Having an engraving of this sign, I am enabled satisfactorily to reply to Mr. Cooper's query (No. 16. p. 245.) respecting its existence. The engraving measures 17 inches and a half long, by 22 wide; it was "Published according to Act of Parliament May the 1st 1740." In the right-hand bottom corner appears "Jno Fessey Sculp.," and in the left "Joshua Kirby Delint." It is entitled, "The North East Side of ye Sign of ye White Hart at Schoale Inn in Norfolk, built in the year 1655 by James Peck, a Merchant of Norwich, which cost 1057l., humbly Dedicated to James Betts Gent by his most Obedt Servt Harwin Martin." The sign springs on one side from a mass of masonry, and was joined to the house on the other: it was sufficiently high to enable carriages to drive under it. As it would trespass too much on your columns were I to particularise each of the figures, I will content myself with giving the printed explanation of them from the engraving, premising that each figure is numbered:—"1. Jonah coming out of the Fishes Mouth. 2. A Lion supporting the Arms of Great Yarmouth. 3. A Bacchus. 4. The Arms of Lindley. 5. The Arms of Hobart, now Lord Hobart. 6. A Shepherd playing on his Pipe. 7. An Angel supporting the Arms of Mr. Peck's Lady. 8. An Angel supporting the Arms of Mr. Peck. 9. A White Hart, with this Motto (this is the one which 'hangs down carved in a stately wreath')—'Implentur veteris Bacchi pinguisque ferinæ Anno Dom 1655.' 10. The Arms of the late Earl of Yarmouth. 11. The Arms of the Duke of Norfolk. 12. Neptune on a Dolphin. 13. A Lion supporting the Arms of Norwich. 14. Charon carrying a reputed Witch to Hell. 15. Cerberus. 16. An Huntsman. 17. Actæon [with three dogs, and this legend, 'Actæon ego sum Dominum cognoscite vestrum']. 18. A White Hart couchant [underneath appears in the engraving the artist's name—Johannes Fairchild struxit]. 19. Prudence. 20. Fortitude. 21. Temperance. 22. Justice. 23. Diana [with two greyhounds, one of whom is chasing a hare]. 24. Time devouring an Infant [with the legend, 'Tempus edax rerum,' below]. 25. An Astronomer, who is seated on a Circumferenter, and by some Chymical Preparation is so Affected that in the fine Weather he faces that Quarter from whence it is about to come." The whole sign is drawn by a scale of half an inch to a food, and most of the figures are of the size of life. On both sides of the engraving, but distinct from the sign, are seven coats of arms. Those on the right hand are: 1. Earl of Yarmouth. 2. Cornwallis impaling 1st and 4th Buckton, 2nd Unknown, 3rd Teye. 3. Castleton. 4. Unknown. 5. Mrs. Peck [these arms are wrongly blazoned by Blomefield; they are gules a fesse argent, between, in chief, two crescents, and in base, a lion passant guardant of the same]. 6. Great Yarmouth. 7. Unknown. The arms on the opposite side are: 1. Duke of Norfolk. 2. Hobart. 3. Bacon. 4. Thurston. 5. Mr. Peck impaling his wife [his arms, too, are wrongly blazoned; they should be—Or, on a chevron engrailed gules three crosslets pattee argent]. 6. Lindley. 7. Norwich.
Mr. Cooper will find a slight notice of this sign, both in Gough's Camden and in The Beauties of England and Wales; but both these are of later date than Mr. Cruttwell's Tour. I have only to add, that I should wish Mr. Cooper to see the engraving. I shall be very happy to send it by post for his inspection.
CRANMORE.
Parkership, Porkership, Pokership.—With every deference to the ingenious suggestions of Mr. Bolton Corney (No. 15. p. 218.), I think it will be found, on reference to the original documents, that "Pokership" is a misreading of the ancient writing for "Parkership." This question might be determined if any correspondent, acquainted with the present excellent arrangement of our records, could inform us whether the appointments under the old Earldom of March are extant. A large portion of Herefordshire was held under his tenure. Thomas Croft, of Croft, was, in 1473, "Parker" of Pembrugge, in that county: Rot. Parl. vi. 342. In 1485 John Amyas was, by the act of settlement made on the accession of Henry VII., continued in his office "of the kepyng of our chase of Moketree in Wigmoresland under the Erledom of Marche," and Thomas Grove "in the keepying of our chase of the Boryngwood in Wigmoresland and of the 'Poulterership' and keping of the ditch of the same."
In An Abstract of the late King's Revenues (printed 1651, 4to.) is this entry relating to Bringwood:—
"To Sir Robert Harley for keeping Boringwood alias Bringwood Forest Com. Heref. 6l. 2s. 8d. per ann., for the Pokership 30s. 5d. by the year, and for the keeping the forest of Prestwood 18s. by the year."
In a survey made of mocktree and Bringwood Forests in 1633, it is stated, that "these Forests are stately grounds, and do feed a great and large Deer, and will keep of Red and Fallow Deer two or three thousand at the least."
These enclosures were disafforested temp. Charles II., and they now form part of the Downton Castle Estate.
W.H.C.