The connexion of the poet Gower with the priory of St. Mary Overy is well known; as well as his munificence in contributing very largely to the reconstruction of the church of the priory, in which he also founded a chantry, and where his tomb still exists. It would appear from this document, that he actually resided within the priory.
This marriage must have taken place late in his life. The year of his birth is unknown. He is said to have been somewhat older than Chaucer, the date of whose birth is also uncertain; there being some grounds for assigning it to 1328, others, perhaps more satisfactory, for fixing it 1345. If the latter be correct, and if we allow for the disparity of age, we may suppose Gower to have been somewhere between fifty-five and sixty years of age at the time of his marriage with Agnes Groundolf.
W. H. Gunner.
Winchester.
[A reference to the will of Gower, which is printed in Todd's Illustrations of Gower and Chaucer, p. 87. et seq., confirms the accuracy of our correspondent's inference, that this is the marriage licence of the poet, inasmuch as it shows that the Christian name of Gower's wife was Agnes.—Ed. "N. & Q.">[
ASKA OR ASCA.
Throughout North America this dissyllable is found terminating names in localities, occupied at the present day by Indian tribes speaking very different languages; and, in these languages, with the exception of such names, few analogous sounds exist. There are, besides, names terminating in esco, isco, isca, escaw, uscaw, which, perhaps, may be placed in the same category, being only accidental variations of aska, arising from a difference of ear in those who first heard them pronounced by a native tongue.
Are these names vernacular in any of the modern Indian languages? and, if so, what is their real meaning? I propound these questions for solution by any of the gentlemen at Fort Chepewyan, Norway House, &c. (since, no doubt, "N. & Q." penetrates the Far West as well as the Far East), who may feel an interest in the subject.
Apparently, they have been imposed by a people who occupied the whole continent from sea to sea, as they occur from Hudson's Bay to Yucatan, and from the Pacific to the Atlantic.