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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. x. AUG. 23, 1002.

or from personal preference. Mr. Dale quotes the following from the Report of the Commission on Registers other than Parochial (1838) : " Some of the earlier registers of the Independents and Baptists had their origin during the troubles which occurred in the reign of Charles I. But the registers of this early date are rare." Mr. Dale states that " so far as Yorkshire is concerned they are indeed rare. Without taking into account those of the Society of Friends, there is only one which properly belongs to this period viz., the Topcliffe register." "A register of the Society of Friends at Malton bears the date of 1621, which was three years before George Fox was born." It is strange to remember that it was not until July 1st, 1837, when Lord John Russell's Bills were passed, that there was any uniform register of births, deaths, and marriages. In 1840 non-parochial registers were admitted as evidence in Courts of Justice. These had been deposited at Somerset House, with two exceptions : those of the Jews, who had refused to part with their registers (these had been kept with great care since they had been permittee to settle in England by Oliver Cromwell), and those of the Roman Catholics, Cardinal Wiseman having declined on their behalf.

The second paper, ' Dr. Watts's Church Book,' is by the Rev. T. G. Crippen. The Rev. C. Silvester Horne contributes ' From a Diary of the Gurney Family,' and another paper by Mr. Crippen is a valuable contribution to ' Early Nonconformist Bibliography.' These are contained in Nos 2 and 3. This, we take it, is to be as far as possible a com- plete Nonconformist bibliography, embracing Non- conformists generally. The learned Dr. Angus com- menced some few years ago a bibliography of Baptist authors. This has been completed from 1527 to 1800, but he has not been able to complete it on account of his ill health. Dr. Angus possesses fifteen hundred of the books he mentions.

We regret that space forbids us to do more than refer to Nos. 2 and 3. These contain, among other papers, two on 'John Bunyanand Thomas Marsom,' the first by Dr. John Brown, and the second by Mr. W. H. Gurney Salter ; ' The Puritans in Devon,' by Mr. Edward Windeatt ; ' Devonshire and the Indulgences of 1672,' also by Mr. Windeatt ; and ' The Trendall Papers,' by the Rev. T. G. Crippen, with some new facts relating to Archbishop Laud.

In accordance with a recommendation of the British Association, the size of the publication has been reduced since its first number, so as to be in uniformity with the publications of other learned societies. We have one suggestion to make, and that is that a contributor should have but one paper in a number. While fully Recognizing the value of the contents, we hold that it would increase the interest in the Society to have as many contributors to its Transactions as possible. The Congregational Historical Society has commenced well. It has for its officers Dr. McClure as President, for its secre- taries the Rev. G. Currie Martin and the Rev. T. G. Crippen, and among its members are to be found many well-known Nonconformist names. It should have a long career of useful work before it.

Transactions of the Hampstead Antiquarian and

Historical Society. (Hampstead, Mayle.) THIS volume, which is issued by order of the Coun- cil of the Society, and edited by the honorary secre- tary, Mr. Charles J. Munich, F.R.Hist.S., gives a full and trustworthy account of the proceedings

during the year 1900. These include some outdoor, some indoor meetings, which were, no doubt, enjoyable, and in course of which the members were shown over Caen Wood by the Earl of Mans- field, and Charlton House by Sir Spencer Maryon Wilson and Lady Wilson. Many papers of interest were read before the Society during the session. Whether the work now issued is a continuation of the ' Hampstead Annual ' (see 9 th S. v. 100) we are unable to say.

WE have received the following humorous pro- test :

In an advertisement that I have just received of Mr. F. Boase's ' Modern English Biography ' we are told that " special care has been taken about the dates of birth and death. Church registers, the books of the Registrar-General at Somerset House, printed sources, and private individuals have contributed to secure the utmost accuracy on these points." In the obituary notice of myself in this work it is stated that I held my fellowship until my death in the year 1883. 1 am not writing to dispute the fact, but I do think that I have some cause of complaint of the neglect to assign the date. It was not necessary to go to Somerset House. A postcard to the College would at once have obtained the month and year. Mr. Boase seems not to have seen the ' Cambridge Calendar ' of the last eighteen years, nor to have looked up the obituaries of Fellows of the Royal Society or of that of Antiquaries. I may add that a few minutes spent over the British Museum Catalogue would have enabled him to enlarge his notice by a list of five or six posthumous works. J. VENN.

Caius College, Cambridge.

to C0mspxmJrntiss.

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HERBERT SOUTHAM. The substitution by us of July 26 for June 26 is duly noted, ante, p. 140.

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