A Complete Guide to HeraldryFox-Davies, Arthur Charles
History
A Complete Guide to Heraldry
Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles
Heraldry -- Great Britain
Our next example is a mural effigy to Sir William de Aldeburgh, _c._ 1360,
from the north aisle of Aldborough Church, near Boroughbridge, Yorkshire
(Fig. 26). He is attired like the "veray parfite gentil knight" of Chaucer,
in a _bascinet_ or steel cap, to which is laced the _camail_ or tippet of
chain mail, and a hauberk almost concealed by a _jupon_, whereon are
emblazoned his arms: "Azure, a fess indented argent, between three
crosslets botony, or." The first crosslet is charged with an annulet,
probably as a mark of cadency. The engraver has omitted the indenture upon
the fess, which, however, appears upon the shield. The knight's arms are
protected by _epaulières_, _brassarts_, _coutes_, and _vambraces_; his
hands, holding a heart, by gauntlets of steel. An elaborate baldric passes
round his waist, from which are suspended, on the left, a cross-hilted
sword, in a slightly ornamented scabbard; on the right, a _misericorde_, or
dagger of mercy. The thighs are covered by cuisses--steel plates, here
deftly concealed probably by satin or velvet secured by metal studs--the
knees by _genouillères_, the lower leg by _jambes_, which reveal chausses
of mail at the interstices. Sollerets, or long, pointed shoes, whereto are
attached rowel spurs, complete his outfit. The figure stands upon a bracket
bearing the name "Will's de Aldeburgh."
The parish church of Eastington, Gloucestershire, contains a brass to
Elizabeth Knevet, which is illustrated and described by Mr. Cecil T. Davis
at p. 117 of his excellent work on the "Monumental Brasses of
Gloucestershire."[4] The block (Fig. 27), which presents a good example of
the heraldic mantle, has been very kindly placed at my disposal by Mr.
Davis. To confine our description to the heraldic portion of the brass, we
find the following arms upon the mantle:--
"Quarterly, 1. argent, a bend sable, within a bordure engrailed azure
(Knevet); 2. argent, a bend azure, and chief, gules (Cromwell); 3. chequy
or and gules, a chief ermine (Tatshall); 4. chequy or and gules, a bend
ermine (De Cailly or Clifton); 5. paly of six within a bordure bezanté....
6. bendy of six, a canton...."[5]
A coat of arms occurs also at each corner of the slab: "Nos. 1 and 4 are on
ordinary shields, and 2 and 3 on lozenges. Nos. 1 and {56} 3 are charged
with the same bearings as are on her mantle. No. 2, on a lozenge,
quarterly, 1. Knevet; 2. Cromwell; 3. Tatshall; 4. Cailli; 5. De Woodstock;
6. paly of six within a bordure; 7. bendy of six, a canton; 8. or, a
chevron gules (Stafford); 9. azure, a bend cottised between six lioncels
rampant, or (de Bohun). No. 4 similar to No. 1, with the omission of 2 and
3."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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