and agreeable letter-writer. Her uncle, Lord Lansdowne, Earl Bathurst, Dean Swift, and other notable personages, were among her correspondents; but most of her epistles were to her sister Ann, between whom and herself a peculiarly strong and beautiful affection existed. Her references to Gloucester and its people are often amusing and interesting, but not always complimentary. The old city was dull: an occasional concert or ball, or the performance of a play in "Mr. Whitfield's great room," constituted the chief pleasures afforded to its small circle of fashionable inhabitants. Not only did the belles outnumber the beaux, but there was said to be "a scarcity of agreeable men." Some of the luxuries of life were not to be obtained in the shops of its tradesmen. Tea and chocolate were procured from London, at prices which contrast strangely with those of the present day. "The man at the Poultry has tea of all prices," says Mrs. Pendarves, writing to her sister in 1728: "Bohea from thirteen to twenty shillings, and green from twelve to thirty." "Tea dust" could not be bought for "love nor money." "I send three pounds of chocolate at four shillings a pound," she says-that at three and sixpence being unsatisfactory. China, which also had to be procured from the metropolis, could be obtained at more reasonable rates than the beverages for which it was used. Even at a time when its price was said to have "risen mightily," a set of "cups, saucers, bason, sugar, dish, and plate" could be bought for fourteen shillings.

In 1740, Ann Granville, after "languishing in the old town of Gloucester," from whence she could have but occasional escapes to a more congenial atmosphere, for sixteen years, married a Mr. Dewes, and settled in Worcestershire; and in 1743, Mrs. Pendarves, after a widowhood of nineteen years, during which she declined several offers of marriage, became the wife of Dr. Delany (who was in the following year promoted to the deanery of Down), and removed to Ireland. Mrs. Granville remained in Gloucester, receiving frequent visits from her daughters and numerous friends. Her death in August, 1747, occurred suddenly while she was kneeling in private prayer.

In the summer of 1749, Mrs. Delany, accompanied by her husband, made a pilgrimage to Gloucester, to visit her mother's. grave. Writing to Mrs. Dewes, July 1st, she says, "Yesterday I received my dearest sister's letter, and am glad you are determined to sit quiet this sultry weather. As for our meeting at Gloucester, it would have been too much for us both, and Mrs V[iney] takes the not coming in the true sense. Though I have suffered in my spirits by coming here, I have acquitted myself of a duty I owed, and find a satisfaction in my mind for having done it; and a quiet and uninterrupted enjoyment of my dear sister's company at my return to Welsbourne, will compensate for the melancholy hours I must spend in this place, where so many objects put me in mind of our great loss. But I will say no more on this subject, though my

heart is easier for having said so much.. I found all here well except poor Nancy, who seems to me in a very bad way; our first meeting was what you may imagine it to be, and the first object that struck my eyes was a new tomb, and that put my spirits into such a hurry that I could not get the better of it for some time, nor had I courage to venture yesterday to church morning or evening, or to go out of doors but into the garden. . What a strange inconsistent letter is this, my dearest sister! rambling like my poor fluttered head: and yet I think I find myself well composed to-day, and I intend going to church; for there is, after all, but one method that can compose the mind properly-which is, performing our duty to the best of our capacity, and praying for grace to sustain us under all trials.”

Mrs. Dewes died in 1761, and Mrs. Delany in 1788. There is a fine portrait of the latter in Hampton Court. GLOUCESTRENSIS.

1523.-SIR ROBERT SMIRKE, R.A., AND SIR EDWARD SMIRKE. Sir Robert Smirke, the very able and successful architect, who died at his residence, 20, Suffolk Square, Cheltenham, on the 18th of April, 1867, was the eldest son of the eminent historical painter, Robert Smirke, R.A., and brother of Sydney Smirke, R.A., like himself, an architect of note. He was born in 1780, and studied for some time in the office of Sir John Soane, and subsequently spent several years in Italy, Sicily, and Greece, visiting, at intervals, the principal cities of Europe. Steadily advancing in his profession, he was elected R.A. in 1811; and in 1823 he was entrusted with all the works at the British Museum (which remained under his charge until 1847, when his brother Sydney succeeded him), and shortly after, with the building of the General Post Office; these, and the restoration of York Minster after its destruction by fire in 1829, being among the best known of his public works; while Lowther and Eastnor Castles may be pointed to as noble examples of his talent in the construction of private mansions. One of his many other well-known works was the erection of the Gloucester Courts of Justice. He was for many years architect to the old Board of Works, and was knighted in 1832, when that Board was reconstituted. He held for a long time the office of treasurer to the Royal Academy, but relinquished it on fixing his residence at Cheltenham in 1850; and a few years before his death, finding his declining health to interfere materially with the efficient discharge of the duties of a royal academician, he resigned that honour, in order that it might be conferred on someone younger and more active. He was the author of many architectural works. In 1819 he married Laura (d. 1861), daughter of the Rev. Anthony Freston, Rector of Edgeworth, Gloucestershire.

