179 



Tally-sticks may still be seen hanging from the sides of 

 huxters' carts in Brittany. 



It would be interesting if we could find out how this particu- 

 lar counter came to be at Whorlton Castle. There is no evi- 

 dence to show that Edward III was ever here. Graves 

 informs us that Nicholas de Meinill " was summoned to 

 Parliament among the Barons, from the 9th to the 16th 

 Edward III," so that Whorlton was not unknown to the 

 King by name and representation. Then again in those 

 days monarchs travelled about a good deal over their domains 

 and frequented the castles of their Barons and sometimes 

 paid royal visits to monasteries, and many a time an Abbott 

 or a Prior has been delighted to see the back of some royal 

 or dignified person who has honoured him with a visit, and 

 depleted his larder to the no small hurt of the monastery. 



However, the coin has survived so far, as a link with the 

 past, and may have fallen out of the doublet of one of the 

 royal retainers who might have been sent to the castle on 

 some royal errand. This coin carries us much further back 

 than the date of the gatehouse of the present castle, viz.. 

 Richard III. An interesting article on the expenditure of 

 Edward III may be found in the first volume of " The 

 Antiquary," by Sir James H. Ramsay, Bart. 



Since writing the above, during a search in the Public 

 Record Office, I discovered in " The Patent Rolls " and 

 " Calendar of Close Rolls," that Edward II or his Chancellor 

 with his seal was at Whorlton on August 6th and September 

 4th, 1323, where several letters were dated. Letters were also 

 dated from Darlington, Northallerton, Thirsk and Stokesley ; 

 but I did not find any mention of a visit from Edward III. 



