Bohemia. The position of the house at this period, forming three sides of a square, with the characteristic stack of chimneys connected with the hall on the south-east side, and the park studded with large elm trees, are marked on an old map, bearing date 1529, soon after the acquisition of the estate by the Pigotts. The north-west side, which then possessed a clock-tower in its centre, has been pulled down, and its successor, of more modern architecture, built over the spring of water, bearing date on the spouting 1689. In the cuttings for the new railway, there were discovered several interesting articles (now exhibited) presented to the Society by Mr. S. G. Payne-a bottle, spur, bridle-cutter, two bullets, a buckle, boss of fibula, &c. The spur reminds us that horse-races were formerly held at Quainton, and in an old book entitled "A Tour through the whole Island of Great Britain" (1725), is a curious account of the different reception given at this gathering at different times to the Duke of Monmouth and the Duke of Marlborough. Mr. Lowndes, in conclusion, expressed his own thanks to Mr. Pigott for the information contained in this paper, and also the obligation of the Society to him for his hospitable reception.

Mr. Lowndes here exhibited a beautifully illuminated pedigree of the Pigott family, drawn out in the reign of Queen Elizabeth by Sir E. Phillips, her Master of the Rolls, who married a Pigott (date 1585).

Mr. Pigott said the company would do him the justice to observe that the pedigree ceased with the time of Elizabeth, and he hoped that no one connected with him would be foolish enough to consider themselves any better for belonging to an old family. It did happen, however, that this document had played a rather important part in the family history. At the time of the French Revolution the representatives of the Pigotts of Chetwynd, in Shropshire, thinking that a new order of things had arisen, sold his property and invested the proceeds in French assignats, and lost it all. He afterwards married a Swiss lady, with whom, forty years ago, his (Mr. Pigott's) brother became intimately acquainted at Geneva. This lady handed to him a document which turned out to be a counterpart of the pedigree now exhibited, made no doubt at the same time, and was the principal evidence which led to the estate being left to the younger branch of the family, passing from the descendants of the Pigotts of Whaddon to the Pigotts of Shropshire.

After the thanks of the Society had been tendered to Mr. Pigott by Archdeacon Bickersteth and Dr. Lee, and suitably replied to, the meeting dispersed; but many lingered for awhile to take a more full survey of the quaint carving of the old hall, and the motto Toutefois preste over the great door of the mansion attracted much notice, though the passage in the family history to which it refers is not ascertained.

CORK CUVIERIAN SOCIETY.

March 2. RICHARD CAULFIELD, Esq., F.S.A., President, in the chair. The President delivered an address "On Historical Traditions as preserved among the Irish Peasantry." After some preliminary remarks on legendary tradition, he proceeded to say, that "historical tradition comes nearer to our own day, and deals rather with the material than the immaterial world; though it still lurks around spots where the tradition treats of events that we must consider of prehistoric

existence, thus precluding the hope that much additional light can ever be thrown on them. Many places are rendered remarkable for some battle or other thrilling incident, which this kind of tradition has handed down to us by an unbroken line of oral testimony, often corroborated by the ancient annals themselves: thus the precise locality where the battle of Knocknanoss was fought in this county is to-day pointed out by the peasant with all the exactness and precision of an intelligent observer of the manœuvres of the contending parties; and such must be the case after a thousand years, even though the event was never recorded on the page of history-with such tenacity does our nation cling to the traditions of our fathers, which have been impressed on us in our childhood, and often formed the subject of our boyish dreams. Many other places have become celebrated by some stirring circumstance of the olden time, but which has been transmitted to us through a different medium, such as sea-battles and shipwrecks. Of the former, numerous instances are recounted: of the latter, I shall now have the pleasure of introducing to your notice a remarkable one. Most of the harbours of the south-west and western coasts of Ireland are traditionally noted for many curious events. I need not here dwell on the incursions of the Algerine pirates in the harbours of our own city and county during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and to which I called your attention on a former occasion; nor the Spanish migration in other places a little more to the west; nor how some years ago a vessel from that land of oil and wine cast anchor with the setting sun in Smerwick harbour, and ere he went down, put a boat's crew on shore, who examined the old fortifications with the aid of a chart in their possession, then dug deep into the ground within the circumvallation, and raised therefrom a large chest, which with much difficulty they put on board, and when the clear morning arose, the countryman as he looked from the high cliff could just discern the white sail of the Spanish ship as it bore from his eyes that treasure which, tradition often told him through the lips of his fathers, was concealed somewhere in the old fort, but guarded by a supernatural agency. Among the harbours of the south, that of Timoleague takes a prominent place. On one side an iron-bound coast, against which the Atlantic billow foams and lashes with unabated fury. Here it is said, and no doubt with much truth, that in times past many a foreign vessel suffered shipwreck, whilst the wild winds with dismal discord tolled the death-knell of the crew. Here the bones of the swarthy African and those of the more favoured inhabitant of sunnier climes are mingled with the sand; the former cut off on his mission of robbery and wrong, the latter as he tried to reach the quiet water at the top of the bay to barter with the inhabitants and monks of Timoleague his olives, wines, and salt, for skins, butter, and fish, merchandise which was common in Ireland in these times. But among the most remarkable shipwrecks which occurred in this bay was one which tradition said was a frigate, that at some remote period had been cast away. All tidings of her name and nation had been long lost; yet the adventurous fisherman often related at his own fireside how on a bright summer day he could see as he looked into the crystal water, the cannon lying on the rocks below, and other equally indestructible portions of the wreck scattered around. His story was received with the same amount of credence that is usually bestowed on the traditions of all sailors and fishermen. But the following document,

