Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 9.djvu/253

 S. IX. MARCH 29, 1902.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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1310. In 1618 the land leased was granted by Francis, Earl of Cumberland, and Henry, Lord Clifford, to the twelve " rules." The society was not incorporated, but was a voluntary society, their powers concerning admission being delegated by the judges. Before the end of the thirteenth century these Inns of Chancery had seen their best days, and be- came merely meeting-places for social pur- poses and for the encouragement of the study of the law. In 1884 there were only nine members in the "Kentish mess" remaining. Mr. Nevill gave some curious quotations from the rules, going back to 1485. The fee for admission was forty pence; penalty for staying out after the gates were shut at nine o clock sixpence; a member who tore or spoiled a table-cloth was fined twopence ; for being late at dinner the fine was one penny. The game of "tables" might be played "in an honest manner without gambling."

The Master of the Rolls in giving judg- ment said that the evidence, in nis opinion, that Clifford's Inn was charged to a charitable trust, was abundantly clear so clear, indeed, as to be beyond controversy. For these reasons the decision of Lord Justice Cozens- Hardy was perfectly right, and ought to be affirmed. N. S. S.

A GEOGRAPHICAL PUZZLE. It occurs to me that the following cutting from the Daily Mail may supply an interesting note in way in which new place-names may originate at the present time :
 * N. <fe Q.' illustrative of the extraordinary

"For some time past puzzled geographers have wondered whence ' Cape Nome ' in Alaska derived its strange appellation. An American professor, Prof. Davidson, arrived at the conclusion that the name was probably given during the voyage of the Franklin relief ships Herald and Plover in the years 1845-51, and thought it likely that it might nave been given in honour of one of the officers on board one or other of these ships. He accord- ingly wrote to the Hydrographer ot the Admiralty in London asking if any officer of that name was on the list of officers on these vessels. The pro- fessor's surmise proved incorrect, but indirectly, says the Scotsman, his inquiry has led to a solution of the problem. It appears that when the manu- script map of the coast was prepared from surveys made by officers of the Herald it was found that the headland had no name. The officer making the chart wrote opposite it ' ? name.' This was inked in by a draughtsman on the ship as ' C name,' and when the map went to the Admiralty another draughtsman there, the ' a' being indistinct, copied it on to the chart as ' C Nome,' and the name has continued hi use ever since." Daily Mail, 27 Dec., 1901.

LL. LLOYD.

CAXTON RECORD PRICK. On Thursday, the 20th inst., Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson <fe Hodge

sold what is probably the finest existing copy of 'The Ryal (or Royall) Book, or Book for a King,' printed by William Caxton at West- minster, 1487. Of the other recorded four perfect copies, one fetched last year 1,550. ; the others are in public libraries. The copy sold on the 20th was at the Caxton Exhioi- tion in 1877. The biddings rose to 1,800 guineas, after which the fight was between Mr. Quaritch and Messrs. B. F. Stevens, when it was eventually knocked down to Mr. Quaritch for 2,225/. N. S. S.

SHAKESPEARE v. BACON.

" When the Baconians can show that Ben Jonsou was either a fool or a knave, or that the whole world of players and playwrights at that time was in a conspiracy to palm off on the ages the most astounding cheat in history, they will be worthy of serious attention." Sir Henry Irvine's Lecture at the Princeton University in New Jersey on the 19th inst., Daily News report.

Is it not time that what Sir Henry well calls " the grotesque gabble of the cipher " should cease? Q. A.

HOW TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULT QUESTIONS

OF PEDIGREE. There is no royal road in pedigree work. When obvious sources of information have been exhausted, the only way is to collect every scrap of detail you can gather relative to persons of the name and of the period in question.

To do this the more effectually the follow- ing suggestions are made :

Print your crux, accompanied by a bit of tabular pedigree, and citing authorities for your statements.

Or copy it very distinctly upon a sheet of hand-made foolscap.

Send to genealogists as many copies as you can circulate, for a well-printed or clearly written authenticated scrap of pedigree is almost always sure of careful preservation.

Let professional record agents know what you seek, that they may report from time to time any " documents " relating to the family with which, in their researches amongst the records, they may meet. Order from them abstracts or copies of any likely documents which may be so reported, and thus keep the interest of the record agent alive, even if the point in question is not greatly elucidated by the information so gathered.

Be very careful as to clear copies, and a distinct, intelligible statement of your case. Careless handwriting and the use of wretched paper discount the value of much of the genea- ogical work done nowadays. If any progress is to be made, system and accuracy are essen- tials. GEORGE F. T. SHERWOOD.

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