Any locals who can tell me more about this farm?I see it was derelict in 2009. Is it still derelict? Is Checkley Wood Shoot based there or somewhere else? I notice there is also a Checkley New Farm in the same lane. Just want to get details accurate for the Cheshire Farm Index. Many thanks, Lyn

A John Vernon was baptised 24.01.1790 in Rostherne, the son of Charles. He was born 28.12.1789, living Mere - a long way from Nantwich, though. Don Tomkinson ----- Original Message ----- From: "carole williams" <carolewill28@hotmail.com> To: "Ruth J" <ruthgenda@btinternet.com>; "Cheshire" <cheshire@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, December 08, 2013 10:09 PM Subject: Re: [CHS] Halham (place name) Hi Ruth Here are the details: John Vernon 1851 census HO.10 7 / 2008 - Leek & Lowe, living in West St, aged 60, Labourer, born Cheshire, Halam John Vernon 1861 census RG. 9 / 1947 - Leek & Lowe, living in Westwood Lodge, aged 73, Ag Lab, born in Cheshire, Nantwich I had considered if it was Malham, but settled on Halham as the capital looks like the one he uses for Head... Carole From: ruthgenda@btinternet.com To: cheshire@rootsweb.com; carolewill28@hotmail.com Subject: Halham (place name) Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2013 09:16:08 +0000 Carole, the place name isn't easily found. As this may be a transcription error it would be helpful if you would tell us a little more about John VERNON (there are a lot of them about) so that we can check the Census entries for you. Tell us where you saw the entries, John's age and occupation or even the Census reference numbers - that would be a good start. Ruth

Carole, I don't know of a Hallam near Prestbury other than a road in Stockport which is called after the Hallam Family, probably. There is a Hallam Hall Farm at Preston on the Hill, near Daresbury but too far away from Nantwich. There is a farm at Acton, not that far from Nantwich called Madams Farm. That's all I can come up with at the moment. Regards, Lyn

They seem to haave evolved from their original function of supplying ships to be scrap metal and second hand dealers.  They are mentioned several times in Henry Mayhew's "London Labour and the LondonPoor" (1851) and he comments "marine stores being about the only things the marine store men do not sell". http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iBIIAAAAQAAJ&q=marine+store#v=snippet&q=marine%20store&f=false   Henry Mayhew describes "Rag and Bottle" and the "Marine Store" shops in the same chapter.  He says they are basically the same:  "The chief distinction appears to be this: the marine-store shopkeepers (proper) do not meddle with what is a very principal object of traffic with the rag-and-bottle man, the purchase of dripping, as well as of every kind of refuse in the way of fat or grease. The marinestore man, too, is more miscellaneous in his wares than his contemporary of the rag and-bottle- store, as the former will purchase any of the smaller articles of household furniture, old teacaddies, knife-boxes, fire-irons, books, pictures, draughts and backgammon boards, bird-cages, Dutch clocks, cups and saucers, tools and brushes. The-rag-and-bottle tradesman will readily purchase any of these things to be disposed of as old metal or waste-paper, but his brother tradesman buys them to be re-sold and re-used for the purposes for which they were originally manufactured" Interestingly in the light of Henry Jones's change of occupation to Team Leader, Mayhew says of the Rag and Bottle dealers "Some of these men make a good deal of money, and not unfrequently unite with the business the letting out of vans for the conveyance of furniture, or for pleasure excursions". Joy ________________________________ From: Alan <alanhawks@btinternet.com> To: cheshire@rootsweb.com  >  2. Team Owner: Navvies and highly trained Horses (Ruth J) Hi list I was interested to read that Henry Jones, Team Leader, was shown on an earlier census as a "Marine Store Dealer", and I wondered if anyone had more information on these folk and their role. I've been working through Birmingham newspaper archives for references to canal boatmen, this being my family background, and am turning up a lot of references to Marine Store Dealers, who seemed not only to provide canal boat equipment, but also to buy and sell pretty well anything, including items which "fell off the back  of a canal boat", as opposed to a lorry, or which had supposedly been raked out of the canal. Does anyone on the list know more about this trade than I do? Angela ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CHESHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Thank you Joy. I found Henry Mayhew's "London Labour and the London Poor" very interesting. The Henry Jones, Marine Store Dealer, is mine and I wondered why the change in occupation. Now it makes sense. Apparently along with all sorts of junk, 'rags' were a very lucrative sale item. I find that interesting as well as in 1881 Henry had a lodger in his home who was a rag sorter. Henry Jones seems to have done very well. When he died in 1907 in his Will he specified that his sons were to be paid wages not exceeding £2 pounds a week. In those years £104 per year was quite a nice living. Apparently a skilled shipbuilder in 1911 earned about £58 and a teacher £70. Marg >From the Beautiful British Columbia Cariboo Region, Canada ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joy Langdon" <joy.langdon@btopenworld.com> They seem to haave evolved from their original function of supplying ships to be scrap metal and second hand dealers. They are mentioned several times in Henry Mayhew's "London Labour and the LondonPoor" (1851) and he comments "marine stores being about the only things the marine store men do not sell". http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iBIIAAAAQAAJ&q=marine+store#v=snippet&q=marine%20store&f=false Henry Mayhew describes "Rag and Bottle" and the "Marine Store" shops in the same chapter. He says they are basically the same: "The chief distinction appears to be this: the marine-store shopkeepers (proper) do not meddle with what is a very principal object of traffic with the rag-and-bottle man, the purchase of dripping, as well as of every kind of refuse in the way of fat or grease. The marinestore man, too, is more miscellaneous in his wares than his contemporary of the rag and-bottle- store, as the former will purchase any of the smaller articles of household furniture, old teacaddies, knife-boxes, fire-irons, books, pictures, draughts and backgammon boards, bird-cages, Dutch clocks, cups and saucers, tools and brushes. The-rag-and-bottle tradesman will readily purchase any of these things to be disposed of as old metal or waste-paper, but his brother tradesman buys them to be re-sold and re-used for the purposes for which they were originally manufactured" Interestingly in the light of Henry Jones's change of occupation to Team Leader, Mayhew says of the Rag and Bottle dealers "Some of these men make a good deal of money, and not unfrequently unite with the business the letting out of vans for the conveyance of furniture, or for pleasure excursions". Joy

