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Read Ebook: Notes and Queries Vol. IV Number 93 August 9 1851 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men Artists Antiquaries Genealogists etc. by Various Bell George Editor
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NOTES:--
Lady Hopton 97
Notes on Newspapers--The Times, by H. M. Bealby 98
Folk Lore: Devonshire Superstitions 98
Minor Notes:--Curious Inscription--Glass in Windows formerly not a Fixture--D'Israeli: Pope and Goldsmith 99
QUERIES:--
On a Song in Scott's Pirate--"Fire on the Maintop" 99
Minor Queries:--Was Milton an Anglo-Saxon Scholar?--Tale of a Tub--Cleopatra's Needle--Pair of Curols--Cowper Law--Order of Greenwich--House of Yvery--Entomological Query--Spenser's Portraits--Borrow's Bible in Spain--Dogmatism and Puppyism--A Saxon Bell-house 100
MINOR QUERIES ANSWERED:--Cycle of the Moon--Cocker's Arithmetic--Sanskrit Elementary Books--Townley MSS., &c.--"Man is born to trouble," &c. 102
REPLIES:--
Bellarmin's Monstrous Paradox 103
The Gookins of Kent, by Edward Armstrong 103
Curious Monumental Inscription, by S. W. Singer 105
The late Mr. William Hone, by Douglas Allport 105
Plaids and Tartans 107
The Caxton Memorial, by Bolton Corney 107
Lady Flora Hastings' Bequest, by the Marchioness of Bute 108
Replies to Minor Queries:--Inscription on an old Board--Churches decorated at Christmas--Royal Library --Proof a Sword--Dr. Young's "Narcissa"--Circulation of the Blood--Dr. Elrington's Edition of Ussher--Was Stella Swift's Sister?--The Mistletoe--Family of Kyme--The Leman Baronetcy--Cure for Ague 109
MISCELLANEOUS:--
Books and Odd Volumes wanted 111
Notices to Correspondents 111
Advertisements 112
Notes.
LADY HOPTON.
I have thought that the following old letter, relative to a family once of some distinction, and especially as describing a very remarkable individual, from whom a multitude of living persons are immediately descended, might be of sufficient interest to occupy a place in "NOTES AND QUERIES." It has never, that I am aware of, been published; but it has long been preserved, amongst similar papers, with the accompanying endorsement:--"Though Mr. Ernle's letter relating to Lady Hopton and her family contains some fabulous accounts, and is in some parts a little unintelligible, yet it may be urged in confirmation of the truth of the several descents therein mentioned. He was the son of Sir John Ernle, and could not but have some general knowledge of his grandmother's relations."
This Mr. Ernle, afterwards knighted, died A.D. 1686.
C. W. B.
"I will give you as good an account as I can remember of our wise & good Grandmother Hopton, who I think was one Hall's daughter of Devonshire without title, & had an elder brother, without child, who said to his younger brother's wife, who was then with child, if she would come to his house, & lie in, he would give his estate to it if a daughter, & if a son it should fare never the worse: so she had my grandmother, & he bred her up & married her to Sir Arthur Hopton of Somerset: who had 4000 a year, & she as much.
"Cole's heir to Popham of Wilts: & Hungerford, & Warnford married Jones, & some Mackworth, & Wyndham in Wales; some Morgan, & Cammish, & Kern, with many others that I have forgot. The sons were Mr Robt Hopton, Sir Thomas, Sir Arthur. Robt had one son, w'ch was the Lord Hopton of great worth, who married the Lord Lewen's widow, and had no child: so the estate went to the daughters. But our Grandfather Hopton, having so good an estate, thought he might live as high as he pleased, & not run out: but one day he was going from home but c'd not, but told his Lady she w'd be left in great trouble, for the great debts he had made on his estate; & that he knew he should live but few days, & c'd not die in peace, to think what affliction he should leave her in: so she desired him to be no way concerned for his debts, for he owed not a penny to any one. So he died of a gangrene in his toe in a few days. Now she had set up an Iron-work, & paid all he owed, unknown to him. And she married all her daughters to great estates, & great families: her eldest, I think, to one Smith, who was a younger son, & went factor to a merchant into Spain; he had a very severe master & was very melancholy & walked one morning in Spain intending to go & sell himself a galley-slave to the Turks: but an old man met him, & asked him why he was so melancholy; bid him cheer up himself, & not go about what he intended, for his elder brother was dead, letters were coming to him to return home to his estate; bid him consider & believe what he said, & that when he went for England, the first house he entered, after this landing, he would marry the gentleman's eldest daughter: which he did. The Lady Hopton's way of living was very great: she had 100 in her family; all sorts of trades; and when good servants married she kept the families, & bred them up to several trades. She rose at six of the Clock herself: went to the Iron-work, & came in about 9; went with all her family to prayers, & after dinner she & her children & grand-children went to their several works with her in the dining-room, where she spun the finest sheets that are. Every year she had all her children & grandchildren met together at her house; & before they went away, would know if any little or great animosities were between any of them; if so, she would never let them go, till they were reconciled."
NOTES ON NEWSPAPERS--THE TIMES.
H. M. BEALBY.
North Brixton.
FOLK LORE.
"Born on a Sunday, a gentleman; Monday, fair in face; Tuesday, full of grace; Wednesday, sour and grum; Thursday, welcome home; Friday, free in giving; Saturday, work hard for your living."
Tuesday and Wednesday are lucky days.
Thursday has one lucky hour, viz. the hour before the sun rises.
Friday is unlucky.
It is very unlucky to turn a featherbed on a Sunday; my housemaid says she would not turn my bed on a Sunday on any account.
"To sneeze on Monday hastens anger, Tuesday, kiss a stranger, Wednesday. Thursday.
"To sneeze on Friday, give a gift. Saturday, receive a gift. Sunday, before you break your fast, You'll see your true love before a week's past."
My informant cannot recollect the consequences of sneezing on Wednesday and Thursday.
"Sneeze on Sunday morning fasting, You'll enjoy your own true love to everlasting."
If you sneeze on a Saturday night after the candle is lighted, you will next week see a stranger you never saw before.
A new moon seen over the right shoulder is lucky, over the left shoulder unlucky, and straight before prognosticates good luck to the end of the moon.
Hair and nails should always be cut during the waning of the moon.
Whatever you think of when you see a star shooting, you are sure to have.
When you first see the new moon in the new year, take your stocking off from one foot, and run to the next style; when you get there, between the great toe and the next, you will find a hair, which will be the colour of your lover's.
When you first see the new moon after mid-summer, go to a stile, turn your back to it, and say,--
"All hail, new moon, all hail to thee! I prithee good moon, reveal to me This night who shall my true love be: Who he is, and what he wears, And what he does all months and years."
"Yarrow, sweet yarrow, the first that I have found, And in the name of Jesus I pluck it from the ground. As Joseph loved sweet Mary, and took her for his dear, So in a dream this night, I hope my true love will appear."
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