Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/443

 ii s. iv. NOV. 25, 19H.1 NOTES AND QUERIES.

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Gloucester, and, so far as one can say, has many years before him. His work on ' Primitive Paternity,' published by the Folk-lore Society in 1909-10, bears witness to his activity and research.

ROLAND AUSTIN. Public Library, Gloucester.

SPANISH MOTTO (US. iv. 290, 338, 353). By a freak of memory the writer gave " Fray Antonio de Agapida" as the historical source of Irving' s account of the war of Granada. This highly amusing mnemonic aberration is perhaps not incomprehensible in one who, though not unacquainted with Spanish chronicles in the original, has not read Washington Irving since youth.

In proffering a humble apology to the Editor and readers of ' N. & Q.,' the writer finds some consolation in the fact that the same memory, dormant when he turned up Washington Irving, now enables him, un- prompted, to rectify the " howler."

SICILE. *

DATES IN ROMAN NUMERALS (11 S. iv. 250, 315, 377):

clo. Ix. xlnx. Cal. Decemb. viii.

John Evelyn recorded in his ' Diary ' (1648, 29 Nov.) that he had an inscription, including this date, engraved on a piece of plate which he gave to his niece on her marriage.

F. R. F.

BRISTOL CATHEDRAL CLOCK (11 S. iv. 348). I would suggest that the name is Hebditch. Forty years ago this name abounded at South Petherton in Somersetshire, of which parish the Dean and Chapter of Bristol are patrons. S. H. A. H.

"HAPPEN" (11 S. iv. 346). This word was used as a familiar equivalent for " per- haps " thirty years ago, and, for aught I know, is still current in Yorkshire. It seems to have been overlooked by lexico- graphers. Example : " Happen [i.e., per- haps] I may go to-morrow."

HENRY SMYTH.

Stamnore Road, Edgbaston.

MARLOWES (11 S. iv. 370). This name is probably derived from (1) mare or mere, A.-S. for a pool of stagnant water, and (2) hlaw, A.-S. for a hill, a mound, or rising ground. It would thus appear to mean " the marsh by the hill," or the " pool at the foot of the hill." Norden, speaking of Berkhampstead in his ' Speculum Britannise,'

says that the Saxons called this place " Berg- hamstedt " because of its position as " villa sita inter montes," and it is more than prob- able that the position of the Marlowes is also responsible for their name.

THOMAS Wai. HUCK. Saffron Walden.

WILLIAM WOOLLETT (11 S. iv. 346). What was the date of his birth ? He was buried in St. Pancras Churchyard. An engraving of his gravestone, " as recently restored by the Graphic Society," appeared in The Illustrated London News of 29 Aug., 1846. Thence I copy the following inscription :

William Woollett Engraver to his Majesty

was born at

Maidston in Kent

upon the 16 of August

MD.CC.XXXV.

He died the 23 and

was interred in this place

on the 28 day of May

MD.CC.LXXXV.

Elizabeth Woollett Widow of the above Died December 15th 1819 Aged 73 years.

Cansick's copy of the above inscription gives the date of birth as 15 Aug. He also repro- duces a copy of the inscription to Woollett' s memory in the Cloisters, Westminster, the date there being 22 Aug. This coincides with the ' Vergers' Guide to the Abbey,' Allen ('History of London,' iv. 149), how- ever, records the date as 29 Aug. I shall be glad to know which of these is correct. JOHN T. PAGE. Long Itchington, Warwickshire.

PENGE AS A PLACE-NAME (11 S. iv, 330). Before we can tell the origin of this name, some one must find a really old spelling of it. Evidence of the seventeenth century is abso- lutely valueless ; experience shows that we must try to obtain a spelling earlier than 1300. WALTER W. SKEAT.

" I AM PAID REGULAR WAGES " (11 S. iv.

287, 356). I am afraid that MR. CELL'S ingenious eureka of the Latin double accusative will not assoil the faulty English construction anathematized by DR. KRUEGER. The Doctor's position (ante, p. 287) is that since a passive verb cannot have a direct object, such a sentence as "I was given him " is ungrammatical ; he adds that it is illogical, since he, not I, " was given." MR. GELL urges against this that when in Latin a verb of asking is followed by two accusatives, of the person and the thing, the verb, if cast into the passive .form, carries