Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 12.djvu/243

 0* s. XIL SEPT. 19, loos.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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The belief is, I am sure, still very common in Lincolnshire. EDWARD PEACOCK.

TONGUE-PRICKS (9 th S. xi. 447 ; xii. 175). The brilliant young Russian poet Griboyedov, whose career was prematurely cut short during a riot in Persia, makes one of the characters in his satire 'Gorie ot Uma' ('Sor- row from Wit ') remark : Ah, evil tongues are more dreadful than a pistol !

An instance is the better-known and more gifted Michael Leroaontov, whose evil tongue brought about two duels, the second of which resulted in his death. Scandal led to the fatal duel which robbed the world of that splendid genius Alexander Pushkin.

FRANCIS P. MARCHANT.

Brixton Hill.

MARAT IN LONDON (9 th S. xii. 7, 109, 175). MR. COLEMAN has repeated at the second of these three references the traditional falsehoods respecting Marat, "facts" long since exploded, not only by the writers named by MR. ASHBY ST. LEGERS, but also by the late Mr. H. S. Ashbee. I did my best to kill all these absurd legends in the Gentleman's Magazine a few years ago I cannot put my hand on the number just now in an article on ' Marat as an Englishman.' Fiction, being more picturesque than facts, has, I suppose, much more vitality. W. ROBERTS.

MR. ASHBY ST. LEGERS refers me to certain French authors for Marat's proceedings when in this country. I consider English authori- ties would bear greater weight in this matter. He also contends that Marat is "coming into notice again," entirely ignoring the charges made against him in ' N. & Q.,' Series ii., iii., iv M vii., viii., which have not been denied. Contemporaneous information, such as the Gentleman's Magazine for February and March, 1776, and two private letters dated 22 February and 6 March, 1776, appears to him to be of no value. Marat assumed an alias on occasions, and therefore his career may sometimes be difficult to trace. For his general character I conclude with that given in Gorton's ' Biographical Dictionary ':

" Enthusiasm of disposition, excited by a deep sense of the miseries of her native country, having prompted a young lady [Charlotte Corday] to de- liver the world from one of the most sanguinary monsters that ever persecuted the human race "

EVERARD HOME COLEMAN. 71, Brecknock Road.

ARCHBISHOP KING'S PRISON DIARY, 1689 (9 th S. xii. 187). Permit me to supplement my note on above, as my allusion to Toilet may be misunderstood. Dr. Lawlor mentions

in his preface that King corresponded with Toilet in February, 1688/9, but does not refer to the great probability of his being the person to whom the contents of the diary, or portions of it, were transmitted.

GENEALOGIST.

SIR NICHOLAS KEMEYS AND CHEPSTOW CASTLE (9 th S. xi. 327, 394, 495). I am sorry the reply at the last reference has hitherto escaped my notice. I visited the castle at the end of April, 1895, and bought on that occasion a copy of the tenth edition of the late Mr. Taylor's ' Sketch,' at the end of which he referred to an article in the Satur- day Review of 9 October, 1880, which may interest your correspondent. L. L. K.

FREE CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS (9 th S. xii. 106). Some years since I came across a church of this denomination in New York. The announcement on a board outside the build- ing was " Free Catholic Church of Christ," and the services, one of which I attended, were similar to those of an ordinary Pro- testant church of the Methodist type. From the sermon, which was delivered by an ex- Catholic priest, I should imagine that a pro- portion of the members had formerly belonged to that communion. Though one of the smallest of the religious denominations, it is included in the list of registered denomina- tions in the State of New York. There was formerly a small chapel of the sect in the vicinity of Russell Square, but I do not know whether it still exists.

FREDERICK T. HIBGAME.

BOWES FAMILY (9 th S. xi. 407). Lancelot Bowes, merchant of Durham, father of George Bowes, of Guisbrough, was a son of Sir George Bowes, of Biddir and Bradley (by his wife Mary Delaval), and grandson of George Bowes, of Biddir, third son of Sir George Bowes, of Streatlam Castle, by his wife Dorothy, daughter of Sir William Mallory, of Studley. See Surtees's ' Durham,' also Foster's ' Visitation of Durham.' H. R. LEIGHTON.

East Boldon, R.S.O., Durham.

ENGLISH GRAVE AT OSTEND (9 th S. xii. 9, 176). According to Paterson's 'Roads,' eighteenth edition, by Edward Mogg, 1826, pp. 228 and 307, s.v. 'Robin Hood's Well,' Skelbrook Park was in the possession of the Rev. Charles Cator. Robin Hood's Well is, or was, seven miles from Doncaster on the road to Pontefract. In 'Gary's New Map of England and Wales, with Part of Scotland,' 1794, map 51, Robin Hood's Well does not appear, but Skellbrook and park are on the left of the road going north from Don-