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Aldworth - St Mary
The church is open during normal hours. You may park in the village or near the church although space can be tight. O/S Ref: 554 794
First rate pub in the village - The Bell: the best cask ales and ciders, no music, no game machines, no television, no actual bar so easy to get served, many nooks - and the best sandwiches you've ever had.
These effigies represent members of the de la Beche family, lords of the manor in the 14th century, although it is not possible to identify them individually. The effigies are very mutilated but are never-the-less of great interest. Six of the effigies lie under canopies against the north and south walls - three on either side. These canopies were over restored by Aubin in 1817, although Earp did the actual carving. These monuments date from the 1340's. The other three effigies, which are of a similar date, although possible a little later, lie on tomb chests under the arcading between the south aisle and nave. 

I made drawings of the effigies over a weekend several years ago and then prepared the etchings which are shown below. I took the photographs a few years later
.
SOUTH WALL GROUP
West East Central  




 
West: This very mutilated effigy is probably that of a civilian, this being  more certain when the now missing parts, which were once recorded, are considered. The position of the damaged animal at the feet suggests that the legs (now lost) were once crossed,  an unusual position in civilian effigies. The arms are also lost but, judging from the remnants, were probably in the praying position.. Soft limestone.

Central: This is of a lady; she turns outwards to regard the observer. Although this is the most complete of the effigies, it is very worn and damp. Her body sways slightly and her hands hold up her cloak. There appears to have been two angels (one now virtually gone) holding her pillow and, unusually, a third angel helping her hold her cloak on the right hand side. Oolitic limestone.


East: This is a military effigy and very worn. His whole body now turns outwards, for which reason I have drawn him from the side. His head rests on a double pillow and he wears a helmet with the vizor raised. The left hand holds his shield well away from his body and the right hand his sword. Soft limestone.




There has been much speculation about these very different effigies and the last word certainly has not been said; nor can it be, although I think we can guarentee endless speculation often based on the thinnest of evidence. The sculptor(s) certainly showed great imagination in their production . Are all the effigies in their original medieval position? Do those against the wall face the central monuments, although these may be later? Why have different stones been used? When was the damage done?

CENTRAL GROUP
West East
                       

 Another military effigy with armour of a slightly later fashion. He lies in a more conventional fashion with straight legs (although now mostly lost) and hands in prayer. His head rests on a helmet and he wears a pointed bascinet with what was probably a mail tippet, although again there is no carving, falling onto his shoulders. The arms are enclosed in plate of which the straps and joints can be seen. He wears a short surcoat, which is tightly laced above the waist and loose below. There are remains of a sword which is held be a thick belt with an elaborate buckle. Oolitic limestone. No slab; the effigy rest on a tomb chest of Purbeck marble slabs

There are two effigies here - an knight and a lady. They lie on a tomb chest with  bases of pillars at each corner, indicating that there was perhaps once a canopy.
The lady is now headless. Her body sways delightfully, her right hand holds up her cloak or dress and the left holds the tie of her cloak which is tucked under her right arm. Her feet rest on an animal. No slab. Beerstone.
The military effigy is similar to that left, but with interesting differences of detail.  His head rests on a more complete helmet but his face has been neatly sliced away. A fragment of the face seems to have been added between my doing the drawings and taking the photographs. This was almost certainly made from a separate (finer?) piece of stone which was glued, rather than pegged, onto the main part of the effigy. This was carried out with hot glue and when heating the pieces of stone to be joined; slight burning of the stone here in just visible. His surcoat is laced all the way down and the lower part is pleated instead of remaining loose. His legs are enclosed in plate armour and his feet rest on an animal. Underneath his legs lie two dogs curled up, another unusual feature. Coarser oolitic limeston
e.

 

NORTH WALL GROUP
Central East West
East This military effigy is very different to the others and most unusual. His attitude is almost like a Jacobean effigy: he reclines on one side, leaning on his right elbow with the hand supporting the head - although rather he once did as this hand is now mainly lost as is the forearm. His legs are drawn up and his legs crossed below the knees. At his feet sits his page. There are effigies of a similar - but by now means as extreme - attitude in Exeter Cathedral (one shows a groom holding a horse as well as a page) and Bere Ferrers in Devon. A wooden effigy of very similar attitude may be seen in Chew Magna, Somerset; this is dated by Fryer to 1340-50; it is now very heavily painted . He wears an elaborately carved helmet with a raised visor and a long surcoat. 

