170 Devon Notes and Queries, living St. Sidwell's is, presented it to the parish, and once again the bird began to merrily point out to the city which way the wind blew. There it continued, during storm and fair weather alike, to do duty until May 2nd, 1900, when it came down, in company with the vanished spire, and after being duly photographed by my son, H. Turner Hems, was carefully stowed away. Recently Mr. ex-Warden R. J. Mills re-gilded it, and on Tuesday, May loth last, after another rest of just over two years, it again assumed the most prominent position in the whole parish. The venerable old weathercock and its vane are 417 years old, and after doing exactly 357 years' actual duty in situ is to-day bright and spruce and in excellent working order. Harry Hems. 131. EsiNGTUNE. — Mr. H. Rider Haggard in his recently published volumes. Rural England (2 vols, Longmans, 1902), in an account of a visit he paid to a gentleman's house between Exeter and Honiton, states that hanging in the Hall was ** a
- very interesting relic of the past. It was a pair of deer's
" horns of unusual size. Upon one of these horns was engraved
- * I.R.* with a crown between the letters, and beneath : —
- NoBL King James did kill this buck in
" The Forest of Whichwood "William Esingtune " Anno Domini " 1610.
- On the other side was cut a harp, a lion, and a fleur de lis^
" and beneath : — " God prosper him them down to "pluck that seek true christian blood "was there when it was don 16io. " This William Esingtune was, I understand, an ancestor of 'our host's wife. It would be interesting if any antiquary "could unravel the meaning of the second inscription.*' (I., p. 194). Will any of our readers help in giving information as to this? J.B.R. 132. Poppy Heads. — It has been stated that there are but three churches in Devon which possesses specimens of old carved poppy heads. Is this so, and where are the three churches m which they are to be found ? J.B.R.
