Minster in Sheppey: Notes on Two Brasses in the Church

( 43 ) MINSTER IN SHEPPEY: NOTES ON TWOBRASSES IN THE CHUROH. BY RALPH GRIFFIN, SECRETARY S.A. THE brasses that lie side by side on the floor have been talked about as much, I think, as any brasses either in this country or elsewhere, and I am able unfortunately to accept but little of what has been said about them. The earliest representation of them, still one of the best, appears in Stothard's Monumental Effigies, and a note on it shewsthat it was published in June 1820. Mr. Stothard saw from his inspection of the male figure that it had lost a large piece out of the middle. But even so, it was much too large for the female effigy. The view taken by Mr. Waller then is probably the right one, that the two do not belong to oneanother and were in the beginning two separate memorials. In that case they should be dealt with separately, and it may be well to consider the lady first. This effigy is quite perfect. Originally it was possibly under a canopy with a marginal inscription. One thing is quite certain, that it is Erench in execution and not English,, and that it is a unique specimen so far as these islands areconcerned. But figures in stone very like it are to be found in Erance. The artistic merit of this figure is high. Thebroad treatment of the lady's mantle and the flowing lines are just what is needed for effect, and no more. It is represented as gracefully gathered up on the dexter side under the elbow, and there are slits for the arms to pass through, edged with the same pattern as goes round the bottom of the gown. Through these slits appear the arms in the tight sleeves of the kirtle. The mantle is lined with a fur called vair, as seen just above the dog's head and also in the triangular lappets drawn over the shoulders. But the 44 MINSTER IN SHEPPEY: striking feature of the lady's dress is the extraordinary stiffened wimple which covers her chin and surrounds her head, so as to retain the beautifully plaited hair. Notice the highly decorated cushion on which her head rests. It is •different in pattern, and to some extent in shape, from that below the man's head. Her feet in their pointed boots are on a dog with a collar of bells, who looks up at his mistress •as if he did not quite enjoy being trodden on. It has been suggested that a large piece has been cut out of the middle •of the lady. I do not think this is so. I regard this effigy as practically perfect. As to the male effigy, which I do not regard as belonging to the same monument, it gives rise, as will readily be seen, to many problems. When we first find any note of it a large piece had been cut out of or lost from the middle, and the gap had been filled by relaying in a new slab and bringing up the lower portion. Of course it was not a good fit, as appears from many rubbings of the brass made before 1881. I t had the advantage, however, of making the effigies more be so clear. The knee of the dexter leg was in a position which shewed the ridge over it turned flat, which is a position it could not be in if the leg was straight. The other knee does not appear, being hidden by the shield. The only brass I have found which has the ridge plate shewn flat is Sir Robt. de Septvans, where the sinister knee is thus shewn and the legs are crossed. Here one knee shews cleaily, but the other does not and is clearly at a higher level. This could not be so if the leg were straight. My suggestion, then, is that we have here the remains of a brass to a man in armour, such as was worn in 1320, with crossed legs. He may have had by his side a lady, and may have been under a canopy with marginal inscription. All that was, in the seventeenth century, lost, as were his legs and a large piece from the centre. That he was then relaid, the hiatus in the centre being closed up and new legs put to him, these being cut in a piece of old metal, on the other side of which was part of the effigy of a lady of approximately the same date. He thereby became about the same size as the lady now at his side, who was relaid alongside him. So matters remained till 1881, when the figures were again relaid and the bit of the male figure in the centre was " restored."