340
NOTES AND QUERIES. DO s. vm. OCT. 26, 1907.
revived as conscious archaisms, were common, and
no authorities in folk-lore gloated over so usual a
thing as a " Jack-in-the-Green " :
" Until fifty years ago, it used to be the custom in Hampstead and other places for the chimney sweeps U) hold a sort of carnival on the first of May, and for several days afterwards. The characters, who were all in costume, consisted of the master, his men Jack-in-the-Greeu, clown, and a man with a drum and pan's pipes and the May Queen. All these characters danced round Jack-in-the-Green. This latter individual had the hardest task, for he was inside a hooped circular cage, which was covered with ivy, except a small square hole opposite his face. He had to keep spinning round while the other characters danced about him. The clown made as much fun as he could. The May Day Queen was generally rather pretty, and was dressed in muslin finery with short skirts. At the conclusion of each dance, she collected money from the bystanders, for which purpose she carried a long bright brass ladle."
This is only one of several passages which deserve quotation. We thank Mr. Potter heartily for the insight he has given us into old times. It is not likely that the rising generation will see such great changes, unless, indeed, the advent of the flying machine revolutionizes some ideas of property, ana gives the aerial burglar a chance which the footpad of earlier days has long lost. The motor-car should alter some country conditions, and improve, we hope, some country inns, but it does not seem likely to alter much the configuration and habits of our big towns and cities.
WE have before us two publications of a genea- logical character. Mr. John Alexander Neale, D.C.L., has published a collection of Charters and Records of Neales of Berkeley, Yate, and Corsham {Warrington, Mackie & Co.). The records are of an interest which extends far beyond the Neales themselves, as they include their connexion with the Belshires and Corbetts of Yate, the Baynhams of Westbury and Cleerwell, and other families. The Neales were Nigelli in the Latin form, and an early member of the family may have been the cause of the change of name from St. Mary Overie to St. Saviour's, after the Abbey of St. Sauveur, founded in 1048 in the Cotentin by a Neale. The Nigelli of the Cotentin had a stirring history. Thomas Neale, tanner of Berkeley, was a contem- porary of Shakespeare, and his will, which is given in full in the appendix, is strikingly like that of the great poet. Another Thomas Neale was a dis- tinguished alumnus of Oxford, and celebrated Elizabeth's visit to the city in 1566 by preparing, with another scholar, a set of views of the colleges with Latin verses, which was posted on St. Mary's Church. He also delivered a Hebrew speech con- gratulating her Majesty, an English rendering of which is given in the appendix. This Neale was a famous scholar and son of Winchester, and was duly praised by Wood in his ' Athense.' There is much else of interest in this elaborate volume, which we commend to all genealogists. Personally we much prefer the study of an able family like the Neales to the records of the average peer. In this case much insight into simple and cultivated English life is afforded by a diary of the early eighteenth century.
We recently noticed ' The International Genea- logical Directory.' A similar venture was begun last
June, edited by Mr. George F. T. Sherwood, The
Pedigree Register,, of which Nos. I. and II. are now
out. It offers the use of a Loan Collection of old
Deeds, Papers, &c., and prints some details and
queries concerning pedigrees of value. No. II. has
the interesting pedigree of Cromwell : Ireton :
Morse : Gardiner, which shows through divergent
strains the perpetuation of the Puritanism of Oliver
Cromwell. One of his_ descendants was S. R. Gar-
diner, the famous historian, who gave up his
studentship of Christchurch to join the Irvingite
sect. Capt. A. F. Gardiner and his son both did
excellent missionary work in South America. Other
pedigrees show the persistence of inherited ability
of a special kind. Air. Sherwood's paper will be
valued by all genealogists, especially as a convenient
means of bettering their knowledge of incomplete
pedigrees. That the so-called "common man has
often ancestors worth tracing is well known to
specialists. Genius crops up in the oddest places,
and many of our greatest writers, such as Shake-
speare and Keats, have not come from families or
circles which would be expected to produce a poet.
Mr. Sherwood's address is 50, Beecroft Road,
Brockley, S.E.
MR. GEORGE WATSON has reprinted a paper on The Black Rood of Scotland (Aberdeen, Jolly & Sons) which he read before the Scottish Eccle- siological Society last year. Our own columns are included among the sources of his information. Mr. Watson has made his way with great skill among the conflicting records and notices of the famous relic, and seems to prove that the " Black Rood " was the " crux nigra " mentioned by ^Elred.
MR. A. MARLEY DA VIES has reprinted a paper from the Transactions of the London and Middle- sex Archaeological Society, entitled London's First Conduit System : a Topographical Study (Blades, East & Blades). It embodies a good deal of re- search which has been touched on in ' N. & Q.' at different times.
The Tribal Hidage : an Explanation Suggested, by Mr. John Brownbill, is reprinted by him for private circulation from our numbers of 8 June and 3 August, 1901, with corrections and additions.
We must call special attention to the following
notices :
ON all communications must be written the name and address of the sender, not necessarily for pub- lication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
We beg leave to state that we decline to return communications which, for any reason, we dp not print, and to this rule we can make no exception.
HERMIONE ("Over, fork over"). The Cunning- hame motto is fully discussed at 10 S. vii. 33, 93.
W. B. H. (" Fire kept burning on the hearth "). See 9 S. viii. 204, 412; ix. 16, 117.
NOTICE.
Editorial communications should be addressed to " The Editor of ' Notes and Queries ' " Adver- tisements and Business Letters to " The Pub- lishers " at the Office, Bream's Buildings, Chancery Lane, B.C.
