WOLSTAN'S   SEAL.
In  the  "  Journal  of  the  ArchaBological  Institute"  (Vol.  iii.,  p.
261)  there  is  an  engraving  of  the  seal  of  St.  Wolstan,  accompanied
by  the  following  description : —

**  At  the  recent  meeting  of  the  Institute  at  York,  a  remarkable
original  deed  was  exhibited,  being  a  grant  from  St.  Wolstan,
Bishop  of  Worcester,  of  fifteen  hides  of  land  in  Alvestou,  formerly


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52

called   from   its  Saium  occupant  ^njiiSeetaM.  Wuwickshire,
to  the  moaasteiy  of
Worcester.      An  im-
pression of  the  episco-
pal seal  was  appended
(see  the  accompanying
voodcut  of  it),  and  the
deed  bore '  date,   the
day  of  Pentecost,  in
the  third  year  of  King
William  the  younger,
AJ>.  1080.  This  docu-
ment had  been  given
by  Dugdale    in    the
"  Monaslicon,"   from
transcripts     in     the
"   Worcester    Cartu-
lary." Cott.  MS.,  Tib.
A.,  liii*.,  andthe  "Annales  Wigomenses,"  Claud.  A.,  i.  He  had
printed  it  also  in  his  "  History  of  Warwickshire,"  from  a  very
ancient  roister  in  the  custody  of  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Wor-
cester; and  it  may  be  found  in  "Heming's  Cartulary,"  printed  by
Heame,  with  the  ancient  Saxon  descriptioD  of  the  boundaries.
The  exbtence  of  Wolstan's  original  charter  does  not  appear  to
have  been  noticedf.     This  deed,  independently  of  its  fine  state
of  preserration,  is  of  considerable  interest,  as  fixing  precisely  the
period  of  the  completion  of  the  new  buildii^  erected  by  Wolstan.
