Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 11.djvu/64

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NOTES AND QUERIES. no s. XL J A * ie, im


The book is full of curious matter, but i written with slight regard to style. Th preface is signed Philonomus, and the boo. is entered under that word in the British Museum Catalogue.

WILLIAM E. A. AXON. Manchester.

CHARTER OF HENRY II. I am in neec of a copy (there are but a few lines) o a charter of Henry II. to Walter, Ushe (Ostiario) of the King's Chamber, given a Chinon, dated about April, 1181, and wit nessed by " Geoffrey my son and my Chan cellor," Richard de Humez and others It is mentioned on p. 239 of Ey ton's ' Court Household, and Itinerary of Henry II.' and the source is stated as " Cartse Antiquse D.D."

I shall be greatly indebted to any reader of ' N. & Q.' who will send me a transcrip tion, J. ROGERS REES.

Merefield, Salisbury.

ST. MARY'S, SHREWSBURY. What is the explanation of an apparently mediaeva tablet in St. Mary's Church, Shrewsbury ? The central figure is a bearded head, sur- mounted by a helmet, standing apparently in a coffin or open box, across which bars are drawn. The figure is uncovered as far as the waist. On either side are a gentle- man and lady in mediaeval costume ; and at the bottom of the tablet (which is not larger than 9 in. by 6 in.) is incised appa- rently the branch of a tree.

Does the figure represent one of the Knights Templars and the Crusades ?

WM. MARTIN M. SELLWOOD. 7, Chester Street, Shrewsbury.

JACK CADE'S CHIMNEY. Where is this ? Was the phrase at one time a proverb ? De Quincey in ' The Spanish Military Nun ' (p. 217 of vol. xiii. of Masson's edition) says : " The street is there to this day, like the bricks in Jack Cade's chimney, testifying all that may be required." V. H. COLLINS,

[See Shakespeare, '2 Hen. VI.,' IV. ii. 160.]

WELLINGTON TROUSERS. What are these 1 V. H. COLLINS.

HARRIET WAINEWRIGHT, MRS. COL. STEWART. It has been suggested that this lady, who was a singer and composer, was related to the well-known Lancashire Wain- wrights, organists and composers of the eighteenth century ; but in her ' Critical Remarks on the Art of Singing,' published in London in 1836 (in the Introduction to which she blows her own trumpet with


astonishing vivacity and vanity), as well as in ' The Tuscan Vase ' (printed for the authoress in London in 1840), she spells her maiden name with an e. I suppose, therefore, that she belongs to my family- tree, whose ramifications since the middle of the eighteenth century I know fairly well - T yet I cannot find a place for her.

I should be grateful for any light on her parentage. The officer she married was probably John Stewart, who was major of the 16th Regiment Bengal Native In- fantry in 1806. She was born before 1766 ; came to London with her father before 1792 (her opera ' Comala ' was performed at the Hanover Square Rooms, 26 Jan., 1792, before a distinguished audience) ; went to Calcutta in 1796 ; composed her Seringapatam chorus in 1799 ; married soon after; returned to England about 1811; resided (apparently a widow) at 6, King Street West, afterwards 6, Nutford Place, Bryanston Square, from 1821 to 1843. She was a pupil of Dr. Worgan, and a friend of Dr. Burney and of " Lady Brudenell, sister to the Earl of Dartmouth."

JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT.

MRS. GORDON, NEE ISABELLA LEVY. The New Wonderful Museum and Extra- ordinary Magazine, by William Granger, Esq., London, 1802-8 (B.M. G. 13546-8), contains a short memoir of Mrs. Judith Levy, the rich Jewess, usually called the Queen of Richmond Green, with a portrait, published by Alex. Hogg, 1 April, 1803, Paternoster Row. The biographer in describing her eccentricities states :

" In the winter she visited masquerades, balls, &c., and introduced her daughter to the Duchess of N d's routes, then a noted matchmaker, who delighted in procuring great fortunes for younger jrothers of quality, and accordingly brought about a clandestine marriage between the Hon. Mr. Gordon and Miss Levy, who soon after died."

Who v/as the Hon. Mr. Gordon ? Is there any record of the marriage ? Where did t take place ? Where was Mrs. Gordon auried ? Who was the Duchess ? I shall 56 thankful for the information.

ISRAEL SOLOMONS. 91, Portsdown Road, W.

SIR ROBERT FLETCHER. Any biographical r genealogical details will be welcomed, le was knighted on 29 Dec., 1763, being hen a major in the East India Company's ervice (Shaw's ' Knights of England '). lis portrait was painted by Reynolds, and ngraved by W. Dickinson, 1774. He died 9 April, 1777, at Mauritius, on his way