"My Son John was born on Sunday March A BIBLE in the British Museum (Add. MS. the 16th halfe an houre past nine at night 1850. 32, 310) is thus described in "Facsimiles of My Daughter Deborah was born the 24 of Royal, Historical, Literary, and other Auto-May, being Sunday somewhat before 3 of the Clock in the morning 1652.'"-Birch Autograph graphs in the Department of Manuscripts, MS. 4244. British Museum. Edited by George F. Warner, M.A., Assistant Keeper of Manuscripts. Series I.-V." :

235566

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which settles the point." This sentence is as follows:

By his [Milton's] second wife he had only one daughter, of which the mother, the first year after her marriage, died in childbed, and the child also within a month after."

Katherin Woodcocke married Milton on 12 November, 1656, and the child, according to the parish books of St. Margaret's, Westminster, was born 19 October, 1657. This date is given in the Museum Bible. Had Masson known of this Bible, he could even have given the exact day of death.

cover is

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"The Black Raven," 136, Bishopsgate Street Without, survives, like the curate's in parts." Some few years ago it egg, could be distinguished, not by a hanging sign, but by a modern tessellated pavement at the entrance, bearing a large black raven. The probability, however, that it occupies the site of a more ancient house with the same sign is suggested by the circumstance of the upper portion containing, among other things, a very old-fashioned staircase, which I have not at present seen, and heavy beams of oak supporting the ceiling. My informant is Mr. Samuel Mossman, the owner, who is landlord also of "The Swan Hotel at Stratford, E., and whose connexion with "The Black Raven has lasted over fifteen years.

There are slight differences in the wordings of some of the entries in the two Bibles. Here is another and important difference. "I am the book of Mary Milton," i.e. Mary Powell, Milton's first wife, is written, "in his wife's handwriting," in the Birch Bible. Mr. Mossman tells me that an old-fashThose words are not in the Museum Bible, ioned society called “Ye Olde White Dogs but on the inside of the back was held there for many years, and at Yulewritten "Eliz. Elcock," and underneath time the chairman always gave the toast "Eliz. Salmon, Her Book (apparently of "the buxom lasses and merry wives of maiden and married names). Of Milton's Bishopsgate." The "White Dogs at the third wife, Elizabeth, née Minshull, who same festive season distributed died in 1727, the same year as Mrs. Foster, surviving Milton fifty-one years, we are told that she left all her effects, after payment of debts, to her nephews and nieces. Among those effects was a large Bible." Possibly this was the Museum Bible, which had been acquired by one of those nieces.

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This Museum Bible was purchased from Thomas Kerslake in 1884. Masson's Life of Milton,' by the way, was published only three years previously. I naturally inquired of Dr. Warner whether Kerslake had given any details as to how the Bible had come into his possession. Dr. Warner kindly looked over all letters received from Kerslake during 1883 and 1884, but found nothing of the kind. Kerslake, who is now dead, wrote from Bristol. It would be extremely interesting to know its history. And perhaps some day the Bible described by Dr. Birch may come to light.

J. S. S.

BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHOUT.

(See 11 S. ii. 246.)

THE widening of this ancient thoroughfare begins at Lupinsky & Brandon's, tailors, Nos. 134 and 135, and will extend to Norton Folgate. It may be observed that the new Post Office Directory' includes Bishopsgate only, and has a note that Bishopsgate Within and Without have been amalgamated under the new title.

bread and coal tickets among the poor inhabitants of the surrounding district, a charity, supported by many City merchants, which did a vast amount of good, but which has now been removed to the Bishopsgate Institute under a new name.

There is a seventeenth-century token extant of "The Black Raven," but I do not remember to have seen the sign noted by MR. MCMURRAY in his interesting lists of some of the "Signs of Old London."

66

I have the remains of an old handbill, dated 1791, of "The Black Raven," 136, Bishopsgate Street Without. The landlord at that time was Alfred Love, who announces the perhaps not surprising fact that he was a "direct importer and Bonder of all his wines and spirits, noted for Special Scotch and Irish Whiskies." A raven perched on a bough adorns this handbill. But why were the White Dogs so named? Angel Alley, which stood between Nos. 137 and 138, but was swallowed up by the Great Eastern Railway Station about, I think, sixteen years ago, probably marked the site of "The Angel Inn" in Bishopsgate Street, where the Parish Clerks, incorporated in 1232 by Henry III., kept their hall, that is, the first hall of the Fraternity; and by it was an almshouse for seven poor widows of deceased members. The Clerks kept the account of christenings, casualties, &c., and published the bills of mortality, among other privileges of their charter being exemption from parish duties in the parish wherein.

