Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Homepage: www.rochestercathedralresearchguild.org RCL17r10 A photographic survey of bordered inscription graffiti at Rochester Cathedral Part 1: report text Abstract: Archive report on a photographic survey of bordered inscription graffiti from Rochester Cathedral. To cite this report: Scott, J. H. (2017) A photographic survey of bordered inscription graffiti at Rochester Cathedral, Rochester Cathedral Research Guild archive report RCL17r10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22357/2017(10) To link to this article: https://rochestercathedralresearchguild.org/reports/rcl17r10 Published online: 14 th October 2017 General Queries: jacob.scott@rochestercathedralresearchguild.org Produced by permission of the Dean and Chapter of Rochester Cathedral. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Any views and opinions expressed in this work are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Dean and Chapter.
1 Contents (table 1) Section Title Page 2 Background 1 3 Field methodology 1 4 Post-processing 1 5 Data delivery, reporting and archiving (inc. table 2) 1 6 Index of records (table 3) 2 7 Bibliography 4 8 Acknowledgements 4 2 Background 2.1 In 2016 and 2017 a photographic survey was conducted of medieval and post-medieval graffiti at Rochester Cathedral by the Rochester Cathedral Research Guild, a site particularly rich in surviving early examples of both. The archive reports of these surveys were divided into categories, largely based on interpretations proposed or detailed by Champion (2015) such as medieval ship graffiti, pilgrim s crosses and compass-drawn designs. Similar reports covering categories identified as post-medieval are planned for the coming months. This report details pictorial and symbolic graffiti within the cathedral which does not easily fall into these categories. 2.2 Some of the symbols presented here may be as-yet unidentified merchant s marks or heraldic symbols. These will likely be moved to a separate report if defined categories with common characteristics can be identified. 2.3 Much erosion has occurred to the graffiti so here we have photographed and digitally traced the inscribed images to serve as a record of their current state. Further images undoubtedly remain unidentified so future raking light surveys may well add to these records. 3 Field methodology 3.1 Photographs have been taken with a Canon EOS 100D with kit lens at 18mm. Raking light has been used to illuminate all records. 4 Post-processing 4.1 Photographs have been rectified to remove barrel lens distortion using GIMP image-editing software v.2.8.18 (Filters/Lens Distortion/Main -10%). Traces have been produced using Microsoft Paint. 5 Data delivery, reporting and archiving 5.1 Report will be published in PDF format on the Rochester Cathedral Research Guild website at www.rochestercathedralresearchguild.org. 5.2 A link for internet download of image files and raw counterparts will be provided for purposes of academic research, subject to Chapter approval, upon email request to jacob.scott@rochestercathedralresearchguild.org. 5.3 A PDF version of this final report will be provided to the Dean and Chapter for their records. 5.4 Digital copies of the report, photographs and tracings will be provided to Kent Historic Environment Record. Rochester Cathedral Research Guild archive report RCL17r10 Page 1 of 4
5.5 Version history (table 2) Version Date Alterations By 01 14th October 2017 Published online J. H. Scott 6 Index of records (table 3) Exterior Single-line bordered initials 135 Exterior Single-line bordered initials 130 Exterior Single-line bordered initials 147 000.1 Double line border in clear imitation of plaque surrounding 'MS NEW YORK 1939' 146 000.2 Single line border surrounding 'E Nicholls (?). Possibly includes the date 1923 112 000.3 Single-line bordered name and date 155 000.4 Single line border surrounding 'E WATTS 1956' 138 000.5 Single line border surrounding 'S. Frisby 1893 J. FITZJOHN R. Frisby 1893' 124 001 52 002 130 003 measured from font base 119 004 Image also contains inscribed initials 99 005 Single line border surrounding stylised letters 'I F' 142 006 Single line border surrounding sideways VV symbol 139 007 Simple house surrounding a VV symbol followed by a B, likely associated with another VV symbol immediately below 109 008 Single line border surrounding 'AG 1864(?)' 