On the Rowel Spur 37 



universal use, but the prick spur still went on, as we see on 

 the alabaster figure of John of Eltham, in 1334, as before 

 mentioned. Also, on the brass in Elsyng Church, Norfolk, to 

 Sir Hugh Hastings, in 1347, Sir Hugh is represented wearing 

 rowel spurs, and some other figures on the brass wearing 

 prick spurs. This brass represents the end of the transition 

 period, and is, I think, the very last appearance of the prick 

 spur ; and after this the rowel came into universal use. 



The principal characteristics of the early rowel spurs 

 during the first half of the fourteenth century were strongly 

 depressed sides, passing under the ankle-bone, terminating in 

 two circular perforations, though sometimes only in one, for 

 the attachment of straps by means of hooks rivetted to the 

 straps. 



At first there was no crest, or development on the top 

 of the heel-plate. They had a straight, short neck, seldom more 

 than two inches in length, and generally only sufficient to give 

 room for the rowel to revolve, and with plain star rowels of 

 sometimes six and sometimes eight points, and generally from 

 one and a half inches to two inches in diameter. Several 

 specimens of these early rowel spurs are to be found in the 

 City of London Museum. Illustrations are given on Plate 16, 

 Figs. I, 2 and 3. The spread of these spurs are all much 

 the same, two and a half inches to three inches, not more 

 than to allow them to embrace a heel clad in close-fitting 

 chain-mail. The rowels of this period are described as 

 "star" when the points were divided right up to the centre, 

 " rose " when the points were divided for only a part of the 



