114 
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
It is not explicitly stated by the Editor (Lady Verney) who the 
writer of this passage was, but this style is that of “Mun” — i.e., 
Edmund Yerney, son and heir to Sir Ralph Yerney, the first 
baronet, who predeceased his father in 1688; nor is it at all clear 
where Dr. Denton’s dinner or supper was given ; but apparently at 
Newmarket, where Edmund Verney seems to have stayed several 
times for the racing, though it may have been at Hillesden in 
Bucks, where Dr. D. ordinarily (?) lived (he died in 1691) (p. 458) 
when in the country. He was Edmund Yerney’s uncle (p. 284). 
“Barley Yard” and “Knowle Hill” seem to have been properties 
(farms or manors) of the Verneys, somewhere in Bucks. — A. Newton. 
Crowning of Jacks. — In February, 1884, I read a paper before 
the Society on “ The Fens and Fen-folk,”* in which I quoted 
a passage from Fen Bill Hall descriptive of the summer’s occupa- 
tions of a Fen-man ; amongst numerous other operations pertaining 
to his calling he mentions the “Crowning of Jacks,” evidently 
referring to some method of capturing these fish, but what that 
method was I was unable to explain, and although Mr. Cordeaux 
was kind enough to insert a query in the 1 Lincolnshire Notes and 
Queries,’ he was not successful in gaining any enlightenment. 
Quite recently I came across a passage in Pennant’s ‘ British 
Zoology’ (8vo. Edit. 1769, vol. iii. p. 272) lvhich seems to afford 
the desired explanation ; it is as follows : — 
“ In the shallow waters of the Lincolnshire Fens they [i.e. Pike] 
are frequently taken in a manner peculiar, we believe, to that 
county, and the Isle of Ceylon, t The fisherman makes use of what 
is called a crown-net, which is no more than a hemispherical basket 
open at top and bottom. He stands at one end of the little 
fen-boats, and frequently puts his basket down to the bottom 
of the water, then poking a stick into it, discovers whether he has 
any booty by the striking of the fish ; and vast numbers of Pike 
are taken in this manner.” The net appears to have been similar 
to the bow-net used in the Broads for taking Tench, which seems 
to be much more suitable for the latter fish than for Pike ; but 
it is possible that there may have been some peculiarity in the 
construction of the “ crown-net ” which Pennant has not 
particularised. — T. Southwell. 
* Trans. Norfolk and Norwich Nat. Soc. vol. iii. p. 625. 
f (Foot-note in original) “ Knox Hill, Celon, 28.” 
PRESENTED 
12 SEP 1800 
