way to and from my work was up and down this ghost track. On this night I concluded to take a longer route on my way home; this was by Londonsquare, Covent Garden, Hillgate, through the Little Underbank to Chestergate. I remember

very well that when I got to the Mount Tabor Chapel the worshippers were coming out to go home. As I was passing the door a midde-aged lady wearing a red cloak, a garment much patronise i by the females at that time, was leaving. I saw her face by the glare of the light at the chapel door, and instinct told me that I could approach her. I stayed to see which way she turned to go home; she turned down Covent Garden, then I made sure she was going the way I wanted to go. I nes led beside her, and we were soon in conversation together; she resided a little further in Chestergate than our house, but she preferred coming down the Hillgate to the dark, lonely, and haunted Sandy Brow.

Long hours was the order of the day then, Although it was near half past nine, many of the shops in the Hillgate and all the way to our homes were still open and doing business. I made inquiries at home respecting the ghost story, and my grandfather and my father and mother confirmed all that Elijah Garlick had stated. It was some years before I ventured to go up Sandy Brow again in the dark.

A playfellow of mine named Tom Mort, who pieced at jennies in the cellar under Mr T. R. Smith's school, told my mother that Acquilla Taylor was in want of a piecer at 28 2d per week, the wage that I received from my uncle was only 18 8d. Sixpence per week was then an item in my mother's purse. She gave me her consent to apply for the new situation. I did so, and got it.

Whilst working in this jenny cellar I had many opportunities of seeing Mr T. R. Smith. He was

a person rather below the middle height and bulk, and very quick in his movements. He always appeared in the street dressed in black cloth, and scrupulously clean. A stranger meeting him would see at a glance that there was something about him above the common run of men. There vas a peculiarity in the shape or trimmings of some of his upper garments, which denoted that he was either a priest or a pedagogne. One peculiarity was bis overcoat, which was trimmed with fur, a very uncommon thing at that time, and for some years efore his death he wore a long cloth cloak with a collar of fur. Mr Smith's residence in the year 1824 was in the dwelling at the east corner of

the south end of Etchells-street, since converted into a shop. He had three sons-Frederick, William, and Arthur; the two former assisted the father in the day and evening school as monitors. When Tiviot Dale Sunday School was opened. in the year 1826, the scholars were removed from Etchells-street to Tiviot Dale, and Mr Smith went with them, and became a useful worker in the school.

The

At the beginning of the present century arith metic and writing were taught in most of our Sunday schools under difficult circumstances. Paper was very dear, and pens and slates were scarce articles. I have often heard it said that necessity is the mother of invention, and it proved so as regards learning to write and cast accounts in those days. I have heard my father tell that when he was a boy, and attended the Sunday school, that, instead of pens, ink, paper, and slates to practice with, they had to write on sand. Each scholar had a flat board, edged with a shallow brim. Some very fine sand was scattered on the board, and then rolled with a roller. youth was then furnished with a sharp-pointed skewer, and with this he had to make his charac ters on the sand. The Wesleyans had strong objections to teaching their youths arithmetic and writing on the Sunday, considering it a too much secular occupation. They nevertheless wished that their scholars should be as proficient in arithmetic and writing as the scholars attending other Sunday schools, therefore they made arrangements with the proprietors of week-day evening schools, where their sholars could attend free of charge. The scholars attending Tiviot Dale school had the privilege of attending Mr T. R. Smith's aca lemy every Saturday evening from seven to niue o'clock, I was one that embraced this opportunity. The first time I entered this evening school I was struck with amazement, everything seemed so strange to what I had ever seen in a school before. The first object that claimed my attention was the master himself. Although I had seen him on many occasions, I scarcely knew him on this occasion. He sat in a two-armed chair on a raised platform, with a large square table before him, on which were placed globes, terrestrial and celestial, mathematical instruments, and a number of books. But what attracted my attention most was Mr Smith's dress. He had on a gown of many colours, which reached from his neck to his heels; his head dress resembled that of a Turk. Thus equipped he looked like the astrologer depicted in Old Moore's almauack.

