From the earliest days of man's ability to communicate his thoughts in the written word and to set down his personal business and legal transactions in formal documents, there has been a need for a mechanism which could both keep such writings and deeds secret and able to assure the recipient and interested parties of their authenticity. This was especially important in an age of slow communications, when there could be no quick and ready contact between individuals, and when the handwriting might very well be that of a scribe, not of the sender. So it was that the use of seals evolved as far back as 4,000 B.C., and massive and learned tomes have been written concerning the cylinder seals of Babylon and the scarab seals of Egypt dating from that time.

Welsh seals in particular are many in numbers, from the humble farmer/trader to the great seals of the princes of Wales as Llewelyn ab Iorwerth-- 1190-1240, and Gwenwynwyn of Powis --1195-1216. Seals generally The objects ranging under this denomination were by no means of frequent occurrence, despite their common use by individuals of the higher classes of society, both clerical and lay, from the Conquest downward. Of course, since the advent of the metal detector ancient seals have come to light. The high prices they attain whenever offered for sale attest a still increasing appreciation on the part of the antiquarian public.

But, interesting as seal are to the mediaeval antiquary, from their use, design, inscription, forms, and even composition, they prove of yet greater value to the topographer and student of heraldry, through their curious illustration of bygone appellations and devices. I have a few seals, but never had it in mind to sell them. One in particular was a personal seal made of lead, crude in appearance but never the less an extremely nice find. It was folded double when recovered having been consigned to the soil after the demise of the owner in the 13th century, which was a common occurrence in mediaeval times, sort of an offering. It belonged to the Madoc family, who had land in Hope and Gresford, near Wrexham, Clwyd in the 13th century, I donated it to the National Museum of Wales some three years ago and is featured in that magnificent Catalogue of Seals issued by the National Museum of Wales Vol 1. My friend Rev. Dr David H. Williams compiled the catalogue, which incidentally includes some very nice Papal Bullae.

He said this of it: " + S Madoc F" Madoc " Central- A sun or star of eight rays (the initial S of the legend is reversed) Script -Lombardic (One Madog Duy vap Madoc vap Adam, had property at Gresford in 1320-- one Madoc Vaghan ap Madoc ap Thomas had land in Hope. All of the same family. Strangely I was helping in an archaeological dig at Pulford mid-way between Wrexham and Chester when a horse harness decoration came to light. It belonged to the Llewellyn royal family of Wales and it appears the Madoc family too was of Royal Welsh stock and could be tied in with the land in which dig took place; it appears that Pulford was once part of Gresford Parish in the 12th-13th Century.

These articles may be divided into four primary classes, the royal (including those of the state), the personal, the religious, and the municipal; the first of these being the earliest nationally used in this country, and probably not much anterior to the reigns of Coenwulf, King of Mercia, and Edward the Confessor, whose great seals of state remain our earliest examples. Seals of lead were, however, common in Roman times, as proven but the numerous examples discovered in England. Some are engraved in the third volume of Mr. Roach Smith's COLLECTANEA ANTIQUA; and others, also in lead, of the time of Constantine, discovered in about 1860 at Richborough, in Kent. The specimens from the seashore of Cheshire are all of personal designation.

Those of earliest date are composed of lead or pewter, and of this material general seals were scarce in the 19th century; so much so that at an archaeological meeting in London around 1850 a member attempted to prove that none such originally existed, affirming the few extant to be later forgeries. The examples I have seen exhibited were undeniably authentic, and would even appear to be but types of a numerous contemporary class. It is certain that they belonged to persons of distinction, inasmuch as a few below the rank of knight were allowed to wear a pendant seal, or 'authentic' as it was termed. Private coat of arms was interdicted upon such, previously to the commencement of the thirteenth century. Personal seals I am unable to exhibit a personal seal from an illustration I have seen, a Matrix, lead; shape, oval. Around a proportionally oblong ornament runs the inscription S' AMABELIE D'LATHVN i.e., the seal of Amabel De Lathun (now Lathom). Nothing whatever seems to be known of this lady, whose name does not appear in its genealogy, although she must have been a scion of the great Lathom family, of Lathom in Lancashire, and Lathom Astbury, near Congleton, Cheshire, from which have sprung three noble families; Derby of Knowsley and Stanley of Alderley, of the 1860's. Another seal Matrix of lead, circular in shape. Around the central flower-shaped ornament is inscribed "S' WILLI DE MELES." Signature of William of Meols.

This personage was in all probability lord of the manor of this Great Meols I am refering to; but as the fabrication of the seal evidently appertains to the 13th century, a period anterior to the commencement of the authentic pedigree of the family, documentary evidence fails to enlighten me as to his true history and position. We possess, however, in Doomsday, a yet earlier notice of the manor of MELES, by which it appears to have been held by a follower of the Conqueror Robert De Rodelent, or Rothelant, Baron of Rhuddlan, North Wales. This nobleman, who had been brought up at the court of Edward the Confessor, and knighted by that monarch, was slain by some of his disaffected villeins in Wales, and died without legitimate issue. As we appear to have annexed ourselves from the question of seals I think the last one to be mentioned must be a Matrix of pewter, circular in shape.

Around the central ornament, or "Stafford knot" is inscribed " S' John De Oscott". This seal is similar in size and composition to the preceding, but is in a much less perfect state of preservation; it also belongs to the thirteenth or fourteenth century. The badge would appear to indicate the owner as a retainer of the noble house of Stafford. It was my intention to include Pilgrim signs and Gypcieres (purses) in this bulletin but I wish to keep them a regular length so this will be all for the moment.