Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 6.djvu/574

 478 NOTES AND QUERIES. 19- s. vi. DK. is, 1900. crest, ever since Charles I. or II. (I forget which). Taking refuge with the head of that family, the king was hid in a barn while the soldiers of Cromwell searched the place. Coming to the barn, they looked everywhere round it except where the man was threshing, under which neap of corn the king lay. This story is current in Cheshire, but I cannot vouch for its truth. E. L. W. " Now thus" is the motto of the crest of three Lancashire families, that is, of the Pil- kingtons, the Asshetons, and the Traffords. The crest of the first represents a thresher with a flail, of the second a mower with a scythe, of the third a thresher with a flail. There are sundry variations. In each case there is a tradition that on one occasion the head of the family, after defeat in battle, disguised himself as a labourer, and, to all inquiries made by the pursuers, responded by the enigmatical phrase "Now thus," as he used his flail or scythe. The matter is discussed in the 'Pilkington Pedigree' of Harland and Axon (Manchester, 1875). Col. John Pilkington, in his more recent ' History of the Pilkington Family' (Liverpool, 1894), suggests that " Now thus, now thus," may have been the refrain of one of the scythe songs formerly in use. WILLIAM E. A. AXON. Manchester. Fuller, under ' Lancashire,' p. 110, says:— " The Pilkingtons, a right ancient family, [as I am] informed by my good friend Master William Ryley, Norrey, and this countryman, were gentlemen of repute in this shire, before the Conquest, when the chief of them, then sought for, was fain to disguise himself, a thresher in a barn. Hereupon, partly alluding to the head of the flail (falling sometimes on the one, sometimes on the other side), partly to himself embracing the safest condition for the pre- sent, he gave for the motto of his arms, ' Now thus, now thus.'" The motto " thus" is taken from the directions given to the steersman. The pilot says " starboard" or " port," and when the ship's head points to the required course he says "thus, i.e., keep her so — in modern phrase " steady." Hence it is equivalent to keep a right course," as in "recto cursu," the motto of the Corsars. " Now thus " ap- pears on labels on the tomb of Symonds at Cley, in Norfolk, and, as their motto was " Rectus in curvo," it may be meant as a free p. 22, some prominence is given to the follow- ing extract:— " Hearne, in his 'Curious Discoveries,' vol. i. p. 262, says: ' The aunceyenttest armorial devica 1 know or have read is y' of Trafford of Trafford, in Lancashire, whose arms (crest) is a labouring man with afraylein his hand threshinge, and thir written motto, " Now Thus," which they seye came by this occasion: that hee and other gentylmen opposing themselves against some Normans who came to invade them, thys Trafford dyd them much hurt*, and kept the passage against them. But that at length the Normans having passyd the ryver came sodenly upon hym and then hee dis- guysing hymselfe went into hys barne; and was threshynge when they enteryd, yet beying knowen by some of them, and demanded why hee soe abased hymselfe, answered "Now thus."' The crest was regularly granted or confirmed by Lawrence Dalton, Norroy, about the middle of the sixteenth century. The old Yorkshire family of Pilkington have for a crest a husbandman with a scythe, and the motto ' Now thus.' The Traffords and Pilkingtons have intermarried." RICHARD LAWSON. Urmston. COLUMBARIA, ANCIENT DOVE OR PIGEON COTES (9th S. vi. 389).—There were, and I believe still are, four of these in existence, viz., at Bamburgh, Spindlestone, Haggerston, and Ernbleton, all in Northumberland. That there was one here formerly may be inferred from the existing names of Dove Cote's Lane and Dove Cote's Croft. No one that I know can remember seeing it. The reason alleged for their existence or any superstition con- nected with them is new to me. Q. H. THOMPSON. Alnwick. There are many more examples in England than those mentioned. In Country Life was a very fine photograph, some time ago, of an old pigeon-cote. Nearly every county sup- plies good examples, I should say, though I cannot recall the names of the places at present. B. FLORENCE SCARLETT. translation. H. S. V.-W. • " Now thus " is the motto to the crest of the old Lancashire family of De Trafford, who, in 1893, had printed a most sumptuous ' History Of the De Traffords of Trafford.' Therein, at The Transactions of the Birmingham and Midland Archaeological Society for 1893, vol. xix., contains a very interesting paper on this subject, illustrated by numerous sketches, by Sir. Alfred Watkins, of Hereford. BENJ. WALKER. Gravelly Hill, Erdington. These arequitecommon in Scotland. Theold grants of them are worded "cum columbis et columbariis." The Scots Act of 1617, cap. 19, declares that no person shall have power to build a dovecot unless he has lands to the extent of ten chalders of rent. But this did not apply to those previously built. From 1424 onwards penalties are imposed on slayers of