Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 2.djvu/159

 9 th S. II. AUG. 20, '98.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

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difficult building conditions, to be expected. Surely, if the ancient church builders in- tended to symbolize the Atonement in the way suggested, they would have made the change of orientation very much more pro- nounced.

I have during the last fourteen years obtained the orientation of nearly 400 ancient churches from the Ordnance maps, but have never found any variations in the line of the chancel but such trifling ones as may be fairly attributed to careless setting out when a chancel was rebuilt at a period subsequent to the building of the original church.

In Brandons 'Parish Churches' plans of over sixty notable old churches are given, minutely measured and drawn by the archi- tectural experts the Brandon brothers. They note every speciality of each church, but in no case does any deviation appear between the orientation of the chancel and that of the nave.

In some of Brandon's churches the chancel is shown more or less non-central with the nave, but in all cases the same orientation is preserved. G. WATSON.

Penrith, Cumberland.

ANNE BRONTE (8 th S. xii. 403, 471). I am indebted to MR. MOORE SMITH for his interesting reply to my article at the first reference. Miss Firth's diary conclusively settles the date of Anne Bronte's birth, but leaves two other equally important points in her history still subjudice. First, with regard to her name, or the spelling of it. MR. MOORE SMITH is "sure" that she was christened " Anne." But the evidence of the baptismal register is against his sureness. But, he argues, "the entry which gives 'Annie' is an error of transcription." On whose part? Either on Mr. Morgan's or Mr. Jolly s, or perhaps on mine. As for myself, I take the spelling as it lies before me in the copy of the entry made by Mr. Jolly with painstaking accuracy, while Mr. Morgan must surely be credited with knowing the difference between the two forms of the name. Miss Firth's testimony, of course, goes for nothing, not- withstanding the fact that she stood as Anne's godmother, for she invariably spells the name "Ann," though, curiously enough, it creates a triple difficulty similar to that mooted in my article. Then with reference to the date of Mr. Bronte's removal to Haworth. Mrs. Gaskell distinctly says that it occurred on 25 February, while Miss Firth's diary states that to be the date of his licence to Haworth. Of course, a licence does not necessarily mean an immediate removal, but I am still inclined

to believe that Mr. Bronte himself left Thornton on that date, though his family only did so some time between 5 April and 12 May the dates of Miss Firth's absence in Scarborough. Mr. Morgan's presence at Thornton, in addition to Mrs. GaskelFs statement, inclines me to this belief. And, furthermore, Miss Firth's curious phrase, "Took leave of Mr. Bronte's before leaving home " (5 April), in the light of MR. MOORE SMITH'S own explanation "an abbreviation for Mr. Bronte's family " confirms my view, or rather Mrs. GaskelFs statement. I fully admit the value of Miss Firth's diary as local and contemporary evidence, which must out- weigh that of any mere outsider ; but for all that, Mrs. Gaskell's testimony cannot be lightly set aside. Her intimacy with the Brontes precluded culpable errors of fact. But as I am a seeker after truth, not an obstinate adherent to inaccuracy (if such there be), I shall not sulk if MR. MOORE SMITH can change my views. May I express the hope, in conclusion, that Miss Firth's diary may soon see the light ? J. B. S.

Manchester.

In the -English Illustrated Magazine for August last there appeared a process picture from a photograph of Anne Bronte's gravestone in the churchyard of St. Mary's, Scarborough. Nothing but the stone itself appeared on the plate, so that the inscription as recorded by J. B. S. could be distinctly seen.

JOHN T. PAGE.

West Haddon, Northamptonshire.

GLOVES AT FAIRS (9 th S. i. 188, 375, 492). My impression (written in Bechuanaland) that the carrying of the glove at Lammas Fair, in Exeter, died out with the death of my friend good old " Joey " Wingfield, the noted wrestler and poacher of this city, a few years ago, was incorrect. It is still continued, and I witnessed the ancient ceremony this morning (19 July). The simple procession started from Exe Bridge at 11.30 A.M., the old proclamation written on vellum, and dating from certainly so long ago as A.D. 1322, being first read. Preceded by a side drum and a fife, the huge glove, hoisted upon a pole some fifteen feet high, was carried right through the main thoroughfare of this city. The pole is of considerable antiquity and is painted, striped something after the fashion of a barber's pole. The old glove is about eighteen inches high, made of leather, and pipe-clayed annually for the display. Under it were tied garlands of flowers. Held aloft, the glove was thus carried to the site of the old East Gate at the other end of the city, where the