Hi Ruth Here are the details: John Vernon 1851 census HO.10 7 / 2008 - Leek & Lowe, living in West St, aged 60, Labourer, born Cheshire, Halam John Vernon 1861 census RG. 9 / 1947 - Leek & Lowe, living in Westwood Lodge, aged 73, Ag Lab, born in Cheshire, Nantwich I had considered if it was Malham, but settled on Halham as the capital looks like the one he uses for Head... Carole From: ruthgenda@btinternet.com To: cheshire@rootsweb.com; carolewill28@hotmail.com Subject: Halham (place name) Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2013 09:16:08 +0000 Carole, the place name isn't easily found. As this may be a transcription error it would be helpful if you would tell us a little more about John VERNON (there are a lot of them about) so that we can check the Census entries for you. Tell us where you saw the entries, John's age and occupation or even the Census reference numbers - that would be a good start. Ruth

Carole, the place name isn't easily found. As this may be a transcription error it would be helpful if you would tell us a little more about John VERNON (there are a lot of them about) so that we can check the Census entries for you. Tell us where you saw the entries, John's age and occupation or even the Census reference numbers - that would be a good start. Ruth

Carole asked )Please does anyone know where Halham or Malham is in Cheshire - It could be near Nantwich, as John VERNON on the 1851 census said he was from Halham but then said Nantwich on the 1861 census. There is a Hallam near Prestbury. However, this is about 30mls from Nantwich. Regards Les Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device -----Original Message----- From: leshorn@ythanonich.freeserve.co.uk Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2013 21:43:04 To: carole williams<carolewill28@hotmail.com> Reply-To: leshorn@ythanonich.freeserve.co.uk Subject: Re: [CHS] Halham (place name) Carole asked )Please does anyone know where Halham or Malham is in Cheshire - It could be near Nantwich, as John VERNON on the 1851 census said he was from Halham but then said Nantwich on the 1861 census. There is a Hallam near Prestbury. However, this is about 30mls from Nantwich. Regards Les Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Hi Please does anyone know where Halham or Malham is in Cheshire - I could be near Nantwich, as John VERNON on the 1851 census said he was from Halham but then said Nantwich on the 1861 census. Carole

