The Painted Glass at East Sutton Church and the Arms of a Duke of York
1
The PainTed Glass aT easT suTTon ChurCh and The
arms of a duke of York
marcus herbert
This article discusses the heraldry of various shields in the stained glass of
East Sutton Church dating from the fourteenth century to the seventeenth
century. These include heraldry of the families of Valence, Hastings, St Leger,
Mortimer of Wigmore, a Duke of York, Guildford, Halden, Argall, Scott and
Filmer. The ownership of the manor of East Sutton from the early fourteenth
to the seventeenth century is used to explain these shields, some of which at
some time may have been transferred from the manor house to the church.
The particular problem of the shield of a Duke of York is explained by the
ownership of the manor of East Sutton being in the possession of the Darell
family in the middle years of the fifteenth century. Their arms are not in
the glass but both George (d.1474) and Richard (d.1489) Darell served the
Yorkists and provide a convincing explanation of the presence of the arms of
the Duke of York, probably Richard (d.1460).
The parish of east sutton lies about seven miles south-east of maidstone. Together
with the parishes of sutton Valence and Chart sutton it forms an area known locally
as the Three suttons. The church is dedicated to st Peter and st Paul and was built
using kentish ragstone. Construction phases from the thirteenth to early sixteenth
centuries have been identified. During an ill-considered restoration in 1897-8 the
interior walls were entirely stripped of their plaster rendered finish. This left the
inside of the building with a stark stone-clad like appearance. in all other respects
the church at east sutton is a beautiful and fascinating building.
In 1898 Thomas Henry Oyler published a guide to the church. Better than most,
it contained the usual information on the architecture, monuments and stained
glass, but was rather more detailed. Among the latter was a reference to a window
containing the arms of ‘richard duke of York father of edward 4th’. however
because Oyler did not state why, in his opinion, the arms specifically related to
Richard Plantagenet (d.1460) an examination of the arms borne by the fifteenthcentury
dukes of York is necessary. But first, a description of the glass remaining
at east sutton is given in order to place the arms in their present physical context.
The fourteenth- to seventeenth-Century Painted Glass at east sutton
Apart from some fifteenth-century remnants of saints in the west window all the old
glass is now in the south chapel. This area of the church has been known variously
MARCUS HERBERT
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as the Pembroke or filmer chapel. The glass in its south window comprises three
panels containing fragments datable to the period from the fourteenth to the
seventeenth centuries (Figs 1 and 2). The York panel measures 32 x 21½in. (810 x
545mm), the others are of comparable size.
The left panel contains, i and iv, or a maunch gules (Hastings) quartering, ii and
iii, barry of ten, argent and azure an orle of martlets gules (Valence). This was the
coat borne by the hastings’ earls of Pembroke and appears on the seal of laurence
Hastings (d.1348), the first of that ilk, datable to 1345. The Valence arms were
derived from those of lusignan. laurence hastings’ great grandfather William
de Valence (d.1296) was the son of Hugh de Lusignan 5th Comte de la Marche
(d.1249). Above this coat is a small truncated, rectangular shield containing the
arms of Mortimer of Wigmore, barry of six or and azure, on a chief of the first,
three palets, between two based esquires of the second; overall an inescutcheon
argent. This is the earliest shield remaining in the church and dates from the first
half of the fourteenth century.1 in the upper right of the panel are the arms of st
Leger, azure, fretty argent and a chief or. To the left of the hastings/Valence coat
is a fragment of the st leger arms but of a later date than the previous complete
coat and perhaps dating from the sixteenth/seventeenth centuries. Below and
between the forgoing is a shield bearing the arms of Filmer, sable three bars or,
in chief as many cinquefoils of the second. Beneath and either side of the Filmer
coat are two shields bearing the arms of Argall, per fesse argent and vert, a pale
counterchanged, three lions heads erased gules impaling Scott, argent, three
Catherine wheels sable within a bordure engrailed gules. Between the Argall/Scott
arms is a crowned fleur-de-lis. Fragments of foliate decoration have been placed
around and among the shields.
The centre panel is all seventeenth-century work. The primary subject is a shield
displaying the Filmer arms surmounted by the family crest, on a broken tower or, a
falcon rising proper, belled or. above the crest is another of the same but smaller
fig. 1 heraldry in filmer Chapel window in east sutton Church containing the duke of
York’s arms.