This latter  is held by a belt around the waist and there is a wider and more elaborately carved sword belt below. Plate armour encloses the limbs, which is again elaborately carved - except for the thighs which are enclosed in a quilted material. Between his legs can be seen the tails of a quilted garment. The effigy is in the round with no slab, although the detached page (once attached by dowels) does have such a slab. He may have rested on a shield. Oolitic limestone.


Central  His head rests on a large double pillow and he wears a helmet with mail for the neck. Again he turns outward to regard the lady opposite. He again wears a long surcoat, cut short at the front, but, once more, what would have been his mail shirt is not carved. His legs (more complete than those of his companion) are crossed and his feet rest on a large lion. His shield appears to be held be a strap and his left hand (which shows evidence of armour) rests on his sword. The right hand rests on his chest and appears to hold the strap supporting the shield. Soft limestone.


West This effigy is similar to the one above but with interesting variations.  A military effigy; his head, turned slightly outwards, rests on a single pillow. His left hand holds his shield and his right hand rests on his sword pommel. He wears a helmet and a long surcoat, cut short at the front. The mail shirt is visible but the mail is not represented. The legs, mostly missing, are crossed. Soft limestone.

It has been said above that it is not possible to identify these effigies with any certainly until further information is uncovered. However attempts has been made in the past to do so and it may be of interest to briefly mention this here.  There is no surviving documentation, inscription or heraldry to enable positive indentification of these effigies.
In 1883 Francis Llewleyn LLoyd, vicar of Aldworth from 1857, published his research as an attempt to identify the effigies, although two years later he appeared to become convinved that his identification was correct.
He identified the NE effigy  as Sir Philip (after 1335), founder of the new church; his wife - Lady Joan - was identified as the SC effigy. Two of their children were identified thus: Sir John (1326) is the CE effigy and Sir Nicholas (1346) the CW effigy; this may well be the other way round from an earlier discription by Richard Symonds in 1644 so that the lady CE would then be his wife Lady Isabella. The NW effigy was identified as Sir Robert (1278) and the NC effigy - his son and father of Sir Philip above - as Sir John (after 1287). The SW effigy was identified as another son of Philip and Joan, another Sir Philip (1339) and the SE effigy as Sir John (1336), son of  Sir John and Lady Isabella.
Make of it what you will!


Ardington - Holy Trinity



Clarke Family 1635




Leicester Viney Vernon and his wife Emilie
Left, Above Left & Right and Right: Two monuments to Robert Vernon (1849) The kneeling lady is by Baily
In the Churchyard
Above Left & Centre: Hamilton Lindsay, Earl of Crawford
Above Right and Far Right: Ann Linsay (1894)
wife of General James Lindsay


Barkham - St James Burghfield - St Mary Compton Beauchamp
St Swithun


Knight (1290-1325) wooden with cross legs. This had been stolen when I visited the church in the 1970's. It has since been recovered and I will revisit.

Knight/Lady (1410-1470) alabaster and very mutilated. Said to represent the Yorkist Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury and his Countess; 
However recent thought believes the lady does not to belong, being an earlier Countess of Salisbury; because there are three possible candidates from this period, it has not been possible to identify her. (information from Jon Bayliss)



Francis H Bacon (1911) Judge. 'He spent all his life in benevolent efforts to make all around him happy'




Lady
(1250-1310) wood, very worn, in porch.

A Short Note on Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury
Salisbury was a Yorkist leader who was captured by the Lancastrians after their victory at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460, and confined in Pontefract castle. He was then either executed or dragged out of the castle by the locals and murdered.  Richard,  Duke of York, claimant to the throne after whom the term Yorkist is named,  was also executed after the battle. Salisbury was initially buried at Pontefract but following Yorkist control his body was transferred to Bisham Abbey in Berkshire, which acted as the Neville mausoleum. At the Dissolution of the Monasteries these effigies are said to the been brought to Burghfield.