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Speaking of the co. Wicklow, the author says:

they officiated; they attended at funerals, towards the end of the seventeenth century, and proceeded on foot before the corpse, and their descendants may still be traced, I : singing, until they reached the church; believe, in the sister isle. The traditional they had also (probably at The Angel") origin of the name is related in The Metal public feasts, with music and song. Mines of Ireland,' a paper read before the Lamb Alley, formerly between Nos. 144 Royal Dublin Society by Mr. G. H. Kinehan and 145, derived its name from a sign of on 24 March, 1886. "The Lamb Tavern "; and Sun Street, part of which still exists at the back of No. 144, though formerly it had a continuation through the opposite side of the street, also had its name from a sign of The Sun." A token of The Sun in Bishopsgate Street, issued by W. I. A., probably relates to Bishopsgate Within, where there was a tavern of which Sun Yard marked the site : "To be Sold

66

A Strong season'd Hunter; also a gentle Gelding,
Master of about fourteen or fifteen Stone, fit for
a Lady. Enquire of Major Tames in Sun Yard,
Bishopsgate Street."-Daily Advertiser, 1 Oct.,

1741.

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"The King's Arms," 128, Bishopsgate Street, was an ale-house in 1742, unless the following announcement relate to The King's Arms," 106, Bishopsgate Street Within :

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Lost the 31st of March last, from behind the Stoke Newington Coach, between Stoke Newington and Bishopsgate, a Deal Box, with some Shifts, and Wearing Apparel. Whoever will bring the same to Mr. Hawkins at the King's Arms Ale-house in Bishopsgate Street, shall have a Guinea Reward, and no Questions ask'd."Daily Advertiser, 8 April, 1742.

The tavern stands at the corner of Acorn Street, and was perhaps originally "The Acorn." There certainly was, according to Dodsley, an Acorn sign here which gave its name to Acorn Street.

66

Bacon, an Englishman, came over and built. works at Shillelagh. Before his time most of the charcoal was sent to Wales to be there used in the final working of iron. He, however, considered it would be more economical to import the pig iron than export the charcoal. This adventure was most successful, and at the time of the Commission for examination into the state of timber in Ireland, he had amassed a sum of over one million pounds. Having only one child, a daughter, the bait was too seductive to one of the Commissioners, a scion of the twice noble house of Cholmondeley, who became Bacon's son-in-law and successor, relinquishing his herit age, and changing his name to Chamney. Although he changed his name during his life, and his descendants adopted the change, yet on his tomb in Carnew churchyard his real name and creased the trade, having works not only at The Chamneys greatly inlineage are given. Shillelagh, where Bacon established the industry, but also in the Vale of Clara; at Bally-na-Clash 'Clash in Glenmalure; at Woodenbridgeor and Aughrim, in the Vale of the Darragh Water, and elsewhere; besides innumerable bloomeries; his works popularly being said to have filled the county.' The Clash and Shillelagh iron was of very superior quality. Elsewhere in Ireland the iron trade gradually ceased, as the woods were exhausted, but here it seems to have come to a sudden and untimely end prior to 1761, on account of a fracas between Chamney and the English agent of the lord of the soil. Written information about the old ironworks is very hard to procure, as nearly all the Chamney papers appear to have been destroyed when the family were dispersed. Old people will tell you that the noise of the Chamney hammer was a weather guide. Also they know that the iron and ore was carried in baskets on horseback from Wicklow port, and from the different mines; tracks from the mines and Wicklow to the furand the old horse

Sweetapple Court, at No. 157, was SO named, not after such a sign, but after Sir John Sweetapple, the owner (Dodsley's London'); but who he was, whether knight or baronet, or whether he had held the office of Alderman (he was not appa-naces can still be shown." rently a Mayor), I cannot say.

J. HOLDEN MACMICHAEL.
CHAE

(To be continued.)

Nearly twenty years ago I entered into correspondence with the late Rev. Joseph Chamney, D.D., Rector of Dromiskin, Armagh, with reference to the Chamney family, and we were able to piece together the following fragmentary genealogy.

