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1 1 2 Newcastle Society of Antiquaries
Mr. Dendy edits a great array of extracts from the De Banco rolls,
which must be a mine of pedigree lore for North England. About six
hundred separate
entries reveal many glimpses of litigation by border
families from 1308 down to 1855. The list bristles with names often heard
of in our Scottish history. In some cases both litigants are Scots, as e.g. the
pleas in 1363 between David of Strathbogie, Earl of Athol, and Sir Adomar
of Athol.
No paper
in the series, however, represents more creditable study than
Mr. C. H. Blair's long and well-illustrated treatise The Armorials of
Northumberland: An Index and Ordinary to 1 666. Numerous plates in
colour show arms of Balliol, Fitz-Roger, Grey, and Umfraville and derivative
shields ; there are five plates of shields ; and other illustrations are of
armorial-bearing buildings, such as the gate towers, etc.,
at the castles
of Alnwick, Bothal, and Lumley. A large body of notes is appended,
in which we observe the suggestion regarding the well-known orle of
the Balliols. 'This shield,' says Mr. Blair, l is possibly canting, adopted
as a play upon their name from the similarity to the ballium of a castle.'
A first prejudice against this suggestion may be to some degree dispelled
by the consideration that balliolum might be a diminutive of ballium^ and
by remembering that the old description of Carlaverock was that it was
like a shield, for it had three sides :
Cum nus escus estoit de taile
Car ne ot ke trois costez entour.
Roll of Carlaverock.
But, notwithstanding, the canting inference seems rather a forced interpretation.
On the Umfraville cinquefoil, best known to us here as borne
by the Hamiltons doubtless a sign of cadency the is suggestion made
that it originally denoted the herb *
to have virtue
bennet,' anciently reputed
to put the devil to
flight. This one does not find convincing.
Another long paper is a
fully
illustrated report on the excavations at
Corstopitum (Corbridge) for 1909. These elaborate diggings, while they
have failed to uncover any great and decisive points of direct evidence,
have yielded a very rich return of detail, adding to our knowledge of
the life of a Roman garrison town, and deepening the impression of
lengthened occupancy which all evidences, direct and indirect, unite to
make. Mr. R. H. Forster and Mr. W. H. Knowles give a full and
systematic statement of their work in charge
of the excavations. Mr.
H. H. E. Craster continues his methodical report on the coins, among
which is a well-preserved medal of Septimius Severus, struck at Hadriancia
in Hellespontus.
Professor Haverfield summarises the smaller finds, including some pottery
assigned to the age of Agricola, as well as more numerous fragments dating
from the second to the fourth century.