RETROSPECTIVE GLEANINGS.

THE BISHOPRICKS OF ENGLAND AND WALES

Were instituted according to the following order of time, viz. London an Archbishoprick and Metropolitan of England, founded by Lucius, the first Christian king of Britain, A.D. 185; Llandaff, 185; Bangor, 516; St. David's, 519. The Archbishoprick of Wales from 550 till 1100, when the Bishop submitted to the Archbishop of Canterbury as his Metropolitan; St. Asaphs, 547. St. Augustine (or Austin) made Canterbury the Metropolitan Archbishoprick, by order of Pope Gregory, A.D. 596; Wells, 604; Rochester, 604; Winchester, 650; Lichfield and Coventry, 656; Worcester, 679; Hereford, 680; Durham, 690; Sodor and Man, 898; Exeter, 1050; Sherborne (changed to Salisbury) 1056; York (Archbishoprick) 1067; Dorchester (changed to Lincoln) 1070; Chichester, 1071; Thetford (changed to Norwich) 1088; Bath and Wells, 1088; Ely, 1109; Carlisle, 1133. The following six were founded upon the suppression of monasteries by Henry VIII.—Chester, Peterborough, Gloucester, Oxford, Bristol, and Westminster, 1538. Westminster was united to London in 1550.—Vide Tanner's Notitia Monastica.

C. G. E. P.

ADDINGTON, SURREY.

The lord of this manor, in the reign of Henry III. held it by this service, viz. to make the king a mess of pottage at his coronation; and so lately as the reign of Charles II. this service was ordered by the court of claims, and accepted by the king at his table.

C. G. E. P.

THE BELL-SAVAGE INN

On Ludgate-hill, has, for more than a century, since its name was mentioned by Addison in the Spectator, occasioned a great variety of conjectures. These conjectures, however, all appear to have been erroneous, as the inn took the addition to its name from its having belonged to, or been kept by, a person of the name of Savage. The sign originally appears to have been a bell hung within a hoop, a common mode of representation in former times. This origin has been proved by a grant in the reign of Henry VI. in which John French, gentleman of London, gives to Joan French, widow, his mother, "all that tenement or inn called Savage's Inn, otherwise called the Bell on the Hoop." In the original "vocat" Savagesynne, alias vocat "Le Belle on the Hope." Perhaps the phrase "Cock-a-Hoop," may be derived from the sign of that bird standing on a hoop, thus most conspicuously displaying himself, as we find that sign or rather design existed in the reign above mentioned.

PARISH FEASTING.

A dinner always accompanies meetings on public occasions; feasting was formerly attached in like manner to chantries, anniversaries, &c.; and, as it appears in part of the curious items in the parish books of Darlington, clergymen officiated for a donation of wine. It appears, too, that both ministers and parishioners were saddled with charitable aids to itinerants of various kinds; that noblemen granted passes in the manner of briefs; and that it was deemed right and proper for even churchwardens and overseers to patronize knowledge. Accordingly we have,

"1630. To Mr. Goodwine, a distressed scholer, 2s. 6d."

"1631. Given to a poor scholler, 12d.—Given to Mary Rigby, of Hauret West, in Pembrokeshire, in Wales, who had the Earle of Pembroke's passe.... To an Irish gentleman that had fouer children, and had Earl Marshall's passe, 12d."

"1635. To a souldier which came to the church on a Sunday, 6d."

"1639. For Mr. Thompson, that preached the forenoone and afternoone, for a quart of sack, 14d."

"1650. For six quartes of sacke to the ministre that preached, when we had not a ministere, 9s."

It is to be observed that this was in the puritanical era.

"1653. For a primer for a poore boy, 4d."

"1666. For one quarte of sacke, bestowed on Mr. Jellet, when he preached, 2s. 4d."

"1684. To the parson's order, given to a man both deaf and dumb, being sent from minister to minister to London, 6d.—To Mr. Bell, with a letter from London with the names of the Royal Family, 6d."

This is a curious item; for it shows that the Mercuries, diurnals, and intelligencers of the day, were not deemed sufficient for satisfactorily advertising public events.

"1688. To the ringers on Thanksgiving Day, for the young Prince, in money, ale, and coals, 7s. 4d."

This must have been for the birth of the Pretender, of warming-pan celebrity.

"1691. For a pint of brandy, when Mr. George Bell preached here, 1s. 4d.—When the Dean of Durham preached here, spent in a treat with him, 3s. 6d.—For a stranger that preacht, a dozen of ale, 1s."

Thus it plainly appears that church-wardens had a feast jointly with the minister at the parish expense, at least whenever a stranger preached.