Church History (continued)
Section C. Slabs on floor of
Nave, E. to W.
No.
XV.
This
inscription is almost indecipherable, but just enough remains
to show that it is what Davy has recorded at fo. 192b of vol.
XXX of his Suffolk
Collections (Add. Ms. 19,106). He transcribed it from
a copy taken in 1721 or 1756.
HERE
LYES YE BODY OF RICHARD
PERNHAM
BACHELOR IN DIVINITY
VICCAR
SOMETIME OF THIS P’ISHE [PARISH]
WHO
DIED YE FIRST OF FEBRUARY
1627,
Thus
tyme and death doe earth to earth restore
This
sonne w… … …mo… … … … …st reposeth
and
he that liv… …a… … … … …divine before
Lyes
here interr’d, a grave a grave incloseth.
None
will I hope so sacreligious prove
To
robb him of his due desert and merritt,
But
with his virtues, if they fall in love
And
covett such rare jewells to inheritt,
Know
yt [that] this stone makes to the world relation
He
left them in her… …self for imitation
He
[? two words.]
Mr.
Pernham became Vicar on the 10
Nov., 1625,
and was buried here, according to the register, on
4
Feb., 1628
(new style), being succeeded on 27
Mar., 1628,
by Tho. Yonge see No. xvii).
No.
XVI.
Beneath
are Interred the Remains of
WILLIAM
ALDRICH
Gent.
who
died 25th
March 1767
Aged
66 Years.
ELIZth.
his wife died 5th
April 1773
Aged
70 Years.
MARY
Life of Mr. JNo.
ALDRICH
died
25th
March 1771
Aged
30 Years.
AMY,
JOHN,
MARY
and CAROLINE
(Issue
of Mr. JOHN
ALDRICH
and
AMY his Second Wife)
died
in their Infancy.
Mrs.
MARY
MUDD
died Febry. 17th 1773
Aged
60 Years
Mr.
PELHAM
ALDRICH
died
18th Sepbr. 1778
Aged
39 Years.
MR.
JOHN
ALDRICH
died
12th
April 1797
Aged
51 Years.
AMY,
Wife of Mr. JOHN ALDRICH
died
9th
July 1816,
Aged 67 Years.
ELIZTH,
Daur. of JOHN
and AMY
ALDRICH
died
26th
January 1823,
Aged 35 Years.
No.
XVII.
Now
indecipherable.
It commemorates the famous Dr. Young, Vicar of
Stowmarket,
and
Tutor of the Poet Milton. the inscription from
Ford’s Suffolk Garland, 1818, p. 280:
Here
is committed to earth’s trust
Wise,
pious, spotlesse, learned dust,
Wh
living more adorned the place,
Than
the place him such was God’s grace.
To
DD
Mr.
oF Je
Coll Cam
A
member of Y late assem.
Pastor
here An 28
Aetatis
68
Tho.
Younge. Died An.
Xti 1655.
Nov.
28.
Who,
with his deare wife and Eldest
Son
Tho. Young M.A. and president
of
Je Coll Cam, lyes here expect
ing
Y Resvrection.
Davy
records the following arms above the inscription: Three piles
on each a roundel in chief; crest gone.
In
Christ’s Coll. Magazine (Camb.) of Mich. Term 1895, an article
appeared by C.P. entitled “Another Milton’s Mulberry Tree.”
The above
inscription was there printed and commented upon.
No.
XVIII
Under
this Marble Rest the Remains
of
MRS.
ELIZABETH
BARNES
who
departed this Life
May
13th, 1754
who
was the Best of Parents
A
Virtuous Wife the Best of Friends
Just
to all.
But
the path of the Just is as the Shining Light that Shineth more
and
more
unto the parfect Day.
Prov:4 v 18.
And
one of her Daughters
MRS.
ELIZABETH
BERRY
BARNES
who
departed this Life Octbr. 19th, 1763
and
resteth till that Joyfull Day
when
we shall rise to sing eternal Praises
and
Hallelujahs, World without End, Amen.
