Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 2.djvu/218

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [S' h s. n. SKW. 10,

out his enumeration of the barons, and in this he is strictly followed by Courthope in his edition of the same work (1857). Yet in a note they refer to " Willielmo de Eos," who in 1295 was described as " de Helmesley," and in 1299 as "de Heruelak." G. E. C., in the latest of ' Peerages,' explains that as the earliest writ of summons (1264) was to "Robto. de Ros " he adopts that form of the name, "although Courthope evidently considered the right name of the barony was Roos, and not Ros." Thus Nicolas and Courthope have preferred "Roos," as frequently found, while Dugdale, Burke, and G. E. C. give their support to "Ros," which, following the earliest writ of summons, seems preferable.

In regard to the place-name, when used in connexion with the barony, misunder- standing and perplexity would be obviated by writing " Ros of Hamlake (alias Helms- ley)." W. L. RUTTON.

27, Elgin Avenue, W.

BOOTS AND SANDALS (9 th S. ii. 148). In the romance of ' William of Palerne,' written about the middle of the fourteenth century, there is a cowherd, who was probably not different from other members of his class, and who wore shoes. The lines that refer to it, modernized somewhat, are as follows :

The herd sat then with hound * against the hote

sunne

Nought fully a furlong ' fro that fayre child, Cloughtand kyndely his schon ' as to here craft

falTes.

" Cloughtand kyndely his schon," I may add, means mending, as usual, his shoes.

Perhaps it may not be inappropriate to mention that Scott describes Gurth the swine- herd, in ' Ivanhoe,' as wearing sandals bound with thongs made of boar hide. Scott is, as many people know, sometimes inaccurate in his details, but he may, on the whole, I sup- pose, be considered a pretty good authority as to the times of which he writes. Indeed, the question seems rather to be if there ever was a period when the lower classes in Europe were without these necessary articles.

T. P. ARMSTRONG.

Putney.

CHELTENHAM : CHLSWICK (9 th S. i. 200, 245, 396, 509 ; ii. 90). With no wish to be hyper- critical, I find it difficult to follow MR. ARNOTT in his contention that though dies means gravel, it is not a word, nor does it belong to any language. Are not mob, and cab, and bus, and other truncated vocables, words ? It i bewildering to be told that the equivalent of a word is not itself a word.

In the extract which MR. ARNOTT quote.'

rom a former volume of ' N. & Q.' it is said that " Cheshunt or Cheselhunt compares with Chiswick or Chiselwick." If such a ! orm as Chiselwick were found, there would 36 no difficulty in agreeing with MR. ARNOTT ; out, unfortunately, there is no evidence that it ever existed, and quietly to assume that it did exist is a clear transgression of the rules of the game. Chiswick is not a Domesday name, and the earliest documentary form is v as MR. H. BRADLEY has shown, Cheseuic. This word may conceivably signify a village noted for cheeses ; but, in the absence of de- Sriite evidence, it would be unsafe to assume bhat it means anything of the sort. It might be worth while to compare it with the Cum- brian Keswick. *3s

Cheshire is celebrated for its cheeses, and I have no doubt gravel is found in the county, but no one thinks of connecting the name with cheese or gravel, for the simple reason that the true etymology is an estab- lished fact. Unluckily, in the case of Chis- wick facts are not available, and scope is therefore afforded for etymological guess- work. W. F. PRIDE AUX.

45, Pall Mall, S.W.

CANON TAYLOR is in error in stating that there is no gravel at Chesham. The Geological Survey Map, Drift edition, shows gravel to the north and through the middle of the town. I paid a visit to Chesham in the early part of this week, and saw the gravel, and am therefore justified in finding in the name of this place additional evidence for connecting ches in the name of a place with the presence of gravel.

CANON TAYLOR'S account of the source of the river now called the Chess is also imperfect. He says in his article on Cheltenham (9 th S. i. 510), " At Chesham, where there is no gravel, the source of the river is a large pool in the centre of the town, where the water bubbles up from the chalk." There are several other sources besides the pool which may be referred to in CANON TAYLOR'S descrip- tion. There are more pools than one ; and the Bury Pond, outside the town, is an im- portant source of the river. S. ARNOTT.

Baling.

A DOMESTIC IMPLEMENT (9 th S. i. 367, 489 ; ii. 92). The place and time to see this im- plement in full swing are the Piazza of the Santissima Annunziata in Florence, and the fair held in the Lady Day week. Near most of the stalls stand small braziers, in each of which lies the large pair of tongs described at the first reference. From time to time the tongs are opened, and five small lumps of