I think I read somewhere that the crossed-V sign was a symbol for the Virgin
Mary. In eastern England these symbols are found on 17th and 18th century
farmhouses and barns which suggests that the tradition, whilst probably
originating in the Middle Ages, continued long after the end of the
Reformation and the suppression of the Catholic faith. Many of the crossed
V-symbols are found close to doors, windows and chimneys (presumably points
of entry for evil spirits) so we might expect to find similar marks in mines
close to entrances, at shaft bottoms or perhaps at the point where a new
working starts. It would be interesting to know the location of the marks in
Peter's underground quarry workings.
John Pickin
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