And
also the Body of
MRS.
SARAH
BEWLEY
BARNES
who
died the 23rd Day of November 1778.
Above
the inscription are the following arms:-Quarterly, 1 and 4,
Two bars embattled in chief three roundel (Barnes), 2
and 3, Per pale a lion rampant guardant crowned
(Bestney), impaling, Ermine on a canton an orle
(Bewley); crest, A leopard passant collared and
lined.
No.
XIX.
In Hope of ye Ressurrection to
Life
Eternal Under this Stone
are
Deposited ye Body of MR.
IOHN
VICTORYN
son of MR.
PETER
VICTORYN
a Dutch Merchant
in
London
where he was
born
A.D. 1662, and departed
this
life ye 30th of Aug. 1720
Aged
58.
Then occurs the
following coat-of-arms:-Quarterly, 1 and 4, A jamb winged, 2
and 3, Three hedgehogs two and one, impaling A chevron between
three garbs; crest, A jamb winged.
Also ye Body of
Elizabeth his
Widdow who
Departed this
Life ye 29th of
May 1725
Aged
53.
Section
C.
Slabs on floor of Nave, E. to
W.
No.
XX
In Memory
of
MR. JOHN
VICTORYN
Late of this
Town
Apothecary
who died the 7th
Febry. 1731
Aged 37
Years.
Also
of JOHN the
SON
of the aforesaid
MR. VICTORYN
who died the
11th Augst. 1748
Aged 19
years.
Also
Robt.
VICTORYN
who departed
this Life
the 4th Sepr.
1767
Aged 36
years.
Also
of MRS MARGARET
CHESSON,
who dyed on
the 4th August
1779
Aged
72
And was the
Mother of the said
ROBERT
VICTORYN.
Section
C. Slabs on
floor of Nave, E. to W.
No.
XXI
(This slab lies
just E. of the fire grating).
Sacred to the
Memory of
CONSTANCE
VICTORYN
Wife of ROBERT
VICTORYN
who departed
this Life
the 28th of
July, 1803
Aged 67
years.
Nos.
XXII-XXIV.
Under the large
mat at the west entrance lie three monumental slabs, one of
which show the matrix of a brass shield, and another the
matrix of a brass inscription plate about 9 ½ inches
long.
Section
D. Window and
Mural Tablets in S. Aisle.
No.
XXV.
The window at
the E. end has three lights, the middle one of which is filled
with coloured glass, and bears the following
inscription:-
IN – MEMORIAM –
A – L – SIMPSON – QUI – PARVULIS – IN CHRISTO – INS
–
TITUENDIS – SE –
DABAT – HANC - PARTEM – FENESTRE – P – C – AMICI
which may be
translated – Friends have caused this part of the window to be
put up in memory of A. L. Simpson, who used to apply himself
in training the very young for Christ. (Arthur Lankester
Simpson, who died 26th August 1872, was superintendent of the
Sunday School, a post at one time filled by his father, Mr.
Thomas Simpson).
Section
D. Window and
Mural Tablets in S. Aisle.
No.
XXVI.
Tablet on S.
wall, between the first and second windows from E.
end.
Near this Place
lye the Remains
of CHARLES
BLOSSE Esqr.
Youngest Son of
THOS. BLOSSE Esqr.
of BELSTED Hall
in Suffolk,
He married
ALICE only Daugr. of
JOHN HOW
of this place
Gentleman,
by whom he had
Issue three Sons and three Daugrs.
JOHN and
ELIZABETH only Survived him,
He departed this
Life on the 28th of May
In the year of
our Lord 1724,
Aged
76.
ELIZABETH
who excelled in
the Practice of the Duties
both of Nature
and Religion
Died on the 20th
Decr. 1753
JOHN BLOSSE
Esqr. Citizen and Stationer of
LONDON
Deeply Affected
with the LOSS
of his truly
Excellent Sister Survived her
only till
the third of May
1754.
Aged
64.
Above the
inscription is a coat of arms: Three griffins passant
in pale (Blosse); crest broken off.
