gud §, No 17., Arrit 26. *55.] 
NOTES AND QU:RIES. 
335 
Horsetalk.—-I am desirous, for an antiquarian 
purpose, to be made acquainted with the different 
terms used by carters and waggoners, coachmen 
and postilions in all parts of England, Scotland, 
Treland, France, and Germany, to excite or stay 
their horses, or to bring them to the near or to 
the offside of the road; and as many of them are 
couched in an obscure vernacular, I shall feel 
obliged to any of your correspondents who may 
fayour this request with their notice and atten- 
tion, if they will, at the same time, give a trans- 
lation into the vulgar tongue of the times they 
record, and a statement of what the horse is ex- 
pected to do on receiving the word of command : 
such as, “Gee wo,” or “Gee wut.” This, to 
many of your correspondents, may seem a very 
trifling inquiry, and one not worthy of the pages 
of “N. & Q.;” but I can assure them, that, at 
least in my opinion, it involves an etymological 
question of considerable interest to students of the 
legal and constitutional history of England, as I 
hope to be able to show in your pages hereafter. 
J. XK. 
Wandsworth, Surrey. 
A[p]pollos Decker. — An oval portrait, beauti- 
fully worked in floss-silk, represents a man attired 
in what I take to be legal costume, crowned with 
a wreath of olive; standing, with a castle in the 
background. The portrait is edged with what 
has been gilt leather, bound in with silver cord ; 
and bears, in a bold hand, these lines : 
“ A[p ]pollos Decker heare you see, 
In witt and grace appeares to thee. 
SG? 
Who was this man ? Cuares Reep. 
Paternoster Row. 
Hunt of St. Allan's, Herts. —Can any reader of 
“N. & Q.,” in that neighbourhood, give me any 
information about one Hunt, who, in or 
about the year 1770, is believed to have been the 
host of the ‘ Woolpack” Inn in the abbey parish 
of that town? Iam anxious, if possible, to trace 
the parentage of himself and his wife (name un- 
known). He had a daughter Mary (married in 
1773), and a sister or sister-in-law bearing the 
not very common name of Bethia, There was 
also a William in the family at that time. “ Jo- 
hannes Hunt, Bibliopola,” died March 6, 1722, 
and was buried in the abbey (Clutterbuck’s 
Herts). Jam told that no parish-registers exist 
prior to 1743. Harry Leroy Temp xe. 
Campbell of Glenurchy.— Where can I find a 
full pedigree of this family, giving the descent of 
the Monzie branch ? 
2. In Burke’s Landed Gentry, I find mention 
made of a “ History of the Name of Campbell, by 
Mr. James Duncanson, of Inyerary, in 1777.” 
Where is this MS. preserved, Siema Tuera, 
“ Merrie” England.—I should be glad to know 
when the epithet “‘merrie,” in its present sense, 
was first applied to “old England?” The word 
originally did not mean cheerful, joyous, gay, §c., 
but famous; being descended from the Anglo- 
Saxon word Mere, excellent, illustrious. 
Epwarp F. Rimeavtr. 
“Starboard,” “ Larboard,” “ Port.”—W hat is the 
origin of “starboard” and “larboard,” as used on 
board ship ? and why was “ port” substituted for 
larboard? I mean the origin of the word port. 
I am aware of why it was substituted. G. A.J. 
Peerage Query.—I wish much some of your 
correspondents could answer me this same knotty 
point. A very old and high title was forfeited in 
the year 1435, but was restored to the legal ye- 
presentative of that family in 1605; and about 
150 years after became dormant. There are, 
however, legal descendants of the families. Who 
then is the lawful claimant, the nearest of kin to 
the original family, or the nearest of kin to the 
restored branch ? divi ts 
Registers of Birth in Scotland. — Which is the 
best place to go to find the registers of births, &c., 
in Scotland? and to how many years back can 
one find such records ? Rae 
Holly for Fences.—In Batty Langley’s Sure 
Method of Improving Estates, §c., he says : 
“T had almost forgot the. plain or green holly, that 
makes an admirable good fence (but slowly) in very dry 
and poor lands, where the others will not grow.” 
But he does not treat on the time and manner of 
planting. Having seen some fences planted with 
holly, which did not grow, will any reader oblige 
an original and constant subscriber by saying the 
best month and manner for planting such a fence ? 
Wak. & 
The Bear and Ragged Staff.— Being at War- 
wick about three years ago, I (as all strangers 
who admire the beautiful ought to do) went to 
see St. Mary’s Church and the Beauchamp Chapel. 
The verger, who showed the plage, informed me 
that the bear, who supports the staff, was origi- 
nally borne unmuzzled ; but that one of the Earls 
of Warwick having in a fit of passion struck King 
John, a muzzle was placed on his bear, where it 
was to remain for 600 years. He added, that the 
period being now expired, the present Karl of 
Warwick uses the bear in its original state. 
Whether this is true or not, I leave your corre- 
spondents to judge; but I may remark, en passant, 
that a seal of Richard, Earl of Warwick (the 
celebrated king-maker), appended to a letter, 
dated circa 1460, has the bear without a muzzle 
(see it engraved in Fenn’s Original Letters, vol. ii. 
l. xiv.). 
: A somewhat similar legend is related of the 