Hopefully this will be picked up by M.Elliot Jones to whom it may be of most interest, although for such a brief article, there is a wealth of information. regards, Elaine. Northwich Guardian Saturday MAY 22nd 1886 Last week Mr Jabez Thompson of Northwich published a letter in the Guardian asking for information respecting an artist named T.W.Jones, whose signature was borne by an excellent painting of a horse, recently purchased by Mr Thompson. I am informed that the artist is Mr T.W.Jones, retired herald painter, living at Nantwich, and father of Mr T.W.Jones, coach builder, Northwich. The subject of the painting (dated 1841) is a handsome charger, which belonged to Colonel Pollock of Middlewich, father-in-law of the late Mr W.Wood Blake, of Northwich.

Hello, I  have needed to remove my Family Tree for The Gee Family of Cheshire, Manchester. And my Woodhead Family from West Yorkshire and Stalybridge/Dukinfield. I still have all my paperwork if anyone is interested in this unique family line. The Woodheads were from Cumberworth/Kirkburton. If anyone would like to contact me my email is Tristentzara@aol.com. I am still willing to share but do not want me research posted on line. Thanks to all of you who helped me over the last eight years and I hoped I helped a few others. Kindest Regards, Ruth Beck

----- Original Message ----- From: <cheshire-request@rootsweb.com> To: <cheshire@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2013 8:00 AM Subject: CHESHIRE Digest, Vol 8, Issue 243 > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Royal Mail Scam (Mrs L. McCulloch) > 2. Team Owner: Navvies and highly trained Horses (Ruth J) Hi list I was interested to read that Henry Jones, Team Leader, was shown on an earlier census as a "Marine Store Dealer", and I wondered if anyone had more information on these folk and their role. I've been working through Birmingham newspaper archives for references to canal boatmen, this being my family background, and am turning up a lot of references to Marine Store Dealers, who seemed not only to provide canal boat equipment, but also to buy and sell pretty well anything, including items which "fell off the back of a canal boat", as opposed to a lorry, or which had supposedly been raked out of the canal. Does anyone on the list know more about this trade than I do? Angela

A belated response to the previous thread re Henry Jones, Team Owner. Sent because readers expressed appreciation for the content thus far. I've received the following from Stewart Squires who knows much more about this sort of thing than me. *I believe that the contractors owned large numbers of skilled horses for work such as that outlined on page 69 of Building a Railway. [Building a Railway: Bourne to Saxby, Stewart Squires & Ken Hollamby (eds), Lincoln Record Society, 2009]. There would not be the same need for training of horses for general haulage so they would be hired locally. Horses owned would be a drain on resources between jobs but were worth retaining. Navvies with the specialized operational skills would be numerous, I expect, and as usual hired per contract. So you can expect the workforce to include itinerant navvies plus a mix of locally hired men and horses who would just work for as long as the contract needed.* >From Page 69: [A photograph shows the building of an embankment] << The operation of tipping was rather alarming by present day standards. Usually, the wagons would be propelled by the locomotive to a point about 200 feet short of the end of the line. Here the wagons were detached individually and a horse attached to the first one. The driver would put him to a gallop, running alongside, and holding him by the head. When about ten yards away from the tipping place, the driver would loosen the horse from the wagon and horse and driver would jump to one side. At the same time the tail board at the front of the wagon would be dropped by a second man jerking up a securing hook. A wooden sprag about three feet long and pointed at both ends would be thrust between the spokes of the rear wheels. The wagon would be brought to a sudden stop, the body would tip up from the wheels and the load discharged. Timing was the key but it was not uncommon for the wagon to drop down the embankment along with its contents. After each tip the ground would be levelled by navvies using spades. >> Very hairy! And no Health and Safety. Navvies - Respect! Ruth

Listers, watch out for spam messages purporting to come from Royal Mail. Do not click on anything and get rid of them asap. Regards, Lyn

Thanks for posting the account. What a girl!! Don Tomkinson ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joy Langdon" <joy.langdon@btopenworld.com> To: "David Railton" <railton.david@btinternet.com>; "Cheshire" <cheshire@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2013 9:30 PM Subject: Re: [CHS] Emily DE VOY <Account of Emily's act from the Luton Times & Advertiser 07 June 1895: A ROUGH TRIP BEYOND THE CLOUDS CHAT WITH THE LADY PARACHUTIST - HOW SHE FARED Although it is now several years since the sensation-loving public were first treated to an entirely new "attraction" in the shape of a descent from a balloon by>

