to altars or lights before the statues of Our Lady of Pity, St. Anne, St. Anthony, St. Erasmus, St. Katherine, St. Lawrence, St. Loy, St. Ninian, St. Peter, St. Sithe, St. Thomas, and King Henry VI. Of these the position of the altar of St. Anne alone is certain. There were 'porches 'i.e. chapels with enclosures of wood or stone beneath the arches of the nave-of St. John the Evangelist and St. John the Baptist. Allusions to the guild of our Lady in porticu,' and to the statue of our Lady of the porch show that the loft or upper chamber of the large south porch was, as at Cirencester, the meeting-place of the brethren of the guild, and probably contained an altar. The inner walls of the south porch are deeply scored with marks, according to the usual conjecture, of arrows, sharpened here during archery practice. The south door is contemporary with the porch and aisle, and is in an excellent state of preservation; there are few finer doors of the period in England. The parish chest, which is now placed in the nave, near the south doorway, appears to belong to the fifteenth century. A. HAMILTON THOMPSON. ON THE HERALDRY AT THIRSK. There are two ancient descriptions of the heraldry in Thirsk Church. The earlier was made by Robert Glover, Somerset Herald, in 1584, when making his Visitation of Yorkshire.2 Besides the coats described later on, he notes, azure a chevron argent between three cocks gules [sic],"two knights kneeling with these arms, argent three hedgehogs purpure, Orate pro animabus Thomae . . . . . et Ceciliae, etc.," and a window to the memory of John Wright alias Osgodby, all of which have been since destroyed. The other description was made by Roger Dodsworth on Oct. 16, 1622.5 He mentions two shields, Scrope of Masham impaling Greystock, and Lascelles, sable a cross flory or, which are no longer extant. At the present time, with the exception of two shields which also occur again in this window, all the ancient heraldic glass 1 See Dr. Fowler's notes in Rites of Durham (Surtees Soc.), pp. 208, 209, 210. Such stone porches "remain in considerable numbers in our larger churches, e.g. at Winchester, Wells, Worcester, Bath Abbey, Boxgrove, and Christchurch Priories, etc. There is a wooden "porch" of a type once common in our parish churches at Burford, Oxon. 2 Visitations of Yorkshire in 1584-5 and 1612, p. 449. 3 The family of Laycock of Copmanthorpe bore argent a chevron between three cocks gules, which is, perhaps, the coat intended. 4 The families of Biram and Heriz bore argent three hedgehogs sable. The last is Scotch, and the first Lancashire. 5 Dodsworth's Church Notes (Yorkshire Record Series, xxxiv), p. 216, in Thirsk Church has been gathered together into the window at the east end of the south aisle. Dodsworth tells that in his time there was "in the north quire a knight armed, kneling, behind him 8 sons, tow of them armed likewyse. On his brest Strangwaies armes. On the first son armed per pale Strangwaies and argent a lyon rampant azure. On the second son armed, per pale Strangwaies and azure a maunch or.2 His wief and 3 daughters, kneling. On her gowne paly Strangwaies and Ingleby, another paly Strangwaies and Maliverer.3 In the middest, quarterly, Strangwaies, and 2 quarter, quarterly Darcy and Mennell. Under all Orate pro bono statis Jacobi Strangwaies, militis, et Elizabeth[e] uxoris ejus."4 In the quire window there were the arms of Strangwayes quartering Darcy and Meynell, and in another window Orrell, argent three torteaux between two cotises and a chief sable. The heraldry is commemorative of Sir James Strangways, of Harlsey Castle, near Northallerton, the first of his family to come into Yorkshire. According to the usually-accepted pedigree, he was the eldest son of James Strangwayes, who owned the manor of Strangeways, 3 miles east of Wigan, and Joan, daughter of Nicholas Orrell, whose arms are given in the window. The Strangwayes arms were sable two lions passant, paly of six argent and gules, or as it is phrased in the Fifteenth Roll, which seems to be the earliest time they are mentioned, "gobbone sylvyr and gowlys."5 By a wealthy marriage, a fashion followed by his descendants, Sir James Strangwayes laid the foundations of the prosperity of his family, which afterwards attained so great proportions. