Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 9.djvu/300

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292


NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. ix. APRIL 12, 1902.


stated that it was William Kent, not Charles, who was born in New South Wales. Charles Kent, the well-known author and friend of Dickens, was born, as stated in the obituary notice in * N. & Q., J in London on the 3rd of November, 1823 In the absence of more confirmation I am still disposed to believe that William Kent was the first British sub- ject born in New South Wales. N. S. S.

WINDSOR UNIFORM (9 th S. ix. 268). The Windsor uniform has for coat an old-fashioned swallowtail of dark blue with red collar and cuffs, and is often jestingly called " the two- penny postman." It is worn at Windsor by the household with pantaloons. The present King, in London, ordered for gentlemen black "frock dress," i.e., ordinary evening coat, worn with breeches and black silk stockings, or with pantaloons. This costume was worn at Windsor by guests. Mr. Glad- stone always wore pantaloons at Windsor for dinner. It is probable that Windsor uniform may be superseded by the Buckingham Palace uniform, which has a velvet collar of the same blue as the coat. D.

"OLIVER" (9 th S. ix. 127, 194, 278). -The Oliver is still used, and still used in England by women and girls, although in France the Factory Acts forbid this practice. D.

SNOW-FEATHERS (9 th S. viii. 403, 494; ix. 112). Fifty years ago the rime quoted at the last reference as popular in Sheffield was common in the Midlands; but the words were :

Snow, snow, faster! Sally, Sally Blaster! Picking geese in [Bedfordshire, Send us all yer feathers here! The "air "comprised three notes, beginning with the fifth, descending to the third, and ending on the key-note or octave, thus : 5, 5, 3, 1 5-5, 5-5, 3, 1 5-5, 5-5, 3-3, 1 5-5, 5-5, 3-3, 1

The name of the county in the third line was changed to suit the locality of the reciter, it being usual to select one to the north or east whence the snow appeared to come.

JnM fhf f end m shlre >" or you would be told that it was not " poetry."

RICHARD WELFORD.

J fc **<*& S? rtl ^ w!? ile to add th e follow-

Scdver of M H\ EmbIemS by Christian bcriyer, of Magdeburg, were written in 1671

^Thl 18 n i 6n T' and contains this remark

snowlik^l P / r ph S fc SayS ' The Lord ffi^ w like wool; and country people predict a


fruitful season when the White Goose hatches a numerous brood." English trans, by Robert Menzies, Edin., 1857, p. 14.

W. 0. B.

PICTORIAL GRAMMAR (9 th S. ix. 49). I have two pictorial grammars :

1. "The Pictorial Grammar, by Alfred Crowquill. London : Harvey and Darton, Gracechurch Street." It is full of highly coloured woodcuts. Apparently Crowquill (Alfred Henry Forrester) was the author of both the letterpress and the pictures. No date. According to an extract from a book catalogue of Matthews & Brooke, of Brad- ford, 1891, the grammar was published in 184-.

2. 'The Illustrated English Grammar; or, Lindley Murray Simplified.' It is the first part of " The Book of Fun; or, Laugh and Learn for Boys and Girls. London : James Gilbert, 49, Paternoster Row." No date.

The grammar takes up the first thirty-six pages. The rest of the book contains ' Rhetoric and Elocution for the Million; or, the New Speaker '; * Illustrated Arithmetic; or, Cyphering made Comical'- and 'The Comic History of Rome, and the Rumuns* Amongst the many woodcuts few have either initials or names. But there occur H., W. H., Hine, <fcc., also A. and H. each enclosed in a C or a part of a circle. The largest woodcut has G. C., also Thos. Williams. It is entitled ' Licensed to be drunk on the Premises.' It represents a crowd of drunken, fighting people with some building like St. Martin's Church in the background. I dare say that it is a well-known drawing by George Cruik- shank which has been brought into this book. The woodcuts are not coloured. It would, I think, be interesting if correspon- dents of 'N. & Q.' would describe under separate headings the comic grammars, arithmetics, &c. ROBERT PIERPOINT.

St. Austin's, Warrington,

THE EARL OF CROMARTIE (9 th S. ix. 107, 172, 219). I must plead guilty to a lapsus calami in regard to the date of the creation of the new earldom of Cromartie, but not with respect to the latter portion of SIR DAVID OSWALD HUNTER-BLAIR'S indictment, lour valued correspondent, whose signature is too seldom seen nowadays in 'N. & Q.,' and whose authority on matters connected with the Cromartie peerage is necessarily second to none, says that I "speak of the 1 revival' of the earldom." But if my letter on p. 172 is referred to, it will be seen that I only spoke of the revival of the title, which is quite a different thing. The present