Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 10.djvu/381

 X. Nov. 8, 1902.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

373

course, a mere Volksetymologie. In the scho- larly history of Wales recently added to the " Story of the Nations " Series it is ignored, and we are told (p. 240) that both the Black Prince's mottoes, " Houmout " and " Ich dien," "are in the language of his beloved mother's native Hainault." The Welsh ei is correctly pronounced like German ei, but colloquially (at any rate, in some words) is reduced to simple t, so that Welsh ei"h does resemble German ich in sound, the difference being that Welsh ch is not palatalized, like the German ch in ich, but is broad, like the German ch in auch. JAS. PL ATT, Jun.

The story that the Black Prince took the crest of ostrich feathers and the motto "Ich dien " from the King of Bohemia is discussed at some length in the ' Diet. Nat. Biog.' (xvii. 92), the conclusion arrived at being that "no early tradition connects 'Ich dien' with the King of Bohemia." As to "Eich dyn," which is not alluded to in the biography, there is a tradition in Wales that, in fulfil- ment of his promise to the Welsh to give them a prince Welsh by birth, who could speak no word of English, Edward I. pre- sented his infant son to them, saying, " Eich dyn." But it is purely mythical, having no more solid basis than a literal resemblance of " Ich dien " to " Eich dyn." In fact, Edward of Carnarvon was not created Prince of Wales until he had nearly completed his seventeenth year. I am told that Welsh eich is identical in sound with German eich- in Eiche. See Brewer's ' Phrase and Fable.' F. ADAMS.

CASTLE CAREWE (9 th S. ix. 428, 490 ; x. 92, 214, 314). DR. DRAKE'S last note is rather puzzling. He says he cannot accept Mr. Round's testimony (derived from the Marquess of Kildare) respecting the seniority of Maurice over William, sons of Gerald by the Princess Nesta, nor can he prof ess faith in the Gherar- dini story. But Mr. Round testifies to none of these things. On the contrary, he ex- pressly scouts the legendary origin of the family supplied by Lord Kildare, and in the pedigree given in the Ancestor, part ii. p. 98, places William above Maurice. On p. 96 he quotes the story from Giraldus Cambrensis, mentioned by DR. DRAKE, in which Rhys ap Griffin recited the names of Nesta's eight sons and two daughters, beginning with William the "primsevus," and going on to Maurice the fourth, and David, the bishop of St. David's, last. As for the Gherajrdini story, it is needless to say it has bee*n' completely exploded by Mr. Round.

It is also clear from Domesday and other contemporary evidence cited by Mr. Round

that the name of the founder of the family was Other (Oterus) and not Otho, which was probably borrowed in order to strengthen the notion of Italian descent. Other (Ohter, Ohthere) seems to indicate a Scandinavian origin. As for the traditional marriage with Gladys, though it is, of course, possible, I think that DR. DRAKE, who, with the late Mr. John Gough Nichols and the late Sir John Maclean, was among the first to place the study of genealogy on a scientific basis, will hardly accept it unless substantiated by some better evidence than is at present avail- able. W. F. PRIDEAUX.

DANES IN PEMBROKESHIRE (9 th S. x. 89, 132, 276). Should not the spelling of " Baronia de Kemeys,"an ancient Pembrokeshire barony, be Cemaes ? There is no k in the Welsh lan- guage. CELT.

GILNEW (9 th S. x. 289). This curious Chris- tian name is probably Irish giolle naoimh, pro- nounced "gilly neaye," and meaning " servant of the saints," or the saints' man." Com- pare Giolle Phadraic, &c.

JOHN HOBSON MATTHEWS.

Town Hall, Cardiff.

A SEXTON'S TOMBSTONE (9 th S. x. 306). May I call MR. HEMS'S attention to the interesting memorial to an aged parish clerk in Crop- thorne Church, Worcestershire, an edifice of very considerable note 1 I have no copy of the inscription, but the principal part of the memorial is a small painted glass window in the tower, containing a full-length portrait of the deceased official, duly apparelled in a cassock. W. H. QUARRELL.

CHILDBEJD PEW (9 th S. ii. 5, 255 ; iii. 212). The following presentment was made from the parish of Aldington, Kent, to the Arch- deacon of Canterbury in the year 1589 :

"Elisabeth Kenward for that she being a child- wife and came to the church to be churched accord- ing to the custom. And because she refused to sit in the stool appointed for the child-wife, departed home and is not churched.

" That the church stool which is appointed for women to sit in, is very insufficient, being unbirthed and kept very fowle [sic] so as women are very lough t [sic] to sit in it."

This is also an earlier use of the word "berth," to lay down floor-boards (see 9 th S. vii. 505). ARTHUR HUSSEY.

Tankerton-on-Sea, Kent.

" PETAR " or " PETARD " (9 th S. x. 241, 312). The following early mention of this explosive machine by Alessandro Tassoni (1565-1638), author of the famous mock - heroic ' La Secchia rapita,' may be of interest. It occurs