The Grimsby Seal

PART TWO

In the 1820's, unusual events began to occur. A Mediaeval 3001 lined surviving remnant          English version of the Lay of Havelok the Dane, written in rhyming couplets dated to 1280 - 1300 AD, was discovered in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. It had been thought that all English written versions had been irretrievably lost. Meanwhile, in Grimsby, another discovery in 1824 was made. The Grimsby Seal had disappeared, presumed to be lost or stolen !

Three other major events occurred in the 1820's as it happened, all important in their own way to the development of our tale: 1. Unbeknown to the academics and scholars at Oxford, a rather obscure, unknown, but dedicated Lincolnshire historian named Henry Evans-Smith from Caistor, discovered from elderly rustics and inhabitants from the isolated village of Audby, near North Thoresby, an ancient oral tradition concerning a sea-faring man named Grim existed. This indeed was fortunate considering that Audby itself was then merely a remnant of one of those vanishing villages of rural Lincolnshire. 2. Then, in 1825, one year on from the disappearance in 1824 of the Grimsby Seal, the book 'The Monumental Antiquities of Great Grimsby' by George Oliver was published. 3. In 1828, 'Havelock the Dane,' by Sir Frederick Madden, then sub-keeper of manuscripts at the British Museum, was finally published and produced for the illustrious Roxburghe Club of London.

The full significance of the discovery by the Lincolnshire historian would have to wait for the passage of nearly 200 years before its importance would fully emerge, and need not concern us here. The matter of how this discovery would be woven into the overall tapestry of time will become self-evident elsewhere within this site as time and space allows I assure you. We will first focus upon the publication of 'The Monumental Antiquities of Great Grimsby: an Essay towards ascertaining its Origin and Ancient Population,' and its author the Reverend George Oliver. It appears that due to the absence of the original Grimsby Seal and knowledge of the Oxford manuscript discovery, that Oliver placed no great importance upon ensuring that a really decent engraving of it would be adequately provided for inclusion in his work at this time, although he evidently had access to impressions. However, engravings were duly made and representations were included of the ancient Grimsby and Mayoral Seal. The Mayoral Seal, which is reputed to depict an actual traditional mayoral boar hunt scene in Bradley Woods nearby, was also cast during the mediaeval period, and it had also disappeared with the Grimsby Seal the year before.

George Oliver, [1782 - 1867] was a topographer and rather prolific writer on freemasonry during his lifetime, and was descended from an ancient Scottish family that had moved to Nottinghamshire in England during the reign of James I. He moved to Lincolnshire in 1803 to become second master at Caistor Grammar School and six years later he then became headmaster of King Edward's grammar school at Great Grimsby. Oliver was ordained as a deacon in 1813 and a priest in 1814, becoming Vicar of Clee for 17 years. From 1831 until his death, he was at Scopwick rectory in Lincolnshire. He had other clerical duties during this period and one of these had been domestic chaplain for Lord Kensington. In 1832 Oliver had been elected deputy grand master of masons for Lincolnshire and was later made an honorary member of the grand lodge of masons in Massachusetts with the appointed rank of deputy grand master. There were innumerable freemason treatises written by George Oliver, and quite a number of topographic works; of the latter genre, only two may be of interest and said to possibly relate to Grimsby and its legend. The first of these was published in 1825: 'The Monumental Antiquities of Great Grimsby: an Essay towards ascertaining its Origin and Ancient Population.' The second work was possibly partly divinely inspired so we are possibly led to believe and was entitled: 'The Byrde of Gryme,' which was published in 1866, the year before his death. The following text comes from the earlier treatise and upon the heels of his representation of one of the later common hybrid accounts, which possibly grew and developed over time:
Although Peter Langtoft expresses a doubt about the credibility of this tale, arising from the difficulty of finding competent authorities for it, yet it may have some correspondence with certain incidents which did actually take place at the period alluded to, about the middle of the ninth century; and might advance a merchant of Grymsby, whose name was Gryme, to considerable rank and fortune: for one of the ancient seals of the borough, of which I have caused an engraving to be made, fully corroborates the most important passages in his history. On this seal is represented the gigantic figure of a man, brandishing a drawn sword in his right hand, and bearing on his left arm a circular target. The word Gryem near him, indicates that this is the identical person named in the foregoing legend; for he is represented as being tall and majestic in his stature. On his right hand is portrayed a youth, with a crown over his head to denote his royal extraction, and near him the word Habloc. On the other hand is represented a female figure, crowned with a regal diadem; whom, by the inscription round her person, we discover to be Goldeburgh, the young princess who is said to have been married to Haveloc. The legend is Sigillum: Comunitatis: Grimebye; and this, as well as the names, is in the Saxon character; which leads us to the obvious conclusion, that the seal was cut and used by the town of Grymsby, before the Danes succeeded in establishing their dominion in Britain; and most probably was granted by the Anglo-Saxon government, during the life-time of Gryme, with other privileges which contributed to restore this port to opulence and respectability, after it had been deserted by its primitive inhabitants, on the first invasion of Lindesey by the Danes.

