Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/427

 ii s. iv. NOV. 2o, WILD NOTES AND QUERIES.

421

LONDON, SATURDAY, XOVEMBEll .W, 1011.

CONTENTS. No. 100.

NOTES: Frank Nicholls, M.D., 421 Jubilee of the Post Office Savings Bank, 423 Shakespeariana, 424 Corpora- tion of London and the Medical Profession, 425 A Shakespeare at Barking, 1595 Rhythm and Music Metrical Prose "All who love me follow me," 426.

QUERIES : " Sepurture " Anquetil Family Spanish Titles granted to Irishmen' ' Salamander," a Heavy Blow, 427 Authors Wanted George Woodberry Andrew Turnbull of Tweedmouth Day : Freeman : Pyke Sheffield Cutlery in 1820, 428 J. Innys W. Ives-J. Ivison Southey's Letters " Sabbath day's journey" Father Connolly, Hymn-writer Dr. Theophilus Leigh

Bennett, Lancashire Murderer, 429 Cricket Match, 774 Evelyn Hall " Parkin " " Fine flower of poetry"

Traitors' Gate, 430.

REPLIES : Miss Howard and Napoleon III., 430 'The Standard Psalmist,' 433" Cytel " in Anglo-Saxon Names

" FS. = 3s. 2d." Proprietary Chapels Touching a Corpse, 434 " Water-Suchy" Halletts of Canons- Crosby Hall Kelmscott Press Type, 435 Arms of Colonies Manor of Milton- next -Gravesend Authors Wanted Luck Cups, 436 Spanish Motto Dates in Roman Numerals Bristol Cathedral Clock "Happen" Marlowes W. Woollett Penge as a Place-Name " I am paid regular wages," 437 "Swale," "Sweal" C. F. Lawler Noel, Cook to Frederick the Great Pears : " Wardens"" Doyenn<$ du Cornice "Lions modelled by Stevens Rev. John M 'Bride, 438 Queen Elizabeth's Day ' Englische Schnitzer ' ' Howden Fair ' Jessie Brown at Lucknow, 439.

NOTES ON BOOKS : ' The Cambridge History of

English Literature,' Vol. VII. Booksellers' Catalogues. Notices to Correspondents.

FRANK NICHOLLS, M.D.

(See 11 S. ii. 190, 295.)

THE inquiry for the name of the mother of Dr Frank Nicholls revived in my mind the feeling that his eminence in his profession justified a longer memoir than that which could be contained in the ' D.N.B.,' and led to the composition of the following notice.

His father was John Nicholls, a member of the family owning the beautiful estate of Trereife (situated about a mile from the town of Penzance in Cornwall), which after- wards became the property of C. V. Le Grice, the friend of Charles Lamb. John Nicholls was born in 1663, sent to London in 1680, &nd after having " served a laborious clerk- ship " was in 1688 sworn one of the clerks of the High Court of Chancery. In 1705 he was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple, practised for some years with success, and then returned to Trereife, which now belonged to him. He died there on 3 August, 1714, and was buried at Madron, his parish

church, a characteristic monument being erected to his memory. His wife was a daughter of Mr. Foot of Truro (C. S. Gilbert, ' Survey of Cornwall,' ii. 209). Three sons and one daughter survived in 1714, and the second of the sons was Frank Nicholls.

Frank was born in London in 1699, and, after having begun his education at a private school in the country, was sent to West- minster School. He was entered at Exeter College under John Haviland on 4 March, 1714/15 ; matriculated on 14 March, when his age was given as 17; and continued as a sojourner until 1 April, 1728. His degrees were : B.A. 14 Nov., 1718 ; M.A. 12 June, 1721; M.B. 16 Feb., 1724/5; and M.D. 16 March, 1729/30. He was Reader of Anatomy at the University of Oxford, probably from about 1725, and held the office until about 1745. When he was not engaged in these lectures, he repaired to London to prosecute those studies in anatomy to which he was devoted throughout life. The obser- vations which formed the basis of his paper in the Philos. Trans, for 1728 on " a natural history of mines and minerals " were made " during a year's stay in the western part of Cornwall," but a practice in this remote district involved much fatigue, and did not furnish adequate scope for his energies.

In after years he revisited his native county, for a letter written by E. M. Da Costa to him in January, 1770, refers to some " fine minerals " which he had lately col- lected in Cornwall. But from 1728 he ceased to live there (Nichols, ' Illustrations of Lit.,' iv. 760).

In the summer of 1728 he went abroad. At Amsterdam he examined the collections of Fredrik Ruysch and Albert Seba, the latter of whom he should " allways esteem as one of y e most curious collectors y e world has." He was at Paris in November and December, 1728, and rejoiced that as F.R.S. he had been elected to that honour on 16 May he had the " particular honour " of sitting with the Academy at its meetings, and was not relegated to a gallery from which he could only see through a window. But he complained of the " badness of their wines and y e meanness of their entertain- ments," and thought of leaving for Italy in January, and so " home again by next August or September" (unpub. MSS. at the Royal Soc.).

On his return to England he settled in practice at London. His progress in his profession was probably slow, for he is mentioned in 1730 as a candidate for the secretaryship of the Royal Society ('Stukeley