21 
There is yet another means of obtaining light, viz: by the 
beautiful static electric torch for lighting gas which produces 
frictional electricity by pressing a button with a spring. 
In conclusion, as an evidence of the importance to man of the 
modern means of quickly getting a light, it may be mentioned 
that it is calculated that about 6 to 10 matches a day are used 
by every European, and that the total annual make of the 
World exceeds half-a-billion, that is five hundred thousand 
million of matches, 500,000,000,000. «These if put end to end 
would stretch twenty million of miles, and go eight hundred 
times round the earth at the equator and form a path seven or 
eight feet wide. 
LIFE IN AN OLD NORTH-LANCASHIRE 
COUNTRY HOUSE IN THE SIXTEENTH AND 
SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES. 
BY TOM C. SMITH, F.R.H.S., Jan. 27th, 1891. 
The essayist took as his subject the old Elizabethan house, 
known as Hesketh End in Chipping, which is situated at the 
farthest north-eastern boundary ot the County Palatine. The 
historian of Whalley had unjustly termed it. uninteresting and 
obscure. It was, however, in the opinion of the essayist, the 
most interesting building, apart from the churches, for many miles 
round. Within and without this old structure were Latin 
inscriptions, one of which, running round a dado, was a curious 
record of the bringing of Brutus to London, the conquering of 
England by Cesar, the Saxons, and the Danes, the battle of 
Flodden, and the “Reception of the faith.” ‘‘ Fear God, 
honour the king, love thy neighbour ; this do and live for ever,”’ 
was the translation of another of these interesting records. 
The essayist then entered into an examination as to the time of 
erection and probable ownership of Hesketh End, and inclined 
to the opinion that the Alston’s were preceded by the Hesketh’s, 
who were staunch Catholics. It was not at all unusual for 
residents at that time to build their houses after the style of 
churches, go far as the Gothic character of the architecture was 
concerned. This might account for the presence of the curious 
inscriptions, but on the other hand the stones might have been 
brought from some church or chapel in the neighbourhood. 
The essayist went on to treat of the manners and customs of 
what he termed the epoch-making period from 1560 to 1680. 