The armour is of the right period and the Neville Arms can be faintly made out on the surcoat; however there is no inscription or more definite arms. This Richard Neville was the father of another Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, know as the King Maker
 

Childrey - St Mary
Church open. Park outside O/S Ref: SU 360 878


William Feteplace (1516) & his wife Elizabeth (Waring). The brasses, which are shown below, are set into the back wall of this Purbeck marble monument consisting of a short tomb chest and canopy. They gave money from their lands to maintain a priest, an alms house for three poor men and a school for the children of the parish.
Drawing and photograph of Knight of the early 14th century. A V B Norman reports heraldry.The effigy is set below floor level under a ogee arched recess Tomb with canopy
Above: Tombs & Effigies     Below: Brasses




The Feteplace brasses referred to above; shrouded copses emerging from their graves
Above and Right: Joan Strongbow (1477) daughter of Thomas Waldrond. English inscription . South transept floor Above: William Waldrond (c 1480) & Elizabeth (Roches) Inscription


Left & above:
John Kyngeston (1514) & Susan (daughter of Richard Fetyplace of East Shefford) She is buried at Shalston, Bucks where she is depicted as a widow/vowess on her brass there. English inscription. Chancel floor

Left & Above: Priest in mass vestments ? William Knight Rector (c 1480)

 
  

Bryan Roos LLD (1529)
Parson English inscription


Above:
William Fynderne (1444) & Elizabeth (daughter of Thomas Chelry and widow of John Kyngeston) fragmentary, English inscription, Chancel floor


Thomas (1480) & Alice (1477) Waldrond
English inscription

Cookham - Holy Trinity
 
Left: Robert Peak (1517), and his wife, Agnes; there are brasses on the tomb chest which are not easily seen in the photograph. Purbeck marble; it has been dismantled at some point and rather carelessly reassembled. He was Clerk of the Spicery to King Henry VI.  Top left: Arthur Babham (1561) and his unnamed wife, two sons and three daughters. Above right: Sir Isaac Pocock (1810) who drowned in the Thames. By Flaxman
Other Monuments
John Brabham (1458) and inscription. Brass. There is also a matrix of a female figure in the stone, Probably his wife, Muriel.
William Andrew ( 1503), John Monkedon, and Margaret.  Brass. Possible wife and two husbands.
Richard Brabham (1527) Brass with kneeling effigies of him and his unnamed wife.
Edward Wooyore (1615) Brass to him and his unnamed wife (1613). Inscription.
George Welldon (1611) Brass
Maria Farmer (1645) Brass
George Weldon (1649) Slab with inscription in Latin; set in later moulded frame. Wall mounted?
There are several later floor slabs to the Weldon family.
Noah Barnard (1655), his daughter, Mary (1691) and his wife, Anne (1717) Floor slab
Dorothy Sivedail (1655) Floor slab
Anthony Tuberville (1688) He was killed at Westminster when Col. Kirke tried to carry the Life Guards over to William III


 
East Lockinge - All Saints
Far left: 'Here lyes Mrs Mary Nedham,youngest daughter of Mr Edward Needham, of Ilston in the countyr of Leicester, Esq., who was borne upon Friday the 22nd April, 1611, and dyed upon Friday, the 16th day of January, 1628'
Centre Left and Right: Millicent Grace 1633, daughter of Edward Needham of Ilston and wife of John Grace the Vicar. 'She went the road of saints from grace to glorie'
Far Right:
'Here lyeth Edward Kent, Gent...and Joane his wife...He aged 83 years died ye first of May 1624, ahe aged 79 years died the last of February the same year leaving behind good fames of Hospitalyty and other virtues
Eaton Hastings
St Michael
Shrivenham - St Andrew


Alexander Henderson, 1st Baron Farringdon (1934).
Figure is by George Frampton. There is no actual village to go with the church. The monument is in the church yard.

Lady 14th century

Englefield - St Mark

Knight (1330-50) cross legs
Lady (1330-50) (shown below)
These effigies, which are recut, are under very low arches in the south aisle.
Mrs Benyon (1777) carved scene of death by Thomas Carter
1789 tablet
1805 tablet
Sir Thomas Englefield (c 1500) Purbeck marble monument of tomb chest and canopy; the brasses were on the east wall.
Marquis of Winchester (1675) large black and white marble tablet without date or name. A poem and a quotation from Dryden.
Richard Benyon (1854) relief of the Three Maries at the Sepulcher.
John Englefield, Wife & Son (1605) alabaster tablet with one recumbent effigy and two kneeling below.
Milburg Alpress (1803) tablet with kneeling woman with son by urn.

