"Theare was Sr Raulfe ye Vernon ye old, ye quych levet xx
vij yer and x yere, and he had to his first Wyffe on Mary ye Lordes doughter of Dacre, and he had Issue by her one Sr Raulf ye Vernon of Hanwell, Mr Ricrd person of Stockporte, other two sonnes Mighell & Hugh, ye quich wer both freres: and two daughteres, Agnes and Rose and yen deghet ye forsaid Mary, and after her death ye forsaid old Sr Raulf tooke to paremer on Maude ye Grosevener, and had Issue by her Ricrd and Robart bastardes. Ye forsaid Sr Raulf ye Vernon of Hanwell was maryed to A. Seintper, and had Issue by her Ralyn, Hychcoke, John, & Thomas, ye quiche Ralyn had Issue Sr Raulfe ye Vernon of Mottrem, ye quich Sr Raulf had Issue yong Sr Raulf, ye forsaid Sr Raufe ye Vernon of Hanwell, Ralyn his Sonn, and Sr Raufe his sonn deygen, lyvand ye old Sr Raufe; and ye sam tym on Sr Ricrd Damory was Justice of Chester, and ye forsaid old Sr Raufe and he weren accordet yat ye yong Sr Raufe shold wedde Agnes daughter of ye forsaid Sr Ricrd Damory, and that Sir Raufe ye old shold be fyne reret at Chester, gife all his landes &c. to ye said Mr Ricrd his sonn, getten by ye forsaid Mary of Dacre and to his heires, and so it was done, and the sam Ricrd pson gyfe the sam lands &c. to ye sam old Sr Raufe againe to term of his Lyve; and after his dessease to ye yong Sr Rauf and to Agnes his Wyfe daughter to Sr Ricrd Damory, and to ye heires male of yr bodyes geten; for default of Issue mall of ye forsaid yong Sir Raufe and Agnes, yat all ye Landes &c. then Remaine to Ricrd ye Sonn of Raufe ye Vernon of Shibbrocke getten by Maud ye Grosvener, and to ye heires of his body begotten male, and for default of Issue of his body getten male, that all ye Landes &c. sholden remain to ye right heires of ye forsaid Mr Ricrd wthouten ende. Ye forsaid yong Sr Raufe and Agnes deyhten wthout Issue of hose bodyes begotten male, and yen entret Sr Raufe yat last deyhten as sonn and heir to Ricrd ye Vernon ye sonn of old Sr Rauf ye Vernon and Maude ye Grosevenor, by Vertue of ye fyne before rehersed. Ye forsaid Sr Rauf Ricrd son deyget wthout heir of his body getten mall, and so Sr Ricrd ye Vernon brother to yis last Sr Rauf entret heir male, and continued all his Lyfe and had Issue mulier Sr Ricrd ye quiche is now dead wthout Issue malle."
C. DE D.
OLD TREES.—FAIRLOP OAK.
(Vol. v., p. 114.)
I have, in my scrap-book, a curious old print of Fairlop Oak, to which some verses are attached, which I think is somewhat of a rarity. It is on thin, miserable paper; size, demy quarto; without date or printer's name; in general character bearing a very Catnachian aspect. The print of the tree occupies nearly half the sheet, and is a most vile specimen of both drawing and engraving. The tree is represented as in a dilapidated condition, with a huge hollow trunk, within which are seen some persons making themselves "jolly" at a drinking-table. The tree has but five principal branches, and these are only tipped here and there with foliage, the work of popular demolition under which the tree is known to have fallen being plainly seen in its many barren branches, and still more pointedly suggested by the four persons, who, having climbed aloft, are airing themselves in the forks of its boughs. The background is filled up with the incidents of the fair. To the right, in the fore-ground, is one of the well-known "boats" mounted on wheels, the deck manned by blockmakers "on their legs" singing a chorus. Behind, in the distance, is a theatre or exhibition-booth, with the band and sundry performers entertaining the crowd gratis; on the proscenium above is written, ... GELL. CLARK. On the left hand is another of these unclassical erections, with a man in front balancing himself on a ladder; the name SAUNDERS being inscribed above. Below this is an exhibition of a minor sort, and several groups of gaping cockneys. A "boat," a booth, and a set of "knock 'em down" complete the scene; in the latter case a woman caters for the encouragement of the English but ignoble sport of "three throws a penny."[5] Below the print is a line in large type (scarcely legible), announcing it to be "An original Drawing by an eminent Artist [printed off] a Woodcut engraved on a Block of the celebrated Tree." I transcribe literally what follows.
[5] Query, whence the origin of this fashionable accompaniment of cockney fairs?
"The Stem of this vegetable Progidy, which was [roughly hollowed (?)], measured, at 3 feet from the ground, about 36 feet in girth, and the boughs extended about 300 feet in circumference. The Fair which was held upon this spot was founded about the year 1720, by Mr. Daniel Day, Block Maker, of Wapping, who gave his men an annual Bean Feast, under the shade of the Oak, on the first Friday in July; and which has been visited for a number of years by the Block Makers and Watermen of the eastern part of the metropolis, who parade round the spot singing the following songs:—
"Song from the Block Makers' Boat, sung by Mr. Hemingway.
"George, our great King, as he sat on the throne,
The supporters of Fairlop sent in their petition,
That he the old Oak in true wisdom would own,