150
NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. v. FEB. SM, 1012.
of Westbury, Wilts. Was there any con-
nexion between these two families and the
Cornish family of this name ? L. E. T.
Pemb. Coll., Camb.
SPURRIER- GATE. I shall be greatly obliged if any of your readers can tell me the name of the parish of which Spurrier-gate is seemingly a hamlet. It is probably in the West Riding of Yorkshire, in the neighbour- hood of Bradford or Calverley. The name occurs in Paver's ' Marriage Licences,' under date 1663. H. ST. JOHN DAWSON.
LUGUBRIOUS PLAYING-CARD. I have a faint recollection of having many years ago been told in Scotland that a certain playing- card had a lugubrious reputation the order to a body of soldiers to massacre the in- habitants of a Highland village having been written upon the back of it. Can one of your readers tell me the particular card and the occasion of its employment ? G. T. C.
[The Nine of Diamonds is called the " Curse of Scotland." See the quotations at 9 S. v. 493, and ' Curse of Scotland ' in Brewer's ' Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.']
MATTHEW FERN, JACOBITE. In Salmon's 'Chronological Historian,' p. 364, a history is given of what befell Matthew Fern in 1716 on account of his Jacobitism, which was re- printed at 8 S. iv. 466. It is probably by no means necessary to reprint it, but it is needful to ascertain if possible whether Fern wrote anything more in prose or verse ; also where he lived, and what position he held in his own neighbourhood. Can any of your readers give the information I crave for ? EDWARD PEACOCK, F.S.A.
"PICCADILLY GATES." Some London press inquiries have failed to elicit what was meant by the term " Piccadilly gates " in the following letter, written by Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton, concerning Merton Place in this county :
" I shall hope to find the new room built, the grounds laid out neatly, but not expensively, new Piccadilly gates, kitchen garden, &c. ; only let us have a plan, and then all will go on well."
The letter, which is dated 26 August, 1803, written at sea, appears in a collection pub- lished by Colston & Co. of Edinburgh.
J. LANDFEAR LUCAS.
Hindhead, Surrey.
HALES FAMILY. Whilst referring to 8 S. v. 40, 98, I noticed that a corre- spondent was preparing ' A History of the Haleses : the Hale and Hales Families of England and America.' I most particularly
want to get a copy of this book. Possibly
it was published in America. Could any
reader kindly help me in this matter ?
Any assistance will greatly oblige.
,, . P. O. BRAMBLE.
Martham, .Norfolk.
ROBERT KNIGHT, EARL OF CATHERLOUGH. In The Town and Country Magazine for March, 1771, medallion portraits appeared of " Mrs. D-v-s " and " Lord C gh." After the death of his wife (Henrietta St. John, Bolingbroke's half - sister), Knight probably married again. If so, who was his second wife ? Ultimately he had a family of natural children by Jane Davies (above referred to). Is anything known of the birthplace or parentage of this psrson ? Knight owned a large estate in the parish of Kerry (Montgomery), which was sold after his death. The tenant of Bahithlon Farm, of 226 acres, was one Jane Davies, but this may be only a coincidence. Mr. Walter Sichel has thrown additional light on the chequered career of Henrietta St. John by the memoir of her forming pp. 463-76 of the second volume of his ' Bolingbroke and his Times ' ; but little seems to be known of Knight from 1736 (when he parted from his wife) till his death in 1772. F. O. A.
CHARTER OF HENRY II. : DATE. I am anxious to have the precise date for a charter of confirmation concerning Conerton, given by Henry II. at Cadomi (i.e., Caen). The witnesses were Philip, Bishop of Bayeux ; Aigs, Bishop of Lexovi ; Thomas, Chancellor ; Richard de Haia, Constable ; Mathew Bisset ; Walter FitzGerald, Chan- cellor ; William Ancalie ; and Henry Oilly. Henry II. was in Normandy in 1156, and again 1159 to 1163. Thomas a Becket was also in Normandy in 1159. How is it that there are two Chancellors mentioned ? What are the inclusive dates for Philip's and Aigs's occupancies of their respective sees ? J. H. R.
HARVEYS IN ABERDEENSHIRE. I am desirous of getting into communication with any one in possession of genealogical notes, or old papers, connected with this family, which was settled in this county as early as 1406. I have ascertained that Alexander Hervey, sometime Baillie, Inverurie, who was afterwards at Waterton and Grandome, married Janet Leslie, widow of Norman Leslie. Had they any family ?
JOHN S. LOUTIT.
Foveraii Manse, Aberdeen.
