12 s. ix. NOV. 5 , i92i.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 371 ENGLISH WRITERS : DATES OF BIRTH AND DEATH WANTED. To my great sur- prise, I have failed to find dates, in any of the variety of reference books in our great New York Public Library, about many of the well-known English writers. Even the ' D.N.B.' and 'Who's Who' fail, and I turn to ' N. & Q.' in hopes of better results. Can any reader give me dates (years) of birth and death of any of the following persons ? Andrew Lang. Anne Eraser Tytler. Chas. H. Ross ("Ally Sloper"); he was b. 1853. Miss Charlotte Tucker, " A. L. O. E.' James Greenwood, " The Amateur Casual." W. H. Davenport Adams, b. 1828. W. ABBATT. [Andrew Lang, b. 1844 ; d. 1912. Charlotte Tucker, b. 1821 ; d. 1893. Charles Henry Ross, b. c. 1842; d. 1897 (see Boase, Modern English Biography,' vol. vi.).] RTJSPINI. James Bladen Ruspini was admitted to Westminster School Jan. 20, L779, and George Ruspini June 2, 1779. The former was the eldest son of the Cheva- lier Bartholomew Ruspini, of Pall Mall, surgeon dentist to the Prince Regent, and carried on his father's business. Any information concerning these Ruspinis would be of service. G. F. R. B. ABERCROMBIE OR ABERCROMBY. Alex- ander Abercromby was admitted to West- minster School in 1748, aged 10, and James Abercromby in 1720, aged 13. Any in- formation about them is desired. G. F. R. B. ABBOT. Mordecai Abbot was admitted to Westminster School in 1748, aged 10, and Sloper Abbot in 1718, aged 8. Can any correspondent of ' N. & Q.' help me to identify these Abbots ? Their parentage is not given in the admissions. G. F. R. B. ' THE PRIVATE PAPERS OF HENRY RYE- CROFT.'- Can anyone inform me whether ' The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft ' represent in fact Gissing's own life. If so, it is difficult to understand how he foretold his own death. Also, where and how did he die and how long after receiving his legacy ? A. EGERTON. " BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP SEA." -What is the fons et origo of this ex- pression ? THEODORE P. BROCKLEHTJRST. The Well House, Giggleswick-in-Craven, Yorks. [This has often been discussed in ' N. & Q. r The fullest answers will be found at 9 S. viii. 48, where Q. V. gives the earliest quotation for the phrase in the ' N.E.D.' from Col. Robert Monro (1637). It is also quoted from a letter of 1697. MB. HOLDEN MACMICHAEL suggests that the phrase was adopted by the Royalists in allusion to Cromwell " the deep C." The phrase is also- found as " Between the Devil and the Dead sea." At 8 S. xi. 336, V. R. points out that it is the English equivalent of " inter sacrum et saxum."] ST. CHRISTOPHER AND THE CHRIST CHILD, An ancient brass in Weeke Church, Win- chester. Are there any similar to be found elsewhere in England ? C. B. EVANS. Beechcroft, Berwick Road, Shrewsbury. DR. WHITTENBTJRY. Is anything known of Dr. Whittenbury, an eminent surgeon of Liverpool. He married in 1790 (?) Lydia Elizabeth Dinwiddie ? Who were the parents of this Whittenbury ? R. D. WHITTENBTJRY-KAYE. HERALDIC : THE HELMET. In the arms of Sir Thomas Grosvenor, Baronet, on the cover of Mr. Gatty's very interesting work,
- Mary Davies and the Manor of Ebury,'
the helmet appears to be that of an Esquire. From this it would appear that during the seventeenth century it was not the practice to depict the helmet in different ways in order to denote the rank of the bearer. At what period did this practice first come into general use ? FREDERIC CROOKS. AGNETA JOHNSTON. Who were the parents and grandparents of Agneta John- ston of York, who married (3rd wife) Charles Yorke, b. Dec. 30, 1722, Lord Chancellor Jan. 17, 1770 (Baron Morden). She died Dec. 31, 1820. M. B. ISABELLA ROUTLEDGE. I want the parents and grandparents of Isabella Rout- ledge, who married Samuel Swinton, Bengal Civil Service, died 1839. I believe her father was an Indian civilian. M. B. " LADY MADGE PLUNKET." One of Du Maurier's books has an introduction by " his cousin, Lady Madge Plunket." I am told this is a pen-name ; can any one tell me the real name ? BURDOCK.
