178
NOTES AND QUERIES. no s. XL FEB. 27, 1909.
The Law Times of 7 April, 1866, in commend-
ing his appointment to Gibraltar, mentioned
that he had been one of the Commissioners
selected by Lord Melbourne to inquire into
the laws of foreign countries, and described
his report as " one of the ablest in the Blue-
books." See also the obituary notice of
him that appeared in The Law Times of
9 June, 1888.
The title of " Q.C." was bestowed upon him in the heading to his article, as printed by the Royal Historical Society (new series, vol. iii.), and also in the list of the Fellows of that Society at the end of the same volume.* But was this anything more than an editorial error ? I ask this question because, if Solly Flood really became Queen's Counsel, it seems strange that the fact should have been ignored in the annual ' Law List ' ; in the obituary notice of him in The Times of 22 May, 1888, as well as in that in The Law Times (supra) ; and also in such books as Foster's 'Men at the Bar' (1885) and Burke's ' Landed Gentry' ( 1 898), vol. ii. p. 1 48. See also death column, Times, 21 May, 1888.
Whatever may be the right answer to my question, the weight that ought to be attached to Solly Flood's considered opinions about the story of Judge Gascoigne and the Prince must remain the same. So far as legal erudition was needed for an inquiry into the truth of the story, he seems to have possessed it abundantly. I notice that his conclusions were adopted by the writer of Judge Gascoigne's life for the 'D.N.B.,' xxi. 46. See also the ' D.N.B.,' xxvi. 46. H. C.
GLOSSARIES TO THE WAVERLEY NOVELS (10 S. xi. 89). I suspect that these glossaries had nothing to do with the author. I remember once glancing at one of them, and I thought it rather poor and inaccurate. There is surely room for some one to make a really scholarly glossary ; only I hope that it may be made by one who knows the history of the English language, or it will not be worth much. Meanwhile, the ' English Dialect Dictionary ' explains all the words well. WALTER W. SKEAT.
Scott in his own ' Advertisement to Edition 1829 ' says :
" The Author also proposes to publish, on this occasion, the various legends, family traditions . . . .together with a more copious Glossary, and Notes explanatory of the ancient customs," &c.
J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL.
- He seems to have been a Fellow for a very
brief period, for he is not in the list either in the preceding volume or in the succeeding.
"KERSEY" (10 S. xi. 85). Even more
direst evidence connecting Kersey the place
with the manufacture of woollen stuffs
may be found in the wills of those engaged
in the industry. These may be consulted
at Norwich. Locally there is no doubt at
all ; the memory is part of the history of
many a small town and village in East
Anglia. It was and is quite a common
custom all over the world to call a material
by the name of the place where it is made.
At the same time it would be well to know
if the writer of the article in the ' N.E.D.*
had any evidence to the contrary when he
suggested a doubt as to the origin of the
name, to which PROF. SKEAT has rightly
drawn attention. FRANK PENNY.
FIG TREE IN THE CITY (10 S. xi. 107). The fig tree referred to was certainly stand- ing three years ago ; and a fine, healthy tree it was, bearing fruit annually. It stands, or stood then, in front of the old Aldgate Ward Schools, which have since been absorbed by the Cass foundation. The premises are, or were, up a passage leading out of Mitre Street. A good photo- graph of the tree was reproduced in ' Some Notes on the Ward of Aldgate ' published by Messrs. Eden Fisher & Co. in 1904 to commemorate the election of Alderman Sir John Pound, Bt., as Lord Mayor.
ALAN STEWART.
For a good many years past a fig tree, to my knowledge, has flourished, as far as leafage is concerned, in Bridewell Place, New Bridge Street. It ascends from the base- ment at the rear of Bridewell Royal Hos- pital, and for many seasons must have re- freshed the eyes of passers-by. J. GRIGOR.
RICHARD MOSLEY ATKINSON (10 S. xi. 108). If G. F. R. B. will communicate with me, I think I can give him at any rate- something of the information he requires. JOHN H. HOOPER.
Tutnall, near Worcester.
Richard Mosley Atkinson became Vicar of Whatton, Notts, 16 Dec., 1800.
HENRY BRIERLEY.
PERSIAN TRANSLATION BY SHELLEY (10 S. x. 349, 438). In my copy of The Liberal some former owner has lightly pencilled " L. Hunt " opposite the title of the noem. It looks rather like a female hand. It is hardly safe to trust to newspaper authority^
S. L. PETTY.
Ulverston.
