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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io<s.v. APRIL 21,1906.

cost, probably, a good deal in fees to discover the names of families whose arms are nob officially recorded, or even to settle the point as to any one family. In regard to the fee question, which becomes more pressing every day, many students hope for the passing of an Act of Parliament providing that an in- ventory be made of official records of every class more than a hundred years old, and that they shall in future be freely open to accredited students every day throughout the year, except Sundays and public holi- days, from 9 A.M. to 5P.M., without restriction. If the present official custodians of such records cannot freely accommodate students, the records should be turned over to the Public Record Office. The exaction of any fee for inspecting ancient records is an anomaly at the present day, and against public policy. GEORGE F. T. SHERWOOD. 50, Beecroft Road, Brockley, S.E.

ARCHER OF. UMBERSLADE (10 th S. v. 148, 195, 232). While thanking A. H. for his answer to my query, I must, in the cause of accuracy, correct him.

Thomas Archer, first Baron Archer of Umberslade, married Catherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Tipping, Bart, of Wheatfield, Oxon, by his wife Anne, daughter of Thomas Cheke, Esq., of Pirgo, Essex.

Lady Archer was coheiress with her sister Lsetitia, wife of Samuel, Lord Sandys, and she inherited Pirgo as her share, which estate she brought into the Archer family. Anne Cheke, wife of Sir Thomas Tipping, was daughter of Thomas Cheke by his wife Lsetitia, daughter and heiress of Edward Russell (brother of the first Duke of Bedford) and sister and heiress of Edward Russell, Earl of Orford. The Earl of Orford left his house in Convent Garden, afterwards Evans's Rooms, and now the National Sports Club, to his relative Baron Archer, whose town house it was until the building of Grosvenor Square, when he removed to that address. LAUNCELOT ARCHER.

^The Manor Court Rolls of Solihull, co. War- wick, belonging to the family of Archer of Umberslade, temp. Henry VIII. to George III., are in the British Museum; see Add. MS. 27973. GERALD FOTHERGILL.

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

CHEYNE WALK : CHINA WALK (10 th S. v. 245). Of course China is only a popular substitution for the older name. But it is of some use, as pointing out that Chey-ne is properly a dissyllable, answering to F. chenaie, a place planted with oaks, from chene, an oak.

Cotgrave has " chesnai/e, a wood, grove, or thicket of oakes " ; and " chesne, an oake." An older F. form was chaenei, &ho ckesnoi ,- see a large number of examples in Godefroy, under chesnoi. The modern Norman for " oak " is caine, formerly Iceyne ; so that the surname Caine really represents an oak-tree, and has no relation to Abel. We have the equivalent names Keynes and Oakes, showing that English, as usual, has its Norman as well as its Saxon constituents. I doubt if we sufficiently realize how admirably our own magnificent and widespread native tongue is welded together from Latin and Teutonic elements ; it is worthy of ten times the honour that it usually receives. Pale is French, and ale is Saxon ; but only pale ale is truly English ; and this is one of ten thousand examples. We actually have such compounds as grandfather !

WALTER W. SKEAT.

I thought it was generally understood that Cheyne stood for "China" in this street- name. Close to the "Walk" there used to be a china pottery on the site now occupied (I believe) by a small inn in Lawrence Street. It may not be generally known that the old pronunciation of "china" (in speaking of china ware) was " cheyne " pronounced as the name of the Walk, Chanay.

A. T. STORY.

SAMUEL WILLIAMS, DRAUGHTSMAN (10 th S. v. 109). If your querist, who is an expert in this artist's work, does not know of a portrait I fear the case is hopeless. Williams executed an enormous number of drawings for books, and their excellence is in part caused by his engraving them himself on wood. His name occurs no fewer than five times in my 'Swimming,' 1904.

In 'Modern English Biography' Mr. Boase makes a point of recording portraits, but he mentions none under this artist's name. Mr. Boase quotes 1 st S. viii. 312 (1853), where a memoir of Williams is given ; but to this reference may be added 5 th S. viii. 260, 296, 477, and 9 th S. vii. 408 ; and p. 498, where it is said that Williams died 21 Jan., 1846, and was buried at Abney Park Cemetery. In all probability, however, this refers to a name- sake I find in Mr. Algernon Graves's in- valuable 'Dictionary of Artists,' as exhibiting between the years 1834 and 1844.

According to Sir John Millais, every artist depicts himself and his own figure in the men he draws, so that MR. SANDFORD will be able to get some idea of Williams's appear- ance from his drawings. Certainly the face and figure of Mr. W. P. Frith, R.A., are both