This shield therefore, with slight variations in the ears, may be found from 1533 to the present day; and the date given in Parker's _Glossary_ was fixed upon insufficient research.
in England are usually of the same shape and size as the seal proper; the pendant cake of wax thus showing two complete impressions, one on each side.
Edward the Confessor and his successors have continuously used them; but among subjects they do not appear before 1130--excepting, perhaps, that remarkable instance of two seals conjoined back to back on the charter of Odo, Bishop of Baieux in 1075. See _Archæologia_, vol. i, p. 335.
Nobility of the blood royal, their wives and daughters, seem to have used counterseals pretty generally from the middle of the twelfth century. The greater titular nobility also adopted them occasionally during that century; but in the next, and until the Baron's letter (1301), a much larger number occur. Their use, however, was very irregular: many prominent titular nobles neglected them, and, on the other hand, we find many families of only moderate territorial position placing secreta on the back of charter seals. I notice as quite remarkable how many ladies who had come to represent a manor, about the middle of the thirteenth century, when the fashion was at its height, at once beautified or safeguarded their seals with a secretum.
After 1301 such extra sealing almost disappears, but there are some very late instances. Humfrey Earl of Stafford and Perche, 1438, placed on the back of his splendid seal a smaller one--the Stafford arms on a heater shield, within a decoration of three Stafford knots, but without any inscription (_Archæologia_, vol. xxxviii); and some of those large and pretentious seals mentioned as appearing 1450-1475 were used with small counterseals.
Many ecclesiastical communities used counterseals, also the old Cinque ports and other ancient boroughs. Ancient official departments too, such as the Norwich Staple, 1272-1307: these having begun, of course continued their use as an established form.
were usually small, and inscribed "Secretum." The first I have noticed is that of Seherus de Quenci, created Earl in 1210--"Secretum Comitis Wintonie." (Spelman's _Aspilogia_, p. 67.) John de Busli, however, is even a little earlier; "Secretum Johannis de Bueli" (_The Earls of Eu_, by Chester Waters, p. 33).