Page:Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries.djvu/61

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38 Devon Notes and Queries. Reginald Pole-Carew, in Sept., 1797. I have now to make a correction in that account, — an error that has been pointed out to me by the Rev. Gerald Pole-Carew. In the account sent to me I was misled by the statement which stands thus : " In the next window of the north aisle is seen a large Saxon M, with two shields of arms thus :'* Here follows a rough sketch of an ornamental scroll, into which is worked twa shields of arms, in which the coat of Dawney is placed, so that in one case the bend is sinister. Then follows this description, ** they appear to be argent a Bend cotised sable 3 Roses or. with this difference that the Bend on the one shield passes from the Dexter to the Sinister side on the other from the Sinister to the Dexter." Now this description aided by a sketch suggestive chiefly of an eighteenth century engraver's scroll shield on silver plate or a bookplate, would hardly lead anyone with any knowledge of ancient glass to imagine that a simple medieval M was intended, yet such Mr. Gerald Pole-Carew tells me is the fact ; I may therefore be par- doned for having fallen into the error of supposing the account referred to some late seventeenth century erection afterwards pulled down. There were clearly no arms at all, the black lines so generally found in the enclosed spaces of medieval letters evidently caused Mr. R. Pole-Carew in 1797 to mistake them for the arms of Dawney. The introduction of armorial bearings to fill the spaces in medieval glass letters is a thing quite unknown as far as I am aware. The M undoubtedly referred to the early dedication of the church to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The account also mentions another shield in the same window, namely : *' which appears to be varry argent and sable on a chief gules a lion passant or.** The Rev. Gerald Pole-Carew also points out that the manor of Sheviock did not pass directly from Courtenay to Carew, but remained in the Courtenay family until the attainder of the Marquis of Exeter, when it went to the Crown, who sold it to Sir Walter Mildmay, who resold to Thomas Carew. William de Aleyton, Lord of Sheviock, the grantee in an undated deed mentioned on page 248, was possibly one of the Dawney family, the spelling being a variation of de Alneto and de Alyeton, but interesting as the early descent of the manor and advowson of Sheviock undoubtedly is, it hardly comes within the scope of Devonshire