Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 12.djvu/369

 us. xii. NOV. 6, 1915.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

361

TREE FOLK-LORE : THE ELDER. There is said to be a common belief in Huntingdon- shire that babies rocked in elder-wood cradles always die young. How has this arisen ? It has been suggested that it arose from the belief that the Cross was made of elder-wood. Even so, what is the argu- ment ? A. S. E. ACKERMANN.

DRAWINGS OF MALEFACTORS. Where is now the series of drawings of malefactors made by " Rainy Day Smith " for the Duke of Roxburghe ? Particulars of similar col- lections would be valued. J. ARDAGH.

NELSON MEMORIAL RINGS. (11 S. xii. 233.)

SEVERAL communications have reached me in the guise of queries regarding my note on the mourning rings distributed to the relations and friends after the funeral of Admiral Viscount Nelson in 1806. One gentleman, who is the possessor of a ring, asks me how it is that the ancestor's name, from whom it descended to him, is not in the printed list ; while another correspondent begs me to " send the names of the sixty original recipients to ' N. & Q.' for the benefit of the many interested." I have therefore ventured to do so, adding a few notes of explanation, as No. 34988 Add. MSS. at the British Museum is not easily ac- cessible. But to those who may be really concerned in knowing who the first owners were, I would recommend the perusal of a series of interesting letters written by Mrs. (Susanna) Bolton and her daughters to Lady Hamilton, and printed in two volumes by the late Mr. Morrison for private circulation doubtless to be met with at the British Museum.

At the time of Lord Nelson's death (21 Oct., 1805) there were surviving of his nine brothers and sisters but three, namely, a brother, William (b. 1786, d. 1835), and two sisters, Susanna (b. 1753, d. 1813) and Catherine (b. 1767, d. 1842). The Rev. Wm. Nelson, Rector of Hil- borough in Norfolk, after his brother's death was created Earl Nelson, and given an estate in Wiltshire named Trafalgar, which descended, in 1835, to Mr. Thomas Bolton, his nephew. In the following list of names will be noted the Rev. William Bolton, a brother-in-law of

Susanna Nelson (Mrs. T. Bolton). His son William married his first cousin Catherine, daughter of T. Bolton, and, entering the Navy, rose to the rank of captain under the auspices of Admiral Nelson. He was knighted, in order to represent the latter at his installation of the Order of the Bath, Nelson having been ordered suddenly to join his ship. These completed the immediate family circle, with the addition of the aunts, Mrs. Goulty (Thomasine Nelson) and Mrs. Rolfe (Alice Nelson), together with the latter' s son and grandson and daughter (Mrs. Taylor). On his mother's (Catherine Suckling's) side were Col. Suckling, son of the " Uncle William " to whom so many letters were addressed by the Admiral in the earlier part of his career ; and Mr., Mrs., and Miss Berney of Norfolk.

LIST OF RINGS SENT OUT BY EARL NELSON AND MR. HASELWOOD, EXECUTORS OP ADMIRAL VISCOUNT NELSON.

Earl Nelson Countess Nelson Viscount Nelson Lady Charlotte

Nelson

G. Matcham, Esq. Mrs. Matcham G. Matcham, jun. Thos. Bolton, Esq. Mrs. Bolton T. Bolton, jun.

Lady Bolton Sir Wm. Bolton

Miss Bolton Miss E. Bolton Miss A. Bolton Mrs. Nelson Mrs. Rolfe Rev. R. Rolfe Mrs. E. Rolfe

Rev. Taylor

Mrs. Goulty Mr. Goulty Col. Suckling Mrs. Suckling Mrs. Suckling

Robert Suckling,

Esq.

Mr. Berney Mrs. Berney. Miss Berney.

brother, sister-in-law, their son, d.v.p.

their daughter.

brother-in-law

sister.

nephew.

brother-in-law.

sister.

nephew, afterwards second earl.

niece.

Capt. R.N., her husband.

niece.

niece.

niece.

brother's widow.

aunt.

cousin.

cousin's widow.

cousin's husband.

aunt.

cousin.

cousin.

cousin's wife.

widow of Rev. J. T. Suckling.

(of Woodton, Nor- folk).

cousin.