 
Hatford
St George
 
Civilian late 13th century
Fyfield - St Nicholas
Park outside the church around the green. On my last visit the church was unfortunately locked but we found a helpful key holder in the house opposite the church.  The church was damaged by a fire in 1893 and later restored, which accounts for the damaged state of the monuments. O/S Ref: SU 424 989

     
Sir John Golafre (1442)

 
Effigy in armour above and partly shrouded corpse below

Cartouche unknown: heraldy only Tablet to Thomas White (1664) Close examination of the lettering (below) reveals that the letterer made an unfortunate error,  missing out the 't' in immortal to produce immoral. The missing letter, as can be seen, was added later. We do not know if he was paid!  George Dale (1625). Incised bust with skull. Much of the lettering badly damaged.



Above Top: Thomas White detail.
Above Bottom: Damaged tablets (17th to 18th centuries) partly used a picture frames.
Far Right: Lady Katherine Gordon (1527) 'The White Rose of Scotland'. Widow of the pretender to the English throne, Perkin Warbeck, who was executed in 1499. Outlines of brasses and their attachements can be made out on the back wall.

Hurley - St Mary    Uffington - St Mary


Richard Lovelace (1602)
and his son Sir Richard, 1st Baron Lovelace (1634). These figures, of which remain the upper parts only, are from a lost monument and now rest in the monument to John Lovelace (1558) and his Wife (1597) Photograph by Dennis Hilliard


Above:
John Saunders JP (1638) barrister '...this portion of sacred earth preserves his body which is sequested for ye resurrection...'

Right\;
Tom Hughes QC (1896) sometimes MP, judge and author of Tom Brown's Schooldays written for his eldest son who was about to go to boarding school.
Hungerford - St Lawrence
Church is early Victorian. Opening not known. Park in one of the town's car parks
  Unknown knight  c. 1350  
       
Faringdon - All Saints

Sir Thomas Unton (1533)
and his first wife Elizabeth (Yonge) (1487) He wears the SS collar and tabard on which quartered arms of Unton impaling Yonge. Alabaster

Brasses:
Left: John (1485) & Margaret Parker
Centre: John Sadler (1505) Vicar of Inglesham
Above: Thomas (1396) & Margaret Faryndun (1402) with daughter Katherine Pynchepole (1443)


Above:
Sir Alexander Unton (1547), Mary (Bouchier) and Lady Cecyll (Bulstrode) Brasses set in back wall of Purbeck marble monument.
Centre: Widow of Sir Henry Unton (1596): remaining fragment of destroyed monument
Right: Tobias Pleydell (1563) and his wife Eleanor


Left:
Sir Henry Purefoy Bt
Above & right: Vice Admiral Thomas Pye (The monument is dedicated to his father Henry (1749) but shows and portrait of Thomas.

Kintbury - St Mary

From left to right. The theme from the earliest monuemnt (1711) was taken up by the Scheemakers in the construction of the later two.

Jemmet Raymond (1767) & Wife

'In memory of Sir Jemmett Raymond of Barton Knt...Born in the Year of our Lord 1662 and of his two ladies. Sir Jemmett in the Year 1687 married Elizabeth (Brown) ... by whom he had  only one son Jemmett...She died on the 19th day of July 1688. And in the year 1704 Sir Jemmett married Elizabeth (Skylling) ....By her he had several sons and daughters who all dyed before him, except his daughter Elizabeth married the Rev John Craven...And surviving his second lady who died on the 4th day of January only a few months, he departed this life on the 20th day of December in the same year. (1754) This monument was erected according to the order of his son Jemmett Raymond Esq by his widow Elizabeth . By Peter and Thomas Scheemakers.
Johnathan (1711) and Anne Raymond
Martha Butler (1873) Margaret Duncan (1890)  
 Lambourn - St Michael

 

