Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 5.djvu/122

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NOTES AND Q UERIES. [9* s. v. FEB. 10, 1900.


placed in a church." Where has it since been set up ? The rector, the Rev. J. S. Barrass, stated that the rest of the monuments would eventually be placed in the church of St. Law- rence, Jewry.

In the Morning Leader of 13 Jan., 1899, Mr. Charles Welsh, the librarian of the Guildhall, reported that in the course of the excavations which had been made in the interior of the church for the purpose of clearing the vaults, the burial-place of Sir John Gresham, Lord Mayor of London in 1547, had been dis- covered. An illustration of the arched en- trance to the vault accompanied Mr. Welsh's article, showing, painted in capitals on the plaster coating, the remains of the following inscription : "I.H.S. This vaute was made by Sir John Gressam Knight ...... was laid in it

the xxx daie of October 1556."

It is said that the work of excavation re- vealed distinct traces of three floors on a lower level than the one then in use. The removal of the upper floor proved that jerry- building was rife even in Wren's time, for some of the supposed stone pillars were found to be of wood, with a shell covering of lath and plaster. One, at least, was discovered to be suspended from the roof instead of sup- porting it. No wonder the walls eventually gave way if their foundations were constructed in the same shoddy manner. Although Wren was responsible for the erection of so many of our City churches after the Great Fire, it is worthy of record that St. Michael's, Bassishaw, " is the only building of [his] that shows a decided deficiency of foundation " (Bonn's 'Pictorial Handbook of London,' 1854).

One peculiar point about this church is its complete insulation. On three sides are narrow pathways, and at the east end is a broad pavement shaded by plane trees. The spot has not inaptly been described as "a veritable lagoon of quietness."

JOHN T. PAGE.

West Haddon, Northamptonshire.

PEWTER AND ITS MARKS (9 th S. iv. 458, 506, 526). While staying in the house of a lady aged eighty-three I have examined the marks on some pewter platters which belonged to her great-grandfather. If J. A. B. would give me his address I should be glad to send some rubbings of them to him.

ERNEST M. DIXON.

Brackley.


BEURRE" (9 th S. v. 9, 57). The "buttered tea" of Tibet is, of course, the first to suggest itself. It should be recol lected, however, that the butter-meals indis- pensable to the average Englishman under


the names of "breakfast" and "tea" are quite unknown to the average Frenchman otherwise than as "Quite English, you tnow." Dickens is much read in France, and there may have been a memory of the Brick Lane temperance tea. The average Frenchman takes tea as we take beef- tea or senna- tea or camomile- tea as a remedy. I once had served me at Montpellier with tea, besides the usual milk and sugar, a small decanter of rum and a smaller one of orange- flower water quite a little collection.

THOMAS J. JEAKES. Tower House, New Hampton.

THE MINT (9 th S. iv. 348, 403, 506 ; v. 12). Failing any other reply to the point raised by BRUTUS as to the existence of Mint Street, Borough, at the present time, I can confirm COL. PRIDEAUX'S statement at the last reference from personal observation. The map in the recent reissue of 'Old and New London ' is correct. I knew the street in its old state, when it ran from Blackman Street parallel to Lant Street at a few yards north of that thoroughfare. When Marshal- sea Road was formed the easternmost end of Mint Street was absorbed in the new road, but if one proceeds from the Borough west- ward along the south side of Marshalsea Road, a hundred yards or so will bring him to what remains of Mint Street, and as COL. PRIDEAUX surmises, St. Saviour's Workhouse still occupies the north side of the street.

F. A. RUSSELL.

49, Holbeach Road, Catford, S.E.

NUMBER OF BARONETS IN EACH REIGN (9 th S. iv. 517). The baronets of England, Great Britain, and Ireland, with the dates of crea- tion, will be found in 4 Whitaker's Almanack ' for the current year (pp. 114-19), from which the required information may be compiled, but possibly only approximately.

EVERARD HOME COLEMAN. 71, Brecknock Road.

  • NEW CRITICAL REVIEW OF PUBLIC BUILD-

INGS, &c., IN LONDON' (9 th S. iv. 537). I have in my library a book bearing the following title :

"A | Critical Review | of the | Public Buildings, Statues, | and | Ornaments, | in and about | London and Westminster, | originally written by | Ralph, Architect, | and now Reprinted with very Large Additions. | The whole being digested into a Six Days Tour, in | which every Thing worthy the Attention of the ju- | dicious Enquirer, is pointed out and described. | London : | Printed for John Wallis, at Yorick's Head | Ludgate-street. 1783. | Of whom may be had, The most accurate Plans of | London, and its Environs." Its contents are advertisement and preface