Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 9.djvu/323

 12 S. IX. OCT. 1, 1921.1 NOTES AND QUERIES. 261 LONDON, OCTOBER 1, 1921. CONTENTS. No. 181. NOTES : The Birth of the Heir, 261 Passing Stress, 263 Aldeburgh Chamberlains' Account-book, 266 Glass- painters of York : Henry Gyles, 268 The ' Philobiblon ' of Bishop dc Bury " Lay " and " Lie " Ancestorless, 270. QUERIES : Augustus Taylor, 270 Colonel Morgan, Royal Artillery ' The Waterloo Letters ' Three-coin Trick British Diplomatic Service in America Arms waited Irish Septs" What between " and " What from " " Shall " and " Will "Dante's Beard, 271 Omar Khayyam Rate of Travel from Scotland in 1740- 50 Staverfcon, Co. Devon Trial for Heresy : A Bar- rister's " Bon Mot " Gentleman of the Poultry Ash- burnham House, 30, Dover Street " Skelder " and " Skeldergate," 272 Lieut.-Colonel Williams, F.R.A. R. Henry Newell Meyer Menson, 273. REPLIES : Brothers of the Same Christian Name The Dance of Salome, 273 Naming of Public Rooms in Inns The Sea-serpent Mermannus : Palma, 274 Emerson's ' English Traits ' Grinling Gibbons, 275 ' Lives of the English Saints ' School Magazines Royal East India Volunteers, 276 " Floreat Etona ! " Kinds of Bread in A.D. 1266 Christ's Hospital and the Navy, 277 A Welsh Rabbit Heraldry Joseph Elshalfoon Thomas Stukeley Anger, Aungier, Angier, 278 Cheese Saint and Cheese Sacrifices Liverpool Slave-ship c. 1785 Bible of James I.: Hexameters Ford MSS. Suffolk Collections, 279. NOTES ON BOOKS : ' Dante Studies ' ' John Siberch ' ' Bibliographies of Modern Authors : George Moore.' Notices to Correspondents. Jlote*. THE BIRTH OF THE HEIR. THE documents which are being published in the Calendars of State Papers, besides affording material for the severest his- torical studies, give an insight into the life of the time which for vividness and actuality may well be compared to the news of our daily papers. One of the series, for the Middle Ages, which has for some years been a particular field of enjoyment to my- self, is that of the writs de etate probanda, and the following notes are offered to the readers of 4 N. & Q.' as samples of what may be found in them. These instances have been culled from the Calendar of Inquisitions post mortem, vol. x., Edward III., which bears this year's date not because this volume affords better specimens than may be found in others, but because the wealth of material is embarrassingly great, and it is needless to go further afield. The proof that an heir was of age was furnished by the mouth of many witnesses, men usually in middle life, who could date the birth or baptism by their knowledge of some contemporary occurrence which was also otherwise attested. However, in the reign of Edward III., the practice of having the baptism of an heir entered in the missal of the church or in a psalter had become common. Many witnesses state that they saw such an entry made, and that it is still in the book ; and of the baptism of John, son and heir of John Talbot of Richard's Castle in Hereford, it is related by his godfather, Peter Eylrych, i that because they intended the said heir in the future to be their lord, he and the rest of the jury present at Mass on the day of the baptism put the day of his birth in- the missal. Entries of deaths in church books are not seldom mentioned ; and at the proof of age of John de Shelvestrode, taken at Petworth, Sussex, William atte Hull and John atte Mull state that they made up a great quarrel on the birthday, and that this reconciliation was enrolled in the missal of the church at Lurgashall. Many witnesses speak to having been present at the infant's baptism, and the evidence for the age of Edward le Despenser, taken at Essendine, Co. Rutland, composes a pleasant picture. There Thomas Nevill says he saw Edward lying on the bosom of his godmother awaiting his baptism ; Robert de Crauden saw the godmother holding him in her arms to receive baptism ; Walter Lamberd saw the parish chaplain holding him in his hands on the other side of the font for baptism ; John Straunge heard the Abbot of Bourne name him Edward ; John Ser jaunt saw the godmother carry the baptized child to the altar for the saying of the gospel In principio ; and William le Hunt says he saw him, after his baptism, lying on the altar. His god- father, according to Roger Dyve, gave a gold ring worth 20s. and 20s. in money. The birth of Joan, daughter of Brian de Hykelynge, was remembered as having been proclaimed by a messenger in the market of Beccles. Rejoicing at the birth of the heir frequently furnished the token ; as at the proof of age of John Amory, who was brought back from his baptism with solemnity and joy by his neighbours ; at that of John, son and heir of John le