BASSANO'S CHURCH NOTES. 57 



all because King Uavid of Scotland refused to marry ilie young 

 Queen." 



Evidently he had a love for the gentle craft. He writes — " A 

 little distance southward from Chapel-le-Frith are a few houses, or 

 village, called Blackbrook, by which runs a little brook called 

 Blackbrook water, which affords plenty of trout (considering the 

 scarceness of the rivulet), that in season trouts are usually sold at 

 Chapel-le-Frith for twopence per pound. The spring head of the 

 rivulet is within two miles of this place, and near to the Vill is a 

 common of pasture called Blake Well pasture." 



This is his description of a scene near Glossop — " At Hayfield 

 is a stone bridge over the river or Kinder Skowt water. The head 

 of this small river is from a spring upon the top of Kinder Skowt 

 Hill ; part goes west to Stokport and thence to the Irish Sea, the 

 other part falls into the Darwent. When it is a stormy south-west 

 wind, it blows up the water with that force that it falls perpen- 

 dicularly down the rocks and crags, that it seems like a thick 

 smoke for more than a quarter of a mile." 



In the same handwriting, on the back of one of the papers, is 

 written the following petition, which tells its own tale, and proves 

 the identity of the writer : — 



" To the Right Worshipful and Honourable the Justices of the 

 Peace for the County of Derby, and in this General Quarter 

 Sessions, especially held the 17th Apl., Anno 1705. 



" Gentlemen, I humbly beg the acceptance of this to your vies 

 and yr candours in answering my petition. Gentlemen, it is very 

 lately since 1 have been informed that the High Constable for the 

 hundred of Scarsdale proposes to leave oft" that piece of county 

 service, and if you think me a fit man, and yt you will be pleased 

 to accept o' me unto yt business (my present circumstances are 

 known to you all, and that it will give a support to your unfortu- 

 nate countryman), and will execute the office with all possible care 

 and trust, and ready to give my accounts when and as often as 

 required, and I hope (if it be required) may give security for the 

 management of yt trust, and no person more thankful than myself 

 shall be for it ; and further I will be very tractable and ready to 