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Philip, Lord Darcy, and Eleanor, daughter of Henry, 4th Lord Fitzhugh. The other daughter, Margery, married Sir John Conyers, of Hornby." 1 The arms of Fauconberg of Skelton. Sir Richard Strangwayes, Sir James' eldest son, married Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of William Neville, Lord Fauconberg, and Earl of Kent. The proper bearing of the family was a white saltire on a red field differenced by a rose (The Ancestor, iv, 232), or, according to another authority (Harleian MS., 6163), by a red mullet. 2 James Strangwayes, the second son of Sir James, married Ann, daughter and heiress of Robert Conyers, of Ormesby. 3 Margery Strangwayes married John Ingleby, of Ripley, and Elinor Edmund Mauleverer, of Wothersome. 4.. Orate pro bono statu Elizabet vxoris," still existing in the window, probably forms part of the above inscription. Two female heads there 6 March 7, 1438-9. Institution of William Boynton, clerk, in the person of Christopher Boynton, his proctor, to the free chapel of Whorleton, vacant by the resignation of Mr. Henry Chicheley, on the presentation of James Strangways, junior, and Elizabeth, his wife, one of the daughters of Philip, Lord Darcy, and of John Conyers and Marjory, his wife, the other daughter (Reg. Kempe fo. 395.) Lord Darcy's great-grandmother was Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Nicholas, Lord Meynell of Whorlton Castle. This alliance accounts for the presence of the arms of Darcy, azure crusilly three cinquefoils argent, and Meynell, azure two bars gemelle and a chief or. These coats are not quarterly, as noted by Dodsworth, but on separate shields. Sir James married, as his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Eure, by whom he had four children, having had seventeen by his first. He was High Sheriff for Yorkshire in 1446, 1453, and 1469; and M.P. for the county and Speaker of the House of Commons in I Edward IV (1461). In 1470, he and his wife, Elizabeth (probably his second wife), and daughter, Lady Welles, were admitted to the Corpus Christi Guild at York.1 The other arms in this window are England and France quarterly, and Mowbray, gules a lion rampant argent. Also three coats of the Askwith family, sable a fesse gules between three asses argent, differenced respectively by the imposition. on the fess of a mitre, a mullet, and a crescent, all white. The two first shields also appear in the window at the west end of the north aisle. The family of Askwith was seated at a later period at Osgodby, in the parish of Thirkleby, about four miles south of Thirsk. The shield, differenced with a mitre, commemorates William Ascough or Askwith, Bishop of Salisbury from 1438 till June 29, 1450, when he was murdered at Edington, in Wiltshire, where he was buried. His will is dated 1449. On a pair of stall-ends, now fixed in front of the organ, there are a couple of coats of arms: (i) Quarterly (1) and (4), a fess over all a lion rampant; (2) and (3), on a bend three billets between two balls. The latter coat has not been ascertained. The former may be for Gibson of Welburn (one of whom, Sir John, was buried at Crayke in 1639), barry of six ermine and sable a lion rampant or. (ii) Askwith, with a mullet for difference, impaling three calves. Brian Askwith, who heads the pedigree of Askwith of Osgodby in the Visitation of Yorkshire in 1612 (p. 487), married Dorothy, daughter of Ottiwell Metcalfe, of Swinethwaite and Bekards, in Wensleydale. Brian Askwith's will is dated Feb. 18, 1589-90.2 In it, after stating he was sick in body, he made a profession of faith, 1 The Guild of the Corpus Christi, York (Surtees Soc., Ivii), p. 75. 2 Reg. Test., xxiv, 238. such as suited a man whose daughter married a son of Whittingham, the strongly Protestant Dean of Durham :- I bequeath my soule unto Almightie God, my Creatour, who, through the merittes and precious bloodshedding of his deare and onelie sonne, Jesus Christ, hath satisfied his owne justice for my sinnes, and of his great love hath provided, and through his sonne Jesus Christ, my Saviour, hath purchased an everlasting kingdome for me for ever; and my bodye to the earthe to be buried, ther to remaine until the glorious coming of our Lorde and Saviour Jesus Christe." To his wife Dorothy the profits of his land till his son William should attain the age of 24. Stipend for