PAINTED GLASS IN EAST SUTTON CHURCH AND THE ARMS OF A DUKE OF YORK
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in size. Below the central shield of arms to the left and right are two other Filmer
coats.
The arms of Richard, 3rd Duke of York, forms a part of the right hand panel
pieced together using fragments of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century glass. In each
of the top corners are the head and shoulders of a winged angel. Just below and
between the angels are the head and shoulders of the Blessed Virgin with the legend
‘ecce ancilla domini’ around her halo. Below the Virgin is a fragmentary shield set
within a garter for sir henry Guildford (d.1532). Guildford was Comptroller of
the household to henry Viii. he was made a knight of the order of the Garter
fig. 2 detail of the duke of York’s arms.
MARCUS HERBERT
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in 1526 and acquired the manor of East Sutton in 1528. His arms were quarterly,
i and iv, or, a saltier between four martlets sable, a canton gules charged with a
pomegranate or, slipped verts (Guildford), ii and iii, argent, a chief sable overall
a bend engrailed gules, (halden) a mullet or in the nombril point. as they remain
Guildford’s arms are difficult to interpret as only the third quarter survives in a
vaguely recognisable state the second considerably less so and apart from some
small pieces of yellow glass the Guildford quarters have gone. it is possible
however to see the mullet, indicating a third son, at the intersection of the four
quarters.2 Below the Guildford arms are the ducal arms of York with, either side, a
roundel of blue glass showing a rose. The York shield measures 7 x 8¼in. (180mm
x 210mm). a close examination of it reveals that the fourth quarter has undergone
some repair where a portion of the glass was missing. This has resulted in the loss
of the first fleur-de-lis which has not been replaced. As with the left panel, foliate
fragments appear around and between the main subjects.
When Oyler published his guide in 1898 a window in the north or Hastings
chapel contained the arms of st leger and hastings quartering Valence. from a
comparison of oyler’s account and the remaining old glass it is evident that during
the 1897-98 restoration all the old glass from both chapels was brought together
into the window in the south chapel. some losses have occurred since oyler wrote.
He described a fragment, barry of six, argent and azure, in chief three torteaux
(Grey of Ruthin) which may have appeared as it did on a seal datable to 1403, i
and iv, Grey, ii and iii quarterly, i and iv, Hastings, ii and iii, Valence. This has now
gone as has a lozenge bearing on a chevron three talbots gules. This last is more
properly described, argent, on a chevron, gules, three talbots, passant, argent and
refers to Joan the daughter of Robert Martin of Graveney, Kent, who was the first
wife of Richard Argall (d.1588) of East Sutton.
An account by the Reverend John Cave-Brown also from 1898 stated that in one
of the windows ‘is a dirty fragment, which on careful examination discloses part
of the banner of simon de montfort’. de montfort’s banner described as partir
per pale indented argent and gules was not, however, recorded by Oyler. A recent
study of the remaining glass by the author has revealed that Cave-Brown was in
error and had incorrectly attributed a remnant of the third quarter of sir henry
Guildford’s arms to de montfort.3
on 2 June 2015 the three panels of glass were carefully removed for conservation
work. This was part funded by the Rochester Bridge Trust and was carried out
by the Cathedral studios of Canterbury. The conserved panels were replaced in
the church on 11 august. on 30 January 2016 a service of commemoration and
rededication led by the Bishop of Dover was held in the presence of the Lord
Lieutenant of Kent, Viscount De L’Isle, to mark the centenary of the death of
Captain sir robert marcus filmer mc of the Grenadier Guards. sir robert was
the tenth and last baronet filmer of east sutton Park and died on active service in
France on 27 January 1916. He was also a warden of Rochester Bridge. The whole
composition is known as the filmer armorial Window.4
The arms of the dukedom of York
In heraldic terms the York arms at East Sutton are described; quarterly, i and iv,
PAINTED GLASS IN EAST SUTTON CHURCH AND THE ARMS OF A DUKE OF YORK
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azure, three fleur-de-lis or (France modern), ii and iii, gules, three lions passant
guardant, in pale, or, armed and langued azure (England), overall on a label of
three points argent, nine torteaux gules. These are the arms as borne by the dukes
of York from the early years of the fifteenth century. The quartering of the arms of
france together with those of england occurred under edward iii at some point
after the commencement of the Hundred Years War in 1337. From that time on the
first and fourth quarters of the royal arms were described; azure, semée of fleurde-
lis or. Later, it has been said in 1376, the French king Charles V reduced the
number of fleurs-de-lis on the arms of France to three. This date has undergone
some revision and it is now thought that the change may have occurred around
1394 under his successor Charles VI. From the first years of the fifteenth century,
under Henry IV, the English royal arms began to follow the same pattern, the
earliest example being a seal of edward 2nd duke of York attached to a charter of
1403.
