Cunnington MS.
Among the various books and word-lists which we have consulted during
the progress of this work, by no means the least interesting is the
manuscript containing a _Collection of a few Provincial Terms used in
North Wilts_, believed to have been compiled about the middle of last
century, which was kindly lent us by its present owner, Mr. William
Cunnington, and is here frequently referred to as _Cunnington MS._
This valuable relic was at one time in the possession of Mr. J.
Britton, as is proved by the notes in his _early_ handwriting on the
outer leaves, and was evidently the source to which he was indebted
for some portions of his 1825 _Glossary_ (in the _Beauties of Wilts_,
vol. iii), the very peculiar wording and spelling of some of its
paragraphs having been transferred direct to his pages. It must,
however, have been in his hands at a much earlier date than 1825, as
one or two of the notes appear to have been made at the time he was
collecting materials for the 1814 volume on Wilts.
Not only has it afforded us several hitherto un-noted words, which
Mr. Britton himself had passed over, possibly because even in
his own time they were already grown obsolete, but it has also
enabled us to clear up several doubtful points, and especially to
show how, by a very simple misreading of the MS., from the easily
identified _sprawny_ (a variant of _sprunny_) was evolved that
mysterious 'ghost-word' _sprawing_, which has ever since misled our
glossary-makers, each one having seemingly taken it on the faith of
his immediate predecessor.
The _Vocabulary_, which we here reproduce _verbatim et literatim_,
consists of ten quarto pages, the first two of which are covered with
notes in pencil and ink, in at least four different hands, partly
archæological and topographical, and partly relating to dialect
words in Wilts and elsewhere. It is written in an extremely legible
old hand, with a few additions and interlineations in other hands,
and contains about one hundred words and phrases, of which we owe
just two-thirds to the original compiler, who is supposed to have
been a North Wilts clergyman. If so, it is probable that his very
characteristic handwriting could readily be identified by any one who
was familiar with our last-century parish registers.
The interlineations have been made at different dates and in
different hands, _acrass_, _chit_, _clout_, _gallered_, _hire_,
_hitch_, _muxen_, _shirk off_, _slink away_, _skillin_, _stowl_,
_stole_, _thick_ and _thuck_, _won't_, with the numerals at the end,
being in pencil, two or three of them having been inked over at
some time or other; while _arran_, _clavey_, _clap to_, _desperd_,
_dowse_, _hit_, _nan_, _plye_, _rathe_, _sprawny_, the definition
of _thick_ and _thuck_, _tun_, _tag_, _twit_, and _vuddels_, are in
ink, and mostly in a much larger and somewhat peculiar hand. The
pencilling is now almost entirely obliterated.
The MS. was given by Mr. Britton to Mr. Cunnington, with other books
and papers, many years ago, and its existence appears to have been
unknown until we called attention to it in the _Wilts Archæological
Magazine_, vol. xxvi. p. 293.
Front page of Cover.
[_Writing entirely in pencil, in Mr. Britton's hand, except the
word Vocabulary._]
XXII. 107. Broad Hinton. Vic. Mr. Hume of Salisby late Vicar a manor
well immense depth. abt 10 ms to draw Some of the Glanvilles buried
here. Old monk [? _tomb_] of this family one of these Gs wrote on
Witches--all chalk large crane wheel room for 3 men.
Vocabulary.
[_Here two lines of writing, probably the name and address
of the compiler, have been scratched completely out with a
penknife._]