Mr. Hodgkinson, of East Acton, sent for the inspection of the Committee a gold ring, engraved, both in the interior and on the exterior, with cabalistic characters; date about the middle of the fourteenth century. It was discovered in a creek of the Thames, in the parish of Fulham.
The Rev. E. B. Dean, vicar of Lewknor, Oxon, exhibited rubbings from two small brasses in the church of Stokenchurch, Oxon, which are remarkable for the late use of Norman-French in inscriptions. They represent the effigies of two knights of the same name and family, Robert Morle, descendants probably of Geoffrey de Morle, who, 16 Edw. II., made over to Geoffrey Haumon and Margaret de Morleye, messuages, lands, and rents in Nethercote, Lewknor, and Aston, of which latter parish Stokenchurch was, until very recently, a hamlet. The two brasses almost exactly correspond, and were doubtless engraved by the same hand. Each knight is represented in plate armour, with roundels at the elbows, a skirt of taces, sword and dagger at the sides, and the hands joined in the attitude of prayer. The following inscriptions appear below the figures:—
De terre ico fuy fourme et en terre suy retourne Roberd Morle iadis nome dieu de salme eit pite q' murust lan de gace m'ccccoxo.
De terre ico fuy fourme et en terre suy retourne Robert Morle iadis nome dieu de salme eit pite q' murust lan de gace m'ccccoxijo.
These knights were probably of the ancient family of Morle of Morle in Norfolk, much distinguished in the French wars of Edward III. and Henry V., who bore for their arms "Argent a lion rampant sable, armed and crowned or." The original bearing had the lion without the crown, the assumption of which at the siege of Calais, temp. Edw. III., by Sir Robert de Morle, or Morley, called forth a challenge from Nicholas lord Burnell; on which occasion it appears to have been decreed by the marshal to Robert de Morle for his life. At a subsequent period it was again challenged by lord Lovell, who had succeeded to the estates and arms of the lords Burnell, when Thomas de Morley, then marshal of Ireland, pleaded the decision in favour of his ancestor. From the sequel it would seem that he had gained his cause, for the descendants of the Morleys ever after bore these arms, whereas the Lovells enclosed their lion within a bordure azure[1]. In point of fact the real arms of Morle or Morley were sable a lion rampant argent, as we find in the roll of arms, temp. Edw. III., published by Sir Harris Nicolas.
Whether the Robert Morles commemorated by these brasses were of this family or not does not plainly appear. The following entries occur in the Inquisitiones post mortem:—
3 Hen. V. Robertus Morle Chivaler. 1416. Morle maner', &c. Norfolk.
4 Hen. V. (1417). Thomas de Morle chivaler. Morle maner.'
6 Hen. V. Robertus Morle frater et hæres Thomæ Morley Militis. Morley maner.'
- ↑ History of Norfolk.
