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NOTES AND QUERIES. en s. ix. FEB. 7, 1914.

JOHN CASSELL. I shall be glad to learn where I can obtain particulars of the early life of John Cassell, as well as the beginning of his career as a publisher. I have Pike's Life. JOHN COLLINS FRANCIS.

FEAST OF SHELLS. What was the Feast of Shells ? Warburton in ' Hollo and his Race ' writes of " the songs with which the Northern bards regaled the heroes at their feasts of shells, "&c., but he does not say what that feast was. H. A.

WILL-O'-THE-WISP. I should like to know if any one has really seen a true Will-o'-the- wisp in England. If so, where and when ? H. N. ELLACOMBE. Bitton Vicarage, Bristol.

CONSTABLE'S PAINTING ' THE CORN- FIELD.' A woodcut of this picture, which is now in the National Gallery, is given in the ' Illustrated Exhibitor ' for 1852, but it is there described as " a view near Hampstead." Can the site be identified in any way to-day ?

A.

ARMORIAL SALVER, 1694. A silver salver, bearing the plate-marks of 1694, has on it the following arms : Semee of (seven) fleurs- de-lis, a lion rampant, impaling a chevron ermine between three crosses croslet fitchee. Crest : A lion statant. The dexter shield and the crest are probably those of the Beaumont family, but the usual crest is a lion passant. The sinister shield may be Randes (of Radwell, co. Bedford) or Rey- nolds.

The salver belonged formerly to Susanna Welham (1787-1870) of Stonham Parva, Suffolk, widow of (probably her first-cousin) Joseph Welham (1784-1842) of Earl Ston- ham. farmer, son probably of James Welham of Earl Stonham, yeoman, formerly of Ash- bocking, by Susan (bapt. 1746), only daughter of James and Susan Garnham of Gosbeck. Susanna Welham ( 1 787-1 870) was daughter of John Garnham (1750-1820) of Earl Stonham, farmer, by Rebecca (1756- 1807) : daughter of John (bapt. 1717) and Rebecca Miller of Wetheringsett, and grand- daughter of Thomas (1673-1746) and Susan Miller. John Garnham (1750-1820) was only son of James Garnham (b. 1706-11, d. 1793) of Gosbeck, yeoman, by Susan (1711-94), daughter of John (? and Christian) Hart of Gosbeck, yeoman. James Garnham (1706-93) was son of John Garnham (1655- 1739) of Gosbeck, by Elizabeth ?

All these parishes are close together in the middle of Suffolk. None of these families

was of armorial rank. The Harts were an ancient yeoman family of Stonham Aspall,. and the Garnhams have been at Gosbeck nearly 400 years (1521-1914), and their wills show that* they thought much of their lands and household goods. In his will of 1724 Fenn Garnham (1649-1725) of Gos- beck, first-cousin of the above James Garn- ham (1706-93), mentions "a large Sieur cup," but it is difficult to identify it with the salver (it stands on a foot) of 1694. Fenn Garnham's first wife (m. 1678) was- Mary Vverstall (? Overstall or Ovenstall).

Research has failed to show how Mrs. Welham became possessed of this salver* Perhaps when we know whom her great- grandfather John Garnham (1655-1739) married (about 1702-6) we shall know more of its history, but, meantime, can any reader help me ? Is there any evidence of a, Beaumont-Randes (or Beaumont-Reynolds)' marriage in or before 1694 ?

C. PARTRIDGE, Jun., F.S.A.

Stowmarket, Suffolk.

SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. US. vi. 315.} Mention was made of a portion of the original Solemn League and Covenant signed by the Belfast Presby- terians as having been in the Belfast Museum over half a century ago, and the question was asked, "Has it also been forgotten? ' r Kindly permit this repetition of the query- CHARLES S. KING, Bt.

MARTIN BULG. In the fishing villages on the Kincardineshire coast there is a tra- dition that an individual known as Mertin Bulg (or Metlan Bulg) was unjustly con- demned to death, and predicted that if the day of his execution was dry, a forty days' drought would follow, and if wet, that rain would fall continuously for forty days. In Aberdeenshire the name is Marka Bullion, and an old lady in Huntly identified the prophet with Anne Boleyn. The ' English Dialect Dictionary ' gives " Bullion's Day, 4 July, the Translation of St. Martin," and quotes from Ducange, a.v. ' Festum,' " S_ Martin le bouillant, le 4 juillet, ' S. Martinus- callidus, S. Martini Bullionis festum.'' There is in the Louvre a picture of St. Martin by Le Sueur, in which the saint is represented with a globe of fire above his head. Jamieson notes the form Martin Bulg, and the ' E.D.D/ gives St. Bulgan as known in Caithness^ Can any of your readers tell me if this curious name and tradition are known else- where, or add any information about this, saint? W. GRANT.

Ashfield, Cults, Aberdeen.