II. HENRY THORPE, RECTOR, 1702. Also in the churchyard, near to the former, another small plate, 8 by 12 inches, bearing some odd twisted devices and the following inscription: RESVRGAM HENRICVS THORPE OBIIT IN CHRISTO NONO DIE FEBRVARII ANNO DNI 1702. Henry Thorpe, M.A., was instituted to the living on April 17, 1696. TOPCLIFFE. THOMAS DE TOPCLYFF, 1362, AND WIFE MABEL, 1391. A fine Flemish brass, now unfortunately much worn and mutilated. It is composed of a number of small plates, making a large quadrangular sheet of metal 69 by 31 inches. The design consists of the full-length figures of a civilian and wife under rich canopy work, with figures of angels, &c., the whole being enclosed by a marginal inscription, with the symbols of the Evangelists at the corners. The background of the plate is richly diapered with foliage, and the heads of the figures rest on diapered cushions held by angels. The canopy consists of two cusped arches, divided by a slender centre, column and carrying rich shrine work above, each division containing a seated figure holding the soul of the deceased and attended by censing angels. The side shafts are worked into niches, each containing an angel playing on a musical instrument, amongst which may be noticed a bass and treble viol, a dulcimer, regal, trumpet and tabor. Thomas de Topclyff is represented in civil dress, with curly hair, beard, and moustaches. He wears a tunic with close sleeves, edged with fur at the bottom and at the wrists, a mantle fur lined throughout and buttoned on the right shoulder. Round his neck is a hood, and hanging on his right side is a short sword, the fastening of which by means of a short chain attached to the end of the leather belt is clearly shown. Under his feet, which are encased in boots, is a lion. His wife Mabel wears the veil head-dress and wimple so arranged as to leave only a square opening for the face, a gown with close, tightly-buttoned sleeves reaching to the knuckles, and a mantle lined with fur. At her feet is a small dog gnawing a bone and wearing a collar of bells. The marginal inscription, in large, bold black letter, with roses between each word, is broken in the centre by quatrefoils enclosing the arms of TOPCLYFF, . . . a chevron between three peg tops..., and at the corners by the symbols of the Evangelists, that of St. John together with portions of the inscription being lost. Each section of the inscription was complete in itself; that referring to the man. commences under his feet, that to the lady above her head. The missing words in the inscription, with the exception of the man's christian name, for which Gough is the authority,' are here shown in brackets from Dodsworth's transcript taken on October 16, 1622:2 hic iacet venerabilis [vir (Thomas) de] Topclyff qui obiit an[no domini Mo CCCLXXI quoru' ani'e [propicietur deus] [hic iacet mabilla] quondam uxor eius que obiit anno domini M° CCCXCI quoru' ani'e propicietur deus. There is a beautiful engraving of this brass in Messrs. J. G. and L. A. B. Wallers' Series of Monumental Brasses, and to Mr. J. G. Waller, F.S A., the Society is indebted for permission to publish the accompanying illustration, which is a reduced copy of the abovementioned plate. There is another interesting feature about this brass, viz. that the whole or a greater portion of it is palimpsest. Unfortunately it was never properly examined at the time when it was detached from its slab. Messrs. Waller give the following account of the discovery of the palimpsest portions: "The brass of Thomas Topcliff and lady was a few years ago, during restoration of the church, removed from its slab. The reverse was discovered to be entirely, or nearly so, composed of plates of metal that had been previously used. But one small portion, however, fell under the writer's observation, and that was a part of the border, the reverse of which showed a portion of inscription in Longobardic capitals and in the Flemish vernacular: 'bidt. voer. die . ziele,' i.e. pray for the soul. It was extremely well executed, much in the style of the brass at St. Alban's to Abbot Delamere; and was only a few years earlier in date to that of which it now forms a portion. Of the rest, the account given by the Rev. H. A. Hawkins, the incumbent of Topcliff, though less complete than one could have wished of so curious a fact, is nevertheless useful, and tends to support the theory that occasionally spoilt metal 1 Sepulchral Monuments, vol. i, p. 179. Except for this name, Gough's transcript is very inaccurate. 2 Dodsworth MS. (Bodleian), vol. 160, f. 257. For this the writer is indebted to Mr. J. W. Clay, F.S.A. 3 Series of Monumental Brasses, Introduction, page ix, was reworked on its opposite surface. In a letter he says: 'I remember the fact of its being engraved over its entire surface, but I could not make out the design, if there was one. It struck me rather as being a collection of several small sheets of brass, on the back of which the artist or his apprentice had been trying their engraving tools. I could trace no connection between one sheet and another; there was something resembling an elaborate ladder on one sheet, and on the next a sword, out of all proportion to the ladder, if it was intended for one, and only slightly sketched, whereas the ladder, as I have remarked, was highly finished.' We must be thankful to possess so brief a record of so curious a fact, though we may regret the opportunity of a more searching scrutiny has been lost. There can be little doubt that we have here the metal of spoilt work, of various designs, used over again. That described as a 'ladder' was, most likely, the commencement of some architectural feature, dividing into panels." Mr. Waller also communicated a similar account to the Archæological Journal, vol. xviii, page 82. Gill describes the brass as being on the floor of the north aisle in 1852. Some ten years ago it was on the floor of the chancel. Recently it has been replaced in the north aisle and the slab fixed upright against the wall. II. In J. Gill's Vallis Eboracensis (1852), page 370, mention is made of a brass plate, now lost, in the nave near the door, and bearing the following inscription: "hic jacet Robertus Scrope (?) primogenitor (sic) filius . . . Octob: anno dñi millio CCCC.... cuius ai'e . . . . Mr. W. J. Kaye, F.S.A., who kindly searched the church in vain for any trace of this inscription, writes me as follows:-" Dr. Carter Mitchell, of Topcliffe, told me of the removal some forty years ago of a large slab with matrices from Topcliffe Church to Dishforth, some two miles south. Here I found it reposing at the gates of the village school, with an accumulation of walls, gates and grass on it. This seems very likely to be the Scrope slab, as I found no other matrix in the church, despite a thorough search under cocoanut matting." From a sketch sent by Mr. Kaye, the slab shows indents for two half effigies, with an inscription plate below and shields at the corners. Mr. Kaye also notes that the slab bears signs of reappropriation, a larger plate having been inserted in the right hand. corner of the original matrix. VOL. XVII. W |