To date there have been eleven dukes of York six of whom were living at some
point during the fifteenth century. The first to bear the title was Edmund of Langley,
Earl of Cambridge, fourth surviving son of Edward III, who was created Duke of
York by his nephew Richard II on 6 August 1385. On Edmund’s death on 1 August
1402 the title passed to his son Edward, Earl of Rutland who died at the battle of
agincourt on 25 october 1415. edward’s successor to the title was his nephew
Richard, son of his brother Richard, Earl of Cambridge who had been attainted and
executed for treason by order of henry V on 5 august 1415. on richard’s death at
the battle of Wakefield on 30 December 1460 his son Edward Earl of March was
styled duke of York but following his accession as edward iV on 4 march 1461
the title became vested in the Crown. king edward’s son richard was created 5th
Duke of York on 28 May 1474. On 31 October 1494 Richard’s nephew Henry,
second son of Henry VII and the future Henry VIII, was made 6th Duke of York.5
The change to the royal arms makes it extremely unlikely that the shield at east
sutton was intended to represent edmund of langley but in their revised form they
might be used by his successors to the title. However, it is doubtful that they relate
to Edward (IV), the fourth duke as he was never officially raised to the dukedom
and was only styled as such for nine weeks before his accession.6 likewise the
arms at east sutton do not belong to his son (richard) as his Garter stall plate
at St George’s Chapel, Windsor shows the dexter point of the label charged with
a canton, gules. The arms on the stall plate of richard’s nephew henry include
a label of three points ermine although it is interesting to note that the figure of
‘henrie dux ebor’ in his ‘coate armour’ was recorded as being in the chapter
house at Canterbury Cathedral in 1599 when his arms were shown as those used
by the second and third dukes. Clearly whoever was responsible for this particular
example was unaware of the label actually used by henry and again his stall plate
rules out any notion of him being the man represented by the east sutton shield.
Thus far, by a process of elimination, it would appear that the arms at East Sutton
were intended to represent either edward (d.1415) or his nephew richard (d.1460)
the second and third dukes respectively.
other examples of the York ducal arms with france modern quarterings remain
at Canterbury Cathedral and serve as useful comparisons to the east sutton glass;
two examples in the Water Tower are described as early fifteenth-century and in
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the east window of the Lady Chapel are the arms; i and iv, argent, a cross engrailed
gules between four water bougets sable (Bourchier); ii and iii, gules billety or, a
fess of the last (louvain). These are the arms of Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of
Essex (d.1483) and are shown impaling the arms of York for his wife Isabel of
Cambridge (d.1484), sister of Richard 3rd Duke of York.7
The owners of east sutton manor
at this juncture it is necessary to examine the history of east sutton and its owners
but only from the second half of the thirteenth century as anything before that date
has no bearing on the remaining early glass in the church. it should also be noted
that because Anne, daughter of Roger Mortimer 4th Earl of March was the mother
of Richard 3rd Duke of York, it may at first glance appear that the ducal arms of
York and those of Mortimer are connected, not within their present modern context
but by the appearance of both in the church. However, as will be shown this is
not so. During this period East Sutton was held by Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of
Pembroke, son of William the 1st Earl and a nephew of the half-blood to Henry III.
On his death in 1324 it passed to his nephew John 2nd Baron Hastings (d.1325)
son of John 1st Baron Hastings and Isabel an elder sister of de Valence. Hastings’
son Laurence (d.1348) became 3rd Baron Hastings and 1st Earl of Pembroke and
married Agnes (d.1368) daughter of Roger Mortimer 1st Earl of March. Their son
John (d.1375) became 2nd Earl of Pembroke and married Margaret a daughter
of edward iii. There was no issue from their union. hastings remarried to anne
daughter of sir Walter manny who gave birth to a son. east sutton then passed
to their son John the 3rd Earl of Pembroke who first married Elizabeth daughter
of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, then Philippa (d.1400) daughter of Edmund
Mortimer 3rd Earl of March and Philippa, daughter of Lionel Duke of Clarence.
