Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 5.djvu/598

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NOTES AND Q UERIES. [ii s. v. JUNE 22, 1912.

Parker, and several other societies, most of which it survived. The close and important connexion with it of John Gough Nichols should be carefully noted. Nichols was a grandson of John Nichols, F.S.A., the author of the famous ' Literary Anecdotes ' and compiler of the ' History of Leicestershire.' See the ' Memoir of John Gough Nichols,' by Robert Cradock Nichols, privately printed, Westminster, June, 1874 (with bibliography) ; also Athenaeum, 22 Nov., 1873 ; and Bigmore and Wyman, ii. pp. 76- 77. In 1862 Nichols published a ' Descriptive Catalogue of the Works of the Camden Society,' comprising the 86 volumes which had been issued up to that date. He subsequently completed and reissued it in 1872, as a ' Catalogue of the First Series of the Works of the Camden Society '(105 volumes). This first series ran from 1838 to 1872, and the new series, vols. i. Ivii., onwards to 1897. On 2 May, 1897, the Camden Society became merged in the Royal His- torical Society.

Complete lists of the Camden Society books may be found in B.M. Catalogue, London Library Catalogue, Lowndes's the Society of Antiquaries. Various critical estimates of the work of the Camden Society have appeared, and in its early years two such articles were published in Fraser's Magazine, vol. xxii. 1840, p. 445 ; vol. xxv. 1842, p. 50 and p. 690.
 * Manual,' and the Catalogue of the Library of

A. L. HUMPHBEYS. 187, Piccadilly, W.

ALMANACS IN DIALECT (11 S. v. 390). The first issue of the ' Bairnsla Foaks' Annual' was the one for 1840; the sub- title ' and Pogmoor Olmenack ' was added in the fourth issue, that for 1843. There were thirty-six issues for which the founder, Charles Rogers, was responsible. Upon Ms death in 1874, shortly after the appear- ance of the ' Olmenack ' for 1875, the work was continued by Isaac Binns, but ceased after the publication of the eight numbers for 1876 to 1883 inclusive. The price was 6d. per copy.

In 1891 was issued the first number of ' T' Pogmoor Olmenack an Bairnsla Foaks' Yearly Jottings,' at the price of 3d. per copy. This publication was continued for twenty issues, ceasing with that for 1910. The ' Clock Almanack,' as a dialect publication, has persisted from 1867 to the present time. The ' Shevvild Chap's Annual ' was, I believe, commenced in 1836, and continued at least until 1854.

Some years ago I commenced an exhaus- tive list of these dialect productions, with critical notes on previous lists, but was compelled to suspend it owing to other engagements. My notes on Abel Bywater, the author of the ' Shevvild Chap's Annual,' are somewhat disarranged in consequence. There have been a number of almanacs published in the different dialects of York- shire. Various lists of them have been compiled, the three following being the chief: (1) by the English Dialect Society;

(2) by the Yorkshire Dialect Society ;

(3) that in the ' English Dialect Dictionary.' The first and second of these profess to be complete ; the third does not claim to do more than give the most representative examples. Your correspondent should refer to them, but is recommended to use them with caution, as they are not complete, nor are they free from error. Some of the errors, indeed, are of a startling description, and I hope some day to publish a list of corrections and additions which will make them more reliable. E. G. B.

By a coincidence correspondents in the current volume of L'Intermediaire are supply- ing for France and Belgium lists of " les almanachs patois, si precieux pour la lin- guistique et le folklore," which, if one may judge from the number of titles already given, are far more numerous than similar publica- tions in England. EDWARD BENSLY.

Lancashire has also issued almanacs in the local dialect. I have one before me issued in Bolton in 1860, with the following title, " Owd Wisdom's Lankishire Awme- nack, for the yer 1860, beein Leop Yer, containin Th' Inigobray Ghost ; aw cle- soigned by James T. Staton." Another issue appeared the following year.

ARCHIBALD SPARKE.

Reference Library, Bolton.

CHESHIRE WORDS, 1300-60 (11 S. v. 287, 373). Looking at my copy of E. Coles's ' English Dictionary,' 1717, I was struck by the words " wair of timber," which he goes on to define as " two yards long and one foot broad." I see that PROF. SKEAT, at the second reference, suggests a con- nexion between " weures " and " waver," which means a " young tree."

May not Coles's definition of a particular measure or size of timber, viz., " wair," be also connected with it ?

W. S. B, H.