Section D. Window and Mural Tablets in S.
Aisle.
No.
XXVII.
Tablet on S. wall, between first and
second windows from W. end, and near the Font.
Near this Place are Interred
the Remains of THOMAS MORE
Late of this Town Gent,
who died the 10th Novr. 1754
Aged 66 years.
Also ELIZTH, Relict of the said
THOS,
who died the 1st of July,
1759
Aged (blank) years.
Also FRANCES BALL Daughter of
the said THOMAS and ELIZABETH
who died the 19th of Octr.
1772
Aged 56 years.
Also THOMAS MORE Gent, Son of
the said THOMAS and ELIZABETH
who died the 6th April 1773
Aged 56 years.
Also CHARLOTTE MARY Daughter
of
the said THOMAS MORE the Son
who died the 9th of Febry.
1775
Aged 14 years.
Section E.
Slabs on floor of S.
Aisle.
No.
XXVIII.
Between second and third pillars from E.
end.
Sacred to the Memory of the
Revd.
SAMUEL FARR, M.A. Vicar of this
Church,
22 years, and sometime Vicar of
Finborrough Magna: who departed
this
Life the 13th of March,
1709;
In the 58th year of his Age.
Also SUSANN his Wife who died the
27th of April, 1688.
And two of their Children,
viz:
Robert died Oct: 29th 1691, Ag[d] 4
years.
Sarah died April 13th 1696, Agd. 11 years.
Here also lieth MARY his second wife,
who died Augst the 11th 1714.
In duty to the Deceased this Stone
is
affixed by his SON WILLIAM FARR, of
the City of Norwich, School Master.
Above the inscription, in a circle, is an
intricate monogram – SF twice.
No. XXIX
Monumental Slab, inscription worn away,
lying first W. of No. XXVIII.
No. XXX.
Monumental Slab, inscription worn away,
lying on floor of S. Porch.
Section F Monuments in the
Tyrell Chapel.
According to a nineteenth-century
manuscript now in the possession of H.A. Oakes, Esq., “The
east end of the [north] aisle was divided off by a screen of
wood from the west, and the two arches opening from it into
the chancel [nave] were filled up, one with a screen of wood,
the other with an altar-tomb.” The etching of the
“Interior of Stowmarket Church” facing p.78 of Hollingsworth’s
History (published 1844) shows the wooden screen in the second
arch from the east end of the north aisle.
During the latter half of the nineteenth century
“restorations” took place, and many interesting objects
disappeared from the Church, including this “beautifully
carved screen” (Hollingsworth, foot-note at p. 125).
It is said to have been removed to Mendlesham Church! This enclosure at the east
end of the north aisle was for centuries the burial place of
the ancient knightly family of Tyrell, and may fitly be called
the Tyrell Chapel. The Tyrells owned Gipping
Hall about 450 years, being a branch of the family of Tyrell
of Essex, and played a prominent part in the history of the
country as well as of their county – see Shakespeare’s Richard
III., Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Hollingsworth, & c.
The last of the family, Lieut. -Col. Walter Robert
Tyrell, of Plashwood, Haughley, died 23rd June, 1891, aged 80. It was probably he who
caused the mural monuments in the Tyrell chapel to be
re-painted and re-gilded. The greater part of the east wall of
this Chapel was formerly occupied by a large “perpendicular”
window, which, when the present choir-vestry was built, was
replaced by an archway. The Tyrell monuments, the
most interesting in the Church, will be described in future
issues.
No XXXI.
On the N. wall is a monument of marble
and alabaster, painted and gilded.
Its cornice is supported on pilasters, quaintly
ornamented with emblems of death and of war (“the whole armour
of God”), and having a lion’s head at the top of each.
Down their fronts hang ribbons and tasselled cords to
which are attached the emblems, arranged saltier-wise with
bunches of flowers, fruit, and leaves.
