Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 6.djvu/257

 1*8. VI. MAY 15,1920.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

209

THE INVENTION OF THE HOLY CROSS. How old or how recent is the Church com- memoration of the " Finding of the Cross " ? What relation, if any, does it bear to the "Holy Rood" discovered at Montacute in the reign of Canute and brought to Wal- tham by a team of oxen, thereby leading to the founding of Waltham Abbey ?

Is any like commemoration kept at Waltham ? And, further, in records of sacred relic?, is the " true cross " of Jerusa- lem differentiated from the "Holy Rood" attached to Waltham Abbey history ?

WILLIAM R. POWER.

157 Stamford Hill, N.16.

[The Feast of the Invention, or Finding, of the Holy Cross is an ancient one. It commemorates the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine, at Jerusalem. This is said to have taken place in the year 326. The silence of Eusebius has caused some doubt to be thrown upon the story ; but it would seem to have the testimony of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, a contem- porary of Eusebius, in its favour, and it is certain that the commemoration of the " Finding of the Cross," instituted first at Jerusalem, had spread throughout the Church by about the first half of the eighth century. Fr. Thurston, in his in- teresting article on the Calendar in ' The Catholic Encyclopaedia,' sets out in full a Calendar which belonged to St. Willibrord, the Apostle of the Frisians, " probably written in England between 702 and 706." In this the Feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross is assigned to May 7 instead of to May 3, the usual day in the Western Church.]

FITZHENRY. Who is the father oi Henry, father of Robert FitzHenry, Lord of Lathom ? By Burscough Charter, this Robert FitzHenry, Lord of Lathom 1173-99, was grantee of lands in Manchester fee from Albert Gredle the elder (T. de N., 823), Founder of Burscough Priory circa 1170, which was endowed by him (int. al.) with the churches of Ormskirk and Flixton (Ormerod) ? ALFRED RANSFORD.

East Elloe, Hunstanton.

WEARING A CROSS ON S. PATRICK'S DAY. Swift, 'Journal to Stella,' Mar. 17, 1712-13, writes : " The Mall was so full of crosses that I thought all the world was Irish." Brand quotes from an Irish dictionary : " Seamroy, clover, trefoil ; worn by Irishmen in their hats, by way of a cross, on St. Patrick's Day." How old is the custom of wearing the shamrock ? G. G. L.

OVEY, Timothy Perry, merchant of St. Benet Sherehog, London (son of Thomas Perry of Cirencester, b. 1632, d. Mar. 20, 1707, will proved May 5, 1707, and Mercy Dansey, his wife, bur. at Cirencester June 15, 1668), bought the Manor of

co. Gloucester, and obtained a grant of arms Sept. 14, 1708. He married Jane, dau. and co-heir of John Ovey of Greenville Green, Watlington, co. Oxon. John Ovey was buried at Turville, co. Bucks, December, 1707, and Jane d. December, 1729. A John Ovey bought the Rectory Manor at Turville, co. Buoks, in 1653, was this the father of Jane ? Who were the parents and wife of

John Ovey 1

What were his arms, if any ? H. PIRIE- GORDON.

LOUISA DE BOSCH (b. June 28, 1798) married ante 1821 Oliver Hughes Toulmin (b. April 17, 1793, d. April, 1874). Who were her parents ? Was the De Bosch family resident in England or was Louisa a Belgian refugee ? H. PiRiE-GoRDON.

20 Warwick Gardens, Kensington, W.14.

TURKEY MERCHANTS. Who was Thomas Pye, member of above circa 1630 ?

E. E. COPE.

SIR WILLIAM BLACKSTONE, 1723-80. The official catalogue of exhibits at the Caxton Celebration at South Kensington in 1877 included amongst ' Engraved Portraits of Celebrated Men at One Time Printers,' one of Blackstone, a note stating that he " was in his youth a practical printer." I find nothing in the 'D.N.B.,' or in earlier bio- graphical dictionaries, which supports the assertion, any reference regarding which

would be welcome.

W. B. H.

[Does not the statement refer to Blackstone's connexion with the Clarendon Press, of which a short account is given in the ' D.N.B.' ?]

THE REV. JOHN sometime vicar of

BOULTBEE, 1703-58, Castle Donnington,

co. Leics., was he related to the family of Boultbee of Springfield, near Knowle (co. Warwick) ? If so, what was the relation- ship ? L. C. B.

"WHITE WINE." Among a number of silver wine labels, bearing the hall marks of 1770-80, is one marked "White Wine." The others are port, sherry, Madeira, brandy. What wine would be designated "white"

at that period ?

T. F. D.

JOHN DE BURGO, Chancellor of Cambridge University 1383-86, and author of ' Pupilla Oculi.' I should be glad to learn anything of his subsequent career ; why he held so short a term of office ; was he in disgrace, and whither did he retire at the end of his

ihancellorship ? Felsted.

E. ILIFF ROBSON.