An ancient monument, still in existence, offers a further testimony to corroborate the story of Gryme and Haveloc. A large stone, composed of imperishable materials, said to have been brought by the Danes, out of their own country, forms the landmark which separates the parish of Grimsby from the adjoining hamlet of Wellow; and it is known at this day by the significant appellation of Haveloc's Stone. And the unequivocal acknowledgement, at this remote period of time, of the privilege which guarantees to a burgess of Grimsby, a freedom from toll at the port of Elsineur, is an unquestionable evidence that the tale of Gryme is not, as Camden insinuates, so totally without foundation as to be "fitter for tattling gossips in a winter night, than a grave historian." …..That learned antiquary, Gervase Holles, does not accede to the common opinion, that Grymsby received its name from this Gryme. After reciting the above legend, with some unimportant variations, he gives his own opinion as follows. "Thus much for the tradition; which, notwithstanding I may not believe to be true in all circumstances ( for rare it is to have any tradition without a mixture of something fabulous ) yet, that the founder's name was GRIME, I easily incline to believe; but neither Grime the merchant, nor Grime the fisherman: I can name a third, who (if my judgement may passe) shall be the man. You shall find him in the Chronicle of Isaac Pontanus, to have bin a Norvegian pirate, in the tyme of Frotho, King of Denmark, which Grimus was, (by Pontanus' relation) a man of vast stature…."

…… In this theory, Holles falls into an error, equally untenable and fatal to the antiquity of Grimsby, by ascribing its origin to a Norwegian or any other pirate - for Dane or Norwegian, and Pirate, in those ages, were convertible terms; and I most decidedly object to that part of the memoir which makes either of these celebrated personages the original planter of the town, and the source whence Grymsby received its name. ……...Rapin peaks of Grymsby being inhabited before the time when Gryme and Haveloc flourished; for he says, that when the Danes made their first descent upon this coast, the inhabitants were so alarmed that they fled into the interior of the country, to secure their lives and moveable property. And it might be, when Grymsby was thus deserted, from dread of his savage countrymen, that Gryme, the Dane, took possession of the town, in the name of his own monarch, which was hence considered as Danish property, and suffered to remain unmolested; while the whole country of Lindesey was reduced to ruin and desolation. The adjoining village of Tetney was, at this time, ravaged by these infuriate invaders; the inhabitants cruelly put to the sword, and their bodies buried in an open space in the centre of the village; for it was only by murder and spoliation that a Dane could raise himself to eminence amongst his countrymen; and hence the most hardened and consummate barbarian was alone deemed capable of leading armies, or conducting a piratical expedition.

