of the King, and not of the Bishop. It does not appear that the Bishops of Norwich ever possessed or used the privilege of coining money of their own, as several other bishops in England formerly did."1 I may conclude with his further remark, that "the moneyers' names are very varied, and offer an interesting subject of enquiry for the philologist. A great many are Danish, as we should naturally expect to find in East Anglia; but a large number also are Saxon."

List of the names of Norwich moneyers, collected by Mr. Henfrey:

1 Mr. Henfrey seems to have forgotten that there were no Bishops of Norwich before 1091, but his remarks apply equally to the Bishops of Dunwich, Elmham, and Thetford.

Under William the Conqueror and his successors the list continues to show similar names of a Danish character, until they gradually become more familiar Norman ones, as Giffri, Gilebert, Herbert, Hue, Johan, Nicol, Reinald, Ricard, Willelm.

Alabaster Carbing in West Barsham Church,

Norfolk,

COMMUNICATED BY THE

REV. W. MARTIN, M.A., R.D.,
Vicar of East and West Barsham, &c.

This interesting Carving in Derbyshire alabaster (14 ins. by 12 ins.) was found resting in the piscina of West Barsham Church, Norfolk, when I became Vicar of the parish in 1891. I am unable to discover how long it had remained in this position. The subject appears to be an exposition of the Infant Saviour to St. John the Baptist and his mother Elizabeth. One of the figures in the background, no doubt, represents Joseph; another figure bears a lighted candle, which may suggest the true light of the world. The upper portion of the carving represents the Heavenly Father with the Dove and the Angelic Host.

The composition shows great artistic merit, and expresses forcibly the feelings of all present, which one cannot fail to recognise, although the faces are much mutilated. The background seems to suggest the Church of Christ rising from the ruins of the old Temple of Jerusalem. The work is perhaps by an Italian artist resident in England, as it lacks some of the characteristics of pure Italian work. As the Vicarage of West Barsham was appropriated to the Priory of Castleacre, it is quite possible this carving may have been brought from that place at the time of the dissolution, as there is nothing to indicate that it originally belonged to the church of West Barsham.

The wooden frame in which it is fixed evidently dates from the sixteenth or early part of the seventeenth century, and the date (1407) cut on the alabaster looks like a seventeenth century forgery.