Page:Notes and Queries - Series 7 - Volume 5.djvu/136

128 of Thomas Thurlow, rector of Wortham, in Suffolk, and was born April 7, 1700. She was the sister of Thomas Thurlow, vicar of Tharston, Norfolk, and of Ashfield, Suffolk, and was, consequently, the aunt of Lord Chancellor Thurlow. In neither Wortham, Tharston, nor Ashfield is there any record of the marriage; and after considerable research I have been quite unable to discover any trace of the above-mentioned John Hibgame. Possibly some of your readers may have come across the name, and if so any particulars about the family would be very acceptable.

—Can any one tell me when the Kearneys first began to use for crest a ruined castle in flames, and whether it is known for what reason they adopted this crest?

—Can any of your readers give me an authoritative instance of the use of this word, in the sense of a ridge left by a plough, or a boundary between two fields, in any county in England, at the present time, particularly in Warwickshire?

—I want very much to know among what class of records, either at the Record Office, British Museum, or elsewhere, to search to find particulars and details of property and effects that were forfeited at the Restoration belonging to the regicides, whether dead or alive at that time. The journals of the Houses of Lords and Commons state merely that their property was forfeited.

—It is stated that on the evacuation of Yorktown by Cornwallis’s army, the old English air of ‘The World turned Upside Down”mismatched quotes in original [sic] was the marching tune chosen on the occasion. Where is this to be found?

—Can you tell me anything of the life of the Quaker artist Joseph Wright during his residence in England and on the Continent? He was born in New Jersey, and went abroad with his mother, Patience Wright, to study, and returned to this country about 1784 with a letter of introduction from Benjamin Franklin to George Washington. He painted several well-known portraits of WashingingtonWashington [sic]. I have recently come into possession of original portraits of George and Martha Washington, painted by Joseph Wright; and I am interested to learn all that I can about this artist, whose work is not so well known, and whose genius is not appreciated as it should be. Wright is said to have painted portraits of some distinguished people during his residence in England.

—I have lately come upon an ancient children’s book, entitled ‘The Budget of Budgets, a Collection of Enigmas, Riddles, Charades, &c., to which are added some Amusing Questions and Conundrums.’ No. 12 of the “Amusing Questions” is the following: “There is a certain word in our language that consists of five syllables, yet no more than one vowel. What word is it?” And the answer given is, “Assarabaca.” What is assarabaca? The ‘New English Dictionary’ knows it not.

, executed at Oxford, April 6, 1752.—There is a story somewhere told of an absent-minded nobleman, who, visiting some of the family of the unhappy convict on the day of her execution, was warned by his daughter before leaving home on no account to allude to the tragedy of the day, and kept his promise to avoid reference to the topic until, when about to take leave, he absently took out his watch and remarked, “Past twelve o’clock! Ah, I suppose Miss Blandy is hanged by this time.” In a leading article in the Daily Telegraph recently I saw this anecdote attributed to Charles Lamb. I have carefully searched Elia’s works, but can find no trace of it. Can some kind friend supply a clue?

—How had this fallen into the lamentable state of famine and desolation described in ‘Barnabae Itinerarium,’ pt. iii? Was it dismantled, or at least deserted, during the Civil Wars? What was the exact date of Barnaby’s journey? May I appeal to to answer this query? See his articles ‘The Lord of Burleigh,’ ‘N. & Q.,’ 1 S. xii. 280; 2 S. ii. 457.

—A strange custom prevails in Norwich on Shrove Tuesday of selling at the bakers’ and confectioners’ shops, and also by boys crying them in the street, a small currant roll or loaf, called a “coquille.” The establishments wherein the rolls are vended bear an inscription in their respective windows for about a week previous to Shrovetide, reading thus, “Hot coquilles on Tuesday morning at eight o’clock and in the afternoon at four.” I am unable to find that this custom obtains elsewhere, not even immediately outside this city further than the suburbs. Can any reader of ‘N. & Q.’ explain its origin, which appears to be unknown here?