Archaeologia Volume 32 Appendix
Archaeologia Volume 32 Appendix is in Archaeologia Volume 32.
Sepulchral Memorials, commemorative of Robert de Roos of Hamlake, in the Church of Bottesford [Map], and of Lord Grey of Codnor, in Eton College Chapel.
5th March, 1846. William Bromet, Esq., M.D., F.S.A., exhibited Rubbings from an incised memorial in Bottesford Church, originally at Belvoir Priory, in Leicestershire, and a sepulchral Brass in the chapel of Eton College.
The first is a Slab, commemorative of Robert de Roos, of Hamlake, who died 1285, and Isabella de Albini, his wife, heiress of Belvoir, who died 1301. It was removed to Bottesford at the dissolution of the neighbouring Priory. The inscription, into the text of which three armorial escucheons are introduced in a singular manner, records the interment of the heart of De Roos. The heraldic peculiarities exbibited by these escucheons are remarkable; the bearings are - 1, de Roos impaling de Albini; 2, de Albini dimidiated with de Roos; 3, de Roos quartering Badlesmere, with a blank impalement. Robert de Roos left a son, William, who had livery of his father's lands, but, as Dr. Bromet was disposed to conclude, did not become possessed of the honours and lands of Belvoir until the death of his mother. He was succeeded, in 1316, by his son William, who received immediate livery of the whole inheritance, and married Margery, sister and co-heir of Giles de Badlesmere. Dr. Bromet supposed that their great-grandson, John de Roos, who succeeded in 1384 and died in 1393 without issue, caused this memorial to his ancestors to be placed in the church of Belvoir. He noticed the singular marshalling of the bearing of Isabella, on the dexter side of the second escucheon, which may have arisen from her having retained possession of the honours of her parental barony of Belvoir, after the decease of her husband, as shewn by various documents cited by Dr. Bromet. That barony was also much more important than that of de Roos, and the bearing may on this account have been placed on the more honourable side of the escutcheon. The third escutcheon with the blank impalement may possibly be regarded as a shield of expectation ( according to the term used in Spain ), and attributed to John de Roos, who does not appear to have been married; it is obviously to be assigned to a date later than the demise of Margery de Badlesmere, in 1363, as until that event her arms could not with propriety have been quartered with those of de Roos.
The sepulchral brass at Eton presents the figure of a young man in armour, with this inscription beneath, "Here lyeth buryed Richard Grey, Lord Grey Cotenore, Wylton, Ruthyn, and on of the heyrs apparant to Richard Erll of Kent, sone of Edmond Lord Grey, broder and heyre to George Lord Grey and Thomas Lord Grey, and hencheman to our soverain Lord King Henry the VIII. The which Richard decessyd the xxviii. day of October in the year of our Lord M.VCXXI."
Dr. Bromet noticed this memorial as shewing the union of these titles, which are generally supposed to have been separate long previous to that date.
Monumental Inscription for Richard Lord Grey de Wilton.
19th March, 1846. Thomas W. King, Esq. F.S.A., communicated some observations on the monumental inscription to the memory of Richard Lord Grey de Wilton, in Eton College Chapel, accompanied by a pedigree, in illustration of the facsimile exhibited by Dr. Bromet on March 5. Richard Grey died in 1521, a minor and without issue; it is not easy to explain why he should be styled "one of the heyrs apparant to Richard Erll of Kent;" both were descended from John Lord Grey de Wilton, who died 17 Edward II., but the Earl had a brother living in 1521, who succeeded him. It is equally inexplicable why Richard Grey should be styled "Lord Grey Cotenore, Wylton, Ruthyn," as these baronies never merged in one individual. The barony of Grey de Codnor fell into abeyance in 1496, among the aunts of Henry, the last lord; and, had it been a barony limited to heirs male of the first baron, the Greys of Barton, a family existing at the time of Richard's death, would have had a prior claim. As regards the style of Ruthyn, Mr. King remarked that Richard's grandfather married the daughter of Edmund Lord Grey de Ruthyn; but his descent, thus deduced from that family, could in no wise have entitled him to the designation of that barony. Richard Earl of Kent died within three years after the decease of Richard Lord Grey de Wilton, and it seems pro bable, from the expression, "one of the heyrs apparant," that the monument at Eton was erected soon after; the insertion of the style "Lord Grey Cotenore, Wylton, Ruthyn," may possibly have been intended merely to indicate his connexion with the other ennobled branches of his ancient family.
Cromlech and Obelisk at Locmariaker in Britanny.
