—On p. 167. of the third volume of "NOTES AND QUERIES," MR. STEPHENS, of Stockholm asks a question concerning the Irish Airs of this distinguished musician. As a member of the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, I feel more than ordinary pleasure in answering the Query of your esteemed correspondent.
Edward Bunting was born at Armagh in 1773. He claimed descent from Patrick Gruama O'Quin, who as killed in arms in July, 1642; and it was to this origin that Bunting attributed his musical talents, as well as certain strong Irish predilections, for which he was through life remarkable. His first collection of Irish Airs was published in 1796; his second in 1809; and his third, and last, in 1840. The first work contains sixty-six native Irish airs never before published. The second added seventy-five tunes to the original stock. This volume, like the first, afforded a copious fund of new melodies, of which the song-writers of the day eagerly and largely availed themselves. The third and final collection consists of upwards of 150 melodies; "Of these," the editor remarks in his Preface, "considerably more than 120 are now for the first time published, the remainder being sets much superior to those already known." Bunting did not live to carry out his plan of republishing his first two collections uniform with the third. He died December 21, 1843, aged seventy. A copious memoir of him, accompanied with a portrait, may be found in the Dublin University Magazine, No. XLI., January, 1847.
EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.
Colonies in England (Vol. iv., pp. 272. 370.).
—In Vol. iv., p. 207. inquiry is made about the existence of colonies of Moors and others in different parts of England: I was not aware of there being any such as those he mentions, but as your correspondent wishes to know of any others which may still exist, I can inform him that colonies of Spaniards are known of in Mount's Bay and Torbay. The latter, from having intermingled with the surrounding population, have not now, I believe, much more than a traditionary Spanish descent; whilst the former, on the contrary, have kept aloof, and are easily distinguished from their marked Spanish features. This colony is planted at Mousehole; and, according to their account, they have been settled there upwards of three centuries. Another account declares the original settlers to have formed part of the Spanish Armada; and that after its defeat, they made a descent on this part of the Cornish coast, drove out or killed the former inhabitants and have ever since remained unmolested, and in great measure distinct from the surrounding inhabitants. The nature of the country in which they settled has, no doubt, proved favourable to them in this respect, as the soil is barren and rocky, with thinly scattered villages inhabited by a hardy race of fishermen.
H. L.
The settlement of a colony of Flemings in the lower part of Pembrokeshire, called Rhos and Castle Martin, in the time of Henry I., was one of the subjects discussed at the meeting of the Cambrian Archæological Association at Tenby in August last, where the subject was fully debated, and the fact seemed established. A full report of this discussion is contained in the October number of the Cambrian Archæological Association, published by Pickering, London.
T. O. M.
"History of Anglesey," &c. (Vol. iv, p. 317.).
—This publication is attributed to the Rev. J. Thomas in a note to page 230. of the Cambrian Plutarch, by the late J. Humphreys Parry.