Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 6.djvu/237

 12 s. vi. MAY s, i92o.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

and he had a choice and rare collection of plants, exotic and indigenous, which we_re arranged accord- ing to the Linnean system. It is reported that the ground thus formerly scientifically occupied, is now appropriated to the purposes of common vegetation.

Where the proud canna reard his lofty head, The curling parsley forms an humble bed ; Where the rich orange bow'd with odorous fruit, The trailing pea extends his vagrant shoot.

.A.

JOHN B. WAINEWRIQHT.

THE THIRD TROOP OF GUARDS (12 S. vi. Ill, 156). I should be obliged if MR. W. R. WILLIAMS could inform me whether he knows of any record which could be searched to see if the name of James Younger appears as belonging to the Third Troop. He was the father of a celebrated actress, who afterwards married the Hon. John Finch, brother of the Earl of. Winchelsea. Her mother was a near relative of Keith Earl Marshal. G. W. YOUNGER.

2 Mecklenburgh Square, W.C.I.

STOBART FAMILY (12 S. vi. 132). The following notices of members of the Stobart (Stobberd, Stobbert) family of Broomley, Northumberland, from my collection of Northumberland family records, may help in compiling a pedigree of this family :

1. William Stobberd was a tenant in teh Lee in Riding by Bywell St. Andrew, Northumberland, in 1524.

2. Matho Stobart attended the Muster Roll, with horse and harness, for Broomley by Bywell St. Peter, Northumberland, in 1538 ; was a lessee of a tenement of 12 acres at the annual rent of 12s. in Broomley, by lease of Sept. 15, 1566, for twenty-one years ; and was living in 1570 and 1576.

3. Edmund Stobert (probably son of Mathew) was tenant of a tenement in Broomley of 12 acres at the annual rent of 12s. in 1595 and in 1608.

4. Edmond Stobart (perhaps same as last) was rated at QL for his freehold in Broomley in the Book of Rates in 1663.

5. Edward Stobert (perhaps son of Edmund) paid the hearth- tax or subsidy for one chimney in Broomley in 1665.

6. George Stobbertt paid the hearth-tax for one chimney in New Ridley Greavship by Broomley in 1665.

7. Thomas Stobart of Troughend by Elsdon, Northumberland, voted at the election of knights of the shire of Northum- berland, in respect of lands at New Ridley by Broomley, in 1748 and 1774.

8. Richard Stobart was awarded an allotment of one acre, in lieu of common of

pasture appurtenant to lands in New Ridley: by Broomley, on the enclosure of Broomley Common in 1817.

9. George Stobart was awarded an allot- ment of two acres at the same place in 1817..

10. Charles Stobart voted at the election. of knights of the shire of Northumberland for his freehold lands in New Ridley bjr Broomley in 1826 and 1832.

11. Emanuel Stobart of Dunglas in Scot- land voted at the same election for his free- hold farm at Redshaw foot, Ridley, in 1832~

J. W. FAWCETT. Templetown House, Consett.

PRINCE CHARLES IN NORTH DEVON (12 S. vi. 36, 150). Was it not Christabella, _the- wife of Edmund Wyndham, who was Prince- Charles's " nurse " ? a lady of a very- different stamp from Anne Wyndham, nee Gerard. Edmund was the eldest brother of Francis. CONSTANCE RUSSELL.

Swallowfield Park, Beading.

"DlDDYKITES" AND GlPSIES (12 S.

vi. 149). In Somerset this word is " didicoy" or " didicai," and we natives of the " Land of Summer " pride ourselves that it is- peculiar to our county, and, in fact, is limited to a somewhat prescribed portion. A " didicai " is a gipsy. The term is more- likely to be heard in the district of Crew- kerne, Chard, Landport, and Castle Gary than elsewhere. A variant of it has appar- ently slipped over the border into Dorset, but by whatever name gipsies may be< known I think it is only in Somerset one will hear them called "didicais." It will be waste of time to look in the ordinary dic- tionary or local glossary for the word and, therefore, there is much doubt as to its^ derivation. Some assert that it means a, deceiver or pretender. Years ago, in Somerset cottages, if a child were offered something and declined it, though it was. well known the present would be acceptable, the remark was made : " She (or he) is &.> regular little didicai," meaning a pretender. And would not this explanation apply to the old-fashioned gipsy who used to come round to the country cottages and pretend to< forecast the future ? There was nothing which used to please us more as children than to see a little boy "didicai." He was always quaintly picturesque, because ^he was a reduced copy of the old " didicai " his father even to the billycock hat and the cut of his little trousers, coat, waistcoat,, and coloured scarf. These children, always appeared shy when among strangers, spoke; but little ; they accepted any present say: