2nd s. VIII. Oct, 8. '59.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



295 



seen whetlier he was attached to the Nan fan esta- 

 blishment at Birtsmortou Court. Perhaps some 

 Cornish correspondent may inform you who is the 

 present representative of that family. The Wor- 

 cestershire estates passed by an heiress to the 

 Coote family, Earls of Bellamont, which were 

 afterwards sold to Colonel Moncton, and by him 

 to Mr. Thackwell. 



The old moated mansion of Eirtsmorton is in 

 a dilapidated condition, occupied by a farmer. 

 One of the parlours still contains the arms of the 

 Nanfans and their alliances painted on oak panels, 

 with a curiously carved chimney-piece. 



Nash calls the treasurer of Calais Sir Richard 

 Nanfan, while both Fiddes and Cavendish name 

 him Sir John. Can any one explain the discre- 

 pancy ? T. E. W. 



I imagine that the only connecting link between 

 this prelate and the county of Worcester, was his 

 possession of " the Commandery " in the city of 

 Worcester. Cuthbekt Bede. 



THK LOKD MAYOR OF DUBLIN : '' BIDING THE 

 FRANCHISES." 



(2"<» S. viii. 207.) 



When I was a small boy at school in Dublin, I 

 often saw the Lord Mayor and the Corporation, 

 with the Sheriffs, and other city authorities, " Riding 

 the Franchises ; " and I am convinced the adver- 

 tisement quoted by Abhba, and what he requires, 

 had its origin in the following : — The ceremony 

 of " Riding the Franchises " (or as it was popu- 

 larly called the "f7-i7iges'') was one of great im- 

 port, and took place about every third year. It 

 consisted of a grand procession on horseback of 

 the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Common Councillors, 

 Sheriffs, Recorder, &c., preceded by the corporate 

 ofScers with the mace, sword of state, &c. The 

 procession passed along the line of the city and 

 suburbs, to which the lord mayor had jurisdic- 

 tion. Without following the line (which was 

 extensive) it came to a junction between the Old 

 Pottle corner and Old Three-Stone Alley, at the 

 south end of the present Coombe. (The Pottle 

 and Three- stone Alley, consequent on a piece of 

 " barbarity " called " improvement," have va- 

 nished.) The line of jurisdiction here joined the 

 *' Earl of Meath's Liberty " — every one has 

 heard, and every one who has been in Dublin 

 knows the " Liberty " — and the boundary line 

 absolutely went right through a house that stood 

 between Three-stone Alley and the Coombe, at 

 the corner of the Pottle. In order to assert the 

 rights of the chief magistrate, the sword-bearer 

 had to enter the house by a back window, per- 

 ambulate a room or two, and come out at the 

 front door. In process of time it was deemtd 



sufficient to throw the sword into the window and 

 have it brought out at the door. Up to this por- 

 tion of the proceedings the procession used to be 

 accompanied by a formidable body of coal por- 

 ters and other rough characters, who seemed to 

 possess the especial privilege of " clearing the 

 way" for the processionists, and this they used 

 to do very effectually, by breaking the heads, legs, 

 or arms — they were not particular in their choice 

 — of any who came in their way. When the 

 sword was " thrown " through the house men- 

 tioned, those roughs used to seize it, and bear it 

 in triumph to the Mansion House, where they 

 were rewarded with ale, bread, beef, &c. In 

 course of time the journeymen butchers, slaugh- 

 ter-house-porters and others engaged about Bull 

 Alley, Patrick Street, and the adjoining markets, 

 thought themselves able to cope with the coal- 

 porters, and have a share, not only in the honour 

 of carrying the sword to the Mansion House, but 

 of sharing in the reward that followed this piece 

 of municipal loyalty. Here then, at this point, 

 the "black diamonds" — as the coal porters were 

 called — and the "swabs" (butchers, &c.), met, 

 and very sanguinary conflicts took place about 

 the possession of the " sword of state." I have, 

 myself, witnessed three or four fearful fights be- 

 tween such parties for the sword. At last it be- 

 came the fashion to run away altogether with it, 

 and I have heard that on two or three occasions 

 it was kept for months. In my own day I have 

 known it to be retained for two or more days, 

 and only returned when it was redeemed from 

 some public-house, where it was pawned for a 

 couple barrels of porter and a corresponding 

 quantity of bread and beef. I was informed 

 that about the time mentioned in the advertise- 

 ment, that the sword was really stolen, but 

 whether it was ever restored, I am not able to 

 say. This, I trust, 'will afford Abhba the inform- 

 ation he requires. The last time I saw the 

 "Riding of the Franchises" was in 1840, just 

 before the Municipal Reform Bill of that year 

 swept away the old Dublin Corporation, and in- 

 troduced (in 1841) the late Mr. O'Connell as the 

 first lord mayor of Dublin under tlie new pro- 

 visions. Sir J. K. James was the last lord mayor 

 under the old regime. I have been more elabo- 

 rate than the mere question asked by your cor- 

 respondent would warrant, but I think it right to 

 place on record in " N. & Q." facts that perhaps 

 might otherwise escape a permanent place of 

 reference. The municipal bill alluded to abolished 

 what was called " the good old hospitable customs," 

 of course the Jighting included. S. Redmond. 



Liverpool. 



I have got the following paragraph transcribed 

 from the second chapter of the Recollections of 

 John O'Keefe, believing that it may interest your 



