43 2 



HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



appears to have been carried on in it for a long time prior 

 to the Norman conquest ; and local tradition has it that 

 the royal farrier, a rather important personage in his way, 

 resided in that city. However this may be, it is certain 

 that horse-shoes and nails must have been looked upon as 

 important articles in the reign of King Edward III., and 

 have held a prominent place in the crafts of the town, as 

 the corporation seal of that epoch — for an impression of 



which I am indebted 

 to Mr Fryer, town- 

 clerk of Gloucester — 

 exhibits the royal effigy 

 reared upon a lion 

 couchant, and sur- 

 rounded by a number 

 of these emblems of 

 farriery. The annexed 

 drawing (fig. 153) 

 represents this curious 

 memento of days passed away. It is the exact size of the 



ance on the point, on each side a horse-shoe, and three nails at kngth on 

 the base." 



' In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the city used a seal which had in 

 the middle a sword in bend, the pommel in base, between six horse- 

 shoes and ten horse-nails. Christopher Barber, Garter Principal King- 

 at-Arms in 1538, granted to the city the following arms: Vert, a pale 

 or, a sword azure besanted the hilt and pommel gules j upon the point 

 a cap of maintenance purple, lined ermine; upon the field two hone- 

 shoes argent pierced sable, between six horse-nails in triangle. On a 

 chief party per pale or and purple, a boar's head coupee argent; in his 

 mouth a quince apple gules between two roses. These elaborate arms 

 have disappeared, and horse-shoes and nails are no longer a part of the 

 armorial bearings of the city.' 



153 



