248
NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. ix. MAR. 28,
of and in the reversion of a cottage, garden*
and orchard in Harplane, in the parish of
Helton, in the tenure of one Agnes Greys
for terra of her life ; and of and in the rever-
sion of another cottage and two gardens,
containing about 14 porches of land, in the
tenure of one John Lane, in Aller ; and of
and in a rent of 9s. 6d. there. Lucy, Eliza-
beth, and Mary Dirrant, alias Jerrard, were
daughters and next heirs, aged respectively
6 years, 5 months, 26 days. 4 years, 9 months,
12 days, and 7 months, 2 days.
The Hilton Register records the burial on 22 May, 1626, of William Dyrant, and the marriage on 22 Sept., 1617, of William Dyrant, son of John Dyrant and Mary, daughter of Henry (Whinnell?); also the burial of John Dyrant of Aller 011 6 March, 1617. The baptism is recorded of Eliza- beth, daughter of William Dyrant, 18 Nov., 1621.
Can any of your readers locate the Dyrant - Gerard (or vice versa) marriage, ante 1630, which would appear to be indicated ? or the marriage of Charles Dirent or Gerard (or Jearrad) circa 1730 ? or throw any light upon the use of the alias ?
F. R. GALE.
103, Abingdon Eoad, Kensington.
LEYSON FAMILY. The subjoined para- graph appeared in The Morning Post ' of 20 Dec., 1911 :
" Mr. William Leyson, of Neath, has died at the age of 86. He traced his descent from a Welsh prince. It was a Leyson who was the last Abbot of Neath Abbey."
I should be glad to know where a pedigree of this Mr. Ley son's descent may be seen, and whether the Rev. Thomas Leyson, a former vicar of Bassaleg, co. Monmouth (whose son John Leyson married a Breck- nockshire heiress, and assumed her name, Penoyre), was of this family. CURIOUS.
COMMUNION TABLE BY GRINLING GIBBONS IN ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL. Can any reader of ' N. & Q.' tell me what became of the original altar in St. Paul's Cathedral when the present altar and reredos were erected ? I have always understood that it was placed in some other position in the Cathedral, but a contemporary asserts that it was presented to some other church, and also that it was richly carved by Grinling Gibbons. As no mention is made of this in any of the guide- books to St. Paul's, I should be glad to know if there is any truth in it,
FREDERICK T. HIBGAME.
23, Unthank Road, Norwich.
- GULLIVER ' : BRISTOL BARRELS. In
' Gulliver's Travels,' Brobdingnag, chap. v. certain apples are described as " each of them near as large as a Bristol barrel. " I should be greatly obliged if any of your readers could inform me whether Bristol was actually, at any period of its history, par- ticularly blest in its barrels, or whether it is, merely mentioned by the Dean by way of " corroborative detail to add a reasonable verisimilitude to ah otherwise bald and un- convincing " statement.
RUDOLF PICKTHALL.
The Cottage, New Milton.
SUSSEX DRINKING CUSTOM. In the Sussex: village of which my father was rector a great feature at choir supper-parties, &c., was the following custom. Each person in succession stood up, holding an inverted bowl on which was placed a wooden cup containing beer. Then was chorused :
I've been to France, and I 've been to Dover,
I have been rambling all the world over ; Over, over, over and over,
Drink up your liquor and turn the bowl over.
At the last words the beer had to be drunk, and the cup tossed so that it should fall into the bowl, quickly turned to receive it. Then was sung :
Over, over, over and over,
The liquor's drinked up, and the bowl is turned .over,
the word " ain't " being substituted for " is " should the person be so unlucky as to let the cup fall on the floor instead of deftly catching it in the bowl. In my young days I often took part in this performance,, which I never heard of elsewhere, nor do I know whether it survives in Sussex. Is it known in other parts of England ?
E. L. H. TEW. Upham Rectory, Hants.
FRESH WHARF. One Henry Yevele or Yeuele, who died in 1400, left certain tene- ments, rents, &c., comprising " le Fissh- wharf at le Hole in the parish of St. Magnus the Martyr, London Bridge." Was this a forerunner of the present Fresh Wharf ? The latter evidently existed in 1422, and was called " Fresh Wharf " (vide will of Robert Fitz - Robert, Reginald Sharpe's ' Calendar of Wills, Court of Husting,' ii. 437), but is described in the will as being situated in the parish of St. Botolph, Billingsgate. Stow writes it " Frosh Wharf," and says that it is so called after its owner. Could any of your readers enlighten me on this point ? REGINALD JACOBS.
24, Glenmore Road, Belsize Park.
