Mar. 27. 1852.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



296 



been reader at Lincoln's Inn temp. Hen. VIII., 

 whose Reading on Forest Laws is much referred 

 to by Manwood ? 



5. Is anything known of Frowick, a lawyer 

 probably of the sixteenth century ? C. W. G. 



TOWW HALI.S. 



I have to thank two of your correspondents 

 for their Notes in answer to my Query respect- 

 ing mediijeval towns built on a regular plan 

 in England. They have reminded me of Hull 

 and Wokingham, with both which places I 

 was previously acquainted ; neither of them is 

 by any means of the same regular and perfect 

 plan as the English towns in France, but they 

 approximate to it in some degree ; and I am not 

 tlie less obliged for being reminded of them. 

 My success in this instance encourages me to 

 trouble you with another Query. Can any of 

 your correspondents furnish me with information 

 respecting any mediaeval town halls remaining in 

 England? I am acquainted with several, but 

 believe there are many more than is commonly 

 supposed. Some of the twelfth and thirteenth 

 centuries are mentioned In Mr. Turner's work on 

 Domestic Architecture, as the County Hall at 

 Oakham ; the Guildhall at Lincoln ; the King's 

 Hall at Winchester. In addition to these, the 

 Guildhall at Exeter is partly of the thirteenth 

 century, and partly of the fifteenth. Tlie old 

 Town Hall at Colchester of the twelfth has, I 

 believe, been destroyed within these few years. 

 The Town Hall at Winchelsea is of the time of 

 Edward I., though mutilated. The Town Hall 

 at Aldborough is of the fifteenth century, or 

 earlier. The hall of St. Mary's Guild at Coventry 

 is a well-known and beautiful example. The 

 Town Hall of Weobly in Herefordshire is, if I 

 remember rightly, an early example of timber 

 work. These are a few instances which occur to 

 my memory. I have no doubt there are many 

 others ; and, as the subject is one of considerable 

 interest, perhaps you will not object to assist me 

 in collecting information upon it. You will observe 

 that I include under the general name of Town 

 Halls all public halls, whether called by that name 

 or by any other. I am aware that they do not all 

 belong to the same class, strictly speaking ; but I 

 should be glad to know of other examples of any 

 of them. J. H. Parker. 



Oxford. 



Chasseurs Britanniques. — This regiment is no- 

 ticed under the head of "Foreign Corps on En- 

 glish half-pay," in the Army List for 1850-1, 

 ^p. 494. 530. Can any of your readers favour me 



with some particulars regarding it, and when and 

 where it was raised, &c. r E. N. 



Knights Templars and Freemasons. — Can any of 

 your readers inform me what connexion has ever 

 existed between the Knights Templars and the 

 Freemasons, as there is a degree in Freemasonry 

 called the Knight Templar's degree ? It is su[)posed 

 that the persecuted Templars betook themselves to 

 the Freemasons' lodges, and secured their pro- 

 tection. The two orders became closely con- 

 nected, the succession of Grand Masters kept up, 

 and the ritual of the Templars preserved. There is 

 a French order of Knights Templars, which claims 

 direct succession from Jacques de Molay, the 

 last Grand Master of the original order ; but the 

 Freemasons say that this is a spurious body, and 

 that the only legitimate claimants to representation 

 of this once powerful order are the Freemason?. 



I shall be glad if any of your readers can give 

 such information as may aid my inquiries into this 

 subject; or if they can furnish me with the titles 

 of such works as are most likely to aid my re- 

 searches. My object is to trace the history of the 

 order of Knights Templars subsequent to the per- 

 secution and death of Jacques de Molay, and to 

 ascertain the correctness of the statements of those 

 who profess to be the proper representatives of 

 the order. E. A. H. L. 



St. Christopher. — Can any of the readers of 

 " N. & Q." supply any information which will 

 assist my researches into the real meaning of the 

 representations of St. Christopher, which are so 

 frequently found on the north walls of churches ? 

 I have read Mr. Duke's essay on the subject m 

 the P?'olusiones Historicce, but do not quite agree 

 in his view of the meaning which these singular 

 paintings were intended to convey. Why should 

 this saint, of whom so little is correctly known 

 and of whom Alban Butler gives a very scanty 

 account, occupy such a very important position 

 in the iconography of the mediaeval church, and 

 which it appears has not been maintained by the 

 Roman Catholics of the present day ? I am quite 

 aware of the doggrel lines occasionally found un- 

 derneath these representations, ascribing extraor- 

 dinary powers of cure to the picture when looked 

 upon by the faithful ; but I cannot think that this 

 reason alone would have led to the adoption of 

 this extraordinary representation in almost all our 

 parish churches. Are there any known represent- 

 ations of St. Christopher in painted glass ; if so, 

 where ? E. A. H. L. 



Arnold Bilson' s Wife. — Can any of your readers 

 inform me who was " th^ daughter of the house 

 of Bavaria" married to Arnold Bilson, great- 

 grandfather of Thomas Bilson, Bishop of Winches- 

 ter (who died 16)6); and under what circumstances 

 the marriage took place ? 