John Cholmondeley or Chamney of Ballard, co. Wicklow, and Ballynellot, co. Wexford, born 1650, married circa 1686 Jane, daughter of Bacon, ironmaster of Shillelagh, and had issue a son Thomas and two daughters: Elizabeth, b. 1688, married Percival Hunt of Lara, co. Kildare; Anne, married Archer. He died 1733, and was buried at Carnew.

By his [Milton's] second wife he had only one daughter, of which the mother, the first year after her marriage, died in childbed, and the child

also within a month after."

Katherin Woodcocke married Milton on 12 November, 1656, and the child, according to the parish books of St. Margaret's, Westminster, was born 19 October, 1657. This date is given in the Museum Bible. Had Masson known of this Bible, he could even have given the exact day of death.

cover is

"The Black Raven," 136, Bishopsgate Street Without, survives, like the curate's egg, in parts." Some few years ago it could be distinguished, not by a hanging sign, but by a modern tessellated pavement at the entrance, bearing a large black raven. The probability, however, that it occupics the site of a more ancient house with the same sign is suggested by the circumstance of the upper portion containing, among other things, a very old-fashioned staircase, which I have not at present seen, and heavy beams of oak supporting the ceiling. My informant is Mr. Samuel Mossman, the owner, who is landlord also of "The Swan Hotel at Stratford, E., and whose connexion with "The Black Raven lasted over fifteen years.

has

There are slight differences in the wordings of some of the entries in the two Bibles. Here is another and important difference. "I am the book of Mary Milton," i.e. Mary Powell, Milton's first wife, is written, "in his wife's handwriting," in the Birch Bible. Mr. Mossman tells me that an old-fashThose words are not in the Museum Bible, ioned society called " Ye Olde White Dogs but on the inside of the back was held there for many years, and at Yulewritten "Eliz. Elcock," and underneath time the chairman always gave the toast "Eliz. Salmon, Her Book (apparently of "the buxom lasses and merry wives of maiden and married names). Of Milton's Bishopsgate.' The White Dogs at the third wife, Elizabeth, née Minshull, who same festive season distributed bread died in 1727, the same year as Mrs. and coal tickets among the poor inhabitants. Foster, surviving Milton fifty-one years, of the surrounding district, a charity, supwe are told that she left all her effects, ported by many City merchants, which did after payment of debts, to her nephews and a vast amount of good, but which has now nieces. Among those effects was a large been removed to the Bishopsgate Institute Bible." Possibly this was the Museum under a new name. Bible, which had been acquired by one of those nieces.

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This Museum Bible was purchased from Thomas Kerslake in 1884. Masson's Life of Milton,' by the way, was published only three years previously. I naturally inquired of Dr. Warner whether Kerslake had given any details as to how the Bible had come into his possession. Dr. Warner kindly looked over all letters received from Kerslake during 1883 and 1884, but found nothing of the kind. Kerslake, who is now dead, wrote from Bristol. It would be extremely interesting to know its history. And perhaps some day the Bible described by Dr. Birch may come to light.

J. S. S.

BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHOUT.

(See 11 S. ii. 246.)

THE widening of this ancient thoroughfare begins at Lupinsky & Brandon's, tailors, Nos. 134 and 135, and will extend to Norton Folgate. It may be observed that the new 'Post Office Directory' includes Bishopsgate only, and has a note that Bishopsgate Within and Without have been amalgamated under the new title.

There is a seventeenth century token. extant of "The Black Raven," but I do not remember to have seen the sign noted by MR. MCMURRAY in his interesting lists. of some of the "Signs of Old London."

I have the remains of an old handbill, dated 1791, of "The Black Raven," 136,. Bishopsgate Street Without. The landlord at that time was Alfred Love, who announces the perhaps not surprising fact that he was a direct importer and Bonder of all his wines and spirits, noted for Special Scotch and Irish Whiskies." A raven perched on a bough adorns this handbill. But why were the "White Dogs so named ?·

Angel Alley, which stood between Nos. 137 and 138, but was swallowed up by the Great Eastern Railway Station about, I think, sixteen years ago, probably marked the site of "The Angel Inn" in Bishopsgate Street, where the Parish Clerks, incorporated in 1232 by Henry III., kept their hall, that is, the first hall of the Fraternity; and by it was an almshouse for seven poor widows of deceased members. The Clerks kept the account of christenings, casualties, &c., and published the bills of mortality, among other privileges of their charter being exemption from parish duties in the parish wherein