Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 12.djvu/480

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. xn. NOV. 13, im My note ended with a statement that Hartwell is still in the possession of the Lee family, Col. E. D. Lee being the present resident owner." It may be well to add that on 8 October, within a week of the appearance of the note, Col. Lee passed away.

Sir George Lee of Hartwell, the sixth and last baronet, died in 1827, and his grave may be seen in the churchyard of Beachampton, Bucks (of which place he was rector), unmarked by any stone or inscription—merely an enclosure surrounded by iron railings. Pedigrees of the family may be found in Burke's 'Extinct Baronetcies' and Burke's 'Landed Gentry.'

AUTHORS OF QUOTATIONS WANTED (10 S. xii. 348). The lines inquired for by DELTA, I see them on their winding way, Above their ranks the moonbeams play,

are the beginning of Reginald Heber's ' Lines written to a March composed in imitation of a Military Band,' 1820.

F. J ABE, ATT.

[The sixteen lines sent by the REV. F. JARRATT and the twenty-four lines sent by C. C. S. have been forwarded to DELTA.]

FIG TBEES ' IN LONDON (10 S. xi. 107, 178 ; xii. 293, 336). Fig trees in London are certainly interesting handsome and refreshing to the eye, and treasurable as relics of old citizenship. Their destruction, as in the case noticed at the last reference, is painful to many who may witness it. Formerly they were plentiful ; the old people liked them, seemed mindful of their Biblical association, smoked quiet pipes under their shade, and perhaps pointed out to their children the broad leaves which our first parents fashioned into aprons.

But I wish to ask a question about the trees in Shoreditch (I think), of which the fruit (so said the newspapers lately) was senl to King Edward. Did the figs really ripen in Shoreditch ?

Lately I had the curiosity to look for some fig trees dimly remembered in the olc streets of Westminster. I found then (two or three) in the gardens of Cowley Street, which is one of the most venerable streets in the neighbourhood of the Abbey and in which sad to relate some demoli tion was in progress. The trees are stil nourishing, and one need not intrude to find them, for they can be seen from Wooc

Street, which runs by the foot of the gardens. '. was told, however, that, though fruit i&

produced, it never ripens. I was told also

f a tree in Johnson Street (off Horseferry


 * load), and found it quite a curiosity a

stout old tree carefully trained against a

small house, very ornamental to it, but Dossibly rather obstructive to light. I

respected the tenants for fostering it.

W. L. BUTTON.

CEBNET'S OB SEBVAT'S TOWEB IN BUCK- LEBSBUBY (10 S. xii. 330). The passage in Stow quoted by Mr. MACMICHAEL is appa- rently from Strype's edition. In the 1603 edition of Stow, p. 262, the name is twice spelt " Cornette stoure" (sic), though in Mr. Kingsf old's reprint it is spelt " Cernettes towre " and " Cornettes toure," and in the margin " Cernets towre." In the corre- sponding passage in the edition of 1598 it is spelt " Seruesse Tower," and in the margin " Seruice Tower," On p. 52 of the 1603 edition it is referred to as " Semes Tower."

The tower seems to have taken its name from William Servat, who was Alderman of Walbrook Ward in the years 1309-18 (Beaven, ' Aldermen of London,' p. 216), for I find that in 1305 licence was given to William Servat to build of lime and stone and crenellate a turret beyond the gate of his .dwelling-place in London (' Calendar Patent Rolls, Edward I., 1301-7,' p. 379).

William Servat sat in Parliament in 1309 and 1313 (Beaven, p. 263), and was a collector of customs (Madox, ' History of the Exchequer,' i. 780). In the ' Calendar of Letter-Books of the City of London : Letter-Book C,' p. 180, his name is spelt " Cervat."

In 1317 King Edward II. granted to Queen Isabella for life those houses in the City of London, late of William Servat, which the King held of the gift of Anthony Pessaigne of Genoa (' Cal. Pat. Rolls, Edward II., 1317-21,' p. 53). In the ' Calendar of Ancient Deeds ' (vol. v. A. 10,948) mention is made of an annuity payable to Queen Isabella in the City of London at "la Tour Servat " ; and in the ' Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward III., 1338-40,' mention is made of money to be paid at the " queen's tower of Sernat in London " (p. 115).

The will of William Holbech (' Cal. Wills, Court of Husting,' vol. ii. p. 104) is dated " at his mansion called ' Surnetistour,' 16 August, A.D. 1365"; and Matilda his widow, by her will dated 29 July, 1392