Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 7.djvu/609

 12 s. vii. DEO. 26, 1020.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

501

LONDON, DECEMBER S5, 19X0.

CONTENTS. No. 141.

NOTES: An Unpublished Letter of Sir Walter Scott, 501 Nola: Cnollare : Pulsare, 502 Extracts from the Aldeburgh Records, 503 An Italian Literary Republic in the Eighteenth Century, 504 St. Paul's Cathedral, 506 A few Warwickshire Kolk-Sayings A Note on Pepys's Diary, 507'* In love with love.," A Sheriff's Post, 508.

QUERIES: -Death of Queen Anne, 503-The Vase of Soissons Pamphlet on Kensington Square Bulgoldorf Portrait of Lord Monteagle. 509 -James Imray's Nautical Academy Jakob Gordon Polish Writer Shipmeadow, -co. Suffolk- Voucher=Railway Ticket- Wool Gathering John Rvyner of Drayton Oliver Cromwell: a Name- sakeGainsborough and Reynolds Holder of Gloucester, 510 Johnson's ' Learned Swede ' Chester Bagot Books on Kighteenth-Century Life Lady Catherine Paulet : Sir Henry Berkeley Kentish Boroughs Kidalton Cross Author Wanted Authors of Quotations Wanted, 511.

REPLIED Early Railway Travelling, 511 " Now then ! " 512 Askell Family Gaspar Barlaeus, 513 Mr. Serjeant Ballantine's Fee" That" and " Which" Gold Bowl Gift of George I. ' Poor Uncle Ned,' 514 Dorothy Vernon ' Memoirs ' of Jean Landrieux The Talbot Inn, A shbourne -Tavern Signboards : King John, 515 Byerley of viidriggravingft. Durham The Hermit of Hertfordshire "Bottle-slider" William and Ralph Sheldon, 516 French Prisoners of War in England St. Oswald Royal Arms in Churches, 517 Jocelyn Flood " H " aspire" Thomas Fuller : Reference Wanted Author of Quota- tion Wanted.

NOTES ON BOOKS:' Opera bactenus inedita Rogeri Baconi, Fasc. V. Secretum Secretorum ' ' Spanish Ballads ' ' Folk-Lore.'

Notices to Correspondents.

AN UNPUBLISHED LETTER OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.

I AM enclosing a photograph of an unpub- lished letter from Sir Walter Scott, which I thought might be of interest to readers of 4 N. & Q.' It was written to my grand- father, then living in Ireland, but to whom or what the letter refers I cannot say, and should be very glad if anyone could tell me. i fancy the lady mentioned was of the Murray family, for my grandfather was descended from a daughter of Col. Adam Murray (the hero of the siege of London- derry). We have the snuff - box King William III. gave him at the Battle of the Boyne. He also used to say one of his fore- bears named Kennedy was attainted after the rebellion of '15 or '45, when he fled from Scotland to the north of Ireland and assumed the name of Wilson. I fancy Sir Walter Scott's letter had reference to some peerage in dispute at this time, and to which my grandfather imagined he might have some claim.

SIR

You arc heartily wellcome to any gossipping information which I may have concerning your enquiries only I am living much retired and apart from the records which you ought to consult if your genealogical enquiries are serious.

I know the family of Murray of Philiphaugh perfectly well What remains of the estate is in the hands of Mr. Murray who succeeded to the family property about a year ago I knew his brother very well. Their fathers embarassments caused the property to be sold which was a good one What remains is' the single farm of Philip- haugh about 800 yearly They are a family of great antiquity and distinction in Ettricke forest and were hereditary sheriffs of that district till the office was new modelled in the 1748 when they were deprived of the jurisdiction. They are certainly not descended from the Duke of Athole and I suppose would hardly take such a descent as a compliment. They claim a right of chiefship of their own and I believe very justly There is an ancient tradition describing them as springing] from an outlawed Murray who held out in Ettrick forest against [the King of] Scotland as [? and] was admitted to feu conditions There is a song about this which I published many years since in a collection of such things called the Minstrelsy of the Scottish border. I have known the family for many years and my mother used to talk of some cousin- ship which that excellent lady carried to a distance un thought in these days I am now writing within four or five miles miles (sic) of Hangingshaw. I looked into Sir Robert Douglas Baronage of Scotland but could no[t] find Robert the defender of Derry I remark about the period a Colonel John but Douglas is frequently inaccurate. I conclude when the proprietor comes to live as he now proposes at his estate here he will be acquainted with me and may if you desire it be able to explain the connexion As however this gentleman has been long out of the country he may be perhaps more indifferent on the subject than an oldfashioned person like myself

Tnere was an elopement of a Lady of the Cassilis family a wife not a daughter which is celebrated in tradition and is sung to a beautiful melody. Her gallant was a certain Johnie Faa captain of a band of gipsies The incensed earl seized on the whole band and put them to death The ghastly faces which surround the old tower at Maybole are said to represent the gay deceiver and his crew. They seem ordinary architraves [sic, by a slip for corbels] supporting an architrave. Nor did I hear of any body who could point out the peccant Lady Cassilis with precision though there is a portrait shewn as hers in the palace of Holyrood. At any rate she has nothing to do with the story connected with your family story. I saw as you mention that Lady Mordington and Lady Cassilis made claims of peerage to intimidate the police officers to intrude upon the gaming parties. The House of Peers declared against sustaining such a claim. This was in 1745 But 1 know nothing of the fate of Lady Elizabeth daughter of the gambling lady save that she certainly existed So that really I can give you little account of the matters in which you are so laudably interested.