Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 5.djvu/313

 10* S.V. MARCH 31. 1906.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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it occasioned, was so much disgusted that she cast it away and dashed it in pieces. Although I would not recommend any lady playing on a valuable Cremona fiddle to follow the example of the goddess, yet it strikes me that, if she is desirous of enrapturing her audience, she should display her talent in a situation where there is only just light enough ' to make darkness visible.' " I ventured to prophesy great things from what was then (1882) called the "mania for teaching girls to fiddle" ('Violin Making,' London, 1883, p. 12), and consider that my forecast has been fully realized.

MRS. BERTHA. HARRISON is further referred to the records of Regina Sacchi(who married the violoncellist Schlick), who was born in Mantua in 1764 and died about 1822, and for whom Mozart wrote his Sonata in B flat minor, concerning which a sensational story is told by F. Rochlitz in his 'Anecdotes of Mozart ' ; also to those of Luigia Gerbini (circa 1800) and Signora Parravicini (circa 1820-32), both pupils of yiotti. Catarina Calcagno (born in Genoa, 1797) was said to be a pupil of Paganini, and at the age of fifteen "astonished Italy." The concluding chapter of the fifth edition of Dubourg may direct inquiry.

EDWARD HERON-ALLEN.

"Pious FOUNDER" (10 th S. v. 107). This appellation frequently occurs in the * Statutes of George Heriot's Hospital, Edinburgh,' compiled in 1627 by Walter Balcanquall, D.D., Dean of Rochester. Cap. ii. ( 4 De Fundatore Hospitalis ') enjoins :

" He who readeth prayeris everie evening and morning in thechapellof the Hospitall sail amongst other blessingis give thankis unto God in exprees wordis for the bountiefull mantenance which they living thair receave from the charitie of thair pious founder." ^ &

Edinburgh.

WIG AN BELL FOUNDRY (10 th S. v. 168, 216). Bell-founding was an important industry in Wigan in the seventeenth century. Ac- counts of it may be found in Sinclair's 4 History of Wigan,' vol. i., and in 'The In- dustries of Wigan,' by H. T. Folkard, R. Betley, and C. M. Percy, 1889. Both of these works are in the British Museum Library.

H. T. F.

Wigan.

There are no existing mediaeval bells in the north of England which have been traced to a foundry at Wigan, and the majority appear to come from the important foundries of London, Nottingham, and York, and perhaps also Carlisle. But there was a foundry at Wigan in the sixteenth and seventeenth cen- turies, held successively by J.Scott (1656-64),

R. Ash ton (1703 - 15), and Luke Ash ton (1724-50). The dates given are only approxi- mate, being derived from such notes as I possess. There are bells by S^ott at Shot- wick, Taxall, and Wilmslow, in Cheshire ; and two fine ones at Cartmel, in Lancashire, dated 1661. R. Ashton's work may be found at Dalston, Kirkhampton, and Melmerby, in Cumberland, and at Llangerniew, Denbigh ; Luke Ashton's at Caldbeck, Cumberland ; and Great Sankey, Southport, Urswick, and Woodland, Lancashire. Your correspondent should refer to papers on Cumberland bells published some years ago by the Rev. H. Whitehead in the Transactions of the Cum- berland and Westmorland Archaeological Society. H. B. WALTERS.

The churchwardens' accounts for Wilmslow, in Cheshire, for the year 1657 (according to Mr. Earwaker) show that payments to J. & J. Scott, of Wigan, were made for repairs to the church bells there ; and the church ac- counts for Prestbury for 1684 show similar payments. The firm's initials and town are cast on one of the bells at Wilmslow.

M. N.

CROSS-LEGGED KNIGHTS (10 th S. v. 130, 175). At 8 th S. v. 166 a correspondent took a con- temporary writer in The Edinburgh Review severely to task for disseminating "old wives' fables " in speaking of a cross-legged effigy as denoting the burial-place of a Crusader. He also stated that no one possess- ing "even an inkling of antiquarian know- ledge" had believed in this theory for the past forty years at least. This writer, however, refrained from giving his own opinion on the subject. If these effigies do not denote a connexion with crusading, what was the particular reason why the legs were crossed ?

Bloxam, who wrote his 'Glimpse at the Monumental Architecture and Sculpture of Great Britain ' in 1834, says on p. 137 :

"With regard to the monumental effigies which are represented with the legs crossed, and which during this [thirteenth] century are of frequent occurrence, the most common supposition enter- tained is, that such attitude was intended to dis- tinguish those nobles, barons, and knights who were either actual Crusaders, or who, having vowed to engage as such, died before their vow could be performed. That notion is, however, but con- jectural, and can be traced to no sufficient authority ; and besides this, the cross-legged attitude was re- tained for more than half a century after the cessa- tion of the last crusade, though it may be remarked that subsequent to the thirteenth century the in- stances of such attitude are not very numerous/'

In 1893 Mr. T. Henry Baylis, K.C., pro- duced his valuable little book ' The Temple