140
NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. vi. AUG. 17, 1912.
to all who had any such documents in their
keeping, and the resulting replies are embodied
in the work before us. In a useful table prefixed
to Mr. Buckland's Introduction we may see which
parishes possess registers dating from 1538
the date at which these were first kept and
which have records going back to the Elizabethan
and Stuart periods. Of the first there are 21 ;
of the second, 57 ; of the third, 36. The most
interesting register in the diocese is that of
Edenbridge, which runs to 20 volumes, beginning
with the year 1546. As is well known, the first
registers were paper books, which were presently
found to be of too perishable a nature for their
purpose, and in 1597 were ordered to be replaced
by parchment books, into which the older entries
had to be transcribed. Edenbridge possesses one
of the rare original paper books, and that in a
more complete state than those at Chidding-
stone and Chelsfield, bound, moreover, in two
leaves of a thirteenth or fourteenth century Bene-
dictional. The parchment register of Banning
Jfor 1541-1611 is not in the form of a book, but
of strips sewn together, making a roll 22 ft. long ;
and the Teston register (1538-1685) is written
on 12 strips of parchment of unequal size, which
are sewn together at the top. A number of the
early registers (that of Edenbridge among them)
have entries in Latin. Some of the interesting
items which they contain have already been
published, but in answering the questions the
clergy have in many cases repeated them. Thus
of Chiddingstone, Gillingham with Upberry,
Meopham, and the two Mailings, we get a number
of instructive particulars, which space forbids
us to quote. And we learn that at Gravesend
Pocohontas lies buried; that at Hayes in 1788
rsome twenty inhabitants absented themselves
from church, " not from any bad motives, but
from want of good ones " ; and that atSpeldhurst
lie buried four Frenchmen three priests and a
nobleman refugees apparently from the Revolu-
tion.
The Introduction is excellent, full of matter simply and plainly set out. Section IX., on the Preservation of Parish Records, is a warning which incumbents and churchwardens might well be asked to read and lay to heart, relating as it does the loss of many precious volumes, and their fate so far as it is known or surmised. Those of our readers who have not time or opportunity to obtain access to the original sources, yet welcome any chance of extending their information on the subject of these remains of the past, will find this volume both useful and entertaining.
The Lordship of Paisley. By W. M. Metcalfe.
(Paisley, Alexander Gardner. )
THIS book is the Accompt of Charge and Discharge for the years 1757, 1758, 1759, and 1760 rendered to the Earl of Dundonald of that period by hi s factor, James Kimble. To this Dr. Metcalfe has written an Introduction, which tells in a summary Avay the history of the holders of the lordship of Paisley from its erection by James VI. in 1587, when it was conferred upon Lord Claud Hamilton. It remained with the Hamiltons till 1652, and then Lord Claud's grandson sold it for 13,333(. 6s. 8d. to the Earl of Angus, who in the following year sold it to Lord Cochrane of Dundonald. The history of the estate throughout these years is .largely one of breaking up and alienation. Both
the Hamiltons and the Dundonalds played promi-
nent parts in those stormy times, and were con-
stantly in need of money. The most interesting
part of their possessions was the Abbey of Paisley,
which underwent all the rigours of spoliation
and destruction usual in those times, so that
of a once magnificent pile the remains at this
day are comparatively scanty, and even the
sites of many different portions have been
obliterated. It is satisfactory to know that what
is left is being zealously cared for and, so far as
is practicable, restored.
In the Accompt itself those homely details which one looks to to give life to the lists of names and sums of money are fairly plentiful. Pages 42 and onwards furnish most of them, beginning with " By a proclamation through the Town of Paisley by tuck of Drum discharging people from playing in the Abbay Clossand going through the avinue and laigh parks . . 0-1-0 " ; and going on to payments connected with the " Roup of the Abbay Gardens and Douecoat " ; to " a black Couering to the pulpit etc: of the Abbay parish upon advice of Earl William's death " ; to the " allowance " of 2s. Qd. " to the men Employed by the multurer at Supporting the Maltmiln and goofing thereof, she being much Racked by reason of the great Storms and floods, which was used by them in Spaits, as the men could not stand lang by reason of the water " ; to the " proclaiming through the town of Paisley anent a washing house to be built and a Green for Drying of Cloaths for the benefite of the Inhabitants," and other like matters. There is a good index, and a Glossary which is one of the best parts of the book.
MESSRS. A. & C. BLACK send us a Guide to Harrogate, the first of a series of guide-books to be published by them constructed on a new plan. The contents are arranged alphabetically, so that the information sought can be at once found. The editor, Mr. Gordon Home, is right in saying " every interest is dealt with." Places of interest near Harrogate are also described. These include Bolton Abbey, Ripon, York, and that most lovely of the Yorkshire dales, Wensley- dale. There are twelve illustrations in colour and four excellent plans.
to Comspontonts.
WE cannot undertake to answer queries privately,
nor can we advise correspondents as to the valuij
of old books and other objects or as to the means oJ
disposing of them.
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, E.G.
CORRESPONDENTS who send letters to be for- warded to other contributors should put on the top left-hand corner of their envelopes the number of the page of 'N. & Q.' to which their letters refer, so that the contributor may be readily identified.
MR. J- PARSON (" What wound did ever heal but by degrees?").' Othello,' II. iii 380.
