VALET (p. 128).

There is no doubt that the word valet (which would seem to be merely another orthography of varlet) was anciently used in quite a different sense. Menage says "Il semble qu'on ait appelé varlet un gentilhomme, tant qu'il n'étoit pas chevalier." Hardouin (Hist. p. 23), calls Alexis, son of Isaac, Emperor of Greece, "Valet de Constantinople." The author of the romance of "Lancelot du Lac," speaking of the son of Vavasseur, who was not a chevalier, says "Vers la fin du manger, vint ecans (ici dedans) un varlet, qui estoit fils du Vavasseur"; and Menage says "Les Picards disent encore aujourd' huy varlet et varleton, en parlant d'un jeune enfant, qui entre en adolescence." The word valet or varlet is found written vadlet, valect, vallet, &c.; and in Norman, vadlet and valet. Some derive valet from Hebrew valad, an infant; others from Med. L. valetus. Menage suggests that varlet may be from baro, varo, a term of contempt, a soldier's valet; thus, baro, varo, varolus, carolettus, varlet; but in his Orig. Ital. he devives it from L. verna a bondsman, a saucy fellow, &c.; thus verna, vernaculus, vernaculettus, vernalettus, verlettus, varlet. Gujet derives valet, from bajulettus dim. of bajulus, a porter, carrier; Du Cange from vassalletus dim. of vassallus. Cf Roquefort under vadlez, valet, varlet, varleton; and Dufresne under valet, and valletus legum. Gray's Inn. R. S. CHARNOCK.

THE DENES (p. 127).

Den in local names generally means a "valley." It is very common in Kent, especially in the woody parts. In Durham, we read of "skarrs and dennes," i.e. "hills and vales." In Law Latin the word is found written denna and dena. Denbera was a "low valley for the feeding of swine," from bergh, a barrow or hog. At Yarmouth, an extensive sandy tract of ground at the mouth of the Yar, along the sea coast, is called the Denes. Den and Strond was a liberty for vessels to come on shore; King Edward the First grants this liberty to the Barons of the Cinque Ports"Quod sint Wrecefry, et Wyttefry, et Lestagefry, et Lonetopfry, et quod habeat Den et Strond apud Gernemuth."-Placit. temp. Ed. I. and Ed. II., MS., 4to, penes Dom. Fountaines ex Æde Christi Oxon. (Cowel). According to Somner denne sometimes stands for a town; dena, denna, was also used simply to denote a coppice, or a small piece of woody ground. "De Silva octo denæ parva; in another place, et una parva dena sylva. Domesday apud Spelman (Cowel)." Denes, at Yarmouth, must be a corruption of Dunes, i.e. Downs, or banks of sand thrown up by the sea. Gray's Inn. R S. CHARNOCK.

Tot.-I observe frequent mention of the word tot, and beg leave to add that it was formerly a mark in use by the exchequer as a good debt to the king." No. 66 of Lord Braybrooke's privately printed catalogue, is a large silver ring, set with an intaglio on cornelion, rudely cut, on the shoulder of the hoop is the word tot. I have a silver ring with the word tot in Saxon letters; the setting is glass, painted with the crucifixion, and burnt in like some of the amulets.-W. W.

LONDON ARMS ON CLERE BRASS (p. 126.)

Sir Robert Clere married Alice, fourth daughter of Sir William Boleyn, who was the son of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, Lord Mayor of London in 1457. Does not this account satisfactorily for the presence of the arms of the City of London, in his brass. The Rev. H. Haines observes in his Manual, p. cxx,-Sometimes the armsof cities, especially those of London and Bristol, are placed on the brasses of merchants and others who had held civil offices in them." When this coat occurs in the brasses of Knights, may it not be that some one of their ancestors were connected with the city, like Sir Geoffrey Boleyn ?-F.H.

Alchymy (p.10).-Alchymy was a mixture of metals used in transmutation by the Alchymists. In the catalogue of ancient and medieval rings and personal ornaments formed for Lady Londesborough, and printed for private reference in 1853, by Thomas Crofton Croker, frequent mention is made of rings as formed of this mixture of metals called Alchymy.-W.W.

QUERIES.

THE VOCABULARY OF THE SEA BOARD.

