Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 7.djvu/236

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NOTES AND QUERIES, no s. VIL MARCH 9, 1907.

John Bland is said by Nicholas Carlisle, in his ' History of the Blands,' to have been entered as a barrister of the Temple pro- bably at the instigation of his father the judge ; but his erratic temperament evi- dently drove him into the army, and finally to the stage. He was author of a novel called ' Frederick the Forsaken,' which doubtless had reference to his having been disinherited by his father. I trust that the readers of ' N. & Q.' will put me on the track of his descendants, some of whom were undoubtedly of the actor- family of Glover, and all of whom should be proud of their ancestor, notwithstanding his eccentric character. J. F. FULLER. Brunswick Chambers, Dublin.

ADDISON AND COL. PHILIP DORMER (10 S. vii. 107). I know nothing of the deeds of Col. Dormer. No doubt Addison had no personal relations with him, but simply mentions him as a hero. It appears from Creighton's ' Life of the Duke of Marl- borough ' (1889) that numbers of poems appeared in honour of the victory at Blen- heim, but they disgusted Godolphin, who consulted Halifax in the effort to obtain something better. Halifax recommended Addison, who at that time was living in obscurity and poverty. Boyle, the Chan- cellor of the Exchequer, thereupon visited Addison in person, as Halifax had insisted that his friend should be treated with dis- tinction. Addison gladly consented to write a poem in honour of the victory which might well be looked upon as a great Whig triumph. When ' The Campaign ' appeared, Godolphin was so pleased that he gave Addison a Commissionership worth 200L a year. R. S. B.

SIR GEORGE HOWARD, FIELD-MARSHAL (10 S. vii. 129). I can give G. F. R. B. the information he wants. Sir George Howard was baptized at St. Clement's Danes 20 June, 1718. He received his first com- mission as a child of seven, being appointee ensign in the regiment subsequentlv known as the 24th Foot, on 28 Feb., 1725. This corps was then commanded by George Howard's father, Lieut. -General Thomas Howard. On 28 Jan., 1736, Ensign Howarc was promoted lieutenant in the same regi ment ; and on 1 Sept., 1739, he was ap pointed captain in the 3rd Buffs, to the colonelcy of which his father had been trans- ferred. George Howard commanded the Buffs at Fontenoy, Falkirk, Culloden, anc Val. It is interesting to know that before


 * he royal army left Culloden moor a race

meeting took place. The Scots Magazine records that Col. George Howard rode a race on this occasion with General Hawley ; and that the " women's race on Shetland ponies " was won by a lady of the Buffs.

CHARLES DALTON.

"BOSSING" (10 S. vii. 69, 135). At the _atter reference no fewer than four correspond- ents take a shot at the sense of this word,, and are all of them palpably mistaken ; and all because they ignore the 'Neglected English Dictionary.'

With a wonderful unanimity, three of them attribute bossing to a word signifying " master," which did not really come into common use in English before 1822. This cannot explain a word used by Ray in 1691 as occurring in a common proverb.

The ' N.E.D.' gives six substantives of the form boss, one adjective, and three verbs. The last entry explains the whole matter. I quote it entire.

"O*M, dialectal for fciow, v. to kiss. 1691. Bay, ' North-Country Words,' *.r. 'Osse.' Ossing comes, to bossing (Prov. Chesh.)."

One of the correspondents refers us to the ' E.D.D.' ; but refers us to the wrong word. There likewise we find the explana- tion in full :

" Box* ; see Bass, Bit**.

"Jin**, a kiss; to kiss. Hence Zwaatngr, vbl. sb. kissing. Chs. Ossing comes to bossing (Ray,. 'Prov.' 1698)." Other examples are added.

I think it is far better to accept the ex- planations already supplied in these two great dictionaries than to trust to these newly volunteered guesses.

WALTER W. SKEAT.

Wright ( ' Dictionary of Obsolete and Provincial English') gives, s.v. ' Oss,' the meaning indicated by the correspondents at the latter reference. He also adds a second meaning, as follows :

"To make free with. There is a Cheshire pro- verb, owing comes to bossing (i.e. kissing)."

JOHN T. PAGE.

Long Itchington, Warwickshire.

' CANTUS HIBERNICI ' (10 S. vii. 9, 73). My thanks to MESSRS. R. PIERPOINT and C. GILLMAN for their kind replies to my query. I am also indebted to two gentle- men who answered it direct, one of whom differs from MR. PIERPOINT in his explana- tion of the initials " G. B.," giving them as meaning George Booth, Fellow of Mag- dalen College, Oxford ; whereas MR. PIER- POINT, although he classes Booth amongst