The Cambridge Manuals of Science and
Literature
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
London: FETTER LANE, E.C.
C. F. CLAY, MANAGER
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Edinburgh: 100, PRINCES STREET
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_All rights reserved_
BRASSES
BY
J. S. M. WARD
B.A., F.R.HIST.S.
Cambridge:
at the University Press
1912
Cambridge:
PRINTED BY JOHN CLAY, M.A.
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
_With the exception of the coat-of-arms at the foot, the design on the
cover is a reproduction of one used by the earliest known Cambridge
printer, John Siberch, 1521_
PREFACE
Of late years there has been a marked awakening of general interest
in monumental brasses. Previously, the more imposing realism of
statuary--either in single figures or in groups--may be said to have
deprived these ancient relics of the recognition they deserved. But
recently it has begun to dawn upon the more artistic members, at least
of the thinking public, how much of real archaeological interest
attaches to memorial brasses, hitherto known and appreciated only by
the few.
As yet, however, there has been no cheap and handy manual which will
give the ordinary man in the street a fair idea of the classes into
which they may most readily be grouped, and at the same time furnish
him with such essential details as will enable him to distinguish
instinctively the salient points of the subject, and assimilate them
to the full. It is hoped that this little volume will succeed in
fulfilling this aim.
The arrangement of the chapters is into periods corresponding with
those of History instead of the artificial method of grouping into
_knights_, _knights and ladies_, _demi-figures_, etc. Those who
would wish to follow up the subject in more extended form should read
Mr Macklin’s excellent work _The Brasses of England_, also Haines’
_Manual_ and Boutell’s _Monumental Brasses_.
Most of the illustrations are from the author’s own collection of
rubbings (numbering over 1500), and practically all the letter-press
and descriptions are based on his personal observations either from the
rubbings or from the brasses themselves. In a few cases where this is
not so, the author is indebted to one or other of those authors above
mentioned. The Editor of _The Builder_ has kindly given us permission
for the use of two of the blocks made from the author’s rubbings, which
appeared in a recent number of that paper.
J. S. M. W.
_August 16, 1912._
CONTENTS
Preface v
I. Edward I and II. 1272-1327 1
II. Edward III and Richard II. 1328-99 9
III. Lancastrian Period. 1400-53 14
IV. The Yorkist Period. 1453-85 24
V. Medieval Clergy 31
VI. The Monasteries 43
VII. The Early Tudors. 1485-1547 52
VIII. Edward VI and Mary. Transitional Period 60
IX. Elizabeth and James I. 1558-1625 62
X. The Caroline Brasses. 1625-60 70
XI. The Last Brasses. 1660-1773 75
XII. Special Types 76
XIII. Foreign Brasses 83
XIV. Architectural Details 87
XV. Conclusion 99
Appendix 112
Bibliography 148
Index 149
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Sir John Daubernon
2. Sir John de Creke
3. Sir John and Lady de Northwode
4. Lady Joan de Cobham
5. Sir Nicholas Burnell
6. Margaret, Lady Cobham
7. Thomas de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick
8. Sir Symon de Felbrigge and Margaret, his wife
9. William Grevel and Wife
10. Sir John Cassy and Wife
11. Sir William and Lady Vernon
12. Sir Thomas Urswyk and family
13. Laurence de St Maur
14. John Blodwell
15. Thomas Cranley, Archbishop of Dublin
16. Thomas Neolond
17. Eleanor de Bohun, Duchess of Gloucester
18. John Shelley and Wife
19. Lady Tiptoft
20. Richard Wakehurst and Wife
21. John Wingfield
22. Alice, wife of William Wade
23. Sir Edward Filmer and family
24. John Strete
25. Robert de Paris and Wife
CHAPTER I
EDWARD I AND II. 1272-1327
The study of monumental brasses is one for which Englishmen have
special opportunities, for in England there are more brasses than in
all the other countries of Europe put together. The English brasses
moreover differ curiously from those of the Continent. On the Continent
the early engravers, probably influenced by the Limoges plates and
incised slabs which preceded them, engraved figures, inscriptions
and other details on rectangular plates. The monument of Geoffrey
Plantagenet, 1150, father of Henry II of England, which is now in
the Museum at Le Mans is such a plate. The enamelled effigy rests on
a diapered background. The earliest brass is that of Bishop Iso von
Wilpe, 1231, at Verden. (See Ch. XIII.)
In England, as the engravers copied the stone figures without
backgrounds, they took the gravestone itself for the groundwork, and
figures, canopies, inscriptions, etc. are each set into separate
casements. The earliest _matrix_ (at St Paul’s, Bedford) shows a large
Latin cross and is believed to commemorate Sir Simon de Beauchamp,
1208. The earliest brass now extant is that of 1277 at Stoke d’Abernon.
To the first period belong in all twenty brasses (see Appendix).
[Illustration: Fig. 1. Sir John Daubernon, 1277, Stoke d’Abernon,
Surrey]
The figure of Sir John Daubernon (1) shows the armour which had been
worn for the last three centuries. He is in chain mail with _coif de
mailles_, hawberk and _chausses_ complete, but the junctions of these
are not distinct. Single-pointed prickspurs are buckled round the
ankles. The only sign of the coming change to plate armour are the
_genouillères_, which protect the knees and are adorned with a fine
pattern. They were probably at first made of leather, but later were of
plate.
Over the mail is a linen surcoat, drawn tight round the waist by
a cord. Suspended upon his left shoulder is his shield, small and
heater-shaped, charged with his arms: _azure_, a _chevron or_. The
ground of the shield is in actual enamel--an almost unique feature.
