Today I'm going to show a number of examples of what I'm calling (since I haven't found a proper technical name for it yet) the integral parchment seal tag. I've already outlined these basic types of tags earlier, today I want to show some of the diversity and breadth of use of this very simple tag type.
Click on the small preview image to link to the original source, and links to the full description of the item will be given in the brief item description. My comments upon the item are presented in italic. I've presented the tags in roughly chronological order. And have a few comments regarding the chronology of this style of tag's use at the end.
You'll notice I've written a number of pieces of information in the captions - anything that might be relevant to the process of recreating a sealed document. Don't worry if some of the terms are confusing, I'll be trying to explain these a few at a time in coming posts.
examples of integral seal tags
Royal writ of William I (the conqueror)
1087, before 9 Sept.
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in white wax.
Wrapping: Small tear bottom left corner probably was a tie.
(British Museum, Ms Cotton Ch. xvi 2)
Writ of William I
1087, before 9 Sept.
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in white wax.
Wrapping: Tie located below seal tag.
(Westminster Abbey Muniments, xxiv)
Writ of William I
1095.
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in yellowish white wax.
Wrapping: Small tear bottom left corner probably was a tie. 2 horizontal & 3 vertical folds
(Durham, Diocese and Cathedral Library, Misc. Ch 558)
writ of William II
Pont-de-l'Arche, 12 Nov 1098
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in white wax covered in light brown varnish.
Wrapping: Stub of wrapping tie visible. 3 vertical folds and possibly 2 horizontal folds.
(Burgley House)
Writ of William II
1099, after June 5.
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in white wax covered with light brown varnish.
Wrapping: Remnant of tie. 2 vertical & 2 horizontal folds.
(Durham, Diocese and Cathedral Library, 1.1.Reg.4)
Writ of William II in favour of canons of St Pauls Cathedral
Brockenhurst, 6 July 1099.
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in white wax covered with light brown varnish.
Wrapping: Wrapping tie. 3 vertical and 1 horizontal tie.
(St Pauls Diocese and Cathedral Library, A.59/4)
Writ of William II confirming grant of King Edgar
1095
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in white wax covered with light brown varnish.
Wrapping: Parchment wrapping tie. Two vertical and 2 horizontal folds
(DCM, Misc. Ch. 973)
Writ of Henry I
Click on the small preview image to link to the original source, and links to the full description of the item will be given in the brief item description. My comments upon the item are presented in italic. I've presented the tags in roughly chronological order. And have a few comments regarding the chronology of this style of tag's use at the end.
You'll notice I've written a number of pieces of information in the captions - anything that might be relevant to the process of recreating a sealed document. Don't worry if some of the terms are confusing, I'll be trying to explain these a few at a time in coming posts.
examples of integral seal tags
Royal writ of William I (the conqueror)1087, before 9 Sept.
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in white wax.
Wrapping: Small tear bottom left corner probably was a tie.
(British Museum, Ms Cotton Ch. xvi 2)
Writ of William I
1087, before 9 Sept.
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in white wax.
Wrapping: Tie located below seal tag.
(Westminster Abbey Muniments, xxiv)
Writ of William I1095.
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in yellowish white wax.
Wrapping: Small tear bottom left corner probably was a tie. 2 horizontal & 3 vertical folds
(Durham, Diocese and Cathedral Library, Misc. Ch 558)
writ of William IIPont-de-l'Arche, 12 Nov 1098
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in white wax covered in light brown varnish.
Wrapping: Stub of wrapping tie visible. 3 vertical folds and possibly 2 horizontal folds.
(Burgley House)
Writ of William II1099, after June 5.
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in white wax covered with light brown varnish.
Wrapping: Remnant of tie. 2 vertical & 2 horizontal folds.
(Durham, Diocese and Cathedral Library, 1.1.Reg.4)
Writ of William II in favour of canons of St Pauls CathedralBrockenhurst, 6 July 1099.
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in white wax covered with light brown varnish.
Wrapping: Wrapping tie. 3 vertical and 1 horizontal tie.
(St Pauls Diocese and Cathedral Library, A.59/4)
Writ of William II confirming grant of King Edgar1095
Seal: Double sided Great Seal of State in white wax covered with light brown varnish.
Wrapping: Parchment wrapping tie. Two vertical and 2 horizontal folds
(DCM, Misc. Ch. 973)
Writ of Henry I Wrapping: Thin parchment wrapping tie is visible.