The objects on the dexter side are: two torches; two
crutches, a book, and a scrip or wallet; a pickaxe and
shovel. Those on the sinister side
are: a battleaxe and spear; a helmet and two arrows; two
bows. It commemorates Margaret
English, daughter of Sir John Tyrell of Gipping, by Elizabeth,
daughter of Sir John Monday, Lord Mayor of London, and the artist has fashioned in
miniature her figure facing those of a group of
relatives. She wears black gown, white
ruff, and black bonnet with white coif and a long black veil
hanging down behind, and kneels on a cushion at a lectern or
reading-desk, covered with a green cloth fringed with gold,
and having an open book on each of its two sloping sides.
On the other side kneel her brother Thomas Tyrell, his
wife Mary, their six sons – Thomas, John, George, Vincent,
James, and Charles – and their four daughters – Elizabeth,
Mary, Frances, and Judith. Thomas Tyrell is in armour
with a ruff; he is bearded, and his head is uncovered.
His wife and family are all in black; the daughters
have no veils to their bonnets; the sons, who are all bearded,
wear cloaks, ruffs (one has a collar instead), doublets, and
trunk hose, and carry swords. The sable gloom of this
kneeling group is slightly relieved by the red, green, and
blue of their cushions, corded and tasselled with gold.
In two panels at the base of the monument is the
following inscription:
|
TO THE MEMORYE OF MARGARET ENGLISH
OF
THE CITYE OF WESTMINSTER IN THE COVNTIE OF
IR
MIDD ONE OF THE DAVGHTERS OFS IOHN
TIRRELL
KNIGHT AND OF HER LOVINGE BROTHER
AND SIS
TER THOMAS AND MARY TIRRELL WITH
THEIR 6
ET
SONNES AND 4 DAVGHTERS THE WHICH
MARGAR
IN TESTIFICATION OF HER LOVE AND
BOVNTIFVLL
|
DISPOSITION TO THE POORE PEOPLE OF
THE TOWN
OF STOWE MARKET & GYPPINGE
HAMLET OF THE
SAMNE HATH GIVEN ONE HVNDRED POVNDS
FOR
TIE
THE PVRCHAS OF A YERELY ANNVITIE OF
TWEN
NOBLES FOR EVER THE RELIEFE OF THE
SAME PORE
& HATH CAVSED THIS MONVMENT TO
BE ERECTED
IN THIS CHVRCH OF STOWEMARKET
AFORESAID
THE XX DAYE OF OCTOBER ANO DOM
1604 |
The monument having evidently been
erected during the lifetime of Margaret English and her
relations, the miniature figures are probably more or less
actual portraits of them. A noble or rial was a gold
coin worth 6s. 8d.
Above the kneeling group are two shields, each
surmounted by a golden-winged cherub and a ring, from which
hang golden ribbons. That on the dexter side
bears Barry of six argent and sable (English), and the other has Argent
two chevrons azure within a bordure engrailed gules (Tyrell). Above the cornice there
used to be the coat-of-arms which is now wrongly placed on the
top of the large painted Tyrell monument (No. xxxiii) on the
E. wall of this chapel. It bears: Quarterly of four
– 1, Tyrell with a martlet sable
for difference; 2, Paly of six argent and
sable (Burgate);
3, Gules on a chevron engrailed argent three dolphins
vert (Flambert);
4, Argent a cross between four escallops sable (Coggeshall).
Crest – out of the mouth of a boar’s head erect argent
a peacock’s tail proper.
No. XXXII
This is the only “brass” now remaining in
the Church. It is of local
workmanship. It lay formerly on the
floor of the Tyrell Chapel, but about 1893 it was taken up and
nailed to the E. wall, below the monument dated 1641 (see No.
xxxiii). Fortunately, its original
slab with the two “matrix” still remains on the floor,
opposite Margaret English’s monument.
It consists of two parts.
