Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 6.djvu/474

 390

NOTES AND QUERIES. m s. vi. NOV. IG, 191-2.

DR. JOHNSON'S COPIES OF BUETON'S ' ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY.' A copy of the sixth edition, with Samuel Johnson's autograph, from the Huth Library, is in- cluded in Messrs. Pickering & Chatto's latest list, and a statement is there quoted from the ' Huth Catalogue ' : " In a book- seller's catalogue many years ago was a copy of a later edition which had also belonged to him." I should be very glad to learn the present whereabouts of this last-named book. EDWARD BENSLY.

CHARLES I.'s EXECUTIONER. MR. J. B. WILLIAMS states, ante, p. 264, that Henry Walker was the executioner of King Charles I. Will he be so good as to furnish the evidence upon which he bases that statement ? Your correspondents of a previous generation agreed pretty generally that Richard Brandon of the Rag Fair in the Goodman's Fields region was the headsman employed, but MR. WILLIAMS may have alighted upon some new evidence on the subject. CHAS. McNAUGHT.

HERALDIC. A, B, C, and D, four brothers, in 1835 obtained a grant of arms and crest, which were assigned to A and his descendants and the other descendants of his late father E, deceased. For some reason or other A, the eldest of the four brothers, did not like the coat, and in 1838 persuaded Garter to endorse on the old grant an alteration of the coat. This was done by A without the knowledge of B, C, or D. The endorsement states that the altered arms and crest are " to be borne and used by A and his descendants, and by the other descendants of his late father E, deceased."

The four brothers are all dead. But the question is whether the children of B, C, and D are bound by A's action to use the arms and crest as altered in 1838. May they not, if they prefer it, use the arms and crest as originally granted in 1835 ?

W. G. D. F.

CONSECRATION CROSSES ON THE OUTSIDE WALLS OF CHURCHES. Can any reader ' N. & Q.' tell me whether it was customary in mediaeval times to place consecration crosses on the outside as well as on the inside of the walls of churches ? At Al Saints' Church, Norwich, such crosses are affixed under the sills of the windows outside, but this is the only instance 1 know at least, in this part of England.

In the Roman Pontificale the bishop makes the crosses on the outside as well as on the inside of the church, as witness the

ionsecration of Westminster Cathedral ; but so far there do not appear to be any crosses marked outside that building, as there are

nside. It may be that such crosses on the outer walls of our ancient churches have gradually perished from the effects of weather, or possibly have been destroyed as superstitious emblems ; but, if the custom was at all a common one, no doubt there must be others still remaining similar to those at All Saints' in this city.

FREDERICK T. HIBGAME. 23, Unthank Road, Norwich.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WANTED. 1. RICHARD JEKYLL was appointed Rector of Grayton-le-Wold, Lincolnshire, in 1725. When did he die ? Did he hold any other preferments ?

2. ABRAHAM JONES became one of the Senior Fellows of Trin Coll., Cambridge, in 1713, and took part in the proceedings against Bentley. I should be glad to obtain par- ticulars of his parentage and the date of his death.

3. JOHN KNIGHTLEY was admitted to Gray's Inn, 24 Jan., 1692/3. He is said to have died in Ireland. I wish to ascertain whether he was ever called to the Irish Bar, and also the date and place of his death.

4. THOMAS KNOX was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn, 27 Nov., 1792. Particulars of his further career and the date of his death are wanted. G. F. R. B.

" TORCHES OF THE KING'S GIFT " : " PEPPER FOR DIRIGE." In the Church- wardens' Accounts of Bramley, Hants, this item occurs in the account for 1537-8 :

" For the caryege of ii torches of the Kyng's gyfte for Qwene Jane. . . .xiid." Did Henry VIII. send a gift of torches to every church in the realm on Jane Seymour's death, or was Bramley specially favoured ?

At Stoke Charity, in the same county, in the accounts for 1553-4, 5d. was paid " for ij ownces pepper for dirige," and the item is repeated in the following year. I should

be glad of an explanation.

J. F. WILLIAMS.

Ashmansworth, Hants.

" Vox POPULI vox MUS.E." What is the historical basis for the statement that the composer Gluck confessed that the noblest passage in one of his noblest operas was the voice of the populace he had heard in Vienna crying to their Kaiser " Bread ! bread ! " R. J. DEFERRARI.

Princeton, New Jersey.