Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 7.djvu/98

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. VIL JAN. 26, 1907.

for the Liverpool election of the same year. But recently I have discovered that the word plump was used popularly as early as 17ol in the sense inquired for by DR. MURRAY. As these latter references, already com- municated to DR. MURRAY, could not, I imagine, be utilized in the 'Dictionary, I venture to ask you to give them shelter in the friendly covers of ' N. & Q.'

The election of Liverpool of 1761 was between Sir Wm. Meredith, Bt., Sir Ellis Cunliffe, Bt., and Charles Pole, Esq. At this period the pottery trade in Liverpool was exceedingly vigorous, vast quantities being exported to the West Indies and America. According to the Poll Book of 1761, no fewer than 102 potters gave plumpers to Sir William Meredith.

In the election " literature " of the day occur these :

The Potter's Sony.

Ye true-hearted fellows, free plumpers and men, Independent in Britain, how great is your claim, &c. Regardless of great ones, we live uncontrolled ; We're potters and plumpers, we are not to be sold,

&c.

But the chief interest to readers of * N. & Q.' will be found in the following extract from a pamphlet by Joseph Mayer, F.S.A., 'History of the Art of Pottery in Liverpool':

" There were made, to commemorate the victory gained by Sir William, cups called 'Plumper Mugs,' one of which was given to every burgess who voted

on the winning side It is of the usual white

earthenware, and on the front of it, within a rude border of ovals, are the words Sir William

a

Plumper,

scratched in, and filled in with blue colour, whilst the clay was soft, and before it was fired."

Thus the word has been transmitted to us in a material, certainly not perennius. cere, yet quite of sufficient substance to be handed down to be reproduced, as the author of the pamphlet has carefully done, to acquaint us that in 1761 plumper was in popular use and popularly understood in the sense inquired after by DR. MURRAY. J. H. K.

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR, 1842 (10 S. vii. 30). Will you allow me to use your columns to thank the numerous writers of answers to my query about the Chancellor of Cambridge in 1842 ? They have told me exactly what I wanted to know. W. K. W. CHAFY.

WEST INDIAN MILITARY RECORDS (10 S. vi. 428, 476 ; vii. 14). I much regret having overlooked MR. M. J. D. COCKLE'S reply at the second reference to my query.

I may say that my information was derived' from a printed document, with blanks filled n, deposing that

"Edward Stapleton, Esgn., maketh oath that he had not between the 24th June, 1815, and 25th De- cember following any other place or employment of profit, civil or military, under His Majesty, besides- liis allowance of half-pay as a reduced Ensign in the llth late West India Regiment," &c. I must admit that the original document (no- longer in my possession) from which I made the preceding extract was much worn and partly illegible, so possibly MR. COCKLE'S. suggestion is in accordance with the facts. Will it help the matter if I mention the family tradition that the above-named Edward Stapleton (who died 90 years ago) was in a regiment of marines ? On retiring from service, he acquired a considerable fortune as a merchant in the West Indies, owning estates in Martinique and Antigua. He died in the latter island, but I have not been able to learn whether or not any memorial was erected. In his will, dated 7 May, 1809, he refers to

" my dear wife, Elizabeth Stapleton, whose maideiv name was Leak, and who was since the widow ot John Doyle, of Strawberry, in the Queen's County,. in the Kingdom of Ireland, and whom I inter- married in the Island of Martinique, in the West Indies."

She is said to have been an officer's widow..

A. STAPLETON. 158, Noel Street, Nottingham.

PALIMPSEST BRASS INSCRIPTIONS (10 S.. vii. 27). The words " que fino viernes " appear to be Castilian, meaning " who died Friday." Find, in the sense of " deceased," " ended life," is common in Spanish epitaphs.. E. S. DODGSON.

" Posui DEUM ADJUTOREM METJM " (10 S. vii. 29). See Psalm li. 9, Vulg. (Hi. 7, A.V.), " Ecce homo, qui non posuit Deum adiu- torem suum." EDWARD BENSLY.

University College, Aberystwyth.

This legend, found upon English silver coins from 1360 to 1602, is generally con- sidered to be an adaptation of Psalm liv. 4,. "Ecce enim Deus adjuvat me," ("Behold, God is mine helper "). A. K. BAYLEY.

RIMING DEEDS (10 S. vi. 466). May I point out that the Roger Burgoyne men- tioned must be a Roger Burgoyne of Whit- more, North Staffordshire ? I think (writ- ing from memory) he was constable of John of Gaunt's manor of Newcastle-under-Lyme, of which manor Whitmore is a member. Polton was also a North Staffordshire name.

Any information concerning members of