Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 8.djvu/200

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NOTES. AND QUERIES. [9 th s. vm. AUG. 31, 1901.

Mr. James (?) Henderson, in about 1876. My grandfather died 8 April, 1837, exactly thir- teen years and ten days before I was born ; and I was never in the house but once, when I went (c. 24 June, 1868) to recover a cheque for the half-year's rent, which Mr. Henderson had inadvertently taken away together with the receipt. The house was purchased in 1829, and in the course of seventy-two years many changes may have taken place. I think I remember being told that the pew was an ordinary and not a square one ; also that it had become very much dilapidated. Perhaps ownership may have in some way lapsed through neglect of maintenance. The house was long empty after my grandfather's death. The " abstract of title '" dates back to 26 September, 1662, and I am curious to know what the lane at the corner of which the house stands is now called Station Road, perhaps. It is first referred to as " the way going in at Many gates," or " Manigates " ; afterwards as "Many," "Manny," and "Mannigates Lane." I gather that a pew annexed to a house is a "faculty pew," possession in which may in some way lapse. But is there any property in a house or place name ? THOMAS J. JEAKES.

Tower House, New Hampton.

In my reply (ante, p. 89) the words " the Manor House " should appear before " Shep- perton." J. J. FREEMAN.

" COLLATE " (9 th S. vii. 5 ; viii. 26). May I say, on the subject of nast, that in many years of miscellaneous American residence, travel, and reading (the last not small) I never heard or saw the word, and did not know it existed till your correspondent cited it? It is un- fortunate that Dr. Hall did not say what part of America it is used in, or what publica- tion has ever included it. It seems to me most probable that if he heard it in America (as I do not doubt), it was from the mouths of recent English immigrants, who had brought it from home. It certainly has never been naturalized here. F. M.

Hartford, Conn.

GREEK PRONUNCIATION (9 th S. vii. 146, 351, 449; viii. 74). LORD SHERBORNE asks "how we can be sure what was the ' Roman fashion ' of pronouncing Latin." "Of course, we cannot be sure," says MR. JOHN HOBSON MATTHEWS. Good. Now, why can we not be sure? Is it not mainly because the "fashion "of Romanists that are long dead can be but a matter of conjecture ? In that case does not the same argument apply pretty fitly when any one asks, What was the

British fashion of pronouncing English, say in 1701 ? If in reply to LORD SHERBORNE, MR. MATTHEWS says, "Of course, we cannot be sure," how can he, prudently, proceed to an- nounce that we can, of course, be sure ("quite" sure) that the " English Protestant pronuncia- tion " of Latin is " as far from the original as we could possibly go"? Has sectarianism anything, in any measure, to do with that statement? If he cannot be sure of the original, how can he possibly be sure, and quite sure, how far the pronunciation of English Protestants differs from it?

W. H. B.

[In English we have (1) rime, (2) spelling, to guide us. No wise man is sure, but it seems unlikely that the a as in hay is anything but English, as that vowel is not so pronounced in any of the existing languages which are derived from Latin.]

"HiLL ME UP" (9 th S. iii. 285, 435, 496 ; iv. 234; viii. 112). With respect to the old coverlet called a "happing," it was not necessarily the outer covering of a bed. I have one in my possession, and it is woven of very coarse wool in a diaper design in checks, brown and white, both warp and weft being equally thick. The yarn would be homespun. It is a very warm covering, and has been used for the beds of menservants in farm- houses in winter since I can remember. It is less easily soiled than a blanket, heavier and larger, and therefore in request for cold weather ; and, I think, would be used when- ever a rug was required. M. N.

It is rather interesting to find MR. BLAS- HILL quoting under this heading from an old will the word " twylt" for quilt, as the word is still in use in this town. R. B R.

South Shields.

WEST-COUNTRYMEN'S TAILS (9 th S. vii. 286, 410 ; viii. 87). Devonshire children were brought up in the simple belief that Cornish- men had tails. This bit of folk-lore is referred to, if I am not mistaken, in Tre- genna's 'Autobiography of a Cornish Rector ' and Hunt's ' Drolls and Stories of the West of England.' As a youngster and half a Cor- nishmari I was more than once chaffed on my supposed possession of a tail, most unjustly, as I assured my accusers and now beg your readers to believe. Perhaps an ancient race feud survives in this superstition.

JOHN HOBSON MATTHEWS.

GREEN AN UNLUCKY COLOUR (9 th S. viii. 121). A belief of this kind prevails strongly with regard to a certain sept of one of the greater Highland clans. A lady who married the chieftain some years ago, resolved to up-