Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 4.djvu/302

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. iv. NOV., ins.

Harpur ; the costume is not that of the time in which he lived, but appears to be that of the early Georgian period. Below the statue is the following inscription :

Ecce Viator ! Corporea Effigies Gulielmi Harpur, Equitis Aurati,

Scholae Istius Quam cernis ampliam et ornatam

Munificentissimi Fundatoris. Si Anim.se Picturain spectare velis In Charta Beneflciorum invenias delineatam.

Sir William Harpur died in 1573.

COL. SMELT.

Castletown, Isle of Man. On the market- place in front of Castle Rushen stands a tall Doric column on a square pedestal, ap- proached by steps. It is described by Wilkie Collins in his novel ' Armadale ' as " a memorial pillar dedicated to one Governor Smelt, with a flat top for a statue, and no statue standing on it." The pedestal is thus inscribed :

Erected

in memory of

Col. Cornelius Smelt

Lieut. Govr.

of this Island,

who died Nov. 28th, 1832,

in the 28th year

of his Government

and the 85th year

of his age.

JOHN T. PAGE. Long Itchington, Warwickshire.

(To be continued.)

ST. MARTIN'S DAY AND THE GBEAT WAR. It is singularly appropriate that the armistice declared on the llth of this month, which will be for ever memorable, should have taken place on St. Martin's Day, the anniversary of the death of " the Soldier Saint," the "Apostle of the Gauls."

St. Martin, Bishop of Tours, began life as a soldier, and the familiar legend relates that, seeing a poor beggar perishing with cold, he divided his soldier's cJoak with him. This cloak, being miraculously preserved, long formed one of the most valued relics of France, and whenever war was declared it was carried before the French king, and, tradition says, never failed to secure victory.

If the armistice had been declared a day or two earlier, the new Lord Mayor might have followed the example of one of his predecessors Sir Samuel Dashwood who on his inauguration as Lord Mayor in 1702 had St. Martin in his procession in a mag- nificent suit of armotir, mounted on a richly

caparisoned white charger, and wearing a- costly scarlet cape. When the procession stopped at St. Paul's the Soldier Saint, drawing his sword, cut his clcak into many pieces, and distributed them amongst the- beggars who formed part of the Show. After this ceremony the procession went on. to Gxiildhall, where Queen Anne dined with* the Lord Mayor. CONSTANCE RUSSELL. Swallowfield Park, Reading.

SIR WALTER RALEIGH, EAST LONDONER. The end of October was the Tercentenary week of one of the greatest and most romantic of the Elizabethans the founder of Virginia ; it mg-y therefore be well to recall the fact that at times Sir Walter Raleigh was a resident East Londoner when contemplating and preparing some of the most important adventures across the- Atlantic, North and South. He certainly had a residence in Mile End, within easy distance of the Thames by Ratcliff Cross and Stairs. He dates from Mile End on May 23, 1596, and there is no doubt that Sir Walter was actively engaged in maritime- preparations at various times in the waterside- hamlets of the ancient manor of Stepney then the Port of London, whose centre was Old Ratcliff. Here he must have recruited many Armada veterans and their sons " to singe the Spaniard's beard."

In the Register of Stepney Church there is recorded, under date of Aug. 26, 1596, the- burial of "a man-servant of Sir Walter Raylie ; his name unknown ; buryed from Mile End." This entry is evidence on the still disputed point of the pronunciation of Sir Walter's family name, at least in the days of the Virgin Queen among the- scribes of the clerking class.

Blackwall is often mentioned in Sir Walter Raleigh's letters to Cecil, and is spelt Blakewale, Blakwale, and Braekwale_ On May 3, 1596, Raleigh writes, "From Blakwale, reddy to go down agayne this tyde " ; and further on in the same letter he spells it " Braekwale." He was then organizing the expedition to Cadiz ; and the next day he wrote from Northfleet that " if this strong wind last, I will steale to Blakewale to speake with you, and to kiss your hands." In other letters to Cecil Raleigh often refers to " Ratleife " and " Racklief." Bustling about, as he then, was, up and down the river, Sir Walter was naturally familiar with the landing stairs,, and most of all the Stairs nearest to his residence on Mile End Green. Nevertheless,, a persistent tradition has always given Raleigh some sort of residence in the then.