"1586, May 21. Christening of Peter Grace, sonne of Katherine Davis, an harlot."--St. Peter, Cornhill. "1592, Aug. 2. Christening of Roger Peeter, so named of our church; the mother a rogue, the childe was born the 22{d} July at Mr. Lecroft's dore."--Ditto. The baptismal register of St. Dionis Backchurch teems with Dennis, or Dionys, as the name is entered: "1623, Aug. 6. Joane Dennis, being laid at Mr. John Parke's doore in Fanchurch Streete. "1627, June 3. Denis the Bastard, who was laid in the parish. "1691, Nov. 19. Ingram Dionis, a fondling taken up in Ingram's Court."[64] We see in these registers the origin of the phrase, "It can't be laid at my door." Doubtless it was not always pleasant to have a little babe, however helpless, discovered on the doorstep. The gossips would have their "nods, and becks, and wreathed smiles," if they said nothing upon the subject. It was a common dodge to leave it on a well-known man's premises: "1585, April 23. A man child was laid at Sir Edward Osbourne gate, and was named Dennis Philpot, and so brought to Christes Ospitall." The same practice prevails in America. A New York correspondent wrote to me the other day as follows:-- "One babe, who was found in the vestibule of the City Hall, in this city (New York), was called John City Hall; another, Thomas Fulton, was found in Fulton Street in an ash-box; and a third, a fine boy of about four months, was left in the porch of Christ Church Rectory in Brooklyn. He was baptized by the name of Parish Church, by the Rev. Dr. Canfeild, the then rector." The baptisms of "blackamoors" gave a double christian name, although the second was counted as a surname: "Baptized, 1695, M{ch}. 27, John Wearmouth, a Tawny, taken captive, aged 20."--Bishop Wearmouth (Burns). "Baptized, 1602-3, March, Christian Ethiopia, borne a Blackmore."--Stepney. "Baptized, 1603, July, Charity Lucanoa, a Blackamor from Ratcliff."--Ditto. "1744, Sep. 27. Rum John Pritchard, a Indian and Mahomitan, baptized this day by self at Mr. Pritchard's."--Fleet Registers (Burns). "1717, ----. Baptized Charles Mustava, a black boy, servant to The Honble. Lord Hartford."--Preshute, Wilts.