Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 5.djvu/279

 128. V. OCT., 1919.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

273

In the 9th edition of his ' Parliamentary Practice,' p. 595, he writes of " Les prelats, seigneurs," &c., as " assemblies," thus turning D'Ewes's unaccented masculine " assembles " into the feminine.

ROBERT PIERPOINT.

BISHOPS OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY (12 S. iv. 330 ; v. 107, 161). There was only one William, Bishop of Dromore, in the fifteenth century. But his dates vary strangely. Gams (' Series Episcoporum Ecclesise Catholicae, 1873,' p. 217) says c. 1501, and places him after Georgius Brann (1487-1499). But Father Conrad Eubel (' Hierarchia Catholica. Medii Aevi,' ii. 1901, p. 162), puts him as early as 1463. Others give 1465-1488.

It is certain that Georgius Brann was translated to Elphin in 1499, but Gams gives 1487 as the date at which he began to rule at Dromore, and Eubel 1483. Eubel' s order seems the best authenticated. Gams (p. 233) says that William, Bishop of Dromore, helped in the province of York, 1463-1501. W. A. B. C.

WESTGARTH, INVENTOR (12 S. iv. 244). W. Wallace in his ' Alston Moor, its Pas- toral People, its Mines and Miners,' (New- 6astle, 1890), pp. 142-3, says the hydraulic engine for lead-mines was

"re-invented in 1765 by Mr. Westgarth, agent for the Coal Cleugh [lead] mines [Allendale, North- umberland] A history of this invention, written

by [John] Smeaton may be found in ' The Transac- tions of the Society of Arts' Two of Mr. West- garth's engines were erected in the Middle Cleugh [lead] mines [Alston], and both were in operation in 1784. One was erected at a later date in the Cross- fell mines."

A description of the working of these old hydraulic engines is given in an article entitled ' My First (and last) Descent into a Lead-mine in 1836,' which appeared in Chambers' s Journal about 1866. Perhaps the above brief note will enable some other contributor to give more details. I have reason to believe that this inventor was a native of co. Durham, and, as well as the querist, would welcome any further replies. J. W. FAWCETT.

Consett, co. Durham.

EXETER CATHEDRAL EPITAPH (12 S. v. 152, 241). An earlier example has just presented itself. In Mr. Mill Stephenson's ' List of Monumental Brasses in Surrey ' (' Surrey Archaeological Collections,'

vol. xxv.) there is a description of a brass to William Millebourne, Esq., 1415, which was formerly in Barnes Church, but has now

disappeared. It is mentioned by Aubrey and (with an illustration) by Lysons. The inscription ends with a Latin couplet corre- sponding exactly to that which Weever gives from Maldon.

In Mr. Stephenson's list St. Luke in the

earlier part of the inscription is made-

feminine, an error either of the original

engraver or the transcriber, or the printer.

EDWARD BENSLY.

Oudle Cottage, Much Hadham, Herts.

SIR WALTER RALEIGH AND QUEEN ELIZA- BETH AT SANDGATE (12 S. v. 96). The visit, as described, is surely very doubtful. It could not possibly be placed in or near 1573. In that year Raleigh was probably still f serving in arms in France. Certainly, he had not entered on London residence, and could have known nothing of the Court. In December, 1581, returning with despatches from Ireland, he first took the fancy of the Queen. Not over creditable in themselves they proved "happy despatches-" for Raleigh, and he speedily rose in favour.

Pillion-riding, even as a joke, was scarcely a mode of "progress" for Elizabeth, one would fancy. The Saraband, too-, in either" form, could hardly have been known in England at that date certainly would not be danced. GEORGE MARSHALL.

21 Parkfield Boad, Liverpool.

BIRDS POISONING CAPTIVE YOUNG (12 S. v. 210). I have been long aware of the fact that if young birds are taken from the nest and caged in an outdoor aviary, or in a place where they can be discovered by their" parents, the latter will visit and feed them, and attempt to release them. Some years ago I had ocular demonstrations of this in the case of some young nuthatches which were taken from a nest near West Grinstead and placed in an aviary at Henfield. They were taken there in a dog-cart by a friend (the late William Borrer of Cowfold), who remarked as he drove along that an old nuthatch was accompanying him along the roadside, flying from tree to tree. A few days after the young birds had been placed in the aviary he received a letter from the owner of it to say that they were being visited by a pair of old nuthatches who daily brought them food. At my request he drove me over to Henfield to see them, and as we sat on a garden seat watching we witnessed the arrival of one of the parent birds (presumably) which clung to the wires of the aviary, and fed one of the young. A further observation made by inde- pendent witnesses, both in England and