438 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2-a S. IX. June 9. 'CO. 



Christ which Pilate wrote" (ed. 1860, p. 18.)- Un- 

 fortunately nothing is said of the inscription. In 

 Kitto's Cyclopcedia (vol. i. p. 196.) there is a sketch 

 of the relic, which exhibits some morsels of the 

 Hebrew letters, the word svovepa^aN written back- 

 wards, with a part of the next letter in Greek, and 

 the letters "nazarenvs ke " in Latin, also in- 

 verted in form and order. It will be observed 

 that the word Najapei'oi/y is mispelt, having e for 7j, 

 and ovs for os — a very ugly blunder. I also ob- 

 serve that the inscription has lost less than it had 

 in 1630, when Severano said only the Latin word 

 "nazarenvs" remained, &c, as above. Nor does 

 he say one word about the letters of the title being 

 read backwards, and his silence on this point is 

 preceded by that of Soarez, the author he quotes. 

 The writer in Kitto quotes Nicetus (Titulus S. 

 Cruets) : when did he write ? But the question 

 is, what actually remains of the inscription on the 

 title preserved in the church of S. Croce at 

 Rome ? B. H. C. 



MILITARY CENTENARIANS. 



In continuation of your records of the " Sur- 

 vivors of England's great Battles," I send you a 

 roll of old soldiers whose names are omitted in 

 the list given in your Choice Notes (History), 

 pp. 170—177.; and in "N. & Q.," 2 nd S. v. 513. 

 et seq. 



These names I have had for some time among 

 my memoranda for another purpose ; but I now 

 send them to you, regarding "N. & Q." as the 

 fittest place for preserving them. Where a line 

 only disposes of the venerable combatant, it arises 

 from the absence of particularisation in the usual 

 sources of information ; but where enlargement 

 occurs, the known incidents of each career only 

 are given, dispensing with the reflections which 

 sometimes were indulged in by the authorities 

 from whom the subjoined list is made up : — 



John Effingham, was born at Penryn, and died there 

 February, 1757, aged 144. In fbe revolution of James II., 

 he was pressed, and served under Lord Feversham, then 

 Commander-in-Chief. On William III. making his de- 

 scent, he fought under Schomberg at the Boyne, his in- 

 trepidity in action there gaining him the rank of corporal. 

 Under Marlborough, he was at the battle of Blenheim, 

 and lost an eye and most of his teeth by the bursting of 

 a musket. In the reign of Geo. I. he was discharged, and 

 returning to Penryn worked as a labourer. For the last 

 thirty years of his life he was supported by the gentry. 

 When young, he never drank spirituous liquors; when 

 old, he left his bed throughout the year before six, and, 

 walking to a near field, cut a sod, and sniffed at the 

 newly-turned earth for some time. He used constant 

 exercise, seldom ate meat, and walked ten miles about a 

 week before his death. {Pub. Adv., Feb. 18, 17,o7.) 



James Maedonald, died near Cork, August 1760, aged 

 117. His height was 7 feet 6 inches. In early life he 

 was shown for profit ; but not liking the confinement 

 which it necessitated, enlisted as a Grenadier in 1685, 

 and served in that rank till the breaking out of the re- 



bellion. In 1716 he returned to his native country, where 

 he toiled as a labourer till within three years of his de- 

 cease. When in health he could eat four pounds of solid ' 

 meat at a meal, and drink in proportion strong liquor 

 without feeling its effects. His limbs were prodigious. 

 A lady's bracelet might have served one of his enormous 

 fingers for a ring. {Pub. Adv., Sept. 3, 1760.) 



John Craig, died at Kilmarnock, May, 1793, aged 111. 

 He served in the North British Dragoons, and was at the 

 battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715. He was never married, 

 never had any sickness, and worked as a labourer till 

 within a few days of his decease. {Europ. Mag., 1793, 

 vol. xxiii. p. 400.) 



John Durham, died at Sunneside, Durham, March, 1796, 

 aged 101. He had been in the armv, and mounted guard 

 at White Hall in 1714. {Ibid., 1796, vol. xxix. p. 214.) 



John Hastie, died at Edinburgh about August, 1798, 

 aged 100. He was fifty years in the service, and fought 

 at Sheriffmuir in 1715. From Chelsea Hospital he re- 

 ceived a pension till the day of his death. {Ibid., 1798, 

 vol. xxxiv. p. 143.) 



John Nesbit, died at Dunge in Scotland, about Sept. 

 1800, aged 107. He served at the siege of Bergen-op- 

 zoom in 1747, where, being run through the body with a 

 bayonet, he was discharged. Till the day of his death he 

 almost supported himself by his own industry. {Ibid., 

 1800, vol. xxxviii. p. 317.) 



Abraham Moss, a pensioner, died at Chelsea Hospital 

 2nd August, 1805, aged 106. {Ibid., 1805, vol. xlviii. 

 p. 238.) 



Robert Su-ifield, a pensioner, died at Chelsea Hospital, 

 30th August, 1805, aged 105. {Ibid., 1805, vol. xlviii. 

 p. 238.) 



James Lack, died at Hackney, Oct. 31. 1807, aged 105. 

 During the reigns of Geo. I. and II. be fought in the 

 German wars. He was also at the siege of Quebec, and 

 attended Wolfe in his last moments. Thougli lie took 

 part in fifteen general actions and twenty-five skirmishes, 

 he was never wounded ; and, as the old man boasted, 

 never turned his back to the enemy. (" Ann. of Brit. 

 Army," in U. Ser. Jouru., vol. iii., 1833, p. 572.) 



John Stewart, died at Aberfeldie in 1808, aged 111. He 

 was familiarly called Colonel Stewart. At the age of 

 eighteen he joined the Pretender, and was present at 

 Sheriffmuir in 1715. In 1745, he again joined the stan- 

 dard of the Stuart, and fought at Falkirk and Preston 

 Pans. At Culloden he was severely wounded in the 

 thigh, which obliged him to use crutches. He had eight 

 wives ; by all of whom, except the last, he had several 

 children. Though a tinker \>y trade, he was famed for 

 making Highland dirks and snuff-mulls. Sir William 

 Forbes, cf Edinburgh, allowed him for many years a pen- 

 sion of 10?. per annum. Whiskey, of which he was fond 

 and drank to excess, it is believed, shortened his days. 

 {Europ. Mag., 1818, vol. liv. p. 321.) 



John Cow'ie, died at Crimond 27th Feb. 1811, aged 108. 

 In his youth he enlisted into the army, and after some 

 war service was discharged as worn out in 1739. In 

 1745 he was in arms again, and present at Culloden. 

 When somewhat above seventy he married, and his wife 

 having brought him some money, he resigned the office 

 he then filled of parish bellman. At the death of his 

 successor, who held the post for twenty-five 3 r ears, he 

 applied to be reappointed to the office, and was accord- 

 ingly reinstated, discharging its duties till within a few 

 days before his demise. {Aberdeen Journal, Feb. 1811.) 



Daniel McRinnon, died at Falkirk, 2nd April, 1813, in 

 his 103rd year. On the 10th May, 1710, he was born in 

 the Isle of Skye, and passed his early life in the army; 

 during which he was at Dettingen and Fontenov, being 

 wounded in the latter. The last fifteen jears of his life he 

 was maintained by charity. He was thrice married ; and 



