Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 1.djvu/72

 NOTES AND QUERIES. tu s. i. JAN. 22, 1910.

were supplied by extra cups or other articles 1 consider there were about 80 golden articles on this sideboard.

There were no candles to ornament this plate excepting at the end of the sideboard, where were two candelabras, each having about 12 wax candles. In any other place, they would have prevented a complete view of the plate.

There was a large gilt chandelier in the centre -of the room, holding 24 large lamps ; and one a1 each corner, holding 12 lamps. Dispersed about the room were, in addition to the 50 candles on the King's table, about 200 ; so that this room had to bear the heat of 72 large lamps and 250 candles.

The dessert was in an adjoining room, and con- sisted of pines, red and white grapes, straw berries, cherries, oranges, rout cakes, and candied sugar in various shapes. The ice plates were small white French china. The dessert was placed upon gilt covered ornaments of figures "holding shells, or such -like receptacles for fruit, all having a centre adapted for a pine, and arms for the other fruit. Each pine had a paper, stating an what royal garden it was grown, attached to the stem.

I walked into the ballrooms (very nearly adjoin- ing the banqueting-room), which were preparing for his Majesty's ball. There was nothing very remarkable in them, except some fine old pictures of the King's ancestors. I should think each room was lit by about 150 or 200 wax candles.

In order that the banqueting-room with its plate might be seen to better advantage, the window shutters, outside of the room, were covered with black cloth, the more effectually to exclude daylight.

Of the extent and expense of this party, one single item may be an example. The King's china man supplied 140 dozen or 1,680 plates on ihire for this evening's hospitality.

L. M. R.

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT FOB HERTFORD- SHIRE. When a statement is made in such k valuable and generally accurate work as the great series of Victoria County Histories, it is likely to be repeated by subsequent writers without further inquiry. For this reason it may be well to put on record a ^somewhat curious error which I have lately noticed in the ' List of Members of Parliament for Hertfordshire ? forming part of the volume entitled ' Hertfordshire Families ' (p. 292). We are there told that " John Bamford Slack, esquire,"- was re- turned for the Mid or St. Albans Division in 1904 "vice Hon. Vicary Gibbs, a Com- missioner of the Admiralty." The last five words are wholly wrong, as may be seen by reference to The London Gazette, the authority said to have been followed. The material part of the entry states that the return is

-called the Honourable Vicary Gibbs, who had undertaken and executed a contract made with
 * ' in the place of Vicary Gibbs, Esq., commonly

the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, for the public service." London Gazette, 16 Feb., 1904, vol. i. p. 1014.

It may perhaps be added that the foregoing is, as might be expected, in agreement with the entry in the Journal of the House on 3 February, when the writ was ordered to issue (see vol. clix. p. 16).

F. W. READ.

MEDICAL MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT. It may interest some of your readers to know that, by the courtesy of the editor of The British Medical Journal, I have pub- lished in that journal for the 8th inst. a list of medical men who have been returned to Parliament from the time of Queen Eliza- beth to the end of the year 1909.

S. D. CLIPPINGDALE, M.D.

LORD MAYOR'S VISITORS' BOOKS. Under this heading the following appears in the recently issued catalogue of a well-known firm of provincial second-hand booksellers :

" The Visitors' Books for the whole period of 12 months in which the Right Hon. Sills John Gibbons was Lord Mayor of London, 1871-72, 2 large vols., folio, 212 large pages of autographs, including many of important people, most sumptu- ously bound in full morocco extra gilt, gilt edges, silk ends, gilt rolls inside (1 red, 1 blue), with a morocco slip case, in fine condition, unique, 10Z. 10s.

" These two interesting volumes include the signatures of many notable people, English and foreign ; among them are diplomatists, statesmen, authors, well-known people of society, members of the legal and other professions."

One is tempted to wonder whether it is the practice of the Corporation to allow such records to find their way to the second- hand bookseller. If so, it is surely a matter for regret : the Corporation would be better advised to add them to the other City MSS. in the Guildhall Library.

INFRA ALDRICHGATE.

SIR CHARLES WILLIAM STRICKLAND, TOM BROWN'S SECOND. The following excerpt From the The Star of the 1st inst. concern- ing the late Sir Charles William Strickland, who died on 31 December, 1909, deserves recording in ' N. & Q.' :

" Tom Brown's Second. Death of Sir diaries Strickland, ' Martin the Madman ' of the Famous Book. Sir Charles Strickland, Bart., who has died at Hildenley Hall, Malton, in his ninety - irst year, was a hale old sportsman, and celebrated lis ninetieth birthday by attending a meet of jord Middleton's hounds. It is recalled by the 'Manchester] Daily Dispatch that Sir Charles was be original of Martin, the naturalist, in ' Tom 3rown's Schooldays.'. . . .It was ' Martin's ' long arms which supported ' Tom Brown ' in his