New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-17
LONDON RECORD OFFICE.
Many Interesting Ancient Docu-
ments To Be Seen There.

Of strength and information how far it was to the
Courts Of Justice. writes Julie Caroline % Hara IN
1.-The Albany Law Journal" lave you been IN
Record Office YETI he inquired somewhat IN
quisitoraIly. AS I had never even heard of such
place. I compelled to confess that had not
He stationed guard before the Record
ONCE, and regarded his charge the most fascin-
ating spot in London. "Ah.' said he fOndly, you
ought to see the old map OF Ireland they got in
there. and the Doomsday Book. and some OF the
Pope's wrting-they call il bull, think
We could not resist eloquent a recommendation
as this and entered the museum. We have always
felt grateful to loyal policeman for urging u.s.
as it proved to be intensely interesting place
as he represented Il.
Herein we found collected the national archives.
and one could follow up the history OF the king
dom and could trace back to their origin many
obsolete official customs which appealed TO one on
account of their simplicity and directness- What
could be more secure than their system OF talnes'
which in for seven hundred years to
record the debts Of the State? 1t merely consists
of a stick of hard wood which notches are
cut-then tally stick is split in two. the creditor
taking one piece and the debtor keeping the other
OF the sticks exactly correspond so there Is
danger of classifying the accounts. Could any
thing be more naIvey artless and likewise bulky?
Samuel Pepys served his apprenticeship in carry
ing tally sticks. In his diary read that he is
constantly carrying his tallies here and there We
saw a number of this species of valuable old kind
ling in the Record Office Museum.
Even interesting Is the swan roll OF 1872
1904, an old record very lOng roll Of leather
showing how they used to mark with symbols the
bills Of swans. they could tell to whom the
fowls belonged when they were turned loose There
is actually picture of the swans bill drawn or
painted on the roll. an exact reproduction Of the
swans bill In this roll. the owners lived in
Lincolnshire OF Cambridgeshire. A few Of the
marks represented were those Of "the geld Of Cor
pus Crsti of Croyland,"-" abbot Of Thorney,
Dan Richard Holbeck. monk Of Thorney." the
Parson of loft" wv. BedeI. thesOurer unto my
Ladies' grace the kynges moder." and many others.
Another curious document is promise in the
form of a round robin" made by certain Wal
looms and French TO go and inhabit Virginia. a
land under the obedience Of the King OF Great
Britain" Its date is 1921. and 1t is written in
French. There are twenty-nine signatures and
twenty-seven marks in place Of signatures This
round robin Is really oval in shape. instead OF
being perfectly round. On piece OF parchment a
large circle Is drawn and within that there is
smaller circle which contains the document to be
signed The signatures radiate from this central
circle, and it is so signed that no one need put
Here we also saw two leathern bottles called called
black jacks in which they used TO carry liquor,
These convenient articles were four or hye hundred
be kept in the Record Office These black jacks
somewhat the shape Of a modern carate;
clubs and the three Of diamonds dated 1913
AN OLDTIME MAP OF IRELAND.
In Difference to our friend the kindly policeman
the outside felt in duty bound to hunt up
the map Of Ireland which he thought curious.
1t was indeed an interesting relic OF 1861. It had
been made by one John Goghe. with additions by
Lord Burghley. This old map Of Ireland was called
"Hirlandia." II full OF funny old drawings,
Illustrating the island just child would do il
IN not ONLY shows towns mountains lakes rivers
the other natural features OF the country, but
and the oat-of-arms of the different earls Of the
kingdom. and also some curious drawings or
In the light Of subsequent occurrences. II IS
Confirming TO Kins Henry VIIi the title Of De
fender Of the Faith conferred on him 9y Pops
Among the hundreds Of documents found in this
ones not to mention, for each has its own his
torIcai value. Which would you consider most
sderation such fascinating records as the follow
ing? Here We find the "GInpowder Plot 20 blow low
treaty between Francis and Cardinal WOlsey in be-
hiit OF nenry III; on p Innrnept bJ Tbornas
commonly called BeckeO. Archbishop OF Canter-
Srho, I'D ton bors ir his wood cI69-l17OJ; the
writ OF King Edward l. ordering the Sheriff OF
oxford TO inquiry 10 be made. upon the
oaths Of trustworthy Christians and Jews, with
and Genta his wife. Jews OF oxford dated at Cnes
Black Book OF the Exchequer. containing per
T Pftg9 6f P fo an sHd 81 Christ the
Virgin and Child St Thomas OF Canterbury. ST
verses the treatise called "Dialogus de Scaccario.
oaths of officers and other memoranda resPfictins
Letter from, Cardinal Richelieu TO Charles I OF
England congratulating him the birth of Charles
II; the last letter from the Earl OF Leicester to
Queen Elizabeth. and on, and so on until one
is bewildered with the richness Of his material
About these musty old records there arises an
aroma Of historical romance which leaves one WITH
his time with Sir Walter Scott. and that he has
and state for the two are ndissolubly tied up
together is evidenced by these manuscripts
COLONIES PETITION To GEORGE Ill
To us Americans. undoubtedly. almost the most
absorbing topic OF patriotic interest on account
of their national Importance, are two documents.
the first a petition to George III from the
representatives the colonies. begging TO restore
harmony between the mother country ana hsr
American colonies II is In EngIish ana signed al
Philadelphia: September l. lI'5 by John haheoek
and forty-eight others; Among these are Joh1
other signers OF glorious Declaration OF indie
pendence the second OF these documents Is let
United States to his great and good friend King
George III. 1t deals with the exchange OF ratiea-
lions Of n treaty Of amity. commerce. and naVtga-
ton, and concluded in November, 1874. dated
Washington" and cOuntersigned by the Secretary
Of State. Timothy Pickering While eagerly
American. far from his native soil. can almost
hear the firecrackers bristlng and can seen; the
odor Of gunpowder. and he rehects on the explo-
sion of the rigorous and ironbound tradition that
these epistes have engendered. One appre-
cates more here than elsewhere. in this centre OF
English conservatism the force and valOr OF our
after centuries OF respect and formalities TO
ceive startling acts of liberty. Had Samuel
seen his face could he have read the first named
peution-he was so essentially type OF tne mind
OF the museum when ne led me to the glass
declared that l would like them the most of any
while visions Of Fourth Of July celebrations surged
through my brain and the Star Spanged Hammer
sounded in my ears. and was thankful that be-
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