Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 4.djvu/284

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

[12 s. iv. OCT., I

The columns of ' N. & Q.' were occupied in February, 1880 if I do not err by a very animated discussion on all the points now raised by G. J., F.S.A. The principal contributors were the late DB. CRATJFURD TAIT RAMAGE and MR. CAMPBELL GRACIE, who, with many minor differences, were in perfect accord as to the descent of the Empress from the second son of the knight of Closeburn who at the battle of Burns- wark in 1483 took prisoner the 9th and last Earl of Douglas, and was rewarded by James III. by part of the barony of Kirk- michael. From him, 1st Baron of Kirk- michael, her descent is clear. It was verified by Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, the antiquary, and has never been ques- tioned. Full particulars are in my pos- session, and I shall gladly copy for G. J. any extracts he may require.

The only uncertainty to be noted is whether the last Baron, who sold Kirk- michael, was the grandfather or the great- grandfather of William Kirkpatrick of Conheath, whose son William (one of nine- teen children) was Eugenie's grandfather, the wine merchant of Malaga. Y. T.

The query on this subject reminds me that in the seventies I was accustomed to visib a retail tea and coffee shop in Queen Street, Cheapside, kept by a Mr. Kirk- patrick. It was a shop close to that of Messrs. Jones & Kvans, the booksellers. Mr. Kirkpatrick always used to speak of the Empress as his cousin Eugenie. He was a charming old gentleman of the old-world type, wearing tail-coat and, I believe, a white tie. The business must have been on that spot for many years. References to the Directories of that day would give some information with regard to it.

T. FISHER UNWIN.

1 Adelphi Terrace, W.C.2.

[The discussion to which Y. T. refers was rather earlier than 1880. It began in ' N. & Q.' for

Fir rs 187 -- (4 S ' "'^ and concluded on Ma y 1 '

SIR WALTER SCOTT IN NORTH WALES (12 S. iv. 126). The-following extract from the diary of my grandfather George Has well, dated Aug. 25, 1825, will not only support but prove MR. LLECHID JONES'S contention of the error in Lockhart's dates :

" ' The Great Unknown,' Sir Walter Scott, passed thro' this City on his return from Ireland to Scotland on Thursday week (18th), accom- panie : by Miss Scott and Mr. Lockett."

GEO. W. HASWELL. Chester.

CLITHEROE AND BRIBERY: PARLIAMEI ARY ELECTIONS (12 S. iii. 417, 510 ; iv. 23).- The following letters now in my possession,

1 which refer to ail earlier election than that described by MR. SELF WEEKS atv the second reference, may interest readers of

i ' N. & Q.' The writer of the first letter was probably a Preston man. As both are bound up in a small collection of letters addressed to Thomas Parker of Browsholme, Esq. (Phillipps MSS. 8396 and 20608), it is possible that he was the addressee. For an account of Sir Thomas Clarges see ' Diet. Nat. Biog.,' x. 398. A letter dated April 10, 1675, from Sir Thomas Stringer, touching his candidature, and addressed to Roger Kenvon, will be found in the ' Kenvon MSS",' Hist. MSS. Com., Rep. XIV. App/IV. p. 100.

[Fol. 1.] The occasion of this letter is upon Mr. Livesay ' informacion, who is secondary in y 9 King's Bench, a Gent, generally known to [be] honest and religious, he came twice to me this day, y e former time I was abroad, y e 2 a time about 3 a clock, when he told me y e occasion of his comming was to acquaint me y* S r Tho. String 1 had dealt unworthyly w th S r Tho. Clerges and his son by under minding them in their serious purpose as to this Election, by his private insinuacion, by making y* Duke of Albemarle belive y* it was in vain for S r Walter Clerges to proceed being soe young a man, and wholely a strang r to y e Town and country : but y' if it would plea.se his Grace to conferr his favour upon him and afford him his letter to the town in his behalfe, he doubted not but to carry it agst. S r Ralph [Assheton] : then he told me y e Duke had given him his letter, w th w h he is gone down this evening : and all this, as I s d before, w th out acquainting S r Tho. Clerges or his son, w ch has made such a breach, as Mr. Livesay says, betwixt > e Duke and his uncle S r Tho. Clerges as passes y* such a thing should be consented to by y e Duke after his soe great appearing for his son S r Walter, he should be soe easily dissuaded from S r Walter his nearest kinsman and bestow his favour upon such a man as this, w th out ever 'consulting w th S r Tho. or his son in it; for > e better confirmacion (for this is y* very effect, if not y 8 words, y* Mr. Livesay spoke to me) he told me he had writt to his brother Mr. Ldvesay of Livesay to this purpose: and he did alsoe promise to bring me S r Tho. Clerges own letter, to be sent down this next post, y* may declare more plainly S r Tho. Stringer his unworthy dealing. I told Mr. Ldvesay y* I had heard y* Mr. Marsden or Webster shoxild say shortly after y last assi/ea y* they would return e S r Walter Clerges or S r Tho. String 7, I doe not perfectly remember whether, tho they should have the fewer votes by many, for y e penalty was but 40" by y e Statute, whereupon he told me of a cause tryed in y e King's Bench this last Michaelmasa terrne, wherein S r Samuel Bernardeston sued S r William Slome, Sheriffe of Sufcolke, for making a false return of my L d Humb : and recovered J800 11 damages. 'I presume if this dealing of S r Tho.