Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 4.djvu/239

 y s. iv. ex*, u, m] NOTES AND QUERIES. 311 the responsibility of abolishing Christmas, but without effect. It brings to mind the captivating innocence of Jehu's question, " Who slew all these 1" W. 0. B. Selectmen (9th S. iv. 169).—In New Eng- land, and some other portions of the United States influenced by New England, we have elaborate town governments, the chairman of the selectmen being practically the mayor, and his associates on the board the aldermen. In Massachusetts all towns of less than twelve thousand inhabitants have such a govern- ment. The selectmen are usually three in number, but may be five, seven, or nine If elected for three years, the terra of one, or more if there is a large board, must expire each year. Most towns elect all the select- men annually. The town of Brookline, richer and more populous than many of our cities, Erefers to remain a town, and is governed y selectmen. When the country was first settled the selectmen were in some localities called " townsmen." The office of selectman dates from the earliest times in New Eng- land. The writer has been a selectman of one of the larger towns of Massachusetts. George Kuhn Clarke. Boston, U.S. Herries (9th S. iv. 247).—J. D.-S. does not give his address. I think he will find much information on the Herries family in that fine work ' The Book of Carlaverock,' published at great cost by the late Lord Herries and his late brother, the Hon. Marmaduko Maxwell. A copy must be in the British Museum Library. Gandolfi (Duke). J. D.-S. might try Herefordshire, in which county there was a prosperous family of that name living in the first half of the seven- teenth century. One Fra?ices, daughter of Herries of Herefordshire, married in 1665 Daniel Wigmore, of Stamford, in Lincoln- shire, several times mayor of that town. W. Bancroft Randall. Old Charlton. Polkinghorn (9th S. iv. 108, 214).—It may perhaps interest some of your readers to refer to a member of this family who was a noted wrestler, and who represented Cornwall in a very famous wrestling match with my an- cestor Abraham Cann, the Devon champion. T. Cann Hughes, M.A. Lancaster. Bleeding Image in Christ Church, Dublin (9th S. iv. 127).—In the note upon this subject it is remarked that this story is believed to be "a forgery perpetrated by Robert Ware, the unworthy son of the learned and accurate Sir James Ware." The authority given is "Rev. T. E. Bridgett's 'Blunders and Forgeries,' 1890." But Dr. Bullinger has thoroughly exposed how untrustworthy are the charges of forgery and interpolation made against Robert Ware by Father Bridgett, of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Ware published his valu- able collections, entitled ' Foxes and Fire- brands,' in 1682. Such authors as Strype, Collier, Gardiner, Cox, Froude, Liugard, and others of no less eminence made large use of his historical information; and I believe not one of them charged Ware with forgery. Father Bridgett, in his seventh essay, en- titled 'A Rogue and his Dupes,' denounces Ware's work as a forgery, charging him with interpolating forged papers among his father's genuine transcripts. In making so grave a charge, we have a right to expect the fullest evidence, or atteinpted proof, or at least sound argument. Father Bridgett does not favour us with any one of the least of these. The only evidence is his own ipse dixit His words are: " Sir James Ware had, I am convinced, no knowledge whatever of the many documents published by his son Robert" (p. 212). What are Father Brid- gett's convictions worth? But he adds: "A careful examination of several of these volumes has convinced me that the papers quoted by the son are in a handwriting quite different from the genuine transcripts of the father, and of a later date." There is no evidence that Father Bridgett's opinion on calligraphy is worth anything. On the other hand, experienced professionals have declared their opinions that the vi riting is throughout by the same hand, though of different dates, and that the paper is all one quality throughout. Supposing even that Father Bridgett's imaginary difference in handwriting existed, that would not prove that what the son wrote was false. To mini- mize the fact of Ware's collections being used by eminent writers, he further remarks : " I have no reason whatever to think that the manuscripts were ever examined by Strype or Collier, who first gave currency to some of Ware's myths" (p. 213). But of what con- sequence is it what Father Bridgett thinks 1 He makes great and serious charges against a valuable Historical writer; and when you ask for proofs, he gives you his various " convictions," thoughts, and calligraphic speculations. But so worthless did Father Bridgett con- sider his own argument (!) that he gives it up himself further on, and, after charging Ware