of John Bigg of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; (6.) Joseph F. By his second
wife, Helen, daughter of ---- Hunt, J. F. had (7.) Benjamin, Citizen of
London; (8.) Thomas F.; (9.) Samuel, Joseph, Thomas, and Samuel joined
Cromwell's army for invading Ireland; and one of them (Captain Frewen) fell
at the storming of Kilkenny; another of them died at Limerick of the
plague, which carried off General Freton; the other (Thomas) founded a
family at Castle Connel, near Limerick.

John Frewen's _Sermons_ in 1612 are in some respects rare; but the
following copies are extant, viz. one in the Bodleian at Oxford; one in the
University Library at Cambridge; one in possession of Mr. Frewen at
Brickwall, Northiam; and one sold by Kerslake of Bristol, for 7s. 6d., to
the Rev. John Frewen Moor, of Bradfield, Berks.

If R. C. WARDE, of Kidderminster, has a copy which he would dispose of, he
may communicate with T. F., Post-office, Northiam, who would be glad to
purchase it.

J. F.

* * * * *

"VOIDING KNIFE," "VOIDER," AND "ALMS-BASKET."

(Vol. vi., pp. 150. 280.; Vol. viii., p. 232.)

In later times (the sixteenth century) the good old custom of placing an
_alms-dish_ on the table was discontinued, and with less charitable
intentions came the less refined custom of removing the broken victuals
after a meal by means of a _voiding-knife_ and _voider_: the latter was a
basket into which were swept by a large wand, usually of wood, or
_voiding-knife_, as it was termed, all the bones and scraps left upon the
trenchers or scattered about the table. Thus, in the old plays, _Lingua_,
Act V. Sc. 13.: "Enter Gustus with a _voiding-knife_;" and in _A Woman
killed with Kindness_, "Enter three or four serving men, one with a
_voider_ and _wooden knife_ to take away."

The voider was still sometimes called the _alms-basket_, and had its
charitable uses in great and rich men's houses: one of which was to supply
those confined in gaols for debt, and such prisoners as had no means to
purchase any food.

In Green's _Tu Quoque_, a spendthrift is cast into prison; the jailer says
to him:

"If you have no money, you had best remove into some cheaper ward; to
the twopenny ward, it is likeliest to hold out with your means; or, if
you will, you may go into the _hole_, and there you may feed for
nothing."

To which he replies:

"Ay, out of the _alms-basket_, where charity appears in likeness of a
piec