Notes and Queries, Number 13, January 26, 1850

A mid‑nineteenth‑century “Notes and Queries” offers a lively meeting place for literary lovers, antiquarians, and curious genealogists. Each entry is a short, focused contribution—either a fresh observation or a question that invites further research. The tone is conversational, as contributors share discoveries and seek answers from a community of peers.

Among the pieces, a fascinating note explores Domingo Lomelyn, the jester who kept Henry VIII’s dice and cards company. Drawing on Shakespeare, court records, and early ballads, the writer untangles the origins of Lomelyn’s curious name and his role in the king’s entertainments. The investigation feels like a miniature detective story set against a Tudor backdrop.

The issue also wanders through beetle mythology, the art of old painted glass, early logographic printing, and the financial ledgers of St Margaret’s, Westminster. These varied excerpts give listeners a snapshot of Victorian scholarly curiosity, inviting them to linger over each quirky fact and unanswered query.