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St. Helen's, Stapleford.
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ARMS OF TEVEREY—Azure, a lion rampant argent, a border engraved or. |
THE River Erewash, which forms the county boundary between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire for the greater part of its twisting course, divides the parish of Stapleford from the latter county. Across this stream from the neighbouring village of Long Eaton, the family of Teverey migrated in the days of Edward III. to Stapleford. This migration from the place with which they had been associated since the days of King John, seems to have been attributable to a marriage between one Johannes Teverey and Margareta de Stapleford, who eventually brought him a considerable property here and elsewhere. Upon the strength of this union, he, or his descendants. seem to have used the arms of Stapleford, viz., argent, on two bars azure three cinquefoils or, in lieu of those of Teverey, as is evinced on the floor-stone in front of the Chancel step, and from the mural monument to John Teverey. The property was held "of the King as of the honor of his Castle of Nottingham by fealty and suit at his Court at the Castle of five shillings yearly" (I.P.M. ' H.VII., 1506).
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Stapleford, quartering Heriz, impaling Crevequeur. |
The Tevereys allied themselves by marriage with other good families, such as the Willoughbys, the Chaworths, as may still be seen on the floor-stone referred to, and the Crevequeurs of Twyford. After passing from father to son for several generations, the property eventually came to Gervase Teverey, who died in August, 1639, aged 65, leaving a family of three daughters, his only son John having died an infant. The eldest daughter, Mary, married Sir Bryan Palmes, of Haburn, Yorkshire. Gervase Teverey settled the property on the son of this marriage, namely, Teverey Palmes, who died unmarried, when the estate went to his brother, Francis Palmes, whose wife was a daughter of the Earl of Westmoreland. They left no issue, and the property passed to yet another brother, William, whose home was in Yorkshire. This man, who married Mary, co-heir of Lord Evers, sold the Stapleford estate to one of the Warrens of Toton, one of whose descendants, Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, Bart., lived at the Hall until his death in 1822.
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Teverey tomb (1639), Stapleford church. |
The double alabaster tomb in the Church is that of Gervase Teverey and his wife Anna, daughter of.....Ashby, of Quenby, in Leicestershire. He was the last of the family. The tomb and its superstructure originally stood against the south wall of the Church: the lower part was ruthlessly and unnecessarily removed in 1877 in order, apparently, to provide some three additional seats, to its present position across the eastern end of the north aisle. This portion of the tomb shows indications that the removal and re-construction were carelessly carried out, and has suffered from its hard usage accordingly. The superstructure with its shield of arms and long Latin inscription still remains in its original position. The effigies bear distinct traces of having been painted: the Squire's head rests upon an embroidered cushion (the large crested helmet having disappeared in his day), and he wears plate armour back and front, with broad taces and arm guards, whilst his lower limbs are equipped in large riding boots. His costume is later than that of any other effigy mentioned in this book. The wife is on the right side of her husband, and is represented in a long, loose robe, with a frill round her neck and wrists. The grouping of the figures below is uncommon; they probably represent their family of three daughters, the small figure to the front their baby boy. In the shield of arms under the entablature the Teverey arms are reverted to in contradistinction to those in the adjacent mural monument to his father, John Teverey, who used those of Stapleford. The quartered shield shows, first Teverey, second Stapleford, third argent on a bend gttles, three hedgehogs or (HERIZ?) and fourth Crevequer, or, fretty sable, on a chief gules a lion passant guardant of the first. It is probable that the third quartering may be intended for the arms of Heriz, an important family in Stapleford, one of whom was feudatory to Peverel, but the hedgehogs of Heriz of Gonalston, near Nottingham, are not shown as on a bend. Hedgehogs on a bend are the arms of Paschall, of Eastwood, Notts., but the pedigree in Thoroton's History of Notts, does not show any connection between the Tevereys and that family. The Teverey arms are impaled with those of Gervase's wife, Ashby, of Quenby, viz., azure, a chevron ermine between three leopards faces or.
There is an interesting cross with Saxon knotwork, and what appears to be a representation of St. Luke in the village street of Stapleford, close by the Church gate.