56 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 65. 



beicitcked into the stable through a loophole twelve 

 inches by three ; the fact he said was beyond doubt, 

 for he had looked tlie stcable-dooi- himself when the 

 hoi-se was in the field, and had kept the key in his 

 pocket. Soon after this, however, a party of 

 farmers went through a process known by the 

 name of " burning the witch out" or " killing the 

 luitch" as some express it ; the person suspected 

 soon died, and the neighbourhood became free 

 from his evil doings. 



8. A horse-shoe is still nailed behind many doors 

 to counteract the effects of witchcraft : a hag- 

 stone with a hole through, tied to the key of the 

 stable-door, protects the horses, and, if hung up 

 at the bed's head, the farmer also. 



9. A hot iron put into the cream during the 

 process of churning, expels the witcli from the 

 churn ; and dough in preparation for the baker is 

 protected by being marked with the figure of a 

 cross. 



10. Warts are cured by being rubbed over with 

 a black snail, but the snail must afterwards be im- 

 paled upon a hawthorn. If a bag containing as 

 many small jjcbbles as a person has warts, be tossed 

 over the left shoulder, it will transfer the warts 

 to whoever is unfortunate enough to pick up the 

 bag. 



11. If black snails are seized by the horn and 

 tossed over the left shoulder, the process will in- 

 sure good luck to the person who performs it. 



12. Profuse bleeding is said to be instantly 

 6to}>ped by certain persons who pretend to possess 

 the secret of a certain form of words which imme- 

 diately .act as a charm. 



13. The power of bewitching, producing evil to 

 parties by wishing it, &c., is supposed to be trans- 

 mitted from one possessor to another when one of 

 the parties is about to die. The writer is in 

 possession of full particulars respecting this sup- 

 posed transfer. 



14. Cramp is effectually prevented by placing 

 the shoes with the toes just peeping from beneath 

 the coverlet : the same is also prevented by tying 

 the garter round the left leg below the knee. 



15. Charmed rings are worn by many for the 

 cure of dyspepsia ; and so also are charmed belts 

 for the cure of rheumatism. 



16. A red-haired person is supposed to bring in 

 ill-luck if he be the first to enter a house on New 

 Year's Day. Black-haired persons are rewarded 

 with liquor and small gratuities fur "taking in the 

 new year " to the principal houses in their re- 

 spective neighbourhoods. 



17. If any householder's fire does not burn 

 through the night of New Year's Eve, it betokens 

 bad luck during the ensuing year ; and if any 

 party allow another a live coal, or even a lighted 

 candle, on such an occasion, the bad luck is ex- 

 tended to the other party tor commiserating with 

 the former in his misfortunes. 



Many other specimens of the folk lore of this 

 district might be enumerated ; but since many 

 here have implicit faith in Lover's expression, — 

 " There is luck in odd numbers ;" 



I will reserve them for a future opportunity, con- 

 sidering that seventeen paragraphs are sufficient to 

 satisfy all except the most thorough-paced _/b/A- 

 lorians. T. T. VVii-kinson. 



Burnley, Lancashire. 



Proclamation of Langholme Fair. — In an old 

 paper I find the fijllowing proclamation of a fair, 

 to be held in a town in Scotland ; it nuty, perhaps, 

 amuse some of your numerous readers : — 



" O yes ! and that's a time. O yes ! and that's twa 

 times. O yes ! and that's the third and last time : 

 All manner of pearson or pearsons whatscever let 'em 

 draw near, and I shall let you ken that there is a fair 

 to be held at the miickle town of Langholme, for the 

 space of aught days; wherein if any hu>trin, custrin, 

 land-louper, dukes-couper, or gaiig-y-gate swinger, 

 shall breed any urdam, durdam, brabblement, or squab- 

 blement, he shall have his lugs tacked to the muckle 

 trone, with a nail of twal-a-penny, until he down of his 

 hobshaiiks and up with his muckle doubs, and pray to 

 heaven neen times, God bless the king, and thrice the 

 nmckle Lord of Helton, pay a groat to me Jamuiey 

 Ferguson, bailiff of tlie aforesaid manor. So ye heard 

 my proclamation, and I'll haam to dinner." 



Perhaps some of your correspondents north of 

 the Tweed can give the meaning (if there be any) 

 of a few of the choice expressions contained iu 

 this document. Monkbarns. 



Seats in Churches. — The following curious no- 

 tice of seats in churches occurs in Thompson's 

 History of Sivine ; which is quoted by him from 

 VVhitaker's Whalley, 2nd edit. 4to. p. 228.: — 



" My man Shuttleworth, of Harking, made this form, 

 and here will 1 sit when 1 come ; and my cousin 

 Nowell may make one behind me, if he please, and 

 my son Sherlmrne shall make one on the other side ; 

 and Mr. Catteral another behind him ; and for the 

 residue the use shall be, Jirft comejirsl speed ; and that 

 wilt make t/ie proud wiles of Whalley rise betimes to come 

 to church." 



Which seems to convey the idea, that it was at 

 that time customary for persons to make their 

 seats in the churches. Query, A\ hen did pews come 

 into general use? R. W. E. 



Hull. 



[The earliest notice of pews occurs in the Vision of 

 Piers Plouman, p. 95., edit. 1813 : — 



*' Among wyves and wndewes ich am ywoned ?ute 

 Yparroked in pnwes. The person hit knoweth." 



See also The History of Pews, a paper read before 

 the Cambridge Camden Society, 1841.]^ 



