a convenient existing measure. A square rod is 272J superficial feet.

I have written this from memory, and <cannot now conveniently give the best authorities, but the following may inter alia be referred to : Seebohm, ' The English Village Community,' 1883 ; Ballard, 'Domes- day Inquest,' 1906.

ARTHUR HARSTON, F.S.I.

BISHOP SAMPSON OF LICHFIELD (10 S. x. 429 ; xi. 16). On 22 Sept., 13 Eliz., William Pyrrye and Julia his wife disposed of copyhold property to Thomas and Eliza- beth Hardwicke, their attorneys being William and Roger Sampson (Pattingham Manor Court Rolls).

H. JUNTOS HARDWICKE.

MITRED ABBOTS (10 S. x. 410, 455 ; xi. 16)- It seems doubtful if the privileges and power of the principal abbeys were accorded to Chertsey, or to Merton. In Wheeler's ' History of Chertsey Abbey ' it is expressly stated (on p. 59) that no summonses to Parliament are to be found addressed to the Abbots of Chertsey. Hence the omission of that abbey in the list previously sent by

R. B.

Upton.

GERMAN LEATHER BINDINGS : " CUIR- BOUILLI": " CUTR-CISELE " (10 S. x. 369). I would draw the attention of BIBLOS to the ' N.E.D.' definition of " cuir-bouilli," viz., " Leather boiled or soaked in hot water, and, when soft, moulded or pressed into any required form," &c. I am aware that this is not the full technical reply asked for, but hope that the concluding reference to Leland, ' Minor Arts,' 1880, may possibly be of service. This work may perhaps speak of " graved " leather too.

Has BIBLOS consulted any books dealing with fourteenth-sixteenth century armour in which " cuir-bouilli " was used ? The process of manufacture was no doubt the same. CHARLES GILLMAX.

Church Fields, Salisbury.

ADRIAN SCROPE (10 S. x. 469 ; xi. 32). MR. W. B. GERISH is certainly in error in saying (ante, p. 33) that Sir Adrian Scrope was " made a K.C.B. by Charles II." in 1661. Charles II. made no K.C.B.s the dignity did not exist earlier than 1815.

ALFRED B. BEAVEN, M.A.

Leamington.

CLEMENT'S INN KNOCKER (10 S. xi. 69). If W. B. II. would send me, through you, as full a description as he can, I might possibly give him a chie.

HAROLD MALET, Col.

SNEEZING SUPERSTITION (10 S. xi. 7). When I was at Prague recently a Cech professor smilingly observed, " Pozdrav Pan Buh " ("The Lord God restore you to health' ' ), when I sneezed. This is only current in rural districts.

Another Cech friend explained that a hiccough is due to some one speaking of you at that moment, like the earburn super- stition. FRANCIS P. MARCHANT.

Streatham Common.

CAROLINE AS A MASCULINE NAME (10 S. x. 450 ; xi. 15). It is suggested that Col. Scott was named after Caroline of Anspach, Queen of George II. He would have been born at about the time of that monarch's accession, and the Queen may have been his godmother. The case of the Hon. Anne Pawlet, whose godmother was Queen Anne, seems to throw light on the matter.

G. S. PARRY, Lieut. -Col.

SIR ROBERT FLETCHER (10 S. xi. 48). In Hamilton's ' Catalogue Raisonne of the Engraved Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds ' the owner of the Fletcher oil painting is given as Earl Fitzwilliam. The print was engraved in mezzotint by W. Dickinson, and published 24 Nov., 1774.

ARTHUR W. WATERS. Leamington Spa.

STEEPE SURNAME (10 S. x. 468). Steep is a parish in Hampshire, two miles north- west from Petersfield, in East Meon hundred. I have searched Kelly's Directories for London and for Hampshire, but do not find the surname there. t JOHN P. STILWELL.