Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 4.djvu/329

 9th S. IV. Nov. 4, '99.] 387 NOTES AND QUERIES. graphy of East London dealt with, viz., a volume of "The Marriage Registers of St. Dun- stan's, Stepney, 1640-96. By T. Colyer-Fer- gusson." From this review we learn that about a year ago Mr. Colyer-Fergusson* published the earlier registers, and that he contemplates printing a third volume to complete the marriage registers down to 1753. Unfortu- nately, however, for the poor East-End student, the book is privately printed and only one hundred copies issued. Perhaps I may therefore be permitted to remind those interested in our local history that at one time the parish of Stepney included nearly the whole of what we now call the East-End, that is, all the seven divisions of the modern Parliamentary borough of the Tower Hamlets and the whole of the parish of Bethnal Green, which comprises in itself two Parliamentary constituencies; indeed, as recently as 1743 Bethnal Green was a hamlet of Stepney, as were likewise Spitalfields, Limehouse, and M ile End. Stow says in Strype's edition of the ' Survey ' " that Stepney may be esteemed rather a province than a parish, especially if we add that it contains in it both city and country ''; while Strype himself, as quoted in Mr. Allgood's 'History of Bethnal Green,' writes:— "It used to serve for country retirement to citizens and other wealthy men. Witness those many fine seats and noble structures that appear scattered about in those parts. For so it was, especially in ancient times when courtiers and persons of the greatest <iuality had their country houses here." Besides its extent, Stepney derives a very con- siderable importance from the fact that the manor of Stepney—variously spelt Steben- huth, Stebunhuth.Stebenheath, Stepenheath, Stepny, Stibenhede, Stebenhythe, Stebun- hethe, Stebonhyth, Stybonhyth, and Stebon- heath—nearly identical in its boundaries with the ancient parish, was, with the adjoining manor of Hackney, attached to the see of London until the Reformation, the manor- house, known as Bishop's Hall, being the country palace of the Bishops of London. A history of Stepney to the reign of Edward VI. would therefore be to a large extent a history of the diocese of London. Another interest- ing fact—should one be necessary to show that this subject is worth pursuing—is the state- ment of Stow that Edward I. held a Parlia- ment here at the latter end of the thirteenth century in the house of Henry Walleis, then Mayor of London. A history of this im- portant parish would for all practical pur- poses be a history of East London, at any [# See ' N- & Q-.' 9th S, ii. 379, 335; iv. 239.] rate until the end of the eighteenth century, and the publication of such valuable material as that undertaken by Mr. Colyer-Fergusson helps to bring a complete work within the bounds of possibility. G. Yarrow Baldock. 18, Groombridge Road, South Hackney, N.E. "Swabbers" (9th S. iv. 249, 318).-The valuable note by J. S. M. T, showing how the early association of " swabbers" with "whisk" (whist) throws etymological light on the word " whist," is most interesting. Since previous writers have all assumed that the name " whisk," afterwards "whist," meant " silence," will you allow me to quote the opinion I submitted last year at p. 66 of ' Whist of the Future,' as being in cordial endorsement of what J. S. M. T. urges? It runs thus :— " The game was first written whisk in verses by Taylor in the year 1621. It may be likely that this name was chosen on account of the brisk manner of dealing the pack of cards as compared with the deliberate apportionment of them [they often being slowly counted out two or three at a time] adopted for the other card games then in vogue. Halliwell, in his ' Dictionary of Archaisms,' gives as a meaning of the word whisk ' to do anything hastily,' and Skeat says ' to sweep round rapidly. " For forty-two years the name was whisk solely, and for most of that period the game was probably rather a noisy one, as being played principally in low taverns, and open to the free comments of the onlookers. When such a game as this was first started there could hardly have been any idea of 'silence'connected with the name to be conferred upon it." I must beg to be excused for thus quoting at length, but the "silence" acceptation had not hitherto been challenged. B. Lowsley. Southsea. Chimneys in Ancient Houses (9th S. iv. 64, 196, 254).—The south-east tower of Somerton Castle, Lincolnshire, which alone remains perfect, has two original chimneys (each con- taining two flues) projecting high above the parapet. The castle was built by Anthony Bek (afterwards Bishop of Durham), who obtained a licence to crenellate his dwelling- house at Somerton from Edward I. in 1281. Pottergate Arch, in this city, also of Ed- wardian date, has an embattled chimney corlielled out on the north face, and reaching well above the battlements. At Conisbrough Castle, Yorkshire, a shaft with two flues reaches the summit of the wall of the top- most floor of the keep, the upper part being gone, and the late Mr. G. T. Clark suggested it was originally terminated by a chimney several feet higher than the rampart. The