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NOTES AND QUERIES. ED* s. n. DKC. 31,

Mr. W. T. Rogers's ' Manual of Bibliography,' new edition, 1891. Many of these technical terms are not likely to be much used, but others have a clear use, such as anagram, which tells us the kind of pseudonym the author has adopted and gives a clue to his name. Ananym is still better, because it indicates at once that the author has used his name written backwards. The example given by Dr. Murray is that I give in my Querard, namely, John Dralloc (i.e., Collard). I obtained it from the 'Biographical Dic- tionary,' 1816 (p. 71), where it is misprinted "Colland," but in the supplement (p. 427) they say, apparently annoyed at having been deceived, "The real name of this man," &c. Afterwards I found other examples, as 'Hoyle made familiar by Eidrak Trebor,' 1830 ; but it was Collard's fate to be immortalized by Dr. Murray, and through him by Funk & Wagnalls, nearly ninety years after his death. I think ananym is a nice-sounding word. It is omitted from the ' Century Dictionary,' the editor no doubt considering it was quite unknown and not worth inserting. This omission well illustrates the result of at- tempting to select words. Some time ago the late MR. C. F. S. WARREN (' N. & Q.,' 8 th S. ix. 318) made a proposal to stultify not only our dictionaries, but the British Museum Library, both of which, "as he purposes," will have to select " to-morrow." " Never shall sun that morrow see " is my hope.

RALPH THOMAS.

MERGATE HALL, NEAR NORWICH.

As early as the twelfth century the Kemp family were settled in Norfolk, Gotf red Kemp being here in 1187. Galfred Kemp was at Norwich in 1272, Robert in 1306, and in 1324 Allan Kemp (who also had land in Suffolk). Flordon Hall, Norfolk, was added to the family estates by the son of the latter ; and the manors of Gissing were held by Robert Kemp, who was of Weston in Suffolk, and Gissing, Flordon, and other estates in Nor- folk, and received Mergate Hall, Braconash, with his wife Elizabeth, daughter of John Appliard, the previous owner of the parish. Ever since then these manors and halls have remained in the Kemp family.

In 1641 Robert Kemp, then the lord of these manors, was Gentleman of the Bed- chamber to Charles I., and sold portions of his lands to raise funds for the king, in recognition of which, as well as for "personal devotion," he was created a baronet by Charles I., and as a special mark of royal favour, all charges in connexion with the patent were " forgiven him."

Sir Kenneth Hagar Kemp, who is the twelfth baronet and present lord of these manors, now resides at Mergate Hall, prefer- ring it to the more modern hall at Gissing which has replaced the previous ancient hall there, so long the principal seat of his family.

The first baronet died in 1647, "having .suffered much both in real arid personal estate from the sequestration of those times"; and although the manors have been retained by each succeeding baronet, it was left for Sir Kenneth to repurchase " a narrow strip of land running right through " his Mergate Hall estate, which was the means of raising some of the funds for King Charles.

Sir Kenneth still owns the original patent granted to the first baronet. It is in excel- lent preservation, and bears a portrait of the king oeautifully executed in the initial letter. The seal attached is still unbroken.

The present building is chiefly of seven- teenth-century work, but traces of earlier- houses may be seen. The Burneys of Bra- conash had a lease of this mansion for sixty years, and spoilt the appearance of the hall by erecting a very plain circular staircase. Sir Kenneth has, however, done much to remedy this by bringing antique oak panelling from his neighbouring manor house of Flordon (which is falling into decay), and has spent a great deal of trouble and money on carefully removing paint and plaster from the very old wood carving which still remains of the former mansion.

The Hall is approached by a rather straight drive through an avenue of fine oaks. The commodious coachhouse and stables form a handsome block on the left hand of the approach, and the brewhouse, bakeries, and kitchens appear as a wing of the main build- ing, forming one side of the courtyard before the house. These buildings are, however, not actually attached. The rooms are arranged on two floors. The entrance hall is floored with polished oak, and the walls are entirely panelled with the same wood. There are several chests here, representing the work of many centuries. Here, too, are some old carved chairs, and numerous portraits of ladies of the family. Among these are Mary, daughter of John Soarn, of Ubbeston, Suffolk, and Elizabeth, daughter of John Brand, of Edwardeston. There is a very heavily carved coat of arms which belonged to Thomas Cooke Kemp, grandfather of the present baronet. Below this stand bronze busts of King Charles the Martyr and Oliver Cromwell.

Passing from the entrance hall, one enters