There are many points of contention made by Oliver in relation to the founding of Grimsby in his treatise, and indeed there are many points of contention that we in turn could make, should we choose to do so. We know that today the people of Elsenor [now Helsingsor] and Denmark would tell you that the place was first founded by King Eric of Denmark in 1202 AD, even though it was known to have existed and been well established and settled prior to that time as a fishing community. From Oliver's works it is clear that he was certain that before Grim could have ever determinedly put the Grim in Grimsby in any spectacular true fashion, that the place had been an important site and base to the Druids, the ancient Britons, and the Romans, and he was convinced that certain topographical signs were still somewhat observable in his lifetime. He was half-inclined to believe a tradition that there had once existed a sacred stone circle and temple upon one of the town's legendary seven hills at a much earlier point in time and that the site of Grimsby had been a special one in the British Isles to them and their ceremonies; he may indeed have been right. Yet on this latter matter, no topographical evidence still appeared to have remained. Oliver would have us firmly believe from comments that he makes earlier in the chapter, that the etymological framework for the word of Grimsby has a purely British origin and derivative meaning signifying: 'the residence of a powerful and valiant people.' He also mentions in a passing footnote that according to Strype, in his life of Whitgift, another authority on the matter, that Grimsby's ancient name was: Grimundsby!

Grimsby was the key into this large and populous district, and was consequently a place of considerable importance. And hence its name; for Grym is a pure British word, signifying Great or Powerful; and as the first invaders of Britain; invariably found their approaches at this avenue contested with great bravery and perseverance, they attached to it the usual appelllative Bye, an undoubted corruption of the British word Bod, a habitation; and called the place Grymsby, or the residence of a powerful and valiant people.

There are some important points arising here that we must make. First and foremost, we have to say that there certainly have been innumerable learned scholars before and since that have fully accepted that Lincolnshire is one of the counties that still retains a tremendous number of place names ending with by, fully accepting the Scandinavian meaning without question or any patriotic need to expunge the fact of its origin from 'barbarian' root ancestry. Furthermore, as Charles Whistler has clearly pointed out in his preface to the first English novel of 'Havelok the Dane,' Gryme is but an alternative English spelling of Grim, and even Oliver has noted elsewhere, that it is indeed one of the rather special but many names given to Odin. We also know that the Grimsby seal may have had the names and legend in Saxon character, but that does not necessarily mean that we should assume that 'the seal was cut and used by the town of Grymsby, before the Danes succeeded in establishing their dominion in Britain; and most probably was granted by the Anglo-Saxon government, during the life-time of Gryme;' let alone have any candid certainty as to when that lifetime took place! Holles also made this understandable natural mistake.

Indeed, on the matter of the Grimsby Seal, expert opinion and examination has since indicated the fact that the matrix appears to have been fashioned, cut, and first used sometime in the 13th century at the earliest. Yet, on the matter of the etymological origins of the name of Grimsby, it has to be said that there is one other theory postulated by some which differs from what has been accepted by long-standing tradition. According to this alternative traditional theory the etymological framework for the original word Grimsby can be broken down into three Celtic syllables: 'Gri-maes-buy' which is translated to mean "the place of the sacred mounds." The theory may have arisen in relation to an ancient and patriotic tradition that still is held to be true by some that Grimsby was a mystical magical place long, long ago, with seven ancient and rather special mounds. One is inclined to believe that there may indeed be some unquestionable truth behind the traditions concerning the earlier settlements by the Celts, Britons, and the Romans, and that there may have actually been reason to believe that some important mounds did once exist at the site. However, there is equally great reason to believe that the ancient Britons also had a great traditional historical record and story to tell of a rather special man named Grim. That story and tradition only now appears to be claiming back its own power of mystery, awe, and credibility, after having long-sufferance through centuries of change and circumstance.
However, before we proceed any further, it may be interesting and rather useful at this point, to review certain explanatory matters of background mythological and etymological tradition related to the name of Grimsby as outlined by Rev. G.S. Streatfeid in 'Lincolnshire and the Danes' [1884.] The footnotes that appeared with the passage are also given, as they touch upon some important matters in our opinion!

