Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/520

 512

NOTES AND QUEKIES. [11 s. vn. JUNE 28, 1913.

The sum of 339 6s. was realized by three readings. Mr. Ryland's association with Dickens is touched upon in Edgbastonia for May, 1882, and in The Institute Magazine for January, 1893. Ryland instituted " Penny Readings " at the Birmingham Institute on 19 March, 1859. and on 19 Nov., 1859, and 26 Jan., 1861, Mr. Joseph Cham- berlain contributed two Dickensian readings, with other selections, to the series (vide 'N. & Q.,' 11 S. vii. 448).

While on the subject of Birmingham and its Dickensian associations, I would remark that it may not be generally known that George Dawson, the Birmingham preacher and politician, whose statue is in the rear of the Town Hall, was a son of Jonathan Dawson of Hunter Street, Brunswick Square, London, referred to in Forster's ' Life ' (chap, iii.) as the schoolmaster of the brothers of Dickens. George Dawson was born in 1821, and died in 1876, and the late Eliezer .Edwards (" S. D. R."), in a biographical notice of him published in 1882, states that as a boy George was a pupil in his father's school, where Charles Dickens was also a pupil about the same time. Forster does not mention Charles as having been a pupil at Jonathan Dawson's school. George Daw- son had won a wider than local fame long before the ' Life ' was published, and it is strange that Forster omitted to refer to the relationship of the Hunter Street. school- master to his distinguished son. Were Dickens and DaWson actually schoolfellows, as stated by " S. D. R." ? or was that usually accurate writer for once in the wrong ? WILMOT CORFIELD.

MYLESS, ESSEX (US. vii. 450). Myless, alias Myles's, was, and probably is, the name of a house and park.

In ' Kearsley's Traveller's Entertaining Guide through Great Britain,' 1801, col. 27, under ' Hare-street,' is " Myless, marquis of Lothian."

In ' Gary's New Itinerary,' 5th ed., 1812, col. 542, under ' Little End,' is " Myless, Duncan Davidson, Esq."

In ' Paterson's Roads,' 16th ed., by Edward Mogg, 1822, p. 319, under ' Chipping Ongar,' and p. 439, under ' High Ongar,' is "Myles's, Mrs. Tower." Under the same place-names Myles's appears in the 18th ed., 1826, pp. 321, 441, the occupier being E. Majoribanks, Esq.

Myless, as a park of considerable extent, with a house on it, appears on plate xxvi. of * Gary's New Map of England and Wales,'

&c., 1794, as about one mile south of Chipping Ongar.

It is also given in the map of Essex in ' Wallis's New Pocket Edition of the English Counties,' no date.

In ' England's Gazetteer,' by Stephen Whatley, 1751, vol. iii., Myles (sic), Essex, is given as a village near Kelvedon.

In the Ordnance Survey, 1890-99, one finds the park with name Great Myles's. Whether this is the name of the park or of a village, or of both, is not clear. About 2^ furlongs to the north appears Little Myles's, apparently a village.

ROBERT PIERPOINT.

In the will of William Nevell of Willingale, 1530, reference is made to his " lands lying in High Ongar called raynolds and myllers land " ; and in the will of Thomas Nevell of Willingale Doe, 1560, mention is made of timber on " my landes called rnyller land." That is how I read it, at least. Names at this early date are a little un- certain, and so is the orthography and our decipherment, so these references may be some guide to your correspondent. Myless rather suggests a more correct Myles's. I am not sure that I should not have read Myller as Mylles.

The wills 'are at Somerset House, the first in the collection of the Commissary of London and Essex, the second in the Arch- deaconry of Middlesex (Essex and Herts) Water 56. RALPH NEVJLL, F.S.A.

Guildford.

There is an estate called Myles's, printed in an old map in my possession, Myless, without the apostrophe, on the east side of the road from Chipping Ongar to Brent wood, about a mile from the first mentioned town, and opposite Kelvedon Hall. In The Gentle- man's Magazine for 1796, i. 113-114, this estate is referred to as the property of F. Fane, Esq., as having formerly belonged to John Luther, Esq, and as being then (1796) inhabited by Duncan Davidson, M.P.

Whether the Ford family mentioned in the query lived at this Myles's as tenants in 1788 I do not know.

F. SYDNEY EDEN.

Maycroft, Fyfield Road, Walthamstow.

This place is near Stondon Church, and to the right of the high road going from Kelvedon Hatch to Chipping Ongar. It is duly marked on Chapman and Andre's Map of the County (1777), and is there given as the residence of John