Jeff wrote: > Alison Kilpatrick wrote: >> Transcribed from the 5 November 1822 edition of The Strabane Morning >> Post newspaper, by permission of The British Library: >> >> Died. >> At Grahamston, Glasgow, Wm. Gordon, aged 97, who was buried on >> Thursday following in the Anderston burying-ground. This singular >> individual, who had for ten years past worn the same coat, patched and >> mended, and who is said for seven years never to have used soap in >> washing himself, left behind him an immense quantity of keys, old and >> new, highly burnished; a hatful of pins, 15 large screws, from 90 to 100 >> hammers, adzes, and gimblets, a great quantity of bottles and jars; and >> what may appear most singular, a roomful of boys' tops, peeries, whips, >> &c. His collection of sticks is curious. These, with gold and silver >> watches, are in the possession of his executors. For many years he wore >> a polished key on his thumb, a gold watch in one pocket, and a silver >> one in the other. >> >> ================== >> > > > What are "Peeries"? The only time I've heard the term was in Ireland to > describe sheepdogs. I think this refers to a kind of marble. We used to have all kinds of names for the different kinds of marbles, i.e. for playing jacks and marbles ... "peeries" or "puries" was one; I remember "cat's-eyes", too, but I forget the others. There are probably web sites dedicated to this :-). ajk