Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 12.djvu/183

 10 s. XIL AUG. 21, im] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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It is not necessary here to refer to the interest and associations of the buildings that at different times stood upon this area. Many will be familiar with the sources of such local history, and these pages have on several occasions contained notes on the Dorset Gardens Theatre and some of the local celebrities.

Many of the earlier deeds relating to building leases and transfer of house pro- perty on the estate at the commencement of the eighteenth century exist. One now before me is an indenture of lease dated 26 March, 1710, between Lionel Cranfield, Earl of Dorset, and Joseph Watlington of Binfield, Berks, of part of the Wilderness in Dorset Gardens. The lease was for 41 years at a rent of 551., the total area being 135 ft. 9 in. north to south by 74 ft. 6 in. The particulars are of interest because they show how closely the estate had been built on at this date. Although a large proportion was covered with stables, there were nine houses measuring only 25 ft. by 18 ft. each. The present site of this portion of the estate is the rear of the Salisbury Hotel and the north and south sides of Hut ton Street, then Wilderness Street.

ALECK ABRAHAMS.

NICHOLAS SPENCER OF ST. MARGARET'S, WESTMINSTER. In a note of a very interest- ing character upon ' John Angel or Anger ' (see ante, p. 6), contributed by M. B., the name of one of the three executors of that

Gentleman's will is given as " Mr. Nicholas pencer of the Parish of St. Margaret West- minster in the County of Middlesex Sadler." I feel that it is a matter worthy of note that the aforesaid Mr. Nicholas Spencer was a man of considerable importance in the parish of St. Margaret, as he served as overseer in the years 17389, becoming churchwarden in 1751, the year in which Mr. Angel's will was proved. As the election took place (as it still does) on the " Thursday next before Whitsun Day," it will be seen that he was not in office. He served the usual two years, 1751-2, but, contrary to custom, was people's warden in the latter year, his coadjutor, William Goff, being in office 1751-2-3, and holding premier position in 1752-3. W. E. HARLAND-OXLEY;

Westminster.

" SHOT AT THE ROOK AND KILLED THE

CROW." This, surely, is the English version of a well-known saying. In a translation of a book entitled ' Rasplata ' ( ' The Reckon- ing ' ), by Vladimir Semenoff, a Russian naval officer who was actively engaged in

he late Russo-Japanese War, I was sur- prised to find " aimed at the rook and hit he cow " given as a " Russian colloquialism." '. am not sure that the Russian version is lot the better. REGINALD R. SHARPE. Guildhall, E.G.

EDWARD IV.'s STANDARD-BEARER AT BARNET. When attending the recent meet- ing of the Devonshire Association at Laun- ceston, I was informed by a member that here lives at Kingsbridge an old labourer aamed Richard Crocker, who is lineally descended from John Crocker of Lyneham in the county of Devon, who was standard- Dearer to Edward IV. at the battle of Barnet. My informant I believe to be a credible witness, who is fully convinced of the truth of what he states, and I therefore thought this little fact worth making a note of. FRED C. FROST, F.S.I.

Teignmouth.

WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest bo affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that answers may be sent to them direct.

" NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND." When do we first hear of this ? I have failed to find it among the numerous proverbs men- tioned in the various Indexes to ' N. & Q.' In the course of my work I have recently come across it in a petition submitted by the Commonalty of the City to the Mayor and Aldermen in 1433 in the following terms : " Wherefor, as it is saide in englissh pro- verbes, better to amende late J>an never. ..." This points to its being an old saying, even at that early date. Had it a classical origin ? REGINALD R. SHARPE.

Guildhall, E.G.

"DAINTY DAISY." I shall be obliged if any of the readers of ' N. & Q.' can tell me what was the real name of the individual (a man) who was known, circa 1755, by the nickname of " Dainty Daisy."

HORACE BLEAOKLEY.

TAYLOR = BERKELEY. Will some con- tributor inform me as to the parentage of Thomas Taylor of Ballynort, co. Limerick (circa Charles I.), who married Gertrude, daughter of Sir Francis Berkeley of Ask- eaton, co. Limerick ? Was his father by any chance Francis Taylor, Lord Mayor of Dublin, who married Janet Shelton ?

KATHLEEN WARD.