There was no surviving issue from either union the second of which ended with
Pembroke’s death during a tournament in 1389. Thereafter the manor passed to
Reginald 3rd Baron Grey of Ruthin (d.1439). Reginald was the grandson of Roger
1st Baron Grey of Ruthin and Elizabeth daughter of John 1st Baron Hastings and
Isabel, daughter of William de Valence 1st Earl of Pembroke.8
In early 1402 Grey was taken hostage by Owain Glyndŵr during the Welsh
Revolt. A ransom of 10,000 marks was demanded so in May 1403, in order to raise
the money for his release, Henry IV directed that certain of Grey’s manors be sold,
east sutton and the other kentish manors of sutton Valence and hartley among
them. On 25 May 1403 East Sutton was conveyed to Richard Bruges (d. c.1415)
lancaster king of arms.9 on 2 July 1413 he and his wife katherine alienated the
manor to John Mepersale, Thomas Enderby, John Botiller and Thomas Bank.
The Darells of Littlecote, Wiltshire
On 10 October 1414 Botiller and Bank conveyed the manor of East Sutton to
William Darell (d.1450/1) and his brother John (d.1438). William and John were
the sons of William and emma darell of sessay in north Yorkshire. an elder
brother, Marmaduke (d.1423), inherited the family estates at Sessay whilst in 1410
John purchased Calehill in the parish of little Chart. in 1412 William married
PAINTED GLASS IN EAST SUTTON CHURCH AND THE ARMS OF A DUKE OF YORK
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Elizabeth (d.1464) daughter of Thomas Calstone of Littlecote, Wiltshire, where
the couple settled. The union produced at least five sons and several daughters.
However, only the eldest sons, George and Richard, will be discussed in this
paper. On 20 March 1435 John Darell issued a quitclaim to William and Elizabeth
relinquishing any interest he may have had in east sutton manor. William’s career
saw him appointed as sub-treasurer of England in 1399 followed by service in the
shires as sheriff of Wiltshire then Oxfordshire and Berkshire for four terms from
1420 to 1433.10 In 1453 his eldest son George entered into the service of Richard,
duke of York;
This endenture made at fodringey the xxxth day of Jannuer the xxxith yere of the
regne of oure souverain lord kyng Henry the sext Betwix the right high and mighty
prince my lord richard duc of York on the toon part and George darell squier on the
other part bereth witnesse that the saide George is belaste and witholden with my
saide lord the duc for terme of his lyf. Prometting by the feith of his body and binding
him by these endentures for to doo true and feithful service unto my saide lord
the duc. and with him for to be agenst all erthyly creatures of what estate prieminence
or condition soo evere thay bee next the kyng oure soverain lord and his yssu
kynges of england and of france. for the which witholding the saide George shal
take of my saide lord the duc yerely the somme of x.li sterlinges to bee taken of the
yssues proufites and revenues of his manour and lordeshipp of Fasterne in Wiltshire
by the handes of the receveur and fermour and other occupiers of the same for the
tyme being atte festes of the annuncacion of oure lady and mighelmasse by even
porcions unto the tyme that the saide George bee provided by my saide lord the duc
unto an office or an other resonnable rewarde of the valeu of xx mark by yere as by
lettres patentes and lettres of warrant made theruppon unto the saide George, undre
the seel of my saide lorde the duc hit may more clerely appere. in witnesse wherof
to the toon part of these endentures remaynyng towardes the saide George, my saide
lord the duc hath, doo set his signet the day place and yere aforesaide.
That Darell was still the duke’s man by 1460 is confirmed by the issuing of a
pardon to him on 16 march; ‘for £40 for all treasons and other offences etc’. The
family had a history of service to the future Yorkist party. in may 1431 William
darell (d.1450/1) acted as a trustee in the matter of various estates concerning the
late Thomas montagu 4th earl of salisbury. This was for montagu’s son-in-law
Richard Nevill 5th Earl of Salisbury and his wife Alice, Montagu’s daughter and
heir. during the same period William’s nephew edmund darell had been retained
by neville who became York’s brother-in-law and ally.11
from the 1450s George darell was appointed to a number of county shrievalties
and in april 1461 was made keeper of the Great Wardrobe. in January 1462 he
served on a commission to arrest adherents of henry Vi and other senior lancastrians
in Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire. The following month he was appointed
to a commission of oyer and Terminer regarding treasons and felonies in Wiltshire.
