GarsTIN—On some Sixteenth Century Inscriptions. 431 
is wanting; and considering also that t and C in the writing of the 
period, as well as in the black-letter, were, as also in sound, almost 
identical—a fact which explains the still unsettled mode of spelling 
such words as ‘‘ ancient.” I must not disregard a suggestion of Professor 
Atkinson that the word in question was intended for UNiCUS, = only 
(son), which seems more probable. The more difficult literal reading, 
MUMS = the dumb (or at least stuttering) son, is not, however, with- 
out support. The Rev. Denis Murphy has obligingly referred me to 
Morrin’s Rolls of Chancery (i. 178), where, under date 24th June, 1548 
(3° Kd. VI.), a pardon is issued to ‘‘ John Ballaghe O’ Byrne of Bally- 
vane, co. Carlow, horseman,’”’ who, he thinks might be the same per- 
son, ‘‘the ballaghe being put for balb—a mistake of the guttural 
sound by the writer of the pardon, like Barrogh for Barrow, Barba.” 
It is remarkable, however, that five other persons are named in this 
pardon, and that the name or epithet is applied to each. 
In No. 2, the two words after ‘‘ Johannes,” or rather one divided 
in two, which reads W101 Watt, presents much difficulty. I believe 
that we have one word tomtiiatt. With this conjecture the Rev. 
James Graves agrees. He reads the word as a proper name of the 
father of William ‘‘ O’ Brin,” viz. ‘‘ Inominatus;” and he adds, ‘‘ There 
is a well-known Irish name ‘ Ferganaim’ = ‘vir sine nomine,’ which 
means ‘inominatus,’ or nameless. ... It was common amongst the 
Kavanaghs.”’ See a note of O’ Donovan to the Pour Masters, a.p. 1541. 
With this agrees Mr. Huband Smith, who gives instances from some 
records. 
Dean Reeves has kindly referred me to the Calendar of Patent 
Rolls, 503, in 17th Rep. Irish Record Office, p. 82, where appears a 
pardon to ‘‘ Wm. m° Fergananim O’Birne, of Co. Carlow,” 31st Aug., 
40 Eliz., but that date being 1598, it can scarcely refer to the subject 
of the epitaph of 1569. 
Should anyone be unwilling to accept the reading ‘‘ Ferganaim,” 
I have also to suggest that the explanation may be found in a refe- 
rence to the other tomb, and that the word means, ‘‘ named in—se. the 
other inscription.” This would be quite consistent, as a reference to 
the two inscriptions, as before given, will show. It may be argued as 
against this, that these two monuments are not near each other, so 
that such a reference would be too vague. But, as Ryan records, 
‘‘this monument was pulled in pieces by the deluded rebels of 1798,” 
so it is probably not now in its original position. 
In Nos. 1 and 2, the local epithet, wilitnonen{ts, applied in both 
inscriptions to the Cavanaghs. It means of some place named Wilbinon, 
or such like. If the three first letters = vil, we may read, “‘ of the 
town of Binon,”’ or, as Mr. Graves has it, Dinon. In the map of the 
Barony of Idrone (Kilkenny Arch. Jour., 4th ser., i. 187), the only 
name like the one desiderated on is Tulmoyonnis. Mr. Murphy thinks 
the place in question is Polmonty or this. Failing local identification, 
