Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 7.djvu/356

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. vn. APRIL 13, 1907.

consists of 50 pages printed in the usual form of the Blue-books ; but as it has not the accustomed official numbering at the bottom left-hand corner, perhaps it was issued in this form and at this date for private information only, as I have since discovered that the publication in question has been reprinted in smaller type as Appendix 5 (pp. 51-80) to the ' Report from the Select Committee on House of Commons (Vacating of Seats).' Its official designation is Com- mons Paper 278 of 1894, and it is also pub- lished Toy Eyre & Spottiswoode.

FRANCIS G. HALEY.

TAILOR IN DRESDEN CHINA (10 S. iv. 469, 536). The communication printed at the second reference can scarcely be considered as a reply to my query, which perhaps I may be permitted to answer.

The secret of the manufacture of the china was jealously guarded, and the workmen were literally incarcerated at Meissen. This, probably, was the cause of numerous requests to be shown the manufactory, all of which were refused by the authorities. Among others, Count Brlihl's tailor (pre- sumably chief of the twelve who, according to Carlyle, were always at work on the Count's clothes) solicited his customer again and again to obtain him admission ; but this the Count, powerful as he was, declared himself unable to do. At length (about 1740 or 1741), wearied by the man's impor- tunities, Briihl promised to have his request granted if he would wait three months ; and at the expiration of this period the tailor presented himself, demanding the fulfil- ment of the Count's promise. The wretched Briihl (to quote Carlyle again) took him to the manufactory, where they were ushered into a room, in the middle of which was a table, and on the table stood a representa- tion of the tailor, astride of a goat, with thimble, shears, iron, patterns, &c. ' ' Where- at the gentleman began to stare," and hurried away, desiring to see no more. Thus was the secret preserved.

I have to thank Mr. William Oppenheim for communicating the above to me.

R. L. MORETON.

IVER, BUCKS : GALLYHILL (10 S. vi. 450). Worsaae in his 'Danes and Norwegians in England, Scotland, and Ireland,' London, 1852, says:

" It is even asserted that among the families of the Dublin merchants are still to be found de- scendants of the old Norwegian merchants formerly so numerous in that city. The names of families adduced in confirmation of this, as Harrold

(Harald), Iver (Ivar), Cotter or Mac Otter (Otter),, and others which are genuine Norwegian names,, corroborate the assertion." Quoted in R. Fergu- son's ' Teutonic Name-System,' 1864, p. 514. James Dugdale, however, says :

" The opinion that this place takes its name from Roger de Iveri, who came over with the Conqueror,, and had this estate among others given to him, is erroneous. In the Domesday survey it is called Evre and Evreham, and is described as the property of Robert Doiley,* from whom it successively passed to Milo Crispin and Brien Fitz- Count," &c. ' British Traveller,' vol. i. p. 158.

It may be noted that If ord, in Hampshire, one mile west of Christchurch, is also known as Iver (Sharp's ' British Gazetteer ').

Gaily is a surname, two instances of which appear in * The London Directory ' of 1888. Perhaps the word is related to the Scandi- navian gal, furious, whence our word gale = a storm. There is a Gaily Hill, two miles north of Biggleswade, in East Berkshire a Roman camp of thirty acres on Watling Street, where coins, urns, and a mirror were found. Gaily Oak, Gaily Head, Gaily End, Gaily Gap, Galley Green, Gallow Green,. Gallow Hill, &c., occur in various parts of the country.

J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL.

HIGH WYCOMBE : ITS ETYMOLOGY (10 S. vi. 464). It should be borne in mind that the term " combe " applies not only to a valley, but also to the ridge which encloses the valley. Hence its special applicability to the town of Wycombe, one part of which lies high above, and the other part down in the valley of, the river Wye, a tributary of the Thames. S. D. C.

BROKEN ON THE WHEEL (10 S. vii. 147). I have read this article with great astonish- ment. Every account of this punishment I ever saw states that the victim was stretched on the wheel (as the phrase implies) and the limbs broken with an iron bar. I never heard of the wheel being used to do the breaking, and it sounds impossible and absurd. How was it done ? Was the plank, with the woman tied to it, laid on the ground and the wheel rolled across her ? If so, what was the use of tying her to the plank ? They might as well have laid her out and held her down. They certainly did not lift the wheel and pound her with it. And even if the other, it would take so heavy a wheel that they could not possibly have lifted or managed it. If the suggestion is cynical and offensive that the worthy merchant and J. P. may have miscaught


 * Cf. Camden's ' Oxfordshire,' s.v. Hokenorton.