Soon after Easter 1465 he was made a Knight Bachelor then a Knight of the Bath on
the day of the coronation of Elizabeth Woodville. Among other royal commissions
one in June 1470 required him to assist in raising men against the duke of Clarence
and earl of Warwick.12
He married firstly Margaret daughter of John 1st Baron Stourton. By his second
marriage to Jane daughter of William Haute of Bishopsbourne and Joan Woodville
MARCUS HERBERT
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daughter of Sir Richard Woodville of the Mote, Maidstone, he was a kinsman to
the Yorkist monarchy. George died in March 1474.
But returning to East Sutton, on 4 March 1450 William and Elizabeth Darell settled
the manor on their second son Richard whose first public appointment took place on
7 November 1459 when he was made escheator for Southampton (Hampshire) and
Wiltshire. He subsequently served as sheriff of Wiltshire in 1467-68 and Hampshire
in 1469-70 and 1470-71.13 Before March 1463 Richard married Margaret, daughter
of Edmund Beaufort 2nd Duke of Somerset (d.1455). Margaret was the widow
of Humphrey Stafford (d.1458) the eldest son of Humphrey Stafford 1st Duke of
Buckingham and was already the mother of two young sons, Henry, the future second
duke of Buckingham and his brother Humphrey.14 from her marriage to darell came
a daughter, also Margaret, who was probably born before 14 July 1464 when George
darell issued a quitclaim to his brother richard respecting east sutton.
The Plea rolls record that in 1465 richard darell described as ‘late of littlecote’
was summoned by suit of his brother Alexander, executor of their mother’s estate,
to pay 45 marks owed to the estate, which had been withheld. On 1 August 1463
richard had placed his wife with his mother to whom he would pay 13s. 4d.
a week for her ‘diets’ and would continue to do so for the whole time she was
there. although margaret ended up staying with her mother-in-law for ‘the 45
weeks following’, until June 1464, Richard reneged on the pledge to reimburse his
mother. Elizabeth Darell made her will on 15 June 1464. Following her death soon
after, Richard refused to pay her executor the balance owed to her estate a situation
perhaps exacerbated by his exclusion from her will. The period referred to would
seem to be when Richard’s daughter was born. Perhaps difficulties during the birth
led to complications resulting in a protracted lying-in period. it has been suggested
that margaret darell was an imbecile although no evidence appears to exist to
support this statement which was almost certainly a conclusion drawn from the
above.15 Be that as it may, events during this period must have plunged her into an
inconsolable state of grief. in addition to the loss of her father who had been killed
at the first battle of St Albans in 1455 the continued support given by her family
to the lancastrian party resulted in the deaths of four brothers and a number of
cousins.16 however worst of all was the loss of her younger son humphrey who
probably died around April/May 1471.17
Throughout the tribulations of his wife’s lancastrian family richard darell
remained a staunch supporter of the Yorkist monarchy. from november 1466 until
June 1470 he served on a number of commissions of array and peace, several
alongside the king’s brother-in-law, Anthony Woodville Lord Scales.18 The fact
that his brother George had received an appointment to the royal household may
be seen as a result of his long-standing loyalty, at least since 1453, to the house of
York. richard might have hoped for similar advancement but although he received
a knighthood in 1466 thenceforth his progress stalled, perhaps because of his close
kinship to so many proven traitors, which may have meant that beyond regional
appointments any higher ambitions were curtailed. In 1476 he acted as councillor
for his stepson, the duke of Buckingham, serving as one of the justices’ itinerant
presiding over the Great Sessions at Newport, Wales. In 1483 he was present at the
coronation of Richard III. Buckingham’s fall came later that year but there seems
to have been no evidence that darell had played any part in the rebellion that bore
PAINTED GLASS IN EAST SUTTON CHURCH AND THE ARMS OF A DUKE OF YORK
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his stepson’s name unlike his cousin John Darell (d.1509) of Calehill, Kent, who
suffered attainder. Owing to her death, his wife was spared the knowledge of her
remaining son’s ignominious end.19
By July 1478 Richard had remarried to Joan (d. aft.1502) widow of Sir Walter
Wrottesley of Wrottesley, Staffordshire (d.1473). Joan had given Wrottesley four
sons and five daughters but her union with Darell does not appear to have been
similarly fruitful. Around 1474/5 Darell decided to sell his lands at East Sutton.