The cross-handled sword is attached to a broad belt and hangs in front
of the body. This is the only brass which shows the lance. His feet
rest on a lion, which is said to signify that he fell in battle.
Sir Roger de Trumpington differs from Sir John in several points.
He has _ailettes_ on his shoulders charged with his arms--three
trumpets--and his shield is long instead of heater-shaped. Further,
the great tilting helmet is placed under his head and is secured to
his waist by a chain, and his legs are crossed. In 1270 he went on the
Seventh Crusade with Prince Edward. So far as can be discovered, this
is the only brass extant of a Crusader, but several other brasses of
the same date have their legs crossed. This does not prove that they
were Crusaders, but only that in some way they were benefactors to the
Church.
Sir Richard de Boselyngthorpe (a demi-figure) wears gloves of
fish-scale plates and holds a heart. Sir Robert de Bures is considered
to be the finest military figure among all the brasses of England.
Sir Robert de Setvans is bare-headed and his gloves hang loosely from
the wrists, leaving his hands bare. His arms (winnowing fans, hence the
name Setvans) are shown on his surcoat, _ailettes_, and long shield.
Both he and Sir Robert de Bures are cross-legged. There is probably
French influence in this brass.
[Illustration: Fig. 2. Sir John de Creke, c. 1325, Westley Waterless,
Cambs.]
Next follow two transitional figures at Pebmarsh and Gorleston. Both
originally had canopies, which have now entirely disappeared. In these
the outsides of the upper and forearms are protected by steel plates
strapped over the mail, small elbow-pieces are added, and round plates
are fixed in front of the shoulders and at the bend of the arms. Shin
plates may also be noticed.
Sir John de Creke is a fair example of a fourteenth century knight
clad almost entirely in plate armour, for we now pass definitely to
the second type of armour known as the “cyclas.” This garment is shown
in the illustration and is also depicted in the brass of Sir John
Daubernon II. It takes the place of the surcoat, is slit up the sides,
and is shorter in front than behind.
It therefore shows beneath, first the gambeson, then the hawberk of
mail, and, finally, the padded haqueton. The hands are bare and the
hawberk sleeves short, thus showing the forearms entirely protected by
vambraces of plate worn under, not over, the mail. The upper arms have
pieces of plate over the chain, as before. A steel bascinet is on the
head, and the quatrefoil device on its apex was probably meant to hold
a crest or a lady’s favour.
Sir John (II) has the earliest ogee-arch canopy. There was a fine
double one at Westley Waterless, but not a vestige of it remains.
Sir John de Northwode’s effigy is almost certainly the work of a
French craftsman. His shield hangs at his left hip instead of on
his arm, which was a very usual method in France. The style of the
engraving, too, points in the same direction. His helmet is secured
by a chain, his head rests on a pillow and his forearms are protected
by scale-armour. About 1510, the lower portion of the figure having
been lost, new legs were engraved. Though an effort has been made to
preserve the style of 1330, yet the new work is obviously Tudor. The
altered shape of the feet and badly depicted lion readily show this.
At the same time, a strip was cut out of the middle to make the knight
of the same length as his wife! This removed the arm of the cross in
his shield, as shown in the illustration, but the missing piece has
recently been restored.
[Illustration: Fig. 3. Sir John and Lady de Northwode, c. 1330,
Minster-in-Sheppey, Kent]
[Illustration: Fig. 4. Lady Joan de Cobham, c. 1320, Cobham, Kent]
We must now consider the costume of the ladies, of whom the first is
Margarete de Camoys, c. 1310. There was originally a canopy of the
earlier, or straight-sided type, and a border inscription in Lombardic
letters. Further, there were eight shields and thirty-one stars or
other devices on the slab. The figure alone survives and has on it
nine blank shields, probably the matrices of shields of enamel.
Joan de Cobham, c. 1320, is the next lady. Her straight-sided canopy is
the only survivor of this early type. She wears a loose-fitting robe
with short sleeves, below which can be seen the sleeves of her kirtle.
Her head and neck are covered with a veil and wimple.
Lady de Creke wears a long mantle fastened across the breast by a cord
and gathered up under the arm. The mark of the engraver is at her foot.
This is almost unique.
Lady de Northwode has a mantle with side openings, through which the
arms pass. It is turned back in front to show the lining of variegated
fur. The head is bare and the hair plaited; a stiff wimple covers the
neck. Her head rests on a handsome cushion.
Maud de Bladigdone has a dress similar to Joan de Cobham’s.
She and her husband are small demi-figures in the centre of an octofoil
cross, most of which had to be restored in 1887. He wears a tunic
buttoned down the front, with tight sleeves having long lappets from
the elbows and a tippet over his shoulders. His beard is small and
forked.
The remaining brasses are to priests in mass vestments, excepting
Archbishop Wm. de Grenefeld. But we shall deal with the vestments of
the clergy in a separate chapter.
The Chinnor, Merton College and Woodchurch brasses are in varying forms
of crosses. Chinnor has only the head in the centre, Merton a fine
demi-figure, and Woodchurch a small figure. Until 1857 there existed
a fine, large brass to a priest Adam de Bacon (1310), at Oulton in
Suffolk. Unfortunately in that year it was stolen (and probably melted
down). The two remaining priests are simple demi-figures.
There was originally a fine canopy over Archbishop Grenefeld with side
shafts containing saints. All this has long since perished and 18
inches of the lower portion of the figure were stolen in 1829.
These early figures all have very curly hair.