Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 9.djvu/183

 ii s. ix. FEB. 28, i9i4.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

177

ILFRACOMBE = ALFRED'S COMBE ? (11 S. ix. 50.) May I be allowed to supplement my former communication by saying that I find the same spelling in No. 472, vol. i., of the ' Devon Feet of Fines,' published by the Devon Record Society, where the sub- ject of the agreement is "1 Burgage in Alf redes cumbe ' ' ? The date'of this is 6 June, 1249, and is important as showing that the instance previously given of 12 Nov., 1288, was not a casual variation merely. No. 661 also refers to the "Court of Henry and 'his heirs at Alfricumb," under date of 9 Dec., 1262, when " Henry de Chaumbernun," the holder of the Court, was himself the plaintiff.

W. S. B. H.

MAJOR-GENERAL PATRICK DUFF (11 S. ix. 89). Major-General Patrick Duff of Carnousie, Banffshire, died in Edinburgh in February, 1803, and is buried in the Grey Friars' Churchyard.

For further particulars and a full biography of this officer, and for his descent, I beg to refer your correspondent to ' The Book of the Duffs,' by my sister and myself, just printed by T. & A. Constable of Edinburgh. ALISTAIR N. TAYLER.

JOHN THOMAS (US. ix. 87). The story is a well-known one. It is told in almost the same words by the Rev. C. J. Abbey in his 'English Church and its Bishops, 1700 1800,' vol. ii. p. 74. It is curious that there were three bishops of the name of John Thomas in the second half of the eighteenth century: the first, Bishop (elect) of St. Asaph 1743, of Lincoln 1743, and of Salis- bury 1761-6 ; the second, Bishop of Peter- borough 1747, of Salisbury 1757, and of Winchester 1761-81 ; the third, Bishop of Rochester 1774-93. All three held livings in the City : the first St. Vedast's, the second St. Benet's, the third St. Bride's. The first and third were royal chaplains (and pre- sumably squinted), the second was pre- ceptor to George III. Abbey quotes the story from Chalmers's biography of Thomas. JOHN R. MAGRATH.

Queen's College, Oxford.

See ' D.N.B.,' original edition, vol. Ivi. pp. 183-4, for three bishops of the above name, viz., of Lincoln and Salisbury (1691 1766), of Peterborough, Salisbury, and Win- chester (1696-1781), of Rochester (1712-93).

The first-mentioned attracted the notice of George II. by his proficiency in German, and accompanied the King to Hanover at his personal request. He had four wives, and the famous wedding-ring " posy," " If

I survive I '11 make them five," is attributed to him.

"He was often confused with his namesakes of Winchester and Rochester, especially with the former, who also had held a city living, was a royal chaplain, preached well, and squinted."

The Bishop of Rochester was also Chaplain - in-Ordinary to George II., a post which he retained under George III.

A. R. BAYLEY.

The tale of the two Thomases has been familiar to me from my youth up, told very much as quoted by your correspondent. I expected to find it in ' The Library of Anec- dote and Information ' (London, Edward Lacey, n.d.), which was given to me early in 1850 by an uncle who still survives. I have failed to come on what I want. Per- haps MR. RALPH THOMAS may like to have the following anecdote touching a namesake, which does present itself (p. 64) :

"When Isaiah Thomas, the printer of Massa- chusetts, was printing his almanac for the year 1780, one of the boys asked him what he should put opposite the 13th of July. Mr. Thomas, being engaged, replied, ' Anything, anything.' The boy returned to the office, and set Rain, hail, and snow. The country was all amazement when the day arrived, for 'it actually rained, hailed, and snowed violently. From that time Thomas's Almanac was in great demand."

I think that the same legend has beon told about Partridge's Almanack on this side of the Atlantic. ST. SWITHIN.

JOHN CASSELL (11 S. ix. 108). Some notes about him will be found at pp. 60-74 of ' A Few Personal Recollections by an Old Printer,' London, 1896.

RALPH THOMAS.

SAFFRON WALDEN (11 S. ix. 87). This ancient place, the Waledana of the Britons, was at a later period called Waldeburgh, and became a market centre when the first Earl of Essex removed the market from the neighbouring town of Newport to his castle at Walden ; it then took the name of Cheping-Walden. Saffron was introduced into England in 1339, and it was the most characteristic industry at Walden from the time of Edward III. to its gradual extinction about 1768. The town corporation grew out of the Guild of the Holy Trinity, which was incorporated under Henry VIII., the lord of the town, in 1514. The town received its first charter from Edward VI. in 1549. It was the birthplace of Gabriel Harvey, and as such was made famous by the lampoon of Nashe, ' Have with you to Saffron Walden ; or, Gabriel Harvey's Hunt is up/