On 18 March 1475 the manor was conveyed to Thomas Waryn, John Feiamys and
David Hopkins. By agreement of 26 April 1478 Darell sold East Sutton to the
executors of the estate of William York for £336 13s. 4d.20
Richard Darell died on 6 August 1489 after which escheators for Hampshire
and Wiltshire were ordered to examine his land holdings but only the inquisition
post mortem for hampshire survives. This together with an inventory of his goods
indicates that his principal residence was the manor of Paulton in hampshire. his
place of burial is unknown but of interest are those religious foundations to whom
the inventory shows he was indebted at the time of his death; 3s. 4d. was due to
Saint Swithun’s whose location was not noted but was probably the Benedictine
cathedral priory of St Swithun, Winchester. He owed the parish church at Eling,
hampshire 13s. 4d. To the vicar of the same he owed 11s. while the chapel of ower
in the same parish was due 10s. Possibly most significant of all was the £5 owing to
the prior of Mottisfont Priory, Hampshire, an Augustinian house. A further debt was
to an individual named or described as ‘Brekeman of Mottysfounte’ to whom was
due £3. In the absence of firm testamentary evidence perhaps we may tentatively
speculate that mottisfont was darell’s chosen place of burial.21 his daughter
Margaret married James Tuchet, 7th baron Audley of Heleigh, Staffordshire to
whom darell owed the large sum of 100 marks. Tuchet was executed on 25 June
1497 for his part in the Cornish Rebellion against Henry VII.22 darell’s heir was
his six-year old grandson John Tuchet (b. c.1482/3) to whom the title was restored
becoming 8th baron Audley in 1512.
east sutton manor house
To the south-east of the present Elizabethan mansion lies a large and well preserved
homestead moat probably dating from the period 1250-1350. each arm measures
65m while retaining banks survive to the west and south. There is an inner rampart
and an entrance causeway at the north-east corner. Was this the location of the
manor house that the darells knew or does another lie beneath the present house?
in 1546 the manor was acquired by the royal administrator Thomas argall of
london (d.1563) and his wife margaret. on Thomas’ death the manor passed to
their son Richard (d.1588). Probably most of the sixteenth-century parts of the
present house can be attributed to the argall family as a richly carved screen in the
hall bearing the date 1570 also displays the initials R.A. and M.A. for Richard and
his second wife Mary, daughter of Sir Reginald Scott. After Argall’s death it was
held by his son John. John’s sister Elizabeth married Sir Edward Filmer (d.1629)
son of Robert Filmer of Little Charlton, East Sutton.
in 1610 John argall sold east sutton to edward filmer to whom he owed money.23
The manor was then inherited by sir edward’s son sir robert filmer (d.1653) who
MARCUS HERBERT
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is noted for his De Patriarcha a treatise on the divine right of kings. although
published posthumously in 1680 it is believed to have been completed before the
outbreak of the Civil War. This naturally put him at odds with the Parliamentarian
side during the war and eventually led to his arrest and imprisonment in nearby
Leeds Castle. Prior to this, in September 1642, East Sutton Place had been looted
by the Parliamentarian army. apparently the house was attacked on no less than
ten separate occasions resulting in the destruction of much personal property and
the house being set ablaze. The church did not escape the depredations. Notes
made by Sir Robert record that on 27 July 1643,
Cornet May came to search East Sutton Belfry for arms there, he tore the surplice
with his owne hands, tooke away a Bible, a service booke and a booke of homilies
out of the Church and broke the glasse windowes.
These notes appear to have been copied almost verbatim from his wife’s diary, or
perhaps vice versa, the main difference being that Lady Anne Filmer apparently
wrote ‘…and broke down the screen and the painted glass windows’. lady anne’s
original has been lost since 1945.24
Conclusion
In 1569 Mathew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury visited the church at East
sutton following which it was recorded that ‘the high chancel of the church is
in great decay, through the default of the Dean and Chapter of Rochester’. It is
therefore possible that some of the glass was lost years before Cornet may and
his cohorts arrived there; from the filmer account it would appear that practically
nothing remained after 1643. Perhaps it was possible to salvage and repair some
of it but if May and his accomplices took the time to destroy the rood screen, less
effort would be required to wreak havoc on the fragile painted glass which by then
was already over three centuries old and doubtless failure of the lead would have
contributed to the losses. The arms of Filmer, Argall and Martin may have come
from the manor house but whatever their original locality they possibly postdate
the damage done to the church in 1643.
