Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 8.djvu/146

 116 NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. vm. FEB. 5, 1921. LONDON COACHING AND CARRIERS' INNS IN 1732 (12 S. viii. 61). With reference to the carriers from Blossoms Inn, Lawrence Lane, referred to at ante, p. 62, I see that MR. DE CASTRO translates " Stopport " as "Southport." I hardly think that this can be correct, seeing that the site of Southport, in those days, was merely a sweep of barren sandhills. Having regard to the fact that the carriers on the same day accepted goods for Manchester and Sandbach, it seems to me that, from the geographical point of view, " Stopport " is obviously Stockport. T. A. KENYON. 31 Derby Road, Soutbport. LADY ANNE GRAHAM (12 S. viii. 70). It may interest MR. JOHN D. LE COUTEUR to know that, among my family archives, there is a letter written to a great-grand- father of mine by John Dolbel, of Jersey, under date July 20, 1813. This document, which was printed for the first time in The Connoisseur (January, 1915), describes in some detail the experiences of the writer's son, Cornet Dolbel, in the affair at Morales (Peninsula War), June 2, 1813. In addition to other amplifying facts, I am indebted to Col. Harold Malet, the learned historian of the 18th Hussars, for a note that young Dolbel broke his neck by falling from his horse in March, 1814. It transpires, from the letter in question, that my great-grandfather saved Cornet Dolbel' s life on some occasion, although no other mention of such an action has been transmitted to me. F. GORDON ROE. Arts Club, 40 Dover Street, W.I. NEW STYLE (12 S. viii. 68). It is curious that Sir Harris Nicolas, in his 'Chronology of History,' 1838, should have twice tripped up over the date when the change in the calendar became effective in England. On page 41 he gives it as " 1753," and on p. 48 as "1752." Both dates are shown to be wrong by the abstract of the Act oJ Parliament, 24 George II. c. 23, which he prints, and which expressly provided thai it should come into operation on the day following Dec. 31, 1751. This was, o course, Jan. 1 of the same year (1751) by the Old Style, which became Jan. 1, 1752 New Style. There was some corre spondence on this point in The Time^ Literary Supplement last year (1919, pp. 110 126, 152, and 184), from which it appear: that the bill passed the House of Common n "Mar. 27, 1751 " (or rather Mar. 27,. 1750, O.S.), and received the royal assent n May 22, 1751. It was therefore the Act >f 1751. Haydn's 'Dictionary of Dates' Correctly gives the date of the change as '1751." Apparently the New Style was n more or less popular use before the date f that Act of Parliament, and was gradually superseding the old legal year which com- menced on Mar. 25. It is easy to see, therefore, that in default of evidence as to which style is made use of, errors may easily arise. It would be interesting to uiow how far this was the case. On Mar. 25 as New Year day, see 10 S. vi. 268. FREDK. A. EDWARDS. VOUCHER = RAILWAY TICKET (12 S. vii. 510; viii. 36, 74). Regulations of the Grand Junction Railroad Company : " Booking. There will be no booking places except at the Company's Offices at the respective stations. Bach Booking Ticket for the first- class trains is numbered to correspond with the seat taken. The places by the mixed trains are not numbered. "(Freeling's Grand Junction Ball- way * Companion ' to ' Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham Guide,' 1838)." A. H. W. FYNMORE. Arundel. GREY IN SENSE OF BROWN (12 S. viii. 68). The modern French term for brown bread,. pain bis, refers to quality more than colour,, thus, white (best or first) = 1 ; darker (or seconds) = 1 bis, and the Ater panis of 1437-38 called panes grisei had doubtless the- same meaning. As regards the German grau, which is said often to mean " brown," would J. T. F. kindly give us one or two examples. HENRY W. BUSH. Helenslea, Beckenham, Kent. CHRISTMAS PUDDING AND MINCE PIE (12 S. viii. 70). The mince pie appears to be of greater antiquity than the plum- pudding. Mince pies are, I believe, men- tioned by Selden who says the crust wa* intended to represent the manger in which the Holy Child was laid. They were made with mutton or ox-tongue and the same- ingredients as are now used. Herrick men- tions the Christmas pie. Plum-pudding is the descendant of plum pottage or plum-broth made by boiling bee: or mutton with broth thickened with brown bread; when half boiled, raisins, currants, prunes, cloves, mace and ginger were added, , Plum-broth is mentioned in 'Poor Robins