June 21. 1851.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



503 



Baldrock (Vol. iii., pp. 328. 435.).— Mr. Chad- 

 wick's quotations on this word are very opportune, 

 and useful by way of illustration, and for eluci- 

 dating the meaning of the word. 



I will endeavour to explain this part of bell 

 gear, and the purpose for which it was used. 



Baldrock (sic) is probably the patois of a locality 

 for bawd/'ick, which means a belt, or the leather 

 strap and other appurtenances of the tipper part of 

 the clapper, by which it was suspende<l from the 

 crown staple. In old hlack-letter bells (if one 

 may use the term) the upper part of the clapper 

 was shaped like a stirrup, through which a strap 

 of stout leather, often doubled, was passed ; but 

 between this and the staple a piece of hard wood 

 of like width was inserted, and fitted to work on 

 the round part of the crown staple. Through this 

 leather and wood an iron pin was passed ; and all 

 was fastened together, and kept stitF in place, by 

 a curiously cut piece of tough wood, called a hush- 

 hoard, one end of which was tied round the stem 

 of the clapper. I have seen many such. There 

 was one at Swanswich ne.\t Bath : but without a 

 sketch it is difficult to explain. I will enclose a 

 sketch, to be used at the Editor's discretion. 



A few years ago, I made the following extracts 

 from the very interesting accounts of the church- 

 wardens (guardians) of St. Ednuind's, Sarum. I 

 have no doubt that similar entries may be found 

 in all such old accounts, and I hope these may 

 induce other gentlemen to inquire for them. Un- 

 fortunately I did not copy the sums paid. 



" 1591. Layd out for a Bawdrope for the Great Bell, 5s. 

 For grafting of Bawdropes & finding Leather. 

 Making of a ' pinn' for the fourth Bell Bawd- 

 rope. 

 1588. Paide for Letlier to mend the Bawdiicke. 

 1572. Payd for a Bald Rybbe for the fourth Bell. 



(It occurs again for other bells. ^ 

 1552. Mendinge off tlie Bawdrycke off the greatt Bell. 

 1541. Payd for mendynge the wheles of the 3 Bells, 



and for Bawdrykes. 

 1524. Bawdderyke to the v. Bell. 

 1495. ■^ emendacione rote ejusdem Campane et ^ 



Bawdryke ejusdem Carapane. 

 1482. ^ tribus Bawdry kys. 

 1473. Bawdryke bought for the iiij Belle. 

 1469. Bawderyke. 

 Whyt Lethyr for the Bawdryke in the years of 

 Ed. Vi." 



II. T. Ellacombe. 



In a decree of the Court of Chancery of the year 

 1583 is the following passage : 



" It is alleged that a certain close .... in the parish 

 of Sinarden, in the County of Kent, now called and 

 known by the name of llo|)efield, was, long time 

 sitlience, given by one John of Hampden, to and for 

 the maintenance and finding of ro])es, hawdrieks, oil, 

 and leather, for the use of ringing of the bells in the 

 Steeple of the said parish church of Smardcn, &c., &c." 



James v. Woolton, 6 May, 1583. {Reg. Lib. B. 1582. 

 fo. 502.) 



Not understanding the word " bawdrick," I ap- 

 plied to Messrs. Mears, bell-founders. White- 

 chapel, who kindly gave me the following infor- 

 mation : 



" The bawdrick is the head of the clapper, or the 

 coupling by which it hangs on the staple inserted in 

 the crown of the bell. It is fitted on to the head of 

 the clapper, and a lining of leather is inserted to pre- 

 vent the creaking of the iron, when the end of the 

 clapper is oscillating Hence, no doubt, the Inti'oduc- 

 tion of 'leather' in the document referred to. The 

 word is still in use." 



Cecil Monro. 



Registrar's Office, Court of Chancery, June 14. 1851. 



The baldrick was a leather thong, or strap, 

 fastened with a buckle, for the purpose of sus- 

 pending the clapper inside the bell, both of which 

 had loops or eyes to receive it ; from its continual 

 wear, new baldricks were often required. I sub- 

 join a few extracts front the parish accounts of 

 St. Antlins, or St. Anthony, Budge Row, i-elating 

 thereto. 



1590. " Paide the smythe for making a new clapper 

 for the great bell, xs. 

 " Paide for a bawdrick for the great bell, 



\\s. vitZ. 

 " Paide for a buckdl for the same, vi(/. 

 " Paide for a baldrick fur the fift bell, \s. vliif/. 

 1594. " Paide for a new baicdricke for one of the 



bells the Crownacion dale, iis. 

 1578. " Paide for an eie for the great bell clapper, 

 vis. 

 " Item for a rope for the morning bell, 

 ijs. virf." 



I could adduce several other instances if re- 

 quired, but these may suffice. 



W. Chaffers, Jun. 



Catalogue of Norman Nobility (Vol. iii., p. 266.). 

 — Your correspondent Q. G. asked some weeks 

 ago where the catalogue of Norman nobility be- 

 fore the Conquest was to be found ? In the 

 Histories Normannorum, published in Paris in_1619, 

 at p. 1127., he will find the 



" Catalogus nobilium qui immediate pradia a Rege 

 con-iua^store tenuerunt." 



In this list occurs the name of Geri (Rogerius) 

 de Loges, whose lordship was in the district of 

 Coutances. At p. 1039. of the same work, we find 

 that Guarinus de Logis was feudal lord of certain 

 domains in the bailiwick of Falaise. In a roll of 

 all the Norman nobles, knights, and esquires who 

 went to the conquest of Jerusalem with Robert 

 Duke of Normandy in the first crusade, and 

 copied from an ancient MS. written on vellum, 

 found in the library of the cathedral of Bayeux, 

 entitled " Les anciennes histoires d'outremer," 



