Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/222

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PROCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS OF

found in situ, in unblocking a small circular-headed, double-splayed window in the chancel of Framingham Earl Church, Norfolk. It is pierced with eyelet holes, in different directions, round the edge, doubtless for the purpose of affixing some kind of lacing. Fragments of similar frames were found in the other double-splayed windows, but very much decayed. Mr. Manning thought it possible that this might have served for fixing a substitute for glass in early times, and that the material might have been canvas, which is mentioned by the late Mr. Hudson Turner as having been used at Westminster Abbey about 1270.[1] It had also been supposed that these holes were merely for cords to be passed through to keep the birds out, the rain being sufficiently excluded by the double splay. Contrivances of this kind appear to have been termed fenestralls, fenestralia. Horman in his Vulgaria says that "glasen wyndow is to let in the lyght and kepe out the winde. Paper or lyn clothe straked acrosse with losyngys mak fenestrals instede of glasen wyndowes." Possibly the "losyngys" in this case imply a net-work of cords stretched across to preserve the paper or linen from damage.

By Mr. Edward Hoare.—Representations of a singular silver crucifix, originally gilt, having the image of the Saviour on both sides; the cross is curiously formed of open work in a lozengy pattern, and a spiral twist all round the edges. Date, XVIth century. It was probably intended to be attached to a string of paternosters, and it was found in digging a deep grave, in 1844, at St. Cronan's Abbey, Roscrea, co. Tipperary. This relique is now in Mr. Hoare's Collection.

Mr. Blaauw presented a cast from the glazed surface of a block of terracotta, part of the external decoration of the ancient residence of the Pelhams at Laughton Place, near Lewes. This moated mansion was erected by Sir William Pelham in 1534, and it was for two centuries the seat of the family. The buckle which was their badge, appears in several places amongst the ornaments, which, as also window cases and other dressings of moulded brick, are of very skilful workmanship. The block from which the cast was taken measures 8 inches in thickness, and it displays the buckle with the initials of the builder of the house—W. P. and upon the buckle is this inscription—LAN DE GRACE 1534 FVT CEST MAYSO' FAITE. A representation of this badge is given by Mr. Lower in his Memoir on the Badges of the families of Pelham and De la Warr, Sussex Archæol. Coll., vol. iii., p. 228; and in his "Curiosities of Heraldry," p. 161. A model of one of the windows, ornamented with arabesques, was exhibited by Mr. Blaauw in the Museum formed during the meeting of the Institute at Chichester.

By Mr. Nightingale.—Two reliques of baked clay found in digging graves in the churchyard of St. Nicholas', Wilton. One of them is a perforated disc, diameter about 41/2 inches, diameter of perforation 13/4 inches. It resembles one represented in "Artis' Durobrivæ," plate 29, fig. 6, found with Roman remains and described as a weight, possibly from its being marked with three impressed cavities at equal distances, a peculiarity occurring in other examples. A massive ring of baked clay, closely similar to that found at Wilton, was dug up in the churchyard at Hurst Pierpoint,

  1. Pipe Rolls, 50, 55, Henry III., cited in the Introduction to Domestic Architecture in England, p. xxx. A payment occurs also in 1293, "Pro canabo ad fenestrallas ad scaccarium Regine apud Westmonast,. iijd."