Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 4.djvu/53

 O^S. IV. Julys,'99.] 37 NOTES AND QUERIES. Besides these, the British Museum possesses eleven volumes of collections relating to Bunhill Fields Burial-ground made by the same industrious hand. It is strange that none of the great Nonconformist organiza- tions, or no wealthy Independent, Baptist, or Presbyterian, has thought the six volumes of transcripts, or portions of them, worthy of publication. Their importance may be i'udged of by the fact that buried in Bunhill ''ields were authors like Bunyan and Defoe, Commonwealth worthies like General Fleet- wood and several members of the Cromwell family, hymnologists like Hart, Stennett, and Isaac Watts, artists like Thomas Stot- hard and William Blake, and the mother of the Wesleys. A few of these, it is true, died after Rippon's time, but his list nevertheless contains hundreds of notable names. The registers of interments are to be found in Somerset House. They are in twenty- seven volumes, and record the burial of no less than 124,000 persons. They were fortu- nately secured by the City when the ground passed out of private possession in 1787. The first entrv was made in 1662, and the last in 1852. R. Clark. 13, Stanhope Road, Walthamstow. Swansea : its Derivation (9th S. i. 43, 98, 148,194,370, 433, 496 ; iii. 470).—This heading is older than the references given. In 8th S. vi. 503 the subject was, I think, introduced by myself. The thoroughness with which almost every subject is generally treated in ' N. it Q.' is a source of pardonable pride to those, at least, who have for many years had their faith maintained and strengthened in its columns. Mr. Stevenson's note at the last reference is further evidence, if it were needed. I have not anything to traverse in the reply, but would point out that the writer has overlooked a strong point in favour of his .own case, viz., the oldest form, Sweinsei, dates from, if I mistake not, 1188, and 'Brut y Ty wysogion' was written towards the end of the thirteenth century. Llan- ge.nydd is mentioned about the year 560 in a grant to Oudoceus or Odoeeus, Bishop of LlaudaiF. In 1399 one John Seweyn had half a burgage in Sweynemy. In Gower there are several tolmen, one or two known as the Swine House, very probably the graves of Danish chiefs, who, if not at one time lords of this part of Gower, certainly- held for a rather lengthened period the district. Swine House was doubtless origin- ally Siveyne.s ffuus. The word pirate, with our modern ideas, hardly conveys the true significance of the profession once common to almost all maritime nations. It was not then a discreditable business, but the reverse. Ancient chronicles prove that great person- ages, including monarchs' sons, considered this mode of life a certain qualification for their becoming " worthy of command." Many thus qualified, and it need not be pointed out that these so-called piratical excursions often resulted in permanent con- sequences, and not the mere devastation of a district. Of course it is of no great moment whether Sweinn was a pirate in the present acceptation of the word or a conqueror ; but that Swansea has its origin in Norse there can be no manner of doubt. Alfred Chas. Jonas, F.S.A.Scot. Stone Ale (9th S. iii. 489).—In some parts of Northumberland ale made at home and bottled in stone (pottery) bottles is known as stone ale. There is also stone ginger-beer, which, by the way, is a very different beverage from the gassed and flavoured water of the factories. Andrew W. Tuer. Ginger - beer in earthenware bottles is known in the trade to-day as " stone ginger- beer." It more nearly resembles the home- made article than does the stuff in glass bottles. W. C. B. [Many similar replies are acknowledged.] Peat (9th S. iii. 483).—Prof. Skeat will find, I think, that petary and petarium are of far older usage than 1500. Alexander III. of Scotland (pb. 1286) commanded Aymer de Maxwell, Sheriff of Peebles, to make inquiry by jury whether Robert de Cruik "keeps by force our petary of Waltamshope from the burgesses of Peebles, which they allege was given to them by our father and ourselves." The verdict was that " the burgesses cut their peats in the petary of Waltamshope, and that the said Robert violently cut and broke the said peats," ifcc. Unfortunately I have not at hand the original Latin to refer to (' The Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland,' "Formula Agendi," vol. i. p. 90), but the trial is referred to in Cosmo Innes's ' Scottish Legal Antiqui- ties,' p. 227. Hetsbkut Maxwell. I do not see how the learned Professor pro- poses to deal with " beats," i.e., " peats," a form too well planted to be ignored. Straw and turf were known as fuel before peat was dug for, so we have bete, beat, to feed the fire ; and the stoker was a " beater " ; " beat burn- ing," or "burn beking," was burning turf ; so beat is ordinary turf, not necessarily of neat. In Welsh we have bating, batio, to pare, burn peat or turf ; llotgi baling is turf-burning more in full. Personally! have always inclined to putem.