Grimsby, the emporium of the modern fishing trade, might more reasonably have been expected to preserve some memorial of Aegir, the ocean god, than of any other divinity. But the many Norsemen who called themselves Grimr, in so doing, assumed one of the numerous titles of Odin.* The name does not , as is generally thought, signify the fierce courage characteristic of the Northern race, but alludes to the disguise,** beneath the shelter of which, Odin, the All-Father, performed many of his most singular feats. Besides the Dane, who had the honour of naming what has become the most populous town in the county, another Grimr made his home at Little Grimsby, which has shown no such signs of growth during the thousand years of its existence.
*The British derivation suggested by Mr Smith…. Gra = sacred, maes = entrenched mounds, buy = dwelling, is fanciful and improbable to the last degree, although, strangely enough, it is adopted by the Rev. J. Wild in his paper on ancient Grimsby. (Lincoln Architectural Society Report, p. 205, 1878.) The assumption of the latter writer, that if Grimsby is to be derived from Grime, the same individual must have founded Little Grimsby, Grimsthorpe, Grimoldby, and Grimblethorpe, is not only perfectly gratuitous, Grmr being a very common personal name, but involves the confusion of such different names as Grimr, Grimaldr, Grimbald. Grimsthorpe has nothing to do with Grimr, being a corruption of Germundthorp. ** From grim, a hood or cowl.

As Jung has clearly shown, we all express and project our own opinions, prejudices, and realities in the world around us, reflected in everything we do and say in deed ! For Camden to proffer, profess, and express his own preferred opinion, he had need to claim ground by attacking the common and estimable opinion of others including all other sabbines and wiseheads. Streatfeid is right in saying that there are fanciful and improbable cases of reasoning yes, but then when one attempts to sift the chaff from the wheat, sometimes we find grains of truth remaining where we least expect to find them. Although he knows that Great Grimsby and Little Grimsby were both founded by men using the name of Grimr, he contests completely the candid assumptions of the Rev. J. Wild as mere wild speculation, wide of the mark. However, we have reason to believe from recent research, that it may indeed be a true fact that both of these places, at least, were relatively founded and associated with one particular man alone by that name. Furthermore, if we are correct in this matter which we freely admit is based purely on a speculative ground work attempt in our quest to ascertain the probable truth behind the real man legendarily named Grim behind all the guise of all past traditions, then there will be reason enough to understand why Little Grimsby never really developed unlike the maritime town of Great Grimsby.
That there have been differing opinions on the meaning of Grimsby, and the identity of Grim, and upon the historical authenticity of the legend, and time period in which he lived, is certain. Indeed, uncertainty still reigns somewhat certainly even upon the exact dating of the ancient Grimsby Seal. Although the resources and expertise of the British Museum was involved and brought to bear on the matter of the appraisal of the legend and the dating of the Seal for the publication of 'Havelok the Dane' by Sir Frederick Madden and the illustrious Roxburghe Club, of London in 1828, with Madden stating: "…we are enabled, with the greatest confidence, to pronounce Seal to be, at least, as old as the time of Edw. I. and consequently contemporary with the English text of the Romance," articles appearing in Grimsby newspapers written in 1905 and 1945, were still either content to declare that the seal was of 'unknown antiquity,' or refer solely to the opinions of Holles or Oliver, supposing it to have been in use by the Saxons before the Norman Conquest. However, it was the expert opinion of Madden that there unquestionably was a Saxon background time period involved in one sense at very least behind the traditional ancient legendary romance.

In endeavouring to trace the channels through which the traditions respecting Havelok and Grim have descended, we must of necessity acknowledge the superior antiquity of the French text of this Romance. That the tradition itself existed from the Saxon times, is warranted by a high degree of probability, and at least, may be believed, without any great claim on our credulity. The earliest shape, however, in which the story is now known to us, is certainly that presented by the French Romance, whether we regard it in its separate and original form, or as subsequently abridged…

The Roxburghe Club membership was made up of the following:

