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endorsed by Machel, "it did not pass the House,” is in his collections at Carlisle, and is as follows:

For that the taking of Inquisitions Post Mortem is not now in use, and the registering of Certificates in the Office of Arms of the Deaths, Burials, Marriages, and Issue of the Nobility and Gentry is discontinued, which Certificates were of great use as to Challenges to Jurors and others for Consanguinity, and in cases of Descents of Titles of Honour and other Inheritances: the Descents and Alliances of the Nobility and Gentry being thereby preferred, and their Names, Titles, and Coat-Armour kept from Usurpation; so as if the same be not revived, Posterity will want so great a benefit, the ancient laudable Order and Distinction of Degrees, Titles, and Persons be interrupted and perverted and Parity, together with many other inconveniences likely to ensue. For prevention whereof, and for serving the antient Honour and Esteem due to the Nobility and Gentry of this kingdom: Be it enacted, that the Heirs, Executors, and Administrators, or some or one of them of the Nobility and Gentry within London and Westminster, and 40 miles thereof, shall within or before the last week of every second Term, after the decease of all and every such Nobility and Gentry, repair or send to the Herauld's Office, and there upon oath made by them or some or one of them, or of some other credible person before the King's Heraulds and Pursuivants of Arms, or any two or more of them (whereof a King or Herald to be always one) deliver in Certificates under their hands and seals of the times and places of the Deceases and Burials of such Nobility and Gentry, with their Marriages and Issues, which shall be filed in the said Office, and there registered in books of Velom, together with the Coat Armour, of the Defunct depicted.

That like Certificates be made in Open Quarter Sessions, upon the decease of the rest of the Nobility and Gentry of England and Wales, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and sealed up under Seal of the Justices or any two of them and delivered to the Deputies of the Officers of Arms.

That such Deputies shall twice yearly (viz.) within the last week of Michaelmas and Easter Terms, deliver the Certificates into the Office of Arms, and the Officers of Arms shall there file and register the same as aforesaid.

A Clause. That all Certificates which shall be first and next made in pursuance of the Act, shall have retrospect, and contain, if it may be, the Names, Burials, Marriages, and Issue of all such Parents, Ancestors, and other relations of the Defunct as have died within 40 years last past.

That upon delivery of such Certificates, such Heirs, Executors, or Administrators, shall pay to the King's Heralds and Pursuivants of Arms, or their Deputies respectively by whom the certificates shall be received, to the use of the said Kings and Officers of Arms the fees following.

For which fees Blanks are left for either House, to set down as they shall think fit. For default of bringing in such Certificates within the times limited, to be lawful to the Officers of Arms at their Election, to sue every or any such Heir, Executor, or Administrator for such Fees, and where a Verdict shall pass for them, they shall receive double costs.

The Heir to be charged generally

The Executor or Adminisrator of the Goods of the Testator or Intestate.
And if there be no such Goods, then the Costs of his own estate.

A Probiso-That no such Heir, Executor, or Administrator, being a Peer of the Realm, shall be sued otherwise than according to the usual course of proceeding against the Peers, nor shall be compelled, or put to bring in his Certificate

upon

upon his Oath, but may from time to time deliver or send in the same, under his Hand and Seal upon his Honour only.

Probided-That if any of the said Titles or Degrees shall not die possessed of a Real or Personal Estate of 1000l. value, such Certificates to be Received, Filed, and Registered Gratis.

a Penalty of 20 upon the Officers of Arms and their Deputies for default of delivering in, Filing or Registering the Certificates in the Office of Arms according to the act.

A Probiso for excusing such of the country who by the Act are to deliver their certificates at the Sessions from doing it, these in case they shall do it at the Office of Arms, within the time limited for doing it at the Sessions.

ART. V.-Fragments at St. Bees. By the REV. CANON KNOWLES, M.A., St Bees.

OUR

UR readers will, I hope, forgive the many faults of my illustrations, which are made from pen and ink sketches, as some of our stones are inaccessible to the photographer, and others are beyond his art, (since their meaning is caught by no single effect of sunlight, but by patient study at different times of the day) while others either have been destroyed, since I sketched them years ago, or are again buried beneath the church by ignorant and unwatched workmen.

I preface my short account with our two effigies of knights (XXXI, XXXII). One, the earlier, bears the shield of an Ireby (?) and is, I think, evidently of the 13th century: the other dates late in the 14th: both are much mutilated, but are preserved from all but the weather, as they lie within railings, on the vault of the Spedding family.

The rest of the fragments range from the eighth century (probably) to the middle of the 14th.

ANTE-NORMAN.

I. The impost of a door of St. Bega's nunnery or chapel is in its shape (at least) Irish.

This venerable stone was built into the south aisle wall of the nave, 1150-1180, and was removed in 1868 to its

present

present place opposite the west front, whence I hope to bring it ere long into shelter.

II. The church-yard cross stands, I think, in its original socket, but is headless and shortened;-on the south side it is so much the worse for wear, that after long study, I have set a note of interrogation against my drawing, where the interlaced pattern is most difficult to trace, as I am not satisfied with my result; unfortunately the stone shews signs of recent lamination and decay: I cannot date it later than the 9th century. The triquetra of interlaced work is traceable on it.

III and IV are, or rather were, for they are destroyed or buried again, of the same or an earlier age. I sketched them some twenty years since, and deeply regret their disappearance.

Here I may suggest to our readers, the constant peril to which such interesting fragments are exposed. In 1864 I left Saint Bees for seven years, and on my return, found that many of my ancient favourites had been carried away, and probably used as rubble in the new walls, or in the sub-piers of the floor, viz., nearly the whole of a beautiful transition door-head, (1180), as fine as the west door of Calder Abbey, and several other choice remains.

During the work of 1872, the upper part of IV. came again to light, and I eagerly placed it, as I thought, in safety, but business called me away, and within a few hours it was gone. Conservative antiquarians cannot afford to wait.

V. which was found underneath the west front, is the rudest and probably the earliest fragment remaining to us; only one shoulder is left, above which, of course, the crosshead stood, as in the old cross found at Lancaster, (10th century or earlier). I am inclined to think that our stone dates from the 8th century.

LATE NORMAN, AFTER 1150.

XV and XVII are safe, being fixed to the west wall of the north transept; the latter doubtless is the memorial of some forester of the priory.

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