(DCM, 2.1.Reg.17)
Document sealed by Adam de Clifton, knight, and his wife Margery
1363
(Public Record Office LR 14/26651)
Bond by Margery Addington to Christopher Addington for performance of covenants .
1554
Seal: Red wax seal, depicting a coat-of-arms, cracked, portion missing.
Wrapping: Step in parchment corresponds to likely location for a broken off wrapping tie.
(McMaster University British Legal Instruments collection No. 56)
Letter of attorney by Arthur Genter to William Genter to deliver sasine to Richard Kedon of lands called Cheverton in Shorwell, Isle of Wight.
20 May 1564.
Seal: Red wax, depicting coat-of-arms with hand.
Wrapping: Step in parchment corresponds to likely location for a broken off wrapping tie.
(McMaster University British Legal Instruments collection No. 62)
Bond by Walter West of Leasland to Andrew Ilman of Bowcombe, Isle of Wight for debt. (Deed poll).
1570
Seal: Red wax.
(McMaster University British Legal Instruments collection No. 69)
Some observations from the above examples
Based on these examples, and more examples to be shown in the next few posts, the examples start with royal writs with the great seal, and letters patent in the 11th - 13th Centuries. Then there is a large gap with few documents, followed by fairly minor 16th C documents - promises to pay a debt,etc sealed with small probably personal seals. It's probable that as new styles of seal tag were developed, this style, rather than falling out of use completely, simply became used on less and less significant documents. Such insignificant documents are seldom preserved, especially with seals on them, so the few 16th C examples of this style might simply represent the greater chances of more recent documents surviving. Indeed such minor transactions were probably a spoken, possibly witnessed, agreement in earlier times, and likely only increased in usage as literacy increased (I imagine the transactors need not be fully literate, but they must at least have quick and easy access to a cheap scribe for minor transactions to be customarily written down).
It is of course also possible that this style fell out of favour, but was revived in the 16th C, although the singular example from the 14th C argues against this. A stylistic difference between the early and late documents can be noted - early tags are much longer and often thinner, generally cutting off 3/4 of the page width, while most of the late seal tags are wide and often cut only 1/4 of the page width. Both eras frequently have evidence of a wrapping tie (in fact every example above except the last one where the photo is not large enough), which I'll discuss soon.
(DCM, 2.1.Reg.17)
Document sealed by Adam de Clifton, knight, and his wife Margery1363
(Public Record Office LR 14/26651)
Bond by Margery Addington to Christopher Addington for performance of covenants . 1554
Seal: Red wax seal, depicting a coat-of-arms, cracked, portion missing.
Wrapping: Step in parchment corresponds to likely location for a broken off wrapping tie.
(McMaster University British Legal Instruments collection No. 56)
Letter of attorney by Arthur Genter to William Genter to deliver sasine to Richard Kedon of lands called Cheverton in Shorwell, Isle of Wight. 20 May 1564.
Seal: Red wax, depicting coat-of-arms with hand.
Wrapping: Step in parchment corresponds to likely location for a broken off wrapping tie.
(McMaster University British Legal Instruments collection No. 62)
Bond by Walter West of Leasland to Andrew Ilman of Bowcombe, Isle of Wight for debt. (Deed poll).1570
Seal: Red wax.
(McMaster University British Legal Instruments collection No. 69)
Some observations from the above examples
Based on these examples, and more examples to be shown in the next few posts, the examples start with royal writs with the great seal, and letters patent in the 11th - 13th Centuries. Then there is a large gap with few documents, followed by fairly minor 16th C documents - promises to pay a debt,etc sealed with small probably personal seals. It's probable that as new styles of seal tag were developed, this style, rather than falling out of use completely, simply became used on less and less significant documents. Such insignificant documents are seldom preserved, especially with seals on them, so the few 16th C examples of this style might simply represent the greater chances of more recent documents surviving. Indeed such minor transactions were probably a spoken, possibly witnessed, agreement in earlier times, and likely only increased in usage as literacy increased (I imagine the transactors need not be fully literate, but they must at least have quick and easy access to a cheap scribe for minor transactions to be customarily written down).
It is of course also possible that this style fell out of favour, but was revived in the 16th C, although the singular example from the 14th C argues against this. A stylistic difference between the early and late documents can be noted - early tags are much longer and often thinner, generally cutting off 3/4 of the page width, while most of the late seal tags are wide and often cut only 1/4 of the page width. Both eras frequently have evidence of a wrapping tie (in fact every example above except the last one where the photo is not large enough), which I'll discuss soon.
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