A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



trefoil foliage terminations. On the opposite side of the porch is a portion 

 of a cross-shaft with three separate designs upon it; the upper one very 

 imperfect, the intermediate one the plait mentioned as occurring at Chester 

 le Street, Hart, and elsewhere ; the lower the regular plait without breaks. 



Perhaps the most interesting stone of all is given a conspicuous place in 

 the centre of the group. It is part of a grave-stone, and retains the lower 

 arm and shaft of a cross of the form which had square block terminations 

 to its limbs and a similar block at the intersection. The surface of the stone 

 round the cross is sunk and the angles of the cross beaded. The angles of 

 the slab have a cable moulding, and the surface contains a portion of an 

 inscription which reads: in hoc singvlar[i sig]no vita redditvr mundo.^ 

 A portion of the same cross appears to have been worked on the edge of an 

 inscribed Roman stone, now in the Black Gate Museum, Newcastle-upon- 

 Tyne, as it contains the side limbs and intersection of the cross, and the cable 

 moulding on the angle. If this assumption is correct it would appear that 

 the memorial was incorporated with the wall of some building, the stone 

 which is worked on the edge serving the purpose of a bonding or tie stone, 

 while above and below it were two slabs, carrying the remainder of the design. 



In the Durham collection is the stone here figured from Jarrow. It 

 was found outside the churchyard to the south-west of the church. 



In the Black Gate Museum at Newcastle-upon-Tyne is another portion 

 of a memorial slab with a cross upon it, in a semicircular recess. The cross 

 is of the form just described as remaining at Jarrow, but has bosses which 

 appear to have had interlaced work upon them in each of the five squares. 

 The stone measures i foot loj inches long, i foot 9 J inches wide, and 

 6J inches thick. There are no traces of an inscription.' 



Monkivear mouth. — There are considerable remains of the ancient church 

 in the vestry of the existing church, a large collection of fragments of various 

 dates having been built into its walls. Amongst them are some architectural 

 details and portions of sepulchral memorials. One is a large slab bearing 

 a cross, with square block terminations to the head, the two side limbs, and 

 the foot of the shaft. It bears the inscription : hic in sepvlcro reqviescit 

 CORPORE herebericht pRB. The angles of the slab have a bead moulding 

 which has ended, just above the head of the cross, in two scrolls. There 

 are two small fragments, each of which contains interlaced designs of con- 

 siderable intricacy and refinement.! In addition to these is a small portion 

 of a panel which has upon it the representation of a combat. The two 

 figures engaged have short tunics and bare legs. The sculpture is very much 

 broken and the heads are both gone. The dexter figure lias a circular shield 

 in the left hand. He appears to have disarmed his opponent, as a sword of 

 the ' spatha ' form is doubled up and lying on the ground. 



Norton. — Built into the jamb of the chancel arch of the church is a 

 small fragment measuring \\\ inches by 9 inches. It exhibits portions of 

 two panels containing knot-work, both incomplete. 



1 Hubncr, InicrtpUonei BrUannitt Chnsliaii<r. Berlin, 1876; /lich. /Eliana (New scr.), i. 195 ; 

 xi. 27 ; xxii. 30. 



• The dcdir.itory irnrription at Jarrow will be dealt with in connection with the church itself. 



' Deirribed by the bishop of Bristol ' it comes nearer to a rcprescnt.ition in stone of one of the mnrvelloiis 

 pages of the Linilisfirne Gospels than anything else which cm be shown.' Kota on Church of St. Piter, 

 Monkuearmouth, 18R6, p. 13. 



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