THE ECCLESIASTICAL SEALS OF CORNWALL. 37 



by the former bishop, now the archbishop, as being the mode 

 of dimidiation more usually practised. 



Both seals were supplied by Wyon, and are of brass. 



There being- no Dean of Truro yet, no Capitular Seal exists. 



SEALS OF THE ARCHDEACONRIES. 



Early in the Church's history Archdeacons were appointed to 

 assist the Bishoj)s. 



Since the Council of Nice, their dignity has advanced beyond 

 that of priests. 



In England, their position, it is said, dates from the eighth 

 century. 



We do not know when an Archdeaconry was first established 

 in this county, but it has certainly existed here for about eight 

 hundred years, and perhaps for a longer period. 



In 1098, Alnoth was Archdeacon of Cornwall, and the names 

 of nearly eighty of his successors are known.* 



Between 1138 and 1154 a charter relating to a gift effected 

 in full synod at Bodmin — " In plena sinodo apud Botmennam," 

 was witnessed by one of the Archdeacons, as we gather from 

 the expression "Auco Archidiacono Cornubie." (It was also 

 witnessed by the Prior of Bodmin — " Willielmo priore 

 Bothmene," by a Dean of Cornwall and by others), f 



About 1318, Walter Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter, annexed 

 one of the Prebends of the Collegiate Church of Glasney, Pen- 

 ryn, to the office of the Archdeacon of Cornwall, so Dr. Oliver 

 has stated, and we also find that more recently in the Close at 

 Exeter a building, with garden and courtlage, was called "the 

 House of the Archdeacon of Cornwall. "J 



Until 1878, the Archdeaconry included very nearly the whole 

 county, after certain peculiars had been abolished. It is now, 

 however, confined to the Western portion of it, for, the eight 

 Rural Deaneries having been re-cast into twelve, the six eastern- 



* See Le Neve's Fasti : Eccl : Angl : latest ediliou. 



t See Oliver's Monasticon DicBC : Exon : p. 41. No. XIII 



X Bihliotheca Cor7iubiensis, Vol, 3, p. 918. 



