Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 8.djvu/43

 12 s. vin. JAN. s, i92i.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 31 names), Assistant Principal (Private Secre- tary to the Secretary), Confidential and Chief Clerk, Assistant Chief Clerk. While the Committee of Imperial Defence is provided with : Secretary, Principal Assistant Secretary, Assistant Secretaries (three names), Principal, Confidential and 'Chief Clerk, Assistant Chief Clerk. The noun Principal does not seem to occur elsewhere in the list. Q. V. THACKERAY : ' THE NEWCOMES. ' In vol. i., chap, ix., of 'The Newcomes,' Thackeray speaks of the Rev. Charles Houeyman's "luxurious sofa from Oxford, presented to him by young Gibber Wright of Christ church. " In later editions, in place of "young Cibber Wright," we find "young Downy." I shall be obliged to any one who will explain why Thackeray made this change of name. CHABLES E. STBATTON. Boston, Mass. BARLOW FAMILY. At 9 S. viii. 144, I asked for particulars of the Rev. F. Barlow, described as "Vicar of Burton" on the title-page of his ' Complete English Peerage, ' 1772, &c., but nothing definite was elicited. At 12 S. i. 469 is mention of a Descendants' Dinner of the Barlow family, held in London in December 1906, and it may now be possible to renew the former query with better ohance of success. My principal object is to identify the " Burton " of which the Rev. F. Barlow was vicar at the period indicated. W. B. H. MAJOR-GENERAL SIR ROBERT SALE. It is said that in a despatch from him, sent from Jellalabad, concealed in a quill, a small paper was enfolded on which was written "iodine." When this was applied to the invisible writing, written with rice water, the letter became visible. What is the authority for this statement ? G. H. J. CHATTERTON'S APPRENTICESHIP TO LAM- BERT. Sir Sidney Lee's account of Chatter- Ion (published in 1906) contains the follow- ing statement : " He lived at his master's house, was harshly used and greatly overworked." The italics are mine.) All previous bio- graphers of Chatterton agree that he had much leisure time, and was thus able during office hours to carry on his own literary work. It would be interesting to know on "what grounds Sir Sidney Lee charges Lambert with having overworked Chatterton. This charge has not been brought before against Lambert even by the most ardent defenders of Chatterton. G. W. WRIGHT. ' FRANKENSTEIN. ' I should be glad to be informed of the earliest recorded instance of the confusion between the protagonists in Mrs. Shelley's story 'Frankenstein, ' in general literature or journalism. In journalism at least three instances have occurred in the past few months of references to the creation, of a "Frankenstein," meaning of course the monster which Frankenstein brought into existence. It would be interesting to know if there is any satisfactory explanation of the extraordinary prevalence of this curious error, which constitutes a problem with few parallels in literature. H. J. AYLIFFE. 2 New Steine, Brighton. JUplus* A NOTE ON SAMUEL PEPYS'S DIARY. (12 S. vii. 507.) I AM particularly interested in SIR CHARLES TOMES 's note, as I have for some time past been endeavouring to trace the exact relationship of Nan Pepys of Worcester with the Diarist, in connexion with my forthcoming book on Pepys and his family. The only information I have been able to obtain in relation to any Anne Pepys of Worcester is the following : In Water's 'Genealogist's Gleanings,' there is a reference to the will, dated Apr. 5, 1658, and proved on Oct. 2 following, of John Danvers of Upton, in the parish of Ratley, Warwickshire, Esq., whereby he bequeathed a legacy of 100/. to Anne Pepes, wife of John Pepes of Littleton in the co. of Worcester. I searched at Somerset House for the will of John Pepes of Worcester, but found none. In the Administration Book now at Somerset House, however, I found that on May 31, 1660, Letters of Administration to the estate of Anne Pepys alias Peakes, late of Littleton, Worcester, were granted by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, to her husband John Pepys alias Peakes. This proves that this Anne died intestate and not leaving a will as Dr. Wheatley con- jectured.