Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 2.djvu/491

 io" s. ii. NUV. 19, 1904.) NOTES AND QUERIES.

40S

fired feus de joie, as, for example, on hearing of the suppression of the Rebellion in Ire- land and of the capture of 800 Frenchmen in Ireland ; on the anniversary of the King's coronation ; on the Princess of Wirtemberg's birthday and on Sir Horatio Nelson's being gazetted Lord Nelson of the Nile, on which last a bonfire was burnt before the Doctor's house.

The necessity for this Volunteer force seeming to have passed away, on 18 Septem- ber Dr. Denman wrote to Lord Titchfield suggesting the disbandment of it; and on 21 October, 1798, the formal dissolution took place. The corps was addressed by the Doctor, the arms were returned, the clothes were kept, and a printed paper, fixed on pasteboard, was given to each member, to hang up in his cottage. This ran as follows : Loyal Lads of Feltham. 1798.

The Names of the Men who voluntarily enrolled themselves, and were, with his Majesty's permission and approbation, exercised under the title of

The Loyal Lads of Feltham,

for the defence of their King and Country when threatened with an Invasion by the French in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight.

Thomas Denman, Junr., Bannerman.

Thomas Quarterman, Corporal.

Edmund Betts, Corporal.

James Pursey. Thomas Cordery.

Charles Dunt. Thomas Mortimer.

John Dell. Edward Palmer.

Richard Webb. John Dell, Junr.

John Jewit. William Topping.

John Mitchell. Michael Appleton.

John Stockwell. Alexander Galloway.

Anthony Mitchell. Richard Appleton.

Charles Jewit. James Hayes.

Nathaniel Jewit. Robert Galloway, Fifer. Herbert Croft, Voluntier.

Thomas Denman,

Commander.

At the end of Dr. Denman's note-book is '* An Account of monies paid for the estab- lishment of the Corps raised at Feltham for his Majesty's service in the year 1798." The total amount shown is 150/. 17s. 6d. ; but a foot-note says: "I reckon that the whole expence of this Business amounted to Two Hundred Pounds. Sept. 6, 1805. Tho. Den- man."

The accounts show five guineas to have been paid for a die for belt plates. If any collector who happens to read this should have one of these I should be immensely grateful for a sight of it.

It only remains to give the song which appears at the beginning of the book :

SONG.

To the tune of " Are you sure the news is true ? " The lads throughout the British land Are worthy of renown, Sir, They love their country and their King In village and in town, Sir.

And if the French should dare to come

And offer but to pelt 'em,

There 's none more loyal or more brave-

Than the bonny Lads of Feltham.

What though no drum or fife should play Yet when the cause is right, Sir, In coat of red, or brown, or gray, Each honest man will fight, Sir. Aud if the French, &c.

Our Wives and Children to protect We straight ourselves will arm, Sir, We'll bang the Dutch, we '11 trim the French* To keep them all from harm, Sir. And when the battle it is won And handsomely we '11 pelt 'em, Atid when the French and Dutch are gone- We '11 all rejoin at Feltham.

ARTHUR DENMAN, F.S.A, 29, Cranley Gardens, S.W.

'THE BAILIFF'S DAUGHTER OF ISLINGTON.'

THIS old ballad has occasionally formed the- subject of correspondence in * N. <fe Q.' (5 th S. iii. 289 ; xii. 408, 513 ; 9 th S. i. 229, 291, 354). It was printed by Bishop Percy in his * Re- liques,' "from an ancient black-letter copy in the Pepys collection, with some improve- ments communicated by a lady as she hacV heard the same recited in her youth." Percy added that " Islington in Norfolk is probably the place here meant." At the last reference- MR. WALTER RYE gives some reasons in sup- port of Bishop Percy's suggestion, based- chiefly on the short distance between the- " Angel " at Islington and Cheapside, which- is not more than a mile and a half. The- ballad has also been included by Halliwell ii* his ' Norfolk Anthology,' and by Glyde in his 'Norfolk Garland.' Notwithstanding these authorities, there are grounds for thinking that Islington in Middlesex was the village that was graced by the presence of the bailiff's daughter.

In a letter written by Mrs. C. Milligan Fox, the hon. secretary of the Irish Folk-Song Society, which was printed in the Morning Post for 23 September, that lady said that she had found in Ireland several ancient versions of English ballads, among them being 'The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington, and she remarked : " In the ballad of ' The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington,' in the ninth- verse the well-bred youth says :