ARCHEOLOGICAL PRODUCTS OF THE SEASHORE OF CHESHIRE IN 1862.

BY H. ECROYD SMITH.

ANTIQUARIES have been occasionally advised of the constant occurrence of historic remains, chiefly of small size, upon the sea-board of Cheshire; such unfortunately appear more and more sparingly, but still the yearly garnering is worthy of note. For the information of those unacquainted with the locality, which is midway between Leasowe and Hoylake lighthouses, a few preluding observations may be necessary, the reader being referred for further elabaration and research to the shortly forthcoming work of Dr. Hume, which will be profusely illustrated with engravings of examples and of analogous objects for comparison.

In the total absence of all historic record of an early settlement here, we are dependent upon the study and correllation of the remains themselves for conclusions as to the proximate dates of their manufacture, the 17th century maps assisting in one particular, viz., by giving the then outline of the coast, and thus proving the great ravages of the sea since their compilation. Those inroads were no doubt the chief means of destroying the old village of Meols, which appears to have been located upon a high sandy promontory, the remnant of which known as the "Dove Spit" is fast diminishing through the action of the tide currents, and will soon wholly disappear. This was probably also the residenee of the Roman, Saxon, and Norman settlers, for the remains clearly prove the successive occupation of such inhabitants. By the close of the 16th century, if not earlier, I think the last houses upon the shore must have been abandoned for a safer position a mile and a half inland, where the village designated Great Meols exists, half a mile from the modern watering place of Hoylake, with which the older fishing hamlet of Hoose has become incorporated. The Roman articles are found in the upper stratum of Old Forest turf, among trunks of trees (in situ) of every age of growth-chiefly within a somewhat limited extent along the shore, and this latter remark will apply to the few Saxon examples (chiefly coins) which occur a mile further westward, and upon the clay; a few Roman ornaments have been picked up at the extreme south-western angle of Cheshire, Hilbre Island (three miles beyond the forest site) which fifteen centuries ago was probably Peninsular only. The great bulk of the antiquities are mediæval, and point to 12-14th century as the period of greatest prosperity. The more modern objects, as pipe-heads and dressbuckles (16-18th century) occur in fields and gardens at Great Meols. Meoles is synonymous with sand-hills, and the place was appropriately enough designated, the prevailing westerly winds having then as now piled up the sands washed down by the Dee to the great detriment of cultivation.

Almost all the older objects of interest are washed out of the beach, and despite the unremitting care of a local collector, no doubt many

escape notice through being never wholly freed from the overwhelming sand which the continued undermining of the bank debouches upon the shore. In the course of time these are buried under the growing East Hoyle, and other sandbanks further seaward, where doubtlessly are also entombed innumerable relics of historic and national interest swept from the mainland long ere these remains attracted attention. It is well known, that from thirty to forty years ago, remains were to be met with in great numbers, though but few obtained about this time, and for twenty years after, are known to have been preserved. Not to trespass longer upon your valuable space I proceed to chronicle the produce of the past year.

ROMAN PERIOD.

One third Brass Coin of CARAUSIUS. Obverse-IMP. CARAUSIUS P. F. AUG. An excellent portrait bust of Carausius to right. Reverse-PAX AUG. Peace standing with Hasta, &c. F. O. in the field,* and M L (Moneta Londinii) in exergue.

A Bronze Lyre-shaped Fibula, 2 in. long, minus the acus, but in good preservation. A Bronze Pin, with hemispherical head, 1 in. long.

A Bronze Buckle, with central bar for the tongue, 1 in. long, found upon Hibre Island.

A Brooch of bronze, of Celtic type, with the serpent-headed terminations unusually produced. Others of this class, but of the Irish (more circular) form and of very rare occurrence in England, have here been found. Like our illustrated example, the best formed are digitated around the ring to resemble the ringed bodies of serpents. Three Silver Pennies of Edward I. or Edward II., minted at London.

A Brass Pin for the dress, with flat circular head, much corroded, 2 in. long. Hasps of various kinds, including two examples of a scarce variety, in which a falling lid precludes the re-passage of a knot, or otherwise enlarged end of a strap or string, upon its tension.

Nine Brass Tags of straps and Sheaths of buckles, the latter more or less fragmentary. Fourteen Brass Ornaments of Straps, consisting of lozenge-shaped pieces, which were rivetted more or less numerously upon the leather as taste dictated.

Nine Brass Buckles of Straps, several retaining the tongue, and in one a fragment of leather remains between the plates of the sheath.

*Mr. Doubleday does not publish this variety in his admirable series, but it is possible one in every other respect analogous may have not been so legible as our example, and the F taken erroneously for a P.

A Leaden or Pewter Scent Box or Cofferet, 12-13th century, and the only one of this date with which I am acquainted. "Roman and later mediæval examples are well known through recent publications. A representation of our example appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine for December last, chiefly with the view of eliciting a reading of the inscription, which appears to run-A JCH OSN J. The sole result hitherto has been an ingenious, but far from satisfactory, rendering by Mr. C. Roach Smith, inasmuch as it ignores the existence of the o, and interpolates a nonexistent H. The Box is round, 1 in in diameter and in. thick, the divisions being equal and joined by hasp and hinge at opposite sides. The faces are similar, presenting an open Saxon cross, the angles of which have a pellet within an annulet, the border-lined inscription surrounding the whole.

A Fragment of a circular flat Ring Brooch of lead or pewter, of diced pattern, resembling those upon Chrismatories or collars, also of lead, worn by ecclesiastics in the 13-14th centuries.

Four Portions of other lead or pewter Brooches.

A Fragment of a Buckle or buckle-shaped ornament, with a pretty flower-trail pattern of lead or pewter.

A Strap-tag of the same metal.

