Quarterlymeetings

QUARTERLYMEETINGS. • ICRLINGITAM AND MILDENITALL, JUNE 5, 1851.—C. J. Fox Banbury, Esq., Prasident for the day. The companymet at the house of J. Gwilt, Esq., Icklingham,where that gentleman had arranged in one room a variety of Roman antiquities found at Icktingham,and in another a collectionof Saxon weaponsand ornaments,from the adjoiningparish of West Stow. • The paper by Sir Henry E. Bunbury, Bart., on the nature of the Roman occupationat Icklingham,whichis printed in p. 250,washere read. The Secretarythen gavea brief explanationofthe SaxonrelicsexhibitedbyMr. Gwilt,and calledattention to•the fact thatZrelics of the Anglo-Saxonperiod had beenfoundin Icklingham,whileon the Hedth in the adjoiningparish of Stow,and near to the site of the Roman camp at Icklingham,Saxon antiquities alone are found ; leading to the belief that the two races were here in opposition to each other. The number of skeletons found, and the nature of the objects discoveredwith them,lie observed,shew that Stow Heath must havebeen for a considerabletimeused as a burialplace. The relicsconsistof urns rudely designed, andformedbyhandout ofblackearth; bossesofshields,andspearsofiron,&c.; bronze fibulteand clasps,with fragmentsof cloth adheringto them; and beads. Thelatter are numerous,and principallyof amber; but some are of glass,of variouscolours, and others of bakedearth painted. Some of a black colour have the zig-zagorna- ment in white. A fewof polishedwhitepebblehavealsobeenmet with, and oneof jet. With a numberofvery smallamberbeadswerefoundsmallglasstriplet beads, and four Romansmallbrass coinspiercedas if to be worn with the beads. Among the bronzearticleswerea fewpiecesresemblingone figured in the last No. of the Institute's Proceedings; the use of whichis as yet unknown. Owingto the quantity of rain that had fallen,the party wereunableto proceed to the site of the Romancampor station; but went at onceto the churchof AllSaints, whereMr. E. K. Bennetread apaper,pointingout the detailsmostworthy ofnotice; amongwhichthe fineEarly English scroll-workin iron on the church chest,the decoratedchancelpavement,andsomeremainsofstainedglassexcitedparticularnotice. Mr. I. Deck submitted to the consideration of the meeting the suggestionthat the Purbeckand Petworth marblehad beenconsideredwith an ecclesiasticalvenera- ration, or that somepeculiarideaof sanctitywassymbolizedbyit, as there was not a sacred edificein England without possessingthis marble in the form of tomb, credencetable,font, or decoration. This opinion,he observed,wasstrengthenedby the factthat it is foundin parts of the countryvery distant from the source of the marble,and to whichit couldonlyhavebeenbroughtby muchlabour and expense; that it has been used when marble superior in beauty, durability,and facility of working was to be had on the spot; and that ancient wills contain manydirec- tions that " a coveringor tomb shouldbe madeof sacredmarblefrom Purbeck." The companythen took a passing glance at the church of St. James, and proceededto Mildenhall,where, through the kindness of C. J. F. Bunbury,Esq., they werepermittedto meetin the old dininghall of the ManorHouse,formerlythe seat of the Norths and the Hanmers. The hall was hung round with rubbings of finebrasses,from the extensivecollectionof J. Holmes,Esq., and in a glasscasein the centre,and on other tables, was a large and extremely curiousassemblageof antiquities,chieflyfoundin the immediateneighbourhood,orin illustrationof them. Sir H. E. Bunbury, Bart., exhibited a varietyof relics whichhad been dis- coveredin Mildenhall,includingtwo vesselsof clay, containingRomancoins,and a portion of a third, likewisecontainingcoins rusted into a mass • a javelinhead of iron,foundperforatingthe collarboneof a skeleton,buriedin a chalkpit' nearHolly- wellRow. Sir Henryconjectured,as to the vesselswith coins,that it wascustomary MEETING AT M1LDENHALL. 305 in the Roman armies to keepmoney, in determinedquantitiesfor the pay of the soldiers, in clay pots of the coarsest manufacture,and having verysmallmouths, which were sealed up ; and that when the coin wasrequiredthe pot wasbroken. This modeof keepingcoinof small value,Sir Henry wasinformed,still prevails,or did till lately,in someparts of Holland.