I have observed that Moor, Forby, and other glossarists, have confined themselves much to the inland phraseology, neglecting the sea-board, which is of so much interest in all English enquiry. When I was at Lowestoft last year I heard many words about boats, ships, fishing-gear, &c., which are not in these Vocabularies. Your friends who live on the spot, would do well to gather what of these they can lay hold of, and contribute them to the East Anglian-as, for instance the parts of a Net : -the beam (the wooden back-bone); the lutades (a very curious word, for the bent irons at the end-qy. whether from A.S. Lut-ian, to bend? ); the shales (meshes) of which a row (I think) is called a gong. I am not certain of the orthography of these words; nor even, in all cases, of their exact appropriation: but you might accurately determine all, and much more. Many of such words are NOT known up the coast as far as Aldbro'. Even your Score for a narrow street, on a declivity, is not noticed in our Glossaries. I heard the word Brenner, for a flying gust over the water (as I remember). And one man spoke of a halo round the sun as an oven, as I also gathered. But these require verifying, as also many others to be found out and recorded, before the modern SCHOOLMASTEŘ has drubbed them out of the language.-F.

Early Printing in East Anglia.-I am much interested in the early history of the Art of Printing in East Anglia; but know not where to look for any account of it. May I ask your correspondents to point out in what books particulars may be found; and give any notes of books, pamphlets, or broadsides, printed in the district, prior to the year 1700; with any notices of the printers or sellers of books before that period ?-L.

THE VERNON FAMILY-EARL SHIPBROKE.

Admiral Vernon, who distinguished himself at Portobello, and represented Ipswich in Parliament, from 1740 till his death in 1757, bequeathed the chief of his property to his nephew, Francis Vernon, who was created Baron Orwell, in 1762, and Earl of Shipbroke, in 1777. He died in 1783, and the title became extinct. I shall be glad to know whether the Earl of Shipbroke ever represented Ipswich or any other town, in the House of Commons? Was he ever a Cabinet Minister or Great Officer of the Court? What was the career of Henry Vernon, Esq., elder brother of Francis, Earl of Shipbroke? For what reason the peerage was conferred on the younger brother?-J. R.

Family of De Argentine.-Where can I refer for the most complete pedigree of this family? They were located at Melbourne, in Cambridgeshire, and held possessions also in Suffolk, Bedfordshire, &c.-L.

Richard Sibbes, D.D.-We would direct particular attention to the "wants " of the Rev. A. B. Grosart, of Kinross, which will be found on the wrapper of this part. Dr. Sibbes was an eminent Suffolk divine; and the greater number of the names specified in Mr. Grosart's list, belong to the sphere of the East Anglian.

He played old Gooseberry with him!—What is the meaning of this ex· pression, which I have not unfrequently heard in Suffolk? It is not a Îocal title for the Prince of Darkness, for I have met with the following in a Lancashire song:

Then aw started up th' fowd loike a shot,
Un aw coom to owd Puddin's back dur,
(Wurnt aw beighlin o' o'er loike a pot!)
When aw gan it a gradely good pur:
O'th' merry-meighl jumpt in a lot,

For they thaut us owd Gooseburry wur come,
Un they screomed as if they wurn shot,
"Tay un rum ditty, rum ditty, rum.”

H.P.

The Butchers' Market, Bury St. Edmund's.-What is the earliest notice extant of the letting of the stalls in this market? I have an old written indenture made for the right of selling "victualle and fleshe meate,” granted "unto Willm Awstyn thelder and Willm Awstyn the younger, of Cockfield," of "two butchers stalls, situate and being on the east syde of the butchery in the great market place, in Bury St. Edmund's aforesaid, ' for the " yearly summe of ffifty shillings," to bring meat there" vpon every Monday throughout the year, or vpon any other daye or dayes vsed for a ffayre or market there." This is dated the 30th day of March, in the 2 Charles the Second, 1626.-C. GOLDING.

ERRATA.

P. 117, the epitaph on William Saltar, is not in the church, but outside the church yard wall; 1. 14, for any read Envy.

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EXTRACTS FROM PARISH REGISTERS.-NO. I.