144 009 Single line border surrounding 'P P' 123 010 155 011 127 012 133 013 115 014 141 015 Single line border surrounding 'WF '87' with a cross 127 016 Single line border surrounding '_S' 132 017 Decorative border surrounding 'IL' 018 with date and VV 186 019 020 Single line border surrounding 'HM' 127 021 Single line border surrounding 'MS' 95 022 Single line border surrounding VV symbol and letter H - WH? 135 023 116 024 108 025 Decorative border surrounding stylised letters 'II' and likely associated with the initials IW immediately below. 115 026 132 027 "IW" (VV) 1716 165 Rochester Cathedral Research Guild archive report RCL17r10 Page 2 of 4
028 170 029 Simple house border surrounding initials 'TS' 150 030 "1678" 148 031 Single line border surrounding 'KATE WILL' 165 032 Heart Symbol with Names 151 033 Single line border surrounding 'W H 1731' 103 034 Single-line oval surround 'R. Cook' 118 035 Single-line oval surround 'C. Hall R H' 157 036 Single line border surrounding stylised A and letter T 85 037 Single line border surrounding 'JOHN ', possibly medieval 88 038 Single-line bordered initials 132 039 Single-line bordered initials 135 040 Single-line bordered initials 135 041 Lozenge possibly with initials 138 041.2 105 042 043 113 044 Triangular bordered name with interesting script and plaque 127 045 Single-line bordered initials 218 046 Single-line bordered Name 155 046.2 Memorial is partially obscured, may be related to the "G+C 1417" inscription 116 047 VV in a box 145 048 Single-line bordered initials 120 049 Decorative 'house' with initials, dated 1642 180 049 Single-line bordered initials and Date 170 050 Simple 'house' with initials 142 051 Single-line bordered Initial 148 052 Simple 'house' with initials 109 053 Simple 'house' with initials 126 054 Single-line bordered Letter 132 055 Single-line bordered initials, dated 1644 164 056 Simple 'house' with initials 154 057 Triangular bordered initials 161 058 Decorated 'houses' with initials, dated 1731 107 059 Simple 'house' with initials 136 060 Single-line bordered initials 97 061 Simple 'house' with initials 97 062 Single-line bordered initials 127 063 Simple 'house' with initials 108 064 Single-line bordered initials 118 065 Single-line bordered initials 147 066 Simple 'house' with initials 99 067 Single-line bordered initials 109 068 Single-line bordered initials 147 069 Single-line bordered initials 101 Rochester Cathedral Research Guild archive report RCL17r10 Page 3 of 4
070 Lozenge with initials 117 071 Simple 'house' with initials, dated 1699 81 072 Single-line bordered initials 117 073 Single-line bordered initials 81 074 Single-line bordered initials 111 075 Single-line bordered initials 92 076 Single-line bordered initials 67 077 Simple 'house' with initials 124 078 Single-line bordered initials 079 Single-line bordered initials 70 080 Single-line bordered initials 081 Single-line bordered Name 082 Single-line bordered initials 083 Triangular bordered initials, dated 1738 084 Single-line bordered initials 085 Single-line bordered initials 086 Single-line bordered initials 087 Single-line bordered initials, dated 1717 088 Simple 'house' with flag and initials 089 Single-line bordered initials 090 Single-line bordered initials 091 Single-line bordered initials 092 093 Single-line bordered initials 094 Single-line bordered initials, dated 1647 095 Single-line bordered initials 096 Decorated 'house' with initials 097 Simple 'house' with initials 098 Simple 'house' with initials 142 099 Single-line bordered initials 7 Bibliography Champion, M. (2015) Medieval Graffiti: The Lost Voices of Britain s Churches. London: Ebury Publishing. 8 Acknowledgments The author would like to thank Graham Keevill for his supervision and Alan Minnerthey for graphic design. Rochester Cathedral Research Guild archive report RCL17r10 Page 4 of 4