Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 3.djvu/565

 io" s. in. JUNE 17, loos.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

465-

Marksbury, 1757-1812 ; Midsomer Norton, 1671-1806; Newton St. Loe, 1769-1803; Nor- ton Mai re ward, 1796-1814; Paulton, 1678- 1805; Priston, 1750-1812; Saltford, 1624-1815; Stan ton Drew, 1658-1816 ; Stanton Prior, 1740-1806; Timsbury, 1745-1816; Twerton, 1712-1812; Walcot, 1773-1801 ; Wellow, 1791- 1798 ; Weston, 1690-1806 ; Whitchurch, 1712- 1816 ; Wincanton, 1695-1805 ; Wrington, 1744- 1784 ; Yatton, 1679-1813.

I have also papers referring to Bitton, Gloucestershire, 1610-1816, and Bristol, 1655- 1817; Bradford, Wilts, 1715-1811; Frisby, Leicestershire, 1656-1712; Wallingford, Berks, 1425-1852; and a collection of 1,367 original Surrey marriage licences, 1760-1834 (see ante, p. 326). GEORGE F. TUDOR SHERWOOD.

50, Beecroft Road, Brockley, S.E.

[Dr. \V. A. Copinger has published through Messrs. Sotheran three volumes (A K) dealing in an exhaustive manner with references, in print or manuscript, to every place in Suffolk. Mr. Walter Rye has done much good work in relation to Nor- folk, including 'Index to Norfolk Topography' (Index Society, 1881), ' Index to Norfolk Pedigrees' (Norwich, 1896), and 'Index Rerum to Norfolk Antiquities' (Norwich, 1899), besides an incomplete 'Short Calendar of Feet of Fines for Norfolk' (Norwich, 1885-6).]

YORKSHIRE WILLS NOT IN PROPER CUSTODY. It may save searchers time and trouble to know that many of the original wills belong- ing to the Peculiar of Selby are not in the York Probate Registry between the years 1636 and 1715 ; they are to be found at the British Museum, Add. MS. 36,582.

GERALD FOTHERGILL.

11, Brussels Road, New Wandsworth, S.W.

SUPERSTITIONS OF TRADES AND CALLINGS. I have recently been told that dressmakers will not "fit" with black pins, and regard it as unlucky to tack with green cotton. I also learn that if all the pins fall out of a box it is held by milliners to presage a dis- appointment, which usually takes the form of a returned order ; whilst they regard as of happy augury the drop of blood falling on a hat from a pricked finger. Thinking over these bits of folk-lore, which are new to me, I called to memory the objection of the monthly-nurse to weighing an infant, and to adding hot water to cold (instead of cold water to hot) for its bath ; her insist- ence that the convalescent mother shall go upstairs before she goes down ; and the dis- like of domestic servants to turning bedding on a Friday, and of sailors to commencing a voyage on that day ; and it struck me that there must be a great number of similar quaint beliefs and observances peculiar to certain walks of life, and that it could not

fail to interest the readers of 'N. &, Q.' were the particulars communicated by those con- versant with them. Possibly the special knowledge of the writer might, at times,, enable him to suggest an explanation of the origin of a custom. I have received such sage warnings against guessing that I hesi- tate to try my own hand at a gloss ; still, as an illustration of what I have in mind, I may point out that in each of the cases where Friday is concerned, the explanation may, perhaps, be found in the dedication of the day to Venus. It might me thought that to turn the bed would be ominous of change in the love of its occupants; whilst the associa- tion of the ship or ark with that femininity of which the goddess is the embodiment might well have proscribed removal on her- sacred day. FRANK REDE FOWKE.

24, Netherton Grove, Chelsea.

ROGATIONTIDE AT UFFORD. The following- appeared in The Standard of 2 June. The " old custom" has not been recorded in ' N. & Q.,' and I therefore submit it for insertion :

"A quaint old custom has survived at Ufford [Suffolk], that of intercession at Rogationtide. Clergy and choir assembled in the church, and after a prayer and hymn, a procession was formed from the church, in which the congregation joined, which perambulated the parish into High Street, where the rector recited the Litany. Several appropriate hymns were sung, and an address was delivered, at the end of which the procession returned to the church, where a sermon was preached on the text,, 'The eyes of all wait on Thee, Lord, and Thou, givest them their meat in due season.' The bless- ing of the crops is another observance in some parts of Suffolk at Rogationtide, clergy, choir, and con- gregation going in procession through the fields, singing psalms, and halting in certam places for. prayer and intercession for the crops."

EVERARD HOME COLEMAN..

71, Brecknock Road.

RUSSIAN PROPER NAMES. Two signifi- cant Russian proper names may perhaps be- recorded in connexion with the tragic catas- trophe which befell the Baltic Fleet in the nate) ; (2) that of the torpedo - boat de- stroyer Bedovy (i.e., dangerous, or severe)* wherein Rozhestvensky was rescued, but, finally taken prisoner.
 * Strait of Corea on 27 and 28 May, viz. (1)
 * that of Admiral Nebogatov (i.e., unfortu-

"ARCH." The spelling of the word arch, in the sense of the arch of a bridge, is not a. little odd, since the correct form would have- been arc. The real meaning of arche in Old French was an ark oi\coffer, from the Latin, area ; but the same arche was also used, as. the examples in Godefroy show, with the sense of " arch " or even of " arcade." Hence