Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 10.djvu/194

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. ix. SEPT. 5, 1914.

called " Prince " of that country. Joruard fil, or ab, Espus appears as witness to a number of grants made between c. 1198 and c. 1220 by local magnates to the neighbour- ing Abbey of Margam. and, as usual at that date, his name is variously spelt e.g., Yoruard, Zoruard, &c. See ' Catal. Penriee and Margam MSS.,' Dr. W. de G. Birch. 1893, Nos. 58, 72, 128, 289 (29), &c. ; Brit. Mus. Harl. Ch. 75, B. 4.

The name of this lorwerth's father, Espus, is so comparatively rare, that I am inclined to think the Jord' fil Espus of the Rot. Cur. Regis (as cited) is to be identified with the loruard or lorwerth ab E.pus of A van, Glamorgan.

AP THOMAS.

MEMORIAL AT SOUTHAMPTON. Immedi- ately in front of the Church of Holy Rood, High Street, Southampton, let into the public pavement, is a small brass cross 6 in or 8 in. square. This cross marks the spot where a heavy stone pinnacle fell from the top of the church during the busiest part of the day without injuring a single person.

J. ARDAOH.

40, Eichmond Road, Drumcondra, Dublin.

ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL GALLERY. Ap- parently there are no indications in the ordinary works of reference as to the uses made of this Gallery in the present century. Except on occasions of public rejoicing or funerals, when every part affording a view of the ceremonial procession up the nave or the service under the dome would be occu- pied, we have been allowed to suppose that the Gallery was as little used as the Tri- forium at Westminster Abbey in the last few centuries.

A MS. diary before me affords an illu- minating reference to its use in 1816. John Reynolds (1798-1868), a schoolmaster of Arlington House Academy, Clerkenwell, records :

" Sunday, 7 May. Fayerman and I took Mrs. B. and my daughter Mary Ann to St. Paul's in the afternoon ; perched up in the Gallery, could not hear anything but the shuffling of feet in the body of the church, the voices, not the words, of the chanters, and the echo of the sermon, by some mumbling old Dean who looked into his cap on saying the prayer, in a manner some- what like Pindar saith of K. G. the 3rd beholding the immense vat at Meux's brewery like a magpie looking down a marrowbone. Felt un- commonly cold, would gladly have departed, but was locked in. Amused myself, as I was top far off to hear the words of the preacher, by examining the carv'd work, particularly, the features of the little Boys, not Girls, with their Duck's wings."

ALECK ABRAHAMS.

" SKILLTNGTON TIME." I have taken the following note from The Oranlham Journal of 4 April :

" The Correct Time. During the past few days, a very old custom has been abolished. We refer to the time that has been observed for generations past in this village, which has always been half- an-hour before ' English time.' How ' fast time r originated we are not able to say, but at last we liave fallen into line with other people, and all that now remains of ' Skillington time ' is a memory."

It is amusing to find how completely the village of Skillington has ruled itself in temporal matters, and how it now changes- the time of day without any appeal for outside aid. ST. SWITHLN.

FLOWER-WOMEN IN LONDON. A change in the dress of the London flower-women may be worth noting.

I believe that a good many years ago the practically invariable head-dress was a black bonnet adorned with black feathers. Many of these women now wear black " sailor " hats with plain black ribbons. Yet some old women in the West End still wear the feathered bonnet. Recently at Piccadilly Circus, among several women, there was only one an old white-haired woman who wore the black bonnet with black feathers. I have made similar obser- vations in Regent Street, north of Oxford Circus ; but there a few days ago I saw three flower-women all old or elderly - wearing the bonnet and feathers, and no young women. If I remember rightly, the partial disuse of the black bonnet with black feathers began with a gift of cloth bonnets to the flower-women at the latter station from a benevolent lady some twenty years ago.

About that time I was told by a friend of mine, long since dead, who could talk " Cockney " very fairly well, that the street or slang term for " flower-woman " was " Flower Sally." Was he correct ? I have searched five slang dictionaries in vain. ROBERT PIERPOINT.

"HANDY-DANDY." The ' N.E.D.' gives instances of the mention of this child's game 15S5, 1598, 1601. The following deserves- to be added :

1598. " Why loe heere we are both, I am in this hand and hee is in that, handy dandy prickly prandy, which hand will you haue." Geo. Peele, Blind Begger,' B 4.

RICHARD H. THORNTON.