Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 4.djvu/161

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S2S. IV. JUNE, 1918.]


NOTES AND QUERIES.


155


applicable to only a portion of a dwelling under one roof, and not to the whole. The notion of smallness and cosiness originally -applied is destroyed, however, when, as is

now beginning to be the case, a large and

somewhat old-fashioned residence is cut into two, and each section is described by the dainty name, though containing as many rooms and staircases and just as much floor-space as an ordinary dwelling To such the term " mansionette " woulc appear more appropriate.

ALFRED BOBBINS.

JOHST LYON, FOUNDER OF HARROW 'SCHOOL, AND HIS GRAVESTONE. A para- graph went the round of the papers about Feb. 7, 1918, that the gravestone of the founder of Harrow School in 157 1 had been orientated turned E. and W. I have made inquiries, and find that the stone in question is a modern one marking the place of his 'burial. The original brass is put up on the -wall -close by. This new stone was placed N. and S. about twenty-five years ago, as the seats in the church interfered with its right position E. and W. The seats in question have been now freed, two front ones removed, and the gravestone reinstated E. and W. These facts are worth recording.

John Lyon (1514 ?-1592) died on Oct. 3, 1592, without issue ; his wife Joan died on Aug. 30, 1608, and both were buried in the parish church of Harrow. According to the ' D.N.B.,'

" A brass bearing their effigies with an inscrip- tion was during a modern restoration torn from the floor, with injury to the figures, and placed against the wall of the church ; but in 1888 a marble slab with Latin verse inscription was laid over hie grave."

J. HARRIS STONE. Oxford and Cambridge Club.

WARWICKSHIRE SHEEP FOLK-LORE. The first lamb of the season was announced by the shepherd, who received for his pains a pancake specially baked, larger and thicker than those in ordinary use. These pan- cakes were made in the old long-handled irying-pans, and baked on the flat hearth ; the pancake was not turned in the pan, but tossed. This was a Brailes custom.

The advent of the first lamb was a signal for bringing a cock to the field, and fastening it by a string to a peg. It was then shot at by some of the company. One particular " Tom " was specially wily, and " ducked " quickly when the gun was pointed. It was killed at last by the shot being " greased." The sportsman, a gamekeeper, laid a bet


i that he could kill the recalcitrant fowl.

! This also hails from Brailes.

Sheepshearing commenced on June 1, and on that day and onwards all the men and boys employed were fed from the farm kitchen. Every man connected with the farm took part in the shearing. Even the shoemaker and blacksmith made amateur efforts to shear a sheep so much the worse for the animal. At the end of the day a feast was held of beef, stuffed chine, and beer. At Whitchurch stuffed chine is still used on the occasion, but only at Crimscot Farm. At Ilmington a " posy " was laid on the plates set out for the men. At Long Marston, just across the Gloucestershire border, the Sheepshearing Feast and the Seed Feast were held together. Beef, plum pudding, tobacco, and beer were provided. J. HARVEY BLOOM

L. BAYLY'S ' PRACTICE OF PIETY' : " BIBBING - HOUSE " IN 1613. In 'The Epistle Dedicatory ' of ' The Practice of Piety,' addressed " To the high and mighty Prince, Charles, Prince of Wales," and signed " Lewes Bayly," we read : " & blasphemously abusing phrases of holy Scrip- ture on their Stages, as familiarly as they vse their Tobacco-pipes in their bibbing- houses." The ' D.N.B.' spells the author's Christian name Lewis, and says that the third edition of ' The Practice of Piety ' appeared in 1613. This part of the 'D.N.B.' appeared in 1885. Has more information been acquired since then about the first and second editions of ' The Practice,' dedicated to Prince Henry ? Is it certain that the author was not born at Carmarthen ? ' The Oxford Dictionary ' quotes " bibbing - house " from the year 1687 only.

The book being of the time of Shakespere and Bacon, it is interesting to note the 'ollowing words which occur therein, as a supplement to ' The Oxford Dictionary ' :

Absurded, 68 absurded with deaf enesse, ....

NotD.

Athean, Ep. Ded : & his suppressing in

he blade of Vorstius Athean blasphemies ?

Back-lane, 612....: Seeke out those in the lacke- Lanes, .... Not D.

Cretian, 671. .. .a right Cretan, rather than an prighfc Christian. (Apparently meaning liar.) Not D.

Faithfullier, 340 , the faithfullier he will

erue thee.

Fare-ill, 87 . . . . : Oh filthy carkasse, with fare-ill, 'arewcll I leaue thee :. . . . Not D.

Fellow-brother, 658....pitty and compassion /owards our fellow-brethren, .... Not D.

Fetloiv-feeling, 668 . . . . : whereby wee leame to aue a felloio feeling of their calamities : . . . . D. not before 1613.