Mar. 24. 1855.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



229 



being a kind of "grey cos, a very fine-grained cal- 

 careous sandstone," which strikes fire with steel, 

 and contains some minute spangles of silver mica. 

 Many persons have absurdly supposed that these 

 stones are artificial and formed in moulds (Rees's 

 Cyclopcedia, art. Stonehenge). 



Mr. Cunnington (quoted in the Ancient History 

 of South Wiltshire, p. 151.) says, — 



" The stones composing the outward circle and its im- 

 posts, as well as the five large trilithons, are all of that 

 species of stone called sarsen, which is found in the neigh- 

 bourhood ; whereas the inner circle of small upright 

 stones, and those of the interior oval, are composed of 

 granite, horn-stone, &c,, most probably brought from 

 some part of Devonshire or Cornwall, as 1 know not where 

 such stones could be procured at a nearer distance." 



Sir li. C. Hoare (p. 149.) says, — 



" What is now understood by sarsen, is a stone drawn 

 from the natural quarry in its rude state. It is generally 

 supposed that these stones were brought from the neigh- 

 bourhood of Abury, in North Wiltshire, and the circum- 

 stance of three stones still existing in that direction* is 

 adduced as a corroborating proof of that statement." 



And, in a foot-note, after giving Stukeley's opinion, 

 he says, — 



" A more modern naturalist " (but whose name is not 

 given) "has supposed that a stratum of sand, containing 

 tliese stones, once covered tlie chalk land, and at the 

 deluge this stratum was washed oft' from the surface, and 

 the stones left behind. Certain it is, that we find them 

 dispersed over a great part of our chalky district, and 

 they are particularly numerous between Abury and 

 Marlborough ; but the celebrated field, called from them 

 the Grey Wethers, no longer presents even a single stone, 

 for they have all been broken to pieces for building and 

 repairing the roads." 



Eight of the upright stones in the inner circle 

 were still capped with two imposts, and ten up- 

 rights in the outer circle with six imposts in 1816, 

 and probably are so now. P. H. Fisher. 



Stroud. 



NEILSON FAMILY, AND FAMILY NAMES IN GENERAL. 



(Vol. xi., p. 86.) 



Burke's General Armoury, or Robson's He- 

 raldry, give the arms of such families of Neilsons 

 as have had arms granted to them, and then all 

 such Neilsons as can prove their descent from the 

 original grantee (and no others) will be entitled to 

 use those arms. Heraldry books give the arms 

 appropriated to particular families; but it must be i 

 remembered, it is not the business of heraldry 

 books, but of the descendants themselves, to trace 

 out their own pedigrees. 



As O'Neil (which means the son of N'eil or 

 Nigel) is itself a surname, and the Irish chief had 

 his christian name as well, there seems no reason 



* "The one in Durrington field, another in Bulford 

 river, and another in Bulford field." 



why his descendants (if he have any) should have 

 dropped his name of O'Neil and taken that of 

 Neilson. 



"The Neilsons can trace their pedigree" just 

 as far back as each particular family of Neilson is 

 able to go in that kind of lore. 



Ex Familia seems to be under the mistake 

 (and it is a not uncommon one) of supposing that 

 all families with the same name spring from a 

 common ancestor. This is quite impossible. 

 Many names come from places ; think of the 

 numbers of Bartons, Huttons, and Thorpes in 

 England. The great man would be De Barton 

 or De Hutton ; and numbers of the lower classes 

 quite unconnected with him would also be named 

 from their township or village. Local names, 

 therefore, can never prove common origin. 



Other names come from trades. There were 

 Bakers, Smiths, and Brewers in all the villages 

 then just as we have now ; these peo[)le took a 

 surname from their trade, but all who baked or 

 brewed then were no more descended from the 

 same forefathers than now ; so that professional 

 names can never prove a common origin. 



There is again a division of names formed by 

 adding Fitz, Mac, O', or Son, to the christian 

 name of the father ; there would be throughout 

 the country many Nigels, Johns, and Williams, 

 and many Niels, Jacks, and Wills, wholly unre- 

 lated to each other; and therefore the Neilsons, 

 Jacksons, and Wilsons can never prove a common 

 origin. The same rule applies to Brown, Short, 

 Armstrong, and other names, apparently nick- 

 names in the first instance, as Lyon, Bird, &c. 



There are certainly some uncommon names, as, 

 for instance, Booch or Butch, mentioned in the 

 same page of " N. & Q.," Mauleverer, Breen, 

 &c., which from their unusual character may be 

 believed to be confined to the descendants of one 

 ancestor ; but such names are very scarce. 



I hardly venture to trespass on so much of your 

 paper, but querists about families so often ask for 

 help which it is impossible they can obtain, that it 

 seemed desirable to put the question of family 

 names and arms on a footing which might 

 eventually save both space and trouble. P. P. 



Anticipating some correspondent " better up " 

 in Scottish genealogy may be able to assist Ex 

 Familia in his family investigations, I content 

 myself with giving him a description of such of the 

 coats, crests, and mottoes of the Neilsons as lie 

 within my reach. 



Neilson of Corsack bore, " Azure, two hammers 

 in sal tire or; in the dexter flank a crescent, and 

 in the base a star, argent." Crest, " a demi-man 

 issuant, holding over his shoulder a hammer, all 

 ppr." Motto, " Prsesto pro patria." 



Neilson of Craigcaffie bore anciently, " Argent, 