which I copied from the original, preserved among the Carte MSS. (vol. xxxix. p. 416), in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, has put to rest all doubts on this subject, and establishes the verity of the fisherman's story. This state paper is headed, 'The Larke Frigate: a narrative from 23rd Nov., 1682, to 25th of same:'

"Between three and four o'clock on Wednesday morning we fell in between the Blasketts and the Skellecks, which lie off to the westwardmost part of Ireland, the wind being at S.S.W. We got our tacks on board and stood away to the eastward, and about four in the afternoon we had the river off Killmare open. The wind being S., an easy gale which occasioned us to lagg much into the bay, the same time we went about to the W. The wind wearing and halling two or three points, occasioned our tacking very often. Off Cape Dersey lyeth three isles about two leagues into the sea, bearing S.W. and N.E., which we could not reach; but at nine at night we went between the two westwardmost isles, steering away E. b. S. and E.S.E., then the wind coming to the W.S. W. we went away S. and S. b. E. till day for to keep clear off the land, and as soon as the day appeared we hauled away E. b. N. along shore, very fine weather, with the wind at S.S.W., and made every headland; and, about four in the afternoon, my mate, Will. Hendley, who was about a twelvemonth since master of his Majestie's ship ‘Garland,' and served in the ship three years under the command of Captain Hodder, who recommended him to me by letter for being a very able pilot for the coast of Ireland; that, having been there stationed for three years, the said William Hendley telling me and all my officers how able he was to harbour the ship in Kinsale and several other parts of Ireland; I, never having been upon the coast, concented thereunto for the piloting of the ship into Kinsale, which he undertook with all willingness, affirming that, having made the Old Head, he would carry the ship in the darkest night that could be. About six o'clock we came up with the head-land, which is called the Seaven Heads, which he was very confident was the Old Head of Kinsale, and halled close on board the northermost shore, and told me our best way would be to go up before the town; the wind being out at sea, it would not be safe to ride any lower. I told him the safest and best place I was for; but, when we came to have but six fathoms of water, I told him I liked not the shoaling of the water so fast, and he told me it was the Mede, which is a bank at the going in off Kinsale Harbour. But, soon after, the water came to five and four fathoms, which made me call to him many times, and tell him we had best come to an anchor. He still was positive, and said we would come to deeper; but I, being afraid of the danger which afterwards happened, hauled up our fore-sail and lowered our top-sails, the water still shoaling fast; but before I could stop the ship's way, notwithstanding I braced all aback and let go an anchor, the ship ran aground, to all our misfortunes, about eight o'clock at night, and the setting of the moon and the top of high water. I fired many guns for assistance, but not anybody came to us. After we struck we lowered our yards and topmast, and got our small anchor into our boat, and ran it out with two hawsers upon one end into sixteen-foot water, and brought him to the capstan, and endeavoured all we could to save the ship; but the tide ebbing very fast, and a storm of wind coming at S.S.E., we could do no good, and cut the main and fore mast by the board, which, by God's assistance, may be the saving of the ship. The storm continued till eleven on Friday morning, at which time, the ship having been full of water for many hours before that, we were forced to stand on the quarter-deck to preserve our lives. About five in the morning the boat went ashore, but returned at eleven, so that at three times I cleared the ship, not a man going without orders, six of us, myself and the doctor being the last on board, except three men left for to guard the ship from the country people. Sir Richard Ruth, Captain Hopson, and Captain Deering, came from Kinsale to my assistance. About one o'clock in the afternoon I went ashore to advise for the better saving of the ship and stores, &c. The bay where we received our misfortune is called Timoleague bay, about eight miles N.W. from the Old Head of Kinsale. John Moyle, chyrurgeon; Thomas Parsons, gunner; Henry Mould, boatswain; Robert Francis, carpenter.'

[The writer was probably the captain of the frigate, but his name does not appear.]

GENT. MAG, 1864, VOL. II.

30

"Some time since two of these cannon were raised, and brought into Cork and sold. They may now be seen lying on Kyrl's quay, opposite Mr. Foley's iron store, to whose credit be it spoken that he had the good taste to preserve these old guns from the furnace."

