Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 10.djvu/97

 ii s. x. AUG. i. MM.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

91

NECKINGEB, BEBMONDSEY. What is the origin of the name of Neckinger water-cut, street, and leather mills at Bermondsey ? The proprietor of the mills has kindly favoured me with two diverse, interesting, but possibly mythical solutions.

J. LANDFEAB LUCAS.

Glendora, Hindhead, Surrey.

FIELDING'S LETTEBS. In

" A new and correct Catalogue of all the English books which have been printed from the year 1700 to the present time, with their prices," &c.,

London, 1767, among other works by Henry Fielding, I find the following entry :

" H. Fielding's Letters, 3 vols. 12mo^-0-9-0." The same is reproduced in two more cata- logues (1773 and 1791), and probably in many others ; but nowhere else can I find any trace of the books or any proof of their existence. Can any of your readers help me to trace them ? AUB^LIEN DIGEON.

18, Rue Victor Hugo, Le Havre.

SIR GREGORY NORTON, THE REGI- CIDE, AND HIS SON SIR HENRY.

(1 S. ii. 216, 251 ; 6 S. xii. 187 ; 7 S. viii. 324, 394 ; 10 S. vii. 168, 330, 376, 416 ; 11 S. x. 12, 51.)

FKOM 1649 to 2 Jan., 1652, only three months before his death, Sir Gregory continued to receive many appointments at the hands of the Parliamentary party, the last being as one of the Commissioners for the carrying out of " An Act appointing a Committee for the Army and Treasurers at Wars." The constituencies he represented at various times were Buckinghamshire, Devonshire, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex, and the City and Liberty of Westminster.

In all probability he found this Commis- sion and Committee work not particularly remunerative, for in August, 1645, he applied to Parliament for an appointment as in- former against the Papists and Delinquents, the latter being the name given to all those who had assisted Charles I. by arms, money, or personal service from the time the King set up his standard of war in 1642. In- formers received a percentage of the money brought in on their discoveries, the Parlia- ment supplying itself with money by forcing Royalists and others to compound that is to say, to pay down a sum of money, without which they were not allowed to enjoy their estates.

As a result of his petition, it was ordered on 10 Sept., 1645, that

" Sir Gregory Norton bart. shall have one thousand pounds out of such Papists and Delinquents Estates, not yet discovered, as he shall discover, and that he shall hold and enjoy the sequestered house of Sir Roger Palmer, in Westminster ; and the Committee for Sequestrations in Westminster do pay to the landlord thereof the yearly rent of twenty-five pounds, reserved to be paid for the same."

From the time of this appointment to within a year of his death we find, from reference to the State Papers, that Sir Gregory was very busy with his discoveries, and numerous cases are cited.

The following document is interesting as showing Sir Gregory Norton's connexion with Surrey : " Dec., 1651. Council of State. Day's Proceedings.

" Certificate by John Intwood, John Wale, and John Webb, surveyors for Surrey, that they estimate the damage done to Sir Gregory Norton, tenant of Oatland Park, by felling of trees there for the navy, hewing them, making saw-pits, routing the grounds, with carting, and breaking pales, at 10Z."

Between August, 1650, and March, 1652, when he died, Sir Gregory came into posses- sion of the manor of Richmond, with " much of the King's goods " some writers say "for an inconsiderable value "; others "as a reward for his services to the Parliamentary party" ; whilst one modern authority speaks of the property as being " transferred to him." After his death his relict, Dame Martha Norton, was enrolled as Lady of the Manor, until her second marriage with Robert, Lord Gordon, Viscount Kenmure, in 1655, when their names appear on the Court Rolls as Lord and Lady of the Manor. In January, 1657, Sir Henry Norton's name appears for the first time as Lord of the Manor. It appears that, after Sir Gregory Norton's death in 1652, Henry, who had been disinherited for his fidelity to Charles I., was involved in a long and expensive suit at law to substantiate his claims to his father's title and estate. This probably accounts for the length of time that elapsed before his name appears on the Manor Roll.

On 31 Jan., 1655, three years after Sir Gregory Norton's decease, we find " Mr. Thos. Moreton, late Bp. of Durham," giving information to the Council that Norton, on his ordinances for 1,000/., had received 1,530Z., and that since his death Martha, his widow and executrix, had taken his estate, and ought to repay the overplus, and requesting that she may be summoned to do so. Dame Martha was ordered to appear and show cause why she should not pay in