356
NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. i. APRIL 29, 1916.
the house-place on a table on a large white
dish, along with bottles of cowslip or other
home-made wine. It was a matter of pride
to have this guest-table well laid, generally
covered with the best white cloth in the
village. Chairs were set all round the room
by the walls, and as the guests arrived the
bidding woman took them to seats, and
another helper served out a glass of wine
and a biscuit to each. Outside, in the
street or the yard of the house, another table
was set. The coffin when brought out from
an inner or upper room was placed on the
table, on which was a basket filled with
sprigs of box. A basket filled with packets
of " funeral biscuits " was taken to each
guest. The packets contained four or six
biscuits neatly done up in white paper by
the baker, each fastened with black wafers,
and having inside or outside a copy of verses
similar to the one given by MR. SPARKE.
These packets were carried in the hand to
the graveside and then home, because all
could not return to the house of feasting at
the end of the " burying." The sprigs of
box were dropped on the coffin as each guest
stepped round to take " the last look." A
certain printer whose office I used to haunt
did a large trade in printing and supplying
confectioners with the verses, who in turn
submitted them for choice to their customers
when these were ordering " funeral biscuits."
THOS. RATCLIFFE.
THE KING'S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS (12 S. i. 248, 314). In ' Minden and the Seven Years' War,' by Sir Lees Knowles, S. will find a special chapter devoted to the six British regiments which were engaged at Minden. L. M. H.
ANNE CLIFFORD, COUNTESS OF CUMBER- LAND (12 S. i. 310). This interesting lady was not Countess of Cumberland, but of Dor- set, and of Pembroke and Montgomery. She seems to have claimed the Barony of Clifford in right of her father, but not the Earldom of Cumberland. Her life occupies more than three columns of the ' D.N.B.,' and Mr. G. F. R. Barker, who wrote it, gives many references to other lives, some of considerable length, and as many as twelve references to ' N. & Q.' Her father's life (George Clifford) occupies four columns in the ' Dictionary,' and her mother's (Margaret Clifford) another column. A full answer to MR. LEVESON- GOWER'S request for information would occupy several pages of ' N. & Q.' Her name occurs in all books about Westmorland or South-West Yorkshire. I find I have nine references to her in the first volume of
my ' Flemings in Oxford ' (Oxford Historical?
Society, vol. xliv.). I have always felt
the greatest interest in her, but have in.
many years' research not got to the end of
what is to be found out about her in the
articles above mentioned and the refer-
ences contained in them.
JOHN R. MAGRATH. Queen's College, Oxford.
Her will is given in Archceologia
New Series, vol. i. (1857), p. 1, in a biography
written by the Rev. James Raine, jun., M.A..
The paper is entitled ' Anne, Countess of
Pembroke, Dorset, and Montgomery.'
BROWNMOOR.
By an unaccountable slip in my query,, ante, p. 310, I asked for information respecting Anne Clifford, Countess of Cumberland. Anne Clifford, it is needless^ to remark, was never Countess of Cumberland, although she inherited the Barony of Clifford, which descended in the female line.
ARTHUR F. G. LEVESON-GOWER.
Athenaeum Club.
ELIZABETH EVELYN (12 S. i. 288), who died in 1651, was the daughter of Sir John. Rivers of Kent and granddaughter of John Rivers, Lord Mayor of London. She married George Evelyn of Everley and West Dean y , Wilts (1581-1637), and had four children: Sir John of West Dean ; George, who died young ; Arthur, who was a prominent Roundhead and Governor of Wallingford :.: and Elizabeth, who married Sir James Tyrrell of Essex. Her granddaughter married Robert Pierrepont and became the mother of three Earls of Kingston. " My sister Hart " refers to Jane Evelyn, the fourth daughter of John Evelyn of Godstone, . and sister of George. She married (1) Sir Anthony Benn, Recorder of London ; and (2) Sir Eustace Hart, Knt. " Niece the Lady Elizabeth Gray, the Countess of Kent's daughter," should be great-niece. Jane Evelyn's daughter by Sir Anthony Benn, Amabella, married Henry Gray, ninth Earl of Kent. " Niece Mrs. Anne Needum, Sir Robert Needum's daughter." John Evelyn (' Diary,' Sept. 17, 1657) speaks of Sir Robert Needham as " a relation of mine." I should much like to know the connexion. " Cousin Mr. George Eveling, Sir Thomas Eveling's brother." He was the son of Thomas Evelyn of Long Ditton, and half-brother of Sir Thomas Evelyn. He resided at Hunter- combe in Buckinghamshire.
H. MAYNARD SMITH.