The President exhibited, on behalf of Capt. Tooker, J.P., a unique bronze medal, 12 in. in diameter, and scarcely much thicker than the Bracteate coins. Obverse-the bust of an Irish monarch in armour, with full beard and crowned; beneath the bust the figure of a dog in full chase, between two crosses patée fitchée; legend DIARMUID in old Irish characters: reverse-in the centre the numerals 1151 between some minute hieroglyphics; legend CATA FUILNA in the same character, signifying the "battle of blood." No conjecture was offered as to the purport of this highly interesting specimen of Irish art. 2ndly, a fine silver medal, struck to commemorate the entry of George I. into London : obverse, a bust of the King; reverse, his majesty holding his sceptre, in a triumphal car drawn by four chargers abreast; in the background the Royal Exchange; the city of London, personified as a female, presents the keys; legend—LÆTITIA PUBLICA ADVENTUS REGIS. IN. URBEM 20 SEP. 1714." 3rdly, a gold medallet, oval form: obverse, a bust of Charles I.; reverse, his queen, Henrietta Maria. The workmanship was extremely beautiful.

DIGGING AT NORRIES LAW.-The tumulus on Norries Law, on the estate of Largo, has been an object of especial interest to archæologists since the discovery of some curious silver relics there more than forty years ago. A desire having been expressed for permission to ascertain the plan of construction of the mound, and to make a thorough investigation of it, the proprietrix, Mrs. Dundas Durham, not only granted her consent, but executed the excavations by her own workmen, under the eye of Mr. Howie, of Largo, who has been employed in similar researches at St. Andrews and elsewhere. The digging took place on Aug. 16, when, besides a party from Largo House, there were present Admiral Bethune of Balfour, Mr. Cosmo Innes, Mr. Joseph Robertson, and Mr. John Stuart. From the excavations, it appeared that a circular foundation of stones had been placed at the outside, with appearances of a lesser one within. A cairn seemed to have been raised on the latter, many of the stones of which bore marks of fire. A small triangular cist, containing incinerated human bones, was found in the foundations of the external wall, and at a spot outside of this an urn appeared, surrounded by bits of calcined wood. The whole structure seemed to have been surrounded by a ditch and earthen rampart. The silver relics were discovered in a sandhill on the west side of Norries Law. They are in every way of great interest and importance, as on some of them the mysterious symbols peculiar to the sculptured stones of Scotland are engraved, thus affording a connecting link between two different classes of our early remains. With the view of making these relics more accessible and available, Mrs. Durham has handsomely presented them to the National Museum of Antiquities.-Scotsman.

Correspondence of Sylvanus Urban.

[Correspondents are requested to append their Addresses, not, unless agreeable, for publication, but in order that a copy of the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE containing their Communications may be forwarded to them.]

A MEDIEVAL BILL IN CHANCERY.

SIR,-About four hundred years ago an attempt was made to dispossess the Prior and Convent of the cathedral church of St. Swithun, Winchester, of their manor of Winnall, near Winchester, which had been given to their church in the time of Edward I. by Sir Simon de Wynton, Knt., the last-named of those who are called the principal benefactors and co-founders of the cathedral priory. In the year 1462 John Humfrey and Maud his wife exhibited a certain deed whereby the said John claimed the manor in right of his wife, viz. a charter purported to have been made by Maurice de Wynhale, whereby he conveyed the manor with its appurtenances, together with certain gardens and tenements within the city and soke of Winchester, to Rainold Wynhale his son, and to Johanna his wife, and to the heirs of their bodies lawfully begotten, for ever. By virtue of this deed of entail, the said Maud, as cousin and heir of the above-mentioned Rainold Wynhale and Johanna his wife, claimed the manor of the Prior and Convent. They asserted that the Prior and Convent held it under colour of certain lands and tenements, among others, given by Bishop William de Wykeham to the priory. This I can only explain as referring to a charter of confirmation of all their privileges and estates and other properties, given by this celebrated prelate, in their chapter-house under his great seal, on the 18th of December, 1398, and which doubtless the Prior and Convent preferred putting forward as their title against this unexpected

claim.

The claimants finding but little encouragement at the hands of the Prior and Convent in the prosecution of their suit, resolved to petition the Court of Chancery for assistance, by giving a doleful account of their wrongs. Their petition I deem not only curious in itself, but in all probability as good a specimen of medieval legal ingenuity in drawing up "a case" as can be met with, expressed in the vernacular tongue. I venture to modernize the spelling, as the document might otherwise puzzle some of your readers, owing to the quaintness, &c., of many phrases :"Bill in Chancery touching Winnall.

"Beseecheth verily unto your gracious lordship, your poor continual orators John Umfrey and Maude his wife, that whereas the same Maude it of very right inherited in certain notable lands and tenements within Wynchestre and there about in Hampshire, called the lordship or manor of Wynell with the appurtenances, as more plainly appeareth by a deed of entail and other evidence with the pedigree, which your said orators hath ready to show; which lordship or manor the Prior of Wynchestre and his predecessors, as under colour of certain lands and tenements among others given by Bishop Wycombe [Wykeham] to the Priory of Wynchestre have of long time kept out of the hands of your said beseechers and of the antecessors of the said Maud, contrary to very conscience, and such as the old people of the country thereabout full well can record. the recovery of which if it be so, that your said beseechers by virtue of certain letters direct from the King's highness under his privy signet unto the said Prior, to shew [by] what interest or title that he keepeth the said livelihood from your said beseechers. Wherein

For