Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 3.djvu/282

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NOTES AND QUERIES. ins. HI. APRIL 8,1911.

he is informed that his old raven, is dead. Further inquiries as to the bird's demise gradually dev elope a series of misfortunes to his family. The book was called ' The Laughing Philosopher,' but as it contained several stories of a rather too pronounced character for boys, my father gave it away. I should like to get a copy. A. MASSON. 28, Burma Road, Stoke Newington, N.

In the version with which I am familiar it was the announcement of the death of a raven that formed the introduction to a long narrative of an extraordinary series of misfortunes. The bird had overgorged itself on the dead horses that had drawn a funeral coach, &c. How does a magpie come in ? I have read the story in German or French. i ; L. L. K.

STAGE HISTORY AS SHE is WROTE : WIL- SON BARRETT (US. iii. 225). In pointing out one mistake MR. O'NEILL has fallen into another, though a slight one. The part of the Irish priest in ' Peep o' Day ' was played by Mr. Barrett (known in the profession as " Paddy " Barrett), of the Princess's and Lyceum Theatres, who had been a prominent actor at Sadler's Wells under Mr. Phelps ; but Mr. Barrett's Christian names were Henry Michael. There was no Mr. J. Barrett. WM. DOUGLAS.

125, Helix Road, Brixton Hill.

AVICE CAPELL=JOHN WARNER (11 S. iii. 228). E. L. W. cannot be correct so far as the residence of Richard Capell at Ware Park, Hertford, is concerned. That was the residence of Sir Henry - Fanshawe and his son Sir Thomas Fanshawe, K.B. (made Viscount Fanshawe in 1661) from 1601 to 1665, and had been the residence of Thomas Fanshawe, father of Sir Henry, from 1576, when he bought it from the Countess of Huntingdon, to 1601.

H. C. FANSHAWE.

72, PLilbeach Gardens.

INDEXES LOCORUM TO PRINTED PARISH REGISTERS (11 S. iii. 186, 256). I am at present engaged in indexing ' The Coventry Leet Book,' transcribed and edited by Mary Dormer Harris. I should be glad to have the opinion of those who are frequently using indexes of this kind as to whether it would be any help to have dates added to the index of names of* persons. My plan is shown in the following example :

Crose (Will.) (1400-50) 24, 33, 38, (1450-1500) 102, 113, 115, (1500-50) 324, 312, 355, <kc.

I thought this might be particularly useful where fathers, sons, and grandsons have the same name ; and in any case a date must be a landmark, and takes up very little room. But, so far, the idea has not received any encouragement.

The index will also include place-names.

Please reply direct.

(Miss) JESSIE H. HAYLLAR.

19, Highdown Road, Hove.

' BIG BEN ' AND PHIL MAY (11 S. iii. 187, 237). The statement that Big Ben was never published seems to conflict with the record in the * Periodical Publications * section of the British Museum Catalogue. Big Ben is there entered as a continuation of The St. Stephen's Review, and as having been published in 1892-3. There was a previous Big Ben in 1883.

J. F. HOGAN.

Royal Colonial Institute,

Northumberland Avenue.

BISHOP WALKER OF DERRY (11 S. iii. 227). Walker was never Bishop of Derry. Tillotson certainly wrote to Lady Russel

on 19 September, 1689, " The King hath

made him Bishop of Londonderry " ; but there was -no vacancy. Ezekiel Hopkins, the bishop who fled from his see before the siege, died only two days before Walker. The' latter, as is well known, was killed at the Boyne on 1 July (O.S.), 1690. "My liege, the Bishop of Derry is killed at the ford,' r cried a breathless messenger to the King. " What brought him there ? " growled William.

As regards portraits, in The Ulster Journal of Archaeology, First Series, vol. ii., 1854, at p. 262, there is a portrait of " The Reverend & Valiant Mr. George Walker, Governour of London Deny," reduced from an old engraving. At p. 272 there is a foot-note quoting a letter from Charlotte Elizabeth (i.e., Mrs. Tonna) dated " November f-th, 1838" :

" I write with a fine print hanging just opposite me an engraving by Vaudrebane [sir] from the spirited portrait taken by Sir Godfrey Kneller and bearing the emphatic date 1680."

The Rev. John Graham in the preface to- his ' History of the Siege of Londonderry,' 8vo, Dublin, 1829, says :

" Sir Godfrey Kneller, at the King's command* drew his picttire ; and copperplates struck off from it were dispersed through the three king- doms. In some of the prints he is drawn with a Bible open at the 20th chapter of Exodus in onfr hand, and a drawn sword in the other. His gar- ment of a purple colour, and a large old-fashioned band, form a strong contrast to the military sash