METAL DETECTING

As apparently no archaeological study had been done in Purse Caundle, something I had therefore wanted to do for quite a while was some metal-detecting there. I have a VIKING 'Wasp' metal detector, a model said to be used by Water Companies, which meant that it could only detect metal objects, not such things as pottery.
Being a member of the National Council for Metal Detecting, I automatically had third-party insurance, provided I responsibly abided by relevant rules and procedures. I was thus able to obtain the kind permission of the landlord and tenant of Church Farm in September 2008 to metal detect there over a specified area, for a specified period.
I managed to carry out three sessions on ploughed land prior to Christmas before the weather became either too wet or frosty. The land there is clay, and very sticky when wet. I imagine that this was the sort of conditions on the Somme during WW1. Considering the adverse conditions the metal detector worked very well.
So far no treasure trove hoards have been found, but the ground has now been cleared of a lot of extraneous metal, much of which has been identified by the farmer as coming from various farm machines over the years. The photographs below show what has been found. In the first photo, bottom right is a possible percussion cap, perhaps from an aircraft's armaments. Bottom centre is someone's lost spectacles in their case, found near the objects in the second photo.

Below are four items found together in the same field, showing the farm's earlier reliance on horse-power and the services of a blacksmith. The items are part of a horse harness, part of a heavy horse horseshoe, a file, and an incomplete tethering stake.

Below is a complete Tethering Stake with its ring, to be seen in the Dorset County Museum, Dorchester.

THE WHITE LION SOCIETY

Once having become amigerous, and seen the inside of, and been enthralled by the ambience and contents of the College building in Queen Victoria Street, London EC4, it was natural we would want to know more. I heard about The White Lion Society, whose President is the Earl Marshal. It is a Society of Friends of Her Majesty's College of Arms, formed in 1986.
The Society's name was derived from the heraldic supporters of the College of Arms being two white lions taken from the Earl Marshal's Mowbray Supporters.
The Society's Badge above was granted in 1988: "Standing erect upon a grassy mound Or a Lion guardant Argent gorged with a Ducal Coronet Or and supporting with a forepaw a Spear Gold headed Argent flowing therefrom to the sinister a Banner of the Corporation of Her Majesty's Kings Heralds and Pusuivants of Arms".

Membership is open to all interested persons. The Society raises funds for the purchase of items or services of historical or heraldic importance to the College of Arms for which it cannot budget. Heraldic books are purchased, ancient letters patent bought and framed, armorial glasses provided for receptions, and a special camera bought to enable photographs to be taken of old grants not in the College's archive. There is a quarterly Newsletter, and visits to sites of heraldic interest are organised. For example, in October 2008 members visited Lambeth Palace, on the south bank of the Thames, where there was a most interesting display in the Library**, followed by a coach trip to the church of St. Stephen Walbrook in the City of London. There are also occasional Receptions and Dinners at the House of Lords. The Society also has its own website: http://www.whitelionsociety.org.uk/

The Society holds an Annual General Meeting in January each year, normally held in St. Benet's Church, Paul's Wharf, Queen Victoria Street - immediately opposite the College. Some of the College's Officers of Arms have been buried in the church. The A.G.M. is followed afterwards by a drinks and nibbles Reception across the road at the College. Here members have the opportunity to mix and talk with Heralds, Heraldic Artists, etc., and inspect College artifacts.
The College has its own website http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/ and issues a quarterly Newsletter on it.


**Seeing what the Library contained prompted me later to enquire about whether there were any holdings concerning Purse Caundle. It so happened that there were some of the Commonwealth period, which have since been incorporated into CHAPTER 6 of my History of Purse Caundle.

BECOMING AN ARMIGER

An ARMIGER is a person entitled to bear heraldic arms.
As my profile states, I was for some years a commissioned Officer of H.M. Customs & Excise. Having read somewhere that this could entitle one to have a coat of arms. I accordingly wrote in July 1998 to The College of Arms in London, enquiring whether this was correct.
A prompt reply was received from one of the Heralds, Bluemantle Pursuivant (Mr. Robert Noel), confirming that this was so. As well as giving a background to the granting and bearing of arms through the ages, he also gave some encouragement and advice as to the design of the Arms and Crest, taking into account the grantee's family and personal background. Before any prior Warrant can be obtained from the Earl Marshal, the petitioner has to submit a Memorial desiring "of having Letters Patent a Armorial Bearings granted and appointed unto him", etc.
In further correspondence from Bluemantle regarding clarification of some details, I was told I had to supply the names and addresses of two referees.
Some complications could arise through my only having daughters (3). Firstly, the Crest, the Helmet, and what is placed thereon, and any motto, would be personal only to myself, and could not be used by any of my descendants. My daughters would have the right to the entire Shield of arms; and during their lifetime, or on their decease may transmit to their issue the right to marshal for themselves within the shield's quarterings Nos. 2 & 3 of the arms of KNIGHT. Quarters 1 & 4 would be for any paternal arms of any of their children - my grandchildren. But the College of Arms, or an authorative book on heraldry would be able to give more definitive information. My poor wife, alas, would not get a look-in.
As I had intimated it would not be possible to make a weekday daytime visit to the College of Arms to discuss design, etc., Bluemantle offered to visit me during one of his often visits to the area.
Based on this encouraging information I duly sent off to Bluemantle a signed and dated Memorial, a cheque for the substantial fee (now even higher), the names of my two referees, and documentary evidence of my service in H.M. Customs & Excise - see my cancelled commission below. I finally said how honoured we would be to receive a visit from him.