There can be no history which bears upon the manners and customs of the people, and extending over three entire centuries of the most animated period of our national existence, without betraying the bane of politics, the prejudices of the age, or the influence of domestic discord. It is impossible to claim for any author a freedom from these blemishes, they are inseparable from relations of every kind. But where, as in our Parish Registers, incidental events are noted down as they occurred, unaided by descriptive particulars, in a laconic and imperatively faithful form of words, and under no controlling influence, beyond the desire of a faithful record, they must assume a desired characteristic brevity, and relate the events without the bias of subsequent obtrusive opinions, which could never have animated the actors or inspired the motive. Under the influence of these impressions the incidents recorded must be received under the strongest conviction of indubitable facts.

In these brief notices there is much related the historian would justly deem unworthy of repetition, but every extract will be found to have some bearing on the history of the people, the administration of their laws, some long passed away, and many references to things of which no vestiges now remain. There manners and customs, with the very feeling of domestic life, vary as they did in successive generations, are frequently made familiar through these neglected records. The calamities of towns and

villages tempting the benevolence of the more fortunate is here made ap parent and is at least a proof through many ages of that good feeling which has long characterized our nation.

These preliminary remarks appear necessary as a prefatory and explanatory introduction to the series of extracts, on the various relationships of domestic life in our own locality.-H. DAVENEY.

Parish of Blofield or Blowfield.—Begins 1545.

I. The first use of Church Registers began in the 30th year of ye reign of Hen. 8th An. Dom. 1539. In which year it was ordained by Cromwell, the King's Vicar General, that in all Churches a Register should be kept of every Wedding, Christening, and Burial, within the same Parish for ever.—Vid. Baker's Chron: in ye reign of Hen. 8th.

II. The miserable distractions of this kingdom caused by an unnatural and bloody war between his Majesty of most blessed memory and his unhappy Parliament, begun in 1642, in wh by the strength and policy of the Parliament, his Majesty was ruined and on the 30th of January 1645, murdered by them in the most barbarous manner, was the cause why this and other Registers could not be duly kept, untill the restauration of his son Charles ye second, in a most merciful and miraculous manner 1660. Blessed be God unto eternity.-Alex. Shipdham, Rector.

III. Richard Buttervant who have his Land from the right heirs off his name, which had been in this house three hundred years, was buried June 28, 1637.

IV. Mem: The Briefe of the letters Patents for the collecting of charitable benevolense of the inhabitants of our Parish of Blofield, for and towards the reparing of the great losses of the inhabitants of Southwold or Soulboy, in the Countie of Suffolk, which they suffered by a great burning in their said towne, was published in the congregation, on the 24th day of July, 1659. And there was collected in our Parish there upon the sume of xxxvijs and jd.-Witness our hands this 29 July, 1659.7

John Gildenwater, Churchwarden.

Thos. Church, Overseer.

V. Memorandum-yt ther was collected in ye P'ish: of Blofield, bye virtue of an order from ye Justices of Peace, of this Countie, upon ye 24 day of September, 1666, the sum of £2. 10s. 10d., wh was for ye relief of ye poore and infected parishes in ye Cittie of Norwich. Teste-Alex. Shipdham.

VI. Wonder not reader, whomsoever thou art, that thou findest this register in all pts imp'fect seeing the abominable distraction of this kingdom caused by an unaturell and bloody war between his Majesty Charles the first of ever blessed memory, and his most unhappy Parliament, begun Anno 1642, under the pretence of preserving his p'son and honor did ruin him and his kingdom, and at last murdered him in most barbarous manner before his own gates at Whitehall, wh was the cause that this and all other registers could not be truly kept, which it pleased or good and gracious God most miraculously to preserve, and through his most gracious love and compassion to these his kingdoms, to restore his son Charles the second, without the shedding of one drop of blood, to the Government of the kingdom, whom the Lord of his mercy preserve in health, peace and godliness unto his lives end.—Alexander Shipdham, Rector of Blofield.

VII. An act of Parliament entitled an act for burying in woolen, made ye 30th yeare of the reign of King Charles ye second, it is enacted and commanded therein yt a new register book shall be provided in every parish, and ye names of such persons as died from ye 1st of August, 1678, be entered therein wth all affadavits made yt yepty deceased was buried according to yt act, also where no such affadavit shall be brought to ye minister, it is enacted therein yt a memorial thereof be entered likewise against ye name of ye pty entered, and of ye time when ye minister notified ye same to ye Ch: wardens or overseers of ye poore. And by reason thereof, we do register no more parties deceased in this book.-Charles Reve, Rector.