Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 10.djvu/289

 9"> S. X. OCT. 11, 1902.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

281

LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1902.

CONTENTS. No. 250.

NOTKS : Capt. Richard Blithe, 281 Additions to the ' N.B. D.,' 282 Lamb and Flag Shakespearian;!. Ben Jonson Imitated "Asphyxia : "Asphyxiate," 283 Wordsworth and Keats Descent of the Earls of Shrews- buryPetunia, 284 Bible for Prisoner Cope Parallel Passages Dr. Brewer's Monument Poets on Adversity, 285 ' Robinson Crusoe ' Lester's ' Illustrations of London ' Sedley Family, 286 Retarded Germination of Seeds, 287.

QUERIES : St. Pancras : Arms of *he Borough Purcell Family, 287 Macaulay on Lord Peterborough Garrick's Statue of Shakespeare Humorous French Poetry Forshaw Street Bristow Close, Officer of the Victory- Etchings and Engravings, 288 Cromwell's Daughters Welsh Family Queries Goldwyer Gilnew Home Alley, London, 289 Duchess of Gordon in Breeches, 290.

REPLIES : The Mitre Cornish Motto: "One and all " Arms of Married Women, 290 P. J. Bailey E. and J. Moore Minas and Empecinados Cureton Monument- Dictionary of Greek Mythology, 291" Hopeful " : " San- guine "Signs, 292 " Mallet or "Mullet" "Sence": " Sense "Charles II. in West Dorset Knurr and Spell, 293" Popple " Rhodes's Ancestors, 294 "Cond" Iron Duke, 295 Cradle Chimney Flint : Ferrey Crolly Family" Often have I seen " Carlyle, Coleridge, and Swinburne, 296 Coronation Canopy Freund Hein Earl

Darsy Mourning Sunday, 297 "Odour 'of sanctity" rial-places of Peers "Whipping the cat " Pre-Celtic

Buri

Britain, 298" Babies in the eyes," 299.

NOTES ON BOOKS : Here's Student's History of the Greek Church' Baily's 'Registers of Ryton' Reviews and Magazines.

Notices to Correspondents.

CAPT. RICHARD BLITHE.

No mention is made of this distinguished officer in the 'Dictionary of National Bio- graphy." This would seem to be an oversight, and will no doubt be corrected in future editions.

From information supplied to me by Mr. Robert Blyth, Jun., of Hull, it would appear that Capt. Richard (some say William) Blithe, equally with that gentleman, was connected with the Blyth family (formerly) of Norton Lees, co. Derby, and bore their crest i.e., a hart's head erased.

Little or nothing seems to be known of the career of Capt. Blithe previous and subsequent to the Indian voyage of 1620 the voyage during which the more famous seaman William Baffin met his death. But this voyage was sufficient to entitle the captain to a place in the 'Dictionary of National Biography.' Mention of this voyage and of Capt. Blithe is made in (1) that curious old work 'Purchas his Pilgrimes,' 1G25 (the " Ormuz businesse," as related by .Master W. Finder, T. Wilson, chirurgeon, and Edward Monox, merchant) ; (2) the ' Calendar of

State Papers, Colonial (East Indies), 1617-21 ' ; and more recently in (3) the 'Voyages of William Baffin ' (Hakluyt Society, 1881), and (4) a ' Life of John Davis, the Navigator, 1550-1605' (George Philip & Son, 1889), both by Sir Clements Markham. Also two MS. journals or logs were kept on board the ships, and are now both at the India Office i.e., (a) the ' Journal of Archibald Jennison on board the London, commanded by Capt. Andrew Shillinge, from 1620 to 1622'; (b) the 'Journal of Capt. Richard Swan of the Roebuck (300 tons), from 1620 to 1622.' The latter journal was printed by Samuel Purchas in 'Purchas his Pilgrimes.'

The expedition consisted of four vessels: (1) the London, the admiral, Capt. Andrew Shillinge ; (2) the Harte, the vice - admiral, Capt. Blithe; (3) the Roebuck, Capt. Richard Swan ; and (4) the Eagle, Capt. (or rather Master) Christopher Browne. Capt. Shillinge was in command, and William Baffin acted as master of the London.

The fleet left the Downs on 25 March, 1620, and anchored in SKvally Road on ,9 Novem- ber. On the 19th it left again and went in search of the Portuguese fleet. On 16 Decem- ber the London and the Harte encountered two large and two small vessels of the enemy, and a first fight lasted nine hours. Both fleets then drew off, but after a delay of ten days they renewed the contest, the Roebuck and Eagle assisting. Sir Clements Markham, writing of this second fight, states :

"Captain Swan, in the MS. Journal at the India Office, gives a lively account of the second fight. He says: 'Our broadsides were brought up, and the good ordnance from our whole fleet played so fast upon them that, doubtless, if the knowledge in our people had been answerable to their willing minds and ready resolutions, not one of the galleons, unless their sides were impenetrable, had escaped us. About three in the afternoon, un- willing, after so hotte a dinner, to receive a like supper, they cutte their cables, and drove with the tide until they were without range of our guns, and then their frigate came to them, and towed them away, wonderfully mangled and torn. Their Admiral, in the greatest fury of the fight, was enforced to heele his ship to stop his leakes, his main topmast overboard, and the head of his main- mast. In the London our Admiral and Peter Robinson were wounded ; Henry Grand and John Coard slain ; in the Harte, Edmund Okely wounded, and Walter David killed. The shot spent in both fights was 1,382 by the London. 1,024 by the Harte, 815 by the Roebuck, and 800 bv the Eagle ; total, 4,021.' *

Capt. Shillinge, wounded in three places, died on 6 January, and was buried at Jashak. Then, according to instructions, Capt. Blithe took up the chief command and