HANDFASTING 



HANGAR 



totally blind, and died April 14, 

 1759. Handel's many operas are 

 now known only by name, and by 

 a few isolated songs. On the other 

 hand, his finest oratorios are uni- 

 versal favourites. The grandeur of 

 their great, choruses, considering the 

 simplicity of the musical material 

 upon which they are built, still re- 

 main unequalled. See Handel, W. 

 S. Rockstrow, 1883 ; Handel and his 

 Orbit. P. Robinson, 1908; Handel, 

 11. A. Streatfield, 1909. 



Handfasting. Form of provi- 

 sional marriage formerly prevalent 

 in Scotland, so called because the 

 couple exchanged vows holding 

 hands. They "were then legally 

 entitled to live together as man and 

 wife for a year and a day, after 

 which period they could either 

 part or be married permanently. 

 The child of a couple who parted 

 was supported by the parent who 

 severed the union. Handfasting 

 was also the old English name for 

 betrothal. See Marriage. 



Hand-grenade. One of the older 

 weapons of warfare. Hand-grenades 

 were used as early as the first half of 

 the 16th century, and at that period 

 were probably earthenware cases 

 filled with gunpowder. It is said that 

 they were used with considerable 

 effect at the siege of Aries in 1536. 



The use of this weapon appears 

 to have considerably diminished 

 during the Napoleonic' wars, but did 

 did not entirely cease, as it was 

 used at Saragossa (1808-9), Ant- 

 werp (1832), Sevastopol (1854-56), 

 and by British troops in the Sudan 

 (1884-86). It did not attain a posi- 

 tion of any importance after about 

 1790, however, until the Russo- 

 Japanese War, when it was again 

 used with great effect. During the 

 Great War, when trench fighting 

 became such a marked feature, the 

 hand-grenade had a great revival. 



A hand-grenade can usually be 

 thrown to a distance of about 50 

 yards, and should not, therefore, 

 have an explosive effect over a 

 greater radius than 30 yards. The 

 provision of a suitable fuse is a 

 matter of difficulty. A percussion 

 fuse may detonate the grenade if 

 the thrower accidentally strikes the 

 rear of the trench in swinging, and 

 a time fuse if too long enables the 

 enemy to throw the missile back, 

 while if the fuse is short the 

 grenade explodes either harmlessly 

 in the air or amongst the throwers. 

 Sf.e Ammunition ; Bomb ; Explo- 

 sives ; Grenade; Grenadier; Rifle 

 Grenade ; Stokes Gun. 



Handicap. In sporting con- 

 tests, term denoting the bringing 

 together, by means of penalties and 

 allowances, the various compe- 

 titors in such a manner as to afford 

 an equal chance to each. In foot- 



Hand - in - Hand 

 Insurance Co.'s 

 fire-mark,or plate 

 affixed to insured 

 premises 



racing, billiards, etc., this is 

 accomplished by giving a start 

 to the runner or player who is the 

 inferior performer. In horse- 

 racing, handicapping is effected by 

 apportioning different weights to 

 the various horses entered. All 

 races or contests conducted under 

 these conditions are designated 

 handicaps. The word is a con- 

 traction of hand in the cap, in 

 reference to the method of drawing 

 lots. See Golf; Horse Racing. 



Hand-in-Hand. English in- 

 surance company, now incorpor- 

 ated with the Commercial Union. 

 It was founded 

 in 1696, the 

 first headquart- 

 ers being at 

 theRoyalCoffee 

 House, Buck- 

 ingham Gate, 

 London. The 

 name taken was 

 the contribu- 

 tors' for in- 

 suring houses, 

 chambers, or 

 rooms from loss 

 by fire by ami- 

 cable contribution. This became 

 the amicable contributorship, and 

 later the Hand-in-Hand, derived 

 from the clasped hands on its fire- 

 mark. In 1836 the company began 

 to undertake life insurance. In 

 1717 an office was opened in the 

 city, and for long the head office 

 was at Angel Court, Snow Hill. 

