Devon Notes and Queries, 83 The street cry of these 'watermen' (as they were called) was ' Wat-ter,' and their price was generally ^d. a bucket or three buckets a penny. But as in most other business matters, it was a case of '* supply and demand.*' For in times of drought, in the summer, and in mid- winter, when they had to break the ice to dip up the water, they would charge id. a bucket. Housekeepers were not solely dependent on these watermen for their supply of water for washing, as many houses had a proYision for storing the rain water from the roofs, but in dry seasons they of course ran short, and it was then they had to pay one penny a bucket for their supply. For several years after the establishment of the Water Company in Exeter, the '* Watermen " plied their trade, but when the Council made it compulsory that all houses should have an efficient water supply for flushing and other sanitary purposes, of course was a case ot " Othello's occupation's gone." Water for drinking or cooking purposes was obtained from pumps and wells. Of course, that obtained from the " watermen '* was totally unfit for this purpose, as you may imagine from the sources from wiJch it was obtained — the ordinary dipping places being at the back of the Custom House, Engine Bridge, and Shooting Marsh Stile, each being close to a sewage outfall." I trust this may be of interest to the readers of Dexon Notes and Queries^ and that the note may draw out more complete information. Exeter. G. L. Boundy. [We reproduce the portrait of Billy Wotton which Mr. Boundy has been good enough to send us. — Eds.1 59. Devonshire Inn Signs. — Many articles and treatises have been published on the Signs of Inns, etc., and amongst the number one of especial local value by the late Mr. R. Dymond, entitled " The Old Inns and Taverns of Exeter,*' Setting aside the corruptions in the titles of some of the signs, such, for example, as the Bag-o-Nails for Baccanals, an interesting chapter might be written on the change in the name and character of many belonging to the same inn, tavern, or place of business. In former days the Salutation was a frequent sign — an Exeter example existed at the old Eastgate — and was commonly represented by the picture of an Angel saluting the Virgin Mary. After the Reformation the name was continued, but in many cases the subject of the representation was altered : in some to The Soldier and Citizen^ one figure saluting the other ; in others, by two hands clasped together. Again, formerly horses were extensively employed
