Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 9.djvu/514

 508

NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. ix. JUNE 27, 191*.

Lydlinch is known either to Kelly's ' Direc- tory of Somerset ' or to ' The Post Office Guide ' other than that of Dorset. The mistake, if it be one, is repeated, for the paragraph that follows opens with the sentence :

" During the time of dinner, the Somersetshire lawyer recollected the face of Jones, which he had seen at Mr. Allworthy's ; for he had often visited in that gentleman's kitchen."

It is proper to state that some editions read " Linlinch in Somersetshire."

The discrepancy is curious, as those acquainted with Fielding's life and writings cannot fail to realize that he was very well informed, often possessing first-hand knowledge, concerning much of the topo- graphy of Wiltshire, Dorsetshire, Hamp- shire, and Somerset, and consequently it is unlikely the error arose from mere want of knowledge on the point, a trivial one though it be.

It is barely possible that, having a pro- fessional acquaintance with the law of defamation, Fielding (or some friend to whom he read the manuscript) deemed it prudent to veil the personality of the mountebank the novelist thought proper to hold up to scorn, although such an attempted concealment alone would scarcely afford a successful defence at the present time. But against this supposition is to be placed the fact that a readiness to expose public abuses was a predominant characteristic of Field- ing's writings, and that the " unyielding- spirited man " (as Richardson tertned him), when once he had taken an abuse in hand, would scarcely in such a case as this have hedged behind a craftily worded attack. J. PAUL DE CASTRO.

1, Essex Court, Temple.

WHIST : THE MAKING OF TRUMPS. It would seem from the following passage that in some cases at least the dealer could declare trumps, three centuries ago. It may have been at a later date that the turn-up card was the trump.

1615. " As if shee threatned to make clubs trump, and thou neuer a blacke card in thy hand." Joseph Swetuam, ' Arraignment of Lewd Women,' p. 12.

RICHARD H. THORNTON.

ANNOUNCEMENTS IN NEWSPAPER OFFICE WINDOWS. Except on the occasions of Parliamentary elections, there is a growing tendency on the part of newspapers to withhold gratuitous news from the public. The placards are becoming less informative, and the familiar window announcements are now seldom seen.

The origin of the custom of posting up news prior to its publication in the journal probably goes back to a time earlier than the nineteenth century, but there is an interest- ing reference to it in a letter before me. Bluemantle (Martin), writing to Rouge Croix (Radclyffe), 21 Sept., 1809, says:

" The news of the day is that Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Canning have had a Duel the latter wounded through the thigh the former wounded also it may be depended upon as they have stuck up notices of it at the Newspaper Offices promising to publish the particulars.

ALECK ABRAHAMS.

WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries,. in order that answers may be sent to them direct.

BALNES, LALEHAM, LITTLYNGTON, AND* STANES. In the earliest document in which the name of Robert Eglesfield, the founder of Queen's College, is mentioned, a life- pension of 20s. per annum is granted to- him out of the manor of " Balnes " by Antony de Lucj% then lord of the manor. Twelve years afterwards King Edward III. grants to the same Robert the hamlet of Ravenwyk in exchange for lands of Robert's in " Laleham, Littlyngton and Stanes," in the county of Middlesex. Laleham and Stanes (Staines) are, of course, well known, but I should be glad to identify " Balnes " and " Littlyngton," and to discover whether the lands exchanged with the King stood in any relation to the manor on which Robert's pension was charged. I should add that the Laleham land is described as " manerium de la Hide de Laleham," and that the lands granted to the King are " in augmentationem manerii regis de Kenyng- ton." JOHN R. MAGRATH.

Queen's College, Oxford.

BENCE. I am anxious to ascertain, the relative distribution of this surname over the various counties of England, and to obtain statistics regarding its frequency. Up to the present I have been unable to find any records, although I have visited the British Museum and consulted the Registrar- General's statistics. W. R. B.

CALLIPEDES. Who was he ? An old author, writing about Charles I.'s intended visit to Scotland, likened him to Callipedes, " who was ever going, yet never went."

L. L. K.