Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 1.djvu/289

 .,

S. I. APRIL 9, '98.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

281

LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 9,

CONTENTS. No. 15.

1 OTBS : Spains Hall, 281 Some Smiths, 282 Sbak- speariana, 283 Izaac Walton, Woodford, and Beale Bibliography of Easter Weight of Books, 284 Registers of Apprentices Blake's Sisters" To die stillborn" Lord Somers, 285 " Scouring " of Land Capt. Alexander Hamilton, 286.

QUERIES :" Hoist with his own petard "Chamberlain and Bright " Hokeday " " Dannikins " ' Alonzo the Brave ' " Charme" " Stripper " Early Greek Type, 287 Haunted Houses " Patriach "Armorial Oriel= Hall Royal Mrs. John Drew Tapestry R. Smith "Magnetism" West Window, New College, Oxford Leverian Museum W. Beadle, 288 " Pre-mortem " Hwfa of Wales Jaa. Halliday John Passey Authors Wanted, 289.

REPLIES : Pope and Thomson, 289 Saragossa Sea Heberfield John Stevenson, Covenanter, 290 Glacial Epoch Lord Rancliffe ' The Bailiff's Daughter ' Skelton " Down to the ground," 291" Steed " ' In Memoriam' Oxford Undergraduate Gowns, 292 Col. H. Ferribosco Portrait of Sir G. Eyres To Play Gooseberry Bays- water Stationer, 293 Bibliography French Embassy, 294 Pseudo-Shakspeare Relic Robespierre and Curran Yeth-Hounds, 295' People's Journal ' Ackerley " On " or " Upon" Peckham Rye Cromwell, 296 Lewknor Visitation Lists Battle of Towton Minister of the Word of God, 297 Reference Sought William Penn Mediaeval Lynch Laws Collect for Advent Sunday, 298.

NOTES ON BOOKS : Wylie's History of England under Henry IV.,' Vol. IV.' Journal of the Ex-Libris Society' Magazines. Notices to Correspondents.

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SPAINS HALL, ESSEX.

TEN miles from a station, and a mile from the old-world village of Finchingfield, stands Spains Hall, little changed in appearance since the days of Queen Bess.

So long ago as A.D. 1068 Henry de Hispania (or Spain) selected a site for his home here, and from that time to this Spains Hall has been known as one of the principal manor houses of that locality. Richard de Hispania settled the manor upon his daughter Margaret, who conveyed it by marriage to Nicolas Kempe about the year 1300. The Kempe family had for generations previous to this held a seat in this parish, and the issue of this marriage held the manor for more than four hundred years, the property passing in 1727 to Joshua Brise, from whom it has

escended to the present Sir Samuel Ruggles-

'rise, K.C.B.

The principal part of the present building dates from the early part of Elizabeth's reign, but traces of earlier buildings may stil] 36 found. It stands in a pretty park, well vooded, and watered by a considerable lake.

ll ~ re is a bold sweep of grass before the

louse, while terraces and gardens flank the south wing and rear.

The lake was recently formed by uniting seven large ponds, which so tradition says were dug to mark seven years of silence, which one William Kempe imposed upon himself as penance for " one inadvertency of speech." Vox populi says that this good man's soul still haunts the surrounding woods, and warns young couples to avoid lapsus linguae.

The hall bell-handle might have been made for giants, poor mortals of the present day must use two hands to pull it; while the door, though comparatively small, would have given considerable trouble to old Oliver Cromwell and all his strong men had they wished to enter uninvited. As this opens, one enters immediately the great hall, heavily beamed and panelled, with its huge window and wide hearth. The ceiling is supported by large timbers, roughly hewn, but well carved. A substantial oak screen, with heavy curtains,

keeps the wintry wind without. In the window, in which fragments of old glass remain, may be noticed an early coat of arms representing the Kemps who lived here, impaling those of the Kemps of Gissing. This refers to a marriage which was sur- rounded with romance and attended with remarkable bets and conditional fines. Later glass displays the arms of many of the ancestors of Sir Samuel Ruggles-Brise.

The old fireplace is still its original size, but it has been found necessary to renew the front stonework, and this has been done both carefully and well. Over this hangs an old painting of 'The Adoration,' accredited to Spagnoletto, and on either side are family portraits of the first Mrs. Ruggles-Brise, John Ruggles, Esq., Col. Brise, and others. Here, too, are a great variety of regimental relics, old colours, drums, pikes, &c., many of which have an interesting history. Many sporting trophies are also preserved here.

Nowadays or should Isaynow-o'-nights? the hall is often the scene of a concert, and a musician will hardly want for an instru- ment, as anything, from a violin to an organ, seems to be readily forthcoming. Mrs. Archibald Ruggles-Brise and her daughters are musical, and Mr. Archibald good- naturedly takes the village lads in hand and quickens them with his own enthusiasm for music.

From the hall doors open in all directions, shutting off mysterious stairs as well as suites of rooms. To the right we pass to the draw- ing-rooms, which are light, notwithstanding