1829.] On the Sile of the ancient Ictis. Mr. URBAN, Sept. 12. THE THE situation of that islet, called by the ancients Ictis, whence the Cornish Britons brought their tin at low water, to be shipped by the Phonician merchants, has occasioned much controversy among antiquaries. One supposes it to be St. Michael's Mount; another the Black-rock in Falmouth harbour; a third, St. Nicholas, vulgo Drake's island in Plymouth Sound; a fourth conjures the Isle of Wight into the identical spot; while others with greater probability consider it to have been destroyed by the encroachments of the sea. We are told by Diodorus Siculus, that according to the tide it was either an island or a peninsula. At first sight there certainly does appear a remarkable coincidence betwixt this description and St. Michael's Mount; but when we call to mind the manifold changes 207 that have, and continually do take place on the sea coast, as well as the testimony of tradition, we shall soon learn it never could have been the Ictis of that writer. Mount's bay, it is said, was originally land covered with wood. Some years since several trees were found buried in the sand near the Mount+, a proof of the veracity of this tradition; which further tells us, this land ran a considerable way into the sea, and was called the "Land of Leonesse," a name supposed to be of Phoenician origin. Risdon also, in the first paragraph of his Survey of Devon, says, That region which geographers account the first of all Britain, and shooteth out furthest into the west, was once reputed the fourth part of this island, and supposed to be a kingdom before the sea swallowed up the land between St. Burian and the islands of Scilly, included under the name of Danmonia, is of later times divided into two parts, known by the names of Devonshire and Cornwall." In the charter granted to the monastery by St. Edward the Confessor, the Mount is termed "St. Michael's in the wood near the sea;" its name likewise in the Cornish tongue was Karreg Luz en Kuz, i. e. The hoary rock in the wood. This land of Leonesse was overwhelmed at a remote period by some great convulsion of nature, either by an inundation or an earthquake, perhaps by the agency of both. Sir Christopher Hawkins, in his "Observations on the Tin trade of the Ancients in Cornwall," affects to despise this account, because the precise date when it occurred cannot be ascertained, "for we cannot give credit to so extra This alludes to the passage in the intercepted letter of Sir Lewis to the Earl of Bristol (printed in Italic). This same phenomenon has been observed on different parts of the coast. In Whitsand-bay, the eastern boundary of which is the Ram-head, where Polwhele places his Grecian factory, an old inhabitant told me that on a clear day, when the tide was very low, a forest might be seen under water, the branches of the trees towards laud, and their roots to the sea, as if thrown in that position by the inrushing of the waters. While the fleet were lying in Torbay during the late war, a tree of large dimensions was drawn up by the anchor of one of the ships. Tradition tells us at the time of its occurrence one of the Trevelyan family (now seated in Somersetshire), with much difficulty escaped on horseback (Drew's Hist. of Cornwall, p. 15). Fishermen have seen the ruins of houses (so says Carew) between the mainland and the Scilly isles, and while fishing have drawn up pieces of doors and windows.-The Saxon Chronicle mentions a destructive inundation which desolated the southern coasts of England in the eleventh century: might not this have been the one that destroyed the land of Leonesse ? 208 On the Site of the ancient Ictis. ordinary and supernatural an event, on the mere assertion of a monkish writer, or from a circumstance of so trifling a nature as above described;" viz. the discovery of the trees. But why should we disbelieve a monk more than Caradoc the Welsh historian, who informs us that Cardigan bay was formed by the inroads of the sea early in the seventh century? Is there any thing more extraordinary or supernatural in an island being destroyed on the Cornish coasts by an earthquake, than that one should arise out of the ocean among the Azores, from the same cause? Had it indeed been the legend of St. Michael's wonderful appearance on the mount, he might have doubted; as such idle stories, it is well known, were invented by the different monasteries to impose on the credulous, and by that means increase their riches. But no advantage could accrue to the monks from the forgery of this story of the inundation. For my own part, I regard the monkish historians as much more worthy of respect than they are generally allowed to be; nor do I doubt them, except where the aggrandizement of their particular house seems to be the sole reason (and that is easily discovered) for their statements. Presuming, therefore, that St. Michael's Mount cannot be the long sought Ictis, I shall now proceed to examine the claims of the other competitors. Those who favour the Black-rock, do so because the river Fal is in the centre of the mining district; but, reply their opponents, it is at a distance from any other rock, and scarcely above water at low tide. Both these arguments are fallacious, for it clearly appears from Diodorus, that Ictis was near the promontory of Bolerium (Land's end). Even had we not his [Sept. authority, I should not be inclined to reject its claim for the latter reason, because the encroachment of the sea might have reduced it to what it is, and left the bare rock, as it were, a monument of its triumph. The pretensions of Drake's Island are equally objectionable, and those who defend them, cannot be acquainted with the Tamer; for, if the Britons worked the mines on the banks of that river, it is not likely they would take the trouble to bring the produce in carts round its different creeks and branches, to this spot, when it could be brought hither with less fatigue in boats. The Isle of Wight has no one argument in its favour; in the first place, it is too far from the main land. Its size is also against it, for we are led to believe that Ictis was only a small islet where the