These two pictures were taken on Sunday morning in Aldham Church. The top one is dated 1537. The date is the earliest I know in arabic (as opposed to roman) numerals. On English 'hammered' silver coins, I think the earliest use of arabic numerals, occurrs in the year 1560.
This rather gothic looking bench end carving, is at the end of the dated seat.
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Sorry about above deletion,Mike. Due to the excellence of the work and the confidence of the hand I had wondered if it might be the work of Grinling Gibbons (4 April 1648 – 3 August 1721) perhaps? Then I read the date of 1573 and confirmed my suspicion that this work probably preceded him.
That blocky portrait is very tactile, I bet it's been stroked by a fair few hands.
Hello Carl. Yes, I think the carved date predates Grinling Gibbons's work by rather more than a century.
According to Wikipedia Arabic numerals first became popular in Europe during the 1500s, so this is an early example and it would have saved the carver some work, MDXXXVII is twice as long :)
Good point, Rough! Arabic numeral dates NEVER have more than four figures, whereas Roman numeral dates can have a good many more.
Never is a long time Mike, we may have to employ five spaces for years following 9999 Anno Domini; but I don't suppose we shall be concerned about them!
Also in 1537:-
Jul 30 Resistant of Bomy: French/Dutch cease fire
Aug 15 Asunción, Paraguay, is founded. (Nobody admits to having losted it!)
Aug 25 The Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior, is formed. (That went with a Bang!)
Sep 2 King Christian III publishes "Ordinance on the Danish Church" (Not read it yet)
Sep 24 Uprising in Lubeck fails. (Tough on Mrs. Lubek)
Oct 4 The first complete English-language Bible (the Matthew Bible) is printed, with translations by William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale. ( Read it, Biblios Anglorem bonum est!)
Aint it just?
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