son's maintenance at Cambridge or one of the Inns of Court to be provided at the discretion of his brotherin-law, John Coniers, of London, Esq.,1 and his son-in-law, Timothy Whittingham. To his good friends, John Woolmer and Thomas Wright, Esquires, the lease of Solbargh. Sons-inlaw, Francis Davell, Timothy Whittingham, and Thomas Conyers. Daughters, Agnes Davell, Elizabeth Whittingham, and Isabel Coniers. "Sonne William my chaine of gold, my signet, and half my plait. Vnto my good frindes [sic] John Wolmer and Thomas Wright, Esquiers, eyther of them, an old ryall, for a remembrance of auncient frindship." Supervisors, his brotherin-law, Mr. Coniers, and his sons-in-law. Wife sole executrix. Witnesses, Fraunces Davell, Tymothie Whittingham, Leonerd Coniers, and Thomas Frear. Proved March 16, 1589-90, at Osgodbie, before Master John Gibson, LL.D., and administration granted to the executrix. The will of his widow, Dorothy Askwith, of Osgodby, was made on Nov. 2, 1596. Her profession of religion is much briefer than her husband's, "I give and bequeath my soule unto Almighty God, my maker and redemer." Her kinsfolk and neighbours, the Metcalfes of Hood Grange, were recusants, but her branch of the family appears to have been Conformists. Her will is interesting, so the greater part of it is given here :- "Dorothie Askwith, of Osgodby, widow. My bodie to be buried in the parish church, where yt shall please God to call me to his mercy. Unto my sonne-in-lawe, Francis Davell, two olde ryalls, and other two to my daughter Davell, and one white goblet of silver like to a chalice. To my sonne Whittingham two olde ryalls, and other two to my daughter, and one 1 Probably John Conyers, an auditor and whose son Thomas married the in London, whose mother was a Metcalfe, testator's daughter, Isabel. 2 Reg. Test., xxvi, 429. other goblet of silver like to a chalice. To my sonne Conyers two olde rialls, and to my daughter other two and one gilde peece. To my daughter Davell's children one hundreth poundes, and to my daughter Whittingham's children one hundreth poundes. To my daughter Conyers her children fiftie poundes. To Thomas Jackson, my daughter Whittinghamis eldest sonne, the bigger of the two peeces I bought of my brother Anthonie [Askwith]. To Roger Davell, my daughter Davell's eldest sonne, the other peece I bought of my sayd brother Anthonie. To Katherine Conyers, my daughter Conyers daughter, one silver salt gilded with a cover. To my daughter Davell's daughters, and to my daughter Whittingham's daughters, eache of theim, a paire of lynnen sheetes, to be taken in the lowe cheist in the lowe parlour of the best, and fowr dozen and a halfe of new napkins unmade, and as many moe as will make eache of theim a dozen out of the cheist in the lowe parlour. To my daughter Davell's daughters two new table clothes, and to my daughter Whittingham's two, all unhemmed. To the yongest daughter of my daughter Conyers one gilded silver spoone that Sir John Hart gave me. To my daughters Agnes and Elizabeth my apparell, both lynnen and woollen (my satteyne kirtle excepted), which I give to my sonne William's wife. To my sonne William one howpe of golde, my weding ringe, and my ringe with the asse head1 to his wife. Agnes one ringe with an agget sette in yt. Elizabeth one ringe with the deathes heade. Conyers one ringe with a red stone. The plate which was bought of Mr. Jackson I give the one halfe therof to Thomas Jackson, and the other halfe to Roger Davell. To Thomas Jackson a tablet of golde2 and a brouch which my husband bought, and was his father's, and one golde ringe which was his father's with a red stone in yt. To William Whittingham, my sonne Whittingham's sonne, one halfe dozen of new silver spoones. To my brothers-in-lawe Robert and Anthonie Askwith, to my sister Maude Man, and to my brothers George and James Metcalfe, eache of theim xls. To my brother and sister Conyers, eache of theim, one golde ryall. To my brother Thornton one olde ryall. To Mr. Alderman Askwith and my ladie, either of theime, one angell. To my cozen Gillinge and his wife, 1 The family crest was an ass's head erased argent. (Visitation of Yorkshire in 1612, p. 487.) 2 A tablet was an ornament of precious To my daughter metal or jewellery of a flat form, worn about the person. 3 Robert Askwith was Lord Mayor of York in 1593. |
