May 12. 1855.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



365 



INTERNAL SPIRAL WOODEN STAIRCASE. 



Can any of your readers inform me where 

 examples of internal spiral wooden staircases, 

 with solid steps, and newel inclosed within orna- 

 mental framework, may be met with in churches ? 



Internal stairs, having perforated enclosures of 

 stone (of which there is a beautiful example in the 

 church of St. Maclou at Eouen), are not un- 

 common in continental churches ; but I am only 

 aware of one instance of an angular spiral oak 

 staircase inclosed within a traceried casing, which 

 is to be found in EnglisB churches. 



At Whitchurch, Hants, there is in the south- 

 west iimer angle of the tower a curious spiral 

 stair turret, leading to the belfry. The steps are 

 of solid oak, the soffites neatly worked ; they are 

 enclosed by an octangular casing of woodwork, 

 quaintly rebated together, and banded at certain 

 heights by an ornamental strongcourse ; each stage 

 thus separated is pierced by small couplet windows 

 and quatrefoils, where necessary to give light to 

 the stairs. The tower itself, and the stair turret, 

 have evidently been rebuilt. I should be glad to 

 be made acquainted with any other instances of 

 this kind. B. Ferret. 



Minav €i\ttxiti, 



Nokes the Actor. — Can any reader furnish me 

 with the date of the death, and place of burial, of 

 Nokes the actor, of Colley Cibber's time ? or in- 

 form me of any book, other than Cibber's Apology, 

 containing any particulars concerning him ? * 



W. D. 



Marine Vivarium, how to stock one. — As you 

 have before now admitted Queries from fern- 

 growers, pray have pity on one who would fain 

 have a marine vivarium. In Fraser's Magazine 

 for the present month is an admirable article, 

 " Periwinkles in Pound," by C. D. B. (I presume 

 the learned author of the Esculent Funguses of 

 England), in which the writer tells us where to 

 get our vivarium — how to supply it with an ar- 

 tificial sea- water — and then what inhabitants of 

 the vasty deep we may put into it. He is learned 



[* We have before us a cutting from a newspaper, 

 entitled " Memoirs of Mr. James Nokes, the celebrated 

 Comedian," which seems to be from the London Chronicle 

 of 1778, containing some few particulars respecting him 

 not noticed by Gibber. Among others it states that 

 " from Nokes's admirable talents of humour and story- 

 telling, he must have spent much of his time at the tables 

 of dissipation ; but he made the labours of his youth sub- 

 servient to the conveniences of old age, by retiring from 

 the stage with an estate of 400/. per annum, which he 

 purchased at Totteridge, near Barnet, and which he be- 

 queathed at his death to a nephew, who was his only 

 successor." It is probable that the registers of Totteridge 

 may furnish the date of his death. Nokes is not noticed 

 either in Chauncy's or Clutterbuck's Herlfordshire.'] 



and amusing in his Memoirs of a Mcenas ; in hia 

 description of the beauties of the sea-anemones — 

 and the chitons with their coats of mail — and ill 

 his picture of the activity of the gobies : — but 

 where can a Londoner procure these ? Will 

 C. D. B. (or some other qualified correspondent) 

 therefore kindly supply me with the information 

 which will render quite complete his description 

 of what Shakspeare was, I presume, referring to 

 when he wrote about 



« The vast globe itself, 

 And all that it inhabit ? " 



A CocKNET Naturalist. 



Suzerain. — Is this word used by our diplo- 

 matists in its proper sense ? Charles Butler tells 

 us (^Revolutions of the Germanic Empire, p. 62.) 

 that — 



" The king was called the Sovereign Lord, his immediate 

 vassal was called the Suzereign, and the tenant, holding 

 of him were called the arriere vassals." 



M — E. 



Arms of Bishops. — I should feel obliged by 

 any of your correspondents sending me the arms 

 of the following bishops: — Allen, Kaye, Corn- 

 wall, Wilson, Sparke, Turton, Majendie, Bethell, 

 Cleaver, Warren, Ewer, Otter, Buckner, Phil- 

 potts, Ross, Coneybeare, Gray, W. Lort Mansell, 

 Bulkeley, Butler (Hereford), Reynolds, and Hamp- 

 den. Mackenzie Waxcott, M.A. 



"TwitchiV'or"Quitchii:'—l shall be glad to 

 know the derivation of the word twitchil or quit- 

 chil, used in South Yorkshire synonymously with 

 passage or opening between houses or buildings. 

 Twi is substituted in the same district for qui, as 

 twill for quill, and twilt for quilt, &c. J. S. (3) 



Engraving of a Battle. - — I should feel obliged 

 to any of your readers who will give me some in- 

 formation respecting a print which I bought at an 

 auction about two years since. It is twenty-eight 

 inches long by fourteen wide, and represents a 

 field of battle (I think either Marengo or Auster- 

 litz). In the right centre is Napoleon, surrounded 

 by his staff, on horseback ; a general officer ia 

 riding up to him at full speed, bare-headed, his 

 right arm extended towards the field of action, 

 from whence he seems to come, and from his wrist 

 his sword hangs by the sword-knot. Immediately 

 behind him a hussar is leading the horse of an 

 Austrian oflacer, who appears to be a prisoner. 

 In the left-hand corner a mameluke is rising from 

 his horse, which has fallen, apparently wounded. 

 In the fore-ground are three dead soldiers, one 

 lying across a broken gun-carriage. There is no 

 name or date to the engraving. J. Coward. 



Daniel Timmins. — Over the geometrical stair- 

 case in St. Paul's, London, is painted, in moderate- 

 sized letters, *'3Dan. Timmins, 1782" (if I mistake 



