Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 6.djvu/112

88 NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. vi. A, a, 1912.

Proved at London 19 April, 1572, by William Babham, notary public for William Roper, armiger, and Thomas Welles, executors (11 Daper).

(See 11 S. iv. 286.)—The following should be added to my previous list of writers and books about the above:—

RONALD DIXON. 46, Maryborough Avenue, Hull.

NELSON AMONG HIS INTIMATES. (See US. i. 124, 210, 465.) We obtain some fresh little glimpses of our greatest sailor in a work just published, viz., ' The Diarv of Frances, Lady Shelley, 1787-1817,' edited by her grandson, Richard Edgcumbe :

" The first time I ever saw Nelson was in the drawing-room at the Admiralty, and a most uncouth creature I thought him. He was just returned from Teneriffe, after having lost his arm. He looked so sickly it was painful to see him ; and his general appearance was that of an idiot."

After the Nile victory, and his meeting with Lady Hamilton, Nelson was present at a London dinner, of which Lady Shelley says :

" After dinner, Lady Nelson, who sat opposite to her husband (by the way, he never spoke

during dinner and looked blacker than all the- devils), perhaps injudiciously, but with a good intention, peeled some walnuts and offered, them to him in a glass. As she handed it across the table, Nelson pushed it away from him so- roughly that the glass broke against one of the- dishes. There was an awkward pause ; and. then Lady Nelson burst into tears."

D. J.

(SJiwms.

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

TITLE-DEED(S). The earliest instance of this word supplied by readers for the ' New English Dictionary' is from Praed's Poems r 1830; but it appears there as a well-known and familiar word. We have not, however,, found it in any dictionary so early ; though, it has to be borne in mind that compound words or combinations are very casually recorded in dictionaries of that date. We- shall be glad of earlier instances, with short quotation and exact reference.

J. A. H. MURRAY.

TOADY. I should be glad of any quota- tions for this dyslogistic term that can be- found before 1826, when it is denned by" Disraeli in ' Vivian Grey,' II. xv. I think it must occur earlier, because its derivative verb "to toady'" is used (if Latham's 'John- son ' is correct) by G. Colman the Younger,, in ' Poor Gentleman,' II. ii. Toad, sb., in the- sense of "toady," was used from 1605 to- 1831; and toad, vb., in the sense of ' ' to toady,' ' also occurs as late as 1831. Toad-eater in, its original literal sense of " a mountebank's- eater of toads" begins c. 1629; in the fig. sense of "toady" we have it from 1742 to- 1876. As " toady " is the current word, both as sb. and vb., it would be of interest to know when it actually began. It was evidently society slang in 1826.

J. A. H. MURRAY. Oxford.

BENJAMIN BEALE OF KENT : HIS BATHIN& MACHINES. (See 7 S. ii. 214.) There is said to be an old song praising this invention- of Benjamin Beale's, a Quaker of Margate, the words of which are unknown to me, but each verse ends with the refrain, " So- hurrah for Benjamin Beale. :>

Believing it to have been printed in Punch, I applied to the office of that journal ; but the information could not be supplied.