Repton and its neighbourhood : $b a descriptive guide of the archæology, &c. of the districtHipkins, F. C. (Frederick Charles)
History
Repton and its neighbourhood : $b a descriptive guide of the archæology, &c. of the district
Hipkins, F. C. (Frederick Charles)
Repton (England) -- Description and travel; Repton (England) -- History
A little above the centre, resting on a dish, is a head, below it is a
lamb lying on a missal or book. On the right side is a bare-headed, full
length figure of St. Peter, holding a key in his right hand, and a book
in his left. On the left side is a similar figure of an archbishop, with
a mitre on his head, a book in his right hand, and a cross-staff in his
left. The back ground, _i.e._ the surface of the block, is painted a dark
olive green. The head, dish and robes an orange brown. The hair, rim of
the dish, and edges of the robes, books, key, and cross-staff are gilded.
The lining of St. Peter’s robe is red, that of the archbishop is blue.
The head and dish occupy three quarters of the space. Dr. Cox enumerates
ten similar pieces of sculpture, all of which have figures of St. Peter
on the right side, and all, except one which bears a figure of St. Paul,
have a mitred archbishop on the left, which is supposed to represent
either St. Augustine, or St. Thomas of Canterbury. The chief differences
are in the figures above and below the central head and dish. There is
a cut on the forehead over the left eye. Several suggestions have been
made respecting the head. It has been said to represent (1) The head of
St. John the Baptist, (2) The Vernicle, (3) The image of our Lord’s face,
given to King Abgarus, and (4) The First Person of the Holy Trinity.
Which of these is right is a matter for discussion, but “the block, no
doubt, has reference to the presence of our Lord in the Sacrament.”
At the back there are two holes, into which pegs could be inserted, for
the purpose or fixing it above an altar, on a reredos or otherwise, in
oratories or chantries. All the examples known were made about the same
date, at the end of the fourteenth or the beginning of the fifteenth
century.
The Vicar of Finderne also has an old deed, dated 1574, which sets forth
that, in that year, Sir Thomas Gresham sold his property at Finderne,
with manorial rights, to twelve men whose names are given. He had 1272
acres in Finderne, and 378 at Potlock.
_Potlac or Potlock_ was the seat of the old family of Finderns, who for
nine generations lived here (as tenants under the Abbots of Burton),
from the reign of Edward III. to Elizabeth, when Thomas Finderne died, in
1558, leaving all his estates, here and elsewhere, to his sister Jane,
who married Sir Richard Harpur, one of the Justices of the Common Pleas,
ancestor of Sir Vauncey Harpur-Crewe, Bart., of Calke Abbey.
The ancient manor-house, and chapel, dedicated to St. Leonard, have
disappeared. A farmhouse occupies the site of the former, and only a few
cedar trees and Scotch firs remain near the house to connect it with the
past.
NEWTON SOLNEY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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