An Account of Some Ancient Trumpets, and Other Pieces of Antiquity, Found in the County of Tyrone in Ireland. In a Letter from Francis Nevill, Esq; to the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Clogher, F. R. S.

XXXII. An Account of some ancient Trumpets, and other Pieces of Antiquity, found in the County of Tyrone in Ireland. In a Letter from Francis Nevill, Esq; to the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Clogher, F.R.S. Belturbet, Decemb. 29. 1712. My LORD, In my last I gave your Lordship an Account of some Urns found in different places in the North, which came to my view since I have had Residence in it. I promised then to send your Lordship a Sketch of some Trumpets found in the lower Barony of Dungannon, in the County of Tyrone, about seven Years ago: There were eight of them found together, four of one Make, and four of another; two of which I have now by me, the Draughts of which I here send, as represented in fig. 2. and fig. 3. They are of cast Brass, of the thickness of an English Half-Crown. Fig. 2. is 24 Inches long, according to the Turn or Arch it makes, and is 3 Inches in Diameter at the large End, and at the small End it is solid for about two Inches, with a Loop at top to hang it by, and another Loop between the solid part and the Mouth-piece. The Mouth-piece is Oval, 5 Inches from the solid End, one Inch and three quarters long, and one Inch wide: The sides thereof are smooth, round, and even, easy for the Lips of a Man, but will not admit of any sound by Blast as a Horn doth, but by the articulate Voice of toot- ing it will: One may raise his Voice in it to the highest Pitch, and bring it the deepest Base. Fig. 3. is 26 Inches long, one Inch wide at the small End, and three Inches at the other; but seems to be imperfect for want of a Mouth-piece; the small End seems to be fitted to receive one. On the Back at \(a\), there is a Hole, and another under the Moulding at \(b\); the first I believe was to fasten the Mouth-piece, the second I imagine was to stop or open with the Finger to alter the Sound at pleasure. But as it is now, it cannot be sounded; for it is no way fitted for the Mouth, it being thin and sharp; which will be best understood by the Figure. I cannot find in any Irish Story, or by Tradition, any Account of this sort of Trumpets, nor indeed of any other; from whence I gather they are of great Antiquity: For had they been of use at, or since the first of the English Conquests, there would have been some Hints of them. And therefore I do conclude they were of use when the Country was Pagan, and not in Martial Affairs, but by their Priests at their Funeral Rights when they buried their Dead, and bore a part with those who cried at those Funerals, or made an howling sort of a Noise; which sort of Noise is used among the Natives to this Day. But I refer this to those who may have met with some Account that I have not. Fig. 4. is an Instrument of much better Metal, being fine Gold; but what to call it, or of what use, I never could meet with any could tell me. There have been found in different places, three of which I have seen since I came to this Place. One was found near Coot-hill, in scouring a Ditch, under the tide of a large Stone; which Stone was one of three which were placed triangular-wise; whether set in this form as a Mark to find this thing when hid, or whether for any other use, I cannot guess; but I have seen Stones in several several Parts of this Kingdom set in this Order. It is reported, that there were some other pieces of Gold found with this, but I could not see them: One, I was told, was somewhat like a Scepter, about 18 Inches long; and another was round like a large Medal, as thick as two Crown pieces, and as broad as the Palm of a Man's Hand, with strange Characters on it. But whatever they were, the poor Man that found them I believe got but little by them; for this, of which I have here sent the Draught, was sold at the Market of Coothill for a quarter of a Pound of Tobacco, and afterwards at Dublin for Twenty three Pounds; where I saw it at the Goldsmiths. Its Beauty and Colour surpassed any Gold I had seen: It had been cast, and not wrought with the Hammer. The two Cones were two Inches in Diameter each, and two Inches asunder from each other. The Bow or Handle was made like an Arch (as you see in the Figure) about a quarter of an Inch thick: The Handle was round, tapering towards both Ends, where it was fixed to both the Cones. The Goldsmith told me, that when he had wrought part thereof, he could not bring the Gold to the right Colour again, tho' it was in fineness equal to our Standard. This could be no Ornament for the Body; perhaps it might be of some religious use; but whether Popish, or Pagan, I leave to better Judgments. Fran. Nevill.