The upper part, 193/4 inches in length, represents a child
wrapped up in a shroud, and has the following
inscription:
ANN – TYRELL
DYED 1638 AGED 8
YEARES & 6 MONETHS
The lower part measures 20 by 22 inches,
and is inscribed with the following lines:
DEARE VIRGINE-CHILD FAREWELL THY MOTHERS TEARES
CANNOT ADVANCE THY MEMORY, WCH BEARES
A CROWNE ABOVE THE STARRES: YET I
MUST MOVRNE,
AND SHEW THE WORLD MY OFFRINGS AT THINE VRNE.
AND, YET, NOT MEERLY, AS A MOTHER, MAKE
THIS SAD OBLATION FOR A CHILDS DEARE SAKE:
FOR (READERS) KNOW, SHEE WAS MORE, THEN* A
CHILD,
IN INFANT-AGE SHEE WAS AS GRAVE AS MILD,
ALL, THAT, IN CHILDREN, DVTY CALL’D MIGHT BE,
IN HER, WAS FRENDSHIP AND TRWE PIETIE.
BY REASON AND RELIGION SHEE AT SEAVEN,
PREPAR’D HERSELFE & FOVND HER WAY TO HEAVEN.
HIGH HEAVEN THOV HAST HER & DIDST TAKE HER
HENCE
THE PERFECT PATTERNE OF OBEDIENCE,
AT THOSE FEW YEARES, AS ONELY LENT TO
SHOW,
WHAT DVTY YOVNG ONES TO THEIR PARENTS OWE,
AND (BY HER EARLY GRAVITY, APPEARING
FVLL RIPE FOR GOD, BY SERVING & BY FEARING)
TO TEACH THE OLD, TO FIXE ON HIM THEIR TRVST,
BEFORE THEIR BODIES SHALL RETVRNE TO DVST.
* For Than
No. XXXIII
This monument is on the E. wall, just
above No. xxxii (see October, 1904).
For convenience’ sake, its long inscription is given
here first. It runs as
follows:-
IVXTA HVNC LOCVM SEPVLTVM IACET CORPVS
DNAE DOROTHEAE FORTH FILIAE PRIMOGENITAE, AC VNIVS
COHAEREDVM IOHANNIS GILBERT DE FINBOROVGH MAGNA IN COMITATV SVFF: EQVITIS AVRATI, QVAE IN PRIMIS NVPTIJS DE=SPONSATA
FVIT GVLIEMO FORTH, EQVITI AVRATO, IN SECVNDIS VERO GRASSAMO PERKINS ARMIGERO; EX QVIBVS NVMEROSAM HABVIT
PROLEM: DEMVM GVLIELMO TYRELL DE ABBATIA DE BVRY STI EDMVNDI, ARMIGERO, FILIO NATV SECVNDO THOMAE TYRELL DE GIPPING, ARMIGERI, NVPER DEFVNCTI QVI EX EA
SVSCE=PIT HOS TRES LIBEROS IN VSVM DOMINI IMMATVRE DECERPTOS OBIJT
AO; DNI: 1641. DIE 19NO MENSIS APRILIS AETATIS SVAE 53.
QVID SPECTAS?
MORTEM? MIRARIS SYMBOLVM
AMORIS?
VXOR VT EST VIVO MORTVA IVNTCA
VERO,
HEV! BONA SANCTA FVIT, NON A
BONITATE RECEDAM,
NEC SANCTIS, DOMINVS VIVERE ME DET EIS.
PIGNORA SVB PALMIS QVAE CERNIS CHARA
IACERE.
MORS EA SYRRIPVT, VAE MIHI SOLVS
EPO
TE SEQVOR, O CONIVX, SEQVOR, O TENERIQVE
PVELLI
NON ERIT EFFIGIES MARMORE VANA
MEO.
This inscription is printed as it now
appears. There are parishioners
still living who can recollect its being re-gilded. I
would suggest that the following errors were then made by the
workman_- in line 2 of the verses, VT should be AT, and VERO
should be VIRO; in line 6, EPO should be ERO.
