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Have you ever seen anything like this?
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Have you ever seen anything like this?
by DaisyB » Sun Jul 12, 2009 10:01 pm
This is in a little church, St Edmunds, in Fenny Bentley in the Peak District.
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DaisyB - Posts: 2062
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by Dragon Lady » Sat Nov 21, 2009 10:47 pm
I have just done a little research, June, and as you say it is not known why the Beresfords are shown in their shrouds, but here are a couple of possible explanations:
THE BERESFORD TOMB
No doubt the best known feature of the church is the Beresford Tomb with its shrouded figures of Thomas Beresford and his wife Agnes Hassall. On the one side and one end of the tomb are incised figures, also in shrouds, of the sixteen sons and five daughters, and all round the cornice of the tomb top are incised military accoutrements, helmets, shields, gauntlets, halberds and the like. Agnes died in 1467 and Thomas in 1473, but the various accoutrements all seem to be of a style dating from the following century, so that it would appear that the tomb was not erected until a considerable time after their death, and indeed, as all 21 children are also shown in shrouds, probably after their deaths as well.
Of the sixteen sons, only Hugh is mentioned. He lived at Newton Grange until his death in 1524, and had a son, Laurence, who died in 1577. As the inscription fails to name any of the other children, could it not be that it was Laurence who was determined that his grandfather, the Agincourt soldier, should not be forgotten, and he also included his father’s name?
Many people have wondered why the figures are shown in their shrouds, and it has even been suggested that this was because the tomb was carved a century after their death, and as the sculptor did not know what they looked like, he took the easy way out and put them in shrouds. But surely, effigies up to about the 16th century were never accurate likenesses in any case. It seems much more likely, to me that it was simply an indication that earthly splendour had passed away, and that we all appear the same before our Maker.
THE BERESFORD TOMB
No doubt the best known feature of the church is the Beresford Tomb with its shrouded figures of Thomas Beresford and his wife Agnes Hassall. On the one side and one end of the tomb are incised figures, also in shrouds, of the sixteen sons and five daughters, and all round the cornice of the tomb top are incised military accoutrements, helmets, shields, gauntlets, halberds and the like. Agnes died in 1467 and Thomas in 1473, but the various accoutrements all seem to be of a style dating from the following century, so that it would appear that the tomb was not erected until a considerable time after their death, and indeed, as all 21 children are also shown in shrouds, probably after their deaths as well.
Of the sixteen sons, only Hugh is mentioned. He lived at Newton Grange until his death in 1524, and had a son, Laurence, who died in 1577. As the inscription fails to name any of the other children, could it not be that it was Laurence who was determined that his grandfather, the Agincourt soldier, should not be forgotten, and he also included his father’s name?
Many people have wondered why the figures are shown in their shrouds, and it has even been suggested that this was because the tomb was carved a century after their death, and as the sculptor did not know what they looked like, he took the easy way out and put them in shrouds. But surely, effigies up to about the 16th century were never accurate likenesses in any case. It seems much more likely, to me that it was simply an indication that earthly splendour had passed away, and that we all appear the same before our Maker.
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Dragon Lady - Honorary Member
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