NORFOLK SWAN MARKS. 109 



the title became extinct.* The roll on which this mark 

 appears is in book form, with the date 1693 on one of the 

 leaves. The front page has also an elaborate coloured 

 drawing of a swan, wearing a collar and chain, no doubt 

 indicative of its domestic state, above and below which 

 are the names and dates Robert Breese, 1728 ; Robert 

 Copeman, 1758 probably former owners of the roll. 



In the late Mr. Dawson Turner's illustrated copy of 

 Blomefield, in the British Museum, comprising some 

 sixty volumes, quarto (vol. xv., p. 145), there are also, 

 amongst other local swan-marks, one termed Sir William 

 Paston's mark, another " Yarmouth of Blundeston, now 

 Sidnor ;" and a third, " The Prior of Yarmouth, now 

 Gostlin." Neither at Yarmouth or Thetford are swans 

 kept at the present time by the Corporations. 



The ancient borough of " King's Lynn," strangely 

 enough, seems never to have possessed swan-marks 

 amongst its other rights and privileges, as no allusion 

 to either swans or swan-rolls appears in the late Mr. 

 Harrod's excellent repertory or index to the Corpora- 

 tion records, nor in his separate index to the ancient 

 minute books. Had there existed any such record Mr. 

 Harrod, who was much interested in the subject of 

 swan-marks, would certainly have alluded to it in his 

 report. Mr. George Webster, of Lynn, -who has kindly 

 furnished me with the above information, also informs 

 me that although a few swans are now kept by the 

 Corporation on the Gaywood river and Kettle Mills 

 ponds, it is a custom of late years only, and he is 

 doubtful if the birds are marked at all. The following 

 order of the Town Council in reference to these swans, 

 was made as recently as the year 1870f : " The stock 

 of swans and cygnets on the waters in the public walks 



* At the present time Lord Yarmouth is one of the titles of the 

 Marquis of Hertford. 



t See " Norfolk Chronicle," February 12th, 1870. 



