Curious Sepulchral Monuments In Warwickshire, Of The 13th And 14th Centuries.

CURIOUS SEPULCHRAL MONUMENTS IN WARWICKSHIRE , OF THE 13 TH AND 14 TH CENTURIES .

By MK . BLOXAM . ( Concluded from page 104 . ) Of recumbent sepulchral effigies of priests I may briefly notice those at Hillmorton , Stoneleigh , and Kineton . These are represented in the

vestments worn at the celebration of the Eucharistic 'Sacrifice in the amice , alb , stole , maniple , and chasuble . There is no peculiarity in any of these effigies ; they are all of the usual type . In Newton Regis Church there is , however , a very curious monument of this era , consisting of a low tomb or slab rudely sculptured in low relief under a sepulchral arch hi the north wall of the chancel . It

represents in a trefoliated compartment the busto of a priest , with the missal or breviary on one side and a chalice on the other : above are angels waving thuribles , with the conventional representation of angels conveying a soul to heaven in the likeness of a nude figure in a sheet . Two acolytes bearing

tapers appear beneath the busto , whilst at the foot of the slab is sculptured the Agnus Dei , or symbolical representation of our blessed Lord under the type of a lamb , and at the head of the slab the Spiritus Sanctus , or Holy Ghost in the form of a dove . The execution of this monument

is remarkably rude for the age in which it was executed . In Polesworth Church , formerly conventual , is the very curious , and perhaps unique sculptured recumbent effigy of a prioress of that establishment—a Benedictine nunnery . It is , I think , of

the fourteenth century . Her head appears in a trefoil-shaped sinking . Round the head , chin , and neck is the coif and wimple , and over the head is Avorn the veil . She is habited in a large gown or cowl with wide hanging sleeves , but without any mantle . In her right hand she held the

pastoral staff , floriated within the crook , Avhich is turned inwards , and in her left hand is held the Horas or book of prayers , whilst beneath her feet is the figure of a hart or stag , perhaps in allusion to the verse in the psalms , "As the hart desireth the water brooks . "

This is the only sculptured recumbent effigy of an abbess I have met with in this county . There are some few inlaid brass effigies , such as that at Elstow , in Bedfordshire , and some few statuettes , as those round the tomb of Lady Montacute , in Oxford Cathedral .

There is in the Church of Orton-on-the-Hill , Leicestershire , anciently a chapel belonging' to the Abbey of Merivale , in this county , the recumbent effigy of a Cistercian monk—one of the abbots , I am inclined to think , of Merivale , and probably removed from the abbey church of Merivale to Orton on the suppression and destruction of the abbey church . It represents him in the Cappa

clausa , or close cowl , with the mozetta and hood attached to it thrown back over the shoulders , whilst on the head is worn the coif or closefitting scull-cap , called the biretum . Over the head is an ogee canopy , which refers the date to the fourteenth century . This effigy is , as far as

my knowledge extends , perfectly unique . There is one more monument and effigy of the fourteenth century I consider greatly interesting . This is a rich high tomb , placed beneath a very rich canopied arch , at Cherrington Church , in the south of Warwickshire . The canopy or arch over

that tomb takes in form that of a low and obtuselypointed ogee arch , the interior mouldings of which are crocketted , whilst the under part or soffit is cinque-foiled . HOIIOAV mouldings in the architrave contain a series of the ball and four-leaved flower , rich accessories in architectural details of the

fourteenth century . The sides of the tomb are divided into a series of rich canopied recesses , ogee headed and crocketted , and trefoiled within the heads . On the north side of this tomb , which stands between the nave and eastern part of the north aisle , is a drain or piscinainto which the priest poured the

, water with which he washed his hands during the celebration of mass . This piscina , forming part of the monument itself , is a very curious arrangement , and I do not remember to have met with it elsewhere ; it is , however , indicative of the fact that the east end of the north aisle had been

converted into a chantry chapel . The recumbent effigy on this tomb is very curious , and exhibits a singular specimen of the civil costume or ordinary dress of a gentleman , frankelein , or squire of a parish in the fourteenth century .

The dress is that which in ancient wills of this period is described as consisting of " Tunica et Supertunica cum caputio , " that is , a long coat or tunic with close-fitting sleeves buttoned from the elbows to the wrists , the manica 3 botonatee : over this tunic is worn a supertunic or surcoat with

loose sleeves hanging down . The supertunic is girt by a narrow belt buckled in front , and from this belt is suspended on the right side an anclace or knife . On the head , and covering the shoulders and breast , is a kind of tippet combined with a hood very like the modern capeand called the

, caputium . The terms " cote and . hood , " two of the articles of apparel , are mentioned in Piers Plowman Orede , written in the fourteenth century , and also in the poems of Chaucer . On each side of the head of this effigy is an angel , and the feet rest against a lion .

Although this effigy is far from unique , there being many sculptured effigies of this class of the fourteenth century , which have not however been yet satisfactorily treated of or described , the whole of this monument is exceedingly rich and curious > and one of the most remarkable in the county of Warwick . There are other ¦ " monumental effigies of great