11th March, 1847. William Bromet, Esq. M.D. F.S.A. in a Letter to the Director, remarks, that having called attention to the somewhat exaggerated views of a Cromlech and Obelisk [Menhir Er Grah [Map]] in Britanny, presented some years ago to the Society by the Rev. J. Bathurst Deane, he now exhibits another Drawing of this Cromlech or Dolmen, as it is called in its neighbourhood; and also a Drawing of the Interior of the Cavern under the tumulus Gaur' Innis. The upper or table stone of the Cromlech, according to Dr. Bromet's own measurement, is twenty-one feet long, twelve broad, and four deep; it is supported by three vertical stones which are between five and six feet above ground; and there is another and shorter vertical stone, which, although not a supporter, was evidently erected for the purpose of its becoming so, should either of the three other uprights fail — a provision observed in similar Antiquities in Cornwall. The Obelisk, or Menhir, has long been in a fallen and fractured state; it consists of four pieces, altogether more than seventy feet long, and at its largest end fourteen feet broad, with an estimated weight of two hundred and fifty tons.
Further Notice of the Monument at Gaur' Innis [Map] in Britanny.
29th April, 1847 - William Bromet, Esq. M.D. F.S.A. in another Letter to the Director, communicated a further explanation of the Monument at Gaur' Innis in Britanny — together with some rubbings from those of its sculptured stones which he considered the most interesting. A remarkable peculiarity in this Monument consists in the interior faces of several of its component stones being engraved with concentric curves resembling eels or serpents: and others with those instruments called celts, or small ovals pointed at one end, but so placed as to give an appearance of their being hieroglyphic characters. There are only two other instances of the kind on record, viz. one formerly near Gavr' Innis called the "Pierres Plates now destroyed, and the one at New Grange, in Ireland. Another distinctive feature is a sort of staple made in the stone at about three feet from the ground, by three holes communicating with each other at the back, and indicating much friction by the internal smoothness, as if by the action of ropes passed through.
Account of a Group of Tumuli on Berlchampton Down, Wilts.
Dec. 16th, 1847. John Yonge Akerman (age 41), Esq. F.S.A. communicated to the Society a letter which he had received from Richard Falkner, Esq. dated Devizes, 25th of September, 1847, descriptive of a Group of Tumuli on Berkhampton Down, not hitherto, as Mr. Falkner believed, sufficiently noticed by the antiquary. Referring to the Ordnance Map of Wiltshire, Sheet XIY. he says, "The Barrows I am about to describe will be found in the triangle made by the old road from Bath, approaching the present turnpike road from Devizes to Marlborough; Wansdyke forming the base. They are placed in a line passing from the south-west to the north-east, and surrounded by a fosse of a very unusual shape, 20 feet across and 3 in depth. The ground covered by them is 80 yards in length and 47 yards broad in the widest part. The Tumulus at the south-east end of the inclosure is the largest, the diameter of the base being 63 feet, and its height 10 feet. The one at the other end is not so high, but, as it slopes into the fosse, its base is not many feet less. Between them is a Barrow of much smaller dimensions, and the three are connected together by slight bands of earth, with a fosse on each side, running a short distance up the Barrows." Mr. Falkner's communication to Mr. Akerman was illustrated by a drawn sketch taken from the south, a ground plan, and some sections. The singular arrangement of these mounds, their difference in size, and other circumstances, led Mr. Falkner to the conclusion that this spot was the resting-place of three members of a Celtic family, who perhaps fell together in some hostile attack, or otherwise died about the same time: and it would seem they were persons of distinction, whose place of sepulture was in after times visited with ceremony, there being an approach to the ground 260 yards in length, formed of a vallum and fosse, still quite perfect, commanding a fine view of the Barrows throughout its course. This letter was accompanied by short notices of two other groups of Tumuli: one about a mile to the east of the triple Barrow just described, close to the turnpike road; the other situated in one of the deep hollows of the Chalk Downs, not far from Silbury Hill, and remarkable from the length of the approaches.
A second communication from Mr. Falkner to Mr. Akerman was read, accompanying a drawing of what has been either part of a Torques, or one of the coils of an Armilla, or Armlet, found in the autumn of 1844 on St. Ann's Hill, near Devizes. The sketch was the actual size and shape of the original; the material of which was fine gold, weighing rather more than 2½ ounces troy. In form and character of workmanship it strongly resembled one of the gold bracelets found near Egerton Hall, in Cheshire, in 1831; and which is engraved in the XXVII. Volume of the Archaeologia, p. 401.