EARL SPENCER, K. G. PRESIDENT.
THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE, K. G.
THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH.
EARL OF CARLISLE.
EARL GOWER.
VISCOUNT ALTHORP.
VISCOUNT CLIVE.
HON. AND REV. G. NEVILLE GRENVILLE.
SIR EGERTON BRYDGES, BART.
SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART.
SIR FRANCIS FREELING, BART.
SIR JOSEPH LITTLEDALE, KNT.
WILLIAM BENTHAM, ESQ.
WILLIAM BOLLAND, ESQ.
REV. WILLIAM HOLWELL CARR.
REV. THOMAS FROGNALL DIBDIN, D. D. V.P.
REV. HENRY DRURY.
GEORGE HENRY FREELING, ESQ.
JOSEPH HASLEWOOD, ESQ.
RICHARD HEBER, ESQ.
GEORGE HIBBERT, ESQ.
EDWARD LITTLEDALE, ESQ.
JOHN ARTHUR LLYOD, ESQ.
JAMES HEYWOOD MARKLAND, ESQ.
JOHN DELAFIELD PHELPS, ESQ.
THOMAS PONTON, ESQ.
GEORGE WATSON TAYLOR, ESQ. M.P.
PEREGRINE TOWNLEY, ESQ.
EDWARD VERNON UTTERSON, ESQ.
ROGER WILBRAHAM, ESQ.
VENERABLE ARCHDEACON WRANGHAM.

The title page read: 'The Ancient English Romance of Havelok the Dane,' and the work was accompanied by the French text, with the introduction, notes, and glossary, by Frederick Madden, Esq. F.A.S. F.R.S.L. the sub-keeper of the MSS. in the British Museum. The Roxburghe Club only produced a limited number of these books for circulation and it was due to this fact that Professor W. Skeat later re-edited and revised the work for The Early English Text Society in 1868.
Madden had been well aware of George Oliver's earlier work, 'The Monumental Antiquities of Great Grimsby,' and its conjectures, and it appears that Oliver had contacted him and supplied him with two items for inclusion. The first was a rather ludicrous local tradition that was regarded as amusing which had developed by that time concerning Grim and the turret stones of St James Church, which need not concern us here as this will be dealt with in a separate article on the matter of the stones. Suffice to say that it was only included to show how : 'Another extravagant legend preserved by the lower classes at Grimsby, 'can indicate,' how fiction gradually usurps the place of truth, whenever an event is transmitted by the organ of popular credulity.' However, it is ironic that in a footnote and reference to Oliver's own account by common tradition that Gryme was supposed to have originated from a place called Souldburg, Madden states that they did not know on what authority his claim was made. Sadly, he did not confirm or question the matter and the matter of the authority behind the special privileges allegedly given to the Burgesses of Grimsby at the port of Elsineur in Denmark which he states was alluded to by Holles and confirmed by Oliver in his work. These matters are for fresh researchers on the quest to now hopefully ascertain in time. The other item that was supplied by Oliver was an actual impression of the Grimsby Seal, from which the Roxburghe Club had a new engraving made especially for their limited edition publication. On the matter of the seal, Madden states:

In the Ms. of Holles is a very spirited outline copy of it, which was most wretchedly engraven in the Topographer. Mr. Oliver caused it again to be copied in his work on Grimsby, but not accurately enough to give an adequate idea of the original; the spirit and execution of which, we confess, even in our engraving, has scarcely been treated with justice. We here see Grim represented as a man of gigantic stature (according to the French text, which pictures him as a Vikingr, and also in the spirit of one of the local traditions of Grimsby), brandishing a sword in his right hand, and in his left a shield of unusual make and proportions, purposely designed as it would seem, by the draughtsman, to represent armor of an archaic description. Behind the figure is his name in capital letters GRYEM. Beneath, on the right, is a young man, with a crown over his head, to denote his royal descent and sovereignty, and in his hand the hatchet he is described in the Romance to have used so effectually. Above him we read HABLOC. On the opposite side stands the Princess, regally crowned, whose name GOLDEBURGH is placed immediately above her. The legend round the Seal is thus: SIGILLUM COMUNITATIS GRIMEBYE, in a character, which after the year 1300. fell into disuse, and was succeeded by the black letter, or Gothic. Mr. Oliver, however, in his search among the Corporation Records of Grimsby, could find no document to which it was affixed of greater antiquity than the reign of Hen. VII. The original matrix is now in private hands, and probably will never again be accessible to the Corporation, but the Grimsby Haven Company have caused it to be re-cut, and adopted it as their official devise.

