Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 9.djvu/114

 106

NOTES' AND QUERIES. [9 th s. ix. FEB. 8, 1902.

Mary, and incomparable Ann, if their husband and gallant M r Peter be amongst the liueing, tell him I am not dead and so forth. I am

yo rs euer

S. FORSTER.

pray seale this, pray faile not the speedy deliuery. pray tell my Lord* That yo u must call for it w h in a week's tyme.

y rs W u ut date I receaued yesterday, and am heartily sorry for m rs Tilson's sickriesse, I wish w h my heart that Peter had hers and his owne too, I returne my vnfeigned thanks for yo r care of my Tally, methinkes the king and I should not differ for the interest of 3o/. for 2 or 3 yeares,f present my humble Seruice to yo r good neighbour m r Law- rence, and tell him what I say.

Addressed :

To M r Nathan Tilson over ag* the red-hart InriiJ: in ffetter lane

London

dd. Endorsed :

18 August- 1673 Capt n fforster.

W. I. R. V.

DISCOVERY IN THE CHURCHYARD OF MAL- VERN PRIORY. Some excavations made for drainage purposes in the churchyard of Malvern Priory early this year have led to a discovery which is, I think, of sufficient interest to deserve record here. Although lately on a brief visit to Great Malvern, I was unfortunately away on the day on which the kiln described below was brought to light. I therefore quote the remarks of a writer in the Malvern Gazette of Friday, 10 January. All antiquaries are aware that the monks of " Moche Malverne " carried on the manufacture of so-called "encaustic " tiles on a large scale. The fine old priory church still retains many examples of them. According to the writer in the Gazette :

"The discovery of the old kiln in which the encaustic tiles were baked was a very interesting one, and it was a wonder local archreologists did not more carefully investigate it when the opportunity was afforded, which may never occur again, as it is now covered in with several feet of earth The kiln was apparently a facsimile of those discovered in the Hendon grounds, and which are pictured and described at pge 71 of Mr. Nott's book, 'Malvern Priory Church.' The kiln was semicircular in plan, with an upper and lower chamber, the former being for the tiles and the latter for the heat source, which was probably derived from charcoal supplies of which would be abundant and suitable.'

standing neuter the latter part of the dav his

as il might have

nd

The tiles found this week were in almost every case imperfect, and were apparently the failures which had been utilised in the building or repair of the kiln. Doubtless all the perfect ones would be removed from the kiln before it was abandoned by the monks. Those unearthed were either over- burnt or imperfect in design or shape, and very few of them were of ecclesiastical character, the reli- gious symbols being practically absent. But in the interests of archaeology, it seems a pity that, as they were found in the churchyard itself, they were not retained for inspection and report by some one qualified to do so. As it was, they became the possession of any one who cared to carry them off, and are now dispersed beyond recovery.

One cannot help sharing the regret ex- pressed in the above paragraph. Malvern teems with clergy and retired professional men. It is, therefore, the more remarkable that the ancient kiln, while exposed, was not accurately measured and delineated. The tiles, which are described as apparently failures, might have shed light on the process by ^ which the monks achieved interesting artistic results. CHARLES HIATT.

THE FIRST GENTLEMAN OF COLOUR TO RECEIVE KNIGHTHOOD. The Daily Telegraph of February 1st records the death of Sir William Conrad Reeves, who was the ^first gentleman of colour to receive the distinction of knighthood and to occupy the position of a British Chief Justice. He was, according to * Whitaker's Peerage,' born in 1841, and married, in 1868, Margaret, nee Rudder. In early life he came from the Barbados to Eng- land, entered the Middle Temple, was called in 1863, and after returning to the West Indies practised for some time at the Bar. He became Attorney-General in St. Vincent in 1867, was appointed Q.C. in 1883, in 1886 was made Chief Justice of Barbados, and in 1889 received the honour of knighthood.

N. S. S.

" GUN."-

Caistor was a city when Norwich was none, And Norwich was built with Caistor stone. This is still the vulgar pronunciation of " stone" and "bone." We know the pronun- ciation "bun," witness Bunhill Fields; done is still called " dun," and none " nun." Now have a new etymology for the word " gun. "^ Any ordinary dictionary will tell you it is probably derived from "engine." This is absurd. It is evidently " gone," gone off, old pronunciation, neither "gawn" nor "gone." BRUTUS.

[The origin suggested in the ' H.E.D.' seems much more probable. Your conjecture is not likely to nnd favour with philologists.]

THE GOUROU NUT. This is a synonym for the kola nut, highly prized by cyclists for