Tome Stone Under Centre Of Queen Annes Walk

BARNSTAPLE

SS5533SE THE STRAND 684-1/7/248 (South West side) 19/01/51 Tome Stone under centre of Queen Anne's Walk (Formerly Listed as: THE STRAND Tome Stone, in centre of front of Queen Anne's Walk)

GV II

Stone used for striking merchants' bargains. Early C17, on a baluster probably of 1909. Round, weathered flat-topped stone with 3 names incised round its edge; these have been mutilated, but are believed to read IOH(N DEL)BRIDG MAIER (RIC)HARD FERIS XM NIC(HOL)AS DELBRIDGE ALDERMAN. 4 oval recesses have been cut into the top of the edge, apparently at random, destroying part of the inscription. The stone is set between 2 columns of Queen Anne's Walk (qv) and protected by C20 railings front and back. Richard Feris was mayor in 1632 and John Delbridge in 1633; However, the XM is difficult to decipher and a John Delbridge was also mayor in 1600 and 1615. The first reference to a tome stone appears to be in 1606. A very rare and significant survival, other examples surviving outside the Exchange in Bristol. (Lamplugh L: Barnstaple: 1983-: 56, 155; Baxter J & Baxter J: Barnstaple Yesterday: 1980-: PL 17).

Listing NGR: SS5569733115