Thus the 6th October 1998 was to be a red-letter day - or rather evening - when we entertained a Herald in our humble abode. I had already drafted a possible design for my Arms. The colour of the shield to be green, with a white cross dividing it into four quarters. To denote my Customs & Excise service there could be a gold/yellow portcullis in quarters 1 & 4 - a device shown on C & E badges, stationery, etc. To show my family's Hampshire ancestry there could be a gold/yellow hog's head (the Hampshire Hog), with superimposed upon it a small red rose (the Hampshire Rose - a county emblem) in quarters 2 & 3. To illustrate the name KNIGHT would be use of the accepted device of a Spur, placed in a canton (heraldic name for a small square) either in the top left-hand corner of quarter 1, or at the top of the join of quarters 1 & 2. To denote my writing activities, there would be a hand holding a quill pen coming out of the wreath on top of the helmet.

Knights to protect themselves from the sun used to have a long mantle issuing from the helmet, being held by a wreath. This mantle is nowadays heraldically displayed in a fanciful flowery form, but I wanted something traditional or more realistic. As my favourite colours are green and yellow, as already intimated, the inside of the mantle would be gold/yellow, whilst the outside would be green - depicting my service in the Environment Agency (and its predecessor) when I had to sometimes maintain discreet surveillance whilst on the look-out for illegal waste disposal activities.

The full armorial bearings of an armiger, i.e. shield, mantling, helmet, wreath and crest is called the Achievement. As my Achievement would somewhat display to the world something of my ancestry and achievement in life, and as punning is accepted in heraldic depictions, etc., my motto could be aptly BY ACHIEVEMENT BE KNOWN.

Bluemantle initially liked my ideas for the general design, but expressed doubts about the mantle, until I showed him in a book I had an example of my old version having been used not too long previously. He said he would now take my ideas back to the College of Arms, for the opinions of his senior Heralds and Kings of Arms.

A fortnight later came Bluemantle's letter, bearing a favourable response. The general opinion had been most favourable to the general design, particularly the Hampshire depictions; and my 'Georgian' abundant mantling was accepted in place of the 'Tudor' limited mantling. 'Keeness' had also been shown with the motto. What I was to be immediately and particularly enamoured with, as were the Heralds, was the Kings' inspired concept of KNIGHT being depicted by a circlet of spurs on the helmet.

To enable knights to breathe more easily inside their helmets, small ventilation holes (ventrailles) were drilled in the lower part of the helmet. When asked about this I requested that these be in the form of a broken cricket wicket - to depict my fondness for the game but ineptitude in the playing of it.

After a couple of drafts the definitive version of the Achievement was finally agreed and accepted by me at the end of November 1998. Bluemantle was then about to go to Israel to seek out satisfactory vellum skins suitable for preparing illuminated Patents, including my own. In the meantime I sent him details of my ancestry pedigree going back several generations for the College's records.

It was not until the evening (8-45 p.m.) of 27th August 1999 that my wife and I were eventually privileged to attend in awe at the College of Arms, and receive from Bluemantle himself the illuminated Patent - shown below. On the same occasion we were shown some of the College's treasured items, as well as a couple of reference books from which I was able to obtain details for my own researches.

The illustration below of the College of Arms building is derived from one of the College's own postcards.

The following is a transcription of the above Patent from the College of Arms. Once having been officially granted my Arms, they have been used so far on letterheads and bookplates, and a framed personal variation for each of my daughters. It would be nice, for instance, to have a dinner service bearing the arms, or even table-mats, but for the expense!

I have since joined the White Lion Society, which is a form of Friends of the College of Arms - see separate posting.

The Manorial Lord of Purse Caundle in his personal armorial jumper, knitted by his joint-Lord wife from a pattern produced by the well known pattern designer Jo Newton, to both whom grateful thanks are given. 

 

THE MANORIAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN

Having become a Lord of the Manor, one naturally had to become a member of The Manorial Society of Great Britain. This had been formed back in 1906, but had naturally undergone changes since then. Sales of Manor Lordships had normally been the preserve of auction houses, but this is now something the Manorial Society seems to have more or less taken to itself, as a separate offshoot of the main Society - as witness the purchase by myself and my wife. Details of membership, and Manor Lordships for sale may be found on the Society's website: www.msgb.co.uk

Society events include Receptions at the House of Lords hosted by an hereditary peer - see the third illustration; Dinners at prestigious locations; Carol Services; Conferences on matters of particular interest to Manorial Lords, held at one of Oxford's colleges - see the fourth illustration taken in 2006 at Merton College.

Having joined the Society, one can obtain a suitably produced illuminated Certificate of Membership - see first illustration below. In the top left-hand corner one's own heraldic shield is placed.

Then there is the Manor Lord's insignia hung round the neck on suitable formal occasions, on a yellow and green ribbon - see the second illustration. All adult males of 16 byears and above were admitted to the Lord's Court by being tapped on the right shoulder with the Steward's wand of office: per virgam (by the rod). Dns Cur Baro (Lord of the Court Baron, the freeholders of a Manor). The Norman pillars on either side of the Insignia symbolize the formalization of the feudal system of Domesday Book (1086). The coronet represents the Lord's Authority within the court.