It may be translated as follows:- Near this place lies
buried the body of Dame Dorothy Forth, eldest daughter and
co-heiress of John Gilbert of Great Finborough in the County
of Suffolk, Knight, who was married, first to William Forth,
Knight, secondly to Gresham Perkins, Esquire - by both of whom
she had a numerous issue - last of all to William Tyrell of
the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, Esquire, second son of the late
Thomas Tyrell of Gipping, Esquire, who by her had then three
children, who, for the use of God, were taken away before
their time. She died A.D. 1641, on the
nineteenth day of April, in the fifty-third year of her
age.
And the verses thus:- What dost thou behold?
Death? Dost thou admire [this]
token of love? But it is a dead wife
joined to a living husband. Alas! she was good [and]
pious. May I not depart from goodness nor piety!
May God permit me to live in them!
The dear children (pledges) that thou seest lying below
our hands – death stole them away privily.
Woe to me, I shall be alone! I
follow thee, O wife, and I follow O tender children.
There will be no monument to me in vain
marble.
I regret that, this being the eve of my
departure from England, I have no time to describe this
monument minutely. I will describe its chief
points, beginning at the top.
The shield now at the top belongs to No. xxxi (see
October, 1904). Formerly there was a larger
shield with the arms of the Tyrell family and eight
quarterings, but it has disappeared.
Next come the words:
MEMORIAESACRUM
-Sacred to the memory of.
Then the motto:
Sumus, fuimus, erimus
-We are, we were, we shall be.
Then comes an heraldic shield: Argent two chevrons
azure within a bordure engrailed gules, on a martlet table a
crescent or for difference (Tyrell) impaling azure a chevron
engrailed ermine between three eagles displayed or (Gilbert).
Then the half-length figures of William Tyrell and his
wife Dame Dorothy Forth, dressed in the costume of the time of
Charles I. Then the figures of their
three children, Mary, Penelope, and “o”.
Probably the third died unnamed.
Then follows the inscription given in our January
number.
No. XXXIV
This is a tablet on the E. wall with the
following inscription:-
Near this Place
are interred
the Remains of the late
EDMUND TYRELL Esqr.
of Gipping Hall,
who died in a deep Decline,
on the 30th of March
1799,
in the 54th Year of his Age.
No. XXXV
I have left till almost last the most ancient monument
in our Church, namely, that which occupies the archway on the
S. side of this Chapel. In his History of
Stowmarket, Mr, Hollingsworth calls it the “Abbot’s Tomb” and
this is still its usual appellation. I
would, however, venture to point out that the matrices or
moulds on the flat top of the tomb are the figures of a lady
surrounded by her thirteen children.
Enough remains to show that she wore the peculiar style
of head-dress in vogue at the end of the fifteenth century,
and her daughters are similarly attired.
Above her head were three heraldic shields; on her
right (S. side of tomb) were the figures of five sons, and on
her left (N. side of tomb) and at her feet were those of eight
daughters. At a first glance, you see
only seven daughters, but there is an eighth figure, smaller
that the others, placed just above and behind the daughter at
the top of the row (N.W. corner).
The style of architecture of this tomb and its arch is
about 1480 – 90.
The first Tyrell who lived at Gipping Hall was William,
third son of Sir John Tyrell, Treasurer of the Household to
Henry VI (reigned 1422-61). This William married
Margaret, daughter of the Robert Darcy of Maldon, Essex, who
died in 1449. William and Margaret Tyrell
had thirteen children, five sons (Sir James, Sir Thomas,
Edward, John, and John) and eight daughters (Alianor, Anne,
Margaret, Dorothy, Alice, Margery, Elizabeth and Mary).
This list exactly corresponds with the figures on the
tomb, and it seems highly probable that the “Abbot” is really
Margaret (nee Darcy), wife of the first Tyrell of Gipping,
with her thirteen children all around her.
This monument is rather over 400 years old.
Manuscripts in the British Museum show that this tomb has long been
unidentified. For instance, at fo. 199d
at Add. Ms. 19106, the following extract is copied from an old
manuscript relating to Suffolk families: “There is between the Isle
that belongs to the family of Tirrell and Sir John Poley’s
Pewe, a very faire anciente tombe, but I cannot learne from
any man for whom it was.”