John of Estbury
(1372) & Son brasses, demi-figures
Sir Thomas Grandison & Wife brasses, demi-figures (shown)
John Estbury (1508) brass on tomb chest
Sir Thomas Essex (1558) & Wife Alabaster effigies on tomb chest; he has a dolphin at his feet.
Thomas Garrard (1583) & Wife tablet with kneelers
Thomas Garrard (1619) & Wife brasses
Charles Garrard (1710) tablet with putto heads 
East or Little Shefford
Old Church
 
Sir Thomas Fettisplace (c 1442) & Beatrice (1447) Alabaster effigies of about 1440-50. Tomb chest of alabaster with angels holding shields. (shown)
John Fettisplace (1524) Purbeck marble recess with tomb chest and canopy. Kneeling brasses against the back wall. 
Shellingford
St Faith
Left: Sir Edward Hannes (1710) Physician to Queen Anne. Pupil of Westminster School, to which he left money for a new dormitory and drinking goblet to the Queen's Scholars.
Below: William Viscount Ashbrook (1780)   signed William Tyler of Bath white, gray and brown marbles
Right:  Mary Packer (1719) She inherited the manor of Little Shefford from her sister. white and gray marbles

Sparsholt - Holy Cross
The church is open during day. Park in village near church  O/S Ref: SU 347 876
Chancel - Medieval Effigies

Robert Achard (c1298) Adam Achard (c1221) Rector
Chapel - Medieval Effigies 






Three wooden effigies said to be of Sir Robert Achard (1353) and his two wives: Joanna (1336) and Agnes (1365)

Joanna is one the left and the slightly damaged one but which lies on a tomb chest with figures; Agnes is on the right, more complete but modern tomb chest, and of whom the etching by the Hollises is shown.

Details of the effigies are to be found below










Brasses



 Thomas Bothe (c 1495)
 
 
William de Herleston (1353) Rector 1312-1342 when advowson was sold to Queen's College, Oxford; thereafter vicar
 
Unknown c 1510
 
John Fettiplace (c 1602)
Tablets Church Yard

Above: Monument to
Alfred John ('Jackie') Hicks who died in 1933 aged 9, shown with his cricket bat.

Far Left:
John Playdell (1591) and Bridget (1623) '7 sonnes and 6 daughters  3 are bvried in ths ile Anthony Samvell and Catherin.'

Left: 
Sir Gerog Hyde (1623) 'had by Katherin (Ferrers) 8 children'
Both monuments use capitals whose vertical strokes are joined in individual words, rather like Æ.

 Wantage - St Peter and St Paul

Sir William FitzWarren (1361) & Amicia  Alabaster of 1330-65. Note Fitzwarren arms on jupon. Legs are crossed - unusual for this date. (shown - photograph & drawing)
Sir IvesFitzwarren (1414) brass
Priest (1330) brass
Male Civilian (early 16th century) brass
Walter Talbot  (1522) & Two Wives brass
William Wilmot (1684) Tablet with columns and pediment, supported on three angel busts Two frontal demi-figures with a baby upright between them. By William Bird of Oxford.
John Stamp (1728) & Wife (1741) by John Townsend Jnr
 
 
CS10 - In Memoria

I produced the drawings on this page (and elsewhere on the site) with technical pens on CS10 paper, which was made by Frisk. This was almost magical paper for you could scratch the surface and still draw on the scratched away part below: in fact, it was in effect all surface. This had two very useful purposes. If you made a mistake after several hours drawing - or, and even more frustrating,  if one of those temperamental technical pens decided to produce a blot - you could scratch away the unwanted ink with a scalpel and leave a clean, useable surface underneath. Even better you could partly scratch away wanted ink so giving a less intense lines,  producing an effect rather like 'stopping out' gives in the etching process.

Frisk unfortunately ceased production of this paper several years ago and I have been unable to find a similar paper anywhere; it is highly likely that none exists.
 
The photographs and etchings of Aldworth, as are all the drawings are by the Web Master, who also took some of the photographs. Other illustrations from Hollis and Boutell. Some of photographs from Sparsholt are reproduced by kind permission of Dr David Kelsall and that from Wantage by Miss Sally Badham FSA. Other photographs kindly sent to me by Jean McCreanor, who also provided more photographs from Sparsholt
 
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