Dear Listers First of all apologies for this long post. For a number of years one of my brick walls has been the story of the siblings of my 2x great grandmother Mary (Hayes) Percival, who with her husband emigrated to the USA around 1871, and did they have descendents. Recently, I have found them hiding in plain view ­ I think ­ but have not been able to verify all my ³likely² and ³probable² links, so I am asking if there is anyone else who is researching this family or knows of connections. The main line I am researching is Hayes, with subsidiary lines Palin, Griffiths, Wade, Richards, McKay, Thomas, Jackson, Jones. We are in and around Frodsham and Sutton Weaver from 1800 to 1940. I have worked mainly from Census returns and parish records I can find on FMP or familysearch, plus CheshireBMD. Any confirming information or additional information, particularly descendents, would be wonderful. Part of the problem is that Hayes is not an unusual name in this part of the world. The family starts in Frodsham and are Peter Hayes (c1812 - ) Ellen (Evans) Hayes (c1802 ­ 1859) Five children: Betsey (c1833-1882) James (c1835-1915) Ellen (1839-1867) Mary (1842-1897) Jane (1844-1848) They lived on The Quay or at Frodsham Bridge according to census returns. It would be great to verify birth dates, a death for Peter, and their ancestral lines. 1. Betsey Hayes I think married William Palin, a waterman, in February 1851, and had 2 living sons, William and Joseph. I think Betsey died in 1882 and William her husband in 1890, but this needs verification. 1a. William Palin the younger became a master butcher in Frodsham, married Mary Wade in March 1880 and had 8 children. The family lived in Church Street, Frodsham. I cannot yet find death records for any of William the younger¹s family, nor trace them beyond the 1891 Census. 1b. Joseph Palin worked at the gas company in Frodsham and rose to be foreman by 1911. He married Mary Richards in November 1878 and had 10 children. The family lived in Main Street, Frodsham. Joseph died in April 1940 and his wife Mary died 9 months later. They are buried at St Lawrence, Frodsham, with three of their children. I would like to trace what happened to their other children. 2. James Hayes I think married Sarah Miller in 1854. There is more than one James Hayes about his age in Frodsham, but in the 1851 census he is described as an apprentice to a ship¹s carpenter and on his marriage record he is described as a ship¹s carpenter, so I think I have the right James. The family lived in Frodsham Bridge. 2a. They had two sons, Frederick and Peter (1859-1926). Fred never married as far as I can tell, but Peter married twice, first to Sarah Griffith(s) in 1881 and then to Charlotte (McKay) Thomas in 1901. Peter died in 1926 and is, I think, buried at St Peter, Aston-by-Sutton, as are his parents James and Sarah. Peter Hayes was a chemical engine driver and he had 4 children with Sarah, and 5 step-children when he married Charlotte. 3. Ellen Hayes I think married John Jones, who became a butcher, and had one son Frederick William who died in 1863 aged 15 months. Ellen herself died in 1867 and her husband in 1874. I do have more names, especially of the children, and information, but this post is already too long. Many thanks in advance to anyone who can confirm or extend my researches. Sarah Percival

