Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 3.djvu/488

 482

NOTES AND QUERIES.

[12S. III. Nov., 1917.

" Ille annulus in eodem teniplo, multa venera- tione perdin. est servatus, quod salutaris esset mernbris stupcntibus, valeretque adversus cornitialem roorbum, cum tangeretur ab illis qui eiasraodi tcntaretur rnorbis. Hinc natum, xit reges postca Angliae consueverint in die parasceves, multa cserimonia sacra re annulos, quos qui gerunt, hisce morbis omnino non vex- antur."

In ' Le Mars Francois,' pp. 61-2, these words of Polydorus Virgilius are quoted.

However, the belief in the healing power of the king's touch existed at various epochs and in many countries. Pliny tells us that King Pyrrhus cured patients of the milt : " sicut Pyrrho regi pollex in dextro pede : cuius tactu lyenosis medebatur " (' Hist. Nat.,' lib. vii. cap. ii.). Vespasian in Alexandria was asked to anoint the eyes of a blind man with his saliva (" precabatur principem ut genas et oculorum orbes dig- naretur respergere oris excremento "), and to stamp on the withered hand of another man (" alius manum seger. . . .ut pede ac vestigio Csesaris calcaretur orabat "), in order to cure their respective diseases, and obtained the desired result (Tacitus, " Hist.,' lib. iv. n. Ixxxi. ; Suetonius, ' Vit. XII. Caesar.,' in Vesp. vii.). Several kings with powers of this kind are mentioned in ' Le Mars Francois,' and also by Sir J. G. Frazer in 'The Golden Bough :*The Magic Art,' vol. i. (London, 1913), chap. vi. pp. 366-72.

As for the explanation of this belief, Sir James Frazer' s theory makes it clear. As is well known, his theory aboxit kingship is that kings in general were evolved from magicians, and that they retained some magical functions for a certain length of time. JOSEPH M. BATISTA Y ROCA.

Princesa 20, pral., Barcelona, Catalonia.

"THE THREE ARMS" AT BOLTON.

(See ' The Bolton Light Horse : The Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry.')

(12 S. iii. 419.)

IN reply to the query of R. S. B. I beg to offer the following memoranda.

In 1890 The Daily Chronicle of Bolton published a pamphlet for me entitled ' Historical Notes on Bolton super Moras,' and I make the following extracts there- from :

" [George III.] 1794. Loyal Bolton Volun- teers raised by Lieut.-Col. Peter Rasbotham and Major Ralph Fletcher. (Disbanded May 2, 1820.)

" Their colours were deposited in the Parish Church. Bolton does not appear to have joined in the military enrolment of Volunteers in Lan- cashire in 1779." P. 54.

" 1798. Bolton Light Horse Volunteers enrolled by Major Pilkington, Commandant. Inspected by General Bulwer at Preston, June 12, 1805.... Disbanded 1816.

" 1803 Aug. 15. Meeting under John Pil- kington, Borough Reeve, decided to raise 1,000 men by voluntary enlistment.

" Fixed quotas of men to be furnished by each township. .. .Each township to pay for clothing four guineas per man furnished. [Six guineas fine for each man deficient in quota.]

" 1808. Transfer of the Volunteer Corps (raised in 1803) to Militia [under] Colonel Fletcher. Militia disbanded 1815." P. 55.

On Sept. 22, 1819, the Bolton troop of the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry- Cavalry was raised by Capt. James Kearsley, son of James Kearsley of Newbrook House (died 1808), and grandfather of Col. Percy Hargreaves, the present (1917) Hon. Colonel of the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry Cavalry.

The Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry is the 12th in order of precedence among yeomanry cavalry. The first eleven yeo- manry cavalry regiments were raised in the period 1794-1803 ; and the next three, in- cluding the Duke of Lancaster's Own, in 1819. No more were raised for seven years (till 1826), when the Southern Notts were raised ; but in 1830 and 1831 no fewer than twenty regiments of yeomanry were added ; and the four others, which com- pleted the thirty-nine corps in existence at the beginning of this war, were raised before 1848.

The Furness Light Horse are, I suppose, part of the Westmorland and Cumberland Hussars, who are 1 7th in order of precedence, and were raised in 1830. The Lancashire Hussars are 39th in precedence.

In 1859 the Bolton Infantry Volunteer " Subdivision " was formed under Lieut. Arthur Bailey and Ensign Cross Ormrod. Increased in 1860 to four companies, and numbered 27th L.R.V. Renumbered (1880) 14th L.R.V. Increased to twelve com- panies, and renumbered (1883) 2nd Vol. Batt. Loyal North Lancashire (47th Regi- mental District, Preston). Finally (1905) transferred to the Territorial Force as 5th Batt. L.N.L.R.

In 1860 the Great Lever and Bolton Garrison Artillery Volunteer " Subdivision " was raised by Capt. Charles Ainsworth. Increased (1861) to three batteries. Again increased (1889) to an artillery brigade as the 9th Lancashire Artillery, and attached to the Southern Division of the Royal Artillery. Subsequently renamed the 3rd East Lancashire Brigade (the Bolton Ar- tillery), and including the 18th (A Battery ),