* E. H. Bunbury, Esq., M.P., exhibitedan interestingcollectionof fibulmand other bronzesfromItaly. The Rev.SamuelBanksexhibited:—Fourflint celts,foundin MildenhallFen, UndeleyCommon,EriswellCommon,and EriswellLode. A verysmallbronzecelt, foundat Mildenhall. An ovalstonehammer. A cineraryurn with burnt bones. A smallsun-bakedvessel,with two Roman coins,foundat Mildenhall. A portion of a Romanmill-stone,of lava, found at Mildenhall. A curiousshapedstone,supposed to have beenused for triturating or rubbing on another, found in Ireland. Two bronzedishes, found with a third one within the other ; a bronzewingedfigure, holdinga bunchof flowersoverthe head; and a daggerwith ivory handle,foundin MildenhallFen. A numberof Ronian silver and brass coins, found in Mildenhall and in Icklingham. A string of glass beads, with bracelets, from Kenny Hill, Mildenhall. A string of clay beads, with a Saxon fibula, a Roman coin, and a portion of British (?) pottery, from HollywellRow, Mildenhall. A number of amberandglassbeads,includingoneof large size,three Saxonfibulre,and two pairs of clasps. Pail, of a bronzesword,the ironpommelof a sword,and sundrybronze instruments,ornaments,&c.,foundin Mildenhall. A spearhead anda daggerof iron, from Wilberton, in the Isle of Ely. Ancientcoffee mill. Leather mug. Ancient key, Mildenhall. AncientChineseseals,medals,coins,&c.,and spearheads. Brass spur, froma housein the Market Place, Mildenhall. Ancientwatch case,studded with silver. Deed of transfer of land, at Haddenham,Isle of Ely, with seal, date 1397. Mr. Warren exhibited:—Agold seal, with antique cornelianof Herculesand Iole. A gold ring, of filagreepattern, of Saxon workmanship,foundin Essex. A beautifulgold ring, of the 15th century,with the legend+ REX.EST.AYA. and a flower,eachof a differentform,betweenthe words; foundnearWymondham, in Norfolk. A silverthumb ring, with an antique figure, engravedon a light blue stone, set in gold; found at Wymondham. A silver twisted thumb ring, with a merchant's mark, found near Wymondham. A silver gilt ring, with the words ± AVEMARIAGRA.,and a raised partition between each letter. A brass thumb ring, with I. H. C.,in letters of the time of Hen. III ; foundnear Wymondham. A brass ring, with a T., of the time of Hen. III., havinga crownoverit ; foundnear Newmarket. A brass ring, madeas a buckleand strap, and the legendMATERDEI MEMANTO; found near Wymondham. A brass ring, with the letter R., of the time of Hen. III., found on the site of the old Globe theatre, London. A tooth and ear pick,of silver,foundat Ipswich. A Romanbronzepin, with a glasshead, found at Pakenham. A lead bulla of Pope InnocentiusVI.' found at Pakenham. An ornamented bronze handle of a chest, with the rivets, by whichit had been fixedin the wood; foundat Pakenham. A bronzeweight, foundat Pakenham—on one sideis represented a lion passant, and on the other a castle,from whichit is suggestedthat it might have beena weight belongingto the city of Norwich. It weighsexactlysevenouncesavoirdupois. An inscription runs round on both sides, but very few letters are sufficientlydistinct to be deciphered. A very fine long brass cell, found at Attleborough. Two hollow celts, one found at Caston, in Norfolk,and the other at Thetford. A large bronze fibula, of the Saxon period, foundin Ixworth. Mr.I. Deck,of Cambridge,exhibited:—Theumboor bossof a Saxonshieldand iron spearhead,both remarkablyperfectand finein shape. The umbostill possessed the bronzerivetswhichare rare to meetwith. These relics were found about two years since at Streetway-hill,in the parish of Wilbraham, within a few feet of * Arehieologia,vol.xxv.,where Sir Mildenhall,that have beenirrecoverably Henry Bunbury has described other lost. interesting objectsof antiquity,foundat 306 QUARTERLY MEETINGS. the remarkablyfine skeleton of largestature, with the " crown" and an amberand other curiousbeadsof rude workmanship,whichare nowdepositedin the " British Room" of the British Museum. AmongstothercuriousrelicsMr.Deckexhibitedan amuletfoundin a RomanVillaat Combertonexcavatedby him. It is a perforated pieceofmeteoriciron,supposed,fromthe use madeofit, that it wasseento fall.Alsoa most curiousdisplayof twenty-twodomesticarticles,madeofa softmetalcontaining tin, and variouslyshaped,the use and ageof whichare at presentin obscurity; but conjecturedto be of the Anglo-Saxonperiod. Theywerefound in BurwellFen on• the originalsoilof clay,beneatha coveringof peat soil nearly5 feet thick. From the positionin whichthey werefound it would appear as if a sudden catastrophe had comeon, and compelledthe party then usingthem to abandonthem. A stamp for imprintingthe Potter's name,fibulse,armlets,and pottery, allfrom Suffolk. The Rev. C. H. Bennet exhibiteda numberof Roman coins found in this and the neighbouringcountie. Mr. H. Barker exhibited the half of a quern, of pudding stone, found at Glemsford. W. Mills,Esq.,exhibiteda Nuremberghcounterorjetton, foundat Gt. Saxham. The Rev.H. Hasted exhibiteda leadensignof St. Edmund,with a crownand a letter E on oneside; and another leaden token with a castle, with a portcullis on either side...andthe letters Tovil. The Secretary exhibited sulphur casts of the royal and great seals of King Edward the Confessor,Oliver Cromwell,and Williamthe Fourth, and a cast from the great medalof Charlesthe

Load more