A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 
Half a mile north of Barnspike, near Hazel Gill, another shepherd 
found more runes on a rock in 1872. Professor Stephens read— 
ASKR HRITA HEIL KIL HIMThIK/E 
HESSIL 
© Ask wrote this hill to Gil henchman to Hessil.’ 
We can find no HESSIL on the stone, but we find the names Hessil and 
Gil in Hazel Gill or Hessil Gill hard by, and Ask at Askerton Castle. 
This finding of proper names in place-names was characteristic of the 
period and of Mr. Maughan, and the inscription seems to have been 
another practical joke (see Early Sculptured Crosses of the Diocese of 
Carlisle, 1899, pp. 48-53). 
Bridekirk font bears runes of the twelfth century. The second 
APE pen yg 
TP PL NAD DIST RAB 
XBR 
Tue Bripexirx Runes. 
line is by no means clear, but the reading of W. Hamper (1820) and 
Professor Stephens does not seem to have been bettered— 
t RIKARTh HE ME IWROKT(E) 
& TO ThIS MERThE GERNR ME BROKTE 
‘Richard, he me wrought, and to this beauty carefully me brought.’ 
At Dearham the ‘ Adam Slab,’ already described, has beside the 
word ADAM a few broken runes. The Rev. W. S. Calverley communi- 
Tue Dearnam Runes. 
cated them to Professor Stephens, who said that as later runes the 
would read HNIAERM, which means nothing : therefore he regarded them 
as early runes and read— 
(Krist S)U(L) GI-NIERA 
‘May-Christ his-SOUL NAERE (save, bless) !” 
He dated the stone, from this reading, ‘850-950?’ but this date seem 
280 
