Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 10.djvu/17

 US. X. JCLY4, 19U.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

11

MARSACK. At 7 S. xii. 409, 478, are references to Major Charles Marsack of < 'aversham Park, Oxfordshire.

In Burke's ' Landed Gentry ' (1905) the genealogy of Roorne is given :

" This family traces descent from Will. Roome, Esq., who during the reign of George II. possessed landed property in Yorkshire, and m. Margaretta Holcroft (d. 1782), dau. of Margaret, Comtesse de Marsac, of Caversham Park, Oxon, whose family left France during the Huguenot dispersion and became attached to the Court of Hanover, and who, with her father the Count de Marsac, came orer with the Court to England."

I am interested to know if there is any foundation for this story of the rather un- usual English name Marsack being derived from a " Comtesse de Marsac."

As a matter of fact, there was no such person as a " Comtesse " connected with Caversham Park. That place was pur- chased by Major Charles Marsack in about 1 790, on his return from India with a great fortune.

I believe the Margaret Holcroft referred to above was niece of Major C. Marsack, and daughter of Thomas Holcroft the dramatist. Vide Hazlitt's ' Life of Holcroft.'

G. J., F.S.A.

ACTION OF VINEGAR ON ROCKS. It is stated in Juvenal, x. 153, that Hannibal " montem rumpit aceto," and Livy (xxi. 37, 2) relates that Hannibal blasted the rocks by pouring vinegar on them when heated by fire. Pliny mentions it as a common process in the Spanish mines. Commenting on this, a well-known editor writes : " Calcareous rocks would be dis- solved by vinegar ; it is doubtful whether heat would add to the effect."

Can any correspondent kindly add to the present meagre explanation of the process ?

H. I. A.

[Livy's " ardentia saxa infuso aceto putrefaciunt " hardly implies blasting : rather a dissolving of the surface which would nave the effect of softening the rock. See 4 S. ii. 289, 350, 443, 490, 534 : iii. 136 ; 5 S. ix. 204 ; 8 S. iv. 85.]

JOHN TEKELL OF SPITALFIELDS. Can any reader of ' N. & Q.' give me information concerning this man, who was a dyer of scarlet cloth, or a weaver, in Spitalfields some time between 1780-1800 ? He was born in Gloucestershire in 1737 or 1739. He was supposed to have a country house .somewhere near London, or possibly a place of residence in London. I also wish to know the date of his death and place of burial.

Can any reader inform me if there were Tekells at Hambledon, Surrey, or Hamble- don, Hampshire, during the period 1780- 1800 ? Are there any records extant of dyers or weavers of that period ?

FRED TEKELL.

" DUNNAGE ": " RUSSHEWALE." Part of the expenditure for the galley called the Philip, built at Lynn in 1336 (Ace. Exch., K.B., Bundle, 19, No. 31, m. 1,) was: " in cccc et dimidia bordarum de Thorndene in Norwagia pro calfettacione et Dennagio dicte Nauis eniptis de Petro de Waltone precii centene xxxs." Again (ibid., m. 4) :

" In diuersis cordis de Russhewale cum schiuis et Trussis pro vno rakke inde faciendo."

This appears (in another hand) revised in the margin to :

" In pelle et russewale shiues et poliues xlvZi. xvijs."

Are we to suppose the " rakke," whatever its purpose, was made of rushes ?

Q. V.

PUBLICATION OF BANNS : CURIOUS PHRASES. I hear that when banns of mar- riage are published for the first time a local phrase declares the woman to be " creased in the knees " ; when for the second time, " broken in the knees " ; and when for the third time, " thrown over pulpit."

If after due publication of the banns one party declines to marry, the offender is said to have " scorned the Church," and I am told that not more than a couple of genera- tions ago fees or fines were given to the clergy.

Will some contributors kindly inform me whether these are purely local phrases, or arc known in other parts of the kingdom ? (Rev.) F. J. ODELL, R.N.

Lapford, North Devon.

STEVENS. When I was a small boy, some of the old people told me at Hybla House, co. Kildare, Ireland, that when Squire Stevens lived there, before my father, a Miss Stevens was born and lived there. As the matter would be of mvich interest to me, I should be glad if any reader would kindly give me any particulars as to whether a Miss Stevens was really born at Hybln House or not.

I have seen Chambers' s ' Book of Days,' but not got much information from it further than what was told me years ago. E. A. W. EXSHAW.