Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 4.djvu/162

 246 NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. iv. SEPT. 23, '99. known quantity by saying that it equals x, or the heraldry of fish by hydrostatics, then we should know where we are. We should be able to express our pride by an equation, and our vanity in decimals. Of course different coats will always vary in value, partly in proportion to their antiquity, their beauty of design, or the fact of their being borne by a chief of coat armour, or on suffer- ance by a cadet. But even here mathematics might still come to the rescue. MILES WHELPTON. 3, Waldeck Avenue, Bedford. WALWORTH.—Sir Walter Besant in his book 'South London' says that" the name of Wai worth indicates the proximity of the high causeway running through its midst." That this is not the case is proved by the early form Wealawyrth, which occurs in an A.-S. charter. Here weala is the gen. pi. of wealh, a Welshman, showing that Walworth was an estate belonging to Welshmen or Britons, and can have nothing to do with a dyke or wall, as is the case with several places called Walton. ISAAC TAYLOR. "SMOKABLES," A NEW WORD.—"No eatables, drinkables, or smokables shall, under any circumstances, be distributed " in the Kaffir kraal at the Earl's C9urt Exhibition. Agree- ment reprinted in Times, 9 Sept. W. CROOKE. DA VIES GILBERT'S 'CORNWALL.'—As Da vies Gilbert's 'Parochial History of Cornwall' is a standard work of reference, two un- accountable blunders in it ought to be pointed out. On p. 311, vol. iii., John Shakespeare is stated to have built Acton Castle, Perranuthno, when John Stack- house is intended. In the same paragraph Tregenna Castle, St. Ives, appears as Tre- gorno. W. ROBERTS. /ANCWILL.—When this name first appeared, people were doubtful whether it was an actual family name or merely a nom de plume. There is no doubt about its being a real surname, and a very ancient one too. It has come to England all the way from Chaldsea. Chaldaic was always a favourite language with Jews, and it will come as a surprise to many to learn that among the Jewish population of foreign birth in the East-End, Yiddish is the jargon spoken, and pure Chaldaic is the prin- cipal language studied, or rather read. Zang •will, in Chaldaic, means a nail of cloves, spice, or any common flower ; it corresponds with clou de tjirofle, found so often in ancient deeds —a nail of gillyflower presented by way of service to an over-lord. Centuries ago it became a family name among the Jews. In 1258 some property was sold in Norwich, and after the statement in Hebrew that ten marks were paid in "gersuma" comes a line to the effect that the purchaser must present an- nually "three zangwills, which they call clous de girofle " (' Shetaroth,' p. 84). M. D. DAVIS. VIVIAN'S 'VISITATIONS OF THE COUNTY OF DEVON.' — When consulting the pedigrees printed in this work, genealogists should be careful to see that they are consulting visi- tation pedigrees. I have recently noted, for example, that Kelland of Lapford, Kellond of Painsford, and Wreford of Morchard Bishop have no connexion with heralds' visitations, but have been inserted on Vivian's personal authority. As regards the pedigrees, they are doubtless quite as au- thentic as if the whole Heralds' College had made itself responsible for them ; but the families were of the yeoman class, and the arms blazoned by Vivian are therefore, so far as can be judged, without authority. There may be other cases in Vivian with similar additions. I noted these three quite by accident. A. C. PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL POSTAL CONCES- SION.—I wonder whether the combined anti- quarian forces of England and the United States could win from the postal autho- rities a concession in their favour. I am preparing for a friend in America a recueil of her English ancestry which covers so many sheets of foolscap as to weigh nearly two pounds. I had supposed that this "could travel as "Commercial Papers," but in order to satisfy myself I addressed an inquiry to the G.P.O. Being requested to " furnish a speci- men," I selected tfiree representative sheets, mostly of verbatim extracts, citing book and page, but with some additional infor- mation on my own part, besides pedigrees, with perhaps such remarks as "This John is evidently the one named in Thomas's will," " Kelverdesley, i.e., Cuerdley," " Vide ante." Several days later an official called to show me correspondence that had passed on the subject between the secretary of the G.P.O. and one of the clerks. The conclusion was to the effect that it would be safest to pay the usual foreign-letter rate, i.e., 2irf. per half- ounce, as the MS. appeared not to consist purely of copied matter, and, even if allowed to pass here, might be liable to objection in the U.S. if sent by the cheaper rate. Now it strikes me that there is a considerable demand from our American cousins for gene- alogical communications from this country ,