A small leaden cubical Weight.

A Coffer-handle of lead or pewter.

Two Hasps of straps or ties of lead or pewter, one ornamented.

A Strap Ornament of lead or pewter.

A Bone Handle of a Knife, rudely ornamented above skewer or pin, 2 in. long.

LATER ENGLISH.

A Silver Coin of small size, probably a three-penny piece of Elizabeth or James I. A Copper Token of 17th century. Obverse-THOMAS KNIGHT. A Roll of Tobacco in the field. Reverse-OF CARNARVAN 1667 1d. in the field. This unpublished token was unknown to Mr. Boyne when issuing his useful work on kindred pieces. A Copper Token. Obverse-CHARLES CHRISTIAN. Liverpool Castle (?) in the field. Reverse-GROCER IN LIVERPOOLE. In the field HIS PENNY 1669.

A portion of a Buckle in pewter.

A Coat-link in brass, with masonic emblems rudely engraved.

Seven Clay Pipe heads of the 16th century, bearing potters' marks E R. I B. R A. Seven Clay Pipe heads of the 17th century, bearing potters' marks BEN LEGG. E D.

I B. I L.

Thus making the total number of articles found no less than ninety.

* A. J(esus) C H(ristus) S(alvator) H(ominum) N(azarenus) J(udæorum).

D

BY WILLIAM WOOD.

It is perhaps necessary, although a full account it is hoped may one day be found in the pages of the "RELIQUARY," before speaking of Mompesson, to give a brief outline of the origin of the awful scourge in which he took such an imperishable interest, although the harrowing details of the calamity of Eyam have reached almost every corner of the globe. It may suffice for my present purpose, to say, that during the great plague in London in 1665, a tailor or clothier sent to a tailor at Eyam a box, containing some old clothes, or, as it is sometimes stated, some tailor's patterns (which at that time consisted of cloth, in which box were unfortunately conveyed from the metropolis the seeds of the dreadful pestilence which had been there long raging. George Vicars, a tailor (as supposed), who lodged with a widow named Cooper, to whom the box was sent, opened the fatal package and became the first victim. After an interval of fifteen days, Edward Cooper, one of the widow Cooper's sons was also carried off; and thus commenced the terrible pestilence, which from September, 1665, to October, 1666, carried off two hundred and fiftynine persons out of a population of between three hundred and twenty and three hundred and thirty individuals, and this principally in a few months of the summer of 1666. When the plague began to assume so terrible an aspect, Catherine, the young and beautiful wife of the rector of the place, the Rev. William Mompesson, implored her devoted husband that they and their two young children should leave the place until "the plague was stayed." Then came the struggle, the conflict between affection and duty; the almost certainty of death to himself, his wife, and children on the one hand, was balanced against his duty to his suffering flock on the other. The latter, however, outweighed every other consideration, the children were sent away, the heroic mother resolving to share her partner's trials and danger, and thus commit themselves into the inscrutable hands of Providence. It is matter of notoriety, that Mompesson during this terrible season, counselled and consoled his hourly diminishing flock; he poured into their souls the consolations of religion;

his hands alleviated their physical wants; and every device or help his heart could prompt, was placed at their command with a fond and fatherly devotion. In August of the fatal year, Catherine, as we shall hereafter see, fell by the touch of the purple-visaged pest, while utter extermination was the soul-sickening expectation of the remaining few. A remnant, however, was spared; but the fields and gardens around the then deserted village, bore awful testimony to the desolating hand of the pestilence. The heroic resolution of the victims of Eyam to confine themselves within a prescribed boundary (the cordon sanitaire), the holy influence of Mompesson, whose persuasive eloquence served to accomplish this object, saved the surrounding country, for had these humble and suffering villagers fled, the plague would have spread from place to place, and its consequent effects would have been quite incalculable. "Here," says an eminent writer, "the plague, the most awful of all human diseases, was hemmed in, and in a terrific and desolating struggle, destroyed and buried with its victims."

Something more than curiosity is excited in tracing the ancestors and descendants of extraordinary individuals; sometimes, however, very wonderful characters appear on the stage of life, unaccompanied by any distinguished or generally known family or lineage. Of the direct, or immediate ancestors of William Mompesson, very little is now known. Bailey, in his "Annals of Nottinghamshire," has at page 1085 the following notice :-" Died this year (1708) at Eakring, Nottinghamshire, Rev. William Mompesson, Rector of Eakring and Prebendary of York and Southwell.* The Mompessons are a very ancient family in the county of Nottingham, where many of them have been Ministers of the Church of England." The Annalist in a subsequent page, mentions the fame acquired by this Mompesson during his ministry at Eyam at the time of the plague. The name Mompesson is said to be Norman-French, and it has been stated by one of the family, that the first of the name who settled in England, came over with the Conqueror. Sir Richard Colt Hoare, in his "History of Wiltshire," gives a family pedigree of the Mompesson's, in which he traces them from the Conquest. One of this family was Sheriff of Wiltshire in 18th Edward IV., and many others held distinguished offices in that county. In this pedigree, the name William frequently occurs. The family resided principally at Bathampton, Wiltshire. The arms of this family are Argent a lion rampant sable charged on the shoulder with a martlet of the field. Crest, a jug or with a string azure, tasselled of the first." Motto, "Ma joy on Dieu sentement." In Owen's "Footfalls on the boundary of another world," a member of this family is conspicuously mentioned. The pedigree in the history of Wiltshire only comes down to 1635, two or three years before the birth of W. Mompesson. The author of the pedigree alluded to, says the Bathampton Mompessons spread into the West of England. That the worthy Rector of Eyam sprung from a branch of the

*Will Scarlet, one of the boon companions of Robin Hood, was born at Eakring.--Dugdale.