390
NOTES AND QUERIES, [ii s. vm. NOV. 15, 1913.
possession books or papers, manuscript or
printed, containing what I want, I hope
they will see fit to lend them, to me, and the
same will be carefully returned. It will
probably happen that many of your readers,
through diffidence, or for family or senti-
mental reasons, will be unwilling to have
their names appear in connexion with any
of the stories ; to such I give the guarantee
that, if they express the wish, all indications
of person and place will be rigidly suppressed.
In conclusion, may I ask your readers to afford me all the assistance in their power, and so make the book interesting, repre- sentative, and successful ?
ST. JOHN D. SEYMOUR.
Donohill Kectory, Cappawhite, co. Tipperary.
AUTHOR WANTED. Can you inform me who is the author of ' Sketches in the Pyrenees,' published in 1837 by Messrs. Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Longman ? She also wrote ' Slight Remi- niscences of the Rhine ' and ' The Gossip's Week.' Messrs. Longmans can give me no information. MALCOLM CRAIG-BROWN.
[Halkettand Laiug, 'Dictionary of the Anony- mous ,and Pseudonymous Literature of Great Britain,' vol. iii., 1885, state that the author was Mary Boddington. ]
CANNON AT HAMPSTEAD. The Works Committee of the Hampstead Borough Council have recently been concerned with the removal of two ancient cannon out of the thirteen which originally stood in the piiblic footpath of Cannon Place, Hampstead. In their report to the Council the members of the Committee state that the records in the possession of the Council do not appear to show when, by whom, or in what circum- stances the cannon were placed in this thoroughfare, or any definite information on the subject.
What are the facts ?
J. LANDFEAR LUCAS.
Glendora, Hindhead, Surrey.
THE Due DE BOURBON'S " SECRET." In her book on ' Sophie Dawes ' (1912) Miss Violette Montagu tells us that the Due de Bourbon (1756-1830), who lived in London about 1814, was a great friend of " Sir William Gordon " (p. 12), to whom he di- vulged his unsolved ' ' secret. ' ' She describes " Sir William Gordon " as " the Prince Regent's equerry " (p. 40). What was the " secret " ? Who was this " Sir William Gordon " ? Does she mean Sir (James) Willoughby Gordon (1773-1851), who was secretary to the Duke of York, and who
gave evidence in the case of the notorious
Mary Anne Clarke (much to Mr. Creevey's
disgust) ? J. M. BULLOCH.
123, Pall Mall, S.W.
" To FILL THE BILL." In American journals I often see this phrase with the sense of "to suit the case," " to be just what is wanted for a special purpose " e.f/., " Our horseshoe is the best on the market, it fills the bill." The sense is clear; but what sort of bill is filled here ? Is it that which is proposed to a jury who find a true bill, or, if the circumstances are the opposite, ignore it ? Has the locution already been discussed in ' N. & Q.' ? G. KRUEGER.
Berlin.
[The phrase would seem to be theatrical slang, and the bill a playbill " filled " in the sense thai a playbill is filled by a " star " actor's name, to the exclusion of the names of minor actors. Vide ' N.E.D.,' s.v. "fill," v., 11. 7 c.]
WESTON FAMILY, FARNBOROUGH, BERK- SHIRE. I should be greatly obliged for any information about the above family. Stephen Weston, Bishop of Exeter, was born at Farnborough, near Wantage, in 1665 ; Vicar of Mapledurham, Oxford ; Prebendary of Ely, and Archdeacon of Cornwall; died 1742. To what family of Weston did he belong ? The Registers of the parish of Farnborough date only from 1740. It was at that time in the diocese of Salisbury. His portrait, after Hudson, was engraved by G. White. LEONARD C. PRICE.
Essex Lodge, Ewell.
CHORAL FUND SOCIETY. A copy of a will, dated 12 March, 1843, now in my possession mentions " the Choral Fund Society." Can any reader kindly give me information as to this Society, and, if it no longer exists, where its records may be seen ? E. W. Moss BLUNDELL.
SIR Ross DONELLY. I have a miniature of this gentleman, dated 1804, but I can find no particulars about him in any book I have consulted. I should be glad if any correspondent would kindly send me some account of him, and tell me when and where he died. JOHN LANE.
The Bodley Head, Vigo Street, W.
LADY FRANCES ERSKINE : ISSUE. Lady Frances Erskine (great-granddaughter of Sir Thomas Browne, author of * Religio Medici ') married Col. James Gardiner, and left two sons, David and James, and two daughters. Frances (who married Sir William Baird, and left issue) and Richmond (who married Laurence Inglis).
