Cylchgronau Cymru

In 1352 the cross was handed over to the King's goldsmith Richard de Grymesby, for repair and enrichment. A contemporary document in the Public Record Office16 gives a detailed account of the manner in which the work was carried out, together with a list of the workmen employed-one for as long as twenty- two months-and of the wages paid to them. Several came from 'Colonye', others from Almaye; three 'Burnysours' are mentioned. The sums received from the Treasurer in respect of the work and the manner in which they were expended are also recorded. Pearls, rubies and emeralds were purchased, and a foot of gold and silver was fitted to the cross. Finally, charges are entered for conveying the cross to Windsor. Its value when handed to the King's goldsmith was accounted for by him at £ 247 7s. When the work was completed it was estimated at £ 315 18s., afterwards altered to £ 315 12s.17 In 1354 the King petitioned the Pope, Clement VI, for a grant of relaxation of enjoined penance to penitents who visited the chapel on certain feasts, reciting his devotion to increase divine worship in the chapel in which he has endowed a College of Warden and Canons, and where there is a cross brought by St. Helen and destined for England. No evidence to connect the cross with St. Helen can be found, but it appears that Edward I caused it to be placed for a short time in the charge of the nuns of St. Helen in Bishopsgate. Two Papal Grants followed-the first, given at Avignon on 30 November 1354, made special mention of the cross and allowed relaxation of two years and two periods of forty days, and the second of three years and three periods of forty days. To the reign of Richard II belongs the earliest extant Inventory of the Books, Relics, Jewels, Plate and other Ornaments belonging to St. George's Chapel. It was made in the eighth year of his reign, 22 June 1384-21 June 1385, when Walter of Almaly was Warden. It is now among the Ashmole MSS. in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, as is the second Inventory, made in the eleventh year of Henry IV's reign, 30 September 1409-29 September 1410, when Richard Kingston was Warden. It is presumed that these inventories were lent to Ashmole by the Dean and Canons; it is certain that they were among the MSS. which he left to the University of Oxford at his death in 1692. A later Inventory of 1501 is in the Aerary of St. George's Chapel, the earliest Inventory now in the possession of the Dean and Canons. It is an Indenture between John Esterfeld, Treasurer of the College, and Richard Payne, Precentor, of the Jewels, Vestments and Ornaments of the Chapel. A fourth Inventory, dated 1534, is preserved in the Public Record Office. Extracts from the three later Inventories will be given under their appro- priate dates. 18 In the Inventory of 1384-85, among the Jocalia et Reliquie infra Tabulam Summi Altaris (the jewels and relics below the reredos of the high altar), the Croes Naid is described as follows: Imprimis una crux nobilis vocata Gneth (first of all one noble Cross called Gneth). There follows a list of precious stones missing. One further reference to the cross belongs to this reign. St. John Hope in a long note on the history of the cross, 19 refers to the Precentor's Account of 1387- 88 (Windsor Records xv.56.10), showing a charge of 4d. Pro reparacione crucis vocati Neyth (for repairing the cross called Neyth).