Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 2.djvu/404

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io* s. n. OCT. 22, im.

the ebbing tide bore past my house not merely scores, but thousands of fish, besides an eel or two, the whole of which had but recently died I; so fresh, pure, and brilliant were their skins that one might have thought them still living. They varied from about six inches to rather more than a foot in length, and comprised roach, dace, and the like. Inquiring of my amphibious neigh- bours what was the cause of this destruction, I was told that u the storm killed them, as it often does." Thus it seems there is a common belief that storms are fatal to other creatures than the snakes mentioned in the ' Pro- verbi Italiani' of Pescetti. I was, in addi- tion, told that a boy (some said two boys) was drowned in sight of my place through his over-eagerness to take some of the thunder- smitten fish out of the Thames. O.

THOMAS BEACH, THE PORTRAIT PAINTER (10 th S. ii. 285). Dorset folk must be glad to hear that Beach is to be kept in memory by the mural brass now in All Saints', Dor- chester. May I, as an old Durnovarian, suggest that the present would be an oppor- tunity to learn the whereabouts of some of the most important works of this excellent painter? Pace MR. HIBGAME, I should say that the fine mezzotints which exist after Beach will probably prevent his being for- gotten, to say nothing of the picture of Woodfall in the National Portrait Gallery. I remember to have seen at Shute House, Axminster, the seat of Sir E. Pole, Bart., a number of full-length family portraits strongly recalling Sir Joshua Keynolds. Many other examples are doubtless known to readers of 4 N. & Q.,' of which I should be glad to get particulars if possible. J. J. FOSTER.

Offa House, Upper Tooting, S.W.

SHAKESPEARE AUTOGRAPH (10 th S. ii. 248). The so-called " Shakespeare's own Prayer- Book" (1596), discovered by Partridge, of Wellington, in 1864, was sold by that book- seller in the autumn of 1865 to Mr. Eothwell, of Sharpies Hall, Bolton-le-Moors, for 300. I am not aware that it has again come into the market.

The autographs excited much interest at the time. My father investigated the history of the volume as far as possible, and made a critical examination of the signatures, stating and discussing the question in several papers notably the Times of 2 November, and Standard, 18 November, 1864 (see, too, a note by the late Sam. Timmins in the Birmingham Post, 14 November, 1864), also the Birmingham Journal, 17 December, 1864, 4 March and 25 November, 1865. Photographs were taken

of the title-pages and the signatures, a set of which (after my father's death) I sent to the museum at Stratford-on-Avon in September, 1873. LUCY TOULMIN SMITH.

Oxford.

EOGER CASEMENT (10 th S. ii. 309). The present Consul Casement is also Roger Case- ment, and is, I believe, an Irish gentleman. He probably could throw light on the matter.

E. C. T.

" DAGO " (10 th S. ii. 247). This word, which is supposed to be a corruption of Diego, is defined by the ' N.E.D.' as "a name originally given in the South-Western section of the United States to a man of Spanish parentage ; now extended to include Spaniards, Portu- guese, and Italians in general." It is very commonly used by sailors, who are wont to divide all seamen into the following classes : Dutchmen, Dagoes, Niggers, and White Men. Under " Dutchmen " are included Norwe- gians, Danes, Finns, &c.; while " Dagoes "" comprise Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians, &c. T. F. D.

It is perhaps worth mentioning that Dago- is a corruption of Diego, which, in its turn, is a corruption of Santiago, St. James, patron, saint of Spain. J. HOLDEN MACMICHAEL.

[ST. SWITHIN quotes Farmer's ' Dictionary of Americanisms,' to the same effect as the ' N.E.D.']

DESCENDANTS OF WALDEF OF CUMBERLAND (10 th S. ii. 241, 291). MR. D. MURRAY ROSE writes, "As Duncan de Lascelles had a daughter and heir, it would be interesting to trace her subsequent history." I presume he refers to Christiana, daughter of Duncan,, whom William Briwerre bought the ward- ship and marriage of in 1211-12. I suspect at this time she was an only child and pre- sumptive heiress, but a few years after a, brother was born and upset this arrangement unless the contingency had been provided for, as William Briwerre had the wardship of the boy also. This was Thomas de Lascelles, and in 1226 William Briwerre, before his death, transferred him over to the custody of the Bishop of Chichester until of age ('Rot. Litt, Claus.,' p. 161). He was still a minor in 1231 ('Exc. e Rot. Fin.,' i. 209).

Thomas de Lascelles succeeded to a moiety of the barony of Windsor (' Test, de Nevill/

E. 246) in right of his mother's mother, and e married the daughter and heir of William de Irby. These three ladies all bore the name- of Christiana, a very favourite one in those days in the north of England. Thomas died, I believe without issue, about 1260, and his widow survived a later husband, Robert de,