On the walls of the school hung a number of black boards, on which were specimens of arithmetic, writing, and drawing done with chalk, the handiwork, doubtless, of the day scholars. This boon of attending Mr Smith's academy, free of charge, was allowed for a number of years. About the year 1838 Mr Smith removed his residence to St. Marysgate, off Churchgate, and converted an old mill standing in that thoroughfare into his academy, and left his late dwelling in Etchellsstreet to his eldest son Frederick, who used it as a seminary for boarders. About the year 1844 Mr T. R. Smith left his academy in St. Marysgate in charge of his son William, and went to reside on the Wellington-road North, where he erected a small school, which was afterwards used by Dr. Greenhalgh as a surgery, and still exists. He died at the advanced age, if I remember rightly, of 91 years.

I left off piecing at jennies for Mr Acquilla Taylor, in the cellar under Mr T. R. Smith's school in Etchells-street, as abruptly as I left off piecing for my Uncle John.

The following anecdote will explain the reason. Tom Maut (the lad me tioned in my last paper) resided with his parents in a dwelling the entrance to which was in the broad entry, a few doors east of the Wheat Sheaf public-house, Chestergate, then kept by Mr Samuel Walker. Mr Maut, senior, was a hatter by trade, and was a confirmed drunkard, often being seen boozing for weeks together. I have stated before that Monday was generally a loose day with jenny spinners, and that it did not take much persuasion to induce them to have a holiday on that day. One Monday morning our masters did not put in an appearance at the usual time, neither did Tom Maut turn up, so the rest of us piecers were privileged to play in the street until breakfast time. After breakfast the spinners had all arrived, and were in the act of divesting themselves of their upper clothing preparatory to commencing work, when Tom Maut entered the jenny cellar with avery rueful face, and the following dialogue ensued:--T. Maut: "Mi feather's done it at last." A. Taylor: "Why, whot has thi feather done?" T. M.: "Why, he's gone and hanged hissel." A. T.: "When did he do that?" T. M.: "Why, first thing this morning before we got up." A. T.: "And is he dead?" T. M.: Ah, he's dead enough; he lies on t' table yonder." A. T.: "Ah suppose tha wants to go back agen ?" T. M.: "Well, mi mother said that ah must ask off.” A. T.: “Well, tha con goo. Tom Maut then hurried off to somewhere, but not to his

then.

home. When he had gone the spinners held a consultation as to whether it should be work or play. To the gratification of us piecers it was concluded that we should play, and we were set at liberty for the day. The Wheat Sheaf is a very old hostelrie, and Mr Walker was a very genial host, consequently his house was well patronised in the year 1824. There was a back way to the Wheat Sheaf, down a flight of steps leading from Rock Row, which made this house the nearest public to the rumerous jenny shops in the vicinity of St. Petersgate and Top-o'-th'-Hill, now called the High Bank Side, there being no public or beer hongs in those thoroughfares It was agreed upon by our masters that they should go to the Wheat Sheaf to have a fuddle, and accordingly they went. They had called for their drinks and were talking about the events of the day, but more especially the sad cccurrence which had tak n place in the neighbourhood that morning. The landlord said it was very strange that he had not heard anything about the affair, Mr Maut only living a few doors away, and he hinted that he did not believe the story. This rather vexed Mr Taylor, and he proffered to bet glasses round that his statement was true, for he had received it from Mr Maut's son's own lips. Whilst they were arguing the question Mr Maut appeared before them and decided the argument by asking which of them was going to stand a gill. I don't know how Tom Maut cleared up his lie at home; I know that next morning when he came to his work he received the most severe flogging with a knotted rope that I ever saw or heard of. He was almost beaten to death, and had to be taken home by me and another lad. The next day Tom's mother brought him to our house and stripped him in order that my mother might see the effects of the flogging. His back looked like one mass of jelly, and was striped like a tiger's hide. Had such an affair taken place at the present time the person who administered the chastisement might think himself lucky if he escaped with two years' imprisonment. I never remember being struck once whilst piecing in the jeony cellar in Etchells-street, but my mother in sisted on me going no more after seeing Tom's back, and I never did.

