38 THE ECCLEaiASTICAL SEALS OF COENWALL. 



most of these have been constituted a second Archdeaconry. 

 This new one takes its name from Bodmin, the County Town, 

 situate within it. Each Archdeaconry*' has its distinctive seal. 



SEALS OF FORMER ARCHDEACONS OF CORNWALL, (1322, &c.). 



Amongst the records in the Probate Court at Bodmin, are 

 several impressions. The oldest f I have yet found is attached to 

 a document dated 1605. It is imperfect. In form it is a pointed 

 oval. Of its border legend only the commencement and ending 



can be traced, ti* SIGfIL 



COENVBI^. 



A winged figure (doubtless St. Michael) afeonte, with a nimbus 

 or halo about the head, occupies the upper part of the central 

 space. Nothing further is discernible. (See Plate). 



Subsequent seals, of which there are many, vary but slightly 

 from each other. They display more fuUy the old device. | They 

 shew St. Michael the Archangel slaying the winged Dragon, 

 which with upturned claws and barbed tail lies overthrown at 

 his feet. Its mouth is open, tongue protruding, and the weapon 

 of the heavenly conqueror enters between its teeth. The 

 archangel, habited in girt tunic, holds diagonally his spear 

 with both hands. Below this spiritual group is the shield of 

 personal arms, — different, of course, for each Archdeacon. 



The later seals are elliptical, not pointed, but retain a Latin 

 legend, as for instance that which was in use, in 1644, by "one 

 of the sons of the pious Joseph Hall (Bishop of Exeter and 

 afterwards of Norwich)." George Hall was one of the " Suffer- 

 ing Clergy " (see Walker, " Sufferings of the Clergy," part II. 

 pp. 25, 26). He had succeeded his brother Eobert in the Arch- 

 deaconry. In 1662 he became Bishop of Chester. In his seal, 



* Maps of the Archdeaconries and Deaneries have been published. The old 

 divisions were explained by the late Eev. J. Wallis in 1816, (Index to Martyn's 

 Map, p. 87,) and he issued Maps shewing the same in 1825, and 1847 (Cornwall 

 Register, &c.) The new divisions first appeared in the "Truro Diocesan 

 Kalendars" for 1878 and 1879, in the Map compiled by Eev. W. lago, now 

 pi'inted, with additions, annually. 



t The Archdeacons of Cornwall used official seals as early as 1322 and 

 earlier. Their device is not stated. 



J It is not known when, by whom, or why, this design was adopted, but 

 Dr. Borlase has stated that dedications to St. Michael were adopted from 8th to 

 10th centuries. 



