NOTES AND QUERIES. rio s. XL JUNE 19, 1009.
introduced into Scotland in the sixteenth
century, and became very popular in upper-
class circles. It seems to have been a
gambling card game, and the winning card
was the nine of diamonds. Hence it is said
that this was the reason why the " nine of
diamonds " came to be called the " curse of
Scotland." G. F. CHAMBEKS.
[See9S. v. 493.]
LANCASTER, PAINTER. Do any of your readers know anything of the Rev. R. H. Lancaster, who exhibited as an honorary exhibitor at the Royal Academy from 1800 to 1827 ? His Christian names are unknown to me. The only picture by him accessible to the public seems to be the ' View at Southampton,' which he exhibited at the Academy in 1817. He is not to be confused with Hume Lancaster, who contributed pictures to the Academy and British Insti- tution between 1836 and 1849, and died in poverty. M. W. BROCKWELL.
" ROLLICK." One constantly encounters this word in these days as a noun. Is this .a defensible usage ? So long ago as 1881 the late Prof. Masson introduced it into a critical passage of his monograph on De Quincey (' English Men of Letters '). Speak- ing of his author's " very considerable vein of humour," he says, at p. 145 of his volume :
"A sense of fun follows him into his most serious disquisitions, and reveals itself in freaks of playful- iiess and jets of comic fancy ; and once or twice, as in his ' Murder considered as one of the Fine Arts,' he breaks into sheer extravagance or wild and pro- tracted rollick."
This passage may be responsible in some measure for what seems to be a growing practice at the present time.
THOMAS BAYNE.
C. MORAN, PUBLISHER. This individual was established in business in the neigh- bourhood of Covent Garden circa 1760-70. In the year 1761 his address is given as "under the Great Piazza," Covent Garden. In the year 1770 he had a shop in Tavistock Row. He published most of Capt. Edward Thompson's curious verses. I shall be glad of a list of some of his other publications. HORACE BLEACKLEY.
PENINSULAS. Is there any explanation of the fact that all peninsulas (with such slight exceptions as Denmark and Alasca point southward ? Can it be the action oi the trade winds coming from the equator ? and, if so, what explanation can be given o1 the direction of the peninsulas of the southern hemisphere ? ENIGMA.
SECOND CEYLON REGIMENT. I should be
?lad of references to works mentioning the
services of this regiment.
W. ROBERTS CROW.
" ALL THE WORLD AND HIS WIFE." Who
first used this saying ? N. W. HILL.
New York.
GENERAL PICTON. I shall feel obliged for any information, other than that to be found in the life by Robinson, concerning General Sir Thomas Picton. A. N. Q.
[See the bibliography in ' D.N.B.']
HOLT CASTLE AND THE BEAUCHAMP
FAMILY.
(10 S. xi. 308, 395.)
HOLT CASTLE, Worcestershire, came into the hands of the Beauchamp family through the marriage of (1) Walter de Beauchamp, of Elmley Castle, Gloucestershire, with Emeline, daughter and heiress of Urso d'Abitot. See Debrett, ' Peerage,' 1823, p. 387 (where the name is given as Ursus D'Abitot, Baron of Elmley and Earl of Worcester temp. William the Conqueror) ; and Burke, ' Dormant Peerages,' 1866, p. 29 (where the name is Urso de Arbitot). In Camden's ' Britannia,' ed. Gough, 1806, ii. 472, however, we are told that Emeline was sister of Urso d'Abetotor d'Abtot. Walter de Beauchamp, Burke adds, is supposed to have been a son of Hugh de Beauchamp, companion of the Conqueror, though doubts have been thrown upon the relationship. The Duchess of Cleveland in her 'Battle Abbey Roll,' 1889, i. 127, writes that Hugh de Beauchamp left three sons : Simon, Pain (Paganus), and Milo ; and adds two pages further on that the relationship of Walter de Beauchamp to the parent stock " has never been clearly made out." From Walter de Beauchamp Holt Castle passed by direct lineal descent to his son,
(2) William, who was Sheriff of Worcester- shire, Warwickshire, and Herefordshire temp. Henry II., and married Maud, daughter of William, Lord Braose, of Gower (Burke, U.S.).
(3) William de Beauchamp (son of William) who married Joane, daughter of Sir Thomas Walerie, and died before 13 John, 1211-12 (id.).
(4) Walter de Beauchamp (his son), Castellan of Worcester and Sheriff of Wor- cestershire 1216 ; Justice Itinerant 1226 and 1227, who married Bertha, daughter of
