Camden Town.
[Richard Fermor was a merchant of the staple at Calais, and
having acquired a considerable fortune, located himself at
Easton Neston, co. Northampton. Being a zealous Romanist he
refused to conform to the Reformed faith, and thus rendered
himself obnoxious to the court; and being accused of
administering relief to Nicholas Thane, formerly his confessor,
who was then a prisoner in Buckingham Castle for denying the
supremacy of the king, he was committed to the Marshalsea in
July, 1540, and was afterwards arraigned in Westminster Hall,
though nothing could be proved against him, except that he had
sent 8d. and a couple of shirts to the imprisoned priest. He was
adjudged to have incurred a _præmunire_, whereby all his lands
and goods became forfeited, and the rapacious monarch enforced
the sentence with the most unrelenting severity. See Baker's
_Hist. of Northamptonshire_, vol. ii. p. 142.; Collins's
_Peerage_, edit. Brydges, vol. iv. p. 199.; and Lipscomb's
_Buckinghamshire_, vol. ii. p. 570.]
_Churchwardens, Qualification of._--Can any of your correspondents give
the title and price of any work which will define the qualifications
requisite for filling the office of churchwarden? The case on which the
question has arisen is that of a country parish divided into two
townships, each township naming a warden. One of these is a dissenter,
and seldom or never attends church; the other is said not to be a
householder. Both of these are, by many of the parishioners, considered
ineligible, owing to these circumstances. Should any one send the
required information, you would oblige by allowing it to appear in the
next Number of "N. & Q.," where it would be sure to be seen, and
thankfully acknowledged by