At this time (1824) my elder brother was piecing at Mr Thomas Ashtou's jenny factory in Bridgefield. The factory was situated in what is now called Union-road, and was 'ast leased by Mr Wm. Hyde, who converted it into shops and furnished dwellings, which were recently condemned, and the

old mill has been pulled down, the site having been purchased by Councillor Kain, of Edgeley, who is erecting upon it a number of commodions shops, which will be an ornament to the locality.

A

On

Mr Thomas Ashton, in the year 1824, was considered an extensive cotton spinner. Besides his mill in the Union-road he had a mill in what is now called Steward-street, which abutted on the west end of Mr Crowther's silk and cotton mill. This mill, which appeared to be a very old one, was burnt down about the year 1826. My brother said a spinner at their shop wanted a piecer. I went wi h him, showed myself, and got engaged. There were three rooms in this mill, filled with jennies. It was my lot to work on the farthest jenny in the south end of the cellar. There were three of Mr T. Ashton's brothers spinning in this cellar, who all resided on Lancashire-hill, namely, Joseph, William, and James. Joseph was my master. great change has taken place in this locality since the year 1824. On the west end of this old mill was an open space, unoccupied, which extended from the mill across Heaton-lane to Back Waterstreet. This open space was the favourite rendezvous for the numerous mountebanks, jugglers, acrobats, and the like fraternity, who often visited Stockport about sixty years ago. the west side of Mr Ashton's mill was a detached dwelling, occupied by a family of the name of Rudd. In the yard, on the north side of Mr Rudd's house, and behind the premises now occupied by Mr John Berry, grocer, stood a venerable pump, which furnished a superior class of water to its numerous thirsty customers, and was greatly patronised and appreciated by the inhabitants far and near. On the south end of this old jenny shop was Mr Rudd's garden (now covered by Mr Faulder's property), which extended to the river's brink, and to the Rev. Mr Gadsby's chapel, in Gadsby's-court. From Mr Rudd's house, and to the east of Mr Brown's garden, was a plot of disused ground extending to the river side. On the Cheshire side of the river in this locility in several plices steps had been cut in the rock, by which people could descend to the water. There was a flight of these rock steps a few yards from the Lancashire Bridge. These steps were priacipal'y used by the family of Mr James Lomax (the founder of the Stockport Advertiser) and his employés.

At one time they had a nice pleasure boat moored at the bottom of these steps, but owing to certain drawbacks it was very little used. There was another range of rock steps on the site where now stands the Union Tavern Inn.

These last-named steps were a great boon to the inhabitauts of the Underbanks, Adlington-square, Chestergate, Bearhole Brow, Pickford's Brow, and Top-o'-th'-Hill. The summer of the year 1824 was something like the present one. People were put to great straits to get a necessary supply of water. I had been in my new situation several weeks, and Mr Joseph Ashton and myself had agreed very well. The weather being very sultry the jenny spinners often went out of the mill to eat their meals on the river side. Water carriers then were as common as what are street criers of the present day. Billy Mellons, a well-known water carrier, who resided in Chestergate, thought of following two occupations at one time, those of fisherman and water carrier. Billy patronised these last-named steps. He had drilled a hole in the rock wherein he could insert the thick end of his fishing rod. When Billy made his first daily visit to the river he invariably brought with him his rod and line. He baited his hooks, threw his line into the river, secured his rod in the hole in the rock, filled his cans, then went to dispense the needful, and left One his fishing tackle to the mercy of all comers. moruing the jeany spinners, with a sprinkling of the piecers, were sitting on the river side eating their breakfast, when Billy's fishing rod was observed to be in a violent commotion. One of the spiners shouted to his piecer, saying, “Jack, go and fetch you fishing rod." Jack was very willing to obey his master's commands, thinking he was doing nothing wrong. He divested himself of his nether garments, waded the river, and brought with him back the rod, line, and a snig several pounds in weight. Jack's share of the spoil was a good feed off an eel pie. Stockport.

JOHN GREENHALGH.

Queries.

