Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/313

 n s. vii. APRIL 19, 1913. j NOTES AND QUERIES.

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BRIGADIER WALTER STAPLETON. Can any one give information regarding Brigadier Walter Stapleton, who commanded the Irish Brigade in the service of France on the side of Prince Charles, 1745 ?

It is stated by J. C. O'Callaghan, in his ' History of the Irish Brigade in the Service of France,' that he died at Inverness a fortnight after the Battle of Culloden, 1746 of wounds received there. What authority is there for this assertion ? Was he buried at Inverness ? if so, where ? Is anything known of his parentage, and the date and place of his birth ? Was he married ? Did he leave any family ? if so, what became of them ?

Were there two Walter Stapletons present at the Battle of Culloden ? C. STEPHEN.

" MERRYGREEK." Is the name of the saucy parasite in ' Ralph Roister Doister, like that of his resembler, " Merrythought,' in ' The Knight of the Burning Pestle,' a pure invention of the poet's ? Robert Hunt in his ' Popular Romances of the West of England,' 2nd ed., p. 426, quotes Lanyon as follows :

" According to an old Cornish custom of fixing nicknames on people, the inhabitants of Cam- bourne are called ' Mearageeks,' signifying ' per- verse ' or ' obstinate.' "

The second component, " geek," is a common variant of " gowk," a simpleton (Ger. Geek, Du. Gek), and the whole Word probably formed like " merryandrew." " Merrygeek," if it ever was a common Cornish Word, does not seem to have survived. It is not in Wright. G. A. PARRY.

OBELISK AT ORANGE GROVE, BATH. I should be glad to have information about, and a copy of the inscription on, an obelisk at Orange Grove (late Orange Walk), Bath, commemorating the visit of Mary (queen of William III.) to the city also details of any other Williamite memorials in England. WILLIAM MACARTHUR.

Dublin.

JARMAN FAMILY. Any information about the Jarman family (probably of Hants) in the eighteenth century will be gladly received. Harvey Combe of Andover, Hants (father of Harvey Christian Combe, Lord Mayor of London), married, 17 May, 1750, at St. Peter's, Cornhill, Christian Jarman ; and Boyce Tree, son of Boyce Tree of Portsea, Hants, married (date not known) her sister Mary Jarman. There was a deed of transfer of land from Harvey Combe and Christian " Jarmain " to Joseph White at

Ampfield, near Romsey, Hants, in 1766. There seems to be no known poll-book for Hants for that period, though at the Hartley University College, Southampton, there are poll-books for the years 1705 and 1790.

S. T.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WANTED. 1. FRIEDRICH CHRISTIAN ACCUM. When, and whom, did he marry ? Did he have any children ? The ' D.N.B.,' i. 57, does not give any assistance.

2. TOBIAS CAULFIELD was admitted to Westminster School in January, 1750/51, aged 10. I should be glad to learn particu- lars of his parentage.

3. CIBBER. The death of " Master

Cibber, at a boarding-house in Dean's Yard, Westminster," is announced in The Universal Chronicle for the week ending 22 April, 1758. Who were his parents ?

4. WISEMAN CLAGGETT was admitted to Westminster School, July, 1732, aged 11. Particulars of his parentage and career, and the date of his death, are desired.

I should be glad to learn particulars of the following Old Westminsters, who signed the protest against the proposed abolition of the Play in 1847: (1) John Lloyd of Rhagatt, Merionethshire ; (2) E. Pemberton of Plass Issa, Mold ; (3) Thomas Powell of Aberystwith ; (4) John Stedman, sen. ; and (5) George Warde of Bath.

G. F. R. B.

EPITAPH : AUTHOR WANTED. I havo recently come across the following epitaph, and shall be glad if any reader can tell me whether it is a quotation from some poetical work, or was written specially for the occa- sion. The man on whose memorial stone it occurs died in 1817.

Shall modest merit die without its fame, While wealth and rank unblushing claim our praise ?

Shall thousands join to laud the worthless name, And none to him the transient tribute raise ?

Gold is the praise the sculptured stone imparts,

His virtue lives engraven on our hearts.

CHARLES DRURY.

SMUGGLING POEMS. At p. 448 of the last volume of ' N. & Q.' the following smuggling poems were named : ' The Poor Smuggler's Boy,' 'The Smuggler's Bride,' and ' The Attack on Dover Gaol.' Some of your readers can perhaps say who were the authors, and in what collections the poems may be found. R. M. HOGG.