Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 5.djvu/377

 V.APRIL 2i, 1906.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

309

that it contained no salt, only a trace of nitro- genous bodies, and very little moisture ; as a matter of fact, practically the whole of it dissolved in ether and other fat solvents. Large numbers of samples of bog butter have been obtained from the swamps of Ireland. It is found in 20 and even in 100 Ib. lots at different depths, some being 14 ft. below the surface. As a rule, the original shape or form of the lumps of butter seems to be extremely well preserved, and one case is recorded where the marks of the fingers could be distinctly seen on the butter. On another lot, a coarse hemp cloth was found wrapped around the butter which on ex- posure to the air crumbled to dust. Very little is known as to the length of time these substances have been in the swamps, but it is generally thought that they are upwards of a thousand years old. It is claimed by some that the bog butter is a substance formed from the peat itself, but the re- sults of chemical analysis go to show that it still has some of the characteristics of butter, and the general belief of those who have studied the subject is that it really was butter placed there for some reason many years ago. But why should the swamp be used as a place of storage ? It can hardly be supposed that all the samples that have been found were accidentally lost on the way to market, although in one case, at least, the remains of a basket were found with the butter. It has been suggested that butter was buried in swamps for safe keeping when the Danes invaded Ireland, or possibly at the time of Cromwell's men. The most likely theory is that long years ago experience proved that summer butter could be put down in the turf to keep for winter use, or, possibly, certain desired flavours were developed in this way. Then it might happen that whoever put it away either died or forgot all about it. It is well known that moist peat or swamp soil is an excellent preserva- tive, owing probably to the humic acids formed as the result of the decomposition of the nitrogenous organic matter, and it is quite possible that this preserving action was known to, and used by, the people of Ireland many centuries ago, and that these lumps of butter were carefully put away in the peat before the time of the Norman Conquest.''

EMERITUS.

JOHN FULLERTON was admitted into St. Peter's College, Westminster, as a King's Scholar on 22 May, 1745. Particulars of his career are desired. G. F. R. B.

GONCOURT'S * HISTOIRE DE LA SOCIETE FRANCHISE.' Is there an English translation of E. and J. de Goncourt's * Histoire de la Societe Francaise pendant la Revolution et le Directoire''? D. M.

Philadelphia.

CARTER PEDIGREES. Could any of your readers give me particulars of any pedigrees of a family of Carter that show Capt. Charles Carter, the Hon. Mrs. Elizabeth Carter, Lydia Carter, and Rebecca Hall 1 ? They were all probably resident in or near the parish of St. James's, Westminster, in 1747. F. CARTER.

8, New Square, Lincoln's Inn.

LATIN GENITIVES IN FLORICULTURAL NOMENCLATURE. In floricultural catalogues the specific name of a flower, when derived from a surname, sometimes ends with one i, sometimes with two i's, as, for example, Aster Thomsoni and Aster Curtisii. Can any reader of 'N. & Q.' supply an authoritative and satisfactory reason why 1 P. G.

HACKNEY, MIDDLESEX. It has been suggested that the origin of this place-name is "Hacon's ey." (See Walford's 'Old and New London,' v. 510.) The marshy situation of the place might be sufficient to support the suggested suffix, but there does not appear to be any evidence that a Danish chief of the name of Hacon ever had any- thing to do with the place. In 1230-1 it was spelt Haken' ('Cal. Clos. Rol.,' pp. 576,581), and in 1253 Hakeneye (Lysons, 'Environs,' ii. 450). Walford mentions a spelling Hacque- neye, temp. Hen. III. Dr. Robinson ('Hist, and Ant. of Hackney 7 ), quoted by Walford, says : " No one will venture to assert that it received its name from the Teutonic or Welsh language, as some have supposed." What is probably the origin ?

H. W. UNDERDOWN.

{ HAARLEM COURANT.' Can any of the readers of ' N. & Q.' inform me what library, public or private, possesses copies of a paper called Ilaerlem Courant, or some similar name, being a translation of the Dutch paper of that name, published in England (Brit. Mus. and Bodleian) ?

I find this paper alluded to in Dr. Murray's 'Dictionary' (s.v. * Couranteer ') and in Tim- perley's 'Anecdotes,' but I should like to have more references from contemporary authors. M. M. KLEERKOOPER.

270, Brixton Road, S.W.

HARLEM, A NEWSWRITER. In an old periodical ( Weekly Comedy) I find among the dramatis per sonce. a nevvswriter called Harlem. Is this name found anywhere else in this connexion? M. M. KLEERKOOPER.

ENGLISH PENNIES. Can any reader tell me where I can get English dated pennies from 1670 or earlier to 1849-59? Please reply direct. E. HARIDGE.

20, Hessel Road, Ealing.

GALLIE SURNAME. There are a few per- sons of the surname Gallie scattered over the north of Scotland, and the name appears here and there elsewhere in this country. Is the name of French extraction ? Did it come from the Channel Islands or from Huguenots? GEO. GALLIE.

12, Highfield Crescent, Rock Ferry, Birkeuhead.