Page:Notes and Queries - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/239

 * S. NO 12., MAR. 22. '56.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

231

ever, escaped by swjmming his horse across the river, and retiring by unfrequented roads well known to him into Oxfordshire. As the story proceeds, he took care to arrive at the gates, of his castle in the dead of night ; and so disguised as to be known to no one except a single domestic, on whose fidelity he could rely. Before the return of day, he retired to a subterranean recess, of which the faithful" servant retained the key, and here he re- mained for several months in safety and concealment; but the estates being seized by the king's orders, the castle dismantled, and the inhabitants dispersed by au- thority, some in confinement, and others to great dis- tances", the unfortunate prisoner was left to perish from hunger in the place of his voluntary imprisonment. So late as in the last century, when the small remains of this once stately edifice were pulled down in order to make use of the materials, the vault was discovered, and the unfortunate nobleman in it, seated in a chair as he had died. So completely had the external air been ex- cluded by rubbish, at the time of dismantling the build- ing, that his apparel, which was gorgeous in the extreme, and a prayer-book lying before him upon a table, were discovered entire. On the free admission of the air, it was said, the whole crumbled into dust ; but it is not im- probable, the sanctuary was considerably profaned by the rude hands of the persons who discovered it, either from ignorance or curiosity."

Can this story be confirmed ? And what was the exact date of the demolition of the old edifice ? It would be strange if no pains had been taken to preserve even a fragment of such an extraor- dinary discovery.

It may not be uninteresting here to quote what Bacon says concerning the fate of Lord Lovel, in his History of King Henry VII. :

" Of the Lord Lovel there went a'report, that he fled and swam over Trent on horseback, but could not recover the farther side by reason of the steepness of the bank, and so was drowned in the river. But another report leaves him not there, but that he lived long after in a cave or vault."

It is almost uanecessary to remark, that if the second of these reports were true, the first is just such a one as would naturally have arisen while the truth was unsuspected. JAMES GAIRDNER.

GLANOVE1STA IN THE TENTH ITER.

Of the fifteen Iters of Antonine, which relate to Britain, the one which has most perplexed an- tiquaries is the tenth ; at least the first part of it, and the Query still is, "Where was Glanoventa ?"

The undersigned proposes a new answer, namely, that Ravenglass, in Cumberland, is the place : Roman coins have been found there. The ruins of a strong castle-like building, near Ravenglass, now called " Walls," bear a great resemblance to Roman work. The mountain ridge, ending near Ravenglass, bears the name of Muncaster Fells. Some very remarkable traces of a town, now called " The City of Burnscar," are within three miles. A road from Ravenglass leads directly over and through the mountain range (the highest

points which the road passes being Hardknot and Wrynose), to the head of Windermere, where the vestiges of a Roman station still exist : this road is the old pack-horse road, long used by traders formerly between Whitehaven and Kendal. That the Romans knew it is evident from the highly interesting remains of a castellum, admirably posi- tioned to guard the pass through the mountains, on Hardknot, and known by the name of Hard- knot Castle.

It is not fair to occupy the limited space of "N. & Q." with antiquarian discussions, and lengthened evidences ; but it may be hoped that some, among its many competent correspondents, will take up the question of the Tenth Iter, when further reasons may be adduced for the belief that Ravenglass stands in the place of Glanoventa ; Ambleside (Roman station of Windermere) of Galava ; Burrow Bridge on the Lone of Alone ; Overburrow, near Kirby Lonsdale, of Galacum ; and Ribchester of Bremetonacis. Dr. Whitaker places Coccium at Blackrode, the propriety of which is here neither denied nor affirmed. Man- cunium speaks for itself. PEREGRINATOR.

The Doldrums. Are not the Doldrums certain latitudes near the Equator, where ships are often becalmed ? If not, what are they ? One so often hears of people being in the I suppose metapho- rical doldrums. WILLIAM FHAZER, B.C.L.

Alton, Staffordshire.

Harrison and Negus, Norfolk. From a pedi- gree of " The Harrisons of Great Plumstead, co. Norfolk," commencing in the reign of Queen Mary, I extract the following :

" Thomas Harrison, of Lingwood (Norfolk), and of London, Gentleman, born at G* Plumstead, April 20 th, 1722. Married there by special license Novb r 6 th , 1752, Martha, the dau. of Thomas Negus, Esq re , of Ling- wood (by Martha his wife), and great grand-dau. of Henry Negus, Esq re , the husband of Sarah, the dau. of John Fowle, Esq r , of Norwich, Barister-at-Law, by Sarah his wife, who was the widow of W m Burton, Esq r , of G* Yarmouth, the eldest dau. of Sir George England of that place, and the sister of George England, Esq rc , sometime Kecorder and Member of Parliament for the same bo- rough.

" Issue (born at Lingwood) Cubitt Harrison (named after his maternal uncle), born Oct br 15 th, 1753 ; Martha Harrison, born Jan? 2S tU , 1755; Eliz th Harrison, born September 5 th , 1757."

I shall be glad to learn, through the medium of "N. & Q." : 1. Who were the parents of Thomas Negus (the father of Martha, the wife of Thomas Harrison) ? 2nd. The precise relation- ship which existed between the said Thomas Ne- gus and Henry Negus, Esq r ., whose daughter Christable was married, in 1789, to the late James