V. Seals
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Multiple seals: |
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Mottoes (A B C) |
Multiple seals
63.
1394
London
Seals of Roger Pereres, rector of St. Michael's in Crookedlane (missing), William Askham, Richard Radwell, and Henry Whitwell, citizens and "stokfisshmongers" of London. The diVering social positions of the three fishmongers are reflected in their seals: William's a fine intaglio with a legend bearing his name; Richard's a seal of arms with the legend: *Sigillum. RICARDI.DE.RADEWELLE; and Henry's a simple, though well-produced, initial H.
64.
1418
Alondbury, Yorkshire
Seals of the grantees, Peter son of John Kay and his wife Alice, daughter of the grantor William Kytson. Peter's seal shows St. Peter holding a large key and the legend: S'GILLVM.S.PETRI. Alice's seal bears a "canceled" initial W--perhaps to distinguish as her own the seal belonging to her father, which she has borrowed for the occasion.
65.
1431
Sandwich, Kent
Seals of John Chaundler, clerk, and Stephen Gerard, "bocher," remarkable for their rush-band garlands, which have survived for 550 years. Encircling a seal with rushes pressed into the wax appears to have been a practice unique to parts of Kent (as in No. 30). John's seal shows a three-leaf clover.
66.
1456
Blyford, SuVolk
Letters of attorney originally bearing twelve seals, ten of which remain and demonstrate the range of devices in use during the fifteenth century. From left to right: an anchor (cracked); a finely-cut Xower and crescent moon with the legend Reg de Ro (Reynald Rous, esquire); a stricken stag (a very common device); a burning lamp (for Roger Lampit); a boar's head (fragment); a highly-stylized Pelican in Her Piety; a seal of arms; a cock; a bird; and an initial T (the seal of Thomas Wutton).
67.
1512
Wivenhoe, Essex
A quitclaim by 23 knights, squires, and gentlemen of Essex of their right in various manors in Essex, which they had of the gift and feoffment of John de Vere, earl of Oxford. 23 signatures and 22 seals survive.
Armorial seals
68.
c. 1250
Seal of James de Biseg of Baddesley, Warwickshire
Legend: +SIGILL.YAMIS.DE.BISEIG
69.
1300
Seal of Roger Corbet, knight (StaVordshire)
Legend: S'ROGERI CORBET.
70.
1340
Seal of Henry Longchamp (Essex)
Legend: S: HENRICUS DE LONGCHAUMP
71.
1345
Seal of Nicholas de Stodham, knight (Essex)
Legend: *S'NICHOLAI DE STODHAM
72.
1350
Seal of Sir John de Rocheford, lord of Arley
Legend: +SIGIL.IOH'IS.DE.RACHEFORDE
73.
1385
Seals of Sir Thomas Mandeville and his wife (Essex)
Legends: *Sigillum:Thome:Maundeville, [Si]gillum:
Anne...
74.
1387
Seal of Roger de Wolferstone (Essex)
Legend: Sigillii:Rogeri:Wolferstone::
75.
1398
Armorial Seals from Essex
Seals of Thomas Coggusale, Thomas Munchesy, Roger
Wolferstone (see No. 74), and Ralph
Chamberleyn
76.
1446
Seal of Sir John Clifton (Norfolk)
Legend: Sigillu' Johannis Clyfton
militis.
77.
1455
Seal Thomas Hunt (Northamptonshire)
Legend: S' Thomas Hunte.
Royal seals
78.
1280
Great Seal of Edward I
A grant by Edward I "for the salvation of his soul and the souls of his ancestors and successors" to the master and brethren of the hospital of St. Giles, Norwich, "despite the recent provision against mortmain." The conveyance of private lands to the Church (mortmain) was made illegal by Edward's own 1279 Statute De viris religiosis (7 Edward I), on the grounds that property given to a religious community could not revert to the use of the Crown, since the community did not die or produce heirs. Double-sided fragment of the Great Seal, with the obverse (shown) depicting the king enthroned.
79.
