Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 3.djvu/526

 434

NOTES AND QUERIES. [io- s. in. JUNE 3, 1905.

women. I brought two of their flails home with me last year, and have them before me whilst writing. The handles are rough 'broomsticks, 2 ft. 3 in. long by Ijin. diameter. Upon their tops are loops of bent wood, tightly bound around by tarred cord, a similar loop being attached, in the same way, to the blade of the flail, the two fastened together by a loose thong of half-inch leather. The blades are 2 ft. 2 in. by 2Hn., and rather over a quarter inch thick. Th'ey are strengthened -at the ends and in the middle by broad bands (2i in. and 3 in.) of tarred string. These flails only weigh Hlb. apiece. In thrashing the operators have a knack of bringing the broad part of the flail down, with dexterous regularity, flat upon the corn. Hence the quick, continuous sound of " pit-pat" heard everywhere during the thrashing season.

HARRY HEMS. Fair Park, Exeter.

Flails (or thrashalls, as I think they were called in Shropshire) were almost the only instruments in use when I was a boy, seventy .years ago. Travelling thrashing machines were occasionally employed, but they were not popular; and I have some dim recollection of the riots in different parts of the country, and destruction of these terrible labour- saving machines. It was delightful to see two accomplished thrashers at work opposite -each other with the wheat-sheafs spread out before them on the barn floor, swinging their flails alternately, and producing a sweet harmony of sound immeasurably superior to the buzz-buzz of the noisy, dust-producing thrashing machine. In truth, boylike, I liave performed on these musical instruments myself, and, like MR. PAGE, my head has frequently but narrowly escaped the swingel.

E. MAESTOX. ot. Dunstan House.

The flail is preserved poetically in the famous old glee 'Dame Durden,' who is recorded to have

kept five serving men To use the spade and flail.

In /Peregrine Pickle' is an account of a publican named Tunley lying in wait for an enemy with a flail, and, not being particularly skilful in the use of it, striking his own .head, causing lights to dance before his eyes.

I am inclined to think that a man using the old-fashioned flail is depicted in a medal- lion on the wrapper of The Cornhill Mac/azine.

XT JOHN PICKFORD, M.A.

JNewbourne Rectory, Woodbridge.

The late Mr. Wilson, of Tuxford Hall, had an immense collection of old things ; and he

not only exhibited his pillions, but put them to use on occasion. His effects were dis- tributed by auction a few months ago.

Flails are not quite out of use in this dis- trict, and on some small holdings, where a little corn is grown, it is thrashed out by the flail, and the sound of the thrashing may now and then be heard in conjunction with the " wush, wush, wush" of the flaps of the hand winnowing machine as it stands be- tween the two open opposite doors of the barn. Both sounds are now rare, but that of the winnowing machine the rarer. Flails still hang in many barns.

Tnos. RATCLIFFE.

Worksop.

SACK (10 th S. iii. 369). Sack, the Spanish wine, has been fully discussed in 'N. & Q.'; see 2 ml S. ix. 24 ; xii. 287, 452, 468 ; 3 rd S. v. 328, 488 ; vi. 20, 55 ; 4 th S. i. 481. Two corre- spondents not only have heard the word used, but have tasted the wine. The precise signification of " sack " appears doubtful. According to Gervase Markham's 'English Housewife,' " i 7 our best sack is of Xeres in Spain, your smaller of Gallicia and Portugal. Your strong sacks are of the Isles of the Canaries and Maligo (Malaga)," 7 th S. i. 140.

EVERARD HOME COLEMAN. 71, Brecknock Road.

The following occurs in The Weekly Jour- nal, 16 December, 1721 :

A Receipt to make a Sack Posset. From far Barbadoes, on the Western Main,

Fetch Sugar half a Pound, fetch Sack from Spain A Pint ; then fetch, from India's fertile Coast,

Nutmeg the Glory of the British Toast.

J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL.

SHORTER : WALPOLE (10 th S. iii. 269, 317, 337). As the original querist, I must thank your two correspondents who have endea- voured to throw light on this matter. MR. RELTON'S suggestion is, I think, the correct solution, though it is certainly curious to describe Lady Wai pole's father as a "neat- relative."

Perhaps your correspondents can help me still further. Does the following entry in the 'Historical Registers' "Februarys, 1718. Dy'd Mr. Shorter, Chamber keeper to the Secretary of State's Office in Whitehall "- refer to Thomas Shorter, Lady Wai pole's uncle, who died in that year? and was this office one of those sinecures so freely bestowed on the relatives of Sir Robert ? Also, why does MR. CROUCH, following the example of the compiler of the catalogue of the Wai- pole sale at Strawberry Hill in 1842, and also the author of the article in The