Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 8.djvu/345

 9" s. vm. OCT. 26, 1901.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

337

LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 36, 1901.

CONTENTS. -No. 200

NOTBS : St. Mary Matfelon. 337 -Philip Woodward, 338 Destruction of Historical Documents Zechariah Hey- ward : Guy of Warwick A Saying of Socrates, 339 French Fetishes " Mouchard " " Cobwool " : " Cog- ware," 340" Drivebundle " " Chimpanzee "Bohemia in the 'Winter's Tale ' Michael Scot Friendship of Eighty Years-' The Wandering Minstrel,' 341 Spanish Bibliophile Luther Index Bxpurgatorius, 342.

QUERIES :- Oceania -Master of the Musick, 342-Black- more Borrow English Contingent in the Last Crusade Wife of Capt. Morris Sir John Fryer Marian Hymn 'Teaching of the Twelve Apostles' Burial-ground in Portugal Street J. H. Grose, 343 Oyster Fishery- Almanac Medals Corporation Chains and Maces 'Sir Galahad,' 1. 53 " Teenah "=Fig Tree Manx Gaelic Tract' The Coming K ' Birthday Cake with Candles, 344 Godmothers of Queen Elizabeth -SartenC. Kings- ley Capt. Cradock, 345.

REPLIES : -London Coffee-houses and Taverns, 345 Animals in People's Insides Scilly Islands, 346 Trans- lator's Name Wanted Anglo-Hebrew Slang Reims Relics of the Past Shakespeare Queries " Racing," 347 Sweeny Todd Little John's Remains, 348 Royal Per- sonages Athanasian Creed 'Kathleen Mavourneen' "A bumper of good liquor" "Ghetto" Rowe of Corn- wall, 349 Little Gidding : Stourbridge Fair Turvin Coiners Chaplain to William III., 350-"Manurance" Old Songs, 351 " Mahogany" " Belamour." Plant-name Tombland, 352 Francis, Duke of Guise -Knights made temp. Charles I. Wonham Newbery, 353 Reginald Heber Lieut.-Col. Moorhouse T. S. Mulock, 354 Paying Rent at a Tomb in Church, 355.

NOTES ON BOOKS : Lang's ' The Mystery of Mary Stuart 'Ridley's ' In Memoriam Verses ' ' The Playgoer.'

Notices to Correspondents.

ST. MARY MATFELON, WHITECHAPEL. (See2" d S. iii. 332; 3 rd S. iv. 5, 75, 419, 483; v. 83, 161, 223; vii. 208; 5 th S. vii. 225, 314; ix. 110; 8 th S. xii. 202, 255, 276, 466 ; 9 th S. ii. 154 ; iv. 66, 116.)

THE numerous references that I have placed at the head of this note will show that for many years past the origin of the word from which Whitechapel Church has derived its distinctive appellation has exercised the ingenuity of the correspondents of * N. & Q.' We were recently told that there were "fif- teen supposed derivations of the word Huguenot " ; there are very nearly as many of the word Matfelon. We shall find among those recorded in these columns the stories told by Stow, Strype, and many another antiquary, and my principal object in head- ing these remarks with such a formidable array of figures is to suggest that no advan- tage will be gained by starting a fresh dis- cussion on the word, unless new evidence of a fairly convincing nature can be brought forward. In the second volume of the current series an explanation was given as if it were a new one, although it was more than thirtyjyears old ; and at the last reference but one an old and respected correspondent, MR.

EVERARD HOME COLEMAN, practically en- dorsed that suggestion on the authority of a writer in the Literary World, and added that it had not before been made in the pages of ' N. & Q.,' forgetful of the fact that it will be found over the signature of the REV. MACKENZIE WALCOTT so far back as 1864 (3 rd S. v. 161). If therefore we wish to avoid " vain repetitions," it will be as well to consult the references which, at some expense of time, I have carefully looked up for the purpose of quotation.

My own theory has had, so far as I am aware, no godfather but myself. It is that, like many other London churches, the old foundation of St. Mary, which was originally a chapel of ease to Stepney, derived its designation from some individual who was connected with the church either as a founder or a benefactor. It is almost unnecessary to give instances of churches which have been named on this principle, but I may cite a few : St. Mary Woolnoth (Wulfnoth), St. Martin Orgar (Ordgar), St. John Zachary, St. Martin Outwich (Oteswich), St. Lawrence Pountney (Pulteney), and so on. It would therefore be strictly in accordance with recognized custom if the church were named after some person belonging to the family of Matfelon, and the question is whether such a family existed, and if so, whether any member of it could be found in London in early times.

The first mention of the church that I have been able to find is contained in the will of John le Rous (a son of Richard le Rous by his wife Agnes), which was proved on the Monday next before the feast of St. Edward (13 Oct.), 1282. In this will mention is made of a tenement in the parish of St. Mary Matrefelun (Sharpe's ' Calendar of Husting Wills,' i. 59).

William le Rous, a nephew of the preceding testator, in his will, proved on the Monday next before the feast of St. Gregory, Pope '12 March), 1285/6, mentions houses, rents, ijc., in the parish of St. Mary Matfelun, remainder charged with maintenance of a chantry in the aforesaid chapel of St. Mary fo.,i 76).

There are also early mentions of the parish and church in Hardy and Page's ' Calendar of Feet of Fines for London and Middlesex ': 1321, St. Mary Matefeloun (i. 100) 1331, St. Mary of Mate/elan (i. 109) ; 1348, Blessed Mary Matfen (i. 126) ; 1351, Blessed Mary Maderfelon (i. 128); St. Mary Matefelon (i. 129) ; 1363, St. Mary Mattefelon (i. 140) ; 1365, St. Mary Matefeloum (i. 143) ; and 1367 St. Mary Matfelon (i. 144). After the reign