Notes and Queries, Number 66, February 1, 1851: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc

In Short

This issue functions as a mid-nineteenth-century open forum where antiquaries, scholars, and everyday readers trade detailed historical findings and odd inquiries. Across its pages, contributors examine the literary legacy and personal feuds of Sir John Davies, probe regional superstitions like May-cat culls, debate early Christian church origins in Kent, and analyze classical epigrams on opportunity. Held together by a shared belief in collaborative research, the periodical records a vibrant moment in Victorian intellectual life, proving how small observations, recorded systematically, build a vast repository of historical and cultural knowledge.

The Story

The issue opens with a celebration of international fellowship, highlighting the launch of a Dutch counterpart, De Navorscher, which extends the periodical's goal of establishing a "telegraphic" network of literary communication across the sea. From this warm opening, the text moves into dense bibliographical research. Dr. E. F. Rimbault re-examines the life of poet and lawyer Sir John Davies, correcting historical errors regarding his parentage and tracing the publishing history of his major poem Nosce Teipsum, while noting his lingering personal rift with Richard Martin.

The focus shifts to popular culture and regional traditions under the banner of folk-lore. Readers learn of Scottish beliefs surrounding amber "Lammer beads" worn to ward off illness, the persistent rural idea that a dying child's spirit cannot depart until its mother surrenders her grief, and the old practice of engraving pious or political mottos onto brass warming-pan lids. Short notes follow, detailing George Herbert's architectural efforts at Leighton Bromswold church, bookbinding techniques practiced at Little Gidding, and physical methods of crossing Asian rivers on inflated skins or earthenware vessels.

Intellectual curiosity then drives a series of open queries. Scholars write in seeking the origins of obscure terms like "plafery" in Caroline masques, questioning the precise historical roots of the phrase cum grano salis, and debating whether hoops or long gloves were worn during specific royal reigns. Others ask after missing biographical links, such as the untraced descendants of Camden or the mysterious daughter of the Earl of Clarendon, alongside requests for forgotten medieval Latin hymns and rare early printed books.

The second half resolves earlier inquiries through collaborative responses. George Offor establishes that John Bunyan could not have authored Heart's Ease in Heart Trouble, while addressing whether the allegorist ever knew Thomas Hobbes. Dr. J. Rawson untangles early ecclesiastical records to show how St. Martin’s and St. Saviour’s in Canterbury both relate to the mother church of Saxon England. Contributors debate the brutal historical practice of tearing condemned criminals apart with horses, trace the etymology of the verb "to pose," examine the fertile breeding of dogs and wolves, and clarify the ancient origins of an epigram describing Opportunity with winged feet and a forelock.

The issue closes with practical editorial notices, requests for scarce books, and advertisements for contemporary publications, ranging from mathematical tables to cheap editions of Shakespeare, reflecting a thriving print marketplace.

How It Unfolds

A literary bridge is built The editor announces a new partnership with Dutch scholars, celebrating the spread of shared historical inquiry beyond English shores.

Correcting the biographers Dr. Rimbault sifts through legal registers to prove Sir John Davies was born to a gentleman rather than a tanner, chronicling the long print history of his philosophical verse.

Unearthing popular lore Correspondents record peculiar regional customs, from protective amber beads and May-cat culls to the lingering of a child's spirit during parental grief.

Probing obscure origins Inquirers post questions regarding Caroline theatrical slang, missing historical manuscripts, the physical traits of old coinage, and early costume trends.

Resolving historic debates Scholars respond with detailed evidence regarding John Bunyan’s authentic portraits, ancient execution practices, and the primary church of Saxon Kent.

Closing the ledger The publication concludes with book auction notices, editorial guidelines, and listings for modern literature, bringing the academic exchange back to the nineteenth-century marketplace.

The People

Dr. E. F. Rimbault A meticulous researcher who seeks to correct long-standing biographical mistakes regarding Sir John Davies. Driven by a passion for literary accuracy, he challenges established authorities like Anthony à Wood by producing legal admission records and edition lists.

Sir John Davies The seventeenth-century "poetical lawyer" whose life and works form a major subject of inquiry. He desires professional advancement and literary enduring fame, but his career is shadowed by a bitter, unresolved quarrel with his former friend Richard Martin.

George Offor A dedicated bibliographer of religious literature who works to protect John Bunyan’s legacy. He aims to separate authentic works from spurious attributions, using dates and publishing records to disprove Bunyan's authorship of certain posthumous tracts.

Dr. J. Rawson An ecclesiastical historian who resolves conflicting historical designations for early English places of worship. By reconciling accounts from Bede with medieval charters, he shows how St. Martin's and St. Saviour's represent the same foundational center of Saxon Christianity.

In Its Own Voice

"When by the publication of 'NOTES AND QUERIES' we laid down those telegraphic lines of literary communication which we hoped should one day find their way into every library and book-room in the United Kingdom, we little thought that, ere fifteen months had passed, we should be called upon... to establish a supermarine communication with our brethren in the Low Countries."

The editor reflects on the rapid, unexpected expansion of their scholarly network across the sea.

"There is a common belief among the poor, that the spirit will linger in the body of a child a long time when the parent refuses to part with it."

A correspondent records a poignant example of nineteenth-century folk beliefs concerning death and parental grief.

"Why hast thou hair upon thy brow? / To seize me by, when met. / Why is thy head then bald behind? / Because men wish in vain, / When I have run past on winged feet / To catch me e'er again."

A translated classical epigram illustrates how ancient writers personified the fleeting nature of Opportunity.

What It's Really About

At its heart, the text is about the collective nature of human knowledge and the preservation of ephemeral history. It argues that no single historian can master every detail of the past, but a community of observant readers can rescue fragile facts from oblivion. Through its mix of high scholarship and humble folk customs, the issue explores how memory is maintained across centuries. It examines the tension between written records and oral traditions, demonstrating that local superstitions, personal letters, and rare pamphlets are just as crucial to understanding human culture as official state histories.

Why Read It Today

This publication will charm readers who enjoy historical trivia, the history of the book, and the quiet pleasure of archival discovery. Reading it feels like sitting in a quiet nineteenth-century library alongside passionate eccentrics who debate forgotten poetry, ancient execution methods, and regional proverbs over tea. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the Victorian mind, showing how early scholars organized information before the internet.

The text presents few narrative hurdles, though its fragmented format requires a reader who enjoys skipping between unrelated topics. Modern readers may find the dense Latin citations, legal terminology, and brief references to obscure seventeenth-century figures somewhat demanding. However, the reward lies in its surprising warmth, its sudden flashes of human emotion, and the delight of watching early antiquaries solve historical mysteries together.