Hello Margaret If you wait a few weeks it may be possible to order the will online at which time I presume you will be able to pay by some means other than a cheque. Mike Shropshire, UK ________________________________________ On 01/12/2013 01:41, Andy wrote: > Hi > > Findmypast has copies of wills were Probate was granted at the Chester > Probate Office but only up to 1911. Ancestry has the Probate Calendar up to > 1966 but that is an index and not copies of the will itself. Probate for the > will you are looking for was granted at the Liverpool Probate Office and not > the Chester Probate Office > > The link below has details about how to apply for a copy of a will and the > cost. Unfortunately you can't use a Debit or Credit card to pay. > > http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/probate/copies-of-grants-wills > > Andy > > -----Original Message----- > From: Margaret Cambridge > Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2013 11:46 AM > To: Cheshire List > Subject: [CHS] Help re Find My Past > > Does anyone know if you just buy credits on FMP do you get the same search > options as you do when you have a subscription? > > I bought credits on FMP and I'm trying to access a death or Will for William > Henry Jones who died 26 Dec 1927 Moss Hall, Woodchurch Lane, Prenton, > Birkenhead. It tells me there is no record yet I have found info on > another site so I know it exists. > > What's the scoop....... > Thanks, > > Marg >>From the Beautiful British Columbia Cariboo Region, Canada > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CHESHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Hi Findmypast has copies of wills were Probate was granted at the Chester Probate Office but only up to 1911. Ancestry has the Probate Calendar up to 1966 but that is an index and not copies of the will itself. Probate for the will you are looking for was granted at the Liverpool Probate Office and not the Chester Probate Office The link below has details about how to apply for a copy of a will and the cost. Unfortunately you can't use a Debit or Credit card to pay. http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/probate/copies-of-grants-wills Andy -----Original Message----- From: Margaret Cambridge Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2013 11:46 AM To: Cheshire List Subject: [CHS] Help re Find My Past Does anyone know if you just buy credits on FMP do you get the same search options as you do when you have a subscription? I bought credits on FMP and I'm trying to access a death or Will for William Henry Jones who died 26 Dec 1927 Moss Hall, Woodchurch Lane, Prenton, Birkenhead. It tells me there is no record yet I have found info on another site so I know it exists. What's the scoop....... Thanks, Marg >From the Beautiful British Columbia Cariboo Region, Canada

Thank you to Andy, Christine, Ed, Michael and Sylvia for your input. Much appreciated. Marg >From the Beautiful British Columbia Cariboo Region, Canada

