Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 3.djvu/375

 us. m. MAY is, mi.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

369

SIEGE OF DERBY : REV. JAMES GORDON. Macaulay flouted the story told by Wodrow (' Analecta ' i. 126, ii. 108) that the Rev. James Gordon was the man who directed the breaking of the boom in Derry Lough. Gordon was a notorious person. I have just been able to identify him as the minister deposed from Glass, Aberdeenshire, in 1667, and from Coul], in the same county, 1673. He died as the minister of Cardross in 1693, aged 48. Between 1682 and 1690 he was in Ireland, an extraordinary account of his offer of spy-work appearing in the new (sixth) volume of the Ormonde Papers. The Banffxhire Advertiser began on 6 April a long account of his career by the present writer. Is there any corroboration what- ever of Wodrow's story about Gordon's "relief 1 ' of Derry? J. M. BULLOCH.

118, Pall Mall, S.W.

THOMAS THANE'S MSS. What happened to "Thomas Thane's collbction of MSS. ? Was it sold by auction ? If so, what was the date of the sale ? C. JERMYN.

PUTNEY BOWLING-GREEN. The following 13 from The Daily Advertiser of 1742 :

Putney Bowling-Green, May 13, 1742. On Monday next, the 17th instant, a Break- fast-Room will be open'd, where the best of every thing will be provided for the Reception of those Gentlemen and Ladies who will honour me with their Company. The Green will be open'd and in good Order, by

Your humble Servant,

ROGER PARRY.

Does the Green still exist ? If not, where was it ? J. H. MACMICHAEL.

DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH'S GODMOTHER. Can any reader of ' N. & Q.' tell me the name of the godmother of the first Duke of Marl- borough ? Either she or a near descendant was named Churchill, but whether before or after marriage I cannot say. I want the name for genealogical purposes.

MRS. WARRY.

39, Filey Avenue, Upper Clapton, N.

BONAR & Co. There has been a firm in London of the name of Thomson Bonar & Co. for about 150 years or more. I am anxious to know when the firm was founded, who were the first members of it, the nature of the business carried on, and any such par- ticulars. I believe the Bonars ceased to have any interest in it by about 1840. One member was Mr. Thomson Bonar, who with his wife was murdered by their manservant at their country house, Camden Place, Kent, about 1813. HORATIUS BONAR.

38, Margaret's Road, Edinburgh.

HORSES AND MARKET TOLLS. The market of the city of Coventry was toll-free, except for horses bought and sold there, as early as Edward I.'s time. Is there any other instance of this ? Is there any instance of a horse- toll paid by a tenant of a house in mediaeval times ?

MARY DORMER HARRIS.

[Horses with four white feet were specially, exempted from paying tolls. See 9 S. vi. 507; vii. Ill ; x. 116 ; 10 S. vi. 436 ; vii. 378.]

SUBSIDY ROLLS, LANCASHIRE, 1663. I should be greatly obliged if any reader could tell me whether it is possible from the Subsidy Lists of the seventeenth century to arrive at an approximate estimate of the incomes of the various persons assessed. For instance, in the widely extending parish of Blackburn, Lancashire, the follow- ing persons inter alios were assessed for the subsidy of 1663 in respect of their lands :

Alexander Osbaldeston of Osbaldeston, in terris, value 5L, payment 40s.

Ralph Livesey of Livesey, in terris, value 31., payment 24s.

Thos. Haworth of Lower Darwen, in terris, value 31., payment 24s.

Thos. Astley of Stakes Hall, in Livesey, in terris, value 50s., payment 20s.

Thos. Ainsworth of Pleasington Hall, in terris, value 40s., payment 16s.

These persons were members of old land- owning families, all of whom appeared and recorded their pedigrees at Dugdale's visita- tion of Lancashire, 1664-5.

Other persons were assessed in respect of their personal estate ; for instance,

Richard Ainsworth of Pleasington, in bonis, value 51., payment 26s. 8d.

Peter Haworth, Jun., of Lower Darwen, in bonis, value 51., payment 26s. 8d.

Thos. Hay dock of Mellor, in bonis, value 51. , payment 26s. 8d.

Robt. Piccope of Lower Darwen, in bonis, value 51., payment 26s. 8d.

It will be noticed that these four men paid higher taxes than some of the landowners, although the incomes of the latter must have been larger. Is this capable of ex- planation ? W. H.

COLLEGES OF COMMERCE. In The Daily Journal cf 1 January, 1726, it is noted from " Petersburg!!," under date 5 Dec. (1725) :

" Her Czarian Majesty has confirm'd the Present which the late Czar made to the Colleges of Commerce here, and at Riga, Revel, and Wyburg, of several Ships of different Burdens, to encourage them to promote the Trade of those Cities."

Were these " Colleges of Commerce " what in these later days are termed Chambers of Commerce ? POLITICIAN.