[Hebrew:  b].

L——­ Rectory.  Somerset.

Sir George Downing (Vol. ii., pp. 464. 497.).—­It may assist your querist “ALPHA,” to be informed that among the monuments to the family of Pengelly, in the church of Whitchurch near Tavistock, in the county of Devon, is one to the memory of Ann, wife of Francis Pengelly, and daughter of Sir George Downing of East Hatley in the county of Cambridge, who died the 23rd of November, 1702; with the arms of Pengelly impaling Barry of six argent and gules, over all a wyvern or—­for Downing. {69}

Nicholas Downing of Exeter College, vicar of Kingsteignton, in Devon, who died in 1666, and was buried there, seems to have been of another family, as he bore a very different coat of arms.

A Lieut.  Downing was buried in Charles church, Plymouth, in 1799, but the arms on his monument are not the same as either of the above.

Other than these, I know of none of the name, ancient or recent, in the county, and I shall be glad to learn on what ground Sir George Downing’s family is said to be of most ancient origin in Devonshire.  The name does not appear in Westcote, Pole, Prince, Risdon, or the Heralds’ visitations, and the modern authorities state that the family was from Essex or Norfolk.

J.D.S.

The following memorandum I found accidentally on the margin of a MS. pedigree of Downing, but I am sorry I cannot recall the source from whence I obtained it.  Possibly, however, it may assist “ALPHA” in his enquiry.

“Sir George Downing was not the son of Calibut Downing, rector of Hackney, but of Emmanuel Downing, a London merchant, who went to New England.  Governor Hutchinson, in his History of Massachusetts, gives the true account of Downing’s affiliation, which has been further confirmed by Mr. Savage, of Boston, from the public records of New England.”

J.P.C.

Hulls, the Inventor of Steam-boats (Vol. iii., p. 23.).—­Your facetious correspondent, NOCAB, may gain some information relative to his friend Jonathan Hulls, by going to the British Museum, and asking for the following book from Mr. Grenville’s library.

I will give the full title and Mr. Grenville’s note, as it stands in my Catalogue of the library.

    GRENVILLE CATALOGUE (Vol. i. p. 351.)

“Hulls, Jonathan.  A Description and Draught of a new-invented Machine for carrying vessels or ships out of, or into any harbour, port, or river, against wind and tide, or in a calm.  For which his Majesty has granted letters patent, for the sole benefit of the Author, for the space of Fourteen years.  London, 1737, folding plate.[10] 8vo.  R.[11]

    “This new invented machine is a steam-boat.  It entirely puts an end to
    the claims of America to the invention of steam navigation, and
    establishes for this country the honour of that important discovery.”