Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 12.djvu/481

 ii s. xii. DEC. is, i9i5.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

473

LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER IS, 1915.

CONTENTS.-No. 312.

NOTES : " Dringer " at Harrow, 473 Yesterdays in Old Edinburgh, 474 Inscriptions at St. Mary's, Lambeth, 477 Seventeenth-Century Quotations" Virtue is pere- grina in terris, in cselo civis "Dickens : White-Headed Boy Whittirigton's House, Crutched Friars, 478 John Conder, D D. Puritan Names in New England, 479 Cold Hands, Warm Heart Enemies of Books, 480.

QUERIES : J. G. Le Maistre, Novelist, 1800 St. Swithin and Eggs, 480-Thornes of Ossett-Tigers' Whiskers- Author of Quotation Wanted Bolingbroke on the Hips- burg Dynasty Betham, Artist Walker Family, Strat- ford-le-Bow Kennett, M.P. ' A Treatise of Treasons' : Scogan, 481 Bats et Crapauds ' 'Jerry-Builder" Author Wanted Locker's ' London Lyrics' : Cosmopolitan Club Thomas Griffin Tarpley Moira Coals Solomon Schom- berg, 482 Archbishop Bancroft Biographical Informa- tion Wanted The Newspaper Placard, 483.

REPLIES: Dando, the Oyster-Eiter, 483 F. W. van Wassenaer, Heer van Bosande, 485 Viscount Nelson Trafalgar Bridge Christ's "Seven Eyes" Flying Turk " Meddle and muddle," 486 War and Money ' The Ladies of Castellraarch ' E. V. B. Townshends of Rayn- ham 'The Gentleman's Calling '' The Passionate Pil- grim,' 487 Barley and Blindness Rev. Philip Rosenhagen "Le Bravache Ecossais," 488 Elder Folk-Lore Lang- ford : Laussac : Lusack " Lock " and " Key "Salonika Methods of Waking a Sleeper, 489 France and England Quarterly" I don't think "Pronunciation Skull and Iron Nail Cromwell's Alleged League with the Devil, 490 Who was the Historian ? Royal Artillery, 491.

NOTES ON BOOKS:- 1 Common Conditions '-'The Bind- ing of Books '' Short History of English Printing' 4 Library Journal ' ' Berks and Bucks Archseological Journal.'

"DRINGER" AT HARROW.

SOME interesting letters have appeared recently in the columns of The Observer concerning a toothsome concoction popular among the boys at Harrow School, and known as a " Dringer/' The nature of the dish and its origin are explained in the following letters, which I copy from your contemporary of 21 November :

SIR, Bishop Welldon fell, I think, into an inaccuracy when he spoke of " Dringer," and made it equivalent to " strawberry mess." The correct phrase is " A Dringer," and the compo- sition is very elaborate. " A layer of straw- berries is secreted in sugar and cream at the bottom of a clean jam pot, and this receives a decent covering of strawberry ice." See a foot-note to ' The Hill,' p. 101.

This delicacy takes its name from Henry Stainer Bring, of Rockgrove, co. Cork, who went to Harrow in 1880, left in 1883 and died in 1889. Your obedient servant,

GEORGE W. E. RUSSELL.

Nov. 15, 1915.

DEAR SIR, Your correspondent Mr. Randal Roberts asks whether any old Harrovian can tell him when the term " Dringer " came into general use at Harrow. I think it was about the year 1882. The boy who gave his name to this delectable dish was H. S. Dring, son of S. Dring, of Rockgrove, co. Cork, who entered the school in January, 1880, and died in 1889.

Dr. Welldon in his ' Recollections ' speaks of the " Dringer " as if it were the ordinaiy " Strawberry Mess," as known to the less fortu- nate Etonians. 1 hardly dare to correct my old Headmaster, but for the honour of Harrow I should like to point out that the very essence of the " Dringer " was its difference from the ordinary Strawberry Mess. The Litter was simply a plate of strawberries with iced cream on the top. To Dring belongs the glory of having added to these ingredients a great spoonful of strawberry ice. His fame rests upon this, and not upon the " exceptional voracity " with which he is credited by Dr. Welldon, although I have no doubt that he possessed that too in no small degree. Y ours faithfully,

C. H. ST. J. HORNBY. Shelley House, Chelsea, S.W., Nov. 15, 1915.

DEAR SIR, I remember seeing H. S. Dring eat the compound which 1 presume is now known as a dringer in Hance's. a shop down the hill leading to the cricket field. 2d. worth <-f straw- berries, ditto of strawberry ice, and ditto of cream ice composed the delightful mess. I was at Harrow 1881-1884. I believe that Dring came from Ireland, but am now away from my books, so cannot make sure.

Yours truly, S. MAVROJAXI, Capt. 2 /1st Brecknockshire Batt., South Wales

Borderers, Sketty Camp, Swansea,

Nov. 15, 1915.

These descriptions relate to the " dringer " of twenty years ago, but the delicacy at the present time is as popular as ever, and infinitely more diversified. It is composed not only of strawberries, but of raspberries, blackberries, or bananas whichever fruit happens to be in season. Now it is no longer served in " a clean jam pot," as described in Mr. Vachell's novel ' The Hill,' but is eaten from a small glass dish just like an ordinary ice. The foundation consists of the fruit, with sifted sugar and plain whipped cream, over which a heap of strawberry ice is piled. It is sold by several of the pastrycooks in the town. As Mr. St. John Hornby admirably remarks : " To Dring belongs the glory of having added .... a great spoonful of strawberry ice." The fame of Henry Stainer Dring seems to rest upon a sure foundation. For thirty years his name has been more often in the mouths of his brother Harrovians than that of any other celebrity bred on the Hill, and it seems probable that it will continue to be spoken