1408
Great Seal of Henry IV
Letters patent issued to John Norys of Canterbury and others of that city, authorizing them to give in mortmain to the prior and convent of Christ Church, Canterbury three messuages, a toft, and 100 acres of land. This special dispensation from the same statute (see above, No. 78) carries the Great Seal of Henry IV pendant on green and yellow cord, with the reverse (shown) bearing the legend: HENRICUS:D[EI:GRATI]A:R[EX:ANGLIE:&:FRANC]IE:&:DOMINUS: HIBERNIE. Notice that the scribe has prepared a space in the upper left-hand corner of the charter, for the rubricator to add a very large initial H and a smaller initial R for "Rex"--but for some reason the work was not completed and only a tiny "h" marks the spot.
80-81.
Seals of the Court of Common Pleas under Henry VIII
Two exemplifications under the seal of the Court of Common Pleas of Henry VIII from the 1530's. The obverse shows the king enthroned with the legend: HENRICVS DEI GRACIA ANGLIE ET FRANCIE. The reverse bears arms with the legend: +SIGILLVM PRO BREVIBUS CORAM IVSTICIARIIS
82.
Seal of the Court of Common Pleas under Elizabeth
A poor imprint of the same seal under Henry's daughter Elizabeth I: obverse showing the queen enthroned.
Commoners' Seals
These have been photographed to show detail. Most of them belonged to tradesmen, merchants, and yeoman farmers.
Mottoes
A. 1337
Armorial seal of John de Passele of Rye bearing the
legend: PASSET.LE.PAR.PASSELE ["He will surpass it by
Passele"]
B. 1397
A stag run to ground by a hound: * IE L'AY PRIS A
MUN DEVIS ["I took it by my own devices"]
C. 1424
Armorial seal of John Werthe of Winchelsea, bearing
the motto: *SI*IE*PUCE ["If I can"]
Personalized Devices and Ciphers
D. 1296/7
Seal of Richard de Knokebregge (Knotting in
Bedfordshire?) bearing a star device with the legend:
-RICARDI.DE CNOTBR
E. 1415
Seal of Thomas Barber of Ledbury, Herefordshire: a
shield bearing a bell flanked by the initials T B
F. 1448
Seal of John Lightfoot of Great Dunmow in Essex; a
lion with the legend: Joh Letpedum
G. 1458
Seal of John Smith of Bury St. Edmunds: a vice
H. 1459
Seal bearing a doubled-headed snake in the shape of an S
I. 1465
Seal of Thomas Bailiff of Wymondham, Norfolk: a
watchdog labelled Balayf
K. 1551
Seal of Christopher Savery of Totnes in Devon, bearing
a cipher composed of a cross with a forked base intertwined
with the initials S C
Pious Devices
L. c. 1290
The head of a saint with the legend: *CAPVD
SERVI+DEI
["Head of a servant of God"]
M. 1378
Seal of John Haselden, vicar of Wrotham in Kent,
showing a crowned figure kneeling to receive the blessing of
Christ (with a fiery halo). Legend:
S:IOhIS:DE:HAYELDS...
N. 1394
Seal of John Godewyn, parson of the church of
Baconsthorpe, Norfolk: the figure of a saint with a kneeling
suppliant, the legend forming the prayer SCE LAVRENCIE ORA
PRO ME ["O St. Laurence, pray for me"]
O. 1471
Portion of a seal showing the Visitation of Mary and
Elizabeth: the figure on the left (Elizabeth) has her hand
raised in greeting.
P. 1472
The Pelican in Her Piety (cf. Case III, No. 38). A very fine example
of the medieval Christian allegory par excellence:
here, a legend reads Pur amour ["For love"]
Pictorial Devices
Q. 1394
A shield-shaped seal bearing a stylized eagle and
LEGES
R. 1428
A squirrel eating a nut
S & T. 1437 and
S. 1565
Two ancient gemstones or intaglios used as seals. The
first shows the profile of a man with a pointed beard; it was
used by John de Vere, twelfth earl of Oxford. The second, a
woman's head in proWle, belonged to George Soane of Edenbridge,
Kent.
Y. 1449
A hare (and the initial e)