on examination, that Spenser was a graduate of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, of which Grindall was formerly master. That in the year 1590 the poet, with his friend, Sir Walter Raleigh, came to England from Ireland, whither he returned the next or the following year, and that about the same time he married a country lass," whose name, lineage, and "local habitation " have hitherto remained unknown; that the name of his publisher at this time was "William Ponsonby," a name native to this district, that in "Colin Clout's Come Home Again," when enumerating the poets of the day, especially the pastoral writers, he says:

"There eke is Palin worthy of great praise,
Albe he envy at my rustic quill.”

Now, "Palin" has been identified with Sir Thomas Chaloner,
at that time Lord of the Manor of St. Bees, whose poetical
genius, though recognized and alluded to by his familiars and
contemporaries generally, must be taken on trust, for no fruits of
it remain in existence. A careful examination resulted in the
discovery of three other Spenser entries, being, I believe, all in
the register.
The first is the record of a burial earlier in the
same year-

1590, 30 March, Anna, uxor Edmundi Spenser de Whithaven, sepulta fuit,"

which seems to show that Edmund had been a widower for about the short space of eight months. The third tells us that the bride of 1590 only survived her marriage sixteen months.

"1592, 14 Aprilis, Maria, uxor Edmundi Spenser de Whithaven, sepulta fuit."

And the fourth is of earlier date :

"1566, 24 Maii, Elizabetha, filia Richardi Spenser, bap. fuit." These entries are well worthy of consideration, though I cannot be quite so sanguine as I once felt that our Edmund is the Edmund of the "Faerie Queen,"

"Whose melodious bursts did fill

The spacious times of great Elizabeth
With sounds that echo still."

It is not a little singular in these days of sanitary research that

so little attention has been directed to periods of "visitations," as our ancestors called them, or "epidemics," as we should say, so clearly marked in our parish registers. It appears that two periods at least were remarkable above all others for their excessive and wide-spread mortality, those of 1596-7 and 1623. I am happy to know that this subject will be gone into in some detail in the chapter on the Cartmell registers in Mr. Stockdale's "Annales Caermolenses," shortly to be published, a work which is likely to prove of the highest interest to members of our society, and to northern archeologists generally.

With regard to the first date, the disease, whatever was its nature, must have lingered long in the locality, as will be seen in the account of the deaths for each year from 1589 to 1603, both inclusive, which indicate three years of excessive mortality :1589, 28; 1590, 26; 1591, 25; 1592, 69; 1593, 24; 1594, 18; 1595, 21; 1596, 65; 1597, 63; 1598, 14; 1599, 30; 1600, 8; 1601, 10; 1602, 16; 1603, 1I. The years 1621, 1622 and 1623, show respectively a mortality of 61, 46, and 145, against an average death rate of 65. In the year 1650 there is a special heading under which are given 39 names, and frequently three occur out of one household. What a silent wailing seems to arise out of this simple entry-"Those that dyed of the Visitation at Saint Bees the said yeare 1650, as followeth,"

We are all aware that it was customary, indeed obligatory, at one time, that the corpse should be shrouded in woollen, and this, Burn states, was rendered compulsory by an Act of Parliament passed in the 30th year of Charles II., which began 29th January, 1679. That there must be some mistake is evident from the fact that the earliest entry of this sort in our register is as follows:

"1678, 28th September, certificate for Matthew Nicholson, of Saint Bees, sworn to by Elizabeth and Elen Borrodell,

30th September, before Richard Patrickson, Esquire.”

This wonderful method of at once encouraging the woollen trade and saving linen, that paper might be less expensive, did not last long, for the latest entry is in September, 1687.

"Interred, Elisabeth, daughter of Robert Biglands, of

Whitehaven, her certificate for burying in woollen sworn to by Jane Hartley and Margaret Houghton, 6 October, before Mr. Bennett."

