Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 6.djvu/80

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 S.VL MARCH, im

BLOOMSBURY. There has recently been Some correspondence in The Times relative to the derivation of this place-name. Mr. E. Williams attributed the origin to William de Blemont, brother of Gervase of Cornhill, who flourished about the year 1200 ; and incidentally remarked that Blemont was probably a French equivalent of Cornhill. However, another writer, Mr. S. O. Addy, showed that in that case the resulting name would have been Williamsbury, and not Bloomsbury ; and went on to point out that at Rotherham a prehistoric earth-work exists known as Blue Man's Bower, which tradition says gets its name from a blue, i.e., black, or coloured man of that locality. This fact was taken fully to corroborate Canon McClure's explanation of the first element in Bleomansbury the earliest Saxon form of the word as denoting the habitation in early times of a man of negroid characteristics.

It may be added that the prototype of Bluebeard of the nursery tale must be regarded a; a person of Asiatic, or Moorish, physique, an Othello in fact. N. W. HILL.

THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY ; RE- VIEW. (See 12 S. v. 335.) To the quotation from Hood, giving " swim " in the sense of giddiness, might be added, from a poet of the nineteenth century :

The arena swims around him, where the word is transferred from the senses to the object of the senses (Byron, 'Childe Harold,' IV. cxl. on the Dying Gladiator). AETHYIA.

CHURCH OF ST. KATHERINE COLEMAN. While the loss of any city church is to be regretted the impending demolition of this ugly building will probably pass unnoticed. Situated in Church Row, Fenchurch Street, it dates only from 1740, when it replaced from the designs of "Home" a pre-Refor- mation church that had escaped the Great Fire.

The churchyard has been a meagre but pleasant oasis of trees and grass in a wilder- ness of brick and stone. The adjoining railway station, exceptionally unsightly, enhanced the charm of this tiny patch, and comparing the area of this churchyard with that shown in the eighteenth-century maps it is evident that it had been reduced con- siderably in all directions. I offer no in- formation as to the history and associations of the church ; it is apparently rather barren of memories compared with its neighbours, St. Olave, Hart Street, and St.

Catherine's Cree Church. Its iconography also is not remarkable but for the fact that its most desirable representation, a small quarto " etched (engraved) by J. Skelton after J. Corney for the Architectural Series- of London Churches," identifies it as " St. Katherine, Coleman Street " [sic].

ALECK ABRAHAMS.

WHITTLESEY, CAMBS. 'Ref erring to a notice in the papers of a controversy over an oak chest containing the town's archives, the Society of Genealogists would like to- call attention to the fact that it holds a large collection of notes and copies from- Whittlesey Manor Court Rolls and other records. These are contained in fourteen' MS. books and some hundreds of loose- sheets, and much of the material is indexed: for easy reference. They are marked: " D. MSS. 242-257."

GEORGE SHERWOOD, Hon. Treas*.

The Society of Genealogists of London. 5 Bloomsbury Square, W.C.l.

WAR AND PAPER- SUPPLY. Dependence- on imported supplies of paper for book-print- ing during peace, and consequent shortage in war-time* appears to .be no latter-day problem to face and fight.

Dr. Edmund Gibson, afterwards Arch- bishop of Canterbury, writing from Lambeth to Ralph Thoresby, historian of Leeds,, oat June 14, 1709 remarks: .*

" While the treaty of peace was depending I could, not tell what to say to the contents of your last letter ; because of late very little paper has been, imported upon a prospect of peace ; and all print- ing, except of pamphlets, is at a stand tor the present. The thoughts of peace being now over, the question is, whether you will think tit to put your work to press, under the present inconvenienoe- of a scarcity and dearness of paper, or will wait till it pleases God to open a way to peace, and with.

that a trade to France As' to the charge, when

I know the number of sheets and plates, I can get it exactly calculated for you; but at present the printer need not be put to that trouble, if you- resolve to wait tor paper from France, which will* very much lower the charge, and be an encourage- ment to undertake it at your own expense."

The coarser-fibred paper suitable for pamphlet-printing, like the looser-textured paper used in modern newspaper-printing, appears to have been a less restricted* market. J. PAUL DE CASTRO.

1 Essex Court. Temple.

FATHER OF THE CHAPEL. A curious link- that connects the modern Press with the Church is preserved in this quaint appella- tion. It appears that it originated in the mediaeval monastery, where it was customary