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VI. Ralegh Notes:The Seals of Sir Walter Ralegh

Twenty-Fourth Report of the Committee on Scientific Memoranda. Trans. Devon. Assoc., vol.  XXXVII, (1905), pp. 79-80.

by

J. Brooking-Rowe (Ed.).

Prepared by Michael Steer

The Note, part of an Association committee report was presented at its July 1905 Princetown meeting. The Royal Museums Greenwich possesses an electrotype seal die of Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) as Governor of the Colony of Virginia. With the arms of Raleigh: Gules, five fusils conjoined in a bend argent with a martlet for difference. Supporters: Two wolves. A helmet with mantling. Crest: A stag. In the field, the date 1584, below on a scroll, the motto: 'AMORE . ET . VIRTUTE .' Legend: “PROPRIA + TINSIHNIA + WALTERI + RELEGH + MILITIS + DOMINI + & GVBERNATORIS + VIRGINIAE &'. The seal die is number 52 of the 600 numbered copies made by Crichtons, those to which the Note refers. The Note, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

In 1904 there were put up for sale in London three silver seals, all made for Sir Walter Ralegh for use in his various offices. These afterwards passed into the hands of Messrs. Crichton Brothers, of Bond Street, who, finding they were wanted for the British Museum, devised a scheme whereby they should eventually be presented to that institution. They prepared a number of electrotype copies of the seals to be sold at a guinea the set, the purchasers of the electrotypes to be considered as the donors of the originals to the Museum. Messrs. Crichton's ingenious device met with only limited success, about two hundred sets only having been sold, but they decided, nevertheless, that the seals should go to the British Museum. The gift having been accepted by the trustees, they are now on exhibition in the Medieval Room. Apart from their personal and historical interest, they possess artistic qualities of no mean order, though the Elizabethan age was far from being the best period of English seal engraving. The largest, about three inches in diameter, is also the most interesting historically, being Ralegh's seal as Governor of Virginia, the first English colony, though its Governor never set foot in it. It bears the date 1584, and has the five fusils in bend with a martlet borne by Ralegh, with crest and supporters; around is the legend, in capitals, PROPRIA INSIGNIA WALTERI RALEGH MILITIS DOMINI ET GUBERNATORIS VIRGINIǢ. The second seal is for the offices of Warden of the Stannaries of Cornwall and Devon, Governor of the island of Jersey, and Captain of the Queen's Guard. It shows a mounted knight in plate armour with plumed helmet, sword, and shield riding to the left on a galloping horse caparisoned and plumed. On the shield and caparison are Ralegh's arms, five lozenges in bend. In two concentric circles are the legends: (1) SIGILL: DNI-WALTERI RALEGH: MILITIS: GARDIAN: STANNAR: CORNUB.: ET DEVON. (2) CAPITAN: GARD: REG: ET: GVBERNATOR INSULǢ: DE: JERSEY. A charter in the British Museum, dated 1594, has appended to it a second seal of Ralegh's, for the same offices, though without a legend. The third seal would appear to have been intended for unofficial use; it bears only the sixteen quarterings of Ralegh, with three crests, supporters, and the motto "Amore et virtute," and has no inscription. The first two seals have folding handles at the back, pierced and engraved with ornamental details.
x “Walter Rawley late of Lyon's Inne gent, son of Walter Rawley of Birdleigh Devon Esq, fine 20s."