54 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2"d S. IX. Jan. 21. '60. 



Campbellton, Argtleshire (2 nd S. viii. 380.) 

 — I purchased at a book sale in Edinburgh, nearly 

 two years ago, a work entitled Views of Camp- 

 bellton and Neighbourhood, published by Win. 

 Smith, junr., Lithographer, Edinburgh (43 pp. 

 la. fol.) It contains nearly a dozen views, among 

 which there is one of the " Main Street of Camp- 

 bellton" with the ancient cross which Cdthbebt 

 Bede mentions. In the printed description which 

 accompanies the views the cross is thus alluded 

 to: — 



" The Cross, which stands in the centre of the street, is 

 a very handsome pillar of granite, and is richly orna- 

 mented with sculptured foliage. It bears on one side 

 this inscription : ' H»c : est : crux : Domini : Yvari : M : K : 

 Eachyrna : quondam Rectoris : de Kyregan : et Domini : 

 Andre nati : ejus : Rectoris : de Kilcoman : qui banc 

 crucem fieri faciebat.' 



" Gordon (by report only) mentions this as a Danish 

 obelisk, but does not venture its description, as he never 

 saw it. The tradition of the town, however, is, that it 

 was brought Xtim Iona, and we are inclined to be of the 

 same opinion, although it has been stated in a lately pub- 

 lished work that this tradition is improbable, from the 

 circumstances of its being likely that the x was not re- 

 moved far from where it was originally placed ; as also 

 that the name Kyregan, of which M'Eachran was rector, 

 sounding something like Kilkerran and Kilcoman, of 

 which Mr. Andrew was rector, being similar to Kilcoivin, 

 an ancient parish now joined to that of Campbellton. This 

 kind of derivation certainly bears some ingenuity, if not 

 probability. Yet when one considers the intercourse 

 which existed between Kintyre and the island of Iona 

 for such a length of time, as is proved from the inti- 

 macy existing between St. Columba and St. Ciaran 

 during the whole of their lives, as also the fact of there 

 being many Ionian crosses of undisputed origin dis- 

 tributed throughout the country and found in places 

 much more unlikely than Campbellton, connected with 

 the description of the stone, the nature of the sculpture, 

 and the tradition of the country, he is naturally led to 

 conclude that the cross was actually brought from Iona. 

 However, come from where it might, it is a great orna- 

 ment to the town. There also a public well of pure spring 

 water issues from a fountain in the cross. The Kintyre 

 Club has adopted the figure of this x as one of its distin- 

 guishing badges." 



Referring to my copy of Pennant's Tour, 1772, 

 IJ find that the first paragraph of the above is 

 taken from his work. 



If Cuthbert Bede desires to get a copy of 

 the views and letter-press, I will be glad to part 

 with my copy at the price it cost me. J. N. 



Inverness. 



The Book op Hy-Mant (2 nd S. viii. 512.) - 

 Mr. Kelly asks, " Can any of your correspon- 

 dents inform" him " in whose custody this doubt- 

 less highly curious ancient MS. is at the present 

 time?" The Leabhar Hy Maine, or the Book of 

 the O'Kellys, was among the Stowe MSS. These 

 were all bought by the present Earl of Ashburn- 

 ham, who no doubt is the actual owner. In the 

 Tratisactions of the Tberno- Celtic Society, torn. i. 

 part i. p. cxxi., may be seen a lengthened descrip- 

 tion of its contents. .C. 



Round about our Coal Fire (2 nd S. viii. 481.) 

 — Inferring from Dr. Rimbatjlt's article on this 

 subject, that he has not seen the first, second, and 

 third editions of this tract, I beg to say that I 

 possess the latter, which is, however, without 

 date. It contains, moreover, a sheet less than 

 Dr. Rimbault's edition, and differs too as to the 

 title-page, which being shorter, and character- 

 istic in its way, I venture to transcribe : — 



"Round about our Coal- Fire : or Christmas Entertain- 

 ments, containing Christmas Gambols, Tropes, Figures, 

 &c. with Abundance of Fiddle-Faddle-Stuff ; such as 

 Stories of Fairies, Ghosts, Hobgoblins, Witches, Bull- 

 beggars, Raw-heads and Blood3 - -Bones, Merry Plays, &c. 

 for the Diversion of Company in a Cold Winter-Evening, 

 besides several curious Pieces relating to the History of 

 Old Father Christmas ; setting forth what Hospitality has 

 been, and what it is now. Very proper to be read in all 

 Families. Adorned with man}' curious Cuts. The Third 

 Edition. London. Printed for J. Roberts in Warwick- 

 Lane, and sold by the Booksellers in Town and Countrv. 

 Price Is." Pp. 48. 



The cut. of the " Hobgoblin Society " is face- 

 tiously described as being " from an original 

 painting of Salvator Rosa," and the following 

 one, of " Witches at an Assembly," as " from a 

 Capital Piece by Albert Durer, as supposed by 

 the hardness of the drawing." There is no Pro- 

 logue in my copy, but an excellent Epilogue, 

 which, however, as Dr. Rimbault promises to 

 return to the subject, I leave to his discretion. A 

 copy, bearing the same title as mine, and also 

 without date, was sold for seventeen shillings at 

 Mr. HalliweH's sale of his Shakspearian collections 

 in May, 1856. William Bates. 



Dickson of Berwickshire (2 nd S. viii. 398.) — 

 I am unable to give D. any information as to the 

 Dicksous of Brightrig, but I am quite certain 

 that the family of Belchester is not extinct. The 

 late George Dickson, Esq., of that place, who died 

 some few years ago, was married, and left issue 

 one son and a daughter ; the former is now an 

 officer in the army. Chathodunus. 



Nathaniel Fairclough (2 nd S. viii. 398.) — In 

 answer to the request of Messrs. C. II. & 

 Thompson Cooper for farther information re- 

 specting this gentleman, I beg to say that in The 

 History and Antiquities of Lambeth, by John 

 Tanswell, of the Inner Temple, 8vo. Lond. 1857, 

 p. 136., is an account of " Daniel Featlye, Feat- 

 ley, or Fairclough, D.D." It states, inter alia, 

 that he. was 



" Presented to this living [St. Mary's, Lambeth] on 

 February 6, 1618. He was the son of John Featley, by 

 Marian Thrift his wife, and was born on the loth March, 

 1582, at Charlton-upon-Otmore, near Oxford, but was 

 descended from a Lancashire family named Fairclough, 

 which he changed to Featley, to the great displeasure of 

 his nephew, who wrote an account of his life." 



Nathaniel Fairclough was probably the nephew 

 here referred to. T. P. L. 



