Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/453

 ii s. iv. DEO. 2, mi.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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hold, or lend a hand. Amongst workers it is well understood. When the work is urgent the command is " Now then, sam." Sam at times takes the place of the words " oss " and " shape " ; and all three convey as a rule the same meaning to the workers. THOS. RATCLIFFE.

WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries,
 * n order that answers may be sent to them direct.

HEBBEW MEDAL. There is a medal bearing on the obverse a profile head of Christ with the name IC^* 1 in front and the letter X behind. The latter I suppose to mean year 1 of some era. The obverse is wholly occupied by a Hebrew inscription to the effect that the Messiah has come, &c. I take it to be a thing made by Jews to be sold to Christians. There was an account of it in 'The Amulet,' one of the annuals published about 1830, in which it was, I think, accepted as genuine, and of the greatest interest. I should be glad to recover the whole of the inscription, or to be referred to some account of the medal. J. T. F.

Bishop Hatfield's Hall, Durham.

SPENSER AND DANTE. In his famous letter to Ralegh, dated 23 January, 1589, Spenser outlines historically the various allegorical works he had consulted, naming Ariosto and Tasso, but nowise making reference to Dante. This omission does not appear to be peculiar to Spenser only. Very few writers earlier than those of the seventeenth century (and even those are extremely limited in number) make any allusion to the great Florentine genius of the thirteenth century. How is this to be explained ? M. L. R. BRESLAR.

LADY HAMILTON : COLOUR OF HER HAIR. In Romney's pictures Lady Hamilton is depicted with auburn hair. It is, of course, usual for hair of this colour to get darker with advancing years, but I am not aware that it ever turns black, unless the change is due to artificial means. I find, however, that several persons who met the lady in later years refer to her hair as being of a dark shade. Mrs. St. George, who met her at Dresden when on her triumphal progress through Europe with Nelson in 1800, speaks of her dark hair. In the November number of The Cornhill Magazine there is

an article on * Nelson and Lady Hamilton at Altona,' in which several letters from an English gentleman who met them there are given in extenso. In one of these, which is dated "Altona, 3rd Nov., 1800," Lady Hamilton is referred to as follows : " Her very fine black hair was very negligent ; but advantageously displayed without powder." Are there any pictures extant of about that date, or later, which confirm this description ? T. F. D.

MATTHEW PRIOR OF LONG ISLAND : MAJOR DANIEL GOTHERSON. I am desirous of ob- taining information in regard to the family of a Matthew Prior, who sailed from England to America in the year 1663, and settled

with his wife Mary at Killingworth,

L.I., leaving many descendants. It is certain that previous to his departure he had dealings with, and lived in the same vicinity as, a Major Daniel Gotherson, whose wife was Dorothea Scott. The notorious adventurer Capt. John Scott, claiming relationship with Mrs. Gotherson, paid them a visit, and, by wonderful tales of the great estates he had upon Long Island, induced the Major to invest several thousand pounds in the said land. The Major, who owed Matthew Prior a considerable amount of money, arranged with him to go with Capt. John Scott to Long Island, to be put in possession of sufficient land to cancel the indebtedness ; but on arriving there it appeared that Scott did not own any land, but had palmed off on Major Gotherson a spurious claim.

I have recently received a copy of a letter of Matthew Prior, written to Col. Francis Lovelace, in connexion with this debt, dated March, 1668, at Killingworth, L.I., and his signature is accompanied by a seal with arms. This bears upon the shield three trefoils slipped. Unfortunately, the seal is broken at the top, so that of the crest which surmounts the shield, only the lower portion is seen. This represents the four legs with some heraldic animal. Can any reader identify this seal as belonging to a family of Prior, or locate the town or county where Major Daniel Gotherson resided ? I should be greatly obliged for either of these items of information.

E. HAVILAND HILLMAN, F.S.G.

c/o Anglo-South American Bank, Ltd., Old Broad Street, E.G.

GEORGE MORLAND'S INN SIGN. Can any one give me information of the locality of the inn painted by Morland with a bell on the signboard, or the history attached to it ?

A. L. M.