Sir Edward Smirke, fourth son of Robert Smirke, Esq., and a younger brother of Sir Robert Smirke, was born in 1796, and was educated at St. John's, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. 1816,

and M.A. 1820: he was called to the bar in November, 1824; married in 1838 Harriet Amelia, youngest daughter of Thomas Neill, Esq., of Turnham Green, Middlesex; and was knighted in 1870. He was solicitor and attorney-general to the Prince of Wales; vice-warden of the Stannaries of Devon and Cornwall; and a J.P. for the latter county.

In the parish church of Leckhampton, near Cheltenham, there are three brasses, with these inscriptions respectively :

In memory of | Harriet Amelia, the wife of Edward Smirke, | of St. Philip's Lodge, in this | Parish, Esq. She died on the 23 February, 1863, at the age of 64. Her afflicted husband placed this tablet in tes- | timony of his lasting love, and in grateful remembrance of their long and happy | union.

In memory of Sir Edward Smirke, Knt., | late of St. Philip's Lodge, in this Parish. He died on the 4 March, 1875, at the age of 79. He is buried in the Cemetery at Kensal Green,

London.

In memory of Matilda Neill, daughter of Thomas Neill, late of Turnham Green, Middx., | Esq., and sister of the beforenamed Harriet Amelia Smirke. | After many years of sickness and suffering, borne with | pious resignation, and soothed by the tender and constant care of her loving sister, she died on the 5 October, 1859, at the age of 63. CHELTONIENSIS.

1524.-A PLEA FOR PEWTER VESSELS.-The Rev. J. Charles Cox has written as follows in the Derbyshire Archæological Society's Journal (1884), vol. vi., in an interesting article on Eucharistic Plate :

The great increase in the size of the crewets used at Holy Communion, necessitated at the Reformation by the restoration of the cup to the laity, gave a great impetus to the general use of pewter for these vessels, and hence the use of that metal in poor despoiled churches descended even to the chalice and paten. The pewter crewets, which in the 15th and 16th centuries sufficed for the ordinary parish churches (almost all the Derbyshire crewets of the inventories of 1552 were of this material), being enlarged to meet the needs of the age, became what we now term flagons. These were usually in pairs, and were intended to be used for the wine and the water respectively, for which the ancient crewets or phials had been formerly provided. The earliest flagons are of Elizabeth's time. They have a pear-shaped body, domed lid with thumb piece, a curved handle, and are mounted on a spreading circular foot. After the beginning of the 17th century the common tall tankard shape comes into use. In several of the old engravings of postReformation altars the two flagons are represented with some difference in the covers or handles, as if intended to assist the celebrant in readily distinguishing between the flagons for the wine and for the water. This is very prominent in the frontispiece of

The whole duty of receiving worthily the Blessed Sacrament, which was in a fifth edition in 1717.

By the canon of 1603-4, the churchwardens of each parish, against the time of every Communion, "shall provide. . . a sufficient quantity. . . of good wholesome wine for the number of communicants that shall from time to time receive there, which wine we require to be brought to the Communion table in a clean and sweet standing pot or stoup of pewter, if not of purer metal." At Quarndon, from the terrier of 1751, we find that a flagon, chalice, paten, salver, and plate, all of pewter, were in use. The Wirksworth churchwardens' accounts have the following entries :"1662. Paid for a puter flagon for the Communion Table, 7o 4a.” "1667. Disbursed by Mr Archdeacon 68 9d for a puter flagon.' At All Saints', Derby, the following memorandum appears :"That in ye month of April, An. 1679, Mr Geerge Smith, of this Parish of All Saints', Pewterer, did give for ye use of ye Parishioners of this Parish of All Saints' two large pewter Flaggons and one Pewter Plate: to be used only at the Communion." Even now pewter vessels may often be found in the vestries of churches, though very rarely in use, except occasionally as alms plates.

