Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 8.djvu/172

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NOTES. AND QUERIES. [9 th s. vm. AUG. 24, 1001.

Where can I find any illustrated account of these paintings 1.

T. CANN HUGHES, M.A., F.S.A. Lancaster.

PRONUNCIATION OF WILHELMINE. Will some one kindly tell me whether the W in Wilhelmine should be pronounced as V believe it is so in Wilhelm. GERMAN.

Tunbridge Wells.

[English and German pronunciations are distinct, and one has as much claim to recognition as the other.]

"GLORIOUS UNCERTAINTY OF THE GAME."- What is the origin of this phrase, which regularly turns up in the cricket reports 1 Is it classic? It is not alliterative, as in "glorious Goodwood"; and why is uncer- tainty "glorious"? Attractive certainly, but "glorious" seems to be transferred by a confusion of thought from the winning of an unexpected victory to the "uncertainty" which it implies. V. R-

MARSHALSEA AND KING'S BENCH PRISONERS. In looking through a burial register at St. George's in the Borough, South wark, I noticed after some of the names abbreviations which I should be glad to have interpreted. I give a few examples :

1668, April. John Fox, M.S.

1668, August 29th. Wm. Hatter, F.M.A.

1668/9, February 3rd. John Lambert, P. M.S.

1668/9, February loth. Matt. Draper, M.S. P., Debtor.

1669/70, February 17th. John Loyd, M.S.P. at y e Lock, m.w. (?).

1670, September 6th. Sarah Jackson, K.B. at y e Lock.

1670, September 9th. Sarah Whiteing, widd. D.A.H.

1670/71, February 2nd. Thos. Cade, K.B. 1670/71, March 12th. Joyce Whiteing, from the F.M.A.

1670/71, March 27th. Wm. Harris, P. K.B.

1671, May llth. Wm. Humphries, D.A.H.

No doubt prisoners of the King's Bench and Marshalsea were referred to in most of these cases.

1670/71. John Roades, a prisoner of Capt. Saunders. Was the latter an official connected with either of the afore-mentioned prisons ? The letter C after some names I guessed to mean that they were interred in the church or crypt, and not in the yard. Several persons, men and women, were described as " Pen- sioner." Would these be recipients of some local charity 1

The parish clerk, Miss E. C. Cross, was unable to throw light on these points, though she entertained me with some inter- esting parochial reminiscences, having been

born opposite the Marshalsea Prison "a nice building with a forecourt "and hard by the King's Bench, over whose high wall, to her delight as a child, small white leather- covered balls would sometimes be thrown by the prisoners at their " merry play." Indeed, she had penetrated its inner mysteries, as a visitor, and had submitted to the regulation

a precaution against exchange of dress

with prisoners of having her veil lifted and her features exposed to a strong light with reflectors.

In conclusion, may I ask whether there are extant any lists of inmates and officials of the King's Bench Prison at about the period covered by my extracts 1

ETHEL LEGA-WEEKES.

ORNAMENTED LACE STICKS. In this lace- making county of Devon the manufacture of hand-made lace was, I suppose, more com- monly the custom before machinery was so much used. I have now before me some of the little sticks used in making the lace, of a rather curious appearance. I believe it was the custom to give them as presents. They vary a little in thickness, but otherwise are much alike in form. What renders them curious is that they are most elaborately orna- mented. On the surface there is a series of extremely minute carvings, and the inter- stices are apparently closed by being filled up with sealing-wax, black and red. Some have trees or flowers upon them ; one, a fish ; one, "Pride is the downfall of thousands"; one, " When this you see remember me." And this sort of ornamentation would appear to have existed for at least two hundred years, for the date of one is 1702 ; others are 1801, 1816, and 1823. Can you or your readers say whether this ornamental work was the practice in other places ? It must have cost much time and labour. The sticks 1 have were found in a house at Lympstone near here, in a drawer where they had reposed for many years.

GEORGE H. COURTENAY.

Southtown House, Kenton, near Exeter.

SHIFTING PRONUNCIATION. Thirty years ago educated people (the late Prof. Buskin for one) used to speak of Marlborough House and the Duke of Marlborough with the first syllable so uttered as to rime with our present pronunciation of parl in the word Parliament. I now hear fine people pro- nouncing it J/0rborough, almost exactly, as to the first syllable, riming with hall, tall, &c. Which is right, and why? When the French sang of Malbrouck, we may feel pretty sure that their word, so spelt, copied