Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 2.djvu/419

 9 th S. II. Nov. 19, '98.

NOTES AND QUERIES.

411

Churches which point to the Existence of the Columban Church in Man, and that Man was within the Sphere of lona.' This con- firms my thesis at No. 4, which I have always maintained the Columban (and therefore Patrician) origin of Treen chapels. I shall look forward with interest to Mr. Quine's paper in the next issue of the Yn Lioar Manninagh.

ROYAL NAVAL (OR NAVY) CLUB (9 th S. ii. 327). The club about which MR. JULIAN MARSHALL seeks information is doubtless the Royal Navy Club. It was founded in 1765 as a dining club for "sea officers," and confined to those of and above the rank of commander. Its dinner hour was originally 4 o'clock, but in 1785 occurred a secession of those smarter officers who considered the hour of dining unfashionable, and objected to the rule of ordinary dress as infra dig. The old club christened the seceders "the Pig and Whistle," and in retaliation the seceders nicknamed the old club " the Dirty Shirts." These names have long since fallen into desuetude ; but a few years back the '85 club fell into low water, and there followed an amalgamation, hence the name "The Royal Navy Club, 1765-85." It has never had a habitation, and its members meet, some eight times annually, on the anniversaries of our great naval victories, the present place of meeting being the H6tel Metropole. The president is allowed to invite the one and only guest, though the rule is slightly relaxed where some magnate is accompanied by his suite. The club is rich in funds, and devotes its surplus to gifts and pensions to the widows and children of deceased members. I believe the above account, which I have from the lips of one of the members, is sub- stantially correct. HOLCOMBE INGLEBY.

Heacham Hall, Norfolk.

Though I am a member of this club I can- not give all the details I should like, as I am away from books on a visit. The following information is, however, fairly correct.

The Royal Navy Club, 1765-85, is composed of the Navy Club of 1765 and the Royal Naval Club of 1785, which amalgamated about 1889. Each had practically the same origin and rules, and to a great extent officers belonged to both. The constitution of the present united club may, therefore, be con- sidered as that of both the Navy Club and the Royal Naval Club. The object is to allow naval officers to meet at dinner together and promote good-fellowship, and, in addition, to distribute surplus funds in charity to de-

serving cases of poverty m late members' families.

The committee select certain anniversaries of naval victories to celebrate by dinners, and appoint the president for the dinner, who alone has the privilege of inviting a

uest to dine. Some six or eight of these inners are held every year, an,d victories such as Trafalgar, St. Vincent, &c., are thus commemorated^

There is, as your correspondent suggests, no club-house, and I am unable to account for the book-plate unless it be one of a club of that title which was started in London a few years ago, but is now defunct.

A MEMBER.

The Royal Navy Club of 1765 and 1785 (united 1889) consists of flag officers, captains, and commanders of the Royal Navy. It has no house, but the meetings are held at the Whitehall Rooms, and are succeeded by a dinner ; they commemorate Founders' Day, 4 February ; the battle of Cape St. Vincent ; Lord Rodney's action, 12 April, 1782 ; Her Majesty's birthday ; Lord Howe's action, 1 June, 1794 ; the battle of the Nile, 1 August, 1798 ; the bombardment of Algiers, 27 August, 1816 ; the battle of Camperdown, 11 October, 1797 ; the battle of Trafalgar, 21 October, 1805 ; and the birthday of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. J. P. STILWELL.

Hilfield, Yateley.

NUMBER OF CHARACTERS IN DICKENS (8 th S. xii. 188, 297, 358). MR. GEORGE MARSHALL, in his letter at the second reference on this subject, says that, after 'Pickwick,' he should imagine that there are the greatest number of characters in 'Dpmbey and Son,' then in 'Martin Chuzzlewit,' 'The Old Curiosity Shop,' and ' David Copperfield.' Many years ago I made a careful analysis of the " speak- ing " characters in several of Dickens's novels, and I append the following list as the result :

'Pickwick'

' Bleak House '

' David Copperfield ' ... ' The Old Curiosity Shop ' ' Martin Chuzzlewit '. .. ' Dombey and Son ' ... 'A Tale of Two Cities' ' Barnaby Rudge ' 'Hard Times'

In this list the first column contains the number of all the "speaking" characters introduced into the several books, whether named or not, as, e.g., "the clergyman of Dingley Dell," a "link boy," a "toll-keeper," a " barmaid at the Blue Boar," &c.

The second column comprises only the

. 261 . 92 . 89 80 . 77 . 75 . 65 55 . 24

132 68 62 39 56 57 22 32 18