Mar. 27. 1852.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



291 



It is also to be noticed that wives, if more than 

 once married, are frequently described in old 

 documents by the names, distinctly and united, of 

 their several husbands. 



III. Examples of changes in the form of par- 

 ticular designations : 



Between 1332 and 1348 the name borne by the 

 famous knight, Sir Rob, de Salle, commemorated 

 by Froissart, and who was killed by the insurgents 

 near Norwich in 1381, is severally written, de la 

 Sale, de Salle, de Aula, de la S'aule, de Halle, 

 Saul, and Halle. 



In temps. Ed. II. and III. is the following name 

 thus modified : Fitz Benedict, Benediscite, Ben- 

 <iiste, Bendish, Bennett. 



The twenty-ninth bishop of Norwich (1446 — 

 1472) is styled Walter Lyhart, Le Hert, and Hart. 



In 1337 we have " Jas. de Briseworth, als. de 

 Bliclingg;" and in 1368, " Johes. de Welbm-n 

 (Frat. Thome de Welburn nuper defti), als. de 

 -Cobeslound de Welburne, Taverner." 



Then, again, it were easy to produce innumer- 

 able examples of professional and business de- 

 scriptions, which have originated many modern 

 surnames, as Joh. le Lytester (Lister, Dyer), Re- 

 gin, le Pauraer (Palmer), Bateman le Espicer, 

 •(Spicer), &c. 



But this Note has already somewhat unduly 

 encroached upon your pages ; and it is now brought 

 to a conclusion with the single observation, that 

 many of the causes of various readings and differ- 

 -ences of form in the same original surname, as 

 well as of a total change from one designation to 

 another, are now in full force and daily practical 

 operation in many isolated parts of the country, 

 where, from the predominance of identical family 

 and baptismal appellations, some method, such as 

 is illustrated in the foregoing examples, must ob- 

 viously be adopted, in order to distinguish one 

 individual from another. In many of the remote 

 valleys, indeed, of the North of England, a more 

 comprehensive reply might be given than that 

 which the unsuccessful gaberlunyie woman, men- 

 tioned by Sir W. Scott, received in a certain 

 Scottish dale, when, in the bitterness of her dis- 

 appointment, she exclaimed, "Are there no Chris- 

 tians here ? " and was answered, " Christians ! 

 nae ; we be a' Elliots and Armstrongs ! " So — 

 but certainly not under like circumstances — 'it 

 might be replied, " We're a' Meccas (Ang. Met- 

 calfes) ! " Cowgill. 



Number of Surnames. — Probably some of your 

 numerous correspondents could give me some 

 idea as to the number of surnames there are in 

 this country used by British subjects. We have 

 no good work on surnames, as those of Lower and 

 others do not go sufficiently into the subject to 

 satisfy the curiosity of those who wish to know the 

 origin and date of the names in use amonj; us. A 



work of some study and research, giving all the 

 names in use at present in the country, and 

 showing when they were first adopted or brought 

 into the country, with the changes that have been 

 made in them, would be very interesting, and as 

 worthy, ff not more so, than many that are brought 

 before the public. J. H. 



P.S. — I would suggest that the names should 

 be classed in the different periods of history, be- 

 ffinninji with the Britons. 



LICENSE TO MAKE MALT I?» 1596. ' 



Among the old family deeds relating to the manor 

 of Wishanger, I find the following curious and in- 

 teresting document. It affords evidence that in 

 1596 there was a dearth of corn which was general 

 through the kingdom ; that barley was then much 

 used for bread ; that there was a custom, either 

 general, or occasioned by the scarcity, that the 

 poor should be served in open market, at an ac- 

 customed hour ; that one of the means relied upon 

 to supply food to the people was to restrain the 

 making of malt ; and, therefore, that malt liquor 

 must have been very generally consumed by our 

 forefathers at that time. 



The writing is in perfect preservation, and the 

 ink jet black. 



I give it in the original orthography, according 

 to the literature of those easy times when every 

 man spelled that that was right in his own eyes 

 and the world was little troubled with dictionaries 

 or critics. Julius Paktrige. 



Birmingham. 



" Glou^ — Wee, her Ma" .Justices of the Peace within 

 this Countey, whose names are hereunder writen accor- 

 dinge to the late orders piiblyshed by her Ma"" and 

 the Lo, of her most honorable privye Counsell for and 

 concerninge the dearth of come and jrraine, and for the 

 better effectinge whereof we have taken recognizaneo 

 of all such as shall make any inalte, what quantitye they 

 shall make, and where they shall buy it, and when, and 

 to sell the same soe by them converted into malte ia 

 the open markett next unto them adioining, and for 

 that none can soe doe without he be thereunto esp^ 

 cially licenssed by us and p'sented by the Jury Havw 

 therefore licenssed and by these p'ents doe licensse tho 

 Bearer hereof Georg Fowler of Hibiey to convert into 

 Malte one quarter weekly and to buy the same Barley 

 soe by him to be converted in the any the next Mkett 

 Towne unto him adioininge and that one houre after 

 the poor shall be served at the least, praying yo"« to 

 whom it shall and may appertaine quietly to pmitt and 

 suffer him soe to doe w'^out anye of yo' letfce interup- 

 cion or molestation the said Georg Fowler comitinge 

 nothing to the hdance of our last orders only (these*) 

 psnts in execution. 



* The word " these " is not in the original ; and 

 two of the three signatures at foot are not readable. 



