ROBERT RAWLINSON.
P.S.—I have seen, in a court of justice in Lancashire, judge and counsel fairly set fast with a broad spoken county person; and many of the words in common use are not to be found in any dictionary or glossary. Again, I have spoken to reporters as to technical words used at such meetings, for instance, as those of the mechanical engineers in Birmingham, and I have been informed that they are frequently bewildered and surprised at the numbers of words in use having the same meaning, but which are not to be found in any dictionary. It would be of the utmost value to seize and fix these words.
R. R.
[The proposal of our correspondent jumps so completely with the object of "N. & Q.," as announced in our original Prospectus, that we not only insert it, but hope that his invitation will be responded to by all who meet with archaisms either in their reading or in their intercourse with natives of those various districts of England which are richest in provincialisms.—ED.]
THE LAST OF THE PALÆOLOGI.
In Chambers' Edinburgh Journal, vol. xvii. p. 24., there is a very interesting article, bearing the above heading, in which it is shown that Theodore Palæologus, the fourth in direct descent from Thomas, the younger brother of Constantine, the last Christian Emperor of Greece, lies buried in the church of Landulph in Cornwall. This Theodore married Mary, the daughter of William Balls, of Hadley in Suffolk, gentleman; by whom he had issue five children, Theodore, John, Ferdinando, Maria, and Dorothy. Theodore, the first son, died in or about 1693, without issue. Of John and Ferdinando there is no trace in this country. Maria died unmarried; and Dorothy was married at Landulph to William Arundell in 1636, and died in 1681.
Ferdinando Palæologus appears to have died in the island of Barbadoes in 1678, and was buried in the church of St. John.
These researches are extremely interesting, and it is only to be regretted that they are not more frequently made and left on record. Allow me to suggest that such of your readers as have time, inclination, and opportunity for making inquiries of this nature, should, through the medium of "N. & Q.," place on record any striking illustrations similar to the above. Your own publication, Vol. iii., p. 350., contains a list of names of the poor of St. Albans, several of which are borne still by noble families. Possibly there may be still existing descendants of the Dorothy Palæologus who married William Arundell at Landulph.
To mention another instance: I believe there now lives at Rugby a member of the legal profession, who is directly descended from one of the most renowned Polish families. Particulars of this case, if furnished by or with the consent of the head of the family, would, I have no doubt, prove exceedingly interesting.
L. L. L.