XI. STAUNTON. (3).
This monument, illustrated by Stothard, is of a semi-effigial character, the head and arms being shown in relief through the opening in the upper part of the stone, and the feet, resting on a hound, in a similar opening in the lower part. Between these are shown the knight’s beaume and shield. Effigies of this character are not very unusual and this one may be compared with one in the church of Gilling, North Yorkshire, or with that of Sir John Daubeney at Norton Brize. The head is bound with a plain fillet and the hands are joined in prayer. The palms are covered with leather and are without mail to give a good grip to the sword. The wrists are fastened with straps. The upper part of the surcoat shows the arms of Staunton, which are repeated on the shield: argent two chevrons and a border sable. These arms differ only in colour from those of the lords of Belvoir, who were overlords of the Staunton and bore or two chevrons and a border gules.’ The Stauntons held the manor of Staunton by service of castle-guard:
“In Belveor Castle was his houlde,
That Stauntone’s Tour is highte,
The strongest Forte in all that front
And hiest to all men’s sighte.”2
The form of the heaume shows a considerable advance on those on Sir Robert Compton’s shield at Hawton, in fact it approximates much more closely to those in use in the last half of the century. At the apex will be noticed the ring to which the crest or contoise or both would be attached. Round the slab runs an inscription which may perhaps be read as follows:
According to the pedigree in Thoroton, Sir William de Staunton married Isabella, the sister of Ralph de Kirketon. His Inquisitio post mortem, held the Wednesday before the Feast of St. John the Baptist 19 Ed. ii., states that he held property at Staunton, Flawborough and elsewhere, and that Geoffrey his kinsman, aged 24, was his next heir.
XII. WILLOUGHGBY
The mail on this effigy is not indicated by carving, but would doubtless be expressed by gesso. The head rests on a double cushion. A flat-topped cerveière is worn secured by a plain fillet. The coif, which is full, hangs over the surcoat. The hands are joined in prayer and the mittens are fastened at the wrists. The kneecaps are slightly ridged both vertically and horizontally. Ball and prick spurs are shown. The surcoat has rather remarkable short and close-fitting sleeves and is confined at the waist by a narrow girdle, the long tag of which hangs down in front. The plain sword-belt is attached to the scabbard with interlocking thongs. The quillons of the sword are straight: the shield, which is without any charge, is supported by a guige buckled on the breast: the feet rest on a lion.
This effigy bears, as will be seen, a striking resemblance to the one at Norwell; the only important difference being the form of the knee-caps. There can be little doubt that both are the work of the same craftsman, and we may, with some degree of probability assign both to the Nottingham School.
There is no reason to question the identification of this effigy, which has always been assigned to Sir Richard Willoughby. He was the son of Richard Bugge of Willoughby, the younger brother of Ralph Bugge, the father of Sir Richard Bingham. He was a commissioner of oyer and terminer in 1311, and in 1314 was placed on the commission of peace for the counties of Nottingham and Derby. For the next ten years he took a prominent part in the affairs of the county. On November 4th, 1314 licence was granted to Roger de Morteyn to convey to him in fee eighty acres of wood in Wollaton, with the advowson of the churches of Wollaton and Cossal, held in chief as of the honour of Peverel.3 At his death, which took place 18 Ed. ii., he was succeeded by his son Sir Richard Willoughby, then aged 30, who in 1328 became Justice of the King’s Bench.
XIII. NORWELL.
This effigy lies against the south wall of the south transept. Like that at Willoughby it has been gessocoated, and in almost every particular is identical with it. The sennit knot depending from the interlocking thong attachment of the sword belt, the short close fitting sleeves of the surcoat and the long straight quillons of the sword will be noticed. The sword itself has a large circular pommel and a swelling grip. The feet, to which prick-spurs are attached, rest on a lion. The knee-caps are of a type which is found between 1320 and 1330, and are made of cuir-boulli with reinforcements of metal rivetted to it. The shield is uncharged and the guige which carries it is fastened on the breast with a round buckle.
Norwell itself belonged to the canons of Southwell and the original of this effigy was probably a knight who held Willoughby, three quarters of a mile to the north east in the same parish. This manor was at the beginning of the century held by the family of Malet, of the fee of Roger of Poitou. Shortly after 1312 it appears to have been in the hands of Sir John de Lisours, a knight of some standing who in 1316 was appointed one of the commisioners of array for the county.4 Peter de Lisours had succeeded him before 1331, so we may perhaps infer that Sir John had died a year or two before and that this effigy was set up to his memory.
XIV. FLINTHAM.
This is a fine effigy, though it has suffered some mutilation, and both feet are missing. The cerveliêre under the mail is secured by an ornamental fillet of five-petalled roses. The hands are joined in prayer and the mail is tied at the wrists with laces. The flowing surcoat is confined at the waist by a girdle ornamented with studs. The sword-belt is also enriched with metal discs in horizontal rows of three, and fastened to the scabbard with interlocking thongs. The sword has long straight quillons, a swelling grip and a large circular pommel. The knee-caps are ornamented with, shields, which would probably be painted with the knight’s arms.5 The shield is borne by a guige and is further attached to the left wrist by an enarm. On it are the arms of Hosee, or on a fess sable a lion passant argent.6 Just in front of the lion is a doubtful mark, which may be a crescent (for difference), as stated by Thoroton: possibly it was more distinct in his day.
There is so much confusion between the names Hese, Hoese, Hose, Huse, Hessey, Hussey and Hosee that identification is difficult. However, Nottinghamshire knights of this name occur regularly in contemporary records, and doubtless further research would make it possible to determine the original of this effigy, which may be dated between 1325 and 1330.
(1) Glover’s and Stacey-Grimaldi Rolls. The arms of
Staunton are given in Powell’s and Willement’s Rolls, but with the
border engrailed. Dugdale’s Baronagium states that the Stauntons descended
from a junior branch of the Albinis of Belvior.
(2) Rhyming History
of the Staunton Family,
printed in Thoroton’s Nottinghamshire
(3) Cal. Pat. Rolls.
(4) Cal. Pat. Rolls.
(5) Compare these with those worn by Sir John de Bordesden
(1329), at Amotherby, Yorks. This effigy is illustrated (Yorks. Arch.
Soc. Journal, xxvii., 138) from a drawing by Mr. W. M. I’Anson. The
writers take this opportunity of acknowledging their indebtedness to
Mr. I’Anson for many valuable suggestions.
(6) Willement’s Roll.