Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 7.djvu/517

 10 s. vii. JUNE i, 1907.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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of the ponds and wells of Hampstead and the supply of water to the metropolis in former times. The ponds on Hampstead Heath were made about 1590, and were enlarged at a later date. They re- mained in the possession of the Corporation of London until 1692, when they were leased by the Corporation to the Hampstead Waterworks Com- pany, which continued to supply water from them until the middle of the nineteenth century. The water was delivered in an unfiltered condition, just as drawn from the ponds. In 1833 the company constructed a well near South End Road, which

was sunk to a depth of 320ft. to the main sand spring. Later the bore was taken down to a total depth of 451ft., but the yield of 200,000 gallons a day was not increased thereby."

So much as to the water supply ; now come some remarks as to the history and purpose of the building itself :

" The octagonal building now in course of demo- lition was erected to accommodate the engine used to pump the water up from this well. It was sur- mounted by a huge vase, which gained for it locally the name of the ' Pepper Box ' ; but the vase was removed some time ago, and since then the building has been known as the 'Round House' or the ' Engine - House.' When Parliament compelled water comj>anies to properly filter all water supplied to consumers, a new source of supply was sought, and eventually the Hampstead Water- works Company was taken over by the New River Company. Since then the water from the ponds has oeen used for road watering, by the Great Northern Company for various non-domestic pur- poses at King's Cross, and for cleansing at the Cattle Market at Islington. The engine was re- moved from the building in 1870, and since then it has been used as a residence for one of the district turncocks.''

Perhaps many, if not most, of these par- ticulars may be found, in Park's 'History of Hampstead ' ; but as there is no copy of this work in our Westminster Library, I have not been able to refer to it.

It would appear that something like ghostly legend attaches to this building, for some two years ago, whilst seated near, I heard a young woman telling a friend concerning a mysterious woman in black whom she had seen walking round about when the moon was last at the full. T give this for what it is worth, but it would be interesting to know if any Hampstead residents have ever heard, anything of this story or one similar to it.

W. E. HARLAND-OXLEY.

Westminster.

" ROACH " = COCKROACH. The false form " cockroach " having once gained accept- ance in English, it was perhaps inevitable that among those ignorant of the origin of the word there should come into use the contraction "roach" (on the analogy of "cockchafer," "chafer") as a name for

the disgusting insect. Thus The Agricul- tural Gazette of 'New South Wales in a recent issue uses both the full form and the con- traction, and also speaks of a " roachy smell.'" After all, " roach " is no worse than " wig." DONALD FERGUSON.

" HORSSEKYNS." This name for colts and. fillies seems uncommon ; it appears in the will of John Welby, of Denton, near Grant- ham, proved at Lincoln 24 Jan., 1547-/8,, thus :

"Item, I gyve and bequethe to my sayd sone: Wyllm my dune mayre and my baye ffyllye. All the other horssekyns I wyll that y* be devyded equallye betwyxte them."

The plough-teams were oxen, bequeathed by couples, so the horses were for riding 01: driving. ALFRED C. E. WELBY.

CHIEF JUSTICE TANEY AND THE DRED SCOTT CASE. By way of doing justice to an eminent American jurist, I make this note. Roger Brooke Taney (1777-1864) became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the U.S., and in that capacity, fifty years ago,, pronounced the opinion of the Court in the case of Dred Scott, a negro captured under the Fugitive Slave Law. The judge's enemies persistently represented him as laying it down that a negro had no rights which a white man was bound to respect, The case is one of historic importance. What he really said was this :

" It is difficult at this day to realize the state of public opinion in relation to that unfortunate race which prevailed in the civilized and enlightened portions of the world at the time of the Declaration

of Independence But the public history of

every European nation displays it in a manner too plain to be mistaken. They had for more than a. century before been regarded as beings of an in- ferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political rela- tions ; and so far inferior that they had no rights which a white man was bound to respect, and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit This opinion was re- garded as an axiom in morals as well as in politics, which no one thought of disputing, or supposed to be open to dispute ; and men in every grade arid position in society daily and habitually acted, upon it."

The case is to be found in vol. xix. of Howard's ' Reports.' I may add that the name Taney is pronounced Tawney.

RICHARD H. THORNTON.

WORK INDICATOR. Whilst carrying out the repairs of this old chateau, the clerk of the works had, I found, an ingenious and convenient way of indicating to me the amount to be paid to each workman, accord- ing to the number of hours put in daily.