474
NOTES AND QUERIES. [*> s. ix. JUNE w, IB.
" a turn or stroke or ' stint ' of work to be
done in a given time by three men 'and a
boy." If so, it is the same as char or chare,
an example of which in spelling " chair" is
given in the 'H.E.D.' Many are the cases
in which words said to be "not recorded"
by this thesaurus are found there on more
careful search. C. B. MOUNT.
GEE FAMILY (9 th S. ix. 10, 131). William Gee I. was Sheriff of Hull in 1537, which is an earlier date than any yet mentioned. William Gee II. was Sheriff of Hull in 1560, and Mayor of Hull in 1562, 1573, and 1582. William Gee III. (son of William Gee II.) was M.P. for Hull in the 1588 Parliament. William Gee IV. (? really V. or VI.) was M.P. for Hull in the Parliament of 1689. Joseph Gee was Sheriff of Hull in 1854.
RONALD DIXON.
46, Marlborough Avenue, Hull.
SURNAMES FROM SINGLE LETTERS (9 th S. vi. 264, 398 ; viii 232). Amongst the names referred to by MR. HARRISON is Ell, my sur- nameof which I have been trying to trace the origin (strange to say, my wife's maiden name was Gee). Ferguson, in his ' Teutonic Name System,' says of the name, on p. 299 : "Simple forms: Old German, Alj, Ello, Ella, 7th century. Ang.-Saxon, Ella, Al, El = Foreigner. Eng., Ell. Elley, Ella" In Taylor's * Words and Places ' I find on p. 85 : " The Edings, the Ellings, the Hardings, and the Sings in eight places"; and I gathered the following from the ' Register of Malmes- bury Abbey ' (a copy of which is in the General Assembly Library here), edited by J. S. Brewer, M.A. In vol. ii. p. 294, I came across the name of Aella, being the six- teenth signature to grant of tithes by Ethel- wulf. And in * Catalogue of Ancient Deeds,' Herts :
"Grant by Ralph Cressy and Helenysa his wife, William Eyle and Helenysa his wife, and ot[her]s of a tenement with a void plot of land in Haliwelle- stret (St. Albans), which they inherited after the death of Robert Albyn of Hemelhamstede." Date, Saturday after St. Vincent, 34 Edward III.
In Gough's and Camden's work the name of "Ell Lade" appears in a list of small areas of water in the Fen country of Cambridgeshire or Lincolnshire.
I came across the mention of a man bearing the name Robert Eyll ; he held some office in the fourteenth century, but I have mis- laid the note I took. The following note is from the * History of Hampton Court Palace in Tudor Times,' p. 350, Appendix C :
" Great Bay Window. Pd to John Ells of West- myster, fremason, for making and intayling of two
bullyns in freston standing in the vowght of the
Great Bay Window in the Kvnges New Hall at 10s.
the pece 20-s."
A Mary Ell was buried in Henlow (Beds) Churchyard, and, according to the tombstone, died 7 May, 1807, aged eighty -one.
From the above I am inclined to think that MR. HARRISON is mistaken, but I should feel grateful for assistance from any of your contributors. H. G. ELL.
Christchurch, N.Z.
" SAY NOT THAT HE DID WELL " (9 th S. ix. 87,
332). The verse in question was written by Mrs. Craik, and was quoted in the sermon preached at Shortlands, Kent, on the Sunday after her death. It is also given in an obituary notice of Mrs. Craik in the Athenceum for 22 October, 1887, in what, I presume, is its correct form :
And when I lie in the green kirkyard, With the mould upon my breast,
Say not that she did well or ill. Only, " She did her best."
But it is not stated from which of her poems it is taken. ALEYN LYELL READE.
Park Corner, Blundellsands.
DARLEY, A FORGOTTEN IRISH POET (9 th S. ix. 205, 377). In the * Biographical Sketch ' prefixed to my edition of 'Sylvia; or, the May Queen,' are included all the known facts of Barley's life and career. Canon Living- stone and other relatives of the deceased poet kindly assisted me in furnishing this, the first faithful account of George Darley. It will be seen that I have been obliged to refute Miss Mitford's very imaginative ac- count of the "Unrecognized Poet," as she termed Darley in her ' Recollections of a Literary Life,' vol. ii. pp. 283-91. My reprint of ' Sylvia ' appeared in 1892.
Canon Livingstone, the poet's cousin, had a volume of * Poems ' by Darley printed privately. My copy is undated. A charming reprint of Darley's marvellous phantasy, ' Nepenthe,' was edited by R. A. Streatfeild in 1897. The article on Darley referred to by C. C. B. as issued in Mr. Miles's ' Poets and Poetry of the Century ' was written by me. It will be seen that George Darley is not forgotten. J. H. INGRAM.
DOWNIE'S SLAUGHTER (9 th S. ix. 367). The idea of death being caused through the imaginary suffering of the victim is well brought out in the gruesome story of a con- demned convict who was handed over to the surgeons. They pretended they were going to bleed him to death, blindfolded him, and pricked his arm slightly with a needle. The unfortunate man's illusion was maintained
