IN CONNECTION WITH THE TOWN OF SAFFRON WALDEN. 15
from its Castle and Monastery, and from being the only market for
many miles round. In Doomesday it is called Waledana; on the
earlier seals of the monastery it is Waledeni; in a later and better
executed seal on a deed of 1534 (the seal may be earlier) it is still
Waledeni, without a prefix. At different times the town has had
other additions to its name, as Walden-burg, Brook Walden, Chipping
Walden (Cheaping), which latter probably has much to do with the
present name. A gentleman from the British Museum, on looking
over some old deed, said : "I think I can help you; here is 'Seffing
Walden'"; but I was doomed to disappointment; the parchment
was stained and crumbled, and on closer inspection the word turned
out to be "Chepping." Yet this raised the surmise, the town being
the chief mart for the commodity, that this name, aided by the mis-
spellings of the time, had gradually merged into saffron.
On a seal attached to the charter of Edward VI., 1549, is depicted
three brooms, intended for saffron flowers, surrounded by a wall, form-
ing the miserable pun of "Saffron Wall'd in"; this is the earliest
record I can find of the prefix, nor does it appear to have been used
before the year 1530. The Corporation were very unwilling to adopt
it; their Election book makes no use of the prefix until 1729.10
When the present seal of the Corporation was fabricated the saffron
blossoms were depicted more naturally than in the 16th century. A
late lord asked whether the heraldry had not been spoiled, but his
lordship was reminded that his family were going to replace the Griffin
supporters of his arms by Lions, and he was asked if he intended to
have the long cat-lizzard like lions of Edward III., or natural animals?
The only response was a shrug of the shoulders. An old heraldic
painter who had been accustomed to depict the ancient form of
lion, was anxious to see a living beast, and when the Zoological
Gardens were first opened went there. On being shown one, he
disputed rudely with the keeper, and left in great anger, believing
he had been hoaxed. On entering what may be said to be almost a
public room in the town (connected I may say, with a most accom-
plished British botanist, now, alas! no more), the visitor is confronted
with a frieze running round it of what may be surmised to be plants
of the genus Orchis, but he is surprised to be informed that they are
intended for our celebrated plant saffron. Again, the fabricator of the
effigy on the east wall of the new town hall has strictly obeyed the
10 The plant has also given its name to Saffron Hill, formerly part of Ely Gardens, Holborn;
to Zaffarano in Sicily; and to Zafaranboly in Anatolia.—Ed.