Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 1.djvu/483

 9 th S. I. JUNE 11, '98.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

475

vol. xlvii. of the Archceologia, there is on dated 1531, in which the nuns of Cottam ar rebuked for wandering abroad in such i manner as to give cause for scandal. Hull i mentioned among the places visited by thes ladies. EDWARD PEACOCK.

Of course Kingston (or King Stone) on Thames is far olaer than Kingston-on-Hull being named after Saxon kings, wherea Kingston - on - Hull was only founded bj Edward Plantagenet, now commonly calle the First, really and in his own time calle Fourth. Among places thus named on rivers Stratford -on -Avon is peculiarly unlucky there being another Stratford in Wiltshire on another Avon, namely, where the streei from Old Sarum to Wilton crosses the Salis bury Avon. E. L. GARBETT.

HUGH FITZ GRIP AND THE MARTELs(9 th S. i 221). At the above reference mention is made of Hugh Fitz Grip and the Marteh as regards certain English counties. There appears also to have been a family of Martels settled in early Norman times in Pembroke- shire. Fenton, in his history of that county says (p. 339) :

" I cross the river Sealy to Little Newcastle, leaving on the right, just above the margin of that river, barely the site of Martel, the ancient residence of the family of Symmons before they came to in- habit Llanstinan, and prior to them of Martel or Marketil, their ancestor, who gave name to the place."

Is anything known of this branch ?

G. H. M.

" IT BLOWS RAYTHER THIN " (9 th S. i. 226).

I have never heard this expression in the north of England ; but " It 's a bit thin " is frequently in evidence in and around Oxford to describe a keen or cold wind. T. S.

Oxford.

PORTRAIT OF HENRIETTA, LADY WENT- WORTH (9 th S. i. 347). I have an oil portrait on copper, 6| in. by 5^ in., of a Mrs. Went- worth, painted by Mrs. Verelst, on the back of which is written in ink the following in a contemporary hand : " The Hon ble M ra Went- worth, Given me by her Ladyship, 1724, by M rs Verelest " (sic). Although not the portrait EBOR is seeking, he may feel interested to know of its existence. I suggest it represents Ann, the wife of Sir Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford. Will EBOR give me his opinion 1 The age of the lady appears to be about thirty-five to forty. HUMPHREY WOOD.

Chatham.

"TWOPENCE MORE AND UP GOES THE DON- KEY 9 th S. i. 328). I have just been hunting

among some newspaper cuttings, only recently made, for a press notice which gave some particulars of the origin of this common saying. But unfortunately it has strayed. From what I remember of it, the origin of the phrase was due to a travelling show- man with whom "Lord" George Sanger, the famous equestrian and circus proprietor, began his showman's career. Part of the performance used to consist in the hoisting of a donkey on a pole or ladder a part of the programme very popular with the spectators. But before the due performance of the act a certain amount by way of subscription was always requested of the bystanders, and generally " twopence more " was demanded. And so arose the saying "Twopence more and up goes the donkey." In the newspaper article it appeared in the Daily Mail, some two months ago Mr. Sanger, as already stated, claims the origin of the saying for his then employer, whose name has escaped me. But the expression caught on, and was very soon known all over London and elsewhere. Naturally, the business was copied by other itinerant entertainers, and to quote the Slang Dictionary,' which notices the phrase, it became " a vulgar street phrase for extracting as much money as possible before performing any task." C. P. HALE.

There is a very good article may I call it 1 in G. Cruiksnank's 'Omnibus,' published 1842, p. 54, on this matter, entitled 'The Ass on the Ladder.' I can remember a song called

Joe Muggins and his Donkey,' written about ^his time, in which are described Joe Muggins's

raining and balancing the donkey, the donkey s fall, the appearance of officers for

Muggins's appearance before the magistrate, and the magistrate's dismissal of the case after the culprit's eccentric account of the so-called accident. It is rather too rough for print. WM. GRAHAM F. PIGOTT.
 * he prevention of cruelty to animals, Joe

Abington Pigotts.

THE WORD "SCOTCH" (9 th S. i. 369). There s no reason why this should be more ' hideous " to a Southerner than any other latu rally contracted form.

The M.E. form was Skottish, and we find his form in 'Political Songs,' ed. Wright, >. 222. Later, we find Scottish(e) in Skelton nd in Minsheu (1627), and the form is still i use. Of this form Scotch is the perfectly atural, legitimate, and necessary contraction. t should, perhaps, rather be spelt Scotsh ; but ^e all agree, conventionally, to use tch instead f tsh in similar combinations. Dutch is a imilar contraction, only borrowed from