Surely we ought to be careful-(and irrespective of the reverence due to sacred things, pewter has its own history, its own marks, its own occasional beauty of shape or of engraved design—) that such vessels as these, though of inferior metal, are not carelessly discarded, or suffered to be put to base uses where they will soon pass into oblivion. I am glad to say that I have been instrumental in one case in this county (Derbyshire) in recovering a large pewter church flagon from the village inn, and it is now used in supplying water for the font. Careful inquiry in our conntry parishes would, I believe, result in the recovery of many of these flagons or other pewter vessels that once were put to so sacred a use. Their careful preservation, however uninteresting they may seem to be, should surely commend itself to us, whether as archæologists or churchmen. The Bishop of Carlisle (Dr. Harvey Goodwin), in his Christmas pastoral for 1880, did not think it beneath his notice to formally address his clergy on this subject, thus :- "It is very desirable that pewter vessels which have been used for the purposes of the Holy Communion, should be carefully preserved, even when their place has been taken by silver utensils: there is a temptation to neglect them as of no value: but there is much of historical interest attaching to these pewter vessels, and they deserve a place in the treasury of the parish to which they belong."

J. M. H.

1525.-A GLOUCESTER WORTHY OF THE PRESENT CENTURY.In the Annual Register (1810), vol. lii., chron., p. 410, amongst the deaths in December this notice appears:-"At Gloucester, Mr. John

• See vol. iii., p. 250, where, in "Extracts from the Accounts of the Churchwardens of Eastington, 1616-1756," such curious entries as these appear:-"1713. paid for a pewter gun, 6. 0;" and, " 1715. pd. for mending ye puter Gunn, 6d."-ED.

Russell, late keeper of the prison in that city; a man who was remarkable for his kindness and humanity to those unfortunate persons who were committed to his care. It is a fact not generally known, that no adequate provision is made for the support of these persons, who, were it not for the contributions of the charitable and humane, must often experience the most severe privations. To the credit of Mr. Russell it ought to be known, that he appropriated more than half his salary to this benevolent purpose and to the humanity of the keeper, and liberal contributions of a benevolent lady, these poor creatures were often indebted for a comfortable meal." Such an example of practical benevolence should, I think, be more generally known and remembered.

GLOUCESTRENSIS.

1526.-BERKELEY CORPORATION MACE: CURIOUS CUSTOM.— (See vol. iii., p. 418; no. 1345.) Several of the old corporation maces have served as drinking cups. For example, the top of the handsome silver-gilt mace, which was given by George, first Earl of Berkeley, who commanded the royal fleet at the Restoration, to the corporation of Berkeley, was for many years used as a drinking cup at the conclusion of the feasts. When the mayor came to the last toast, the head of the mace was unscrewed from the stem, and the crown unscrewed from the top. The cup part of the mace was then filled with punch, and the crown placed upon it, in which condition it was presented to the mayor, who exclaimed, "Prosperity to the Corporation and Borough of Berkeley." His right hand neighbour took up the crown, saying, "God save the King," and the mayor drank the contents of the mace-head; and so it passed down the table, each person vis-à-vis performing the "God save the King" to him. In connection with this ceremony, an amusing anecdote is related by a correspondent in Notes and Queries (2nd S. v. 520), to the effect that about eighty years ago a medical member of the corporation, not liking so much punch at so late an hour, refused the toast, and that he was at once decreed by the mayor to drink it forthwith in salt and water; which he drank, or rather pretended to drink, amidst the cheers and laughter of the company. The reader will probably remember one of the late Mr. Mathews's songs, "The Country Club," from which it appears that a rule of the club was, that " every member shall sing a song, or drink a glass of salt and water." M. C. B.

1527.-SMYTH v. SMYTH:" AN IMPOSTOR DEFEATED. (See vol. iii., pp. 563, 634; nos. 1439, 1475.) I notice one or two mistakes in the account of " Smyth v. Smyth." It is correctly stated that Sir John Hugh Smyth, Bart., died in 1802, but incorrectly, I think, that he had been twice married. Burke, in his Peerage and Baronetage, mentions only one marriage. But there is certainly a