Account of Emily's act from the Luton Times & Advertiser 07 June 1895:   A ROUGH TRIP BEYOND THE CLOUDS CHAT WITH THE LADY PARACHUTIST - HOW SHE FARED Although it is now several years since the sensation-loving public were first treated to an entirely new "attraction" in the shape of a descent from a balloon by means of a parachute, the interest manifested in such adventure has by no means decreased.   One great reason for this is that aerial "tripping" has not yet been brought to the stage of perfection - despite the fact that scores of daring spirits have travelled that way - and that the element of danger is as great as ever.  The "descent" which was provided by the Bank Holidy caterers at Luton last year was not altogether a success, owing to several reasons which we need not mention here, but it was undoubtedly a great "draw" and with an eye to business, the committee decided to make another experiment in the same line.  Hence the engagement for Whit Monday of Miss Emmie De Voy who has been in the "profession" for seven years, having been brought out by Professor Higgins.  This lady, by the way, was born in London but is living in Manchester and has floated earthwards close on fifty times.  It will be remembered that she landed, or rather settled down, in the lake at Hendon, not very long ago.  But to Monday's performance. The ascent and descent were under the direction of Messrs. C G Spencer, Holloway N., balloon makers and aeronauts.  The filling of the balloon occupied some hours, a special main fron the Gas Company's works being laid on to supply the fifteen thousand cubits of gas required.  Soon after 5.30 the preparations approached completion, and after Miss De Voy had been driven round the field several times by Mr C. Dawson, willing and eager hands transferred the balloon to the centre of the ground.   In the midst of a crowd of onlookers, the lady parachutist took her seat on a sort of trapeze arrangement, the parachute being attached to the side of the balloon, on the other side of which was suspended a weight, to be afterwards used as ballast.  The signal was given a minute or two before six, and all faces - includng those of hundreds, if not thousands of persons who thronged the Wisden Hills, much to the disgust of the management - were turned upwards as the balloon mounted rapidly.  The wind lay in the north and Miss De Voy travelled accordingly to the south.  All went smoothly and well until an altitude of about three or four hundred feet was reached when the parachute became detached by some means, and like a big umbrella, floated inside up under the balloon.  Something was wrong evidently, people said to each other, and interest and excitement increased.  The parachute swung from one side to the other, the balloon went up higher and diminished in size, the lady could just be distinguished, and then the clouds were reached, and the whole concern became lost to sight almost immediately.  This was all the majority of specttors witnessed, but a few who had glasses afterwards saw the parachutist descending - a mere speck in the sky, right beyond the hills.  It was afterwards ascertained that Miss De Voy alighted in a potatoe field on Mr Hornby's farm at Flamstead and was picked up by Mr and Mrs Sansom, who had been driving round Redbourn Common.  They drove the lady parachutist to their home and kindly entertained her.  Meanwhile, Mr C. Dawson who had gone out to pick Miss De Voy up, had driven miles before she was seen descending, and then she was lost sight of behind a wood.  two cyclists being at hand, they readily complied with a request to ride to Redbourn Station (where it was expected the lady would be), and ask her to wait until the trap, which had gone after the balloon, came round for her.  This was done and the party arrived in town about half past nine, and outside the Town Hall, were surrounded by a large crowd.  Miss De Voy was loudly cheered.  She had intended at first to come on by the eight train from Redbourn and sent a telegram to that effect at a quarter past seven to Mr W Lake who read it from the grandstand at the athletic field, the news of the safe descent apparently causing no slight relief.  "I had to wait some little time", writes one of our representatives, who was fortunate enough, together with another Press man, to get a chat with Miss De Voy at Cowley's Temperance Hotel on Tuesday morning, "before the lady parachutist, whose adventures had furnished almost everybody in Luton something to talk about the previous evening, came in.  She had just gone to the Post Office, I was informed, but would be back soon as she had to catch a train at twelve o clock.  So we waited, made ourselves comfortable, and argued as to what most likely had happened.  In the middle of the discussion, its lady subject came in, with the two gentlemen who carry out the arrangement for Messrs. Spencer.  Miss De Voy laughed as she received congratulations.  An ordinary looking young lady, neatly dressed, a little under the average height, unaffected and affable, she began to narrate her experience at once.  "I laugh now but I did not laugh then.  It was an awful experience.  I should not care to go through it again." "How did the mishap occur?" "Well, you see, when I got three or four hundred feet up, I felt a reverse current and a sdden gust of wind, and the next moment the "test" cord which holds up the parachute, broke and let it loose.  Of course, it ought not have broken until I leaped" "And then?" "Oh, I was obliged to stick tight to my seat.  But it was a terrible strain.  You see the small belt just under my arm was attached to the parachute, and as it dragged, you may guess I could feel it." "It was not safe to make a leap for it, then, was it Miss De Voy?"  "No.  I made up my mind to go as high as I could, so that if I had a tumble, there would be plenty of time for the parachute to open." "How was it in the clouds?" "When I got through they were lovely.  I never saw such a sight in my life.  It was grand in the extreme to see the brilliant sunlight on the clouds, making them look like driven snow." "Wasn't it cold?" "Awfully, my fingers began to get numbed, and I could not feel the ropes.  I rubbed them on the cords but they were dead and I was beginning to get numbed all over.  Then I knew it was time to make a dive for it." "How high were you then?" "I can't say exactly but it must have been 18,000 or 20,000 feet". I gasped and made a mental calculation - over 6,000 yards, not far off four miles. I looked at the lady with increased interest, and tried to trace the signs of great nerve power.  She went on unconcernedly - "Then the balloon swayed on one side, and I hoped I should be able to jump clear of the parachute, but a cross current caught it again and I fell right in the middle of it." I thought again of that 18,000 feet but the lady did not seem to take that question into consideration;  all she wanted, it seemed, was to be sure of being high enough to get right way up before the ground was reached. "We rolled over and over together for a long way, all mixed up like a bundle of rags, or lying in a hammock very uncomfortably.  I was entangled in the cords and my legs were sticking upwards.  At last, however, gravitation took me underneath and then I came down slowly and more comfortably." "This was all above the clouds?" "Oh yes, of course.  We came through very slowly, and it must have been over half an hour before I touched the ground.  I came down in a potatoe field, and for a few minutes lay down to rest, thinking how nice it was, and watching the balloon, which was coming down about three quarters of a mile away." "Was anybody about?" "Yes, a lad.  I asked him if he could get me a cab or a trap.  He says "Eh?" (Miss De Voy mimicked the yokel delightfully).  Mr and Mrs Sansom were coming down the road in a trap and the lad stopped them, about a score villagers having assembled in the meantime.  They treated me splendidly and took me home to tea at Redbourn; and thanks to Mr Dawson's trap, I got here all right at about half past nine.  I have never had such an escape and, as I said,  I never want another like it.  By the way, I went up a registered height of 14,000 feet once but I was a lot above that this time.  My usual drop is 1,000 feet." Then the little woman, with the great pluck, shook hands cordially, and hurried to the station in the best of spirits, and just as if that perilous trip of hers was hardly worth a second thought."    ________________________________