Notes and Queries, Number 51, October 19, 1850 | Page 6

James Dillon, first Earl of Roscommon, married Helen, daughter of Sir Christopher Barnwell, by whom he had seven sons and six daughters; their names were Robert, Lucas, Thomas, Christopher, George, John, Patrick. Robert succeeded his father in 1641, and of his descendants and those of Lucas and Patrick I have some accounts; but what I want to know is, who are the descendants of Thomas (particularly), or of any of the other three sons?
Lodge, in his _Peerage_, very kindly kills all the sons, Patrick included; but it appears that he did not depart this life until he had left issue, from whom the late Earl had his origin. If Lodge is thus wrong in one case, he may be in others, and I have reason to believe that Thomas left a son settled in a place in Ireland called Portlick.
FRANCIS.
_St. Cuthbert._--The body of St. Cuthbert, as is well known, had many wanderings before it found a magnificent resting-place at Durham. Now, in an anonymous _History of the Cathedral Church of Durham_, without date, we have a very particular account of the defacement of the shrine of St. {326} Cuthbert, in the reign of Henry VIII. The body was found "lying whole, uncorrupt, with his face bare, and his beard as of a fortnight's growth, with all the vestments about him as he accustomed to say mass withal." The vestments are described as being "fresh, safe, and not consumed." The visitors "commanded him to be carried into the Revestry, till the king's pleasure concerning him was further known; and upon the receipt thereof the prior and monks buried him in the ground under the place where his shrine was exalted." Now, there is a tradition of the Benedictines (of whose monastery the cathedral was part) that on the accession of Elizabeth the monks, who were apprehensive of further violence, removed the body in the night-time from the place where it had been buried to some other part of the building. This spot is known only to three persons, brothers of the order; and it is said that there are three persons who have this knowledge now, as communicated from previous generations.
But a discovery was made in 1827 of the remains of a body in the centre of the spot where the shrine stood, with various relics of a very early period and it was asserted to be the body of St. Cuthbert. This, however, has not been universally assented to, and Mr. Akerman, in his _Arch?ological Index_, has--
"The object commonly called St. Cuthbert's Cross" (though the designation has been questioned), "found with human remains and other relics of the Anglo-Saxon period, in the Cathedral of Durham in 1827."--p. 144.
There does seem considerable discrepancy in the statements of the remains found in 1827 and the body deposited 1541.
I will conclude with asking, Is there any evidence to confirm the tradition of the Benedictines?
J.R.N.
_Vavasour of Haslewood.--Bells in Churches._--It is currently reported in Yorkshire that three curious privileges belong to the chief of the ancient Roman Catholic family of Vavasour of Haslewood:
1. That he may ride on horseback into York Minster.
2. That he may specially call his house a castle.
3. That he may toll a bell in his chapel, notwithstanding any law prohibiting the use of bells in places of worship not in union with the Church of England.
Is there any foundation for this report; and what is the real story? Is there still a law against the use of bells as a summons to divine services except in churches?
A.G.
_Alteration of Title-pages._--Among the advertisements in the last Quarterly and _Edinburgh Reviews_, is one which replies to certain criticisms on a work. One of these criticisms was a stricture upon its title. The author states that the reviewer had a _presentation copy_, and ought to have inquired into the title under which the book was sold to the public before he animaverted upon the connexion between the title and the work. It seems then that, in this instance, the author furnished the Reviews with a title-page differing from that of the body of his impression, and thinks he has a right to demand that the reviewers should suppose such a circumstance probable enough to make it imperative upon them to inquire what the real title was. Query, Is such a practice common? Can any of your readers produce another instance?
M.
_Weights for Weighing Coins._--A correspondent wishes to know at what period weights were introduced for weighing coins.
He has met with two notices on the subject in passages of Cottonian manuscripts, and would be glad of farther information.
In a MS. Chronicle, Cotton. Otho B. xiv.--
"1418. Nov? bilances instituuntur ad ponderanda aurea Numismata."
In another Cottonian MS., Vitell. A. i., we read--
"1419. Here bigan gold balancis."
H.E.
_Shunamitis Poema._--Who was the author of a curious small 8vo. volume of 179 pages