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This is a medieval seal matrix, made of copper alloy, that was recently found by a metal-detectorist near the village of Patrick Brompton in North Yorkshire.
The matrix’s handle extends out from the die in a pinched bell shape with an oval suspension loop on top. The die itself is circular and its central image shows the heads of a man and a woman, facing each other in profile. This design is surrounded by an incised circular border, with a second border around the exterior edge, and between these two lines runs a legend that reads ‘+ S’·ISEBEL DE · NICOL’ (‘the seal of Isabel of Nicol’). There are few exact parallels for this find, but a seal featuring a similar facing motif was discovered in Surrey last year (search for SUSS-EE4C38 on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database).
Early medieval seals were initially limited to the higher ranks of the Church and state, but from the 11th century onwards their use spread to lower-ranking officials, and by the end of the 13th century even tradespeople and peasants had access to them.
Significantly, a seal impression that exactly matches the die motif of the Patrick Brompton find is recorded as GB Seal no.1892 in the catalogue of medieval seals in the Durham Cathedral muniments. The document on which it was found is dated to 22 June 1315 or 1316, and originated in Newcastle upon Tyne. It records an indenture between Simon Algoi and his wife Alice, to Mary, the widow of John of Silksworth. It is relatively rare to be able to tie a physical seal with actual documentary evidence, providing new insights into the life history of such objects.
For more information about the seal matrix, see https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1258896 or search for YORYM-F07C7F on the PAS database; Adam Rivett – Finds Liaison Assistant for North & East Yorkshire – has written a blog post about it, too: https://finds.org.uk/counties/yorkshire/find-in-focus-seal-matrix-of-isabel-of-nicol.
The Portable Antiquities Scheme is an initiative to encourage the recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales. For more information on the Scheme, and to browse its database of almost 1.8 million finds, visit www.finds.org.uk. Information on this find was provided by Adam Rivett – Finds Liaison Assistant for North & East Yorkshire.
Text: Kathryn Krakowka / Image: Yorkshire Museum
