Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 4.djvu/350

 404 NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. iv. Nov. n, m of ground called the Mint stood the Duke of Suf- folk a house. The chief street in the Mint (Mint Street) is so called, being that which gives an entrance into it out of Blackman Street; it is long and narrow, running into Lorabart Street, thence into Suffolk Street, and so into George Street." The site came into the possession of Henry VIII., who established a place for coining money, which gave the present locality its name. Everard Home Coleman. 71, Brecknock Road. In the time of Moll Flanders the opera- tions of the royal coinage were carried on at the Tower of London, where about one-third of the building was devoted to this work ; but another place went under the name of "The Mint," with which the lady in question was probably far more familiar. This was a small district in Southwark, on the Surrey side of the Thames, which occupied the site of a large house that had been built by Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, brother- in-law of King Henry VIII. After the duke's death the building came into the hands of the king, who established a mint in it. In course of time the house was pulled down, and the district became a kind of Alsatia, ana the resort of insolvent debtors, thieves, and bad characters of all descriptions—a state of things which was probably due to its groximity to the Marshalsea and King's ench prisons. It is frequently mentioned by the writers who flourished in the time of Queen Anne and the early Georges. Great alterations have been made in recent years, and some of the worst streets have been cleared away ; but Mint Street, which con- nects Blackman Street with Southwark Bridge Boad, still preserves its memory. Lant Street, which has been immortalized from the fact that it afforded a home to Mr. Bob Sawyer, is situated in this quarter. W. F. Prideaux. "Judgment" (9th S. iv. 288).—Mr. Ackerley treats this as if it were unique, whereas there are scores of examples of soft dg before a consonant in English. I take up the 'London Directory,' and in a few moments come upon the surnames Edgcombe, Edgley, Edgson; Hedgcock, Hedgley, Hedgman; Sedgbeer, Sedgley, Sedgwick; Hodgkins, Hodgkinson, Hodgman, Hodgson ; Ridgley, Ridgman, Ridgway, Ridgwell; Bridgford, Bridgland, Bridgman, Bridgport, Bridgwater. Before a consonant dg could scarcely be pronounced hard ; but this is, I will admit, not the case when it precedes a "back" vowel, therefore 1 do not deny that the legal term pledgor and the surname Ledgard are bad spellings. In the Cornish place - names Nancledrea and Nancrossa, in which the prefix is sounded Nance, the omission of the vowel e is to be deprecated for the same reason, that it generally misleads a stranger. See also a former note of mine (8th S. ix. 285). James Platt, Jun. According to Webster, Shakespeare, Pope, and Jeremy Taylor use "judgment." The phonetical spelling is given as juj'merit. The earlier form is Chaucer's Anglo-French " juge- ment" "Judgement" is not recognized. Moreover, the Middle-English dictionaries of Stratmann, and Mayhew and Skeat give "judgment" as the equivalent of "jugement." In matters of pronunciation the argument from orthography is not always sound. Arthur Mayall. I see no objection to the spelling. The symbol g represents two sounds in gem and get; why should not dg represent two sounds in Edgar and judgment ? We must remember that English spelling does not profess to be strictly phonetic. It should be noted that in 'H.E.D. " Abridgment" appears in the word- list in the place of honour before " Abridge- ment." A. L. Mayhew. Oxford. Sir Edmund Wright, Lord Mayor of London, 1640-1 (9th S. iv. 247, 335). — He married firstly, 12 June, 1614, at Isleworth, Martha Baron, or Barnes. See will of Katharine Barnes, proved 1643, " 20 Crane." She and her child were buried, 24 November, 1631, from St. Olave's, at St. Laurence's, Jewry. He married secondly Jane, widow of " John Bennett, of London, Esq.," daughter of Wil- liam Mills, of St. Clement Danes (Lie. London. 5 June, 1633, he being fifty-six, widower, ana she thirty-four). She died 6, and was buried 18 May, 1636, at St. Laurence's aforesaid. He himself was buried there (from St. Olave's aforesaid) 2 Aug., 1643. G. E. C. In the ' Visitation of London,' p. 52. Har- leian Soc, edited by J. F. Howard and J. L. Chester, 1880, it is stated that Edward Baron, of London, aged seventy-one years, anno 1634, grandson of Peter Baron, of Saffron Walden, in Essex, serjeant of the law, married Katha- rin, daughter of Mr. Wright, and had, amongst other children, a daughter named Martha, wife to Edmond Wright, alderman of London. M.A.Oxon. Sunken Lanes (9* S. iv. 207, 289, 336).— After reading the interesting account of ' Sunken Lanes ' I came across a passage in William Carleton's ' Lough Derg Pilgrim' which seemed to me worth noting in con-