Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 5.djvu/358

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io* s. v. APML H. im

fulling mills. If he requires a description of these, I will write to him privately.

Fuller's earth is often called walker's earth by old people in this district.

JOHN H. WHITHAM.

Leeds.

ROYAL ARMS IN CHURCHES (10 th S. v. 188, 230). It may be of interest to state that St. Margaret's Church was one where arms had been placed before the Restoration, albeit they may not be called royal in the ordinary acceptation of the term. Walcott, in his ' Memorials of Westminster,' p. 99, says that " the State's arms, which had been painted up in various parts of the church and vestry, were removed." In the same writer's * History of the Parish Church of St. Margaret in Westminster,' p. 76, is a copy of the vestry minutes relating to this transaction :

"1660. Oct. 3. It is ordered that Mr.E. Waters and Mr. P. Lilly, the present Church Wardens, are in an especial manner desired, as soon as ever money comes to their hands, that they prepare the King's Majesty's Arms to be richly carved, made, and gilded after the best manner that can be invented, with as much grace as may be, to be set <up in the Parish Church of St. Margaret, and to be as fair and beautiful in every respect as the King's Arms are set- up in and about the City of London ; and the said Church Wardens are desired to use their best endeavours speedily to put the work in hand so soon as money can be raised for that purpose."

The date of the publication of this volume was 1847, a foot-note stating that " they are placed at present in the vestry room." That they were there when Walcott wrote there can be no doubt, but between that time and 17 June, 1864, when Dr. Cureton, the rector, died, they had been removed, and deposited in a room in the church tower, where at various times many other things had been iound.

The Rev. William Conway succeeded to the rectory, and soon after entering upon that position made a pilgrimage to the tower lumber-room, and these arms were brought forth and once more placed in the vestry, upon the east wall. Canon Conway died on 22 March, 1876, and Dr. Farrar was -appointed rector. He undertook the most famous of the many alterations and restora- tions to which this church has been sub- mitted, the entire interior being remodelled and the galleries removed. A suggestion was made that these arms should be placed upon the front panel of the fine old oaken pulpit that then graced the church, and was used until the present stone one was given <us. That idea was never carried out, and

ultimately they were fixed over the inner doors at the west end of the church, where they may now be seen.

The commission given to the old church- wardens was carried out faithfully and well, and both design and workmanship have been praised. A first-rate worker on wood, the late Harry Rogers, told my brother-in-law, Mr. Need ham, the then parish clerk, that he had seen the arms about 1851, and that the "design was excellent, and the execution good"; and a Mr. Aulmerstein, a gentle- man from Lubeck, well versed in wood- work, who saw them about ten years ago, was much struck with the work when I directed his attention to them. Our American visitors often cast a longing eye at this piece of old English work, but it has not changed hands yet. Upon the whole, we can but think that the old officers of the church gave to St. Margaret's people a carving done in the best way that could be invented 246 years ago.

W. E. HARLAND-OXLEY. Westminster.

In the church at North Walsham, Norfolk, there is a board with the Commonwealth arms on one side and Charles II.'s on the other. Apparently Oliver's initials were erased at the Restoration as a sort of protest, the board was turned round, the new coat of arms painted on, and both economy and loyalty were satisfied. This historical docu- ment is now kept, I think, in the vestry.

H. F. CHETTLE.

ASTRONOMY IN FICTION (10 th S. v. 229). If astrology is included in astronomy, your correspondentmightadd 'Sarchedon,' byG. J. Whyte Melville, to his list of references.

JOHN T. PAGE.

Long Itchington, Warwickshire.

See Johnson's 'Rasselas,' chaps, xl.-xlix. In poetry reference may be made to Brown- ing's 'Bordello,' with its portrayal of Ecelin's wife Adelaide, a reader of the stars.

W. B.

HORSE-RACING IN FRANCE (10 th S. v. 167, 237). A very interesting article, under the title of 'Courses deChevaux sous Louis XVI.,' appeared in the Figaro of 24 March.

W. ROBERTS.

MONTFORT ARMS (10 th S. v. 207). William le Boteler (d. 13C8), who married Joan de Sudeley, was sixth in descent from Ralph le Boteler, of Oversley, co. Warwick (Nicolas's of Sir Thomas Boteler, of Bewsey, Lanes, as MR. P. MONTFORT appears to imply. The
 * Synopsis'), arid therefore was not an ancestor