Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 5.djvu/139

 12 S. V. MAY, 1919.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

133

HERALDIC : CAPTOR AND HIS CAPTIVE'S ARMS (12 S. iv. 188, 251, 334; v. 26). The cases of Bullock and Asheton are both post -mediaeval. If such a usage as is in question ever existed, it must be traceable in the Middle Ages. But no mediaeval case has ever been found, while there is a con- siderable number of cases of transfer of armorial bearings by sale, gift, or legacy. The Asheton case is the earliest, referring to the battle of Flodden, 1513. Tong's account is therefore of a date twenty years later, and even then he seems to be in doubt, as was Master Asheton, as to how the captured arms should be borne. Master Bullock in 1568 at least has no doubt that he " wonne " the arms of his Cockburn opponent twenty-eight years before, in 1540. The development of the idea is clear. There is no doubt that the Elizabethan heralds believed in the existence of this right of arms by capture, but for a great many of their opinions no foundation of earlier facts has been produced, so we shall do w r ell to remain reluctant to transfer Elizabethan ideas to mediaeval times.

E. O. W.'s two cases (iv. 334) do not bear upon the question. They refer to arms borne not by right of capture, but by grant of the sovereign, and give the reasons assigned by tradition for the specific arms granted. For the complete text of the Bullock deed see Journal of the British Archaeological Association, 1891, part iv.

ftj D - L - G -

In ' John Gary, the Plymouth Pilgrim,' by Seth C. Gary, appear two other versions of the story of the Gary coat of arms. The first, from Burke' s ' Heraldry, 1 supplies some details not given in Izacke's ' Memorials of Exeter ' (ante, p. 26). After relating Sir Robert Gary's acceptance of the Aragon knight's challenge, it continues :

" At length this noble Champion vanquished the presumptuous Aragonois, t'6r which King Henry V. restored unto him a good part of his father's lands, which for his loyalty to Kichard II. he had been deprived of by Henry IV., and authorized him to bear the Arms of a Knight of Aragon, which the noble posterity continue to wear unto this day ; for according to the laws of Heraldry, whoever fairly in the field conquers his adversary may justify the wearing of his Arms.'

The second is from the Herald's Visita- tion, 1620 :

" In the time of Henry V. cam out of Aragon a lusty gentleman into England, and challenged to do feites of armes, with any English gentleman without exception. This Sir Robert Gary hearing thereof, made sxiite forthwith to the Prince, that he might answer the challange, which was granted,

and Smithficld was the place appointed for tht- same, who, at the day and time prefixed, botbu parties mett and did performe sundrie feates of armes, but in the end this Eobert gave the foils and overthrow to the Aragon Knight, disarmed, and spoiled him, which his doings so well pleased the Prince, that he receyved him into great favor r caused him to be restored to the most part of his father's landes, and willed him also, for a per- petual! memorie of his victorie, that he should henceforth give the same armes as the Aragon Knight, which is Argent, on bend sable three roses- argent, for before they did beare gules, chevron. entre three swans argent."

H. TAPLEY-SOPER. City Library, Exeter.

" OH, DEAR ! WHAT CAN THE MATTER: BE ? " (12 S. iv. 245.) I have never come- across the Latin rendering of this nursery song, the first part of which MR. FOSTER PALMER sends ; therefore I cannot help him to the last part which he seeks. But, lest his search prove ineffectual, I venture to place at his service a suggestion for a con- clusion. The last lines will then run thus i Tardus ad emporium. Fasciculumque ligare promisit, Nitida mi coma crocea ni sit Solutilis nimium.

H. D. ELLIS. Conservative Club, St. James's Street, S.W.I.

I would reply to my own query by sug- gesting that the last line should read " lanthinum auric omam." It would thenc* run :

Tardus ad emporium.

Fasciculumque ligare promisit

lanthinum auricomam.

J. FOSTER PALMER, 3 Oakley Street, S.W.3.-

HENCHMAN, HINCHMAN, OR HITCHMAIT. (3 S. iii. 150; 12 S. ii. 270, 338; iii. Ill- iv. 24, 304, 340). The main point brought forward by MR. AUGUSTINE SIMCOE at iv. 304 appears to be that the Hensmaik family are now located, and were located as far back as 1573, in Northamptonshire,, from which part the Henchman family are known to have come, and that therefore the two families may have a common origin. This may be, but I fear that at this late- date it will be nearly impossible to establish it definitely. Unfortunately, I know nothing of Northants, but our family history says :

" The various parishes in which the Henchman fam.'ly is known to have resided Barton Segrave,, Broughton, Harrowden, Burton Latimer, Rushton,. Cottesbrook, Gt. Dodington, and Irchester are all clustered round the two towns of Kettering and Wellingborough."

Bozeat though doubtless there also is- not mentioned.