Considering that the Grimsby Seal and Mayoral Seal had been lost, presumed to have been stolen in 1824, it is interesting that Madden describes it as 'now in private hands.' However, whether this was due to him having been given an account by the Town Clerk, which saved civic embarrassment, or whether this terminology was a sign of 'noblesse,' the fact remains, the seal did eventually return in 1860, under rather unusual circumstances too. Three years after the publication of 'Havelok the Dane,' by the Roxburghe Club, and seven years after publication of George Oliver's book, a letter was sent to a gentleman in Grimsby, whose identity is not recorded. The letter was dated Oct. 1831, and came from a wealthy shipbuilder from Teignmouth by the name of William Havelock! A transcript follows:

Sir,
Having, when in London, heard of the publication of the "Monumental Antiquities of Great Grimsby," and that it made mention of a person named Havelock, of ancient fame, I purchased the book, and on perusing it I find the character given therein of that personage, on comparing it with the pedigree of my family, affords a considerable degree of similitude between the Havelock there mentioned and the founder of my family. The pedigree alluded to commences thus:-

"This family is of great antiquity, and was of note before the conquest. The first we find mentioned is Galfridus de Havelock, who, in the year 1030, came over to England in the suite of Canute, King of England and Denmark, in the humble capacity of a scullion in the king's kitchen. He afterwards emerged from this obscure situation and entered the army, where he displayed such superior bravery and military skill that he was promoted to a high rank, and the king's natural daughter was given to him in marriage, with whom he was enfeoffed with several manors in the county of Norfolk. His descendant, Sir Havre de Havelock, Knight, shortly after the conquest, had issue, etc.,etc."

After passing through several generations, of which the pedigree gives a particular account, the name of George Havelock occurs, on which it makes the following remarks: 'He was a man of great parts and industry, and made a large fortune as a merchant; was appointed Mayor of Grimsby, and through his exertions that place procured a renewal of its charters. He married Dorothy, daughter of James Slingsby, Esq.' Thomas Havelock, his brother, married Catherine, daughter of Robert Fisher. He lost nearly the whole of his own property, as well as that which he inherited from his brother George, in the South Sea scheme, A.D. 1721. My eldest son William, who is a Major in the 4th Light Dragoons, now in India, as well as myself, being desirous of establishing this part of the pedigree, on the correctness of which some doubts have been expressed, I should feel particularly obliged to you, or any other friend who may have access to the historical documents and records of Grimsby, would inform me whether or not they they contain any particulars corresponding with the above pedigree; and I trust you will be kind enough to give me any information on the subject which may have come to your knowledge respecting it.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM HAVELOCK

That doubts have been cast in the past on accuracy of reports that filter into the genealogy of family and history is certain. The whole subject, which is ever popular and in demand today as ever with the high and low-born and the concern with where the twain shall meet, is probably still fraught with danger and has been often exploited at times. That the legendary classic ancient traditions originally that existed became a root stock material for the grafting of a multitude of traditions and ideas upon them, which became intertwined with each other with a result of an array of hybrid versions is no accident, it is a process. Witness to this process can be seen in the following account dating from 1836 concerning Grimsby and its founding legend in Lincolnshire history wherein Grim and Havelock exchange places transiently for the records:

There exists a tradition that the town [Grimsby] was founded by a merchant, named Ghrime, or Gryem, originally a scullion in the kitchen of the King of Denmark, who, whilst in that humble situation, having found an exposed child and brought it up, afterwards discovered the foundling to be of the Danish blood royal. The consequences of the discovery was his having riches and honours heaped upon him, and his obtaining the king's daughter in marriage. Camden alludes to this tradition in terms of ridicule; but one of the ancient seals of the corporation seems to bear out, in some respects, its truth.

In 1955, Mr. L.G. Pine, the Editor of 'Burke's Peerage' knew for instance that on the matter of ancestral Viking roots in Lincolnshire:

"GRIMSBY"

"It is however perfectly clear that in a county which includes such a typically Scandinavian place name as Grimsby and which is associated with the famous story of Havelock the Dane, much Viking blood must exist."

However, he also knew that there existed several families that had traditional contentious claims and pedigree links with Hereward the Wake, and that the matter of dealing truly with them, was fraught with difficulty.