NIXON, OF THE VALE ROYAL.-In reading De Quincey's "Modern Supersti jon" the other day I came across the following:-"There had been amongst us British, from the twelfth century, Thomas of Ercildoune in the north, and many monkish local prophets for every part of the island; but latterly England had no terrific prophet, unless, indeed, Nixon, of the Vale Royal, in Cheshire, who uttered his dark oracles sometimes with a merely Cestrian, sometimes with a national reference." Who was this Nixon, where was

his establishment, and what were his prophecies ? I shou d feel obliged if some of the readers of Notes and Queries could furnish the information.

Notes.

STOCKPORT PARISH REGISTERS.

XXVI.

JANUARYE, 1604.

BAPTISED.

-George sonne of Reginald Adshead of Stockport
MARYE THE DAUGHTER OF HENRIE ARDERNE GENT
SONNE AND HEIRE APPARANT OF JOHN ARDERNE OF
HAWARDEN ESQUIER WAS BAPTIZED THE 6гн.
-Alice daughter of William Wharneby of Bred-
bury.

William sonne of Thomas Collyer of Stockport.
Anne daughter of Hughe Herod of Stockport.
THOMAS THE SONNE OF RICHARD GERARD PARSON
OF STOCKPORTE WAS BAPTISED THE 11TH.
Henrye sonne of James Leighe of 1orkinton.
Lydia daughter of John Cawsworth of the parish
of Cheadle.

Robert sonne of William Small of the parish of
Cheadle.

Elizabeth daughter of John Hyde of Northburye Raffe sonne of Thomas Nicholson of Rediche.

MARRIED.

Martyn Woodd and Katherine Cock. Roger Key and ffrauncis Baylye.

BURIED.

An infant of Richard Brookes of Rediche.

The wyfe of Thomas Cheetham of Bredburye Hall
Ould Robert Holme of Rediche.

Anne daughter of Hughe Hearod of Stockport.
George Heggenbothom of Marple scrwener.

FEBRUARYE, 1604.

MARCH, 1604

BAPTISED.

3. Jane daughter of John Cooke of Stockport. 10.-Edwarde sonne of Raffe Lidsbury of Bredburye. 10.-Martha daughter of John Bradley of Rediche. 15.-John sonne of William Brentnall of Bromhall, 15.-Marye daughter of Thomas Garnett of Stockport. 17. Margarett daughter of John Wilkinson a pore man 22.-Thomas sonne of Henrye Shawe of Hyde. 22.-George sonne of Henry e ffarrowe a pore man. 22.-Anne daughter of Reginald Goddard of Hyde.

BURIED.

8.-Margerye Beacom of Marple.

11-The wyfe of Launcelott Seddon of Romiley. 14.-Edwarde sonne of George Syddall of the parish of Manchester.

15.-James Barratt of Bromhall.

16.-Ellen Cheetham of Crookiley wydowe.

18.-A daughter of Thomas Harrops.

MARCH, 1605.

BAPTISED.

27.-Margarett daughter of William Thorniley of Romiley.

29.-Rauffe sonne of William Winterbottom of Bredburye.

29.-Edward sonne of Edward Echills of Offerton. 29.-Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Harrison of

Werneth.

30.-A chylde named Thomas of Thomas Cheethams of Woodley junior.

31.-Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Kenyon of Stockport.

BURIED.

3.-Margret daughter of William Thornelye of Romiley.

12.-ELLEN THE DAUGHTER OF ROBERT DOKENFIELDB OF DOKENFIELDE ESQUIER WAS BURIED THE 12TH. 19.-Brigitt daughter of Anthonye Hegginbotham of Marpull.

21.-An infante of Rauffe Brookes of Heaton Norres.

MAY, 1605.

BAPTISED.

1.-John sonne of Carlell Cheetham of Bredburye. 1.-Henrye sonne of Henrye Holme of Stockport. 9. Marye daughter of John Hall of Heaton Norres. 9.-Thomas sonne of Rauffe Shelmerden of Gorton. 9.-A chylde of Henrye Brombells of Haughton

named John.

14.-Twoe iafantes of John Marsland the younger of Bosdon.

