394 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2°* S. No 98., Nov. 14. '57. 



Some only for not being drown'd, 

 And some for sitting above ground, 

 Whole days and nights upon their breeches, 

 And feeling pain, were hang'd for witches ; 

 And some for putting knavish tricks 

 Upon green geese and turkey chicks, 

 Or pigs that suddenly deceas'd 

 Of griefs unnat'ral, as he guess'd ; 

 Who after prov'd himself a witch. 

 And made a rod for his own breech." 



The last lines refer to the merited punishment which 

 Hopkins himself received from some gentlemen for his 

 cruel barbarities; and "it was a great pity," remarks Dr. 

 Grey, "that they did not think of the experiment sooner."] 



BLUE COAT BOYS AT ALDERMEN S FUNERALS. 



(2"i S. iv. 128. 316.) 



To the information contained in Mr. Husk's 

 comnjunications on this subject, I would beg to 

 add several particulars gathered from the Diary 

 of Henry Machyn, Citizen and Merchant Taylor, 

 from 1550 to 1563, published by the Camden So- 

 ciety, and from the Reports of the Charity Com- 

 missioners. 



As the Diary is very much occupied with no- 

 tices an<i details of funerals, the editor (Mr. J. G. 

 Nichols) has added a prefatory "Note upon Fu- 

 nerals," which, on p. xxii., contains the following 

 statement illustrative of the custom in question : — 



" After the Reformation, we have (MS. Harl. 1354, 

 p. 37. •)) ' The proceedinge to the Funerall of a Knight in 

 London,' as follows ; — 



" F.yrste the Children of the Hospitall, two and two. 



" Then two Yeomen Conductors in black Cotes with 

 blacke Staves in their hands. 



" Then poor Men in Gownes, two and two," [and so 

 forth]. 



And it is added, in a foot-note, that — 



« In MS. Harl. 2129, p. 40., is 'The Order of the Ob- 

 seque of Sir William Garratt, Kn', late Lord Maior of 

 London,' who died temp. Ja' 1'', which agrees in most 

 particulars with this formulary." 



Christ's Hospital (or the Blue Coat School), 

 one of the effects of the Reformation, was first 

 opened for the reception of children in November 

 1552, who, at the Christmas following, made their 

 first appearance in public, and lined the way for 

 the procession of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen 

 to St. Paul'^. 



Machyn's Diary affords a remarkably early in- 

 stance of the attendance of the children of the 

 Hospital at a funeral, in the following entry, 

 p. 32. : — 



1552-3. " The sam da}% wj^che was the xxij day of 

 Marche, was bered Master John Heth, dwellyng in Fan- 

 chyrch Strett, and ther whent afor hym a C. 'chylderyn of 

 Gray freres. Boys and Gyrlles, ij and ij together, and he 

 gay ff them Shurts and Smokes, and gyrdulls and moke- 

 tors [handerchiefs] ; and after they had wyne and fygs 

 and good alle, and ther wher a grett dener; and ther 

 wher the Cumpane of Panters, and the Clarkes, and ys 



Cumpony had xx' to make mere with-alle at the Ta- 

 verne." 



It will be observed that this was within four 

 months after the first admission of children into 

 the Hospital. The other instances which are re- 

 corded by Machyn are as follow : — 



P. 99., 1555. " The xx day of Dessember was bered at 

 Sant Donstones in the Est Master Hare Herdsun, Al- 

 therman of London, and Skynner, and on of the Masturs 

 of the Hospetall of the Gray frers in London, with Men 

 and xxiiij Women in mantyll fresse gownes, a hersse of 

 Wax, and hong with blake ; and ther was my Lord Mare 

 and the Swordberer in blake, and d^-vers odur Althermen 

 in blake, and the resedew of the Aldermen, at ys beryng ; 

 and all the Masturs, boyth Althermen and odur, with 

 ther gren Stayffes in ther handes, and all the Chylderyn 

 of the gray frersse, and iiij men in blake gownes bayring 

 iiij gret stayffes-torchys bornyng, and then xxiiij men 

 with torchys bornyng ; and the morowe iiij masses songe, 

 and after to j's plasse to dener ; and ther was ij goodly 

 whyt branchys, and mony Prestes and Clarkes syngyng." 



P. 211., 1559. " The xij day of September was bered 

 at Sant Martens at the Welles with ij bokettes [S'' Mar- 

 tin Outwich was formerly thus distinguished] .... 

 a Barber Surgan with Clarkes S3'ngyngand alx Chylderyn, 

 XXX Boys and xxx Wemen Children, and evere Chyld had 

 ij"* a pesse." 



P. 255., 1561. " The sam day [April 14*i^] was bered in 

 Cornyll Mastores Hunt, Widow, and the Chylderyn of the 

 Hopetall and the Masters wher at her berehyng with ther 

 gren stayfFes, and the xxx Chylderyn syngyng the Pa- 

 ternoster in Engb's, and a xl pore Women in gownes ; 

 and after the Clarkes syngyng, and after the Corse, and 

 then Mornars, and after the Craftes of the WorshephuU 

 Compene of the Skynners ; and ther d3'd pryche the 

 Byshope of Durrani, Master Pj-lkyngtun; and after to 

 the Skynners' Hall to dener." 



P. 279., 1562. " The ij day of Aprell was bered in the 

 Parryche of Allhallows in Bred strett Master Eobart 

 Melys, late Master of the Marchand taylors, and he gayf in 

 gownes and Cottes to the number of iij^'^ Coats of rattes 

 coUer of vij' the j'erd to the pore Men, and the Chylderyn 

 of the Hospetall ij and ij together, and Masters of the Hos- 

 petall with ther gren StayfFes in ther hands, and Master 

 Nowelle the Dene of Powlles dyd Pryche ; and after to 

 dener at ys Suns howse." 



P. 291., 1562. " The furst day of September was bered 

 in the Parryche of Saint Brydes in Fletstrett Master 

 Hulsun, Skrevener of London, and Master Hayword's 

 Depute, and on of the Masturs of Brydwell ; and ther 

 wher all the Masturs of Brydwell with gren stayfFes in 

 ther handes, and the Chylderyn of the Hospetall, at ys 

 berehyng ; and ther was mony mornars in blake, and 

 Master Crowley dyd Pryche ; and there was grett ryng- 

 yng as ever was hard, and the godely rj' . . . ; and he 

 had a dosen of Skochyons of Amies in Metalle." 



These are all the instances to be found in Ma- 

 chyn's Diary; but the Charity Commissioners' 

 Report on Christ's Hospital (No. xxxii., Part ii. 

 p. 109.), in setting forth a particular benefaction 

 in the reign of James I., contains an incidental 

 notice of the practice in question as one of com- 

 mon occurrence. The account is substantially as 

 follows : — By a deed dated February 7, 1609, 

 Robert Dow, Merchant Taylor, gave to the Go- 

 vernors 2401. on condition tiiat they should pay 

 annually 12^. (in addition to 4l. allowed by them) 



