220 Proceedings of the Roi/al Irish Academy. 



APPENDIX. 

 By E. G. E. AEMSTRONG, M.R.I.A. 



As the seals attached to the documents calendared above are of interest, 

 a descriptive list of the more important examples is appended. The deeds 

 range over a long period (i.e., from the early part of the thirteenth to the 

 beginning of the eighteenth century), so that seals of very different dates are 

 represented. The following points may be mentioned : — Firstly, the great 

 superiority of the earlier over the later seals, several of the later deeds being 

 sealed with impressions made by buttons, while the last seal of the series 

 is an impression made from a coin ; secondly, the number of individuals 

 who apparently had no seals, and consequently used those of other persons, 

 or seals with impersonal devices and legends. Several of the seals of fifteen th- 

 and sixteenth-century date bear as devices letters, sometimes crowned, the 

 impressions probably being made from signet rings. Numerous signet rings 

 of bronze or base metal of late mediaeval date are extant; it has been 

 suggested that when these were engraved with the letter " i ," crowned, they 

 represented the initial of our Lord's name, the rings being worn as a charm 

 against evil, in accordance with the common belief in the preservative power 

 of holy names. One of the present series of deeds [No. \'tZ (120) dated 1451] 

 is sealed with a signet engraved with the letter " 1," crowned ; as it is used 

 by Johanna, daughter and heiress of John Tankard, butcher, it indicates that 

 the crown was merely ornamental, the letter representing the initial of the 

 owner's name. 



To several of the deeds seals are attached bearing impressions of 

 merchants' marks. These are a series of devices consisting of a private 

 cypher, of which a cross forms an almost invariable part, combined with the 

 owner's initials. The cross, which has usually two streamers attached to it, 

 has been considered to have been derived from the .symbol of St. John the 

 Baptist, the patron saint of wool merchants : other theories suggest that 

 it was either a distinguishing symliol to differentiate the goods of Christian 

 merchants trading in the Eastern Levant from those of Mahommedan traders, 

 or a magical protection against demons to whose malign influence tempests 

 were thought to be due.' It may be noted that liichard Barnewall, doubtless 

 a member of the great Norman-Iri.sh family of that name, seals with a 

 merchant's mark. See No. 166 (162). 



The most attractive armorial seal is that used by John, son and heir of 

 Thomas Seriaunt, Baron of Castleknock. He used his father's seal, which is a 



' British Musmm Mediaeval Guide, pp. 199 and 200. 