17.-Robert and Edward twoe sonnes of Alexander

Colliers of Bredburye.

19.-John sonne of Richard Buckley of Rediche, 26.-Nathaniell sonne of John Bolande of Stockport.

MARRIED.

2.-Humfrey Kerke and Anne Swyndells. 13.-Robert Smithe and Elizabeth Shaw. 15.-Thomas Perryn and Elizabeth Bowker.

BURIED.

4.-John Devis of Stockport.

4. Margery Hall of Stockport.

12.-Marye daughter of John Hall of Heaton Norres: 13.-Twoe infantes of Anthonye Ardernes of Stockport.

19.-One of the infantes of John Marsland the younger of Bosden.

29.-The wyfe of George Adshead of Stockport. 29-The wyfe of Anthonye Arderne of Stockport. 31.-A chylde of Anne Halls of Stockport named John.

JUNE, 1605.

BAPTISED.

2.-Robert sonne of Laurence Seele of Stockport. 2.-Thomas sonne of Robert Bordman the younger of Stockport.

2.-Dorothy daughter of Thomas Elcock of Stockport.

2.—Marye daughter of John Owen of the parish of

Manchester.

6.-Marye daughter of William Heggenbotham of Marple.

9. Richard sonne of John Burges of Stockport. 14.-ffraunces sonne of James Smithe of Bredburye. 16.-Robert sonne of Rauffe Nicholson of Rediche. 16. Richard sonne of Richard Johnson of Stockport. 23. James sonne of James Smithe of Haughton. 23.-Thomas sonne of Henrye Woodd of Steckport. 14.-Anne daughter of Ottwell Hegginbotham of

Offerton.

28.-Thomas sonne of Reginald Higham of Hyde. 30.-Jane daughter of Thomas Percivall of the parish of Manchester,

MARRIED.

3.-John Sydebotham and Margery Bullock.

BURIED.

5.-John sonne of Richard Hankinson of Stockport. 6.-John sonne of George Woodde of Marple. 7.-The wyfe of Arthur Dooley of Northbury. 11.-An infant of William Davenports the sonne of Robte Davenport of Bromhall.

15.-Brigett daughter of William Hall of Bromhall. 16.-JOHN THE SONNE OF ROBERT HYDE OF NORTHBURIE E QUIER BEINGE DROWNED WAS BURIED THE 16TH.

19.-Robert sonne of Rauffe Nicholson of Rediche. 23-Anne daughter of Christopher Lowe of Marpull. 24.-Katherine daughter of Rauffe Taylor of Stockport.

JULYE, 1605.

BAPTISED.

5.-Elizabeth daughter of William Smithe of Brin

nington.

7.-William sonne of Humfrey Kirke of Stockporte, 7.-Rauffe sonne of George Potter of Stockporte. 14.-Joan daughter of Edward Kempe of Stockport. 17.-Izabell daughter of Thomas Willinson of Stock. port.

MARRIED.

8.-John Clough and Izabell Andrewe. 26.-John Welche and Elizabeth Thorneleye.

BURIED.

16.-An infante of William Turners of Bredburge.
20.- he wyfe of Reginald Mey kyn of Stockport.
24.-Anthonye Hill a pore man.
28-Thomas Collier of Bredburye mason.
31.-An infant of one Dionise a glasseman.

This is the earliest mention of glass making in the neighbourhood of Stockport, but there are many subsequent entries that confirm it. Mention has been made in Cheshire Notes and Queries, old series, of Glasshouse Fold, at Haughton, and of a family of glassmakers named Howe.

AUGUST, 1605. BAPTISED.

2.-Thomas sonne of John Dickenson of Levenshulme. 11.-Izabell daughter of Thomas Ouldbam of the Strynes.

18.-Elizabeth daughter of George Crier of Stockport. 23.-William sonne of William Hibbert of Bredburye. 24-William sonne of John Brown of Bromhall. 25.-Marye daughter of Steven Partridge of Bredburye. 25.-Annie daughter of James ffill of Stockport. 25.-Thomas sonne of Thomas Rodes.