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Index...
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as originally published in Austin's Monthly Magazine from November 1832 to June 1939
Compiled and transcribed by R. W. Orland, 2005
I'm sincerely grateful to the Shelton family for their kind permission and encouragement to publish these works.
J. B. Shelton's post-war book A Night in Little Park Street can be viewed here (in PDF format).
Cox Street - River ExcavationsOctober 1933COX STREET EXCAVATIONS (Continued)The excavations beneath the brick culvert running under the Triumph Works did not yield a great number of articles, but those found were of great interest. One was a piece of leather about 11-ins. by 7-ins., on which was an embossed figure of a man's head, with a flowing beard, a lion's body, and wings ; around the edges were scroll marks, almost in the form of a figure 9, and wording in Latin, in Old English letters, viz.: - 
This piece of leather I sent to the British Museum for information, and in about three weeks received the following letter from the Assistant Keeper: - July 27/33. British Museum. In the opinion of the Printed Book Department here, your leather fragment is not a book cover. It is perhaps part of a bag or satchel of the fifteenth century. I have not been able to interpret the inscription satisfactorily, and I should be grateful if I might keep it for a little longer, and should also be interested to find, if possible, a parallel for the figure in the panel. During the next month (August) a further letter was received as follows: - I have not succeeded in finding a parallel, or arriving at a satisfactory interpretation of the inscription. If you could have it photographed, and let me have a print, I should be glad to keep it for reference, in case any light could be thrown on it; and could also show it to other people who would be interested. Very near to this leather fragment a human skull was discovered, at a depth of about two feet below the river bed (possibly not the original bed). Other human bones were found with it, also part of a leather dagger sheath. Doctors say the skull is of a man about 30 years of age. As a battle was fought on this ground by Marmion, a great warrior from Tamworth, it may have been one of the victims. The story of the affray is that in 1141 Marmion turned the monks out of the church, and fortified it, also the buildings attached, making trenches in the fields around, and covering them over to act as a trap to the enemy (the Earl's army). Being attacked by the Earl's men, and having forgotten where the trenches were, Marmion fell into one with his horse, and a soldier cut off his head. This was said to have been a judgement of God for the profaning of His sacred place. |
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