ISS 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 253. 



DOG-WHIPPERS. 



(Yol. ix., p. 499.) 



In a curious and rare engraving in my posses- 

 sion, from a sketch by David Allen, who was 

 master of the Fine Arts Academy in Edinburgh, 

 and died in 1796, a very ludicrous instance of 

 dog-whipping is exemplified. The engraving, en- 

 titled "Presbyterian Penance," may date about 

 1760. The scene is laid in one of the old- 

 fashioned country parish kirks of Scotland, in 

 which, in presence of the Sabbath congregation, 

 a young man standing upright in the cock-loft of 

 the gallery is undergoing a rebuke from the minis- 

 ter for a breach of morality. Amid the mass (for 

 the kirk is thronged) of grotesque, sleepy-headed, 

 and amused auditors, two military officers appear 

 in the area, who had brought along with them 

 each a couple of dogs, which, not at all impressed 

 with the sacredness of the occasion, are repre- 

 sented as one pair worrying, and the other pair 

 courting rather kindly. This has excited to the 

 highest degree the rage of the sexton (or door- 

 keeper, or beadle, as we call him), who, with the 

 large key of the kirk displayed in his left hand, 

 and with the besom in his right, is seen in true 

 earnest belabouring the offenders furth of the 

 premises. Connected with the incident, the artist 

 had probably also intended it as a satire on the 

 system of public rebuking and the " stool of re- 

 pentance." 



In the bygone times in Scotland, when " sacra- 

 ments " and " preachings " were held in the open 

 air, and country people gathered to them from 

 considerable distances, many collies and other de- 

 scriptions of dogs were to be found attending, 

 which followed their masters. The former had 

 sometimes to be driven off; as, when psalm-singing 

 began, they (through some sympathetical feeling) 

 were apt to disturb the devotion by howling. The 

 cattle browsing on the neighbouring fields, perhaps 

 impelled only by curiosity, drew around near the 

 precincts of the worshippers, and the whole to- 

 gether presented a picture of primitive simplicity 

 seldom now to be witnessed. G. N. 



" 1653. Itm. paide to W"" Richards for whip- s. d. 

 pinge the dogs out of the church, from 

 Michaslm. till Christmas foUowinge - 1 

 1680. P* to Ralph Richards for shuting y" 



church doores 10 Sundaies - - 10 

 P* y« clerk's son for locking y" north 

 doore, and opening it after praires is 

 done 06 



1729. Pd ye dog vnpev - - - - 2 6 



1730. P* y" dogwhiper Hewitt - - - 2 6 

 1756. P'' Robert Hewitt a quarter's pay, for 



looking after the people in the church, 

 to keep them from sleeping - - 2 6 

 1766. Aug. 22. Pd for a dogwip for the church 6." 



The churchwardens of Great Staughton, in Hunt- 

 ingdonshire, record these disbursements. The 

 constables also, in 



" 1695, P^ for whippcord for the Towne's use, 1 ob." 



Joseph Rix. 



St. Neots. 



I find the following entry in the vestry-book of 

 Shrewsbury parish, in the diocese of Maryland : 



" 1725. May 1. Agreed that Tho. Thornton shall keep 

 and whip the dogs out of the church every Sunday till 

 next Easter Monday, and also the cattle fiom about the 

 church and churchyard, for 100 lbs. tobacco." 



The value of the tobacco, which, as is well 

 known, was a legalised and much-used currency 

 in the southern colonies, had been fixed, in 1715, 

 at 105. paper currency (equal to 7s. 6d. sterling 

 of that period) per 100 lbs., thus more or less con- 

 sciously anticipating a decimal system of money. 

 The following year, 1726, I observe in the same 

 book that the vestry rate 100 lbs. tobacco at 

 105. 6d. currency, which is 5 per % premium. 

 Easter Monday, in 1726, should have occurred 

 on April 11. I. H. A. 



More recent allusion than any given by A 

 Notary, or W. B. R., is found in a satirical bal- 

 lad (date October, 1784), addressed by the Tories 

 to Fox, the leader of the Opposition. After re- 

 commending Fox to turn his talents to preaching, 

 it makes North " officiate as clerk," and Richard 

 Sheridan act as pew-keeper. 



" To comic Richard, ever true, 

 Be it assigned the curs to lash, 

 With ready hand to ope the pew. 

 With read}' hand to take the cash." 



See Wright's England under the House of Hano' 

 ver, vol. ii. p. 122. P. M. M. 



Temple. 



The office of dog-whipper exists in Danby 

 Church, near Whitby and Guisbro'. The origin 

 is obvious. The church is situated in a rural dis- 

 trict. Several farmers live many miles from it, 

 and their cur dogs follow them. The whipper is 

 employed to lash the dogs and prevent their in- 

 trusion into the church. Fra. Mewburn. 



ITALIAN-ENGLISH. 



(Vol. vii., p. 150. ; Vol. viii., p. 437.) 



The specimens of foreigners' English given by 

 your correspondents A. R. X. and M. Philarete 

 Chasles, are highly amusing. Southey says 

 (^Omniana, vol. ii. p. 131.) : 



" It is curious to observe how the English Catholics of 

 the seventeenth century wrote English like men who 