The history of the medieval glass in the church is a little more complicated and
requires some explanation. The ownership of east sutton manor followed the exact
same pattern as its neighbour Sutton Valence from the time of Aymer de Valence,
2nd Earl of Pembroke to Reginald 3rd Baron Grey of Ruthin. As previously noted
sutton Valence was sold in 1403 along with east sutton to raise the money required
for Grey’s ransom. sutton Valence would then appear to have been purchased
by Thomas St Leger (d.1408) of Otterden, Kent, as his daughter Juliana died
possessed of it in 1417.25 When John Philipot, the antiquarian (d.1645), visited
the church at sutton Valence he recorded the remnants of glass there among which
were the arms of Hastings quartered with de Valence but by 1823 the building was
in such a state of dilapidation that the decision was taken to rebuild on and within
its original footprint. The work was completed in 1828 and no ancient glass now
remains. Although much, if not all, of the remaining medieval glass at East Sutton
came, in all probability, from the nearby manor house there remains a distinct
possibility that some of it had its origins at sutton Valence particularly the arms of
PAINTED GLASS IN EAST SUTTON CHURCH AND THE ARMS OF A DUKE OF YORK
11
the st leger family which had no connection with east sutton at the beginning of
the fifteenth century so therefore could not have formed part of a glazing scheme
illustrating the descent of the manor. The later fragment of their arms in the left
panel at East Sutton possibly relates to Ralph St Leger of Ulcombe (d.1519) who
held the manor of East Sutton from 1507-14. Aside from the St Leger arms the
other odd one out at east sutton is of course the shield of richard 3rd duke of
York. York had no identifiable association with the manor. His inquisition post
mortem reveals that at the time of his death his kentish lands comprised the
manors of; Erith, Swanscombe, West Kingsdown, Tonge, Shillingheld (Chilham)
and deptford le strand.26 The possibility exists that York’s arms came from one
of these manors but this is not very likely. as previously noted there is also no
connection between the arms of Mortimer and York in the church, the presence of
both being purely coincidental. an examination of those members of the hastings
family who would have had reason to place one or other coat in the church shows
that whilst members of that family were still living at the relevant time to have
installed the Mortimer shield, those same individuals were dead by the early years
of the fifteenth century when the changes were made to the Royal Arms so could
not have been responsible for the arms of York. The very earliest time from which
the arms of York and mortimer could have appeared anywhere together with a
familial connection was after 23 May 1408 when a papal dispensation was belatedly
granted for the marriage between richard of Conisburgh the younger brother of
edward 2nd duke of York and anne mortimer. The mortimer shield is the earliest
coat remaining at east sutton and was probably commissioned to record the union
of Agnes (d.1368), daughter of Roger Mortimer 1st Earl of March, and Laurence
Hastings 1st Earl of Pembroke (d.1348).27
having discussed all other likely possibilities it may be concluded that the date
of the arms falls within the period from 1453, when George Darell was indentured
to Richard Duke of York, to 1460 when the latter died. If the Darell’s had earlier
dealings with the duke it might push the date a little further back but no previous
connections with York are known. in any case as William died in 1450/1 after
settling east sutton on his son richard it is to the latter we should look as the
individual who was responsible for commissioning the York arms. richard appears
to have no identifiable record of service to the house of York before Edward IVs
accession and thereafter only in the shires. it has been said that he served as underor
sub-treasurer to the exchequer just as his father and uncle had done before
him but this has not been possible to establish. it must therefore have been family
pride at his brother’s formal indenture to the duke and a desire to promote the
fact that theirs was a family of rising fortunes that led to the installation of York’s
arms at east sutton. The dimensions of the shield indicate that it probably came
from a domestic context and in all likelihood was commissioned for the old manor
house. Before the house was demolished the arms were removed perhaps on the
instructions of richard argall and placed in the church where they remain.
