Aug. 18. 1855.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



121 



MILITARY BANDS IN THE LAST CENTURY. 



I have before me a letter, dated July 2, 1793, 

 written by the late Mr. W. J. Mattham, innkeeper 

 of Lavenham, Suffolk, from which the following is 

 an extract : 



" We have had four companies of the West Middlesex 

 Mihtia quartered upon us for three days, consisting of 

 three officers and forty-nine men, who had the best band 

 I. ever heard, — 'tis worth mentioning to those who are 

 lovers of superior music. It consisted of five clarionets, 

 two French horns, one bugle horn, one trumpet, two bas- 

 soons, one bass drum, two triangles (the latter played by 

 boys about nine years old), two tambourines (the per- 

 formers mulattos) ; and the clash-pans by a real blacka- 

 moor, a very active man, who walked between the two 

 mulattos, which had a very grand appearance indeed." 



I may mention that Mr. Mattham was a much 

 respected member of the West Suffolk troop of 

 Yeomanry Cavalry, and a competent judge of 

 music. It is well known, that during a consider- 

 able part of the last century, it was customary in 

 wealthy families to keep a black footman ; we see 

 this pleasingly illustrated by the " great painter of 

 mankind," Hogarth : whether, in the words of 

 Mr. Mattham, it was considered to have " a very 

 grand appearance indeed," I am unable to say. 

 It appears, however, to have met with the con- 

 currence of the learned Dr. Johnson, who kept a 

 black servant, and bequeathed to him the greater 

 part of his property. 



It was a practice disapproved of by the late 

 William Cobbett, who observed, in his charac- 

 teristic manner : " Blacks don't smell like other 

 people." 



The African race generally appear cheerful, 

 contented, and happy, when under the influence 

 of humane treatment. Many years since, being 

 at New York, I observed groups of negroes em- 

 ployed in discharging the cargoes of vessels : on 

 commencing to raise the respective bales of goods, 

 one of the party commenced singing the first 

 words of a sentence resembling a glee or catch; 

 which, being responded to by the others, produced 

 altogether a pleasing degree of harmony — re- 

 minding me of a couplet in Tusser's Five Hundred 

 Points of Oood Husbandry : 



" Those servants are mostly useful and good, 

 Who sing at their work, like birds in the wood." 



Maimingtree. 



G. Blencowe. 



MONUMENTAL BRASSES. 



Attention having been drawn in your valuable 

 publication by the Rev. Sparrow Simpson to his 

 'I Additions and Corrections of Mr. Manning's 

 list of monumental brasses remaining in England," 

 I trust a very slight sketch of those left in Devon 

 may not prove too lengthy for your pages. I 

 send the first half of a list (which will be finished 



No. 303.] 



In a subsequent Number). The parishes in the 

 churches, of which brasses remain are arranged 

 alphabetically for the convenience of reference. 



Atherington. A brass consisting of three figures, <5ne a 

 knight in plate armour and two ladies, commemorating 

 members of the Bassett family. Date, a.d. 1586. 

 Biqhury. The effigy of a lady in a heart-shaped headdress. 

 The male figure has been removed. The slab is pow- 

 dered with scrolls bearing " Jhu mercy," " Ladye 



helpe." Date, . 



Braunton. Here is a very curious brass of Lady Elizabeth 

 Bowcer, wyfe of Edward Cheechester, Esq. She is 

 kneeling before a desk, and from her head, incised in 

 the stone in which the brass is embedded, is a cross. 

 Date, August 23, 1548. 

 Chittlehampion. In this church is a brass consisting of 

 three figures, a civilian and two females of the Cobleigh 

 family. Date, 1480. 

 Clist St. George. A brass of the seventeenth century, in 

 memory of Julian Osborne, who is represented kneeling 

 before a desk, on which is an open book. Date, 1614. 

 Clovelly. In this church is a most curious brass of George 

 Gary, who is represented in full armour save a helmet, 

 the head being bare, with his hands jomed in prayer. 

 The figure is lying on a richh' ornamented incised cross, 

 which has at its base a coat of arms, also incised, being 

 three wings, two and one. There is an inscription 

 round which states it to have been the burial-place of 

 Hugo Myghel. Michelstow bore. Sable, three wings 

 argent, two and one. The cross and inscription are 

 very much earlier than the brass, which bears date 

 1540. Altogether this is a most curious monument. 

 Dartmouth, St. Saviour's Church. A very fine brass of 

 Sir John Hawley and his two wives ; date circa 1334. 

 This is engraved in Mr. Boutell's Monumental Brasses 

 of England. 

 Dartmouth, St. Saviour's Church. A female figure in a 



heart-shaped headdress, without date or inscription. 

 Dartmouth, St. Saviour's Church. An effigy of Gilbart 

 Staplehill, once mayor of the town, in a civilian's furred 

 robe ; a very good specimen of costume. The date is 

 gone from the brass. He died on the 15th Feb., 1637. 

 Dartmouth, St. Petrock's Church. A brass dated 1609, to 

 the memory of John Roupe Merchant, in the costume 

 of a civilian. 

 Ermington. Here is a brass plate, on which are three 

 figures, a male in a civilian's dress, and two females 

 kneeling at desks, on which are open books. They re- 

 present William Strachleigh and Anne his wife, and 

 Christian, their only daughter. Date, 1583. 

 Exeter Cathedral. Here is the splendid brass of Sir Peter 

 Courtenay, Knight of the Garter, in full armour under 

 a canopy. Date, 1455. This is engraved in the Trans- 

 actions of the Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society, 

 Here is also, in the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene, s 

 finely executed brass of William Langeton, a canon of 

 that church. He is represented in a rich cope fastened 

 by a morse ; from between the hands joined in prayer 

 rises a graceful scroll, on which are these words : " Dne 

 Jhu scdm actu meu noli me iudicare." 

 Filleigh. A brass to the memory of Richard Fortescue, 

 who is represented kneeling with a helmet and gauntlet 

 at his feet. Date, 1570. 

 St. Giles, near Torrington. A fine brass of Alyenore Pol- 

 lard. Date, 1430. 

 Haccomie. Here are a series of brasses of the Carew 

 family, five in number. The first is Nicholas Carew,. a 

 splendid figure in plate armour. Date, 1469. The 

 second, Thomas Carew, in plate armour. Date, 1586, 

 The third, Maria Carew. Date, 1589. The fourth. 