 The next building was pulled down 

 in 1874 to make room for Ludgate 

 Circus, after which the offices at 

 26, New Bridge Street, were opened. 

 In 1905 it amalgamated with the 

 Commercial Union Assurance Co. 



Handkerchief. Square of linen, 

 cotton, or silk for wiping the nose. 

 It came into use about the time of 

 Henry VI.IT, and Elizabeth's reign 

 saw handkerchiefs decorated with 

 lace and made of silk. A muckinder 

 or muckender was a handkerchief 

 usually attached to the girdle, and 

 worn by children about the be- 

 ginning of the 17th century. 



Handley Page. British aero- 

 plane. It was the first really large 

 aeroplane ever built, the forerunner 

 of the Italian Caproni and the 

 German Gotha. A biplane con- 

 structed for bombing enemy lines, 

 communications, and quarters, one 

 of the first machines completed in 

 1915 took twenty people up to a 

 hoight of 7,000 feet on a trial 

 flight, and since then big strides in 

 construction and performance have 

 been made. 



In the Great War a Handley 

 Page machine flew from Eng- 

 land to Constantinople on a bomb- 

 ing raid, and, after the declaration 

 of the armistice, the feat of fiying 



from England to India in stages 

 was also performed. With a 

 wing span of well over a hundred 

 feet, the early types of Handley 

 Page machines were driven by two 

 Rolls-Royce engines, developing a 

 total horse-power of over five hun- 

 dred; but the later models are more 

 than twice as powerfully engined. 

 Characteristics of the Handley Page 

 are the large balanced ailerons, bi- 

 plane tail and twin rudders, and 

 the long, deep fuselage affording 

 accommodation for passengers. See 

 Aero -engine ; aeroplane ; Page, F. 

 Handley. 



Handsel. Earnest money. Pay- 

 ment by a purchaser of part of an 

 agreed sum into the vendor's hand 

 to bind a contract. The word is 

 also applied to the first money 

 taken at a market or on opening a 

 new business, and in the north of 

 Great Britain to presents made for 

 luck. Thus in Scotland Handsel 

 Monday is the popular name for 

 the first Monday in the year, when, 

 as on Boxing Day in England, pre- 

 sents of money are given in token 

 of good will. 



Handsworth. Urban district 

 and parish of Yorkshire (W.R.). 

 It is 4 m. S.E. of Sheffield, and is 

 mainly a mining district. Other 

 industries are quarrying and nur- 

 sery gardening. The church, an old 

 structure, is dedicated to S. Mary. 

 Pop. 14,200. 



Handsworth. District of Bir- 

 mingham. Until 1911, when it was 

 incorporated with that city, it was 

 a separate urban district, with a 

 population of 60,000. Lying to the 

 N.E. of the city proper, it is in 

 Staffordshire, and until 1918 gave 

 its name to a parliamentary divi- 

 sion of that county. It is chiefly an 

 industrial area, having many works 

 for the manufacture of maohinery, 

 hardware, etc. It is served by the 

 G.W. Rly., while tramways also 

 connect it with the centre of the 

 city. See Birmingham. 



Handy Andy. Chief character 

 in Handy And} 7 , an Irish story, by 

 Samuel Lover, 1842. The book is 

 full of frolicsome fun, and long set a 

 sort of standard for Irish humour 

 of the more farcical kind. Handy 

 Andy himself is a typical blunderer, 

 and many of the episodes were long 

 popular as readings or recitations. 



Hangar. Shed, usually canvas 

 covered, for housing flying ma- 

 chines. The canvas is stretched 

 over a wooden, bolted framework. 

 During the Great War hangars 

 were very commonly used both 

 abroad and in Britain where per- 

 manent sheds did not exist, and 

 were often so skilfully camouflaged 

 that it was frequently a very diffi- 

 cult matter for hostile aircraft to 

 see them from above. See Airship. 



