The bookplate over the inscription—“The Revᵈ John Constable, Ringmer”—is simply a ship in full sail, and this is the crest of one of the families of Constable. This plate is in a copy of Parson’s—His Christian Directory, London, 1754. The volume also contains the autograph “William Constable.” It so happens that another crest borne by the Constables was a dragon’s head, and this may be seen on the bookplate of William Constable, F.R.S. and F.S.A., pasted into an old volume of manuscript escheats and inquiries in the county of York, which belongs to Mr. E. F. Coates, and is probably one of the Dodsworth volumes, which posterity owes to the thoughtfulness of the great Lord Fairfax, who, when war was raging and devastation threatening, had copies made of many old manuscripts for fear that the originals might be lost.
It always adds to the interest when there is the owner’s signature to his own bookplate. This is the case with a volume of a small topographical work. The bookplate represents the arms and crest of the famous clan Macintosh, with “C. C. M.” below, probably standing for Charles Calder Macintosh. The owner and donor has made it read, “From C. C. Macintosh to Charles Forbes. Bombay, 17th April, 1811.” This would, of course, be Sir Charles Forbes, of Indian fame.
The arms of the ancient clan Macintosh are: Quarterly, first, or, a lion rampant gules; second, argent, a dexter hand fesseways, couped at the wrist, and holding a human heart gules; third, azure, a boar’s head couped, or; fourth, or, a lymphad sable, surmounted by two oars in saltire, gules. Crest a cat-a-mountain salient guardant proper. Over the crest the motto: “Touch not the cat, but a glove.” The charge or, a lion rampant gules, is on account of the descent from MacDuff. The third, azure, a boar’s head couped, or, is for Gordon of Lochinvar. The fourth, a lymphad, oars erect in saltire, sable, is for Clan Chattan. The lion rampant of the ancient MacDuffs may be well accounted for, as King Malcolm III. gave to MacDuff and his descendants the privileges of leading the van of the Scottish army whenever the royal standard was unfurled, and of placing the crown on the heads of the kings at their coronation.
George Ormerod, well known as the historian of Cheshire, was the only son of George Ormerod of Bury, Lancashire, and his wife
Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Johnson of Tyldesley, and was born in High Street, Manchester, 20th October, 1785.
In 1803 Ormerod matriculated from Brasenose College, Oxford. In 1807 he received the honorary degree of M.A., and in 1818 was made a D.C.L. Becoming the owner of Sedbury Park on the beautiful peninsula of Beachley, between the Severn and the Wye, he lived there until his death in 1873, nearly ninety years of age. In 1808 he married the eldest daughter of John Latham, M.D., F.R.S., of Bradwall Hall, Cheshire. His library was sold in 1875.
Arms as Ormerod of Ormerod (or three bars and a lion passant, in chief gules), quartering Johnson of Tyldesley, Wareing of Walmersley, Crompton of Hacking Hall, and Nuttall of Walmersley. Crest a wolf’s head couped at the neck, barry of four, or and gules, holding in the mouth an ostrich’s feather erect proper. This plate is in a book, the fine black morocco gilt binding of which was reproduced by Griggs for the Bibliography of Eikon Basilike.