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NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. vn. DEC. 25, 1920.

JAMES IMRAY'S NAUTICAL ACADEMY. Imray, who was a chart publisher, started a nautical academy at 105 Minories in the 'forties of last century. What is known about it ? It was under the direction of James Gordon, M.A. (Aberd.) a voluminous writer on nautical education. When did he die ? J. M. BULLOCH.

JAKOB GORDON, POLISH WRITER. Gor- don (born 1827) wrote a score of auto- biographic books and novels, several of which are in the British Museum, and many more in the " Bibliograpia Polska." He was at one time in Russia and went to America where he seems to have been naturalized, while some of his books were translated into German. Has any been done in English, and is there any English account of him printed ? Polish floors me.

J. M. BULLOCH.

37 Bedford Square, W.C.I.

SHIPMEADOW, co. SUFFOLK. Any in- formation or biographical particulars con- I cerning the past rectors of this living would be welcomed. I have the list from Suck- ling's 'History of Suffolk. 1

WILFRED J. CHAMBERS. The Rectory, Shipmeadow, nr. Beccles, Suffolk.

VOUCHER = RAILWAY TICKET. In Whyte- Melville's racing and racy sketches of "Tilbury Nogo," his hero, Nogo, takes a " voucher " at Euston Square for the great hunting centre Melton Mowbray. At what date did the coarser tickets supplant the delicate "voucher" a word still in com- mercial use ? Likewise, how were these vouchers made out ? Were they cards or printed notes similar to those still used for excess charges ? M. L. R. BRESLAR.

WOOL GATHERING. In Warcop Registers (Westmorland) among the Burials for 1669 is the following entry :

" John Sewell of Sandford who perished by water being as its conceived gathering woole after the sheep washers in Eden, fell down, and befor being much languished through great sicknes cold not recover himself but therein suffered June 17."

Can any reader give any details about the custom of gathering w ool ? Were the gatherings sought by poor people who did not own any sheep ? Evidently the phrase.

''Your wits are wool gathering" arose from this custom. As is well known the sheep clippings were the occasion of great

estivity. When the shearing was over,

all those who had taken part in it were given a substantial supper, which was often followed by cards and dancing. Such old songs as 'Tarry Woo ' and 'The Brewer's good health it shall go round ' were sung. Is it possible that the sheep-washing was a similar scene of gaiety, and that the merry doings were in the thoughts of men and maidens for days afterwards, causing them to forget their work, and that exasperated masters and mistresses put this state of mind down to the wool gathering ?

E. W. BRUNSKILL. Cark-in-Cartmel, North Lanes.

JOHN RAYNER OF DRAYTON. Can corre- spondents of 'N. & Q.' kindly say if John Rayner of Drayton, Notts, who married Anne, daughter of Sir William Hickman of Gainsborough (extinct baronets) was the father of (or what relation to) Christopher Rayner, merchant, of London, whose daughter Hester married Sir Gilbert Heath- cote, 1st baronet ?

WM. jACKSON-PlGOTT.

Manor House, Dundrum, co. Down.

OLIVER CROMWELL : A NAMESAKE. In the course of a recent search in the parish- register of Basford, Notts, I came across this arresting entry among the baptisms :

" John, son of Oliver Cromwell, Gent., and Mary his wife, born 2 June, 1696."

There are no further occurrences of the surname, so that the parents were pre- sumably travellers or sojourners, but clearly of some social status. Can they be iden- tified as connected with the family of the Protector ? A. STAPLETON.

29 Shakespeare Villas, Nottingham.

GAINSBOROUGH AND REYNOLDS.- Can any reader of ' N. & Q. ' tell me who is the present owner of the letter Gainsborough wrote to Reynolds in 1782 to thank him for pur- chasing the picture of the ' Girl with Pigs ' ? The letter was sold at Sotheby's about ten years ago. WILLIAM T. WHITLEY.

57jjGwendwr Road, West Kensington, W.I 4.

HOLDER OF GLOUCESTER. Anthony Holder of Winterbourne, Alveston, co. Gloucester, was a brother of the Rev. Christopher Holder who came to America in 1656. Were they connected with the family, one of whom, the Rev. William Holder, married a sister of Sir Christopher Wren ? Information will oblige an Ameri- can cousin. C. B. A.