Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 7.djvu/124

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. VIL FEB. 9, iwi.

in the fifteenth century, and let us believe he was born here ; it is certain he married Ann Nevil, whose father was Lord of Abergavenny Castle under Henry VL"-P. 70.

The erudite United States consul is silent as to Edward IV. 's alleged birth in the castle.

C. K.

The following translation from William Wyrcester, as rendered by Hearne, may assist my esteemed friend MR. PAGE :

" The Generation of the most Illustrious Prince*

Richard Duke of York," &c "The Lord Edward.

the second son of the Illustrious Prince Richard* was born in the City of Rouen, on the 27th April in the year 1442, in the afternoon, the 14th hour and 45 .minutes (45 minutes past 2 o'clock A.M., April 28th)."

In a note, apparently by Hearne, quoting the text of the 'Annals,' our author says that Edward was born "on Monday the 28th April, 1442" (not saying where), two hours after midnight, and adds naively : " Qui conceptus est in camera proxima capellse palacii de Hatfield " (p. 462).

In the 'Annals,' written subsequently to the l Account of the Generation of the Family of York,' W. Wyrcester records, " On Monday the 2nd of October [1452], Richard (son of Richard, Duke of York) was born at Fotherin- gay." I extract from 'The Chronicles of the White Rose of York ' (London, Bohn, 1845), notes, pp. 213-4. GNOMON.

WHIFFLERS AND WHIFFLING (4 th S. xii. 284, 354, 397, 416, 525). The whiffler is men- tioned near the beginning of the fifth act of ' Henry V.,' where " the deep-mouthed sea " is "like a mighty whiffler 'fore the king." We are told that the whiffle was originally a kind of axe, but that the whifflers in Norwich carried a sword of lath or latten. I find in chap. viii. of the appendix to George Sorrow's ' The Romany Rye ' the following passage :

"Nobody can use his fists, without being taught the use of them, by those who have themselves been taught, no more than any one can whiffle, without being taught by a master of the art. Now let any man of the present day try to whiffle. Would not any one, who wished to whiffle, have to go to a master of the art ? Assuredly ! but where would he find one, at the present day? The last of the whifflers hanged himself about a fortnight ago on a bell-rope in a church steeple of ' the old town,' from pure grief that there was no further demand for the exhibition of his art, there being no demand for whiffling since the discontinuance of Guildhall banquets. Whiffling is lost. The old chap left his sword behind him ; let any one take up the old chap's sword, and try to whiffle."

Borrow was a Norfolk man, and 'The Romany Rye' appeared in 1857. One sees occasionally, at the head of a street procession in the U.S., an officer called a drum-major

who twirls an ornamental staff, sometimes throwing it in the air and catching it again. The ' Century Dictionary ' gives us : " Drum- major. One who directs the evolutions ^ of a Dand or drum-corps in marching (U.S.)." In the English Army Regulations (1844), " The Music of Slow and Quick Time is to be prac- tised under the direction of the Drum-Major" ('H.E.D.'). In the U.S. army the motions of the drum-major's staff, held vertically or horizontally, are signals for the conduct of the line of march. In processions not of a strictly military character the drum-major performs many fantastic tricks with his staff, and is apparently an unintentional copy of the ancient whiffler.

RICHARD H. THORNTON. Portland, Oregon.

COLUMBARIA, ANCIENT DOVE OR PIGEON COTES (9 th S. vi. 389, 478 ; vii. 15). I believe I am correct in stating that there is an old dove-house on the boundary of Little Glem- ham Park, Suffolk. The " commodious Manor House of Clopton Hall " was advertised to be sold at Garra way's Coffee-House in 1806, with " forecourt, gardens, fishponds, orchard, dove- cote, farmyard, and suitable outbuildings." In the Sun newspaper of 4 September, 1799, the lease of Crawley Farm, Wi tnev > Oxford- shire, was advertised to be disposed of, and among the attractions mentioned is a " dove- house." In conclusion I quote from Selden's 'Table-talk,' under ' Conscience':

" Some men make it a Case of Conscience, whether a Man may have a Pigeon-house, because his Pigeons eat other Folk's Corn. But there is no such thing as Conscience in the Business ; the Matter is, whether he be a Man of such Quality, that the State allows him to have a Dove-house; if so, there 's an end of the business ; his Pigeons have a right to eat where they please themselves."

H. SlRR.

There is a large columbarium at Alciston, part of which is now used as a chicken-house, the remainder being roofless. There is also a circular one opposite Patcham Church. Both are in Sussex. W. SHARP.

" OWL IN IVY BUSH " (9 th S. vi. 328, 396 ; vii. 16). I have a copy of the second edition of Ray's 'Proverbs,' Cambridge, 1678, and under letter O in the 'Alphabet of joculatory, nugatory, and rustick proverbs ' the follow- ing is given :

To look like an owl in an Ivy-bush.

W. S.

" TWOPENNY TUBE " (9 th S. vii. 29). - I remember reading in the Daily Chronicle, a day or so after the opening of the Central London Railway, that a 'bus driver or cqq-