Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 6.djvu/234

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [11 s. vi. SEPT. 7, 191-2.

' Rookwood,' is responsible for the glamour that has gathered round his name. But did Ainsworth invent the whole story ? It would seem probable that some legends were floating about " in ore virdm voli- tantia " from which he concocted his romance. Certainly one case of highway robbery was known to him, for he speaks of riding as a boy past the place where it was committed.

I have seen it stated that Nevison, who lived in the previous century, was really the hero of the " Ride to York," and that in some way the feat became credited to Turpin. But this does not lessen the difficulty. To cover the distance between sunset and sunrise the pace must have been at least sixteen miles an hour that is to say, the rider must have gone at a gallop and no horse that was ever foaled could have lasted out ! I have just seen a notice of a book entitled ' A Fool to Fame,' in which the history of Nevison is woven into a romance. But my lifelong experience of horses must go for nothing if either Nevison or Turpin could accomplish this deed. E. L. H. TEW.

Upham Rectory Hants.

[Turpiu's ride to York was discussed at consider- able length in the Sixth Series, viz., x. 68, 317, 390, 502; xi. 35, 77, 136. Other references to Turpin and Nevison are 2 S. ix. 386, 433 ; 8 S. viii. 4.]

NAPOLEON IN LONDON. It is stated in at least two books published during the life- time of Napoleon the Great that he visited London before becoming First Consul. Has this ever been authenticated ?

J. LANDFEAR LUCAS.

[The late Samuel Timmins, under his pseudonym ESTE, quoted at 1 S. xi. 366 (12 May, 1855) the state- ment of a centenarian then living who claimed to have seen Bonaparte in the Strand in 1791 or 1792, and asked if there was any truth in the story. The subject was raised again at 3 S. viii. 131. j

INFANTA ISABELLA CLARA EUGENIA. I have a miniature (either an original or a good copy) of a young and handsome woman in the costume of about 1550-1600, with a large ruff, and with her hair decorated with a plume of jewelled feathers. On the back of a black mount of the 1830-50 period are the names given above. Who was this princess ? W. c. J.

AVENAM. In the North of England there are numerous pieces of land called Avenam, Offnam, or some variation of the word! Avenham occurs at Preston ; Offenham in Yorkshire ; Enam and Eanam are other spellings. What is the meaning of it ?

J. B.

CHARLES KEENE : ARTICLE BY GEORGE MOORE. Would you kindly inform me in which paper or magazine appeared the article on Charles Keene (the famous designer for Punch, 1849-91) written by George Moore the essayist on the occasion of his death, 1891 ? Also, where can the above paper be obtained ?

ALICE SCHMIDT.

SACRED WELLS. The cult of sacred waters continued in Great Britain for hundreds of years after the introduction of Christianity.

Are there any remnants of this cult still remaining in any of the country districts of England and Wales at the present day ? J. CEREDIG DAVIES.

Llanilar, Cardiganshire.

[See 8 S. ii. 67, 155 ; x. 133 ; 9 S. ii. 469, 535 ; iii. 173 ; iv. 16 ; 11 S. iii. 409, 470, 498 ; iv. 38.]

COUNTS OF MEULAN. In his note on Drogo, Count of the Vexin (ante, p. 107), MR. E. M. BELLEWES refers to a history of the Comte of Meulan. I should be much indebted to him if he could kindly give me information on the following points.

I have a note that Alice, daughter of Walter II., Count of the Vexin, married Robert, Count of Meulan, and had issue Waleran, Count of Meulan, who married a lady named Oda. I am anxious to know (1) the parentage and ancestry of Count Robert, (2) the approximate dates of the death of Robert and Waleran, (3) the parentage of Oda.

From Waleran, who, I think, probably died about 1050-160, I have the descent of the Counts down to Robert, Count of Meulan, who was living in 1200, when he witnessed a charter of Amauri, Earl of Gloucester (' Calendar of Documents in France,' No. 1310). I should be grateful for particulars of his marriage and issue (if any) and the date of his death. I am under the impression that he died s.p., and that his heir in England was his sister Mabel, Countess of Devon, but am not sure of this. G. H. WHITE.

St. Cross, Harleston, Norfolk.

CORIO, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. A town near Geelong, Victoria, Australia, bears the strange name for that locality of Corio. Inquiries as to the origin of this name, made to the clerk of the local town hall, failed to elicit an answer. Can any reader inform me ? SILVIO CORIO.