236 STRATHCLYDE AND GALLOWAY CHARTERS. 
The transfer of the barony of Dalston, under which 
Cardew was held, to the Bishops of Carlisle was an occasion 
when something corresponding to the King’s “* Inspeximus 
of charters would take place, and when a copy to replace a 
deed might be granted by the new seigniorial owner, the 
original being deposited with him. For various reasons this 
might happen—the copy being allowed by him as equivalent 
to the original and attested by some accompanying form. If 
it should turn out then that the conclusions come to by the 
study of the writing are that it was of that period, it seems 
reasonable to conclude that this is its date. 
The script of the original being one to which the scribe 
was unused, he has copied as nearly as he could most of the 
letters and made them in his usual way of forming letters, but 
some capitals of which he felt sure he has made in the fashion 
of the day ; hence the mixture of shapes which range from the 
time of William I. to that of Henry III. The actual period ts. 
practically settled after close scrutiny to be the time when the 
small a was made with three strokes: the lower left curve, 
the longer right curve, and the joining of these at the top of 
the left curve by a third horizontal stroke, and when the ten- 
dency to indulge in thick horizontal strokes, bearing on the 
pen, was in vogue—as the top strokes of the letter g show, 
and when the tendency to keep the curve in the top stroke of 
the T remained, and the ordinary small f as written in Latin 
words was made with a long straight stroke begun with a 
small curve at the left of the top, and then a curve almost like 
a c added to the right at the top of the straight stroke. This 
process, though the shape is different, shows itself as that in 
which the f’s in the charter were written; in some cases a 
straight horizontal stroke at the bottom of the c completes the 
work. All but two are thus formed. This was the time when 
also y had still a dot placed over it in the usual Latin script of 
charters. These characteristics come together in the early 
part of the reign of Henry III. And I think we may feef 
assured then that our copy is of the time when Henry III. 
transferred the Dalston barony to the Bishopric of Carlisle, 
i.e., 14 Henry III. (1230-31). 
In working up the whole matter afresh, I have returned’ 
