52 NOTES AND QUERIES. [ 1-2 s.ix. JULY IG, 1021.
proportion of the inhabitants were fishermen.
Are there other instances of signs of this description being used, either by individuals or by the members of a trade or calling? O. K. S.
GLASS AND TIN CHURNS. -On Jan. 16, 1851
a patent was granted to Robert Cogan for a
cylindrical glass churn. The report of the
juries of the Great Exhibition of 1851 shows
that thirteen churns were tested at the first
trial and two of these churns shown by
French makers were of tin. At the second
trial five of these chums found a place,
including both the tin. churns along with
two wooden box churns and a wooden!
barrel churn. The report states "in bothj
trials, the small family* churn of Lavoisy }
(tin) did its work so well that we awarded it i
a prize medal." Are there any references
to glass churns before 1859 and to tin!
churns before 1851 ?
R. HEDGEB WALLACE.
AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL j
WRITERS : BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS WANTED.
The following eight names I am unable to .
trace in the * D.N.B.' and should be glad
if readers of ' N. & Q.' could favour with
details and references.
1. John Sillett, who published, in 1850,'
' A New Practical System of Fork and Spade
Husbandry.' He states he was a native of
Kelsale, Suffolk, was apprenticed to a grocer
and draper, was in different situations as a
linen draper in London and Birmingham,
went into business as a general shopkeeper
in Suffolk and failed, and then carried on
a haberdashery business in London, seem- i
ingly with success. He returned to his ,
native village and bought two acres of '
land, and began to demonstrate " How
to keep a cow and a pig upon an acre of
land," following the advice given in the
Labourers' Friend's Magazine.
2. George London, who died in 1717, one
of the earliest of London's market gardeners,
beginning in 1681 with four partners, all,
like himself, ex-head gardeners.
3. John Bartram and his son, William
Bartram. John was the discoverer of
" Venus's Fly-trap." He was an F.R.S.
arid was presented with their gold medal.
William was, in 1775, botanist to the King, j
4. The Rev. Chas. Marshall, died in 1818,
aged 74. He published, in 1776, 'Plain and
Easy Introduction to the Knowledge and
Practice of Gardening, with Hints on Fish-
ponds.' It is stated that he was a London
schoolmaster who got a living in Northamp-
tonshire through marriage.
5. James Donald, published in 1851
' Land Drainage, Embankment and Irri-
gation.' Geo. W. Johnson, in The Cottage
Gardener for March 20, 1851, says: " It is
the best little manual on the subject we
have ever perused."
6. Walter Nicol, who died in 1811. He
published in 1798 his ' Scotch Forcing and
Kitchen Gardener,' in 1799 ' The Practical
Planter,' in 1809 ' The Villa Garden Direc-
tory,' in 1810 'The Gardener's Kalendar,'
and in 1812 ' The Planter's Kalendar.' He
was probably born in Fifeshire and his father
and himself were gardeners in that county.
He was in 1809/10, along with Dr. Patrick
Neill, secretary of the Caledonian Horti-
cultural Society.
7. Henry Dethicke, who signs the dedica-
tion of ' The Gardener's Labyrinth.' It is
stated that he was Archdeacon of Carlisle
and admitted a Doctor of Law at Oxford in
1581.
8. Martin Doyle, who published in
' The Economic "Library ' in 1851 ' Rural
Economy for Cottage Farmers and Gar-
deners.' R. HEDGER WALLACE.
DISRAELI, ROGERS, OR SHAFTESBURY.
Can any of your readers aid me in a matter
of perplexed parentage ?
Who is the father of the mot that
follows ?
' What religion are you, Mr. X ? "
" What religion, Madam ? I am of the religion
of all sensible men."
" And what is that ? " she asked.
" All sensible men, Madam, keep that to them-
selves.-"
J. A. Froude, in his essay on ' A Plea for
Free Discussion,' ascribes this to Mr. Rogers.
Hilaire Belloc, in his Introduction to
Everyman " edition of Froude's Essays,
sa y S . " There is often set down to Disraali
the remark that his religion was the religion
of all sensible men." And upon being asked
what this religion might be, that Oriental
is said to have replied : " All sensible
men keep that to themselves." Mr. Belloc
then goes on :
Now Disraeli could no more have made such a
witticism than he could have flown through the
air ; his mind was far too extravagant for such
pointed phrases. Froude quotes the story, but
rightly ascrib'es it to Rogers, a very different man
