19 



CarbctJ panels from ti)c €Htr $omc of tfjc 

 ttatu'ngtong in 43cri>£. 



By Rev. Charles Kerry. 



m 



LOVER, in his History of Derbyshire (Vol. ii., p. 521), 

 states that in 171 2 the ancient stone gateway of old 

 Babington House was standing. " This gateway was 

 ornamented with the arms of Babington sculptured in stone, 

 and supported by baboons upon tuns. The hall was wainscotted 

 with oak : on the panels were various devices, and baboons upon 

 tuns carved thereon ; the same being a play upon the name of 

 Babington." 



Six of these panels are now in the possession of the Rev. 

 Charles Kerry. 



The first (PI. I., No. 1) has a tree with three drooping branches 

 on each side, each having a cluster of berries on a twisted stem, 

 each leaf plain, and ending in a single point. The foot of the tree 

 is inserted in a tun — plainly indicating a rebus. The stem of the 

 tree is supported by two lions rampant, their noses being in con- 

 tact in front of the stem ; their forelegs are placed on each other's 

 shoulders, as if in the act of embracing. 



The same device, but without the lions, also appears on two 

 oak spandrels, taken from the old roof of Dethic Church, and still 

 preserved there. This roof was erected by Sir Anthony Babington, 

 Knight, about 1530. The following extract from the fourth 

 volume of the Surrey Archaeological Collections (p. 294) may serve 

 to throw some light upon this rebus. Mr. Charles Baily, in his 

 remarks on timber houses, writes : " Much painted glass, con- 



