242 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 283. 



HEBALDKY — DANCETTEE LINES. 



Edmonson, in bis Heraldry, gives it as his 

 opinion that the partition line, known as dan- 

 eettee, cannot be traced to an earlier date than 

 1720. This statement at least has been given 

 in the very valuable Glossary of Heruldi-y, 

 published by Parker (vt^ho is the author or com- 

 piler ? *) ; and I have taken some pains to exa- 

 mine into the matter, although I have not re- 

 ferred to very many books. I have considerable 

 hesitation in advancing a proposition contrary to 

 the opinion of such an able writer as Edmonson ; 

 but I cannot but think he has by some means been 

 led into a grave error on the subject. I feel 

 bound to say, that I have not been able to find 

 this statement in Edmonson. In Burke's Peerage 

 and Baronetage, I find the following families 

 bearing dancettee lines in their coat of arms, viz. 

 Stonor, Lord Camoys ; West, Earl De la Warr ; 

 Forester, Lord Forester ; Hill, Lord Sandys (for 

 Sandys) ; Holroyd, Earl of Sheffield; Rous, Earl 

 of Stradbroke ; Grimston, Earl of Verulam (for 

 Luckyn) ; and the following baronets, viz. Chay tor, 

 Rivers, Sandys, Smyth, Vavasour, and Williams ; 

 and also amongst the foreiizn titles. Baron Dims- 

 dale. Of the great antiquity of some of these 

 families, there can be no question ; and although 

 the arms of the great family of Butler are, in 

 modern times, represented with the chief indented, 

 I have no doubt it was more properly dancettee : 

 for I find, in Ashmole's History of the Order of 

 the Garter, the arms as copied from the original 

 representations were clearly — Or, a chief dancettee 

 azure. See the arms of James Butler, Earl of 

 Wiltshire, No. 176., from the foundation of tlie 

 Order by King Edward IIL ; Sir Thomas Bullen, 

 Earl of Wiltshire, No. 280.; Thomas Butler, Earl 

 of Ormond, No. 369. ; and Thomas Butler, Eavl 

 of Ossory, No. 476. See also, in the same work. 

 Sir William Fitzwaren, No. 47., and Sir Fulk 

 Fitzwaren, No. 51.; and also Sir Thomas West, 

 Lord De la Warr, No. 323. Besides these I find, 

 on reference to Nichols' Hist, of Leicestershire, 

 amongst the arms of knights who served in the 

 wars of King Edward I., are those of Sir Robert 

 Nevyle : "Gules, a fess indented {dancettee) argent, 

 within a bordure indented or." And of Sir Philip 

 Nevyle and Sir Richard de Nevyle : " Gules, a 

 fess indented (dancettee) argent, a label azure." 

 And of the next one, which I think must put the 

 matter beyond all doubt. Sir Roger le Brea : 

 " Gules, bezantee ; a chevron dancettee or ; " or, 

 copied verbatim et literatim, " De goulez, bessante 

 ung dance de or." Mr. Nichols gives these and 

 other arms from the original book in ])ossession of 

 Sir William le Neve, Clarencieux. The arms of 



[* By Henry Gough.] 



the Nevyles, though called indented, are clearly 

 dancettee in the drawing; and the distinction is made 

 more apparent by the bordure being indented. If 

 Mr. King, the York Herald, or some other equally 

 competent atithority, would confirm or controvert 

 my position, I shall feel greatly obliged. Y. S. M. 



Minax cauert'cS. 



Names of illegitimate Children. — In Lysons' 

 Cumberland is an entry from a parish register of 

 an illegitimate son with his father's name, not his 

 mother's, as we now enter them. Was that the 

 general custom in 1643? And when did the 

 change take place, and why ? G. 0. L. 



Sir Martin Westcombe. — Can any of your cor- 

 respondents give me any information respecting 

 Sir Martin Westcombe, who was British Consul 

 at Cadiz in the seventeenth century ? What was 

 the name of his family seat in England ? 



Seleucus. 



Latin Vocahidary. — Forty years ago, a small 

 volume was used in some schools containing wood- 

 cuts described in Latin and English. I only re- 

 member that one woodcut was a landscape, and 

 that the descript ion began : " In terra, in the 

 earth ; sunt, are ; alti montes, lofty mountains," 

 &c. What was the name of this book ? M. 



Corderius. — Requested, some account of the 

 Corderii Colloquia ; and, in particular, are there 

 more dialogues than were printed in the small 

 school-book once current ? M. 



Itohert Orme. — Capt. Orme, of the Coldstream 

 Guards, was married to Hon. Audrey, only 

 daughter of Charles, third Viscount Townshend. 

 Her mother was the celebrated Lady Townsliend ; 

 one brother was the no less famous Charles Town- 

 shend ; and another was George, the first Marquis. 

 Capt. Orme seems to have resided in Hertford, 

 and to have died in Februnry, 1781. _ Can any 

 particulars relative to himself, his family, or his 

 posterity, be afforded ? My address can be fur- 

 nished by the Editor to any one desiring to com- 

 municate with me. Serviens. 



Minute Engraving on Glass. — About two years 

 since, I saw in Portland Maine and Boston Mess 

 (U. S. A.), on exhibition, a specimen of fine en- 

 graving which I imagine has never been excelled. 

 Do any of your readers remember to have seen 

 anything to equal it ? It was the following in- 

 scription written on glass in a small round space, 

 the six hundred and twenty-fifth part of an inch, 

 viz. : 



" Lowell & Senter, Watchmakers, CA. Exchanjje Street, 

 Portland. Written by Froment, at Paris, 1862." 



Seventy-five letters and figures ! It is equal to 



