466 Proeeedinfis of the Rot/al Irish Academy. 



oval, measures 1|| by 1\ inches. Device, arms of the See, a mitre between 

 three" crosses formy fitchy impaling the arms of Kyle, gold three candlesticks 

 sable. The shield is surmounted by a mitre, and has the date 1840 below. 

 Inscription — 



CURIAE- CONSIST • CLONENS SIGILL OFFICIAL • 

 VENEEAB • SAM^- • MOOEE • KYLE • L • L • D • VIC ■ GEN • 



Oval brass matrix of the seal of the Cousistorial Court of Ossory, 1801. 

 Pointed oval, measures 2-^ by 1\\ inches. Device, arms of Helsham, a 

 chevron engrailed between three leopards' heads and the crest of Helsham, an 

 esquire's helmet, all surmounted by a mitre. Inscription — 



THE • SEAL • OF • THE • CONSISTOEIAL • COUET • OF • OSSOEY • 

 PAUL • HELSHAM • V.G.^ 



Matrices of Monastic Seals. 



Very few matrices of seals of abbots or priors or common seals of 

 religious bodies have found their way into the Academy's collection, and of 

 these none belong to the more important foundations which were ruled by a 

 mitred abbot with a seat in Parliament. 



The matrices at our disposal may be divided into those of official seals with 

 the name of the abbot or prior, of official seals of abbots and priors without 

 the name of the individual, and of common seals of abbeys and priories and 

 other religious bodies. With regard to the second division — i.e. seals of abbots 

 or priors without the name of the individual — it is a question whether these 

 should be placed under the seals of the heads of religious houses, or whether 

 they should be classed apart. As in the smaller houses there is evidence to 

 show that these seals were used as common seals, and that, taken as a whole, 

 they were used for official purposes, and sometimes in place of the formal 

 common seal of the abbey or priory, it appears better to place them in a 

 class apart.^ 



The Academy's collection is far too small to give any representative series 

 of devices, but while the seal of the abbot or prior generally bore his effigy, 

 either as the principal device or subordinate in a niche, the common seals of 

 the communities displayed very varied devices, such as the Holy Trinity, 

 scenes from the Hfe of our Lord, or from the life of the Virgin, the Virgin 



' Cotton, op. cU., vol. i, p. 254. 

 ^ Cotton, op. cit., vol. ii, p. 306. 



'See Proc. Society of Antiquaries of London, 2nd S., vol. ix, p. 197, where this matter is 

 luUy discussed and citations "iven 



