Secret Symbols Of Catholicism Carved In Furniture.

[Sellergarth]

Recently I was shown an intricately carved, antique wooden fire surround. Several of the carved designs appeared at first glance to be identical but on closer inspection revealed subtle differences. I was informed that, during the Reformation, such carvings were a secret indication to fellow Catholics that this was a Catholic house
Could anyone inform me if this is true and if so where may I discover more information?
Thank you

[boxtops]

I think it could be true - the sort of households where they had a priest's hole, to hide the priest if the authorities came knocking?

[Peter Pedant]

a contemporary document about the second Jesuit 'mission' / terrorist infiltration (depending on how you look at it) is Philip Caraman - John Gerard Autobiography of an Elizabethan.

Good read - spy's manual and deals with the 1600-1610 years and was written around about 1605. The now St Nicholas Owen is a saint but then was code-named Little John and was not only John G's man servant but also priesthole builder extraordinaire. Examples of his work (including a hole within a hole) exist at Harvington Kidderminster.

Now the thing about the secret signs you mention is that in 1535 basically everyone was RC and the extreme protestantism of Edward VI was reluctantly accepted. so even in 1570s and 1580s everyone would know the old symbols. So showing Romish symbols to a stranger who was a prod would just get you into prison.

a bit like walking up Shankill Road shouting Holy Mairead mudder of God !

If you goggle secret catholic symbols - they all look like rather obvious christian symbols.

The book above is worth a read (but perhaps not at £45)
The house where Gerard is, gets raided by the pursuivants (= secret police) and so they take refuge in a room, and all hang onto the latch, which is tried by the Police. The lady of the house says - Oh! I must have locked it ! and they dont notice there is no keyhole. She goes off to get the key and they follow HER suspecting funny stuff. Later they forget they havent searched the room......

[paddywak]

I remember seeing something on the history channel about this sort of thing and they mentioned one particular house where the Catholic owners used a code involving how the laundry was hung out to let other Catholics know when a priest would be there to hold a mass, hear confessions etc.

[Peter Pedant]

.

Again at Harvington, there are vine motifs pointing up the stairs - towards the secret chapel. but this is hardly a secret sign - and anyway you would have to get into the house.

Gerard mentions that the house might practise for raids - just as those hiding Jews in Amsterdam did - in this case the servants would panic and prevent the searchers getting to the relevant places and allowing the vestments to be hidden (in a differnet place) to the priest.

The whole house hold had to be Catholic - and those protestants who cd pass themselves off as Roman (Holy be!) were in demand by the authorities to go undercover (honestly the book is worth a read)

and when they were visited by strangers, the whole household pretended tobe reformed.

[denis567]

Always looking for a good read. The book recommended by Peter Pedant is available from Amazon at £24.99, but I have just reserved it from my local library free of charge

[Sellergarth]

Many thanks to all who replied.
I think that I will call at my local library and request the book recommended by Peter, sounds a good read.