Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Exeter: A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal SeeAddleshaw, Percy
Religion
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Exeter: A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal See
Addleshaw, Percy
Exeter Cathedral
Bronscombe died in 1280, Stafford in 1419; but with a regard to
symmetry, which is conspicuous in the cathedral, the earlier effigy of
Bronscombe was raised and provided with a new canopy to correspond with
Stafford's tomb on the opposite side. Bronscombe lies on the south side,
at the entrance to, or the north side of, his chapel of St. Gabriel. The
colouring on the effigy must have been uncommonly splendid, and even the
remnants of the patterns have not faded out of all beauty.
[Illustration: BISHOP BRONSCOMBE'S MONUMENT
(FROM BRITTON'S 'EXETER,' 1826).]
Stafford's tomb is on the north side at the entrance to the chapel of
St. Mary Magdalen. It has had to contend with severer enemies than old
age, but shockingly as the effigy has suffered, it still preserves
something of its original beauty and stateliness. The attitude is
simple; the gloved hands of the bishop are joined over his breast in an
attitude of prayer. The face is thin and ascetic, its saintly austerity
being rendered more noticeable owing to the rich mitre that crowns the
head. The folds of the robe are managed with a consummate simplicity and
skill. In Leland's "Itinerary" the bishop's epitaph is preserved:
"Hic jacet Edmundus de Stafforde intumulatus,
Quondam profundus legum doctor reputatus,
Verbis facundus, Comitum de stirpe creatus,
Felix et mundus Pater hujus Pontificatus."
#Tomb of Sir John and Lady Doddridge.#--Sir John Doddridge came of an
old Devonshire family, for in 1285 one Walter Doddridge and his wife
surrendered to the Dean and Chapter of Exeter a right of entrance into
the close from their house in High Street. Fuller says of him that it
were "hard to say, whether he was better artist, divine, Cure, or Common
Lawyer, though he fixed on the last for his publick Profession." He was
second justice of the King's Bench, and gained great renown as a judge
of stern integrity. Sir John was three times married, the lady whose
effigy is here represented being his third wife, Dorothy, daughter of
Sir Amias Bampfylde. She died in 1615. Sir John, who became a judge of
the King's Bench, lived till 1628. He won the nickname of the "sleepy
judge," for he always closed his eyes in court, the better to keep his
attention fixed on the case. The monument is very elaborate, and if not
beautiful is well worth attention on account of its technical qualities
and the probable accuracy of its representation. The dress of Lady
Dorothy Doddridge exhibits a good example of costume; the skirt
embroidered with pansies and carnations; the ruff and cuffs showing old
Devonshire "bone lace." It was no doubt copied from one of the lady's
actual gowns.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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