We know that George Oliver in his 1866 work, 'The Byrde of Gryme,' claims that a little bird of Odin assured him with good memory of the true past, that Grim had really been a pirate chieftain living in the 7th century, and that he had been the kidnapper of Havelock! He also makes the fresh claim and affirmation of the pedigree links with the Havelock family .

The raven went on. "Before he left his own country, Gryme avenged himself by abducting the king's son whose name was HAVELOCK, and exposed him on this desert island. But the youth was under my protection; and after the pirate had been cruelly slain by his own Berserkirs, I caused Havelock to be rescued; and he was made an inferior officer in the king's palace. Subsequently he emerged from this obscure situation, and entered the army, where he displayed such superior bravery and military skill that he was promoted to a high rank, and the king's natural daughter was given to him in marriage, with a dowry of several manors in the county of Norfolk."
"The name however," I added," is denominated Hablock on the old Seal of the Corporation; and Snorro calls him Hawk; whence it has been supposed that this secure anchorage for shipping was called the Hawk Roads; a name which it retains to this day. The descendants of this prince are still in existence, after a period of 1800 years. In the 17th century the name of George Havelock occurs as an opulent merchant of Grimsby, who served the office of mayor. The late celebrated commander, Major William Havelock, who lost his life in India, A.D. 1858, was one of the latest descendants of this family.

Curiously enough, in the Grimsby Borough listings of all its mayors, dating back to 1201 and its first charter from King John, there is no mention at all of any George Havelock. Curiouser and curiouser still, in 1858 A.D. another letter arrived in Grimsby in relation to the notable Havelock family, which appeared to act like a fulcrum for a series of uncanny events which would lead to the return of the lost ancient Grimsby seals after a period of 36 years disappearance. In 1858, the Town Clerk, Mr. William Grange, received a letter from a Mr. Tolmin Smith, a barrister of law about to give a memorial lecture in London for one of William Havelock's sons. We have not been able to establish whether this was for the elder son of which he spoke, William, who had died in November 1848 or whether the memorial lecture was for the more famous son and British hero of India, Major General, Sir Henry Havelock, who had died in April 1857. Yet, we are fairly sure that it was for Henry. On this whole matter as indicated above, it is interesting to note that George Oliver was clearly wide of the mark with either the name or date, or possibly both. Yet to err is human, and to forgive is divine, as they say.

Tolmin Smith had been aware of the Havelock family pedigree claim of descent from the famous Havelock of legend and had shown an interest in the ancient Seal of Grimsby. Smith wanted information about the seal and also requested if it would be possible to acquire an example copy. The barrister-at law was duly informed quite clearly that the seal had been lost and presumed to have been stolen many years beforehand in 1824. When delivering his memorial lecture, Smith referred to the sad loss of the Grimsby Seals, mentioning how highly they were regarded and prized. At the close of the lecture, almost as if by magic, a Mr. Frederick Carritt, a solicitor of Basinghall Street, London, attending the lecture, said that he believed that he had possession of the missing Grimsby seals. He had not realised just how important or valuable the seals had been, and was only too pleased to return them to the Grimsby Corporation. Frederick Carritt had originally been born in Barnoldby-le-Beck in Lincolnshire, near Grimsby, and the family home later became Northcotes nearby. Some years earlier he had been executor of estate it seems for a relative [possibly the elder brother Thomas] after their death, and had inherited both of the seals as part of the estate, not realising their significance at all over the years. The seals were finally solemnly returned to Grimsby in 1860 with gratitude and thanks made to both parties.

The story of their disappearance and recovery appeared in the 'Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford, Mercury of December 21st 1860.' The matter was also contained in a report at the meeting of the Grimsby Town Council. At the 1860 Town Council meeting, the Town Clerk, Mr. Grange said that it had been the earlier custom of the old Corporation for the seals to be entrusted with the Chamberlains, and that it may have been possible for one of them to have retained them instead of passing them on to their successor. Mr. Grange said that it could have been possible that the seals were stolen from one of the Chamberlains and that they had passed on through various hands, to a number of people before finally reaching the relative of Mr Carritt based at Northcotes. Maybe providence had a hand in the matter?

TO BE CONTINUED