Oct. 25. 1851.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



331 



(Ormerod's Chesh. i. 488.), it may be inferred that 

 the place went by the name of Grlmsditch prior 

 to the Norman Conquest. There can therefore be 

 but little duubt that the name is of Anglo-Saxon 

 origin. 



The present possessor of the property is Thomas 

 Grimsditch, Esq., late M.P. for the borough of 

 Macclesfield. 



The second Query of Nauticus applies to the 

 etymology of the word Grimsditch. 



This is a very difficult question to solve. Take 

 the first syllable : Grim, grime, dirt, sallying 

 blackness. 



" She sweats ; a man may go over shoes in the 

 grime of it." — Shakspeare. 



Then the word ditch : this is derived from bic 

 (Saxon), diik (Erse) ; but whatever may be the 

 true etymology of the word, it can scarcely be 

 doubted that it is of Anglo-Saxon origin. 



I may however add that there is a tradition in 

 the Grimsditch family of Cheshire, said to have 

 been handed down for many ages, as to the origin 

 of the name, to the following etfect : 



That in remote ages their first parents were 

 warriors ; that one of these warriors was attacked 

 by a griffin ; that a fierce contest ensued ; and that 

 the man was the conqueror of that fabulous bird 

 or beast, the battle-ground being a dyke or ditch. 



Hence, says the tradition, emanated the family 

 coat of arms, which are certainly very singular, 

 viz. Azure, a griffin or, about to tear, and ramping 

 upon, a wai'rior, completely armed in plate armour, 

 in beml dexter, across the lower part of the shield. 

 Crest, a Talbot. William Beaumont. 



In reply to your correspondent Nauticus, who 

 inquires whether there are any ancient entrench- 

 ments in England known by the name of Grims- 

 dyke, besides the one he mentions in Hants, I beg 

 to remind him that the Roman wall (or ditch and 

 rampart) executed between the Firths of Forth 

 and Clyde during the reign of the Emperor An- 

 toninus Pius, is popularly called by the above 

 name. To account for the name, it has been said 

 that it originated in the circumstance of a chieftain 

 of the name of Graham having been the first to 

 force his way through it ; but those who gave such 

 a derivation of the word could scarcely have been 

 aware that it bears this name in common with at 

 least two others, viz., that mentioned by Nauticus 

 as e.xisting at Great Berkhampstead, Ilants ; and 

 the other pointed out by W. S. G. as near Salis- 

 bury. L. D. L. 



Cagots (Vol. iv., p. 190.). — In reply to the in- 

 quiry of llusTicus, I rather imagine the Cagots 

 are the remains of the Faulician "Churches" of 

 Thoulouse Alhi and Cahors (Chnrhagensi.i) of 

 Maitlimil's AU/igonses and Waldemen, j). 4'28. ; 

 and that the Cretins are no other than credeiites 



(cf. Maitland passim), probably remnants of the 

 same body of heretics. Ajax. 



Is there any resemblance between them and 

 Cretins ? Are there any families or races of 

 Cretins ever heard of? C. B. 



The Serpent represented with a human Head 

 (Vol. iv., p. 191.). — I send you two instances of 

 the serpent being represented with a human head; 

 the first occurs in the Arundel MS. No. 23., in 

 this College, containing the genealogical descent 

 of King Edward IV., and apparently coeval with 

 that sovereign. The other is a beautifully ex- 

 ecuted sketch of Adam and Eve in a MS., also in 

 this College, of the time of Henry VII., at the 

 commencement of The Genealogy of the Saxon 

 Kings from Adam. They are both female heads, 

 the latter, however, being the entire bust. 



Thomas W. King (York Herald). 



College of Arms. 



In the stained glass of the east window in the 

 Lady Chapel, Wells Cathedral (temp. Edw. III.), 

 the serpent, which is entwined round a tree, and 

 holds an apple, has not only the head but the upper 

 half of a liuman figure. On a scroll is written in 

 uncial letters, " Si comederitis de ligno vitae eritis 

 sicut Dii scientis bonis et mails;" and in a straight 

 line below the subject, " Arbor cum Serpente." 



T. Wt. 



Fire Unhioivn (Vol. iv., pp. 209. 283.). — At the 

 time when Leibnitz wrote, curious references to 

 accounts of savages were not infrequent. All 

 your readers will remember Locke's reference to 

 some account of savages who had neither idea of 

 God nor of beini; superior to man. It may be that 

 narratives of tribes who did nof use fire, who lived 

 on dried flesh or fish, for instance, may have given 

 rise to an idea of their not knowing fire. I think 

 I remember to have seen it stated that some of the 

 savages of Australia did not know of fire. On 

 this, five-and-twenty years ago, I made a note 

 from I\Ir. Barron Field's Collection of Geographical 

 Memoirs of New South Wales. Two wrecked 

 Englishmen passed some time among the natives, 

 and found they had no knowledge that water 

 could be heated ; but the very story seems to show 

 that they knew of fire. On boiling some in a tin 

 pot, 



" The whole tribe gathered round them, and watched 

 the pot till it began to boil, when they all took to their 

 hei'ls, sliouting and screaming, nor could they be per- 

 suaded to return till they saw them pour the water out 

 and clean the pot, wlien they slowly ventured back 

 and carefully covered tlie place where the water was 

 spilt with sand." 



These two Englishmen were treated with great 

 attention by the natives, they were painted twice 

 a d;iy, and it was (juitc their own faults that they 

 (li<l not have their noses bored and their bodies 

 scarified. M. 



