26 MUSEUMS. 



the Leaf of an Ivory Diptych aud Bronze Figure of Apollo, from Aries, 

 France, to Professor Veuturi, Rome. 



(c) Acquisitions. 

 (1.) — General. 



" Monumentos del Arte Mexicana Antiguo," por el Dr. Antonio 

 Penafiel ; presented by the Mexican Government, per Senor Francisco del 

 Paso y Troncoso, Director of the National Museum, Mexico, (deposited 

 in the Free Library). 



Regalia, MiuuteBooks, &c.,of the Mock Corporation atSephton(Sefton), 

 near Liverpool ; presented by Mrs. Cobham. 



Mock Corporations in the history of this country are by no means 

 uncommon. That at Newcastle-under-Lyne originated in the deter- 

 mination of the pe )ple not to be defrauded by the Corporate body of an 

 ancient right to annually elect a Mayor in accordance with a charter 

 granted by Henry II. The election of Mock Mayors at Newcastle-under- 

 Lyne was continued as late as 1833. 



The Mock Corporation at Walton-le-Dale, near Preston, was established 

 in 1701. This was, however, at first a Jacobite Club, afterwards used for 

 political purposes under the designation of " The Mayor and Corporation 

 of the Ancient Borough of Walton," and continued to exist as a Mock 

 Corporation until 1800. 



The Mock Corporation of Sephton, near Liverpool, differed from the 

 last named in its constitution, which was of a purely social character. It 

 appears to have been established by Liverpool gentlemen, merchants, and 

 others, for the purpose of social intercourse with one another on the 

 Sabbath Day. As its records shew, it was the custom of the members 

 to attend church twice a day ; but why they selected Sephton does not 

 appear from the records. That the pleasures of the table formed no slight 

 attraction, is evidenced from the repeated adjournments that took place 

 to " Nelly Barker's " at the " Punch Bowl Inn," adjoining the Church. 



The earliest date in connection with the origin of this Mock Corporation 

 is upon the Mace, " The gift of £. Cust, Esq., a. dom. 1761." After this 

 date there is no account of the Corporation till 1771, when the existing 

 records begin. These are contained in two volumes of unequal size, the 

 first of which commences with the year 1771, and extends to the year 1786. 

 It appears that from 1771 to 1783 the meetings of the Corporation were 



