Original - The MAN & Other Families

14 The Ancient Stone CrossesMoors. As fresh perambulations of the bounds were made,in all likelihood new marks were added, and Hobajon's Crosswe may not unreasonably consider to be one of these.The mutilated cross which is at present to be seen, consists,as stated, of the top of the shaft and one of the armsonly. The arm is ten inches in length, the shaft measuringsixteen inches from its upper surface, and being about fourteeninches in width. As the sides of it, however, are notquite parallel, the width is not the same throughout, but israther greater at the top. It must have been a massive crosswhen in itscomplete state, with a breadth across the arms ofabout two feet eight inches ;its height, of course, it isimpossible to determine. The fracture runs across obliquelyfrom under the remaining arm. One side of the shaft is teninches in thickness, the other only seven inches. It is nowlying on the slope of the hill toward the river Erme, notfar from the north-western cairn.From the absence of any other cross near the spot, Ithink we may safely conclude that this is the one that thejury, of whom Mr. Bate speaks, erected on one of the cairnson this hill ;and that it is also the old Hobajon's Cross isnearly certain, for, although the existence of this mutilatedhead is not generally known, the name still lingers here asmall heap of stones at no greatdistance from the tophill being called by the moormen Hobajon's Cross.of theThis point forms the starting place when the bounds ofa portion of the moor in this locality, over which the lord ofthe manor of Ermington exercises certain rights, are perambulatedthe first record of such perambulation being inthe year 1603.If the supposition be correct, as no doubt it is, that we nowsee on Three Barrows a portion of this ancient cross, we knowthat it must have been brought from the stone-row, as wehave no reason to consider the map wrong in representing itas standing there, but other hands. I think, than those of thejury of survey did this. From the fact of the manor boundarymark bearing the name of Hobajon's Cross, it would seem likelythat at one time it was erected there, in which case we shouldperhaps be inclined to consider that those who were engagedin marking out those bounds, were concerned in the removalof the cross ;but I am of opinion that they were not those