The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

THE TECHNIQUE OF SIMON VAN DE PASSE. 231
King of Arms, whom I consulted upon the suggestion
that the coat was a Scottish one, and also Mr. Van de
Put, for their careful inquiries into the matter, negative
though the result has been. The plaque came from
Ireland, and this has suggested to Col. Croft-Lyons
a connexion with the Irish branch of the family of
Ram. So far as I have been able to discover, however,
all the likely members of that branch about
the time when the piece was made were clerics.
Mr. E. E. Dorling has also been kind enough to go
into the matter, and allows me to quote the gist of
his remarks.
"The early Jacobean date of the piece settles one point,
at any rate, namely, that the engraved lines on the charges
and fields of the heraldry do not represent the modern dot
and dash system of tincture-marks. The first coat in the
shield therefore is not Azure a chevron ermine between
three rams 7
heads razed argent ; not necessarily, anyhow,
although that coat is borne by Kam of Hornchurch in
Essex. I am inclined to believe that the coat is Sable
a chevron ermine between three rams' heads razed argent
having horns or, the well-known arms of Kamsey of Etonbridge
in Kent, of which family was Sir John Kamsey,
Lord Mayor of London in 1577.
The second quartering is perhaps for Argent a lion sable
with a fesse engrailed gules over all, the arms of Powell of
These are the only colours that I can
Filworth in Surrey.
find which fit these charges ; but whether Ramsey quarters
Powell I know not.
The third quarter is perhaps for Or an eagle sable,
another Ramsey coat. These arms are on the monument of
John Ramsey in St. Olave's, Southwark, dated 1669 ; but
of course the field and the bird may really be of any other
colours, and the coat may belong to any one of many other
houses of worship and condition.
I find it impossible to identify the two next quarters
vair (or vairy) and three bends ; and the last quarter-
ing three thistles may be (according to the colours) for
Peyntwyn of Lambeth, Hawkey, or Romanes.
The thistle crest perhaps belongs to the sixth quartering.