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Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Huntingdon

 This post lacks a picture, owing to the difficulty of getting into the BL, and there being no picture anywhere on the internet.  So for the moment, we'll just have to have de Gray's description.

This post also led to me editing the Wikipedia article on Huntingdon Priory.  Hopefully more people will add to it, amend it, etc.  Huntingdon was one of the original Augustinian priories, and is, like so many, dedicated to the BVM.

Its surviving seal is from the 14th century:

"the Coronation of the Virgin, in a circular panel, cusped and quatrefoiled. Over it the head of Our Lord with cruciform nimbus, between a crescent on the left and an estoile on the right over which are the sacred letters AO. At each side a four-winged seraph. In base, The Resurrection of the Dead at the Day of Judgment, two angels blowing long trumpets, three human figures rising from the ground, and a bishop or mitred Abbat rising from a sepulchre.

: * : S' : COMMVNE : RVM : . . MARIE : HVNTINGDONE.

R. The Priory Church, with central spire and crested roof. In the middle, under a trefoiled arch, St. Augustine, Archbishop of Canterbury, seated, lifting up the right hand in benediction, in the left hand a crozier. At each side in a niche with trefoiled arch two canons praying. Over each niche in a circular panel window the head, on the left of St. Peter, on the right of St. Paul. In the field, on the left the keys of St. Peter, on the right the sword of St. Paul, each betw. two roses. In base, under an arcade, four busts in profile to the left Over the roof the words CLEM. V., in reference to Pope Clement V., A.D. 1305-1315."

The legend is a rhyming hexameter couplet: CANONICIS : LEGES : P’R : AVGVS / DE : H' PIA DONA TVIS.

I'll improve this post when I have a photo or two.

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