The darell arms
one notable absentee among the arms at east sutton are those of the darell family
themselves (Fig. 3). They are described, azure, a lion rampant or, ducally crowned
MARCUS HERBERT
12
argent. From the beginning of the fifteenth century the collateral branches at Little
Chart and littlecote introduced differences to the arms to distinguish themselves
from the senior line. it is best left to an inscription set up in the church of st mary
at little Chart in the seventeenth century to explain the differences:
From the avncient howse of Darell of Seysey in the Covntie of Yorke, are disoended
twoe howses the one of Calehill by iohn the second sonne of sir marmadvke
darell of seysey aforesaid knight the other of litlecott in the Covntie of Wilts: by
William the third sonne of the said knight. The difference of which twoe howses by
order was this, that Calehill shovld beare the Troyfoll in the showlder of the lyon,
and Litlecott shovld carry the crossecroslet, for differenoe sake But by the death of
Thomas Darell of Sesey aforesayde whoe, died withovt issewe Male 17o H: 8i: the
Darelles of Calehill beinge nowe the eldest Heyres male, of right do give the avncient
armes intire withovte difference.28
acknowledgements
for frances. sincere thanks are due to the following who gave generously of their
time during the preparation of this paper; Charles Worsfold, churchwarden at East
Sutton, David Griffiths, Alison Eaton and Joy Bunclark of the Cathedral Studios,
Canterbury Cathedral for their kindness, Duncan Harrington for his translation
skills, Ruiha Smalley, Hon. Librarian of the KAS, Kate McQuillian of St George’s
Chapel Archives and Chapter Library, Linda Clark of the History of Parliament
Fig. 3 Arms from tomb of John Darell of Calehill (d.1438),
St James’ Church, Egerton, Kent.
PAINTED GLASS IN EAST SUTTON CHURCH AND THE ARMS OF A DUKE OF YORK
13
Trust and hugh Wood for his knowledge of the mortimer arms. and lastly the
reverend sheila Cox for kind permission to use the darell arms in egerton Church.
endnotes
1 T.H. Oyler, East Sutton Church, London, 1898, pp. 31-2. W. de Gray Birch, Catalogue of Seals
in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum, 6 vols, London 1887-1900, vol. 3, pp. 75,
10, 537. William de Valence was buried in Westminster Abbey where his effigy of oak covered with
decorated copper plates bears a shield with his arms in Limoges champlevé enamel. The inescutcheon
on the mortimer arms appears to be gules!
2 A good example of the Guildford/Halden arms, without the pomegranate, can be seen in the
church of St Mary, Wiston, West Sussex. It is surrounded by a quatrefoil and appears among the
remains of the monument to Sir Richard Shirley (d.1540). Elizabeth Guildford half-sister to Sir
henry was his second wife.
3 Oyler, pp. 31-2, 40. Kent History and Library Centre (hereafter referred to as KHLC), U120/
T1/2. ‘Proceedings, 1901’, ‘East Sutton Church’, Archaeologia Cantiana, 25, (1902), lv-lvii. This
report followed a kas outing to the area during which a paper written by oyler was read in his
absence by Edward J. Wells. Towards the end it says, ‘Mr Wells further gave a description of the
ancient heraldic glass in the windows of the church’. frustratingly no further details are given. J.
Cave-Brown, Sutton Valence & East Sutton: Their Early History, Maidstone, 1898, p. 41.
4 The panel containing the York arms was conserved by Joy Bunclark while the other panels were
cleaned and repaired by Alison Eaton, both of the Cathedral Studios, Canterbury. They were replaced
in the south window by David Griffiths, Alison Eaton and Grace Ayson.
5 J.H. and R.V. Pinches, The Royal Heraldry of England, London, 1974, pp. 88, 104. CChR 1341-
1417, p. 300. CChR 1427-1516, pp. 242, 271.
6 Pinches’, pp. 113, 120; A. Darracott, Great Malvern Priory. Rebuilding of the Quire in the 15th
Century, Maidenhead, 2005, p. 28. According to the herald Francis Sandford the arms used by the
future Edward IV as earl of March were, quarterly, i and iv, barry of six or and azure, on a chief
of the first, two pallets between two base esquires of the second, overall an inescutcheon argent
(Mortimer), ii and iii, or, a cross gules (de Burgh). Some confirmation of this can be seen in one
of the south clerestory windows of the quire at Great Malvern Priory, Worcestershire which shows,
perhaps uniquely, the arms of Richard 3rd duke of York with the quartered arms of mortimer/de
Burgh inescutcheon. They were probably installed between 1440 and 1460. It should also be noted
that, before his marriage and creation as Viscount Lisle, Arthur Plantagenet the king’s natural son
bore as his arms; quarterly, i, quarterly France modern and England, ii and iii, de Burgh, iv, Mortimer
overall a baston sinister azure. The mortimer arms also appear on a sword of state for a Prince of
Wales in the collections of the British Museum (SLAntiq. 364) datable to the period 1473-83.
7 T. Willement, Heraldic Notices of Canterbury Cathedral, London 1827, p. 154.