a maritime cultural landscape: the port of bristol in the middle ages

The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (2000) 29.2: 299doi:10.1006/ijna.2000.0288

Letter to the Editor

London’s sword

In the previous IJNA (28: 355–359), mention ismade of the article I wrote regarding the two leadweights found in Alderney, and reported in theJournal in 1997: 133–143. C. Wayne Smith takesissue with my calling the symbol in the City ofLondon badge a sword. In the report, I mentionthe Corporation of London Records Office whereit is clearly stated that the sword, thought to be ofthe Roman short type, of St Paul was adoptedinto the Seal of the Mayoralty on 17 April 1381. Itseems that the idea that it was a dagger starts withRichard Grafton, in 1564, recounting the story ofWat Tyler’s death and was continued by Stow in1565. This was possibly a period when popularheroes, such as Wat Tyler, Robin Hood and JackCade, were coming to the fore in people’s minds.Wat Tyler (the original Essex Man?) of coursedied by having his head lopped off by Walworth,Lord Mayor of London, after being stabbed by

him, then dragged out of hospital on 15 June1381. I am not sure where the dagger comes in;perhaps Walworth was not very efficient in its use.Then Stow in his 1592 Annales corrects himself,by describing the London Seal ‘complete withsword’. This would seem correct, for what Cor-poration would use a dagger, a footpad’s weapon,in its logo? This is even more evident when onethinks of the Sword of State, or the Sword ofJustice. Of course the symbol on the weights issmall, possibly compounding the illusion.

Bryan SmithAtherfield

Five Oak GreenTonbridge

Kent TN12 6TJUK

doi:10.1006/ijna.2000.0293

Corrigendum

A maritime cultural landscape: the port of Bristol in theMiddle Ages

A. J. Parker

Published in The International Journal of NauticalArchaeology (1999) 28.4: 323–342.

On pp. 331–332, the statement that there mayhave been a chapel for mariners at ShirehamptonPriory is unfounded, since the Priory is an 18thcentury antiquarian invention based on a mis-understanding of the Domesday Book. On the

1057–2414/00/020299+01 $35.00/0

other hand, the position of Bewy’s Cross (or theBevis Stone) on the bank of the Severn, where themedieval bounds reach land, is shown in 18thcentury maps, and was convenient for sailorswhose ships lay in Hollowbacks or King Road tomake vows. This information was kindly providedby James Russell.

� 2000 The Nautical Archaeology Society