Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 12.djvu/416

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. xn. Nor. 21, 1903.

acquainted with Paris than the bodyguards, wen as far as the faubourg Saint - Honore, in order make for the barriere de Clichy, where the carriag was waiting at the house of an Englishman, M Crawford." -- 'French Revolution,' translated b C. Cocks, p. 595.

JOHN HEBB.

WE must request correspondents desiring info matioii on family matters of only private interes to affix their names and addresses to their querie in order that the answers may be addressed to them direct.

NEAPOLITAN MARVELS. I was lately per mitted to see at work the automatic sculpto invented by Signer Bontempi, of Naples, anc introduced into this country by Sir A. Cona Doyle. This machine was constructed a Naples by two young Englishmen, Messrs Henry and Alfred Pattison, engineers anc torpedo-boat builders, who not only carriec out Signer Bontempi's original idea, but sug gested and added several valuable improve ments. This marvellous machine is now therefore, a result of the inventive geniu of an Italian, perfected and put into practica working shape by English brains.

Nor is it the only mechanical marve which has owned Naples for its birthplace In the 'Life of Robert Houdin,' written by himself, translated by Lascelles Wraxall, and published by Chapman & Hall about 1859 occurs the following passage :

"(iervais, Chancellor to the Emperor Otho III. in the book entitled ' Ottia Imperatoris,' informs us that the sage Virgilius, Bishop of Naples, made a brass fly, which he placed on one of the city gates, and this mechanical fly, trained like a shepherd's nog, prevented any other fly entering Naples, so much so that during eight years the meat exposed lor sale in the market was never once tainted."

Can any fellow-contributor supply further information respecting " the sage Virgilius, Bishop of Naples"? Is it not probable that the word " fly " is an error of transla- tion ? It seems more likely that this brazen marvel was made in the shape of a wasp hornet, or some other predaceous insect which preys upon flies. J. P S

Automobile Club, Paris.

THOMSON : THOMPSON. It is stated in Hasted s 'Kent,' vol. v.p. 425, that Anthony surviving son to Henry Thomson, died in E>82 possessed of the manor of Roy ton It should read "grandson Anthony, son of 3rt rhomson"; vide Visitation of the in the ^

>ui- 1.

T lP fcS ' R U ? e Dra S n ' Bering MSS lliomson, where the marriages of

Robert, son of Henry, are given, as well as extracts from the parish register at Lenham, together with monumental inscriptions. The arms quartered with those of Thomson are those of Dorothy Swan, daughter of Thomas Swan, gent., the first wife of Robert Thomson, which heraldic bearings would be correct for the eldest surviving son of Ro- bert and Dorothy, who doubtless caused the tablets to be placed. On the same brass is stated the fact that this Robert Thomson was the grandchild of Mary, daughter of Robert Atwater (v. Hasted's 'Kent, 5 vol. v. p. 424), and wife to Robert Honey wood, Esq., of Charing, who at her decease was blessed with 367 descendants: 16 children, 114 grand- children, 228 great-grandchildren, and 9 great-great-grandchildren. Some particulars in regard to her ancestry, and the date of her decease, are desired.

In this same Visitation there are given the sons and daughters of Thomas Thomson de Petham, apud Kentfielde, and among them John, William, and Anthony, of whom the eldest son, John Thomson, is described as " miles, fil. et hseres" ; and on p. 312, vol. ix., of Hasted's^ 'Kent' it is stated that the manor of Kenfield, or Upper Kenfield, to- gether with that of Petham, continued in this family down to Thomas Thomson. Esq., of Kenfield, ob. 1762, &c. Whose son was the Henry Thomson, Esq., of Kenfield, who purchased Petham from William White and others during the reign of King Charles I. ?

It is commonly supposed that John, An- thony, and William Thomson, or Thompson, of Ne\v Haven Colony in New England, 1638 et seq., were of this Kentish family.

SIGMA-DELTA. New Haven, Ct, U.S.

HOUSE OP COMMONS, 1640. I wish to make a drawing of the interior of the House of Commons at Westminster as it was in the year 1640. Can any one tell me what pic- -ures, drawings, or prints I ought to refer to n order to enable me to reconstruct with ecu racy ? JERMYN.

ST. BEES COLLEGE. A few weeks ago I mid a visit to the now disrupted and dis- nantled Theological College of St. Bees. )esks, chairs, stools, books, and pictures are
 * ill there, but, alas ! no students. In the

Id college building, on the time-honoured himney- piece, I noticed the oaken collecting- )ox, as used by the students since 1817. This

in the form of a Saxon church, with nave, lancel, and tower complete. In the tower re spaces to place coins for the college xhibitions, when this seat of learning was