Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-25
NOTES AND QUERIES.
Facts and Figures as to the Origin
of the British Peerage.
GOVERNMENT AND RAILROADS.
The Family Of Queen Victoria and the
Members of Importance.
NATURALIZiTION AND ELECTIONS

| IIOUdDlg lHc uedLu VI Tue LUKE Ol hdIl-
borough is responsible for the continued in
terest in the British peerage, which
| prompts the question, "Who created the
first British peer, and when did he do it??"
To use a Hibernicism the oldest existing
title in the British peerage is Scottish, that
| of the Earl of Mar, which again was not
created but grew, it dates from 1910, thus
being nearly 900 years old. Duncan ruled
then, whom Macbeth murdered.
There are several kin ds of British peers,
| besides the various degrees of each kind.
The kinds rank as follows: Peers of Eng
land, created before 1907; peers of Scotland,
created before 1907; peers of Great Britain,
created between 1907 and 1900; peers of Ire
land, created before 1900; peers of the
| United Kingdom, created since 1900; peers
of Ireland, created since 1900, and life
peers.
The oldest existing England peerage is
the earldom of Arundel and Surrey, dating
from 1155, in the reign of Henry H., and
now held by the Duke of Norfolk. The old
est Scottish peerage is that of Mar, 1910;
| but there is some doubt about this, and the
| oldest certain peerage is the earldom of
| Sutherland, held by the Duke of Suther-
| land, and dating from 1928, when Alexander
IL was King The oldest peersge of Great
Britain is the earldnm ol Fetrers, dating
from I'LL, in. the reign of Queen Anne;
! this is held by family to younger branch
I of which Washington belonged; and the
name Washington is still familiar name
to 1t. The oldest Irish peerage, and the
| Oldest peerage which has not been merged
in higher title, is the barony of Kings
dale, dating from 1i81, when Henry IL was
Lord of Ireland; it is held now by the thir-
ty-second lord; he has the privilege of
wearing his hat in the presence of the SOW
ereign. The Oldest peerage of the United
Kingdom is the barouy OF Moore, created in
1901; and the oldest of the modern Irish
peerages is the earldom of Caledon, created
the same year. The very oldest peerage,
that of Arundel, is by tenure-that is, the
original holder was peer by virtue of
holding Arundel Castle; and then came
peerages by writ; wealthy men were sum-
moned to attend the King, and the custom
grew of sumDoning always any man who
had once been summoned. Then came
reerages by patent, those granted since
abou. 1857. All modern peerages are Gre
ated by patents of nobility.
How were the days of the week and the
months OF the year named? r. F.
The English names for the days of the
WCch dEC 1cuIOulC III LHclT OuuuAy
is the day of the sun; the Germans call it
the same as we do. Monday is the day of
the neon; Tuesday is the day sacred to
Tiw, an Anglo-Saxon god; Wednesday is
named for Wodin, a god of the Germans
and other Teutouic peoples; Thursday is
Thor's day, Thor being the god of war;
Friday is tine day sacred to the goddess
Freia, the Teutonic Venus; Saturday is said
tn ha noD1a6 for ha old Of IL.
Roman gods; but some writers say that
it is named for the Anglo-Saxon
god Setere, deity of only local import
ance, worsniped among the Frlsians and
Anglo-Saxons; the Morse and other Teu-
tonic nations call the last day ofthe week
simply washing day." or perhaps Loki's
day. The names of our months however,
come from the Romans. January is named
for the god Janus; February is named for
Februus, it being the month in which the
festivals in honor of the dead-the Februa-
were held. March is named for Mars the
god of war; April is named for Aprilis,
deity of the spring, whose name comes
from the verb aperire, to open. May
bears the name of the goddess Maia. an
other spring goddess; June is named for
Juno, queen of heaven; July celebrated
Julius Caesar, and August celebrates Au-
gustus, his nephew and success or. The
ISOlndu year DeSuH originally WIFI march,
so that August was the sixth month; and
the month after August was the seventh,
September; the other months of the year
were October. the eighth; November, the
ninth; December. the tenth; these names
coming respectively from septem, seven;
octo, eighth; novem, ninth; decem, tenth.
When the year was made to begin with
January, these names were retained.
Are there any works for mining and reduc-
ing gypsum in this country? Took.
Yes; gypsum is found IN numerous large
deposits in New York, Virginia and Mich
gan, as well as other States, and in Nova
Scotia The gypsum is burned in kilns at
temperature of about 25Oo. when the water
in its composition leaves it. When re-
moved from the kilns it is ground and pow
dered, and then is called plaster of paris.
This name was given to it because It was
made at Montmartre, near Paris. 1t is still
made there In large quantities. 1t was
first used in making molds about 14S8 by
Andrea del Verrochio
Are all dead kings and queens of England
buried in Westminster Abbey? U. E. p.
No; not quite half of them. Since Will
lam the Conqueror there have been 81
sovereigns of England, of whom 16 are
buried in Westminster. These are: Henry
Ill, Edward L, Edward I'LL, Richard IL,