Chelsea, in the Olden & Present TimesBryan, George
History
Chelsea, in the Olden & Present Times
Bryan, George
Chelsea (London, England) -- History
DUCHESS OF NORTHUMBERLAND.—The venerable monument of Lady Jane Guildford,
Duchess of Northumberland, is placed against the north wall of this
chapel. This interesting memorial consists of an altar-tomb under an
arched recess, crowned by four canopies and supported by five reticulated
pillars, the bases of which rest on the altar-tomb as on a plinth. The
faces of the tomb are divided into panels, containing quatrefoils
enclosing shields, and one coat of arms remains. The back of the recess
is divided into three compartments by small graduated buttresses; that on
the west contained the arms, and sons, while that on the east displays
the effigies of the Duchess and her daughters. The soffit of this recess
is richly groined, the canopies are divided by graduated buttresses with
pinnacles at their apices; they consist of a trefoiled arch with angular
pediments crocketed, and terminating in rich finials, and the spandrils
are panelled. The frieze, formed by two cavittoes, is ornamented, the
lower with rosettes, and the upper with portcullis and rosettes arranged
alternately. The whole is surmounted by a cornice of foliage. The
Duchess appears in the front, kneeling, habited in a surcoat, with her
arms richly emblazoned, originally in enamel. Behind her are her
daughters, with their Christian names engraved over their heads in Gothic
letters. On the left side were represented, on a brass plate, (now long
torn off) the effigies of her sons. The inscription states that the
Duchess had issue thirteen children, eight sons and five daughters. She
died “at her maner of Chelsey, ye 22 daye of January, in ye second yere
of ye reigne of our Sovereyne Lady Queene Mary the first, and in A.D
MDLV., on whose soul Jesus have mercy.”
* * * * *
SIR W. MILMAN.—On the same wall as the preceding is the monument of this
gentleman, who died in 1713. There is also another to the memory of
several of the same family.
* * * * *
SIR ROBERT STANLEY.—The monument of this distinguished resident is at the
east end of the chapel. Two figures, representing Justice and Fortitude,
support the arms of Stanley, and three large urns; on the centre one, on
a medallion, is the bust of Sir Robert in alto relievo, who is
represented with whiskers but no beard. On the urns, on each side, are
medallions of two of his children, whose deaths are noticed on the
monument. He died in 1632, and was the second son of the “Earle of
Darbie.”
* * * * *
Near the principal window here is a small brass plate fixed into a marble
tablet to the memory of Humphrey Peshall, Esq., who died in 1650.
* * * * *
There are a few other inscriptions in different parts of the church, but
the principal and most ancient ones have been all noticed. We will now
proceed, therefore, to describe some of the monuments in the old
churchyard.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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