Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 2.djvu/109

 ii s. VIIL AUG. 9, 1913.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

103

of inspiration, and an honest industrious thresher not unaptly represents pains and labour." Eusden had been dead nearly a month when this was written, which shows that news travelled slowly, or Pope was living very much out of the world. Whilst speaking of Pope I do not think it has been suggested that Duck had anything to do with the sordid Curll comedy, yet in the Appendix to Spence's ' Anecdotes ' is printed a letter from Duck giving, inter alia, an account of a curious interview he had at Kew 1 with two strangers, one of whom turned out to be Curll. In the letter occurs the following sentence : " and so our scheme at Curll's is spoiled." Elwin does not seem to have noticed this letter, although it was accessible enough.

With reference to Duck's sad end, it has been suggested that his ambitions were not satisfied, but there is nowhere in his letters or poems any expression upon which to ground such a charge ; in fact, there is much to the contrary. The death of the Queen, followed by that of Pope, must have made a great difference to him, and he listened to the persuasion of Spence and accepted the living at Byfleet. The quiet life there, although much to Spence's satis- faction, was hardly so to Duck, who was acquainted with all that was rough and harsh in country life, and knew" nothing at first hand of its pleasures. The monotony of rural bliss must have been very trying after the brilliant society at Twickenham and the excitement of preaching to crowded congregations. His mind became affected; he wandered away to his old haunts in Wiltshire, and on his Way back drowned himself at Reading.

One thing more, and I must draw this long " note " to a close. So far as I am aware, Duck alone among English poets has the honour of having his memory cele- brated annually. The " Duck feast " is held yearly at Great Charlton, Wilts, at Whitsuntide, but as there are no longer any flail threshers, it is taken part in by such agricultural labourers as are not shepherds, and not connected with horses or machines. The oldest man present Wears a cap trimmed with ducks' feathers, and bearing the figure of a thresher with a flail. The wearer i- spoken of by the company as the " Duck." The rent of the land given by the first Lord Palmerston for the purpose is 21. per year, and I understand that it is supplemented by subscription. There seem to be no title-deeds and no trustees, but the money is paid regularly to the churchwardens.

According to a letter of Duck's, this annual dinner arose in a curious way. A friend of Duck's, an innkeeper, by way of congratu- lating him upon his good fortune, sent him a present of some bottled beer. Duck remarks that it was extremely good, and that he had sent half a dozen of it to Lord Palmerston,

' who desires you will look out for as much land as will cost twenty guineas, and he will buy it and settle the income of it on Charlton Thresher* for ever, that they may dine at your house on 30th of June every year to all generations."

A grandson of Stephen Duck qualified as a Doctor of Medicine in London, and died about 1850 at Illinois, U.S. His name was Daniel, and he had four sons, three of whom followed their father's profession. All were dead by 1 902. FREDERIC TURNER. .

ST. MARY'S, AMERSHAM, BUCKS : CHURCHYARD INSCRIPTIONS.

(See 11 S. vii. 464; viii. 23.)

THE next twenty inscriptions are copied from stones situated in the south-west part of the churchyard : -

59. Hannah Bunyan | widow who departed this life | November 24th 1832 ; in the | 85th. year of her age.

60. M M aged 39.

61. Obt. 24th March | 1824. 62.

ch the 30th 181 [6]

e 84 years

Burgiss Uxb ridge

On foot-stone :

S W B W

1810 1816

The letters " B W " are for Benjamin Walker, who, according to the Parish Register, was buried 5 April, 1816. The letter " S " on the foot-stone is evidently a mistake for A, for Anne Walker was buried 28 May, 1810.

63. On a flat iron slab, supported by bricks :

Ann Woodbridge daughter of | James and Ann Rogers who departed | this life April 13 1812 aged 57.

In memory of | Henry Woodbridge who departed | this life June 21 1822 aged 73.

In memory of | Louisa Edmonds daughter of | Henry and Ann Woodbridge who I departed this life November 18 1825 | aged 25.

This is made by order of | Ann Smith daughter of Henry and | Ann Woodbridge 1842.

Jones

Manufacturer

Brick Lane St. Luke

London