Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 12.djvu/325

 xii. OCT. 17, 1903.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

317

the performer," died on 25 July, 1814, not on 20 August, 1816 ; the latter was the date of death of my grandmother, the wife of Charles Dibdin the younger. Either A. S. has quoted the ' Journal ' incorrectly, or (as is more likely) the sententious citizen blundered over a care- lessly read newspaper paragraph.

E. RIMBAULT DIBDIN. Morningside, Sudworth Road, New Brighton.

Mention is here made of the late King of the Belgians as Duke of Kendal ; singularly this creation is ignored by Solly, Burke, and Nicolas. Did the title descend to the present King of the Belgians 1 A. H.

Addison,in 317 of the Spectator,h&s ridiculed very happily journals of this kind. The fol- lowing extracts from that which Addison imagined and from the real journal will show their likeness :

"Monday, two a clock. Sat down to dinner. Mem. Too many Plumbs and no Sewet." Addison.

"Wednesday, June 12th. Dined at Wood St. this day off a pound of cold Beef. N.B. No potatoes, but most fortunately I procured a little mustard from the next Room." The Real ' Journal. J

E. YARDLEY.

FEES FOR SEARCHING PARISH REGISTERS

(9 th S. x. 148, 394 ; xi. 130, 252, 453 ; xii. 58, 192). I should like to add my quota, as one who has had dealings with the temporary custodians of public documents for nearly fifteen years. From the mass of correspond- ence before me I can cull some specimens which may be of interest. On the whole, I may say, I have received great assistance and courtesy from the majority of clergymen, a desideratum which one ought to expect from men of university standing and gentlemanly breeding, but there have been palpable excep- tions. One wrote me that " on looking at his registers he found there were the entries I required, and that he would send me the extracts for a fee of one guinea, in addition to the legal fees." As I discovered these registers had already been published I did not trouble this Rev. Barabbas further. Another said he would send me a " fair copy of an inscription on a tomb in his church for a fee of 10s." I subsequently found this inscription of ten short lines in a printed volume ; needless to say, I still remained possessed of my 10s. He also offered to send me extracts from the registers " at the usual legal charges." These registers also were in print. Another, through the sexton, sent me two extracts from registers (unstamped), dates of which I gave, and charged 6s. Which I paid ! Against this I received fourteen extracts from old registers sent me by the daughter of a clergyman, all at the price of

2s. Qd.l Again, I must record in favour of one reverend gentleman who sent me pages of information with records from his registers, copies of inscriptions from many tombstones in the churchyard, all free of charge, with an intimation that a donation, however small, towards the restoration of his church would be gratefully received. Needless to say, I immediately complied with his request, for which he was deeply obliged.

My one horrible experience was as follows : I wrote asking one godly shepherd whether he would kindly say, by a glance at his registers, if there were any "data" for me to go upon with reference to a name I was in search of. I received a postcard in reply, saying he " would let me know with plea- sure." A month passed by, so I wrote again reminding him of his promise. In reply I received a bill of 27. 15s. Id. It is worth quoting, I fancy.

"Statutory fees for search from A.D. 1605- A.D. 1897 (at Is. first year and Qd. each year after), 11. 6s. Qd. Statutory fees for 157 certified ex- tracts (at 2s. Qd. each extract), 19/. 12s. Qd. Stamps, 13s. Id. Bound book to contain ex- tracts, 2s. Qd. Postage and registration, Qd. Total, 211. 15s. Id"

On receipt of my cheque he would forward the said extracts. As a matter of fact the 191. 12s. Qd. was an illegal charge, because the extracts were not entered upon the recog- nized forms. I was served with a writ in the High Court of Justice for the whole amount, but this reverend gentleman's solicitors had wisely not entered the price of the " bound book at 2s. Qd." Although the charge for "postage and registration Qd" was entered for goods I had never received, I was asked to pay a further sum of 3/. 5s. legal costs. Knowing something of the law, I entered an appearance in the High Court three minutes before the time expired, showing that the claim endorsed upon the writ disclosed no cause of action, as it did not state by whom the order was given to the plaintiff, that I was not indebted to the plaintiff, and that no certificates as alleged had been delivered to myself, &c.

1 am sorry to say I heard no more, for it would have given me great pleasure to meet this legal -cum -clerical personage in court. He certainly mistook his avocation in life when entering the Church, and he evidently learned wisdom in discovering what the word "data" signified. I may say that prior to the issue of the writ I was implored to com- promise at the price of 151. ! GLOUCESTER.

H. H. D. has misunderstood my note under this head if he supposes that I obstructed the