By an Act passed during the Commonwealth marriages could only take place after publication on three Sundays in the church, or three market-days in the market-place. This continued in force until the Restoration, and the latest entry here is that of the marriage in "January, 1659, of William Benn and Elizabeth Hyne, performed by Peter Smith, minister, publication having been made on the 18th and 25th December, and 1st of January." There are many entries respecting "Tramps," the earliest being in the year

"1543, 25 Januarii, Henricus, mulieris peregrini, bap. fuit." Another

“1596, 4 Maii, Willielmus, filius Willielmi Volantyne Egyptii, baptizatus fuit."

66

66

Egyptus" certainly means gypsy, and I am not sure whether Volantyne" is a surname, or we ought to read "Volantis Egyptii"-"fleeing Egyptian," as this peculiar people were deemed, and, indeed, gave themselves out to be.

To quote one more of the same class :

"1609, 24 Augusti, Femina quedam Hibernia peregrina sepulta fuit."

During what we may call the settlement of Whitehaven, when population was flocking thither from various quarters, more particularly from Ireland, the following, amongst many others of a similar nature, occurs :

"1689, June 10th. Interred the daughter of William, a stranger from Ireland."

A curious circumstance occurred in connection with the subject of the following entry :

'1654, July 25th. Roger Browne, a Welshman was buried." When excavations were being made to prepare the site of the Savings Bank, now standing on the northern side of Lowther street, Whitehaven, about forty years ago, a tombstone with this name and date was discovered, indicating that the burial-yard of the chapel (whence Chapel Street takes its name) had extended

across Lowther Street, and proving that although burials were then made at Whitehaven, for a period, at least, the entries continued to be inserted in the parish register. With one more extract I will conclude :

"1558, 10 die Februarii, Jacobus Tayton, monachus, sepultus fuit."

For twenty years he had survived the dispersal of his brethren; perhaps during the reign of Queen Mary he had encouraged a hope that the good old times would return; but she had died on the 17th of the previous November, and a heretic had succeeded her; and adhering pertinaciously to his vows, and resolute not to sink into the general mass of the laity, he too passed away.

It may be that my prolixity has defeated one of my main objects, which was not only to indicate the almost virgin mine of research open to members of our Association, but especially to enlist others in its explanation. Old as our register is, it is singularly barren in the discursive entries which characterise and render so entertaining the pages of others; especially I would allude to that of Greystock, very full extracts from which are in the possession of my friend, the Rev. Mr. Lees, of Wreay; and if the Association desire to see how entertaining and instructive the subject may be made when based on that register, with his editing, they will join me in urging him to undertake the labour.

My grateful thanks are due, and I have particular satisfaction in rendering them, to both the late and present vicars, for affording me access to the registers.

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VII.

Cumbrian Literary Worthies.

Reprinted from the "Carlisle Patriot," October 10th, 1873.

T is very pleasant to remember that the literary representatives of Cumberland and Westmorland were "not a whit behind the very chiefest" of their class in the Golden Age of Queen Anne. The twin counties may almost be said to possess, in legal phrase, a sort of undivided moiety claim in Addison; for, though the son of a Westmerian father, he was of Cumbrian blood, and all his fore-elders were of Low Wood Nook, near Bothel, in this county. In the latter part of the seventeenth century, we find that a branch from the present stem had become established in Whitehaven, then a great focus to which was drawn by a centripetal force the ability and energy within the sphere of its attraction.

"Eheu! quantum mutatus ab illo."

This branch maintained kindly and kinly relations with the great Spectator. An ancient chair in which he was wont to sit passed through their hands, after his decease, into those of the Blakeney family, and, when the last of that old stock died, became one of the most cherished possessions of its present owner. If further evidence were needed to show that this Whitehaven family was of the same race as their immortal namesake, it may be found in the written statement presented to George III. by glorious old Jonathan Boucher, apropos of whom I would entreat some one in the name of Beranger :

"Parlez nous de lui, Monsieur ;
Parlez nous de lui."