II.—A Set of Elizabethan Heraldic Roundels in the British Museum

Extract

In the year 1880 Mr. R. W. Binns of Worcester exhibited a painted panel of arms belonging to the Hadley Bowling Club. Mr., afterwards Sir Wollaston, Franks made some remarks on the arms which will be found in Proceedings, viii, 259. At the end of his remarks Mr. Franks called attention to a set of roundels or counters in the British Museum bearing the arms of peers of the reign of Elizabeth of about the date 1587, which corresponded nearly exactly with those on the Hadley panel, which it has been suggested was painted to commemorate the queen's visit to Worcester in 1575. Mr. Franks remarked of these roundels that he did not know of any similar set, and up to the present time none such has been noted, so that for the time being they may be spoken of as unique. No representations of the panel nor of the roundels were published in the Proceedings. By permission of the Keeper of the Medieval Department photographs of the counters have been taken and are now exhibited.