. Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society. ield. The earliest of the five corporate seals used successively by thecity of Glouces-ter is a circularone, 2|in. in dia-meter, bearinga conventionalrepresentation ofthe city (^).It IS depicted as atriangular walledand crenellatedenclosure, with asquare embattledtower in the mid-dle, and a circu-lar bastion orturret flanking it on either side ; the third turret is not shewn, being covered bythe tower. In the centre of the front wall is a double doorway,shewn as closed, and on either hand a circular window. In basea
. Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society. ield. The earliest of the five corporate seals used successively by thecity of Glouces-ter is a circularone, 2|in. in dia-meter, bearinga conventionalrepresentation ofthe city (^).It IS depicted as atriangular walledand crenellatedenclosure, with asquare embattledtower in the mid-dle, and a circu-lar bastion orturret flanking it on either side ; the third turret is not shewn, being covered bythe tower. In the centre of the front wall is a double doorway,shewn as closed, and on either hand a circular window. In baseare the waters of the river Severn. Round the margin is thelegend in Lombardic characters : + SI6ILL BVR6GCSIV I)[a 6ILDA MaR]aATO[RV6L0Vaa]STRIGC. This interesting seal is known from two impressions only, bothunfortunately broken. The one is appended to an exceedinglyinteresting deed whose date is fixed by the attesting witnesses asbetween 1237 and 1245, and which also bears the seals of Williamde Cantelupe, bishop of Worcester, and of the Hospital of XIII. 2 B. (Fig. 14). First Seal of the City of Gloucester. Circa 1200. Transactions for the Year 1888-9. Bartholomew inter pontes. The other impression is attached to adocument of 38th Edward III. (1364-5). The description of this seal as that of the burgesses of thegild merchant is most unusual, if not unique. None of theearly grants to the city include that of a gild merchant, thusshewing its early date. Its first mention in a charter occurs inthat granted by king John in 1200, where it is spoken of asalready in existence. This charter of John is, however, a veryimportant one, and that under which the city was first formallyincorporated. Looking at the style of the seal and the characterof the lettering I think its date may fairly be set down as that ofJohns charter, viz., 1200. As we have already seen, it was cer-tainly in use some forty years later, and it is known to haveexisted as late as 1365. The second seal is al
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbristola, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookyear1888
