380 



NOTES AND QUERIES. [2«* S. VI. H9.. Nov, 6. '58. 



be lost. Having occasion to believe that the statement 

 was not correct, I persevered in my inquiries, and at 

 length fortunately discovered the book in a tattered state 

 behind some old drawers in the Curate's back kitchen. 

 Again, at Farlington, near SherifF Button, the earliest 

 registers were believed and represented to be lost, until I 

 found their scattered leaves at the bottom of an old parish 

 chest which I observed in the church." 



Mr. Bruce adds that his friend Mr. Walbran 

 (of Ripon, who has long been engaged on a " His- 

 tory of the County of York," in continution of Dr. 

 Whitaker's) had assured him that — 



" Some time ago he found part of a parish register among 

 a quantity of waste paper in a cheesemonger's shop : and 

 that the registers of South Otterington, containing several 

 entries of the great families of Talbot, Herbert, and Fal- 

 conberg, were formerly kept in the cottage of the parish 

 clerk, who used all those preceding the eighteenth century 

 for waste paper, a considerable portion having been taken 

 to singe a goose." 



I would propose that the Society of Antiquaries 

 and the other archaeological societies, get up a pe- 

 tition to Parliament, to be signed by all who take 

 an interest in the preservation of these registers, 

 praying that a Committee be appointed to exa- 

 mine into the state of our parochial records, and 

 on the fensibility of transferring their custody to 

 the Master of the Rolls. My plan would be to 

 deposit the whole of the original registers in the 

 Record Office, Chancery Lane (where there would 

 be no danger of their destruction by fire or other- 

 wise) ; two authenticated copies of each being 

 made, one to be deposited in the respective 

 parishes, and the other for the inspection of the 

 public (under the like restrictions as affect other 

 public documents) at the Record Office. By this 

 means the originals, some of which will ill bear 

 much turning over, would be preserved intact. 



The question of compensation to the clergymen 

 would of course have to be considered ; but I 

 fancy the income derived from the inspection of 

 the early registers is very trifling. 



T. P. Langmead. 



Temple. 



[We willingly give inse'^tion to the suggestions of our 

 correspondents upon this subject, but do not hesitate to 

 confess that we have many misgivings as to the practica- 

 bility of what they propose. For instance: it is well 

 known to those who are in the habit of consulting the 

 Manuscript Collections in the British Museum, that the 

 greater part, if not the whole, of the volumes have — for 

 the sake of greater security — been recently re-foliod in 

 pencil ; thus doubling, and in some cases treblin;;, the 

 original pagination. The manuscript quoted by Mr. J. R. 

 Garstin (Harl. MS. 1437), affords, to a certain extent, 

 an example of the difficulty attending this mode of com- 

 munication. Our correspondent requests a copy of the 

 matter to be found at fo. 94. of the MS., but is not probably 

 nware that there are two pages bearing this number ; and 

 although it accidentally happens that the page bearing 

 the original number 94. is blank, nevertheless it is quite 

 certain that double folios, each having manuscript matter, 

 will oftener be found than otherwise, and that unless our 

 correspondents can devise some brief method of conve3'ing 

 the subject of their requirements, as well as the folio, a great 



expenditure of time must necessarily ensue. We would 

 suggest for the consideration of our numerous correspond- 

 ents upon this subject, whether a List of the Names and 

 Residences of Persons having the entree to Libraries, public 

 or otherwise, Record and other Offices, who are willing to 

 furnish extracts for a consideration, would not be a more 

 acceptable offering to the bulk of our readers ? — Ed.] 



SKtpIictf ta ^tn0r cauerta*. 



Caivood's Bible (2"* S. vi. 30.) — In your num- 

 ber for July 10th this year, I see the account by 

 P. H. F. of his 4to. Bible, and the reply by G. 

 Offor, Esq. I have a fine copy of Cawood's edi- 

 tion of 1561, which is Cranmer's version. My 

 copy is perfect, all but the first title and two 

 leaves in the Kalender, which are replaced by 

 good facsimiles. This edition contains, after the 

 title, a Prayer-Book of 30 leaves, which is in 

 the British Museum copy, and in mine also. I 

 think it would much interest P. H. F,, your 

 readers generally, and myself also, if G. Offor, 

 Esq., would kindly send for insertion a descrip- 

 tion of his title ; as the title, he informs P. H. F., 

 has on it 1561. The Museum copy and mine also 

 have the facsimile title executed by John Harris 

 for the Museum from a copy of this edition in 

 the library of a nobleman. I can describe it on a 

 future occasion, if needful ; but it is remarkable 

 as having on it 1560. The Almanack on the back 

 begins 1559. Such a description will no doubt 

 throw some light on the titles, why they differ. I 

 think it so very desirable that the individuality of 

 each edition should be preserved, and where not 

 accurately known, that it should be discovered if 

 possible. I have spent much time in unravelling 

 mixed editions. Fkancis Fry, 



Cotham, Bristol. 



Murder in France (2"^ S. vi. 147.) — The fol- 

 lowing statement appeared in the Figaro of Au- 

 gust 11, 1854, It is signed "B. Jouvin" — 



" En 1843, un agent d'assurances, le nomme Monthly, 

 assassinait dans une chambre de I'hotel de I'Europe, h, 

 Orleans, un de ses anciens camarades de regiment, Boisse- 

 lier, gar(;on de recettes h. la banque d'Orleans, le coupait 

 en morceaux et renfermait dans une malle qu'il d^posait 

 aux messageries du midi, les de'bris mutills de sa vic- 

 time. 



"Re'dacteur Ha Journal d'Orleans a cette ^poque, j'obting 

 I'autorisation, quand le crime fut de'couvert et I'assassin 

 arrete, de visiter Monthly dans son cachot. Je tenais k 

 ^claircir un point physiologique assez capital. 



" Au moment ou il depe9ait Boisselier, I'assassin chan- 

 tait la romance de Mile. Louisa Paget, qui a pour refrain ; 



" ' Adieu, mon fils, adieu, 

 A la grace de Dieu ! ' 



" Or, il m'importait de savoir quel ^tait le mobile de 

 cette profanation, odieuse meme h cot^ de I'^normite du 

 crime. Mais h toutes mes questions, Monthly opposa un 

 farouche silence, et, aprfes dix minutes de cette situation 

 embarrassante, force me fut de quitter la place, regrettant 



