Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/300

 178 PROCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS OF work, resembling the designs surrounding sepulchral brasses, and, very probably, part of a monumental portraiture. Tiles, bearing the legend, " Orate pro anima," have been found at North Creake, Norfolk, and in Gloucester Cathedral, doubtless intended to mark the pavement covering a place of interment.*^ The Rev. John Stacye communicated a notice of the j)eculiar architec- tural features of the church of Barnby-in- the- Willows, co. Notts., illustrated by drawings of several windows in the chancel, of unusual design. Me. Charles Long, in reference to Dr. Charlton's remarks on sepul- chral crosses (Archaeol. Journ., v., p. 253), communicated a rubbing from an incised slab, or coffin-lid, now built into the wall of Greystoke church- yard. This fac-simile had been supplied by direction of Mr. Howard, through the obliging care of Mr. John Barker, steward to that gentleman. The cross is of elegant design, the head composed of four circles, united by transverse limbs, and surrounded by a circle.' On the sinister side of the cross is engraved a pair of shears, with the points downwards. A representation of this slab is given in Mr. Boutell's "Christian Monu- ments," p. 9'2. Mr. Barker stated, that in rebuilding the church tower, a great number of incised coffin lids were found under the foundations, some bearing a cross and a sword, others with a cross and shears. These slabs were of various sizes, from 5 feet in length to 18 inches. Mr. Joseph Fairless, of Hexham, sent some observations on the same class of memorials, accompanied by a drawing of a fragment of a cross fleur-de-lysee, with a pair of blunt-pointed shears on the sinister side. The small dimensions of this slab appeared to show that it had covered the grave of a child, as the stone, when perfect, must have measured about 26 inches in length, by 12 inches at the head; it was narrower at the foot. This example, Mr. Fairless observed, seems in favour of Dr. Charl- ton's theory regarding the shears, and conclusive against the conjecture that they denote the memorial of a wool-stapler. Still he was inclined, in examining the interestiiig explanation of symbols appended to the cross on these memorials, to think that a doubt may be entertained in regard to Dr. Charlton's appropriation of them. " I fully agree vith the writer, that the frequent appearance of the shears found with the cross is opposed to the supposition that they indicate the craft of the deceased ; neither do the keys point to more certain conclusion, as symbolising the trade. That the warrior, with sword, bow, and bugle, and the ecclesiastic with the chalice, are symbolised on these slabs, seems clear ; and various religious symbols are found on sepulchral stones from the very earliest times. The cross needs no explanation — the rose seems emblematical of the briefness of life — the shears, of the thread of life being cut — the keys, too, probably indicate St. Peter s charge, and the circle is symbolical of eternity. The fish, pincers, &c., equally admit of a like interpretation, so that the prepon- derance is, perhaps, in favour of the association of these symbols with religious feeling." In the specimen already given from Hexham by ^ The Rov. J. Lcc Warner has assigned Gloucester tile is given by Mr. John Cough the Norfolk tiles to the time of Nith. de Nichols, in his " Examples," No. 73. Stowe, Vicar of Snettisham, about l.S.'JO ^ A similar cross may be seen in Southwell (Norfolk Archaeology, vol. i., p. 374). The Minster.