Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 12.djvu/22

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NOTES AND QUERIES, [ii s. XIL JULY 3, 3915.

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe. Preliminary

signed J. C. H. Piccadilly, 26 Oct., 1872. Clubs and Club Life in London. By John Timbs.

Preliminary net signed, but dated Piccadilly,

November 7, 1872.

As to ' The Slang Dictionary,' there appears to be little doubt that Hotten was the original compiler, 1859, and that the 1874 edition was edited and enlarged by Henry Sampson (see 11 S. x. 488; xi. 30, 77). *

With regard to ' Thackeray, the Humourist and the Man of Letters,' by Theodore Taylor, see 11 S. xi. 31, where MR. WM. H. PEET writes that the late W. Moy Thomas -claimed the authorship.

ROBERT PIERPOINT.

There may be added to the list given at the above reference :

Charles Dickens, the Story of his Life. By the Author of the Life of Thackeray; with illus- trations and facsimiles. London (1870), 8vo. Popular Edition (1873), 12mo.

W. B. H.

GHOSTWICK (US. xi. 451). The reference is to Sir Edward Gostwick, eldest son of Sir William Gostwick, first baronet of Willington, co. Bedford. He was knighted vita patris, 3 May, 1607 ; succeeded to his father's baronetcy, 19 Sept., 1615; died 20 Sept., 1630. See G. E. C.'s ' Complete Baronetage,' -vol. i. p. 100. ALFRED B. BEAVEN.

Leamington.

GEORGE OFFLEY (11 S. xi. 433). The library of George Offley was sold by Messrs. Sotheby on 6 and 7 Nov., 1889. The collec- tion included classical, antiquarian, and philological works, together with a number of books on the lighter side of London life, such as ' Boxiana,' ' Real Life in London,' -&c.

Gteorge Offley was a solicitor living at 24, Henrietta Street, Co vent Garden, up to 1871, Avhen his name disappears from the 'Law X,ist.' The connexion of the Offley family 'with Covent Garden was ,of long standing, rand they appear to have resided in Henrietta Street for many generations. If your cor- Tespondent will refer to the printed Registers of St. Paul's, Covent Garden, he will find numerous references, going back to the seventeenth century, showing that the family were living then in the same street as they were in 1871. It will be remembered, too, that 23, Henrietta Street, was a cele- brated eating-house famous for its chops, and known as " Offley 's." The proprietor was originally at Bellamy's the House of Com- mons' kitchen (see Jacobs' s ' History of

Covent Garden,' pp. 184-5). In 1829, when funds were being raised to assist in putting Covent Garden Theatre on a sound footing, " Mr. Offley " gave 51.

A. L. HUMPHREYS. 187, Piccadilly, W.

REPUDIATION OF PUBLIC LOAN (11 S. xi. 452). This was the State of Pennsylvania, which at that time (1843) the richest in the Union repudiated the interest on its bonds. See Sydney Smith's ' Humble Peti- tion to the House of Congress at Washing- ton,' 18 May, 1843, and his two letters in The Morning Chronicle, 3 Nov. and 23 Nov., 1843, reprinted in Sydney Smith's ' Works,' vol. iii. pp. 441-53, 8vo, 1845. See also Fanny Kemble's ' Records of a Later Life,' vol. iii. p. 19 : " It is thought that Pennsylvania will ultimately pay, but it will be some time first." I quote this from Mr. Stuart J. Reid's ' Life and Times of Sydney Smith,' cheap edition, 1901, p. 354.

WM. H. PEET.

Perhaps the following, published in the forties, will answer MR. F. W. LYON'S query. I quote from memory :

WEXHAM LAKE ICE. Ice placed within a shop or room Will soon be melted, we presume ; For 'tis a solvent, all agree, But here insolvent ice we see. But though we cannot solve the ice, We solve the riddle in a trice : It conies from Pennsylvania State, And therefore will not liquidate.

H. N. ELLACOMBE. Bitton Vicarage.

"CYDER CELLARS" (11 S. xi. 208, 256, 366). MR. ALAN STEWART'S interesting reply at the last reference gives occasion for some additional queries on this site identification. Evidently the " Cider Cellar " has been confused with the " Cyder Cellars," or a tavern so named, which was not built on the same site. The stage door of the Adelphi was in Maiden Lane very many years before 1858.

the following :
 * Every Night Book,' 1827, p. 53, provides

" On the left-hand side of Maiden Lane, if you enter it from Southampton Street, close to the

stage entrance of the Adelphi Theatre is

the once famous house of public resort called the Cider Cellar. It is entirely underground ^ the' entrance to it is by a broad flight of i-tairs."

It will be found that the Directories identify it as No. 22, not 20 and 21 (vide Robson's 1839 and various other issues). As there is no indication of the thoroughfare