Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 3.djvu/8

 NOTES AND QUERIES. [11 s. m. JAN. 7, wn.

which " settles the point." This sentence is as follows :

'By his [Milton's] second wife he had only one daughter, of which the mother, the first year after her marriage, died in^childbedjand the child also within a month after."

Katherin Woodcocke married Milton on 12 November, 1656, and the child, according to the parish books of St. Margaret's, West- minster, was born 19 October, 1657. This date is given in the Museum Bible. Had Masson known of this Bible, he could even have given the exact day of death.

There are slight differences in the wordings of some of the entries in the two Bibles. Here is another and important difference. " I am the book of Mary Milton," i.e. Mary Powell, Milton's first wife, is written, " in his wife's handwriting," in the Birch Bible. Those words are not in the Museum Bible, but on the inside of the back cover is written " Eliz. Elcock," and underneath "Eliz. Salmon, Her Book" (apparently maiden and married names). Of Milton's third wife, Elizabeth, nee Minshull, who died in 1727, the same year as Mrs. Foster, surviving Milton fifty-one years, we are told that she left all her effects, after payment of debts, to her nephews and nieces. Among those effects was " a large Bible." Possibly this was the Museum Bible, which had been acquired by one of those nieces.

This Museum Bible was purchased from Thomas Kerslake in 1884. Masson's 'Life of Milton,' by the way, was published only three years previously. I naturally inquired of Dr. Warner whether Kerslake had given any details as to how the Bible had come into his possession. Dr. Warner kindly looked over all letters received from Kerslake during 1883 and 1884, but found nothing of the kind. Kerslake, who is now dead, wrote from Bristol. It would be extremely interesting to know its history. And per- haps some day the Bible described by Dr. Birch may come to light. J. S. S.

BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHOUT.

(See 11 S. ii. 246.)

THE widening of this ancient thoroughfare begins at Lupinsky & Brandon's, tailors, Nos. 134 and 135, and will extend to Norton Folgate. It may be observed that the new ' Post Office Directory ' includes Bishopsgate only, and has a note that Bishopsgate Within and Without have been amalgamated under the new title.

" The Black Raven," 136, Bishopsgate- Street Without, survives, like the curate's egg, " in parts." Some few years ago it could be distinguished, not by a hanging sign, but by a modern tessellated pavement at the entrance, bearing a large black raven. The probability, however, that it occupies the site of a more ancient house with the same sign is suggested by the circumstance of the upper portion containing, among other things, a very old-fashioned staircase, which I have not at present seen, and heavy beams of oak supporting the ceiling. My informant is Mr. Samuel Mossman, the- owner, who is landlord also of " The Swan Hotel " at Stratford, E., and whose con- nexion with " The Black Raven " has lasted over fifteen years.

Mr. Mossman tells me that an old-fash- ioned society called " Ye Olde White Dogs " was held there for many years, and at Yule- time the chairman always gave the toast of " the buxom lasses and merry wives of Bishopsgate." The " White Dogs " at the same festive season distributed bread and coal tickets among the poor inhabitants of the surrounding district, a charity, sup- ported by many City merchants, which did a vast amount of good, but which has now been removed to the Bishopsgate Institute under a new name.

There is a seventeenth - century token extant of " The Black Raven," but I do- not remember to have seen the sign noted by MB. McMuBBAY in his interesting lists of some of the " Signs of Old London."

I have the remains of an old handbill, dated 1791, of "The Black Raven," 136, Bishopsgate Street Without. The land- lord at that time was Alfred Love, who announces the perhaps not surprising fact that he was a " direct importer and Bonder of all his wines and spirits, noted for Special Scotch and Irish Whiskies." A raven perched on a bough adorns this handbill. But why weie the " White Dogs " so named ? Angel Alley, which stood between Nos. 137' and 138, but was swallowed up by the Great Eastern Railway Station about, I think, sixteen years ago, probably marked the site of " The Angel Inn " in Bishopsgate Street,, where the Parish Clerks, incorporated in 1232 by Henry III., kept their hall, that is, the first hall of the Fraternity ; and by it was an almshouse for seven poor widows of deceased members. The Clerks kept the account of christenings, casualties, &c., and published the bills of mortality, among other privileges of their charter being exemp- tion from parish duties in the parish wherein