tin was brought for the conveniency of being shipped. Lastly, but not the least, is its great distance from even the most eastern parts of the territories of the Danmonii; and it is very improbable they would take this their valuable metal so far through the dominions of a hostile nation to this island, though it might then join the continent of Britain, when they themselves were divided into three tribes continually at variance with each other. Besides, we have no proof that the Phoenicians ever traded so far east as the Tamer, much less there; although a gold coin of that nation was found some years back in Torbay, and Start point is supposed to owe its name to their goddess Astarte. The only reasonable conclusion to be drawn is, that Ictis was somewhere near the Land's-end (because the oldest mines are in that neighbourhood), but destroyed by some violent commotion of nature, as the Atlantis of Pliny wa Yours, &c. was. This was in the year 495; but the French contend that it was on Mount St. Michael in Normandy. +"Those Britons who dwell near the promontory of Bolerium, live in a very hospitable, polite manner, which is owing to their great intercourse with foreign merchants. They prepare, with much dexterity, the tin which the country produceth.****When it is refined, they cast it into ingots, in the shape of cubes or dies, and then carry it into an adjacent island, which is called Ictis; for when it is low water, the space between that island and the continent of Britain becomes dry land, and they carry great quantities of tin into it in carts. Here the merchants buy it, and transport it to the coast of Gaul; from whence they convey it overland, on horses, in about thirty days, to the mouths of the Rhone." Quoted by Sir C. Hawkins, p. 50. TH Brightwell, co. Suffolk. Feb. 6. 1829.] Mr. URBAN, THE following topographical notes respecting Brightwell in Suffolk, are from a Manuscript of the time of Charles the Second, presented to the College of Arms in 1803, by the late Lord Thurlow. "In Brightwell was an antient seat of the family of Jermy, of knights' degree. Francis Jermy was High Sheriff of Suffolk about the year 1587. It was afterwards in the family of Hewett. Sir William Hewett, Knight, sold it to Sir Anthony Wingfield of Letheringham, Bart. Sir Richard Wingfield, son of Sir Anthony, sold it to Thomas Essington, Esq. a merchant, who lives in it this yeare (1655), and was since High Sheriff of Suffolk (1657). 209 bend countercomponeArgent and Sable, impaling Mowbray. Argent, three bears' heads couped Gules, impaling Argent, a fess between two chevrons Gules. Argent, on a bend engrailed Sable three rammes heads cabosed of the 1st, armed Or, impaling Andrew. Argent, on a bend cottized Sable, three mullets as the 1st. These, with others, in another window in the Hall." John Cavell was seated at Brightwell Hall in Suffolk, and left Agnes his sole daughter and heiress, married to Lampet, circa 1 Edw. II." To the foregoing may be added, that the fret work is beautifully varied on each side of the octagon font (see the Plate). The date on the communion plate is 1651. The Barnardiston family, succeed years lords of this domain, as were another branch of the family (the most. antient of the equestrian dignity in the kingdom, having flourished in a direct line for twenty-seven generations,) of the estate and seat at Kedington or Ketton in Suffolk. About the year 1730 Brightwell Hall was taken down, on the site of part of which is a farmhouse. The property afterwards passed to the family of Shaw; then to John Vernon, Esq-who died in May 1818; subsequently to Sir Robert Harland of Nacton and Wherstead, Bart. in whose possession, in health and prosperity, may it long remain ! "In 1594 Mr. Tillotson found these arms in the Church: Gules, three ducaling that of Essington, were for many crowns Qr (Bishoprick of Ely). Gules, three.chevrons Or, impaling, Argent, a fess nebule Gules between six crosses botone fitche. Argent, on a bend engrailed Sable, three rammes heads cabosed of the 1st., 'the last I saw there anno 1662, but no other.' Thomas Essington, Esq. hath repaired, at his owne charge, the almost ruined Church (see Plate II.), built anew the steeple, and in a comely sort, built seats in the Churche and chancel. Under the chancel is a very faire vault, on the mouth whereof lies a marble, which hath engraven on it the Essingtons' vault.' In the chancel bee two small monuments of alabaster, exceedingly comely and faire, which were the work of a German, whose ancestors were Italians. The smallest, on the south side, is for Thomas Essington, who was borne April 10th, 1652, and dyed August 26th, 1656. The other at the east end is for Anne Essington, who dyed Sept. 11, 1660, in the yeare of her age 17. These were two of the children of Thomas Essington, Esq., and of Anne his wife, who was daughter of John Janson of Ashbye Ledger, in Northamptonshire, Esq. Their children yet (1662) living be John, Martha, and Samuel. "Brightwell Hall is a faire and large house, built of brick. I saw this yeare (1662) therein several coats of arms, among which were De la Pole, Azure, a fess between three leopards' faces Or, quartering Fitz Alan. Gales, a lion rampant Or, quartering Scroop. Argent, two lions passant Gules. Ermine, a GENT. MAG. September, 1829. A very curious and scarce print, 1-64 by 1-14, engraved by J. Kip, from a drawing of Knyff, gives a bird's-eye view of the mansion, the out buildings, plantations, and a large piece of water attached to it. Of this I have a drawing by Mr. Isaac Johnson of Woodbridge; a water-coloured drawing from an elevated spot on the south side of the village leading to. Naeton, copied from an oil painting by Mr. Constable, of Upper Charlotte-street, Fitzroysquare, in possession of Sir Robert Harland; and an oval engraved portrait of Sir Samuel Barnardiston, by R. White, in 1700. This gentleman (styled in his burial entry the Honourable,") born 1620, was a conspicuous character in his county, and died Nov. 1707, without issue. He married, first, a daughter of Joseph Brand of Edwardstone, co. Suffolk, Esq.; 2dly, Mary, daughter of Sir Abraham Reynardson, Knt. Lord f London. His |